I couldn't find Gerard anywhere and I was terrified.

The bond between me and Mikey would only remain broken for so long, two days at the most.

Two days was all I had to find Gerard and make all of it happen.

I'd never felt more alone, more scared. Losing Gerard was crushing. I couldn't let it happen, but I was struggling. How could I go through with this when I didn't even know where Gerard was?

************

"He's not here."

"Then tell me where he is."

"I don't know."

I snarled in frustration. "Someone must have seen him!"

"Michael," my mother said sharply. "Why are you so bothered about him?"

"I have to find him," I muttered before storming out of the room.

It had only been a few hours since our bond had been broken and I was already aching not knowing where Frank was. I couldn't feel him anywhere and I was beginning to panick. If I didn't find him in time I would be too late. I had no doubt he would find Gerard and try to go through with his insane idea, but I couldn't let it happen. There was no coming back from what he'd been getting himself into if Gerard didn't change him.

I decided to go to the palace. It was almost rebuilt and the Elders had said Gerard needed to be back in the Capital for his ceremony tomorrow. He was would be there, so I had a feeling I'd probably find Frank there too.

I left the manor to the garages round the side of the building and went inside, searching for my car amongst the others in there. I found it, grabbed my keys and left.

I drove manically, desperate to try and get to the palace as quickly as possible. When I came to a halt at the back of a long queue of traffic heading into the Capital I swore angrily and threw the door open.

The cars were backed up for miles and miles, as far as the eye could see. Other vampires were staring at me as I slammed the door and took off down the road, a moving blur as I passed the other cars. It would take longer to get to the Capital this way, but it was still quicker than sitting in traffic all day.

I just had to find Frank. That was all that mattered.

**************

I could hear voices on the other side of the door as I stopped outside of it, wincing when I recognised them as Gerard and Eliza.

After turning up every stone and looking in every nook and cranny for Gerard back at the manor, I knew the only other place he would be was here in the Capital.

Eliza must have come back with him. The fact that it was their wedding tomorrow made me feel sick, made my skin go cold and my body shake.

"Frank," a voice called behind me.

I turned my head to see Ray, hovering at the end of the corridor, staring at me. He beckoned to me and I went, frowning.

"Ray!" I hissed between my teeth. "What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be with the wolves!"

He shook his head, his curls bouncing. "I came back. I knew you'd be here and you'd need help."

"What? How do you know?" I asked, confused and impatient.

"Emily told me," he whispered, his eyes flickering around. "She said to come back and help you."

"But you can't be here! We made the arrangement so you wouldn't have to be here and be in danger!" I hissed. "You need to go!"

"Frank, shut up!" Ray warned, his voice a raised whisper. "Someone will hear us! Look, I'm not going. I'm going to help you, I just need you to listen."

"How can you help me?" I asked incredulously.

"Emily gave me this," Ray whispered, pulling out a small black vial from his pocket.

It held a liquid that was pitch black.

"What is it?"

"It's a poison. It paralyses whoever drinks it almost straight away. I'm going to get into the kitchens and put it in Eliza's blood for tonight. It gets her out of the way and gets you time alone with Gerard," Ray explained in a hushed voice.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" I asked, scared. "Ray, if this goes wrong, we'll both be-"

"I know Frank. I promise, no one will know what happened. Just hide out somewhere until tonight and I'll come and find you when I know Eliza's taken it."

"Ray, are you sure about this? You're putting everything on the line here," I pointed out, staring at the vial. "It might not work."

"Frank, trust me. This will work, I know it will. You need to go. Try hiding in the library, it should be safe enough."

"Thank you Ray. So much. This means...it means everything," I whispered, pulling him in for a tight hug.

He hugged me back. "I just wanted to help you, after everything you did for me. Mikey probably would have killed me by now if you hadn't of sorted for me to stay with the wolves."

I shook my head. "We're friends. That's what friends do for each other."

He just hugged me again.

*************

I could smell him. I could hear his strange heartbeat. I could feel him.

When I reached the library door I slowly curled my fingers around the handle and opened the door, silence thick in the air.

It was dark inside of the huge, echoing room, the creaking towers of the bookcases looming above me. I shut the door softly behind me, holding my breath.

The fire was dying, faint crackling sounds coming from it. A few candles were lit on the tall, delicate wrought iron stands, their thick bodies encased in wax.

There was something off about the air, about the room. It was too still. Too quiet.

I peered down the shadows of the aisles, hesitantly stepping between the bookcases.

"I know you're here Frank," I murmured.

Nothing.

"Don't be afraid of me Frank. I just want to help you," I breathed. "Where are you?"

My eyes widened as a pale form appeared in front of me, Frank's face a faint slither of porcelain amongst the shadows.

"I don't need your help."

"You're going to regret this Frank," I told him, taking a step forwards. "I can't let you die. I can't let you get hurt."

"I'm not going to die," he spat, his voice tight. "You just don't want to accept the truth, how it really is. You can't have me. Nothing you do will change that."

I took another step forwards. "Gerard can't change you. It won't work Frank. The space of time between changing back to human and dying is a few split seconds."

"That's allI need."

"Frank, please," I begged. "Don't do this."

"No Mikey. You can't stop me."

*************

My eyes widened as light glimmered behind Mikey, a luminous, eerie, pale light.

The floating trendies of Emily's hair hovered around her head, a halo of glowing gold curls. Her eyes were colourless like the rest of her skin and it looked unnatural and sent ice straight through my heart.

Mikey was still staring at me, oblivious to the fury radiating off the angered ghost behind him.

Mikey opened his mouth to say something but the only noise he let out was a choked breath, his eyes rolling back in his head.

Emily's hand had torn through his back and straight through him, her curled fist dripping with blood as it ripped through his chest. She pulled her fist back and Mikey dropped to his knees slowly, hitting the ground with a heavy thump, the noise echoing round the room.

"Emily," I whispered, staring, unable to move. "What have you done?"

"He's not dead," was her only answer, her voice distant and flat, sending chills through me, shudders running down my spine.

"But he's losing blood, he's going to die, Emily you have to do something!" I cried, dropping to my knees next to him, feeling helpless.

"Leave him. He won't die Frank."

"But he's-"

"Leave him. He'll be fine. I promise you, he won't die."

"How can you say that?" I yelled. "He's bleeding out and you're telling me he's going to be fine?!"

The air around Emily seemed to blaze, crackling with rage. "Mikey will not die. He's healing already, look."

I looked down and saw she was right. The skin was morphing and twisting as he repaired himself, moulding over the gaping hole in Mikey's chest.

"Vampires do not die so easily Frank," she said quietly. "He won't wake up for a few days. His body will be so drained because of repairing itself."

"We need to move him," I whispered."We can't just leave him here. What if something goes wrong and nobody finds him?"

Emily sighed, waving her hand through the air, her wrist curling elegantly. I watched in amazement as Mikey's body moved, looking like it was being dragged off the floor by invisible hands.

I watched as Mikey levitated upwards and floated towards the front of the library, his body slowly lowering down onto the couch.

"Trust me Frank. He's going to be fine."

I just stared at Mikey, walking towards him hesitantly and kneeling in front of the couch, pushing his hair back from his face.

Emily appeared at my side, still in her strange glowing form, her eyes still unnerving blank orbs, milky white and glimmering.

I looked over my shoulder as the door opened, my heart in my mouth. I relaxed when I saw Ray's familiar mane of frizzy curls, his face slightly nervous and his eyes searching.

When he saw me he swallowed, gripping the door tightly. "It's time Frank. You have to go and find Gerard."