The first thing Mark did, after attending classes that he desperately didn’t want to fall behind in, was hole up with Jackson in the library. Of course Mark had gone with the actual intention of working on an upcoming paper for their shared literature class, but Jackson had obviously just gone to keep him company. Or terrorize him. To Jackson, those two seemed to be the same thing.

“You know,” Jackson said, sliding the book Mark had been looking through to the other side of the table they were at, “I don’t think I’ve ever been so glad you’re a pureblood before.”

Pencil between his teeth, Mark quirked an eyebrow. “Why?” He asked, moving the pencil to his hand and bringing the book squarely to the spot in front of him. “And don’t move the book again, okay? I need it for reference.”

Jackson rolled his eyes. “Because purebloods don’t fry so easy in the sun.” With obvious sass, Jackson pushed at the book again, commanding Mark’s attention . “If you were half and half, or even worse, you could have gone up like a match after an hour or two in the direct sun. At least since you’re still pretty young.” Jackson wasn’t exactly saying anything Mark didn’t already know, but it was something he hadn’t thought about.

“You’re right,” he allowed, then slammed the book closed on Jackson’s fingers, smirking at he pained look he received in return. “Stop messing with my book. I’m serious. I don’t’ know anything about Earnest Hemmingway and I have a paper due on his most profound contribution to modern literature in ten days. Don’t sabotage my grades because you don’t care about yours.”

Jackson gave him an exaggerated scowl and shook his finger as if it had been mortally wounded. “So violent.”

“So desperate,” Mark corrected. “I missed a couple of important days, and I’m stuck with the only schmuck who doesn’t take notes as a friend.”

Jackson leaned forward and rested his chin on his open palm. “Why do you think purebloods, even young ones, can last longer in the sun? Don’t you think it would be far more likely for purebloods to fry? That’s what fiction thinks, at least. But purebloods have a resistance to the sun that’s even stronger than their halfblood counterparts.

Don’t you think vampires mixed with human blood would do better? I mean, look at me. I’m half human. Shouldn’t I last twice as long as you? But if we were both out there, I’d still be in the hospital, and you’re here.”

“I don’t know,” Mark said, taping the icon on his laptop’s desktop to open a web browser. “It might have something to do with human genes and vampire genes being in constant competition with each other. In purebloods, you don’t have that clash. And we regenerate faster than humans do.”

Jackson gave a low grunt. “I guess. And you’re lucky. There’s that. Luckiest guy I know, probably.” There was something soft in his words, something lovely.

It made Mark want to stutter a little as he cleared his throat and said, “I’m more glad Zhou Mi found me in time. From what I hear, he led the charge, pulled me out of the lake before I drowned, and made sure I got to the infirmary without any additional exposure to the sun. I don’t think luck had anything to do with that.”

So far he’d been avoiding Zhou Mi. Or at least for the past few days. Because how awkward was it to be constantly followed by someone who tended to act like Superman most of the time? Especially if that made Mark Lois Lane. Not to mention Zhou Mi could be more than a little intense, and once in a while, Mark needed room to breathe.

“Zhou Mi,” Jackson eased out, and the name sounded wrong coming from him. “That’s the big scary guy who all but pulled you by the ear after I took you to the dance party, right?”

“He’s a family friend,” Mark said with a shrug. “Maybe he just feels sorry for me. A lot of people feel sorry for me. Or maybe he’s indebted to the family in some way. Purebloods take debt very serious. Especially the personal kind.” Or maybe, and it was far more likely, it was just as Henry had said. Their families were friends. They had history. And it was entirely possible Zhou Mi was merely doing him a favor he couldn’t quite see just yet.

Jackson frowned. “I don’t feel sorry for you. Well, maybe that you’re stuck with that face, but--”

“Hey!” Mark laughed loudly, probably too loudly for a library, and tossed his pencil at Jackson. “I’m very handsome.”

Jackson gave a noncommittal sound. “Anyway, I am glad you didn’t burn yourself to a crisp. I’m loathe to admit it, but life without Mark can be awfully boring. Jr. actually thinks he’s funny and I don’t have anyone to shoulder that tedium with. Now you can laugh at his jokes for me.”

“Is he even a little funny?” Mark asked with a wince.

“JB thinks he is, but that’s probably just because they’re sleeping together.”

Mark blinked slowly. “They are?”

Jackson nodded. “Been together forever. Since kindergarten, practically. Now if only their families would get on board with it, god knows they’ve had enough time.”

“Their parents don’t like it?”

