THE HUNTER CONTINUED with his report and Aelia listened with a stoic expression. Her fingers drummed against the edge of her desk, growing faster and faster with each word spoken. "We have reason to believe that the entire human population within the castle has been transformed into vampire fledglings. The second in command is now training them to fight."

Aubrey stood ram-rod straight, her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. Her gaze remained focused on the masked hunter, expression intense. "The entire Day Class has been changed?"

Aelia glanced at her. "Do you have an estimate as to how many new fledglings that could be?"

"The Day Class had over eighty human students when I last looked at the reports. The academy used to gain at least fifteen to twenty new students a week. The amount of new fledglings could be well over a hundred by now," Aubrey said.

A numbing silence washed over the room. Aelia started to pace the length of the room, expression troubled. Her hands were clasped behind her back. The masked hunter stepped forward. "I suggest that we start to recruit new members as well," he suggested. "We need to be able to counter any attack that is made."

Aelia nodded. "That will be our main priority," she announced. "Send word immediately. I want recruitment groups to spread out around the country. Any supernatural creature that is willing and able to fight will be offered a position in our rebellion."

The masked hunter nodded. "As you wish," he said. "We will alert the others at once and expand out." Then he vanished with the other hunters.

Aubrey cleared her throat. "I suggest that you dispatch a team to rescue my brother as well," she said. "We need to rescue him from the academy. As the second in command, my brother harbors a lot of secrets about the school and the Headmaster. He could be useful."

Sophie seemed to snap back to reality. Her heart pounded inside her chest like a drum. Her mouth seemed to move on its own accord. "I need Eli."

Aelia looked at her, startled.

"We need to help him," Sophie continued. She clenched her hands into fists. "He could be in need of some serious help right now. He would never be okay with what the Headmaster is doing to those kids. The Headmaster could experiment on him, or worse try to kill him!"

Aelia frowned. "We need to focus on increasing our own ranks right now, Sophie. The rebellion is what's most important. Your friend can wait for right now."

"No, he can't!" Sophie stepped forward and threw her hands into the air. "He's waited long enough. We need to do something to help him!"

Shaking her head, Aelia moved closer. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance as she placed her hands on her hips, assuming the ultimate mom-pose. "Sophie, the future of this world rests on our shoulders right now. If we can't stand our ground against my brother and his fledgling army, then there is no hope. He'll wipe out anything that breathes until only vampires remain."

"But Eli can help us!" Sophie protested. "He knows the ins and outs of the academy. He even has the power to turn the other students against the Headmaster. The second in command's main duty is to keep a close relationship with all the students –to keep them believing in the Headmaster's dreams and willing to do whatever is ordered. He can help!"

Aubrey nodded fervently in agreement. "If we can get him on our side, we might even be able to convince some of the other fledglings to join the rebellion as well."

Aelia ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "I'm not sure I'll be able to afford sending a team out to the castle. I only have so many spies available. If I send anymore foot soldiers, more fledglings will die like your friends did. That will definitely cause my brother to send an army knocking on our front door."

"Then I'll go," Sophie announced. She straightened and crossed her arms over her chest. Her gaze flickered toward Aubrey, an eyebrow arched. "I don't give a rat's ass about anything else. You can do whatever you want, but I'm going to go rescue Eli."

"I'm definitely going with you," Aubrey said, nodding in agreement. "We need to help him."

Aelia pressed her fingers to her temples. She squeezed her eyes shut and let out another exasperated sigh. "Alright. Fine," she said, her eyes snapping open. She regarded them both with a stern look. "I will send a recovery team to rescue him so long as you both stay here where it is safe."

Sophie shook her head, eyes narrowed. "I'm going," she said. "Unlike your hunters, I know a good deal about the layout of the castle. Plus Eli won't come with a hunter willingly, not after one attempted to kill him."

"I'm going too," Aubrey said, expression determined. "You can't stop us."

The door opened, and a familiar face stepped inside. Tadashi observed the situation with a cold eyes, his expression stoic. Aelia leaned against her desk and glowered. Her fingertips rubbed at her temples as if she had the biggest migraine in existence. Tadashi dipped his head. "What can I do for you, Leader?"

Aelia's jaw clenched. "I am dispatching a recovery team. Their mission will be to break into the castle and bring the Headmaster's second in command back to our base. We need him alive."

"Understood," Tadashi grunted.

Sophie stepped forward, her hands curled into fists at her sides. "We are going to go with you," she snapped. "Eli won't go willingly, not after his previous encounter with a hunter. He won't be easy to capture either, not unless you kill him. You'll need us."

Tadashi looked uncertain. He glanced at Aelia for confirmation. Aelia looked sour, her arms folded across her chest. She met his gaze and nodded. "I am making it your personal mission to keep them both safe. Don't let any harm befall them. And don't alert the Headmaster to your presence."

"Understood."

Sophie and Aubrey exchanged a somewhat relieved, somewhat terrified look. The former's stomach tightened with nerves. Even if they managed to break into the castle undetected, there was always the chance that the Headmaster could attack them. He seemed to know things –to always be a step ahead.

Even so, Sophie realized, she'd see Eli again. That knowledge alone destroyed her nerves. She needed to see Eli again, to talk to him. She needed to make sure that he'd heard her. She needed him to know that she cared for him. He needed to know about her feelings.

Tadashi eyed the girls with a cold look. "Suit up," he ordered. "We leave within the hour."

*whispers* one more chapter Eli-fans! ♡