"What are you going to do with Nya? She's one of your own!" I yell at Enni.

"She's friends with you. That's disgusting to me, who wants a weak, pathetic human as a friend?" She slides the tip of the stake against my cheek. "I found this after you were saved, it's come in handy tonight." She licks it slowly.

"Get off me." I struggle against her.

"Or what?" She digs the tip of the stake into my cheek. "You're useless now, I won, I got you. I'm going to drain you until you're barely alive, and then I'll take you to Jude, maybe not in all the right pieces. I'm going to carve into that pretty face, I'm going to-"

Before she can finish, her head is forcefully pulled back, and something hits her chest. A stake. Her eyes and mouth are wide open as her blood sprays all over me. She falls forward, and someone yanks her off me.

"Hey." Abe's half smile greets me, but drops. "Thea, what happened to shoulder?"

"You're alive, and you're okay!" I let him pull me up, I tug him down into a quick kiss. "We must save Nya, why didn't you stick plan?"

He looks confused. "I was told the plan was for me to meet you after the hill."

Without time to argue, I quickly pivot and sprint towards where Nya was taken. Abe is right next to me in an instance, he doesn't stop me until we emerge out of the woods and into a quiet neighborhood, I can hear trick or treaters a few blocks away getting their candy.

"Nya!" I scream before Abe covers my mouth, pulling me back into the darkness of the woods.

Someone comes out of the dark house. "You kids get out of here, no tricks here."

Tears are falling from my eyes; I direct my gaze towards Abe, then shift my attention towards the woods behind me.

"Who told you not to meet Levi at the top of the hill?" He looks down at the floor of the woods. "Who told you, Abe?"

He hesitates, I know the answer, but it doesn't stop the pain. "The one I stabbed. Thea, I'm so damn sorry I never thought she was one of them. She cut me off as I was heading towards the hill, she had a stake with her, and she seemed to know the plan. This is so damn hard when I don't know who the good guys and the bad guys are. They're all bad to me."

"I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at myself." I cuss loudly, pacing the tree line. "Damn it, how am I so stupid for thinking it would be this easy? The town." I twist my head. "Abe, we need to make sure they don't get to the people."

"Luck for you, it's Halloween," He looks me up and down. "You're covered in blood."

"You're one to talk." He has a splatter across his face.

"Here," He places a vial in my palm as he comes up to me. "In case you need it."

We jog into the woods, finding the path back into town. Abe constantly twists around, ensuring clarity for us, while matching my slow pace. I'm running on fumes, physically exhausted and mentally depleted, but it's crucial that I ensure everyone's safety and hold on to the hope that someone reached Nya.

"What happened to your shoulder?" He asks once more. 

I can only get my mouth open, but I get cut off.

"You two," a voice cuts through the dark woods, we stop as Milo steps out in the clearing, blood splashed across his body. "You're off course."

"Milo, they have Nya."

"What? Where's Levi? He was supposed to be with you."

"He went to find Abe when he failed to show up-"

Before I can explain, Milo leaps onto Abe, slamming him down in the dirt. He pushes down on his face, blocking his nose and mouth with his hand.

"You son of a-" He screams, Abe struggles against the grasp he has on him.

"Milo!" I scream, trying to pull him off Abe.

"He diverted from the plan to watch us die, why should I let a little cockroach live?"

"It was Enni! She got him confused, she had my stake, and he thought she was one of us. He wouldn't betray us; he wouldn't do that to me!"

Milo looks up at me, the anger fading in his face, then he looks back down at Abe, lifting his hand. Abe flips him off, taking in a rigid breath, pushing himself up as fast as he can, the blood wearing down in him. "Don't you ever touch me again, blood breath."

Milo gazes up at me, his bright, dazzling eyes on the verge of tears. "They have her? They have Nya?"

We, the three of us, exit the woods onto a street close to my house. Together, we pass exhausted trick or treaters compelled by our group.

"I'm going to check on my siblings." Abe leans in, giving me a soft kiss. "I'll call you later, and I can come back over."

I nod, looking over at Milo. He was looking up at the stars. "Okay." I turn back to Abe. "I'm going to talk to Levi."

Abe lowers his voice, but I know Milo can still hear. "This isn't your problem, you're safe now, we can come up with a plan tomorrow, get some sleep."

I cast my gaze downward at the vial he had given me, the vial I still clutched. How do I explain to him I can't do that, not to this guy who grew up hating kites, I can't tell him I won't stop because she's my friend no matter what she was? Slipping the vile into my pocket, I kiss his cheek, and turn back towards where Milo watched us, together we head up the hill.

We are silent, his face stoic in his focus on the house, but his emotions were too powerful to suppress. Fear coursed cold through him, a numbness threating to take over, the turn of this guilt and hopelessness that weighs on him. Reaching over, I slide my hand through his relaxed grip.

