When my eyes flutter open, I'm confronted by an unfamiliar grey ceiling. I blink in confusion, trying to gain my bearings and figure out where I am. It's only after several moments that I realise I'm not in the medical ward.

I'm in an isolation cell.

I don't know why I'm surprised. After all, I know I was bitten. I can still remember the sharp stinging pain as the vampire sunk its teeth into the flesh of my palm. But, the sight still jars me slightly. I'm so used to the familiar white falls of the medical ward, I've started to almost be comforted by them.

I shift in the bed, my body screaming in agony as all my injuries make themselves known. Everything aches, the pain worse than any other I've ever known. I gingerly lift up my white cotton shirt to see that my entire abdomen is covered in bandages and I assume my stitches have been redone.

My palm is also wrapped tightly in white and when I lift a hand up to my neck, I realise there is also plaster covering that, all the way around my shoulder and down to my elbow. I remember, all too well, the feeling of the knife sinking into my skin there. Angie has probably stitched up that wound as well.

This time, I don't even flinch when I notice the cannula trailing from hand, the pipe attached to a clear bag that hangs from a thin pole on my left. Compared to iron embedding itself in my skin, the sting of vampire teeth and being stabbed, twice, a needle doesn't seem so bad anymore.

"You're lucky to be alive, Peyton."

I turn my head to the left to see Lideri, sitting on a hard wooden chair just outside the glass of my cell. His back is poker straight as he eyes me intently with his hands clasped on his lap. I attempt to sit up, gasping as my body protests in pain. But, I feel too weak to move properly, so I settle back down on the bed, hoping he doesn't think I'm being rude.

Actually, to be honest, right now I don't give a damn.

"Sorry. I feel." I struggle to think of the word, my mind grasping for one that seems appropriate. "Weird."

"Morphine." He nods in understanding and points to the bag attached to my cannula. "It should help with pain slightly."

"Zach?" I ask with my heart in my throat. "Caleb?"

"Zach is in the medical ward. Angie is still working on him. His injuries were extremely severe," Lideri explains while I try not to flinch. "It's a miracle that he made it back. Caleb is in the cell next to you, he's still out cold from the sedative."

I want to crane my head and look for him, to see for myself that he's there. But as soon as I try, excruciating pain radiates from my neck and my shoulder. So, instead of being stubborn, for a change, I decide to take Lideri's word for it.

"Are they..." I trail off, too scared to put my fears into words.

"They're both going to be fine," he says with a small smile. "Thanks to you. It seems like a poor way to show my gratitude, keeping you in here, but I hope you understand the necessity of it."

"I do."

He shifts on his chair, leaning forward and placing his hand against the glass. "I'm proud of you, Peyton."

I blink several times, sure that I must have misheard him or that the sedative has messed with my hearing. "Am I hallucinating?"

He chuckles, which furthers my belief that this is in fact, a dream. "No, I mean it. You saved Zach, for that I am extremely grateful. And you brought both him and Caleb back. When you're feeling better, I would like to know what happened out there."

I can't help the smile that crosses my face, despite the pain. "Of course."

"And Peyton," he adds. "When you get out of the isolation cells, I think it's time we discuss your contract. You've proven yourself more than worthy."

If I was capable of it, my jaw would drop to the floor.

"For now though, you should get your rest. I'm going to spare you the lecture on how emotions can get in the way of missions, but rest assured that it will come when you are feeling better." He rises to his feet, the legs of his chair scraping loudly on the concrete floor. "I will be back to let you know how Zach is doing."

And with that, he shuffles away, his limp even more apparent from this angle. I watch until he disappears from sight, wondering if I had imagined the whole exchange. I've just convinced myself that I must have, when I feel myself drifting back off into oblivion.

Eager for a reprieve from the pain, I let my eyes flutter closed and the darkness consume me.

¤

"Jennings, are you awake?" A familiar voice cuts through the fog.

I have no idea how long I've floated in and out of consciousness. I vaguely recall glimpses of Angie standing over my bed and Lideri coming back to see me, but I can't piece them together in my head. It feels like it's been days since we returned from the clearing, but it could have only been a few hours.

I force my eyes open, groaning in response. My mouth feels like it's full of cotton, as though it's been a long time since I had anything to drink. My head won't stop spinning as I blink and try to clear my vision. My body twinges in pain, only slightly dulled by the medicine coursing through me.

"We did it, Jennings." His voice is triumphant and I don't even have to look at him to know there's a big grin on his face. "I honestly didn't think we'd make it out alive."

