I looked at him questioningly. He just smiled, a twinkle in his eye.

“It's time you get to know the beautiful side of Blairville.”

The fact that I'd let myself be talked into that had been a miracle. Julian was either convincing or manipulative, maybe a bit of both.

It had taken me an indescribable fifteen minutes to get dressed, as my body seemed to have significantly reduced its ability to function, slowing everything down. To cut a long story short: I felt like shit.

And now I was sitting in the passenger seat of Julian's rusty red pickup truck, hoping he had a little more common sense than Larissa and wouldn't take me toward my death again.

We were currently driving through a part of downtown that brought us closer to the harbor, but instead of going straight to the harbor, Julian turned onto a surrounding road that led uphill into the golden deciduous forest of the city, where the Victorian mansions were beginning to look classier and more historic.

“Where exactly do you want to go with me?” I asked impatiently.

“Has your curiosity led you to go with Larissa to the DeLoughreys' area?” came his counter-question.

I couldn't help but punch him in the shoulder, but all I got in response was the typical Julian grin. Could he do anything else?

“She's a good friend, and sometimes she just has very... headstrong ideas. And thanks to her, I now know that maybe one shouldn't go into this area after all,” I defended her.

Of course, I wouldn't even dream of going back there.

“The Copelands' territory, their forest... Is it safe there?”

“Theoretically, you’re safe there,” Julian said as he tried to concentrate on the road.

“Theoretically?” I dug deeper, guessing that his answer was based on the recent events at the Fogs Forest border. The news hadn't stopped warning against entering the woods, as someone had disappeared again. This time it was a student from Blairville High.

I wondered if I should tell Julian about my suspicion that these two strange vampire men might be behind it. But I was still trying to process the fact that vampires actually existed.

More and more trees rushed past next to us, occasionally a few villas.

I remembered this road. Mum had brought me here to Moenia. But just before I could look for the witch's house, Julian turned into a side road, which was more of a rough forest path.

“Actually, the contract ensured the peaceful coexistence of the families. This also means that you are forbidden from attacking, injuring or killing people from the other families. Including regular human citizens.”

For whatever reason, I had to think of Alarik Copeland's book, which was also about securing the coexistence of hostile families. The book had reminded me a lot of this city, and I had wondered whether the author had belonged to one of the species.

“So, there's a treaty between the Copelands and the Blairs?” I asked with interest.

“Yes, something like that. But it's more than that. If you take it literally, it's a treaty between the Quatura, the Senseque and the Ruisangors, separating them territorially to keep the peace.”

I remembered the car ride with Julian to the university a few days ago, where he had explained to me what exactly these Ruisangors were.

All I knew so far was that there were two different kinds of them: Legacy Ruisangors and so-called Changed. The Legacies stopped aging at some point and had dangerous powers, the Changed did not age from the point of their transformation. The sun had an effect on their skin or their gifts, and they were extremely fast, stronger than humans, though not as strong as werewolves.

Everything about them sounded like what vampires were like in those countless horror stories. But what concerned me much more, and what scared the hell out of me, was the fact that they fed on human blood. Julian had assured me that the DeLoughreys lived from donated blood, but something inside me didn't want to believe that, especially after the attack in the forest.

“They all have their territory where they can do what they want, on the condition that no humans or members of the other species are harmed, of course.”

I remembered that Julian didn't live in the Copelands' territory.

“You live in the Quatura’s territory...”

Julian focused on the road.

“When my father left the pack back then, there was a special clause he negotiated with Amara. Unfortunately, not every Quatura is pleased by her decision, especially not the Councils.”

I nodded thoughtfully and looked out the window at the yellow, orange, and brown fall leaves decorating the trees and the forest path.

“You seem to know which territory is which,” Julian said, and I simply replied, “Larissa.”

“I don't want to worry you, but your adventurous friend should stay out of it.”

Julian sounded serious.

I nodded, even though I didn't know how to appeal to Larissa's sense. She wouldn't leave Blairville and I understood. She didn't know that there were a thousand reasons for it. And if I told her, Grace and Julie would probably find out and mess with her memory. I was already scared of this crap myself, but what did I have to lose?

“I'll talk to her, but I can't promise anything. She can be very stubborn.”

“Just like you,” Julian laughed and parked the car at the side of the road.

I looked at him in surprise. He seemed to study me closely now. His green eyes shone softly, but didn't turn yellow like Emely's did so often.

I couldn't avoid his gaze, and this time I felt the urge to touch the small scar on his temple. I wondered if it was as uneven as the one under my breast, or if you could feel it at all. I wonder where he got it from?

That was the moment when I realized that I didn't seem to be mentally clear and turned away from him.

How hard had I hit my head on the floor on Monday?

“Let's get out of the car. It's right up ahead.”

Whatever was supposed to be right up ahead, I got out and followed him across the dirt road.

The leaves rustled under my feet and were whirled into the air by the wind, flying around me as if they wanted to play with me.

I smiled and realized how even that was draining my energy.

When I spotted the black raven hopping around in one of the piles of leaves, I paused for a second.

It's just a raven, Bay. Relax.

I ignored the animal and hurried after Julian.

As we came around the corner of the forest, my breath caught, and I had to stop to take in the view.

Julian and I had to be on a gigantic cliff somewhere. A cliff with a huge white lighthouse, decorated with features of Victorian architecture. But even if you weren't up there at the top, the view of the city, the harbor, and the roaring sea deep below us was breathtaking.

Julian whirled around to face me and threw his outstretched arms in the air. “May I introduce the Cloud Castle of Blairville.”