Mathew didn't stop running all the way to the biology building. He passed it often to reach the lake and the party at Grant's dorm. Everything seemed like a connection now. Pushing through the doors, Mathew skittered across the linoleum, searching the first long hall for the boy's bathroom.
He turned the corner, stumbling upon the "utility door" and the lock didn't come as a surprise. Using all his strength, Mathew yanked at the door and the lock inside crumbled and clattered on the floor. He glanced around, checking to see if anyone noticed.
But there was no one.
Mathew was all alone.
Not letting himself think, Mathew ran through the door and down the concrete steps he found. Like upstairs, there were more linoleum floors and concrete walls, as if it had once been like any part of the school. Mathew even spotted classroom after classroom. He walked by doors labeled "Lab Room 101" and "102". There was an empty media center and even a giant lecture room.
Mathew's heart started beating faster as if to warn him. Something was wrong. His heart was trying to tell him something. Mathew grabbed his phone, debating whether to text Jace and ask him to hurry and find him, but he didn't know if someone was monitoring Jace's texts. He didn't want Dante to find out he had switched sides. At the end of the hall, there was yellow tape cutting him off. He looked down. Another hall.
As Mathew climbed underneath it, a cold shock traveled up his arms, bombarding him with a sense of déjà vu. He couldn't lift off the ground, staring at the floor. His vision shifted and his hands looked smaller suddenly. Like a little kid's hands. His hands were dirtier too as if he spent the last hour clawing up the dirt outside. Mathew shivered.
Ahead of him were a few more doors and one covered in more tape. Mathew forced himself up, forced his legs to move all the way to the door. He touched the cold knob, his heart in his throat, and opened the door.
Mathew took a few hesitant steps inside and gasped, but couldn't catch his breath. He recognized this room. He had been here before. A bed in the corner where Mathew used to sleep, now just the skeleton. Despite being cleaned up, all Mathew could see was blood. Puddles of blood and bodies without their heads. Screaming. The screaming stained the walls of this room. Panicking, Mathew knew he needed to hide. His body moved on its own as he ran right to a cupboard, fitting inside just like he had before.
Something terrible happened, and it was his fault. It was all Mathew's fault. They were going to be so mad. The dangerous man was going to come and hurt Mathew again. He was going to break all of Mathew's blood and beat him until he couldn't move.
Tearing up, Mathew tried making himself small. They were going to come and see what he did. All Mathew could see was what he did. One man, the vampires, came to feed, and came to hurt Mathew. It was the first time someone came to drink from Mathew since he changed, since that one man made a mistake.
That mistake led to his death, so this mistake would get Mathew killed, too. Surely. The vampire grabbed him, and threatened Mathew not to move. Mathew developed the ability to stay completely still. Perfectly still. He watched the fangs disappear into his skin and their eyes met. His eyes were as red as blood and widened in horror. He backed up, grabbing either side of his head, and then it just exploded. The impact sent blood and gore flying in all directions. Blood was sputtering out of his head and drowning Mathew. Mathew could taste it, the ash and decay.
No one believed him.
They thought he did it on purpose.
Mathew didn't do anything. So, they bit him, one by one, all biting him as hard and as violently as they could, thinking Mathew could fight back, and they all perished. "He's ruined," one said. "He's been ruined."
"Mathew!"
Lights inside the room turned on and slipped into Mathew's cupboard. "Matty!" Jace called out, panicking. Footsteps clattered across the floor, and the doors flew open. Jace stood in the light and breathed when he saw Mathew.
"I can get up," Mathew whispered. He stopped crying, but he could still feel the tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Are you hurt?" Jace asked, getting down to the floor with him. "Are you okay?"
"It was me," Mathew said, closing his eyes as he tried to put himself back into the present. He wasn't the kidnapped little kid anymore that needed to hide in this cupboard. No one was mad at him.
"I caused the massacre," Mathew said. "I destroyed that coven."
Jace said nothing. He didn't move, just continued to look over at Mathew to find any injuries. "That was a long time ago. They kidnapped you, right? You were just a kid."
Mathew shook his head. He didn't think anyone deserved a fate like that. If it was okay, Mathew wouldn't have to keep it a secret. If it wasn't so bad, Mathew wouldn't have to be terrified that Jace would find out about it.
"I think you should go home," Jace said. "I think you need a break from this. Go see your family. There's a plane arriving at the airport ready to take you home."
"Come with me," Mathew said.
"But they didn't invite me."
"I don't care. I want you to be with me," Mathew said, even if it sounded scared and desperate because that's what he was. He knew he wouldn't be able to shake all this horror if he couldn't bring the sun back home with him. "I won't be able to relax if I don't know where you are."
Jace used his big, warm hands to wipe Mathew's tears. He combed through Mathew's hair, pushing it back and placing a kiss on his forehead before resting there. Mathew melted against Jace, letting Jace gather him up.
"I'll go with you," Jace promised.
"What if they say no?"
"I won't take no for an answer. I promise," Jace said. "If it's something you want, I'll get it for you. If you need something done, I'll make sure it gets done. Anything you want or need, I'll provide it, Matty. I promise."
This.
He shouldn't say stuff like this, or Mathew might get his hopes up.
"You're not that little kid anymore. You're a determined pain in my ass. Calling you stubborn is too easy. With that face, your family probably gave you everything you ever wanted," Jace said with a slight smile that infected Mathew, even making him smile despite the blood and tears. Jace kept going, and every word made the past disappear in the background. "You're also unbearably kind and it makes it hard to disappoint you."
"I bet you were a good kid," Mathew said, imagining a little Jace with big brown eyes and scraped knees. "I'd bet good money you were a momma's boy."
