The music is pumping so loud I can hear it from down the street. Zach and Caleb's black car pulls up on the side of the road and they both turn to me. "Good luck, Peyton," Zach says, a half smile almost gracing his face.

"You're not coming in with me?" I can feel the panic clutching at my throat again. I had honestly thought they would be in the nearby vicinity. I didn't realize that I would be completely alone while facing the vampire. When Caleb had said they were on standby, I thought that meant they would be close, not parked in a car outside, too far away to help me if I scream.

"We aren't allowed to interfere. We have to wait here for you."

I glance at Caleb and take note of the sadness in his eyes. I wonder if he had known it would come to this all along. Deep down, despite our conversation on the way to my apartment, I had believed that they would be with me. That I would have some sort of back up and wouldn't be facing this alone.

I can't believe how wrong I was. I should have known that Lideri would have something hidden up his sleeve.

"What if," I don't know how to finish my sentence, 'die' seems like such a final word. "What if I fail?"

"Then we will go in, and exterminate the threat," Zach tells me.

His words echo what he had said earlier and though I had taken him seriously then, now with the looming threat across the road from me, it feels even more real. My fear escalates until I'm sure I won't be able to convince myself to exit the car. My eyes meet his, ocean blue and a swirl of emotions that I can't decipher. For a moment, I'm convinced I see regret flit across them.

If you do die, I would notice your absence.

"Your jacket is equipped with a small camera, so that we can watch your progress from the car. We'll turn it on when you go inside. It's standard protocol for everyone's first mission." His hand reaches over and lands on my knee, shocking me with the tenderness of his touch. I vaguely remember the way he flinched when I placed a hand on his shoulder and force myself not to do the same. "You'll be okay."

Surprisingly, I find comfort in Zach's unexpected kindness and the small smile that plays on his lips. He seems to be softening towards me, and I decide there and then that I will survive this, if only to tease him about his name a few more times and finally break down the walls he surrounds himself with. We will be friends, whether he likes it or not. I nod as I unbuckle my seatbelt. "Okay."

I wait one more moment before I leave, hoping that Caleb will say something. It feels strange for Zach to be the one to give me the strength I need to face this, when before it seemed as though he couldn't stand me. I had thought that Caleb might have some parting words for me, considering that he is the one who trained me, and who claims to actually care about me. But he refuses to meet my gaze, instead staring down at the center console.

"See you guys," I say, when it becomes obvious that Caleb is going to remain silent. I get out the car and walk slowly towards the house where the loud music is emanating from. Each step feels like it's bringing me closer to my death.

I can't think like that. I shouldn't.

The front door is hanging wide open, and party goers are scattered along the front lawn. Plastic cups and broken bottles litter the ground. The beat seems to thump under my feet and rattle my teeth. I eye everyone carefully; looking for my target, hoping that I will recognize him from the photos that Zach showed me yesterday.

Auburn hair. Brown eyes. Small crescent shaped scar on his cheek. Goes by the name Colton.

No one looks familiar here. It reminds me so much of the night that I met Henry and I am slammed with the déjà vu feeling of it all. That had also been a party, one that Naomi had dragged me to against my will. I hadn't known anyone there either.

Thinking of that night also makes me realize that it's highly likely that Naomi is here. She's not one to miss a party and this one has all of her favorite things; loud music, hot guys and alcohol. I try to remain inconspicuous as I stay close to the wall, keeping my eyes peeled for the vampire as well as my roommate. No matter what, she can't see me here.

The music increases in tempo and several girls scream with joy, fighting to be heard over the loud bass. All around me people are throwing their hands in the air and moving along to the beat, sloshing the contents of their cups all over the floor. On the one hand, the mass of bodies is a good thing as it keeps me hidden, but on the other, it makes it a hell of a lot harder to find the man I'm looking for.

I peer in between the forest of limbs, searching for the features that I have imprinted on my brain and cursing Zach and Lideri for sending me to a frat party to look for a vampire. Couldn't we have waited until morning, when he would most likely be hung over and easier to kill?

Someone bumps into me, spilling their drink down my front and muttering a half-hearted apology. The liquid rolls off my jacket, not even soaking through the material, but I still glare after the asshole, sending a murderous glance in his direction. He's oblivious to it, stumbling past another guy who slaps him and the back and laughs.

It's as he reaches the doorway, almost tripping over his own two feet, that my eyes finally catch sight of what I've been looking for.

Auburn hair. Brown eyes. Small crescent shaped scar on his cheek.

I don't waste another second, knowing that if I do, I will lose my nerve. Pushing my way through the throng of people, I pluck a half full cup out of someone's hand, ignoring their protests. The guy who spilled on me may have been a drunken asshole, but he's given me an idea.

