Rachel opened her eyes to a room so dark she could not tell whether morning had come.

The heavy curtains smothered the windows, turning the space into a pocket of false night. She lay still beneath the blankets, listening to the unfamiliar quiet of Vlad's house. Behind her, Vlad slept with one arm above the blanket. He looked almost harmless, though Rachel had learned better than to trust any version of him too easily.

She eased herself from the bed, careful not to disturb the mattress more than she had to. The warmth he had given her through the night lingered against her skin, and she tried not to think about how deeply she had slept once the cold and the crying beyond the walls had faded.

The floor was cool beneath her bare feet as she crossed the room. When she reached the door, she braced herself for the locked handle and the old, familiar rise of panic, but the latch turned beneath her hand.

The door was unlocked.

Rachel glanced back at Vlad, half expecting his eyes to open and his voice to follow her across the room. He did not move, and the relief that settled through her was quiet enough to feel dangerous.

She slipped into the hallway and closed the door behind her.

The house felt different in the morning, though morning was still only a guess. Night had made it gothic and watchful, full of shadows, old wood and closed doors, but pale light now gathered along the corridor and softened the faces in the gilded frames. The floorboards still betrayed every step, creaking beneath her no matter how carefully she moved, but there was no answering sound from behind the bedroom door.

Rachel reached a fork in the hall and paused. One staircase fell away into deeper shadow while the other curved toward a wash of daylight, and after the night she had endured, the choice was embarrassingly easy.

She chose the light.

The stairs led to a long corridor lined with dark timber doors, and at the far end, an open doorway spilled sunlight across the floor. Rachel followed it into a kitchen large enough to belong in a magazine, all white stone, blue tiles, arched windows and polished benches that gleamed beneath the morning sun. Beyond the kitchen, a dining table sat beneath a vase of flowers so perfect they looked arranged for a photograph.

Her stomach tightened. She had not eaten properly since before Myus.

Rachel opened the fridge, expecting jars, expensive cheese and the kind of food people bought to prove they knew what markets were. Instead, she found fruit. Figs, strawberries, grapes, blueberries and raspberries sat in neat glass containers, chilled and bright as jewels.

They were her favourites, arranged with enough care to make the discovery feel less like hospitality and more like evidence that someone had prepared for her.

She took the strawberries and raspberries, carried them to the sink, and began rinsing them under cold water.

"You found breakfast."

Rachel startled so hard the punnet slipped from her hand, spilling berries into the sink.

Estella stood behind her, one shoulder against the doorway and a smile playing at her mouth.

"You scared me," Rachel said, gathering the berries before they bruised.

"I thought you would hear me coming." Estella crossed the room with unhurried grace. "You seemed distracted."

"Good morning to you, too."

Estella's gaze moved over her, lingering on the borrowed jumper, the bare legs and the dark mark hidden imperfectly beneath one sleeve. "Has Vlad come back yet?"

Rachel paused with a raspberry halfway to her mouth. "Back from where?"

"The portal."

The word tightened the air between them.

Rachel lowered the raspberry. "What portal?"

Estella's smile sharpened with interest. "He did not tell you."

"No."

"How fascinating."

"Less fascinating from my side."

Estella leaned against the counter. "I assumed that was why he brought you here."

Rachel thought of the cry in the walls, the cold around the mark and Vlad's refusal to explain anything properly. "Did you hear anything strange last night?"

Estella's amusement faded. "What kind of strange?"

"A cry. A roar. Something in pain."

For the first time, Estella looked toward the windows instead of at Rachel. "Vlad has a great deal to tell you."

"Then tell me before he wakes."

"I should find him first. He is usually back by now."

"He's asleep in my room."

Estella turned back to her, and the smile returned at once. "Oh?"

"No."

"I said nothing."

"You said it with your face."

Estella's gaze dropped to Rachel's hand, where juice from the raspberries stained her fingers. For a moment, the brightness in her eyes deepened into something too hungry to be friendly, then she blinked, and the smile returned.

"Forgive me," Estella said. "Your essence has an unfortunate way of making manners feel optional."

Rachel pulled her hand closer to herself. "Is that what this is?"

"You are very difficult to ignore."

"You didn't like me before."

"No," Estella said cheerfully. "I did not."

"That's comforting."

"I am adjusting."

Rachel lifted a brow. "By staring at my hand like it's dessert?"

Estella laughed, though her eyes remained fixed on Rachel's fingers. "A taste, and I will behave."

