And so I waited to see who Mr. Archivolt would come after first: me or Abby.
But then a strange thing happened…
Connor nodded his head, just slightly, in Zoe’s direction.
Kiara
I’ll do it. I’ll drink Abby’s blood.
Mr. Archivolt
I knew you’d—
Kiara
IF… I get to say goodbye…
Kiara
To everyone. Even my friend Zoe who died.
Then Connor nodded, almost imperceptibly, and I knew that I made the right decision.
I knew that what I felt for him—that connection—was real. He was always on my side.
Sure enough, when I reached Zoe, I could sense her heart beating.
It was weak, but she was alive. And her voice was scarcely a whisper.
Zoe
I know what he is, Ki.
Zoe
And I know what you are too.
Zoe
You didn’t choose this.
Zoe
It’s just what you are.
Kiara
I should have blown you off the day we met.
Kiara
I should never have let you get close me.
Zoe
I would never have stopped trying.
Zoe
You’re my best friend, Ki.
Kiara
I don’t want this, Zo.
Zoe
What you want doesn’t matter.
Zoe
All we get to choose is what we do with that.
Kiara
I don’t want to be like him.
Zoe
You aren’t. Stay that way.
Zoe
You get to CHOOSE, Ki.
Zoe
You get to choose what you use this gift for.
Zoe
And not just for games.
Zoe
Can you use it for good? Because that’s who I think you are.
Kiara
That’s who I’m going to try to be, Zo. Every day.
Mr. Archivolt strode toward us from the other side of the room.
Mr. Archivolt
Finish your goodbye, Kiara.
Mr. Archivolt
She’s just a dead human, after all.
Mr. Archivolt
We need to get on with this.
Zoe
Will you tell my mother I fought, Ki?
Kiara
You’re gonna get out of here.
Zoe
We both know that’s not true.
Zoe
I can barely lift my head.
Zoe
But I can give my life to save Abby’s.
There was a flash of clarity in Zoe’s eyes.
Zoe
You understand that, right?
I smiled at Zoe as the tears ran down my cheeks.
I understood exactly what she meant.
And I was certain it would work.
Suddenly, Mr. Archivolt knew it too.
He started racing toward me with terror in his eyes
While Connor started chanting from the book, in a voice that was loud and clear.
I put my lips to Zoe’s neck…
And I sucked the last drops of life from her veins.
And in an instant, everything changed.
Time seemed to slow down.
The world became more vivid.
I could feel the energy in my body… the power.
And I knew it was nothing like the force Mr. Archivolt possessed.
He reached me and very simply, I tore his arm off his torso…
And sunk my teeth into his throat…
With each swallow, I felt myself growing ever stronger…
Inconceivably more powerful in every way. The rush was exhilarating.
And so was the sound of Connor’s voice, cheering me on.
Connor
Kiara, you did it.
Connor
You drank from a willing human at your Becoming—from someone who sacrificed herself for you and her friends.
Connor
Mr. Archivolt has never been given a gift like that…
Connor
And for that reason, you were given more power than he’d ever know.
Connor
Keep drinking, Kiara, finish him off.
I knelt there, draining Mr. Archivolt of his blood…
And though I felt powerful, though I felt victorious,
All I could think was that I was incredibly grateful
That Abby wasn’t awake to see the monster I became
I pulled my teeth from Mr. Archivolt’s neck and let his corpse slip to the ground.
But as I turned to go to Abby, I saw Maya’s horrified face
Staring at me from the mouth of the tunnel.
She had slung Abby’s body across her back and they were creeping out into the night…
And her expression haunts my memory for all eternity.
Though I’ve never seen Maya or Abby again,
At least I know that I am out here in the world,
Making it a better place with my newfound powers,
As my friend Zoe would have wanted.