On the hill, we arrive at the house. Milo stands, staring at the front door. The stillness breaks when I reach for it. His eyes shift to where my hand reached for, and before I could, his hand had the door pushing it open, letting his hand leave mine as I step in first, and I turn back to him in the doorway. He silhouetted against the light of the town below, no feature could be made out except those monstrous green eyes.

No.

What?

Not monstrous.

I shake my head, but fear intensifies within me, suffocating me. It's not Milo in the doorway, but someone else, someone... more sinister.

My heart pumps in my chest, my blood must be strong now, and were those eyes on me?

"Milo?" I choke out, needing this illusion to be broken.

"You're bleeding." The voice that hisses from that darkness is cold, the accent thick, making the words sound almost foreign. I grip at my shoulders, a pain shooting down my arm and across my chest reminds me I am not dreaming. 

I'm going to die.

No, it's Milo.

But those eyes look dark, darker than Milo's, dark like the man in the woods. Even though I know it could be true, I fear he had switched with Milo, and now had me corner. But, as my mind tries to lie that this could not be him, I know his shape, and my heart tells the truth.

It is Milo.

Then silhouette moves, and I have nowhere to run, I will die here after all, I trusted the wrong person. How could I be so stupid?

But the light flickers on.

Milo has dark rings under his eyes, the hand that didn't turn on the light clutches at what was left of his tattered shirt over his heart. "I can walk you home."

"Milo."

"You'll be safe there."

"You can get into my house." I don't mean to say that I hadn't even thought about it. But didn't I when I thought his eyes were not his? No, not those green eyes, I always knew they were his. But he doesn't even react to my words, it just brought out more rings under his eyes, his skin more pallid, his eyes dull. No, not dull. Something else is wrong with his eyes.

One step over the threshold, and into the house, his focus on me, before a figure slips on by him. One, then another, kites come in and move around the house, new plans forming, whispers of success, of fears, of rest. Milo's hand drops from his chest, his eyes dropping to the ground as the others pass him by or try to speak to him, but I can feel how overwhelmed he is.

I persist in convincing myself that it's Milo, my friend Milo. The need to talk to him more, and the fear of him, thumps in my chest and throat. Talking to him is the answer, it has to be, for Nya, we need to save her.

But just as gain the courage to take that step, a hand on my shoulder turns me away from Milo, leading me towards the hallway. With only one quick glance I am granted, I see Milo's eyes on me, never moving as others try to speak to him until I'm cut off by the gathering crowd.

"Get rest. You need it after tonight." I turn my head up to see Nik. "We will figure out a plan, but you need rest, young one."

"But what about Nya." I step into the room to look straight at him. "We need to find her, we need to save her."

"Thea, please, Levi is on it, I promise. You need to sleep."

"I'm not tired."

"Lay down, you'll see."

"Nik, I can't sleep until Nya is home safe."

His face softens as his eyes meet mine. "Sleep."

"I can't be controlled." I shake my head, trying to rid it of the tickling. "You know that."

But something worked, a tiredness washed over me. I doubt he was the one controlling it, but with the limited ability he has against me, he brought it forward. How cruelly unfair.

"We need to find her." I back up, until I was sitting on the bed, unable to stand from the exhaustion.

"Trust me when I say that you are safer in here." He turns to leave, but he tilts his head, his voice low as he steps forward, pulling the door shut behind him. "It's best you lock this door behind you."

He is gone, leaving the door shut behind him. My body fights against the sleep, determined to wait them out before I go out looking for her, but my mind is folding. Pushing myself up, I slid my heavy body to the door, looking to the lock and thinking of that night, the night where he compels my parents, before turning back to the bed. As my eyes drop on the day's heaviness and night, I watch the unlocked door handle.

I just tell myself that was not red in the whites of his eyes.

"Thea?" Hands on my shoulder shake me awake. I sit bolt, gazing up at Levi's somber face.

"Nya, she's gone. They took her, Levi."

"I know. I know, my dear." He sets down a tray of coffee with sugar and milk on Nya's nightstand.

"We need to go out, we need to find her!"

"That was last night. It's seven in the morning." He poured a cup, holding it out to me. "I informed your parents when I got home and you were spending the night."

"You should have woken me." I get up. "They could be anywhere now. What are we going to do?"

"It's daytime, there is nothing we can do right now, but when night falls, we'll make a plan don't you worry."

"Let me help."

"My dear, not a single human was attacked last night, or at least not one that was part of our plan. You're alive, and only three of our people were seriously injured, but no deaths. We dismantled the largest nest I've witnessed in a while, and that was solely due to your plan. Leave this one with me."

"But..." I fall back on the couch. "But Nya is my friend, I don't want to lose her."

"I know, I don't either. Milo doesn't either, when I got home last night he was upset."

Sadly, I glare at my hands. "I wanted to save her, but I lost to them. I'm so weak compared to you."

"Trust my words when I say, as one of the oldest entities on this planet, that you're not weak; you're one of the most determined humans I've ever had the honor to encounter. You possess an abundance of potential within you, and as you mature, you will come to realize that, and my wish is that you no longer need to question yourself."