I nod in answer and then wonder if he can even see me. Ignoring the pain in my neck, I crane my head behind me and catch sight of him sitting up on his bed. His eyes meet mine, a million words hidden in those green depths. His face is covered in an impressive array of purple and blue and, though his smile is wide, I can still detect a layer of sadness in his features, even through my drug induced haze.

"You should know, Jennings; that I really care about you." He gets off his mattress, picking up a pair of crutches and hobbling his way over to the glass that separates us, where I can see him better. A thick cast covers his foot to about halfway up his shin, confirming my suspicions that it was broken. "But I can't ignore the fact that you have feelings for Zach."

"Caleb," I plead, not wanting to get into this conversation when I can't even think straight. I'm struggling to stop my head from spinning and desperate for some water to quench my thirst. I want to be able to discuss this with him properly, when I'm capable of explaining myself.

"It's okay." He hangs his head, seemingly interested in his toes that peek out from beneath the white plaster. "I've had my suspicions for a while. But, when I saw how fiercely you wanted to save him, I knew how you really felt."

"I would have," I choke out, struggling to say the words through the lump of guilt in my throat. "Done the same for you."

"Maybe." He shrugs, clearly not believing me. "But we both know that's not the point."

Then what is?

I want to ask but my brain can't seem to cling onto the words. I wish he could have waited one more day, or at least a few hours, to say these things to me. I want to apologise, to reassure him, but I can't concentrate properly on what I want to tell him.

"It started when I was in isolation," he says sadly. And I wonder how he figured that out when I didn't even know myself. I was oblivious to my own feelings until Zach was taken from me. Only then did I realize how I truly felt about him.

"I could see it happening, right in front of my eyes, and I did my damn best to ignore it," Caleb continues. "But, I saw your face last night, when he was tied to that tree, and I knew there was no going back."

"Caleb-,"

"It's okay, Jennings." He shrugs again, though the hurt is evident in his eyes. "I told you before that if chemistry was all this was, then I was fine with that. So, no harm no foul. You can't help how you feel."

"I care about you." I manage to whisper, really meaning it. It's taken me far too long to understand that what Caleb and I shared was sparks and attraction. The feelings never ran any deeper than the surface. But I do care for him, just not in the way that he wants me to.

After all, sparks fizzle out.

"I know you do." His green eyes meet mine, the colour of moss and friendship, of fun and laughter. Right now they're missing the sparkle I usually see in them, replaced by sadness. "But, you care about him more."

There's no morphine that can subdue the pain in my chest right now. No matter how much I want to, I can't deny his words. They're the truth, laid bare between us, and it hurts me that I've upset Caleb this way.

I think back on our time together, from the very first kiss, to Caleb telling me he would follow me into the fiery pits of hell, and everything between. My reluctance to face my own conflicted feelings has caused him pain, and I'm angry at myself for that. I just hope we will be able to salvage our friendship from here. Even though it's selfish of me, I don't want to lose him.

"I'm so sorry, Caleb," I tell him, my voice cracking on his name. I swallow hard, trying to get past the lump of guilt that has lodged itself in my throat and form a coherent sentence. "I never wanted to hurt you."

"I know, Jennings. But, I'll be okay. You probably won't be the last girl to break my heart." He offers me a wink, a hesitant grin sliding onto his face for a moment before it's replaced by a frown. "As your friend though, I have to warn you. Zach's in line to be the next Lideri which means-,"

"I know." I squeeze my eyes shut, unable to stop the tears from sliding down my temples. "I'm so sorry."

"I am too, Jennings. You have no idea how much."

"Are we going to be okay?" I ask, both scared and desperate to hear the answer.

"Of course we are." He grins again and looks almost like the Caleb he was a few days ago. The twinkle is back in his moss-coloured eyes and the dimple in his cheek has returned. "We'll always be okay, Jennings. We're a team."

"Yeah." I manage a smile.

"Plus, I'm always here if you want a night of fun. No strings attached."

I bark out a laugh, immediately regretting it due to the pain that comes with it. It feels so good to hear him joke again, to know that I haven't ruined our friendship completely. "Thanks, Caleb."

"And," he adds. "We have another couple of days in isolation. During which, I'm going to tell you everything you need to know about our history. So, buckle up, buttercup. You've got a lot of knowledge to cram into that brain of yours."

Though the sadness hasn't quite left his eyes, his smile is genuine. And I know that no matter what comes next, Caleb and I will be okay.