As I reach the target, I accidentally bump into him and slosh some of my drink over his pale blue t-shirt. The liquid quickly spreads, turning the material darker, and the smell of beer wafts up towards me. He gasps slightly as the cold drink hits him, and takes a step back from me.

"I'm so sorry," I attempt to slur but my acting skills are probably awful. It doesn't help that I am scared out of my wits and struggling to keep myself calm. "I didn't see you there."

"That's okay," he half smiles down at me, his eyes still a dark brown.

"I'm Peyton." I go for a flirty smile and probably end up looking like the clown from IT. I push on regardless, hoping the dim lighting in here will hide my awkward attempts to cover my fear. "What's your name?"

"Colton."

Target acquired.

Now that I know for sure it's him, my terror threatens to swallow me whole. I'm standing right next to a vampire, trying and failing to hide my discomfort. I take a deep breath, determined not to show that I know what he is and continue pretending I'm oblivious. I mentally run through the rules that Caleb had taught me, to give me strength and to help me figure out how to do this.

Assess your surroundings.

I can't kill him in the middle of a party. It would draw far too much attention and no matter how much alcohol has been consumed here tonight, there's no way that I could pull it off as a drunken hallucination. More than that, there's no escape route. Trying to run away and push my way through this crowd with him in pursuit would be next to impossible.

Decide your course.

This place is filled with rooms, surely one of them will be quiet with the added benefit of having a window I can get out from. As long as it's on the ground floor, jumping from a double story window would probably not end well for me.

"Where's the bathroom? I'll help you clean up." I almost wink, but decide against it, knowing that it will just look like I have something in my eye. I settle for a small smirk instead, trying to channel my inner-Caleb. I am so bad at this. I'm definitely going to die. There's no way he can't see straight through me.

He grins, a knowing twinkle in his eye. He probably thinks he's about to get lucky, whether it be with a good time or a meal, I can't decide. "This way."

He takes my hand and I do my best not to shudder or pull away, reminding myself that this was part of my plan. We walk down a hallway and eventually turn into a room on the right, one that is definitely not a bathroom.

Crap.

Okay, calm down. Assess your surroundings.

It's large, with a desk off to the side and windows lining the wall to the left. The curtains have already been closed, which is both good and bad. No one can see in, but I also can't tell if there are burglar bars there. A double bed sits in the center of the room, the duvet rumpled as though someone recently slept in it. Or, considering the fact that this a party, had sex in it.

Gross.

Not the time, Peyton.

I turn back to face him just as he finishes turning the key on the door, locking us in. I'm starting to feel like I didn't think this plan entirely through. I'm now trapped in here with a newbie vampire who's probably pretty hungry right now.

"This, uh, isn't the bathroom," I point out.

"No," he says, a sinister smile crossing his face. "But you weren't really looking for a bathroom were you?"

Okay creepy frat guys are bad enough. But creepy vampire frat guys bring a whole new meaning to it.

He steps closer to me, touching my face with his hand. It reminds me of Caleb doing the same not long ago. But where Caleb makes me feel safe and warm, this guy makes me feel anything but. Goose bumps rise along my skin, and I fight the urge to push him away from me.

"You're Henry's girl."

His words send shivers up my spine and they had been the last thing I was expecting him to say. My pulse quickens, my heart pounding against my rib cage so hard I'm sure that even the party goers would be able to hear it over the music. Sweat coats my forehead as I struggle to force my mouth to move, swallowing what feels like a ball of cotton that has lodged itself in my throat.

"W-what?"

"He showed us pictures. You're much prettier in person though."

I move away from him, my back hitting the wall behind me. He closes me in, leaving no room for escape, one hand resting on the wall just above my shoulder and the other gripping my arm. He leans forward and takes a long sniff. "You smell delicious."

My whole body trembles as I drop all my pretenses of not knowing what he is. He has me cornered, openly admitting that he knows Henry. He's recognized me, and if Henry showed him pictures of me, it's easy to assume that he also told him that I know about vampires.

This is not going to plan.

"Don't worry." He tries to calm me down, although his eyes have turned a deep crimson, which if I'm honest, terrifies the living shit out of me. "I won't hurt you. Henry would kill me if I did. Speaking of Henry, where is he? We haven't seen him for a few days."

Only one part of what he says registers in my brain. "W-we?"

"You didn't think I was the only one that Henry turned did you?" He laughs but it is devoid of humor. "Henry knew that Hunters were after him. He needed protection."

Oh crap.

"You didn't do something stupid, did you Peyton?"