"Where's Milo?" My stomach twist at the thought of him, those eyes.

"He's in his shed, I think, he wanted to be alone. I believe it's best he's left to be for now. Your family will be anticipating your return this morning."

I look at my phone on the bed, a plan forming in my head. "I need to make a private phone call."

Levi nods, leaving the room. I take a long drink of the coffee, feeling the life coming back into me, then get up, and pick up my phone, quickly typing out: Sorry no call last night, fell asleep at Nya's woke up. Be home later today.

Hastily, I search for my dad's work, then utilize the map to explore until I discover what I desire. I head down the hallway to the closet door and follow the tunnel down. I can hear him before I see him, he was hitting something hard. As I enter, I can see the mess he caused.

Everything, from the mannequins he uses to his equipment, is thrown around the room, and he stands off center beating up on what looks like an about ready to rip punching bag. The intensity of his anger is palpable, even from a distance.

I go up next to him, watch as he pounds his fist into the bag, his face so stoic, but it's my friend agai. We don't talk; we let the silence be; I let him hit; he lets me watch, right until the fire in him goes out.

"I'm sorry about last night attacking the baby hunter." He lets his hands drop.

"I'm sorry I let her get taken."

"That's no one's fault, they tricked us. We won the battle, but damn it," He punches the bag again. "They tricked us."

"What happened to Jason?"

"I couldn't finish him, I got overwhelmed. He's out there somewhere, and once the sun sets, they'll move again. Damn, they could be in possession of her in the trunk of a car, and who knows where she could be by now?" He finally looks over at me, and I see his eyes before I turn away from his gaze. "Are you hurt?"

"No." When I force myself to turn back to him, he took can't face me. "I think Levi made me coffee with his secret ingredient. I bet you wished you killed me when you had that chance."

"Will you drop that?" He throws up his hands. "Yes, I said it once, but now you're part of the family, we don't kill family."

"Okay. I'll drop it." I watch him go over to a knocked over chair, stand it upright, and plop down. He begins unwrapping the boxing wraps from around his hands, I go over to him, and hold out my hands. He looks up at me, but slowly lowers his wrist in my hand, and I unwrap it for him. Once bare, I run my fingers over the roughness of his hand. "I often wonder what your hands have done. Not every day you meet someone that fought a gladiator." He looks at his own hand, the little scars that covered the knuckles. I run my finger down a gash from the bottom of his palm, down to his wrist, then up to the fingers that seemed to be broken a few times, but never precisely set. "Milo, even without being a kite, you are strong, strong enough to carry this community, probably your race."

"Levi does that."

"You're strong enough to save her."

"You possess no understanding of what you're requesting, we lack any knowledge of their whereabouts."

"I might. I heard Levi mentioning apartments that construction has stopped on near the college my dad works at. What I'm assuming is that's where they have been nesting."

"Let's say you're right and they are there, then what? Since we can't go to them during the day, and when we arrive at night, they will have already left. Their keeping her there is still unknown to us. The amount we're risking is too high for a mere hunch." He raises his voice.

"Better than sitting around punching everything in sight." I snap back.

"At least I'm not getting us killed." His fingers wrap around mine. "Thea, what you're suggesting is, once again, suicide."

I stare right into his dazzling green eyes. How could I think they were monstrous? "You called me Thea."

"My God." His eyes widen with fear, unwilling to let go of my hand for fear that I will embark on this mission alone.

"You do know my name!" His fingers loosen, then release me, but I keep smiling at him. "Say it again."

"Listen you little snail," I wrinkle my nose at him as he put emphasis on the snail. "If we were to go, which we can't, how would you take me? You're not going into the nest by yourself."

"You said it yourself."

His eyebrows come together, rethinking our conversation. I can see it as it clicks in his mind, and his scowl deepens. "No. No way. I'm not getting in that death machine." He walks past me.

"Uh, you can't die." Laughing, I look back at him. "You are scared of cars."

"Not scared, the human race isn't ever meant to go that fast."

"And how fast can you go?"

"Not my point, I'm not getting in a damn car."

"I've seen everything." I shake my head. "Milo, the godly Milo, scared of a car."

"Do you know the death rate, including vehicles? I do."

"Alright, I'll go by myself." I turn, but before I can take one step, his hand takes my wrist. Glancing back at him, I take in the sadness and etched all over his face. "I got the sun to help me, and I'm not scared of cars."

"Thea."

"Milo, I'm going to save her."

"Thea."

"You can't stop me; they're probably torturing her."

"Thea!"

"I'm going to stop them from hurting her, or even killing her."

"Fine." He runs his hand through his hair. "Fine, you win."

"What?" I blink at him.

"I'll go." He turns and stomps up the tunnel. I run after him.

"What? That was too easy."

"When I find Jason, I'm going to kill him myself."