“Eh,” Jackson cracked out. “Jr.’s family seems to have accepted it, but that probably as a lot more to do with how progressive they are. Jr.’s a pureblood, but he’s not from some fancy council family like you are. Their family is old and distinguished, but not noble.”

Curiously, Mark asked, “But what about JB?”

Jackson made a face. “JB’s half and half. His dad is human, and his mom’s the vampire, so she’s the one who’s the problem. She comes from a pretty solid bloodline, and look, you didn’t hear it from me, but JB’s parents don’t exactly love each other. Their’s was more of a marriage of convenience … and money. JB’s dad’s family is very wealthy. So he brought that money to the marriage, and she brought a credible, prolific vampire bloodline.”

That was … rare. For the most part, humans and vampires kept to themselves, romantically speaking. Every once in a while there was a union between them, and enough of them to produce a sizable halfblood group of children. But while marriages of convenience happened all the time in vampire society, they rarely brought together humans and vampires.

It took Mark a moment more to realize Jackson was still going, saying, “--mom is really stuck up. Like, majorly pretentious. It’s like she wants to breeze over the fact that she married a human and had half human kids. She’s on this huge arranged marriage kick, and she won’t leave JB alone about it. She wants to marry him back into high class vampire society, that’s for sure. Or at least that’s what JB thinks. I mean, she’s already done it with his older sister. JB’s older sister didn’t get to choose who she ended up with, it was an arranged marriage, and JB’s mom is doing her best for a repeat performance with him.”

With a shaky voice, Mark asked, “Is JB going to let her?”

With a flare, Jackson rolled his eyes. “Let her try. I’ve known JB and Jr. for a long time--since we were kids. Jr.’s the kind who likes to please his parents. JB is stubborn. But more than that, he knows what he wants, and he wants Jr.. JB won’t let his mother push Jr. out of his life. I’d bet money on it.”

“Oh,” Mark let slip. JB did seem the stubborn sort.

“What about you?” Jackson asked sharply, tone picking up. “You’re from the fourth family. That’s some prestige. There must be nothing but arraigned marriages.”

“You’re the one who thinks all of the council families are cesspools of because of arranged marriages,” Mark reminded with a serious face.

Jackson looked panicked for a second, so Mark let a smile slide onto his face. “I’m just messing with you.”

Jackson clutched at his chest and heaved in a breath, clearly dramatization the whole thing.

Slowly, as if the admission took a great deal of effort, Mark told Jackson, “My oldest sister, Grace, had been matched. She was my mom’s heir and I think she always knew she’d end up with someone that our parents thought was the best fit for her. But she was lucky. She really liked the guy. She said he was funny and nice and she liked him. To her, being married to him wasn’t a burden. It was a responsibility, and an obligation, but not so much a burden. Grace was … graceful.”

Jackson gave him an odd look and asked, “What about you?”

“A match?” Mark shook his head. “I lucked out being born third. My parents were far more concerned with arranging marriages for their heir and spare. Grace and Tammy. I got much more freedom in that department.”

“Well,” Jackson said slowly, slumping back in his chair, “I mean this as delicately as possible, calling in all friend cred that I have; you’re not third born anymore. You’re a prince. You’ll be the head of your family soon. You’re prime real estate now, and everyone here knows it. The fact that you don’t have a match? That makes you even more desirable. Give it a little more time. People will be throwing themselves at you for the right to be by your side. You’re the ultimate bachelor of all bachelors.”

Mark’s head cocked, almost of its own volition, at the ugly look on Jackson’s face. He seemed … upset? Was that what the look was? Or was it … jealousy?

There was no doubt part of Mark was absolutely thrilled at the prospect of Jackson being unhappy or jealous over Mark getting unwanted attention. It was childish, of course, but considering Mark had never met someone like Jackson before, or anyone who made him feel the way he did, Mark gave himself some extra leeway.

“Prime real estate despite being damaged goods?” Mark waved his arms around, and he knew very well how red his face was. Even burn creams couldn’t work miracles. He wouldn’t look normal for weeks more.

Jackson gave him a … leer? “Even still.”

Mark felt like banging his head against the table. Was this flirting? Was Jackson flirting or just being his usual self?

Why were teenage boys so damn difficult to read?

“Thanks?” Mark said, feeling completely inept.

“I’m sure whatever guy won the gauntlet to take you to the welcome back dance is going to be falling over himself to tell you how attractive the bandages make you look. Or if it’s a chick, first of all, right on, second of all, she Might even tell you that you’re better looking than her. It’ll likely be the truth, too.”