"N-no."

"Because if you did, we would come for you. Henry was your only leverage, if you killed him, we will kill you."

He doesn't sound like a newbie vampire. He sounds like he's been doing this for years. And if Henry was running around turning people, how come Zach and Caleb didn't know about it? Or maybe they did? I remember the way that Caleb refused to meet my eyes in the car. There was something he wasn't telling me. Maybe they knew all along that I wouldn't make it through this and this was their way of removing the obstacle that I have become.

"I didn't kill Henry." It's not a lie. I certainly hadn't been the one to wield the blade.

"Then where is he?"

Can Caleb and Zach not hear any of this? I know I'm supposed to do it alone, but Henry has essentially created an army, surely that changes things?

"I haven't seen-," I'm cut off by the back of his hand slamming against the wall, the sound so loud it makes me jump.

"Don't lie to me!" He roars in my face, flecks of spit hitting my cheeks.

Okay, I've had enough of this guy.

Know your enemies weakness.

I can only think of two chips in this guy's armor. One is that he has been instructed not to hurt me, and therefore won't kill me as long as he thinks Henry is still alive. Or, at least, that's what I hope. The other is that he is standing a little too close to me. It's creepy as hell, but also puts him in perfect position for me to bring my knee up hard between his legs. Which I do, with as much force as I can muster.

He doubles over, howling in pain and I take a moment to breathe a sigh of relief. With him being a vampire and all, I wasn't completely sure that would work. I waste no time removing the necklace that Caleb gave me and pulling it out as far as it will go.

Using his bent over figure to my advantage, I slip the wire over his head and pull as hard as I can. But his hand clasps it and he pulls it away from his neck, letting it cut into his fingers instead. He yanks it hard and leans forward more, effectively throwing me right over the top of his back.

I land on the floor with a hard thud, the wind knocked out of me. But he gives me no time to recover, picking me up again and throwing me against the wall. I bang my head hard against the cement and feel a cut open up on my temple. It stings, pulsing and throbbing with white hot pain as I struggle to my feet.

When I stand up to face him again, crimson coats my vision, making it hard to see. I don't even try wiping my forehead to stem the blood flow, too scared to take my eyes off him for even a second. He prowls towards me slowly, a predator stalking his prey, and I get into my fighting stance. Fists up, legs spread apart just like Caleb taught me.

Caleb. What would he do in this situation?

I'm clearly out matched and out maneuvered, I can see my impending death as clear as day. I'm not ready to give up yet, despite the fact that I can taste copper on my tongue and feel the blood running down my face. Pain sears along my skin from the base of my spine to my neck and all the way down both arms, but after a week of training with Caleb, I'm better equipped to deal with it.

When Colton is two steps away from me, I drop to the floor and swing my leg, knocking his out from under him. It's a move that Caleb would have anticipated, but luckily the newbie vampire did not. He lands hard on the floor, his head banging against the wood.

I waste no time kneeling on top of his arms, straddling his chest as I slip my necklace around his neck and pull. He tries to buck me off, making me lose my grip slightly. But I tighten my grasp, hanging on as hard as I can until I finally feel the iron start to cut through his skin. Relief floods through me at the small bit of progress and I yank backwards, determined to pull it all the way through.

You haven't won until your enemy is dead.

His eyes are still a deep crimson and his mouth snaps at me, his elongated teeth scraping the material of my jacket sleeve by my wrist. I flinch away from them, desperate not to let them touch my skin.

"They'll be coming for you," he chokes out, his mouth turning up into an ugly grin despite the fact that I'm currently strangling him. "If Henry doesn't show up soon, they'll come for you."

I can't tell if he's being serious or if this a last ditch attempt to get me to spare his life. I pull harder, doing my best to ignore him. The smile slips from his face as he starts to sputter and gasp. The wire slices through a little more, every centimeter feeling like a small victory.

Please, please, please, just die.

There's another thing I never thought I would say.

I watch as his eyes fade back to a deep brown and the hunger in them turns to fear. "Peyton, please." The terror in his voice is palpable and reminds me so much of how scared I was when initially facing him. "I don't want to die."

I almost let go, my pity urging me to do so, because really, this guy is probably around my age. He has the rest of his life ahead of him. But then, I remember the crimson of his eyes and the fact that if I release him now it will definitely mean my death. Not to mention countless others.

So I tug harder, the pendant on the necklace cutting into my skin. Until finally, the arms I'm kneeling on disappear from beneath me and I'm sitting on a pile of ash. My wrists slap together from the unexpected release of tension and I look down at the grey remains of the boy I just killed.

Oh crap. I did it.