Burning. Something is burning. In my leg. My right leg. It’s bigger. Stretched to the point of bursting. Like a sausage boiled in soup. Oh God. Go away. Stop it. Or just take my leg and dunk it in ice.

There’s something on my face. No. My forehead. It’s nice and cool. Ah . . .

“Taeyeon . . . ”

The voice seems to come from afar. From a distant memory. Out from nowhere, a pretty girl walks up to me. She has adorable smiling eyes. And when she smiles, it almost takes the pain away. For some reason, I know her name.

“Pan Ni . . . ”

The girl freezes. Her eyes, wide as the horizon, bore deep into mine, touching me in a deep, dark place that I didn’t know existed. Then, she smiles again and light pours into the deep, no-longer-dark place in the corner of my heart. Naturally, I smile back.

“Taeyeon . . . ”

“Pan Ni.” The name rolls off my tongue easily now.

“Wake up, human.”

This voice sounds much nearer and the girl has disappeared. Where did she go? A ball of fear hits me in my chest and I spring up, gasping as though I’d been underwater for too long. “Ms Pink!” Relief floods my heart when I register her pink eyes.

“You are the stupidest human I have ever met.”

Her words hurt more than usual and I don’t know what comes over me but I lash out with my claws. “I’m not stupid. I got bitten by a ing monster and it was Yoona who saved me so who is the stupid one this time? You. You’re a stupid, useless vampire who can’t even save a stupid human!” I practically yell in Ms Pink’s face as I try to keep my trembling under control.

I don’t know which is more shocking—my outburst or Ms Pink throwing her arms around my shoulders after being insulted by me. Frozen, I emit a squeak when Ms Pink’s arms tighten around me. It’s awkward too—my body is twisted towards Ms Pink as I sit on the bed. One of her hands moves to the back of my head while the other glides down to my lower back. I couldn’t get out of this if I wanted to. Not that I want this to stop. In fact, I shock myself by bursting into tears, right there on Ms Pink’s shoulder. What is wrong with me?

“I’m sorry.”

Oh God. Today must be the day of shockers. Did Ms Pink just apologize? To me? To a stupid human? My supply of tears is renewed and they spill over onto her shoulder.

“It won’t happen again.”

Her words erase the lurking shadows in my heart and I nod, trusting her to keep me safe from harm. For the first time since waking up, I take a good look at my surroundings and realize I’m in my room. Wait. How did Ms Pink—

“Taeyeonie, you’re finally up!” Sunny rushes to my side as Ms Pink pulls away from me. I have to resist the urge to pull Ms Pink back to me; the loss of Ms Pink’s touch unsettles me. “Are you feeling okay?”

I nod. “My leg hurts like a but aside from that, I think I’m okay.”

“You really should be more careful when you go hiking in the forest. If it weren’t for Tiffany Pink calling in her personal doctor, you would’ve been in so much trouble.”

Hiking? In the forest? Ms Pink’s personal doctor? Does she mean Seo? And where did Yoona go?

“I-I don’t really remember?”

“Oh no.” Sunny grabs my head. “Did you hit your head or something?” She turns to Ms Pink. “Do you think she’s suffering from amnesia?”

Ms Pink shakes her head. “She’s a little lost right now but she didn’t suffer any head injuries.”

“Okay. Okay.” Sunny calms down. Then, she grins the kind of grin that means she has something up her sleeves. “In that case I’ll leave Taeyeonie in your care. I have a date with Summer tonight.”

Tonight? Wait. Didn’t I get bitten in the morning?

“Go ahead.”

“You’re the best, Tiffany Pink!”

Sunny tosses me a wink, a grin and an exit all in the span of one second, leaving me with Ms Pink behind the closed door.

“Other than your leg, do you feel any pain?”

I shake my head. “It’s just my leg. It burns.” I stare at the ugly, bruise-like puncture wounds on my leg. It’s surreal. Like my leg isn’t mine. Like I didn’t actually go through that harrowing experience this morning. “Where’s Yoona?”

“She had to send the vanguard in for an autopsy and report the kill.”

“But that was in the morning. Is she hurt?”

“Nothing other than the usual bruises.”

“Oh. That’s good.” I feel better knowing that Yoona is alright.

“Stupid human. You should be worrying about your leg.”

Ms Pink’s words worry me. “My leg will get better, right? You can fix it, right?”

“You’d be dead if you weren’t bait.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your blood is suppressing the dark energy from the vanguard bite. Any other human would have died from it.”

“Like the three people who died?”

Ms Pink nods.

“But why. Why me?” I didn’t ask for this. I just want a normal life. Normal blood.

“Choice.” Ms Pink scoffs. “Choice is a privilege.” She looks at my leg. Aside from the ring of black and blue around the puncture wounds, the rest of my thigh is reddening and the burn is increasing. “Wait here.”

Wait here? I feel like laughing at her command. Where else does she think I can go with a leg that is about as useful as a sausage? Besides, she’s back before I can say ‘spank me again’ with a towel in each hand.

“Lie down.”

I obey without question and watch as Ms Pink sits beside me. She rolls a towel and puts it on my forehead. It’s cooling and I like it. “Thanks.”

Ms Pink’s eyes glow pink. “Who are you thanking?”

“I’m thanking you.”

“Say ‘Thank you, Pan Ni’.”

I stare at her, wondering why she would want me to say that. “Pan Ni?”

“Do you know who Pan Ni is?”

“I don’t know who Pan Ni is, b