“Welcome back dance?”

Jackson snatched up Mark’s pencil and leaned back in his chair, balancing on two legs as he settled the pencil onto his nose expertly. Head tipped back, he answered, “They have it every semester here. All the high school and college kids go. Anyone who goes here, goes. It’s just an excuse for the administration to claim that they let us have a little freedom, while keeping us locked up ninety percent of the time. It’s in four days. I think the theme is fire and ice? I’m astounded by that originality.”

Why was this the first he was hearing of this dance?

And more importantly, why did Jackson think he already had a date? It was a frantically worrying idea for Jackson to have.

So why couldn’t he open his mouth and say otherwise? Why couldn’t he--

“I swear,” Jackson laughed out, the pencil falling from the tip of his nose and his chair slamming down loudly. He ignored the shushes that carried through the library. “Every semester this dance is nothing but a pain in my . Though it might be better this time around.” Jackson gave him another long look.

“What … um ..?” Great. Now his voice suddenly wanted to work. Sort of.

“Why’re you making that face at me?”

Speak, Mark commanded at himself. Speak and stop looking like a fish drowning on dry land. “Do you … have, um, a person? A date!” That wasn’t exactly what he’d been going for. But maybe, just maybe, this was salvageable. In a perfect world, or at least one that didn’t hate him completely, the next few minutes would the most crucial times of his life.

When he asked out someone for the first time.

Sounding so slick he was nearly oily, Jackson replied, “Had one for months now. Jackson always has a date.”

Jackson was such an .

“Hey!” Jackson popped up to his feet. “Where are you doing? Where are you going?”

And Mark? He felt like an idiot.

“Leave me alone,” Mark said, snapping at Jackson over something that wasn’t even really his fault. “Sorry,” he apologized right away, throwing his books into his bag and hugging his laptop to his chest. “I’m sorry, Jackson. I’m not … I’m just … sorry.” He had to get away. He had to leave before he said or did something stupid.

Now was clearly the time to wallow, and not to pretend like everything was okay.

“Mark?”

Mark threw over his shoulder, “I’ll see you in class!” Then he was gone, practically sprinting for the front door. Feeling like a fool.

If Henry noticed that Mark felt like every bit the teenager he was, moping around full of ennui, acting disinterested in hanging out with Amber and their other friends, he didn’t say anything. He did, however, draw the line the moment Mark started listening to Dashboard Confessional and contemplating Sulli’s black nail polish.

“I don’t know what your problem is, kid,” Henry said, cuffing him gently over the back of the head, “but stop pretending like it’s 2004 and emo is cool. It’s 2014, time to act like every other teenager out there. Be angry.”

“I’m not the angry type,” Mark said, deflating a little.

“No,” Henry agreed. “And neither is Zhou Mi. That’s why, when he proposes that he be allowed to you to the welcome back dance, you’ll say yes. Because you’re a good match.”

It wasn’t the fake tone to Henry’s voice as he emulated the way that Zhou Mi often spoke, that caught Mark’s attention. It was absolutely the last sentence from his mouth.

They were a good match.

“I don’t like Zhou Mi,” Mark said, trying to keep his voice from shaking. “Not like that. He’s a good friend. Not anything more.”

Henry’s face scrunched up. “Not even a little?”

Mark shook his head.

“Well,” Henry sighed out, “you have to go to the dance with someone befitting your status. And no, before you ask, you can’t not go. You have to represent our family. So start thinking about who it’s going to be. You only have a couple of days.”

“Okay,” Mark said, just to get Henry to leave him alone. And so he could burry his face in a pillow and pretend like he wasn’t apparently the biggest loser in the world.

Therefore it was maybe a welcomed distraction when Mark received his first cordial invitation to tea via embroidered envelope. It wasn’t the invitation itself that was interesting. Mark might not have been his mother’s heir growing up, but he’d been to plenty of fancy dinners and luncheons because of his family’s status, and he knew what an official summons looked like.

No, the far more interesting thing was who it was from.

Because Mark had been invited to visit Kyuhyun.

A few hours later, as Henry walked Mark to the top floor of the boy’s four story dormitory building, and down a long hallway that only had only a few dors doors, Mark whispered to him, “I didn’t even know Kyuhyun went here.”

Henry replied, “It’s his last semester, and he’s not even really taking classes. He’s just … doing princely things, I guess.”

“Prince?” Mark inquired. “I know he has an older sister, and she’s his father’s heir, right?”

