"Yes, the birds have nested on the roof again."

I laughed softly. That was my Father's old signal that he wasn't free to talk. Meaning Michel was nearby. Or someone more important. I doubted talking about Craft around Michel would bother Father. "Yes Craft is with me-he hasn't left my side."

"You have to send him back to Michel, Carly. He's left his maker. He's gone rogue."

The statement had an ominous sound and feeling to it. Gone rogue? That always conjured up images of bandits and angry Samurai for me, not Ghouls. "I don't understand-"

"He's broken his link with Michel, Carly. He has to be stopped. The Council mandated a century ago that no Ghoul may be without a Master."

That was the dumbest thing I'd ever heard. "Father-Craft's been with me all this time, looking after me. I thought that was on Michel's order."

"It was originally-and it was an order given by the Council directly to Craft. He is the Babineaux's oldest Ghoul and has always been lauded as their most loyal. But once the Hunter reported to us that you had not broken the covenant, Michel enlightened us with the news that his Ghoul had not returned to him. And he insists the link is gone."

Craft had told me the same-but he'd known it the moment it happened. And he insisted it had happened after drinking my blood. "Has...that ever happened before?"

"It can't happen, Carly. Once made, the link between the Ghoul and their Maker is unbreakable. Unless their maker is dead. And only then can they forge a new link with a new Master. But Michel is here and Craft does not answer him. He can't sense him."

And if sensing him meant knowing him the way I was at the moment... "Father, is Craft in trouble?"

"He has to be returned, Carly."

"But what if it's not his fault?"

"Carly," his voice took on the tone I hated, the one he always used when I couldn't understand something he wanted to teach me. Sort of an adult speaking to a slow child. "Michel would never end the link. It's impossible for him too unless he killed the Ghoul. Craft is somehow purposefully disobeying."

I felt him getting closer to me. He was searching for me, and I realized in the second he opened the closet door, that there was no where I could hide from him. Hood looked down at me, saw the phone and then stepped back with a smile. He closed the door quietly.

But he was still outside. Guarding me.

"The Bischoff has sent someone to gather Craft, Carly. Once he's been returned, you can return to your year."

Could Craft hear me standing out there? Would he know he was the conversation? I switched to Russian. Father would know I was being watched and he would understand. "Could I..."

Could I what? Ask for Craft to stay?

"Carly-"

"What will happen to Craft-once he's back with Michel?"

"That would be entirely up to Michel." Father sighed, but switched languages as well.

"What if he kills him?"

"Then that is his choice, Carly. That is the life of a Ghoul. That is the way it's always been."

"I think that's a stupid way. Michel's an a.s.shole and you know it. Craft's been nothing but good to me and Jared-even sacrificing himself to appease Michel. You know Michel will hurt him-"

"Carly, enough," Father's voice was firm but not loud. He didn't need volume when he spoke to me. His command was enough. After all, his blood was in my veins. "Keep Craft with you. The Babineaux Hunter has been dispatched to retrieve him."

Another Hunter? No. "Father-"

"No more, Carly. Or not only will I bring you home, but I will have Brandon Fleetwood's memory wiped and take Jared away from you as well. Do as you are told."

And he hung up.

There was another Hunter on its way...

I took a few minutes to gather myself before I stepped out of the closet. Craft was there, looking curious and a little worried. I felt it radiating off of him in waves.

"Craft," I reached out and grabbed his arm to pull him with me, moving even further away from the waiting area. "Brandon's parents are here?"

"Yes. They want to talk to you."

"I know. Have you seen Jared?"

"No," he shook his head, and I knew he was telling me the truth. A nurse paged a doctor over the intercom. "Have you tried calling him?"

"No," I hadn't. "Craft-what happens to Ghouls who break their bonds with their-masters?" I really didn't like that word.

"I don't know," he shook his head. "As far as I know, it's never happened."

"Thanks to you, the Hunter reported back to my Father and to the Council that Brandon was clean."

Craft smiled. "I'm pretty sure that p.i.s.sed Michel off."

