Just then, far off in the distance, I heard Big Ben. One … two … three.
“It’s time,” Cora said, grabbing my hand and digging her fingernails into my skin so deeply that I inhaled sharply. Cora’s grip showed what her demeanor hadn’t: She was just as nervous as I was that Violet might not be the sister she knew and loved.
A hush descended over us—even the crickets or squirrels we’d heard moments earlier had gone silent. It was as if we were underneath a protective dome, where no one would hear or see what occurred.
Violet staggered through the gates, her face covered with blood and her breathing ragged, as though she’d been running. She was wearing a dark red dress that buttoned up to her chin, but her forearms were bare. Her eyes were glittering in the darkness, and she’d lost the scared, haunted look she’d had as a human.
“Violet!” Cora whispered from the bushes.
Violet paused midstep and glanced over. She looked so confused, it was all I could do not to leap from the bushes, wrap her in my arms, and bring her to safety.
“Violet!” Cora called again.
Violet finally located the source of the voice. Disoriented and defensive, she lunged for Cora, pinning her to the ground. Cora’s surprised cry pierced the air.
I plucked Violet off her sister and stood her up to face me. It was clear she was strong, very strong, from her recent feeding. I could hear the steady thrum of blood in her veins. I wondered how many victims she’d already claimed and hoped it was not as many as I had on my conscience.
Violet blinked and tried to focus, her savage grimace melting back to a look of confusion.
“Why… Stefan?” she said, shaking her head as if unsure whether she was in a dream. Just for a split second, I saw a glimmer of Violet as I’d known her: a naïve, innocent girl trying to make sense of the world. She turned to her sister. “And Cora?” she asked, as if she could scarcely believe her eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh, Violet. You’re alive,” Cora said, leaping up and showering her sister with kisses. “I am so sorry. I’m sorry I went away, and I’m sorry for everything. Please forgive me. I never should have left you alone in the first place. Do you forgive me?”
Violet’s eyes glittered in the moonlight. She reached out and stroked her sister’s cheek. “Of course I forgive you,” she said. “Oh, I’m so happy to see you.” She drew Cora into an embrace.
Cora hugged her sister hard. “I needed to see you,” she said finally. “Stefan and I have been so worried about you.”
“You shouldn’t be,” Violet said in a dulcet voice. “I’ve been happier than I could ever have imagined. Jewels, furs, parties … it’s the world we always imagined,” she said, twirling a lock of her hair around her index finger. “And it can be yours, too. It’ll only take a second, and then you can be just like me. You can say good-bye to dull, dirty London forever. You’ll never have to sleep in a tunnel or in a crowded rooming house. It will be my gift to you,” Violet said as she lunged toward her sister. I ran toward them and pushed Violet to the ground, holding her there as she writhed and gnashed her fangs. Her face turned into a mask of hatred as she blinked up at me.
“You ruin everything, Stefan,” she snarled, pushing me away.
“I’m fixing everything. And Cora doesn’t want to be a vampire. That’s not the answer. We’ve come to take you with us,” I explained. “Where you’ll be safe.”
“Safe?” Violet spat as she stood. “I’m safe here. With Samuel. And I’m happy, too, Stefan. No thanks to you.” She sounded like she was issuing a challenge. Her voice had lost all traces of her Irish accent, and was as cold and hard as iron.
“You’ll be happier with your sister. You two are family. You don’t need Samuel.”
“What do you know about what I need?” Violet shot back, hatred dripping from her voice. “You told me not to become a vampire. You told me it would be lonely and terrible. ‘A fate worse than death,’ was what you said. But you just didn’t want me to have any fun. Not like Samuel does.” Violet laughed, an icy, tinkling sound. “I pity you. And luckily, I don’t have to deal with you. You’ll be dead soon enough. Until then, keep away from my sister. She doesn’t need your protection.”
At this, Violet turned to her sister possessively. “Look at you, Cora,” she said. “Why, you’re a mess. You need me to take care of you.”
“No, Violet, come with us. Please, this isn’t you,” Cora implored.
“Oh, Cora,” Violet said, grasping her sister’s hands in hers. “Don’t you see? I have everything I’ve ever wanted. Join me. It could be just like we talked about, me and you, taking on the world!”
“Don’t listen to her!” I interjected.
Violet turned and glared at me. “You’re the one who’s been lying. She needs a real vampire to protect her. And to think I believed you were so brave and so strong. You’re nothing like Samuel. You’re nothing at all,” she hissed.
Her words sliced through my stomach. There was nothing left of the girl I’d kissed on the hill in Ivinghoe.
“Violet, please. You’re hurting me,” Cora said, twisting her hands in Violet’s grip. “Stefan—”
“Shh,” Violet said tenderly, brushing her lips across Cora’s forehead. “I’m here now. He doesn’t matter. He’s nothing to you.”