“Mark.”

“What?” There was something chilling about Henry’s tone.

Henry stopped them in front of the last door at the end of the hallway and said, “His sister was one of the victims of the attack on the council. He’s been elevated to the status of heir, and his father isn’t … handling his sister’s death all that well. Most of us don’t think it’ll be long before he steps down and Kyuhyun steps up. In fact, it’ll probably be before the year ends.”

“Then he’s like me,” Mark mused, looking to the door in front of him. He felt a bit ashamed he hadn’t reached out to Kyuhyun at the funeral. Or even recognized him for that matter. He should have inquired about the other deaths, and he should have realized he wasn’t the only one hurting.

“Hardly,” Henry snorted out, racking his knuckles against the sturdy wood. “Kyuhyun might not have been his father’s heir up until a few months ago, but his father raised him and his sister to be equals. They were practically interchangeable with what they knew about the council, and most of us thought Kyuhyun’s sister was planning to step away from her duties. She always seemed more interested in her music.”

The door opened and it wasn’t Kyuhyun who was standing in the doorway, making Mark question if they had the right room at all.

The man at the door, classically handsome, but with severe features, offered Mark a respectful bow, then told Henry, “You can come back for him in an hour.”

The first thing Mark noticed, following the older and taller vampire into the room, was that Kyuhyun’s personal suite was a great deal bigger than Mark’s. He wasn’t envious in the least, not knowing what to do with the space he already had, but the more curious aspect of it was how lived in it looked. The rugs were a little worn in spaces, knickknacks were placed strategically on shelves, and the sofas themselves looked like they were sat on frequently. There was love and attention to the room, and it was somewhat unexpected from Kyuhyun.

Speaking of worn in sofas, there was another boy sitting on the green sofa near the center of the room, alongside Kyuhyun who was resting in an armchair.

Mark hadn’t expected company, other than himself, of course.

“Lord Kyuhyun,” Mark said, dipping respectfully. Or was he supposed to call him prince now? Mark was still trying to feel out who liked to be called what, and when significant titles were compliments or insults.

“Just Kyuhyun, please.” the other insisted. “We have a lot to speak about today, and titles will simply get in the way.”

“Do you want us to stay?” one of the men asked, the taller of the two, Mark judged, once the second of them was standing.

“No, Changnin. I’ll call for you and Minho later.”

“Are you certain?” Changmin asked, cutting a look to Mark.

Kyuhyun rolled his eyes. “I hardly think there’s going to be an assassination attempt in the next sixty minutes. And certainly not from Mark. Go.”

When the two men were safely gone, the door closing solidly behind them, Mark cracked a smile and said, “Those two are kind of scary.” Even Minho, who hadn’t said anything, but glared daggers the whole time.

“We’ve been friends a long time,” Kyuhyun said. “And considering that my family home was attacked the same as yours was, there’s reason enough to believe that someone planned to end my life the same as my sister’s.”

“The humans,” Mark said with a nod, but Kyuhyun gave no sign of agreement.

“I asked you here,” Kyuhyun said, one leg crossing elegantly over the other, “because there is quite a lot we need to speak about.”

Mark rushed to get out, “I’m really sorry about not recognizing you at the funeral. And I’m really sorry I never stopped to think about the fact that you lost Grace, too.”

Kyuhyun’s wrist caught the light and Mark could plainly see that he had Grace’s match bracelet on his own wrist, overlapping the one he’d worn for over a year now. They settled easily against each other, looking natural, but Mark wondered how he could stand to wear such a reminder.

“The council gave it to me,” Kyuhyun said, tracing Mark’s gaze. “She was my intended. But, she was also your sister. If you want it, I’ll give it to you. You must not have much of your family’s left.”

Mark shook his head. The fire had wiped almost everything out at the main house. “I think you should keep it. She was important to you, too. And I got some things, like the watch my father had been wearing, my mother’s jewels, and Grace’s pendant. You keep the bracelet.” There’d been a couple of important things from his family’s vacation homes, and trinkets left at the houses of cousins and friends. Mark had recovered each piece reverently, so he had a few things.

Kyuhyun gave him a serious nod. “I’ve tried not to dwell on the loss of her from my life. We weren’t married yet. However, Mark, the truth is I did love her. She was fond of me, but I loved her.”

Quietly, Mark said, “I’m sorry about your sister. And about how your father is having to endure such a loss.”

“Is that what your cousin told you?’ Kyuhyun asked, startling Mark. “That my father has fallen to pieces?”

