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pickle your friend is in,” he croaked. “Looks like I got here just in time.”
    I tried to move my eyes farther to the left without moving my neck, but it didn’t work. The slightest movement caused the pain to intensify and I still couldn’t see anything past the dwarf. Blood poured from my neck, soaking through my vest top.
    “Would you like me to help her?” he asked jovially.
    It was only after he’d spoken that my mind unscrambled and I realised what had happened. The dwarf, a species of Fae, had frozen time, suspending everything but Mitch and I, and he was offering his help.
    “No, Mitch!” I shouted, ignoring the jolt of pain which lanced up my neck. A wave of nausea hit me, but I bit it back. My eyes were growing heavy. “Don’t agree to it!”
    “If I were to unfreeze them,” he continued as if he hadn’t heard me, “Your friend would die a very painful death. You don’t want that, do you?”
    “No!” I repeated, on the verge of hysteria. I didn’t want to die, but Mitch would be indebted to the Fae and there was no telling what the dwarf would make him do. Whatever it was the dwarf wanted, I knew it would be bad. I didn’t want Mitch to be put in that position. I didn’t want him to have to do something he might never forgive himself for because of me.
    “Help her,” Mitch said firmly.
    What little strength remained in my body ebbed away. I should have been relieved that I was going to live to fight another day, but when the dwarf turned to face me, a satisfied grin on his face, I felt cold seep into my bones. Guilt ate at me. This was my fault. Mitch was in this situation because of me. I should have been more cautious. I shouldn’t have gone charging in without thinking of the consequences. Hell, Mitch shouldn’t have been with me at all. He’d been doing me a favour by helping me retrieve the grimoire and now he was in debt to a Fae.
    The dwarf lifted his hand, palm facing me, and a blinding ray of white light surrounded me. It was so bright, so intense that it was like staring directly at the sun. I had to squeeze my eyes shut against it. I felt the vampire’s teeth being ripped from my neck and that was the last thing I remembered before the darkness finally consumed me.

Chapter Four
    When I awoke, the first thing I noticed was that I was no longer in pain. I’d been poised for it, expected it, but there was none. I lifted my hand and felt blindly around my neck, but I couldn’t find the puncture wound from the bite. The skin was smooth, unbroken and untainted. Both wrists were also wound-free.
    The second thing I noticed was that I was comfortable, incredibly so. I was lying in big, soft bed, my head resting on a plethora of fluffy pillows. It was bliss. I yawned and stretched out my arms, revelling in my wellbeing. I felt no discomfort, no stiffness, nothing. If I didn’t know any better I’d have thought that the vampires, the fight, everything had been a dream. But I did know better. Even in my groggy, barely-awake state I knew it had been real. For as long as I lived, I would never forget the sensation of dread that had consumed me when I’d thought I’d been drawing my last breath. The terror had been all-encompassing.
    “Hey, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”
    Turning my head sharply to the side, I saw Mitch sitting in a chair beside the bed. He was leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees and his eyes locked on me. Concern was etched into the lines on his face.
    “I feel great actually. How is that? What happened?”
    “One of the Fae here is a healer,” Mitch explained. “He took care of your injuries. Said you’d be good as new.”
    I nodded. “ Here ? Where is here, exactly?”
    Mitch’s expression darkened and his jaw got tight. He appeared…anxious. Unease rolled off him in waves. “We’re in the Fae sanctuary.”
    “Oh, right.” I sighed. “Did you get into trouble for coming here again?”
    Mitch waved off my concern. “They tend to