"You already bit me once."

"And you drank from me."

"That was not exactly social."

"Neither is this." Estella stepped closer, then stopped when Rachel stiffened. "I am curious, not reckless."

"That is not the same as trustworthy."

"No, but it is honest."

Rachel considered calling for Vlad, then rejected the thought almost immediately. The last thing she wanted was to begin the morning by proving she needed rescuing from a woman in bare feet who smiled too much.

"How about you tell me about the portal instead?" Rachel said.

"How about you give me a drop, and I tell you something useful."

Rachel looked at Estella's red mouth and remembered Darius shaking beneath her, remembered how quickly her essence had softened him, how the detectives had gone still beneath her touch. If Estella was already affected, a taste might make her worse.

Or more manageable.

Rachel hated that she was beginning to think that way.

"One drop," she said at last. "And if you lose control, I scream."

Estella's eyes brightened. "Fair."

Rachel held out her index finger.

Estella took her wrist carefully, as if the care itself was part of the bargain. Her fangs appeared. Rachel tensed as they pierced the pad of her finger. The pain was brief, more prick than bite, but Estella's eyes flared purple the instant Rachel's blood touched her tongue.

"What is going on here?"

Vlad's voice cut through the kitchen.

Estella released Rachel at once and turned with an expression far too innocent to be believed. "Vlad. You're awake."

Vlad stood in the doorway wearing only black sweatpants, his hair disordered and his face cold enough to drain the warmth from the room. Morning light caught the hard lines of his chest and shoulders, and Rachel looked away too late.

His gaze moved from Estella's mouth to Rachel's bleeding finger.

"We discussed this," he said.

Estella wiped a thumb beneath her lower lip. "She offered."

"You were affected."

"I was curious."

"Both are dangerous excuses."

Rachel pressed her finger against her palm. "I made the choice."

Vlad's eyes moved to her. "You keep doing that before understanding what the choice means."

Estella's pupils widened, purple bleeding through the red, and a slow, delighted smile spread across her face as she looked at Rachel. Rachel felt the shift before she understood it.

"Oh," Estella said softly. "That is new."

Vlad's expression darkened. "Estella."

"I am perfectly in control." Estella linked her arm through Rachel's and tugged her toward the door with surprising strength. "She looks like she crawled out of a grave and stole someone's jumper. I am taking her to bathe."

"I can bathe myself," Rachel said.

"Have you looked in a mirror recently?"

Vlad stepped forward, and Estella stopped before he touched her.

"You will not taste her again," he said.

Estella gave him a bright, unrepentant smile. "Then I will be charming from a distance."

"That would be a first."

Rachel tried to slip free. "I am standing right here."

"Yes," Vlad said. "And that is the problem."

Estella leaned toward Rachel as if sharing a secret. "He gets like this when he cares."

Vlad's eyes flashed. "Estella."

She only laughed and pulled Rachel from the kitchen. "Rest, Vladimir. You look like death, and not in your usual attractive way."

Rachel glanced back as Estella led her toward the stairs. Vlad remained in the kitchen, his expression hard, but exhaustion sat beneath it. Whatever he had done before returning to her room had cost him.

"What is the portal?" Rachel asked as they climbed.

"Something Vlad will shout at me for explaining."

"That has not stopped you so far."

"It might if he is already angry."

They reached Rachel's room, and Estella guided her through to the adjoining bathroom. Steam curled through the air from a slipper bath filled almost to the rim. Candles glowed on the counter, and a neat pile of clothes waited beside a folded towel.

Rachel stopped in the doorway. "You prepared this?"

"We are not savages."

"You tried to drink my blood ten minutes ago."

"And now I am being hospitable. People can be many things."

Rachel looked at the bath, then at Estella. "Why are you helping me?"

Estella's smile softened, and for a moment, the teasing fell away. "Because Vlad wants you safe, and because your essence makes it very difficult for me to dislike you as much as I intended."

"That is unsettling."

"Yes," Estella said. "For both of us."

She gestured to the clothes. "Bathe. Dress. Do not drown or summon anything ancient while I am gone."

Rachel frowned. "That is oddly specific."

"With you, specificity feels wise."

Estella left before Rachel could ask another question.

The bathroom felt too warm after the cold that had haunted her all night. Rachel locked the door, then hesitated, staring at the bolt as if it had become a private joke. When she undressed, the mark on her arm looked darker against her skin, the coils sharp and settled. She slipped into the bath and sank beneath the heat with a sigh that left her almost weak.