“No!” Mark said, denying it quickly. The last thing he need was to turn Kyuhyun and Henry against each other, even inadvertently.

“I detest idle gossip,” Kyugyun snapped, seeming so dangerous even just sitting across from Mark. “However, the truth, no matter how entertaining to some, is still the truth. Yes, my father is not enduring as well hoped, but it’s not something unexpected. My mother’s passing put him on the precipice of mental stability, and the loss of my sister is too much. She was everything to him.”

“I’m sorry,” Mark offered again. “Very sorry.”

“Tell me about the night of the attack, Mark,” Kyuhyun requested, steering the conversation expertly. “You were at home?”

A puzzled expression on his face, Mark nodded. “My parents said it was an emergency session to discuss something they wouldn’t tell me. Grace knew, though. And I’m going to guess it was about the vote.” That’s what Henry had said, and even his uncle. But Mark was quickly learning that playing dumb was very much to his advantage. If he could come off as unthreatening as possible, he had a feeling he’d learn more from others than if they thought he was competent.

Thought maybe not Kyuhyun, who was sharp and knowing.

“It was,” Kyuhyun confirmed. “The emergency session was to discuss the necessity of a vote, and to agree or dismiss having it. You should understand, Mark, since you’re going to have a seat on the council in a few short months, that half of the time the council spends gathered together is deciding whether or not to decide things. Does that make sense? The council had to vote on whether or not to have a vote about the treaty. It’s all very pompous and backwards if you ask me, but it’s how the council operates”

Mark could still picture the night so perfectly in his mind. He could remember the black suit his father had worn to compliment his mother’s dark red gown. Tammy had been on the phone for hours, and Joey had been playing his video game. Grace had looked every inch the princess she was.

“What exactly do you want to know?” Mark asked.

“Your uncle was there?”

“Yes,” Mark eased out. “He never lived too far away from us. He and my mom were really close. They were twins. I think my dad just put up with him because it made her happy to have her brother around so much.”

Kyuhyun questioned, “But you left the property. Before the fire. Why?”

“I’m not …” Mark took a steadying breath. “I’m not really comfortable talking about the night that I lost my family.” Painful. He meant it was still excruciatingly painful. Because he still woke up sweat drenched from nightmares and guilty dreams. Henry said it was survivor’s guilt and not his fault, but sometimes Mark felt so uncomfortable being the one who’d survived. “Why are you asking me this?”

The foot of Kyuhyun’s crossed leg tapped the air for a second, then he said, “Because I am not a simpleton, and I rarely believe things happen without a reason.”

Mark leaned forward a little “My uncle thinks the humans attacked us because the treaty made us weak an susceptible to exploitation. They know if an extremist group of theirs hits us, one not sanctioned by the human government, we can’t retaliate with violence or risk breaking the treaty. They know and they’re starting to take advantage of that. Is he wrong on that account?”

“Not completely,” Kyuhyun admitted. “But there are things from that night that are disconcerting at best, and suspicious at worst. The humans are typically less coordinated, and employ a strategy of brute force more than anything else. They rarely think long term, and are often more preoccupied with quick strikes that have immediate results. Humans, as you might expect, are impatient. Therefore, I find a good deal suspect about the attack on our council and families.”

“Like what?”

Kyuhyun watched him for a minute, then asked, “Did you know where the council met?”

Mark didn’t. “Only a few vampires, other than the actual family heads and heirs knew. For safety reasons.”

“So how did the humans know where the council was planning to meet? And how did they coordinate the attack on the council with the attacks on our homes so perfectly?”

“I don’t …” Mark was at a loss. “Those humans who did it, they went to ground. That’s what my uncle says. They can’t be found, so we can’t ask them.

“And isn’t that convenient,” Kyuhyun huffed out. “At the very least, if this were believable, they would have claimed responsibility before doing so. No one makes a power move like this, something that is clearly meant to be taken as a statement, and does not make it known who did it and why. The humans who’ve transgressed against us in the past have always been transparent about their actions. Why would that have changed now?”

“I really don’t think there’s a conspiracy going on here,” Mark said, trying to calm Kyuhyun who looked to be working himself up. “The humans, the radical and dangerous ones at least, just don’t like us. They don’t need to make any claims for us to know that. They want a war, regardless of the consequences for both sides. They have been vocal about that. That’s not suspicious. And maybe they’ve merely changed their tactics. Or adapted. The humans aren’t stupid, and they do learn what works and what doesn’t very quickly.”

