"While we wait for Caleb," Lideri announces. "We have to continue on with our quest."

I was really surprised when I was called into his office along with Zach for, as they liked to call it, 'a debriefing'. Now, I am absolutely floored. My mouth pops open as I look at him in disbelief, sure I must have misheard.

"Do you mean, just the two of us?" I ask incredulously. "Zach and I?"

"I believe the correct way to say it would be; me and Zach, Peyton," Zach tells me with an annoying smirk. "Although, I may have to check the dictionary."

Its official, I've turned Ironman into the king of sarcasm. We have been spending far too much time together the last two days. Zach and I have been training endlessly, trading our time between combat and archery, and I'm clearly rubbing off on him. I'm not sure whether to be happy or worried about his newfound wit.

"We have no choice, Peyton. This is a time sensitive issue," Lideri explains. "We need to take as many of them out as possible before they realize what we are doing. Caleb will be down in isolation for at least another two days, we can't afford to waste that kind of time."

Ha! So now I know the isolation rooms are downstairs. I had already suspected that, but any information helps. I've been trying to get Zach to tell me where they are to no avail. I keep bugging him though, hoping he will give up before I do. So far, we've been as stubborn as each other, neither of us willing to admit defeat.

"Lideri, if I may." Zach glances at me furtively and I know he's about to say something offensive. At least he was nice enough to give me a heads up this time though. "I might as well go alone. Peyton still has a lot to learn."

"Excuse me," I interject. "I think I held my own pretty well on the last mission. You know, when you and Caleb took so long to arrive and left me alone with a bloodthirsty vampire?"

"I have already apologised for that, Peyton." I can almost feel the frustration rolling off of him. "Must you continue to bring it up?"

"Must you continue to doubt my skills?" I counter.

"Has it ever occurred to you, that maybe I just don't want you to get hurt?" Zach says, catching me slightly off guard with what almost sounds like concern. I'm reminded of the last mission when he admitted the exact same thing in the car. "You've barely recovered and you seem to attract injuries more than most."

"Has it ever occurred to you-,"

"Enough," Lideri cuts off our argument before I can finish, clapping his hands together impatiently. "This is not up for discussion. Zach, you know that you can't go alone. Nor can we wait for Caleb. I believe I have come up with a plan that will ensure victory on our part."

"What is it?" Zach asks.

"Well, Peyton, have you finished polishing up your archery skills?"

¤

There is one major factor that Lideri didn't take into account on this mission.

My fear of heights.

I stand on the edge of the double story building, vertigo threatening to overwhelm me, and clutch tightly onto my bow. I would much rather face the vampire in hand to hand combat with no weapons than be here right now. I would even rather have countless injections, or have another cannula put in, this time while I'm awake.

And that is saying something.

My entire body is covered in a layer of sweat and I'm doing my best not to hyperventilate. I continuously tell myself that the drop isn't even that far and that Zach's life depends on me pulling myself together. But it's harder than I would have imagined to keep myself focused on the task at hand.

Come on, Peyton. You can do this. You've faced a vampire, you've been thrown across a room, you've even had stitches and a cannula. Standing on top of a double story building is nothing.

A double story building that has no rails to protect me if I slip on the ledge, and knowing me, the possibility is all too likely. I wonder if I would die straight away if I fell and landed on the hard concrete below. Maybe I would just break something important. Like my legs. Or my neck.

Oh man, not helping.

I chase those thoughts away and instead think of Zach. Zach who needs me to help him take down this vampire. Who's currently placing himself in danger and trusting me to get him out of it. Who had no doubts that I would be able to pull this off. The same Zach who is slowly letting me become his friend.

My breathing calms down as I close my eyes for a second, letting myself picture first Zach, and then Caleb. Right now, they are the two most important people in the world to me. We're a team, and we should always have each other's back.

Pull yourself together, Jennings. It's a building, not a vampire.

Opening my eyes, I try to swallow my fear and keep a look out for Zach's blonde head on the street below. It's currently deserted though, not a person in sight. I raise my bow and grab an arrow, pulling it taut and ready in my shaking hands.

Another major factor that Lideri didn't consider, is that I'm still not great with this thing. I am only just managing to get it close to the bull's eye every time, and that's with the chance to aim. Not to mention the fact that the targets are a hell of a lot closer than the vampire is going to be. And what happens if I accidentally hit Zach instead?

I feel like this whole mission reeks of desperation.

But, of course, I didn't say that to him.

A noise below causes me to glance down just as Zach runs into view with someone in close pursuit. I know for a fact that the vampire could easily catch a human if he wanted to, which makes me think he's just toying with Zach.

Robert Sangton.

It's hard to tell from here if he fits the description Lideri gave me. But, considering the fact that he's chasing Zach, I feel like it's a pretty safe bet that he's our guy.