"Yeah, but that's when he told them you'd gone rogue."

His smile vanished. "He told them I'd gone rogue? But, that's not true. I'm not a Ghoul without a Master."

"But your link with Michel is gone."

"Yes," and he was smiling again, his blue eyes focusing hard on me. "Because I drank your blood. I don't know how it happened or why, but you're my Master now."

I'm not going to lie and say I didn't already suspect this. The sudden connection I felt with Craft had planted the growing suspicion on my head. The only other time I'd experienced this kind of closeness with someone was with Michel when he'd bonded me to him when I was a human child.

Now all those same things I felt again, only now I felt, protective of him. And I knew he'd give his life for me. But, if this was true and he was my Ghoul now- What did it mean?

"How...how does this work?" I said aloud. "Father said the Babineaux Hunter had already been dispatched to retrieve you."

"What?" Craft stepped back and leaned against the corridor wall. He put his hands on his hips. He was still dressed in his plaid shirt and leather jacket. He looked a bit mussed. His face was smudged with dirt and what I knew was blood. But I also felt strength from him. "He's sent a Hunter?"

"Father said you've ignored Michel's call."

"But I can't hear his call anymore." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone. "Fine-I'll fix this. He's never even tried to actually call me-"

I grabbed at the phone. "Craft I'm not dumb. Michel's an A-hole. If that Hunter comes and gets you, there's no telling what he'll do to you."

"But I'm not his Ghoul anymore. All you have to do is tell your Father." Craft reached out and took his phone back. "Michel doesn't have any real use for me-I do more work for his Father than I do for him."

I stared at Craft. Was it that simple? All I had to do was call and tell Father that Craft was my Ghoul now? The impression I'd gotten seemed much more complicated.

And bad.

I put my hands on my hips. "According to you, and Jared and my Father, a Ghoul's bond with their Maker can't be broken. Except for Death on either side. And you're not dead. Michel's not dead."

"I told you," he held his phone in his hand and looked both ways down the corridor where we stood. His expression was tense and I had the impression he was maybe as confused about all of this as I was. "It was your blood. I knew the moment I tasted it. It's different. It's..." he shrugged. "Powerful. I don't know about this s.h.i.t either."

"But you're the Ghoul."

"So? You're the vampire."

"And you're both talking way too loud," Jared's voice slipped between us just as I felt his presence come near.

I look to my right to see him walking quickly down the hall, his hands up. "Where's your new girlfriend?" Wow. I hadn't meant for that to come out as nasty as it did.

But Jared didn't seem to care. "She's at home. Where I thought you were taking Brandon."

"I was," I said and then quickly retold him everything that'd happened. All the way up to the call from Father and the fact that I apparently had a Ghoul now.

Jared looked as shocked as I felt. He narrowed his eyes at Craft, who stood nearby, his arms crossed over his chest. I could smell him, hear his heart beat, and continued to feel a slight ownership. He had my blood, and I had his. "This isn't possible-you know that. You, and Carly."

"Well...it is. And if you need to see for yourself," he held his left arm out as he pulled his sleeve up away from his wrist with his right. "Try it."

"Craft-as tempting as it is-we don't have time. I believe you, but the Council isn't going to care. You're a Ghoul," he looked at me. "And you're Michel's, by right of a covenant. You made the vow, the covenant was sealed in your blood. Michel basically owns both of you."

This was just....

Stupid.

n.o.body owns anybody in this day and age.

Do they?

"Either way, you have to turn yourself in, Craft. Knowing Michel, since he was proven wrong about the influence, his own anger will fuel getting you back. Whether he really gives a d.a.m.n or not."

I stared at Jared. Searched his face. "What does that mean?"

"It means he'll probably kill Craft just to spite you the moment he realizes he's lost his-"

That's when I felt it. It wasn't the same sort of deep, soul thundering power I'd felt while in the wreckage of Jared's car (oh no the car!), but it had that same power that brought with it an overwhelming sense of doom.

Jared reached out and grabbed my arm. "They're here."