Kyuhyun stood slowly, then walked the distance to the large glass window on the other side of the room. “Your parents. Grace. My sister. And Siwon’s father. Why were these the casualties of the attack?”

Mark tipped his head back on the sofa and took a deep breath. “Sometimes people are just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Or,” Kyuhyun posed, “maybe it has to do with how they were expected to vote.”

“Excuse me?” Mark straightened up right away. “You think this is about the vote?”

“Possibly,” Kyuhyun said, not committing to anything. “But there are too many variables that are too suspicious to ignore. Mark, no matter what, trust no one.”

“Not even you?” Mark asked a little brazenly.

“Maybe not.”

“Why?”

“Because.” Kyuhyun pressed a hand against the glass and looked out over the spectacular view it afforded. “No matter what, whether the humans acted alone or had help in the brutal physicality of what happen, they had access to the most important and protected information possible. And more than that, they knew exactly who to target, where and why. That only means one thing.”

Mark gave a somber nod. “Someone told them.”

“Someone is working with them,” Kyuhyun said, turning a murderous gaze on Mark. “Someone that the council trusted, someone that had access to this kind of information and sold it for a price. And that price ended up getting people we love killed. I’m going to find out who did this, Mark. I’m going to find all the pieces that are out there and put them together until I see the big picture. And then I’m going to find this person, and skin them alive.”

“You …” What was he supposed to say to that?

“Trust no one,” Kyuhyun repeated, turning away from Mark. “Not your friends, not your family, and not even distinguished members of the council. No one. Because if you do, and it’s our traitor, it’ll cost you your life. Keep that in mind.”

The idea was terrifying, and it froze Mark in place.

Finally, kindly, Kyuhyun said, “I don’t mean to unnecessarily frighten you. But you’re young, Mark. You’re too trusting, too naïve. You’re not equipped to see the threats hovering around you, or the things that are meant to look like one thing, but are in fact something else completely.”

All of the sudden Mark was reminded of the words Siwon had said to him days before.

“Siwon said the same thing to me,” Mark voiced. “He had a lot to say on how young I am.”

Kyuhyun gave him a guarded look. “Siwon is … Siwon.”

Mark could see the history there so easily, and the baggage. There was a lot of baggage. And he couldn’t help prying, “How well do you know Siwon?” Siwon had always been his father’s heir, but Kyuhyun hadn’t. Maybe they hadn’t grown up knowing each other well, or maybe they had. One could never tell.

“Too well, I’m afraid,” Kyuhyun said without pause, but sounding so unlike himself Mark felt his features frown. “Siwon and I …”

“You’re friends?” Mark supplemented..

“I suppose,” Kyuhyun allowed.

Mark told him, “Henry doesn’t think vampires in our position can be friends. I beg to differ. I mean, I don’t think Siwon is my friend, but I don’t think it’s an impossibility with others.”

“Henry is wrong,” Kyuhyun said definitively. “Relationships between vampires, be they of any kind, are difficult at best. You’re beginning to understand this. And friendships do not come easily, or without a high price to be paid. But they are possible. And friendships between vampires are not betrayed easily. But Siwon is a different story, at least in regards to me. No doubt if I consider him a friend, he considers me something slightly different.”

Mark wondered why he always felt so outclassed with vampires like Kyuhyun and Siwon. They spoke differently, acted differently, and reeked of so much aristocracy it was stifling at times. It made Mark feel like a snot nosed kid in comparison. It made him feel as if he’d never get to where they were.

With a huff, Mark said, “I’d settle for him not throwing my age up in my face. He’s not that much older than I am. It’s not like he’s one of our elders.”

With a soft chuckle, Kyuhyun reassured, “I doubt he means it in a literal sense. You know very well, Mark, that years pass different for us, than they do for the humans. For him, your age is more of a reflection of the years you’ve spent knee deep in the politics of our kind. He’s worried about the stability, or lack thereof, that you’ll bring to the future.”

Mark had guessed as much. Siwon was hard to read, but the pieces were all there, scattered around like tiny parts to a cogwheel.

“He seemed kind of sore about Grace, too, when she came up.”

At Grace’s mention, Kyuhyun went tightlipped.

“Sorry,” Mark offered right away. “Kyuhyun, I don’t mean to--”

“Siwon’s involvement with Grace has nothing to do with you, Mark.”

Mark slumped down. “Can you not talk in riddles just for once? What’s Siwon’s deal with Grace? Why does he have such … animosity towards her? Even Henry doesn’t want to talk about it. Is this how it’s going to be from now on? Will all of your collectively get together and decide what things you want to talk about, and what you want to keep from me?”