"Bet you were too..." Jace said with that knowing sideways smile. "But you've got me wrong. I was a menace to my mother. I think I got lost in the woods as a pup... at least three times a week, I'd be constantly eating. She had to keep some stuff out of my reach just to make sure Lilly had dinner, too."
"But not anymore," he said and offered his hand.
Mathew didn't argue. The kid Jace described wasn't familiar to Mathew. So much had happened to Jace between then and now. Mathew could describe himself in the same way. The little bird in a cage couldn't fly, but Mathew had since spread his wings and could keep up with the rest of the flock.
Taking Jace's hand, Mathew stood up. He squeezed Jace's hand to let him know he was okay. Jace let his hand go, letting Mathew stand on his own, but Jace couldn't look away from Mathew. Backing out of the room, Jace said, "If you want, we can even bypass the little helper Dante sent. They're kind of a pill, and I want my first private jet ride to be fun."
"Whatever makes you happy will make me happy," Mathew said in all sincerity. Seeing Jace smile was the best medicine Mathew could take. It lifted his spirits up and shined a light in this dark world.
Jace's cheeky smile softened what was bright and electric softened and warmed like a perfect sunny day. Mathew could get drunk off such a sunny elixir and Jace seemed too eager to fill up his cup.
"Let's just stick together," Jace said and reached for Mathew's hand. "That will make me the happiest."
Mathew's heart leapt, along with his hand. This would be a dream come true. Jace took one step through the door when he suddenly vanished, pulled harder into the dark hall, and in the same motion, a gloved hand shoved Mathew back into the room. A gasp ripped up Mathew's throat as his weak legs buckled and he hit the floor hard on his elbows.
The door slammed shut and two figures stepped inside, lording over Mathew. Mathew sighed. "Can we not do this?"
"That's up to you," one said, their voice muffled by their mask. "Don't fight us and we can let you go."
"Walk out of here and I won't kill you," Mathew counter offered. The figure chuckled, which scratched Mathew's suspicions. He added with a knowing smile. "Grant."
The laughter died, and the room grew colder as a bright light flashed through the cracks of the door. On the other side, Jace howled and slammed his full strength into the door. It shuddered, but didn't budge. He used himself as a battering ram, slamming in over and over.
They lunged for Mathew, but Mathew kicked someone in the chest and used Grant's arm to pull himself up. Mathew revved his hand back and shot his hand out, claws growing to rip through Grant's armor. He clipped just enough to draw blood, and it was the same stale, ashen smell.
Mathew twisted himself to escape Grant's hold, but his arm didn't budge. Mathew cursed and tried elbowing his stomach, but Grant caught it. Holding Mathew's arms, Grant held him steady as his little helper got up. Mathew kicked at him, but they dodged. Grant hooked Mathew's leg and pulled, slamming Mathew's face first into the floor. All the air knocked out of his lungs and Grant's knee just pressed harder, offering no relief.
"You have to notice it now, right?" Grant asked. "We're not ordinary vampires. We're better."
Mathew still struggled, eyes widening at the sight of the syringe the other hooded figure revealed. Mathew's stomach plummeted.
"What are you doing?" Mathew asked in horror.
Neither answered. The hooded figure just lowered onto the ground, slipping the needle into Mathew's arm. Jace hadn't stopped slamming into the door. The sound matched the pound of his heartbeat.
"Don't," Mathew warned them. "You don't want that."
Grant snorted, and the figure didn't stop. They asked Grant, "Should we have a taste test? I'm a little peckish and he smells so good."
"Don't, please don't," Mathew begged, but no one was listening. One screw flew off the door.
"Go for it, I won't tell," Grant said.
"Are you crazy? Don't!" Mathew shouted, but it was too late. The helper lifted their hood and beautiful long blonde hair spilled down her shoulders. It was Miranda... but she didn't smell like a vampire. She didn't appear like a vampire at all. Then another horrible thought hit Mathew. If he saw her face, they weren't going to let Mathew live.
It all happened in slow motion, like this was Mathew's last second in the world. This place was really a deathtrap for the Ventura. Miranda brought the syringe over her tongue and let the blood dribble onto her tongue. She closed her mouth with a sneer. Another Second. Her expression changed. Panic flashed across her face, and she stumbled back.
"What? Miranda? What?" Grant asked, panicking, raising his voice.
She dropped the syringe, letting it smash on the ground as she held her head that was swelling up like an overstuff water balloon. Her eyes bulged, her nose flared out. Bile rushed up Mathew's throat as her body snapped downward as she screamed, "What's happening?"
Her head exploded, and the door flew open, crashing into the far wall. Blood and gore flew across the room, splattering everyone and everything inside it.
"You're..." Grant whispered, his grip loosening as he backed away from Mathew in shock and awe. "You're not a Feast anymore?"
Jace lunged at Grant, snagging his mouth around Grant's arm. Grant howled in pain and punched Jace into the snout, but Jace didn't let go. He shook Grant like a rag-doll, like he planned to tear Grant's arm off.
Mathew didn't move. The weight of the realization hit him all at once.
His brother Anthony called him a Venus flytrap. He smelled good. Maybe as good as Ben, a Feast. That didn't make sense. Vampires should smell like vampires.
Last year Beatrix kidnapped Mathew, insisting he was a Feast, like she knew it as fact. She did say she knew him before when she worked at Black Hawthorne, like she knew him better than he did.
"Fucking asshole," Grant spit, revealing a knife and Jace dodged out of its way before it made contact.
The day everything changed for Mathew was the day someone turned him into a vampire. He remembered. He could remember it all.
"I was a Feast," Mathew said into the world and could feel it laughing back at him.