'm going to be sick," i whispered.

matthew pul ed me to my feet and led me to the bathroom. sinking next to the toilet, i threw up, dropping the picture on the floor to grip the sides of the bowl. once my stomach was empty, the worst of the shaking subsided, but every few seconds a tremble radiated through me.

i closed the lid and reached up to flush, pushing down on the toilet for leverage. my head spun. matthew caught me before i hit the bathroom wal .

suddenly my feet were not on the ground. matthew's chest was against my right shoulder and his arms underneath my knees. moments later he laid me gently on my bed and turned the light on, angling the shade away. my wrist was in his cool fingers, and with his touch my pulse began to slow. that made it possible for me to focus on his face. it looked as calm as ever, except that the tiny dark vein in his forehead throbbed slightly every minute or so.

"i'm going to get you something to drink." he let go of my wrist and stood.

another wave of panic washed over me. i bolted to my feet, al my instincts tel ing me to run as far and as fast as possible.

matthew grabbed me by the shoulders, trying to make eye contact. "stop, diana."

my stomach had invaded my lungs, pressing out al the air, and i struggled against his grasp, not knowing or caring what he was saying. "let me go," i pleaded, pushing against his chest with both hands.

"diana, look at me." there was no ignoring matthew's voice, or the moonlike pul of his eyes. "what's wrong?"

"my parents. gil ian told me witches kil ed my parents."

my voice was high and tight.

matthew said something in a language i didn't understand. "when did this happen? where were they? did the witch leave a message on your phone? did she threaten you?" his hold on me strengthened.

"nigeria. she said the bishops have always been trouble."

"i'l go with you. let me make a few phone cal s first."

matthew took in a deep, shuddering breath. "i'm so sorry, diana."

"go where?" nothing was making any sense.

"to africa." matthew sounded confused. "someone wil have to identify the bodies."

"my parents were kil ed when i was seven."

his eyes widened with shock.

"even though it happened so long ago, they're al the witches want to talk about these days-gil ian, peter knox."

shivering as the panic escalated, i felt a scream rise up in my throat. matthew pressed me to him before it could erupt, holding me so tightly that the outlines of his muscles and bones were sharp against my skin. the scream turned into a sob. "bad things happen to witches who keep secrets.

gil ian said so."

"no matter what she said, i wil not let knox or any other witch harm you. i've got you now." matthew's voice was fierce, and he bowed his head and rested his cheek on my hair while i cried. "oh, diana. why didn't you tel me?"

somewhere in the center of my soul, a rusty chain began to unwind. it freed itself, link by link, from where it had rested unobserved, waiting for him. my hands, which had been bal ed up and pressed against his chest, unfurled with it. the chain continued to drop, to an unfathomable depth where there was nothing but darkness and matthew. at last it snapped to its ful length, anchoring me to a vampire.

despite the manuscript, despite the fact that my hands contained enough voltage to run a microwave, and despite the photograph, as long as i was connected to him, i was safe.

when my sobs quieted, matthew drew away. "i'm going to get you some water, and then you're going to rest." his tone did not invite discussion, and he was back in a matter of seconds carrying a glass of water and two tiny pil s.

"take these," he said, handing them to me along with the water.

"what are they?"

"a sedative." his stern look encouraged me to pop both pil s into my mouth, immediately, along with a gulp of water.

"i've been carrying one since you told me you suffered from panic attacks."

"i hate taking tranquilizers."

"you've had a shock, and you've got too much adrenaline in your system. you need to rest." matthew dragged the duvet around me until i was encased in a lumpy cocoon. he sat on the bed, and his shoes thumped against the floor before he stretched out, his back propped up against the pil ows. when he gathered my duvet-wrapped body against him, i sighed. matthew reached across with his left arm and held me securely. my body, for al its wrappings, fit against him perfectly.

the drug worked its way through my bloodstream. as i was drifting off to sleep, matthew's phone shook in his pocket, startling me into wakefulness.

"it's nothing, probably marcus," he said, brushing his lips against my forehead. my heartbeat settled. "try to rest. you aren't alone anymore."

i could stil feel the chain that anchored me to matthew, witch to vampire.

with the links of that chain tight and shining, i slept.