Blandly, Kyuhyun said, “ Don’t be presumptuous, Mark.”

Mark said softly, “Then just tell me. I don’t like all this awkwardness floating around. I don’t like being left out of the loop. And this is about Grace, who was my sister.”

Kyuhyun surprised Mark by shooting back, “It’s not about Grace at all, I promise you. It’s about me. And no doubt your cousin heard about this through some chain of gossip. I can’t imagine Grace dragging anyone through the mud. You know as well as I do, Mark, that Grace was far better than that.”

“You?” Mark was stumped. “What?”

“Because,” Kyuhyun said in a reminding fashion, “I loved Grace very much. My match to her was more than just a marriage of convenience, or something mutually beneficial to our respective families. I cared very deeply for her, and Siwon could never accept that because of my feelings for Grace, I could never return those that he felt for me.”

Mark’s eyes widened. “Oh. Oh. Wow.”

In the most careless fashion Mark had ever seen from Kyuhyun, he said, “Siwon has felt more for me than simple affection for many years now. He didn’t attempt to hide his feelings from me, either. He hoped that I’d feel the same away about him with time, and that there was a possibility we might be matched.”

“Was there?” Mark asked, feeling a bit like he was gossiping, but enjoying it greatly. The idea of Siwon having unrequited feelings for Kyuhyun made them all seem a little less perfect.

“My father considered it,” Kyuhyun allowed. “Siwon is exceptionally well situated, and in terms of desirable bachelors, he’s at the very top of the list. But my father and your mother were very close. They grew up together. They most certainly were friends. They had wanted to tie our families together through marriage for a long time. So Siwon was considered, but Grace was chosen.”

“And you don’t have feelings for him at all?”

“I have plenty of feelings for him,” Kyuhyun said honestly. “But none of them are romantic.”

Mark didn’t dare say it, but he beginning to think that maybe Siwon had stayed at Hawthorne for Kyuhyun, and not so much for Mark.

“Doesn’t he know heirs aren’t supposed to be together,” Mark mused, thinking of all the complications that would have brought Siwon and Kyuhyun.

Kyuhyun countered, “They’re completely forbidden under any circumstances at the time of the match. But if it had happened, Siwon and I wouldn’t have broken that rule had we been matched when we were younger. My sister was heir. I was not. Even my ascending now to the position of heir, and ultimately to the head of my house, would not have dissolved the match. The only thing that matters is if the two matched individuals are not both heirs at the time of the match, or expected to be at any time. Even vampires can’t predict what the future will bring, Mark. None of us has ever had the gift of foresight.”

It made Mark wonder what Kyuhyun’s vampire ability was. It had to be something wicked powerful, to match the unbridled power Mark saw lurking beneath the surface in Kyuhyun.

Mark all but burst out with, “Henry thinks Siwon’s the reason I was sleepwalking.”

There was a dangerous and calculating look to Kyuhyun’s eyes. “Oh, I have no doubt. But if there have been no future incidents, you can rest assured that he found whatever he was looking for. Mark, he’s not even at Hawthorne anymore. He left early yesterday night. He won’t be back. He has more pressing matters to attend to.”

Mark was relieved. It wasn’t that he’d found Siwon to be a threat, and no matter how unsettling the older vampire made him feel, he had been making headway with him. He’d looked forward to proving himself to Siwon firsthand, and letting word of mouth travel. Now he’d only see Siwon at council meetings.

“Isn’t openly attacking an heir or head of family grounds for our highest penalty?” Mark asked carefully. He meant it was grounds for being accused of treason and being executed. But it was better not to speak of such things, even in private company.

Kyuhyun cracked a smile. “Siwon never physically accosted you, and there’s very little evidence that he was even involved. We don’t take on needless witch hunts without probable cause or significant proof. Siwon is in the remarkable place of being able to influence and manipulate people in dreamlike states. That’s a hard thing to pin down. It’s even harder to prove.”

But one thing was nagging at Mark, and he had to ask, “He asked about my dream. He asked what I was seeing when I was sleepwalking. Why would he not know? If he’s the person who caused it, how could he not know what was in it?”

“Maybe he wanted to see if you’d tell him the truth.”

“Maybe,” Mark agreed. “But he seemed genuinely curious.”

