“What about the turning into a bat part?” Non asked. “Or whatever you used to turn into.”

  After a brief pause, he said, “Did you turn into some other animal? Both Sierra and I would turn into bats. I thought it was the same for everyone else.”

  “What, didn’t you learn that from another person that you guys turned?”

  Annoyance flooded his voice. “I never turned anyone. I would never subject another person to what we went through. And anyone that Sierra ever turned wanted nothing to do with her afterwards.”

  “Obviously.” Non shrugged. “Well? Do you still transform into a bat?”

  “No, I’m completely back to normal. My body clock isn’t fixed to fall asleep during the day anymore. I can adjust it however I want, and I don’t turn into anything no matter how much I stay up.”

  It sounded so simple and easy. All Non had to do was stay in the sunlight until he turned back to normal. Then we could be together for the rest of our lives. He could live out the rest of his life without eventually having to move away somewhere where nobody knew or recognized him.

  It sounded too good to be true.

  Non said, “Maybe you’re just making all this up to keep us away from Eri—Sierra.”

  A bitter smile settled on his face. “I wouldn’t use the story of killing my own dad if I were. I’m just sharing this with you because I can see that you don’t want to live like this.”

  “If that’s all we have to do to become a normal human again, then why isn’t Sierra back to normal too?”

  “I’ve already told you,” he said. “She isn’t like you or me anymore. By the time I discovered that it was reversible, she could already change into a bat at will. Do you know how hard she trained to make that happen? She doesn’t want to turn back anymore.”

  “What about you? Why did you risk everything going into the sun? It’s not like you’re alone. You have your sister to keep you company.”

  I wondered if Non posed that question because he felt like he was alone. Did he feel like there was nobody truly by his side because he would outlive them all while keeping the same appearance?

  Tears welled up in my eyes, ignoring my attempts to blink them away.

  Maybe he wasn’t wrong. How long could I stay with him? We’d talked about loving each other for the rest of our lives, but now the idea that we could even st past college was almost ughable.

  “I did it because I couldn’t live like that anymore. Watching Sierra change into someone I couldn’t recognize and not being able to stop her, not being able to enjoy the sun, even just being around others who smell like food …” His voice lowered into a whisper. “Sometimes I can’t even live like this. What we did to our dad …”

  My stomach twisted into a pretzel. We were standing in a deserted alley with a guy who’d killed his own dad—if the story that he was telling us was true.

  “If she’s so hopeless, then why are you here? Why don’t you go live your own life instead of acting like a bouncer for her?”

  With a morose expression, he said, “That’s easier said than done. She’s still my sister. I can’t give up on her.”

  Non said nothing. His profile was inscrutable. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

  Was he considering the ‘solution’ this guy had offered to him? Did he believe what this guy was saying?

  I cast my gnce down the long stretch of this alley. Sierra was long gone by now. Even if we left now, there was no way we’d be able to find her.

  Judging from what her self-procimed brother had said, she was basically unhinged. In light of this knowledge, it would be unwise to continue searching for her.

  “Does she listen to you as her brother?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “She used to. Since she started doing this to other people, she barely acknowledges me. She mostly just tells me to stop preaching at her and leave her alone.”

  “Then isn’t there no point in this?”

  “I’ve already warned off a few other boys who were drawn to her,” he said. “At the very least, if she won’t listen to me, I can keep other people away from her.”

  “Very noble of you,” Non said, receiving a sour stare from him in turn.

  “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Look, I’ve told you how it can be reversed. It’s up to you what you want to do with that information. But you should leave now.” He raised his hand and waved us off. “Go home. Don’t look for her anymore.”

  “What’s it to you if I still want to look for her? I’m probably just as strong as her. I get why you want to scare off the other guys, but I don’t see why I need to be warned too.”

  The guy crossed his arms.

  “True, but that’s not what I’m worried about. Tell me, why did you want to catch up to her in the first pce?”

  “Why else? I want answers. She did this to me, but I’m the one suffering the consequences for it years ter.”

  “Yeah, this is why I told you to forget it. Whatever closure you think you’re looking for, she can’t give it to you. It’s not that she doesn’t realize she’s doing something wrong. It’s that she doesn’t care.”

  Non’s jaw worked silently.

  Throwing his hands up, the guy said, “You know what? Go ahead. If you think you can still find her, go right ahead. It’s your funeral. I wanted to give you advice because I’m her brother and I know what she’s like, but you’re obviously not going to listen.”

  My mouth started moving before I could pause to think. “Can you bme us? We literally just met you. We don’t know you. We can’t even verify what you said.”

  Non put out an arm to keep me from stepping in front of him.

  “And who are you, Miss Stalker?” he said, casting a bored gnce at me. “I doubt you’re the same as this guy here, otherwise you’d have been cwing at me like he did. Do you even have any business here?”

  “Leave her alone,” Non snapped, but I tugged at his arm.