For several minutes, she let herself feel clean.

The water loosened the ache in her muscles and soothed the chill that still lingered in her bones. Rachel washed her hair, dipped her head beneath the surface, and listened to the muffled quiet under the water until the world above seemed far away.

Then a pulse moved through the bath.

It was faint at first, like a drum beneath the floor, but it strengthened with each breath, beating through the water and into her chest. Rachel opened her eyes beneath the surface and saw white.

The bathroom vanished.

Cold seized her.

She stood naked before the frozen waterfall, the air biting her skin while the ice wall rose in front of her with cracks sealed in thick white frost. Beyond it, the Abaddon stood in shadow. Daylight, or something like it, poured across the frozen world, and beneath that pallid light, he looked weaker than he had in the night, his shape less solid and his darkness pulled thin by the wind.

He struck the ice, and the sound moved through her bones.

Rachel stepped back, but her feet found only frozen stone.

The Abaddon turned toward her, his shadow thinning beneath the pale light, though the rage in him had lost none of its force.

"LET ME OUT, APHRODITE!"

The command struck through her skull with enough force to make her stagger.

Heat surged through Rachel's hands. She looked down and saw darkness gathering beneath her skin, threaded with violet and something colder. It felt familiar enough to remind her of Vlad, strange enough to make her stomach turn.

She lifted her hands without meaning to.

The force burst from her palms and struck toward the ice.

The Abaddon lunged.

His shadow collided with the power, and the impact threw Rachel backward with a shock that tore the breath from her lungs.

She broke the surface of the bath, gasping.

Water sloshed over the edges and spilled across the tiles. Rachel clutched the rim, shaking as warmth rushed back into her body too quickly, turning her skin feverish after the impossible cold. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. She dragged air into her lungs and forced herself to stay still.

It had been a vision.

Only a vision.

Something brushed her shoulder.

Rachel looked down and screamed.

A black snake slid across her wet skin, its scales shining in the candlelight as it coiled near the curve of the bath.

"Relax, Aphrodite. I didn't mean to startle you," the leech said, sounding almost friendly.

"Where's your body?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"I can't sneak past the vampires in my usual form. They have a keen sense of smell, you know. Besides, if they found me here, we'd both be in trouble."

"Except they would kill you if they found you."

"True, but I can slither away. They cannot follow me where I go. Well, they can, but it's a one-way ticket."

"What do you want?"

"You're changing," he remarked, brushing against her hair.

"What's that supposed to mean? And why are you here?"

"What's wrong? I thought we were friends. After all, I did save your life," he said, sounding almost hurt.

"You told me I killed Myus, so therefore I saved my own life. You were just the vulture that came to take whatever was left. You're so intrusive," Rachel retorted, wrapping her arms around herself for modesty. "You worship evil. He's done nothing but fill my dreams with terror and fear. If that's what you support, then you're no friend of mine."

"He is imprisoned in a void between worlds. If he has haunted your dreams, then you have seen it, the ice, the snow?"

"Yes," Rachel admitted, hesitating to call out for Vlad.

The last thing she wanted was a battle between creatures while she was vulnerable and exposed.

"There's nothing there but ferocious winds and freezing rain. During the night, he works tirelessly to break through the ice and return to the earth, but your vampire keeps him at bay. Daylight weakens his essence. During the day, he's weakened and can only suffer in the harsh elements," he explained, almost sounding sympathetic to the Abaddon.

The revelation struck Rachel. The notion that Vlad spent his nights battling to prevent the Abaddon's crossover intrigued her. Estella's comments about the portal clicked into place—perhaps it was nearer than she thought.

"He feels, does he? His suffering is punishment for his greed."

"One way or another, he will enter this world. A creature with your powers cannot live without him. He may have greed for the dark, but you, Aphrodite, will find you have greed for essence. It's a drug that you will grow too fond of. It's not him that you should be afraid of. It's yourself."

Of course, she would expect a worshipper of evil to sell the idea that her weaknesses would be a greater evil than the darkest creature in existence.

"Believe what you want to believe."

"You have merged with the vampire's essence, have you not? Have you not yourself become a vampire?"

"How would you know anything about that?" Rachel replied defensively.

"The vampire is, by its nature, a selfish creature. They have a reputation for essence greed, toying with humans before killing them. Imagine the evil that could exist when a vampire inherits the power to manipulate their victims with love and lust," he warned, making Rachel question her newfound abilities and the potential consequences of her actions.