Kyuhyun took a moment before saying, “Siwon’s gift is more of the ability to initiate things. He can take mere sleep and make it more. And he can push a dreamer towards something frightening to create a nightmare. But only you know what’s in your mind, Mark. Only you know the things that make you happy or scared. I believe Siwon simply set you on a path towards something, likely to test your fortitude, and he waited to see what would come of it.”

“I dreamed about my family,” Mark volunteered, eyes falling down to his hands in his lap. “They were happy--we were happy. We were on vacation, and everyone was there. It was great, at least until I almost drowned myself in real life. If Siwon was trying to scare me, that’s not the way to go about it. He just made me sad.”

“Who says he was trying to scare you?” Kyuhyun asked. “You assume that everyone is against you because your cousin says this is so. But what if Siwon was trying to do more than just frighten you into running away? I can tell you personally that Siwon isn’t one for intimidation or underhanded tactics. He’s very blunt, very upfront, and he doesn’t target those incapable of defending themselves.”

“Who says he wasn’t gunning for me because of some grudge he felt against Grace?”

“And who,” Kyuhyun said right back, “says he wasn’t trying to help you out of respect for her?”

“Help,” Mark scoffed. “By bringing up my dead family.”

Kyuhyun shrugged. “By presenting you with a situation that would force you to confront the very thing which sit’s the most heavily upon your shoulders. Your guilt over their deaths, the kind I see in your eyes every time I look at you, drags you down daily. It’s slowly suffocating you Mark. You can’t be a productive, capable head of your family, if your survivor’s guilt dictates each and every action you take. Siwon, you, and I, are in roughly the same situation. Siwon, is many things , Mark, but a villain is not one of them.”

Mark chortled, “Next you’ll be telling me to trust him.”

Kyuhyun’s eyes softened. “I won’t go back on my word telling you not to trust anyone. But of the few people I care for still left in this world, I would trust Siwon to watch my back. I might even trust him to watch yours. He wouldn’t have paid you any attention if he didn’t think you were worth it.”

Mark felt frustrated. “I swear, some days I understand less and less of what’s going on around me.”

“Not yet,” Kyuhyun said. “But as Siwon said, you’re very young still.”

It finally felt as if the conversation was going nowhere, which to Mark, meant that it was time for him to go.

“I should get going,” he said, trying to sound as if he wasn’t ready to run for the door.

“I’ve kept you long enough,” Kyuhyun said, nodding for Mark to go. “But don’t forget about the things we’ve spoken of. And do not let your guard down. We’re living in the most dangerous of times, Mark. Before this, our enemies were easy to identify, and easier to deal with. Now they’re shrouded in the shadows, and their moves are faster than the ones we make to combat them. I would hate to lose you, because of one of those threats.”

Mark repeated Kyuhyun’s earlier words. “Trust no one.”

“For the time being,” Kyuhyun expanded. “Until you’ve secured your position, until we better understand what happened at that meeting, and until all of the players on this chessboard are revealed, trust only yourself and your instincts.”

“I’m not going to get killed because I was dumb and trusted the wrong person,” Mark said, feeling defensive now, as if Kyuhyun thought he was completely incapable of using his brain. “I won’t leave the fourth family in shambles. I won’t do that to my mother’s legacy.”

“Good,” Kyuhyun nodded. “Because you’re the future of our society, Mark. The way you think, the way you feel, the things you do, that is the future. I don’t want to see a bright future like that squandered, if only because your most trusted friend stabbed you in the back."

Mark  forced himself not to reply. There was nothing he could say to that.

“Go rest, Mark,” Kyuhyun urged. “Go to your studies, your friends and your life. But do not, under any circumstances, become complacent. Our council did, Mark, and look where it landed them. Your death would be more than unfortunate. It would be a loss I shudder to think your bloodline might not recover from. Or our species, for that matter.”

And, like Siwon had said, all the bloodlines and all the families were tied to each other. The collapse of one had somber implications for the rest. The worst part, the very worst realization to Mark, was that someone out there knew that. Someone out there knew exactly what they were doing, targeting bloodlines and heirs--sometimes whole families. Someone was purposefully trying to end them all. Someone was a blood traitor.

“You stay safe too,” Mark called out to Kyuhyun as he trekked to the door. “I don’t think we can afford to lose each other. And frankly, I don’t want to.” Especially since Kyuhyun not only was a last link to Grace, but also seemed to be the only one telling him anything at all.

Kyuhyun gave him a hint of a smile. “You’re more like Grace than I realized.”

Mark wasn’t sure what to think of that, but there was a curl of warmth in his chest at the words. “Thanks,” he mumbled, then he was gone.