I close one eye and take aim. My first shot misses him completely, clattering uselessly against the concrete of a nearby building. My second shot flies past his top right shoulder. Zach's quickly approaching the dead end and I'm running out of time.

Pull yourself together, Jennings.

I take a deep breath and let loose another arrow, praying that it hits its target. It sails through the air and embeds itself in the flesh of the pursuer's leg, which hadn't been where I was aiming, but at least it got him. He stumbles to the ground and without waiting to see if Zach catches onto the distraction, I turn on my heel and run across the roof.

I reach the ladder in record time, climbing down as fast as I can and almost slipping off it due to my sweaty hands. When I finally land on the ground, I just manage to stop myself from kissing it in relief, knowing that I don't have any time to waste. I race around the corner to the alley, just in time to see Zach swinging his sword. The vampire catches it and yanks it straight out of Zach's hands, throwing it to the side.

"Hey," I call as loud as I can, which definitely hadn't been a part of the plan, but it gives Zach the time he needs to go after his sword as the vampire turns to look at me. I take aim and let loose another arrow which he catches with ease in mid-air.

I'm not going to lie, I'm a little impressed.

He snaps it in half and drops it to the ground as I run towards him, attempting to set up another arrow as I go. Unfortunately, because I'm me and not Wonder Woman, I trip over my own bow and go sprawling to the ground. I land face first on the hard concrete, grazing my chin. My weapon goes flying somewhere to my left, clattering uselessly on the tar.

Robert Sangton's laugh is cut short as Zach slices through the flesh on his neck, cutting his head cleanly off. It rolls away, near my bow, his eyes a dark brown that still register shock.

Watching from the floor, I rub my stinging chin as his body bursts into flames which die down quickly. I wait for Zach to berate me for straying from the plan, but he just watches the fire die down and turn to ash in front of our eyes, his expression unreadable.

"Quick thinking, Peyton," he finally says, high praise coming from him. He places his hands under my shoulders, lifting me to my feet. I shake out my sore limbs. Surprisingly, apart from a face full of concrete, I don't have any other injuries. This is the least hurt I've been on a mission and I allow myself a metaphorical pat on the back.

"We make a good team." I smile, holding my hand up for a high five.

He eyes it for a long time before finally relenting and slapping his palm cautiously against mine.

"Yes, we do."

¤

"Two down, eleven to go." My mood in the car is celebratory. "And the plan worked well! I was worried goading a vampire into chasing you would end in disaster."

Zach's hands tighten on the steering wheel. "I'm a professional, Peyton, nothing I do ends in disaster. Besides," he adds, his lips quirking up into a small smile, "I'm not the one who tripped over their own weapon."

"Zacharias, are you teasing me? You really are becoming more fun to be around."

"And you are becoming slightly more tolerable," he says.

"Two major compliments in one night," I joke, referring to his early praise. "Careful not to overdo it, or I might just think that we are friends."

His mood suddenly shifts into serious, and I regret my words immediately. "Friendship is a slippery slope, Peyton. Caring about people only leads to pain. I know that first hand."

It takes me a moment to realise that Zach is opening up to me, in a way he never really has before. I latch onto it, hoping to learn more about him. "With the girl you loved? The one who killed your parents?"

When he had told me the story, he had recited it almost as though he was reading it from a book. Now, his voice is filled with emotion, his mouth pulled into a tight line. I know I'm being nosy, and that it really is none of my business, but I can't help but be curious about Zach.

There are rare moments when he lets himself relax and be happy. I've seen it when he jokes with me or allows himself to smile. Most of the time, he has his walls up so high that they seem impossible to climb. I know that he's next in line to be Lideri, which is a huge responsibility and probably part of the reason he is usually so tense. But I also have a feeling his past plays a huge part in the person that he is; namely the death of his parents and the girl that he loved.

"I'm sorry Zach," I say when the silence stretches on for a little too long. "That was really insensitive-,"

He shakes his head quickly. "It's not that, Peyton. I don't mind discussing my past with you. It's just, I don't get close to people often. I consider Caleb my closest friend, I'm not sure what I will do if we lose him."

My face falls at the reminder. "We won't lose him," I say with as much conviction as I'm capable of. "He's going to be okay. He has to be."

I've only known these guys for about a month, and the thought of Caleb dying has had me in tears several times. They've been working together for years, I can't imagine the pain that Zach must be going through. I've been selfish in my thoughts so far, only thinking of how hard it would be for me. I didn't consider how much Zach was struggling.

I cautiously place my hand on his leg, offering him a gentle squeeze, trying to give him the same comfort he gave me before my first fight. After an awkward moment, during which I consider pulling away, he finally covers his hand with mine, the two of us sharing a rare moment of solidarity.

"For once, Peyton, I hope you are right."