  “I’m … I’m his girlfriend,” I said, the word that I’d been avoiding saying all these months tumbling out of my mouth with an alien feel to it.

  Under my fingers, his muscles tensed.

  The guy eyed me with interest. “Girlfriend? Despite knowing what he is, you can still be with him? How haven’t you run off yet? Or did he change you too?”

  “I wouldn’t run away,” I said, meaning to sound fierce, but it came out weak. “And don’t call him a ‘what’ like he’s … like he’s something instead of someone.”

  “Don’t lump me in with Sierra,” Non snarled. “I’d never turn anyone against their—I’ll never turn anyone, period.”

  I stared at Non. I had never stopped to think about why he had never suggested, or even hinted at, the idea of turning me. It had never crossed my mind, because Non hated that he couldn’t be out in the sun, hated that he would turn into a bat as an inevitable consequence of cking sleep, hated that he couldn’t eat normal food, hated that he needed external sources of heat to feel warm.

  He hated every part of himself that made him a vampire, so it only made sense that he wouldn’t want to turn me into something he hated.

  I had never given it any thought. Even now, looking the end of our retionship in the face, I couldn’t imagine ever wanting to turn into a vampire.

  I loved Non, but how could I forfeit the ability to go out in the sun just so I wouldn’t grow old while he stayed the same?

  For that alone, there would be so many jobs I couldn’t take and so many things I couldn’t do.

  Not to mention that I’d have to come up with some impossible reason for why I didn’t age at all to my family and friends, and then eventually distance myself from them with all kinds of me excuses to keep from raising suspicion. Then, as enough time passed, I’d never be able to see them in person again.

  In light of that, I would probably restrict myself from making friends to avoid the pain of losing more people in such an ambiguous manner—just like Non did. I wouldn’t be able to eat and enjoy normal food anymore either. I’d have to find alternative sources of food. It was disconcerting enough for me to recoil simply at the thought.

  It wouldn’t be some temporary arrangement that I had to endure for only a few months. It would be increasing isotion from the rest of the world for the rest of my life. That would be half my world gone.

  I loved Non, but how could I give up everything for him?

  An aching sense of guilt swarmed my heart at the thought.

  I was jolted out of my thoughts when I realized he seemed to be examining me.

  “You look older than him, though,” he said, curiosity ced in his voice. “Oh, I see …”

  I scowled at the knowing look he gave me.

  “How sweet,” he said. “Weren’t you afraid you’d start to look way older than him at this rate?”

  Trying to ignore the sinking of my heart, I said stiffly, “That’s none of your business.”

  His lips quirked into a bitter smile before he shifted his gaze away from me.

  “Think about it,” he told Non. “Sunbathe for a few hours and you’re good to go. That’s really all you have to do. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but it’s the truth.”

  “What’s your name?” Non demanded. “Not one of your fake names on your fake IDs—your real one. If it turns out you’re lying, I will be back to find you.”

  Raucous ughter filled the air. The guy threw him a most incredulous stare.

  “How do you know I’ll give you my real name in the first pce? You pretty much said that you didn’t trust me.”

  “You realize that I’m the one with the upper hand here, don’t you?” Non said. “You’re literally powerless compared to me.”

  “Sure, but I could give you a fake name and you would be none the wiser, wouldn’t you?”

  “If you’re telling the truth, I won’t go after Sierra.”

  I gaped at him. Was he truly going to give up? The knot that my stomach had turned into loosened.

  He continued, “I want to go back to normal. If what you’re saying is true, I don’t care what Er—Sierra has to say. All I want is my life back.”

  “Alright.” The guy coughed a couple of times. “My name is Sylvan. Come find me if it doesn’t work. I’ll still be here for a while unless Sierra needs to move. To be honest, I’ll be curious either way. I’m the only one I know who has gone back to normal after going out into the sun.”

  Non frowned. “You’re the only one? What about those other people you said she had turned into vampires?”

  “I haven’t met them,” Sylvan said. “I only know about them because my sister mentioned them to me. I don’t know if anyone else has tried this method.”

  Great. That sounded so reassuring. I let out a small, inconspicuous sigh.

  Taking a step back, Non wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Let’s go.”

  I put my hand over his. “Okay.”

  He nudged me into walking in front of him, and we began making our way out. I was eager to return to the well-lit main street, away from this sketchy dude in this dark alley. Non stayed behind me the whole time, likely for the purpose of shielding me in case Sylvan tried to pull something.

  “Wait! I didn’t catch your name!” Sylvan called out, his voice sounding further away.

  I was heartened to realize that he didn’t follow us.

  I’d thought Non would make some random name up or decline to divulge that information, but he turned his head and said, “Non.”

  My eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

  Just as I craned my neck up to give Non a disbelieving gre, Sylvan said again, “All the best, Non. I hope you live a good life.”

  Non didn’t respond as he practically herded me out of the alley, his hands a reassuring brace against my shoulders the entire time.