"What do you want? Surely you didn't come here to tell me that?"

"A young creature is an impatient creature."

"There's an old creature trying to claw his way through an icy portal, and you think I'm inpatient?"

"If he is old, Aphrodite, then you too are old. Too bad you have not come to remember. You seem frustrated."

"He haunts my dreams in the day, and he haunts my dreams in the night. He has gone out of his way to make me feel what he feels. What do you mean, I am old?" she challenged. Every creature she had encountered so far had deemed her young, a fledgling in both her human and newfound creature existence.

"Aphrodite, there was only ever one. You have no need to hide or fight him."

"He killed the other Aphrodites," she said, still trying to understand the snake's cryptic messages.

"No, Aphrodite. You didn't listen. There was only ever one, just like there has only ever been one Abaddon. You can stop it all, you know. You can release him."

"And how would I do that?"

"Your blood," the leech disclosed, its black scales glinting, catching the flicker of candlelight.

Now she understood the leech's motive for urging her cooperation—she was the crucial element. She needed to use all her strength and wit to prevent Abaddon from escaping his prison.

"He can haunt me as much as he wants. He's not getting anything. In fact, the more he shows his bad side, the more stubborn I will become. Why don't you pass that message on?" Her movement caused the bathwater to ripple and splash against the tub's edges as she emerged. She reached for a towel and wrapped it securely around herself. "Anything else?

"This would be much easier if you were more accepting. His intention is not to bring you fear or pain. Once he is on the earth, he will take care of you. He will protect you."

Rachel turned to the mirror, her eyes catching a strange transformation. A gasp slipped from her lips as her fingers delicately explored her hair, marvelling at the unfamiliar sensation. It was as though her hair shimmered with a subtle radiance.

"See? You have changed."

Panic fluttered in Rachel's chest as she rifled through the drawers in a rush. Snatching the hairdryer, her actions were so hurried that she almost damaged the cord. The leech's sly snickering echoed in her mind, making her clench her teeth. "If I were to cut off your head, would you still live?"

"Regrettably for you, it would grow back. I am not bound by a body like your vampires."

Determined to dispel her disbelief, Rachel waved the hairdryer frantically, hoping to see her familiar red hair return. She tried to rationalise the change, wondering if the leech was playing mind games or if she was just dreaming. Stunned by her reflection, she switched off the hairdryer to examine her new blonde locks.

"How?"

"The essence and the bond are awakening your true creature. You are transforming into the Aphrodite. Soon, you will embrace the true beauty of your creature and bring life into this world."

"Let's get the facts straight here, you bloodsucking parasite, there will be no birthing of anything into this world."

"You cannot deny what you are."

"Oh, there's no denying what I am. I am denying your twisted prophesies."

"Don't be so—"

Rachel had reached her limit. "ESTELLA!"

The leech reared up like a cobra, his serpent tongue flicking as he stood on guard. "What are you doing, calling the stupid vampire girl?"

"I've had enough of you. Stick around if you want. Estella seems like the type who'd enjoy ripping your head off. Even if it grows back, I bet it would hurt. ESTELLA!"

Inky black wisps, like tendrils of smoke, erupted from the mark on Rachel's arm. They swirled and danced in the air, a menacing ballet of shadows, before coalescing into a concentrated burst of energy that shot towards the leech with a fierce intensity. The leech, caught off guard but still agile, narrowly avoided the powerful blast. She looked at her hands, stunned by what had happened.

"You've absorbed the powers of both creatures bound to you. If you keep this up, you might become the most powerful creature alive." The leech's hiss sliced through the air, just as another surge of energy was directed at him. "No need to kill the messenger." He dove into the bathtub.

Despite having saved her life, Rachel knew she had to find a way to prevent him from using the drains to travel between worlds. He had only saved her to sacrifice her to the Abaddon.

The door swung open as the leech disappeared.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Estella asked. Her expression shifted to one of astonishment upon noticing the transformation in Rachel's hair.

"How did I become blonde?"

Estella brought a hand to her chest, her eyes wide with surprise. "Oh, dear. You're transforming." A smile broke across her face, brimming with excitement. "This is fantastic!"

Rachel, bewildered, could only utter, "What?"

Estella, undeterred, guided her from the bathroom. Wrapped just in a towel, Rachel followed her through the hallway into the kitchen.

"She's transforming!" Estella announced with a squeal of delight.

Vlad, upon seeing Rachel, had his eyes widen in astonishment. "What on earth..."