"How is it they're getting here so fast?" I muttered as Craft straightened and sniffed the air.

"Because they're already here," Jared said. "You've been surrounded by your brethren ever since you got here. It wasn't always just me."

"You mean I've never really started a year on my own, have I? I'm not really...alone."

"No," Jared looked up at Craft. "What is it?"

But Craft's expression worried me, because he looked worried. "We...or at least I...have to get out of here. Michel did send someone after me-but it's not a Hunter. It's worse."

The hallway we'd been standing in was a branch off of the main quad where the rooms and the nurse's station was. It ended at a door that looked like it would lead to stairs.

And as Hood started to that door, it opened, and a small, lithe, dark form stepped through.

"Oh....f.u.c.k..." Jared said.

I looked from Jared, to Craft, to the little woman smiling at us.

Dockal.

"Craaaaaaft," Dockal said as she clasped her hands behind her back and shifted her hips out. "You've been a baaaaad boy. And Dockie finally gets to punish you! It's been so long."

When I first saw Dockal with Michel, I hadn't really paid much attention to her. She just sort of registered as creepy, but not much on the danger meter. I'd know her on sight-mostly because she dressed very Matrix Trinity-like. All leather, one piece, super-fit skin tight. Her hair was short-bobbed to her delicate chin. She was Asian and very small.

What I realized in that second was that Dockal was anything-if not dangerous. She hadn't registered as dangerous because she hadn't wanted too. This vampire was more than what she seemed. I felt Jared's hand on my arm.

And I felt fear radiating from Craft.

Dockal was a Hunter.

And she'd punished Craft before.

I heard thunder again and wondered off-handedly if it'd started raining yet.

"Oh Great Mother," Jared said. "I had no idea."

"No one does," Craft said as he surprised me and actually placed himself between us and Dockal. "You're not supposed to. One of the Hunter's abilities is to disguise themselves. And what better bloodline to breed that sort of power-"

"Than the Babineaux line with the ability to make others see what it wants," Jared finished. He ran his fingers through his hair. "I should have realized that's how the Hunters are made, and why the Babineauxs are so powerful."

Craft nodded. "It's a small secret. Not very well kept in larger circles. Dockal is Michel's Father's own personal Hunter."

I stared at Dockal. She wasn't really making any movement toward us-just standing there in front of the door. Anyone off the street wouldn't think of her as a threat. But then, what they might see would be different than what I would see. "You were the one at the wreckage. The Hunter that reported back to my Father and the Council. You caused the accident."

Dockal nodded but her eyes were harsh and the corners of her mouth bent down. "No. That was not Dockal. She was happy not to have to disappoint her Master. The Princess' blood was already gone from the boy's body. But we know what she did-Master Babineaux smelled it. So did I. Master was made a fool of in front of the Council," she took a single step and stopped. "But now Craftie has gone and caused a lot of trouble. And Master needs someone to take out his anger and frustration on." She held out her hand and crooked her finger at Craft. "Come with me, Ghoul. Your Master awaits you."

I looked at Craft and saw perspiration on his face. He was nervous. Really nervous. But he wasn't moving. Instead, if anything, he looked more resolute not to follow her. He reached across his front and pulled his gun from the holster. With both hands he loaded a round into the chamber and then held it up, barrel pointed to the ceiling. "I'm not going with you, Dockal. I'm no longer Michel's Ghoul. I'm Carly's now."

Dockal's laugh echoed down the corridor. If there were any patients in any of these rooms, I was pretty sure they were thinking there was a hyena loose in the hospital. "You see? Your insolence has been released again. It's time to teach you obedience again. Come to me, Ghoul."

"No."

Ghoul and Vampire etiquette aside-I figured Craft saying no was unexpected because it p.i.s.sed Dockal off. Her complexion shifted from pale to scarlet in a heartbeat. Within a half beat after that her teeth distended and her face took on the predatory look of our kind.

I panicked inside. She was changing-here-in a public place! That was so against everything I'd ever been taught.