***Heys, guys, finally it's time for the big reveal . . . What is a draugr? What is Aaron? Read to find out***

"What the heck is a draugr?" Letting loose a sigh filled with so much tension and emotions it was almost depleting, Paige met Kendall's gaze. Mr. Beddoes mentioned draugrs briefly, only saying they were nasty vile creatures. Like that was any real help. But Kendall's books might reveal something more. Something useful.

"What are they?" Paige asked again ten minutes later, almost pleading this time for answers. Kendall had her nose buried in a book and looked up as Paige's words sliced through the air. "Are they . . ." She almost asked if they were dangerous, but she stopped herself before the words could leave her mouth. From what she's seen from Aaron, draugrs were very dangerous.

Kendall's brow arched as she turned her attention back to the book in her hands. "They're dead?" It wasn't a statement, it sounded more like a question, one filled with uncertainty.

"What?"

"Listen to this," she said, moving to kneel on top of her bed. "Draugrs are born in death, and in death they remain, forever connected to eternal damnation."

"Explain without a riddle, please."

Kendall looked up, any hints of a smile vanished from sight. "Draugrs are people who have been resurrected."

Paige curved her brow. "Like revenants?"

Kendall shook her head, her brown mane a tangled mess down her back. "No. Revenants are animated corpses. No heartbeat. No blood flow. But draugrs are completely resurrected and they manifest in early adolescence. With significant changes to how they were before they died."

Paige moved beside Kendall on the bed and leaned back on her elbows. "So, you're saying Aaron, at one point in his life, died and was resurrected?"

"If he is actually a draugr, then yes."

"Resurrected by what? People don't just go around, waking up after death. It's weird. Even by our standards."

"By this." Kendall flipped the book around and showed Paige the painting of the draugr again. Her finger rapidly tapped against the man-shadow in the background. "Draugrs are resurrected by reapers. That's what it means: Forever connected to eternal damnation."

She turned back to the book, flipped over a few pages and remained silent for a long moment. She read aloud her discovery. "Draugrs remain psychically connected to the reaper that resurrected them. That's what you saw behind Aaron that night, Paige. You saw the reaper that created him."

"People die all the bloody time," Paige said, resisting the urge to tear the book from Kendall's hands and look herself for more answers. "Why isn't there hundreds of these bastards running around?" She felt pretty confident that draugrs would be much more well known if there was such a large number of them.

"Because reapers are very selective in who they bring back," Kendall said slowly, as she absorbed more information from the book beneath her. "No one knows why a particular person gets chosen. But when they do wake after death, they're not themselves anymore."

Paige repressed a shiver. "How so?" She knew she wouldn't like the answer, but she still had to know. The suspense was killing her.

Kendall's eyes almost looked hollow. "The reaper will influence them. Because of the connection to the reaper, the draugr is much closer to death. They always have a foot in it, I guess. They become more aggressive, violent, ruthless, dark. They become hunters."

"Like a predator," Paige mumbled, recalling all the moments Aaron regarded her with an intense look, as if he was assessing her, visualizing how he would consume her. Dominate her.

"Something like that."

Somewhere in the house, a door slammed. Both girls flinched, then Kendall seemed to relax as muffled voices echoed down the hall. "That's my parents," she said, sliding off the bed and bolting to the door. "We should tell them," she said, throwing open the door and stepping into the hall.

Paige was suddenly at her side, drawing her to an abrupt stop. "Are you nuts? You can't tell your parents about Aaron."

"Why not?" There was uncertainty in her words. She was already doubting herself. If they couldn't tell the authorities about Aaron, the last thing she wanted was for her parents to get caught up in the middle of it. Without needing Paige to explain in glory detail what could happen if her parents were involved, Kendall relented, her shoulders sagging in defeat.

With another emotionless look cast at Paige, Kendall trotted down the hall, following the muffled voices to the kitchen. A lankly brunette was bent over the oven, sliding in a tray of what looked like croissants in to be baked. Fresh flour stained her pink and white uniform, with the logo 'Home of Treats' embroidered on the shirt.

She smiled as Kendall entered, her inquisitive green eyes darting to Paige. "Hello," she said. "I'm Liz, Kendall's Mum."

"I'm Paige. A friend of Kendall's from school."

The bright smile on Liz's face dimmed slightly. "Paige? The one that was in the accident with Kendall?" Without waiting for a reply, she was suddenly at Paige's side, her slender fingers on Paige's chin, tilting her face side to side. "Oh, my poor child. How are you feeling? Kendall said you were still in the hospital."

Paige was slightly taken back by this woman's show of affection. She didn't know quite how to respond but she knew tearing herself away from her embrace wouldn't leave such a good impression. "I was discharged yesterday. Doc said the stitches should come out in a few days."

The concern remained evident in Liz's face, even when she finally detached herself from Paige. "That's good. We were all so concerned." Liz went back to fussing over the mess in the kitchen – flour coated the bench like a thick layer of snow – while Kendall led Paige through to the lounge, following the sound of the TV.

In front of the TV was a stocky built man with intense blonde hair. He lifted a hand and waved as Kendall entered, but his sole attention was on the TV. There was an old leather toolbelt tossed to the side.

"Dad's a handyman and Mum is the head baker in this small bakery in town," Kendall explained, retrieving the toolbelt off the floor and hanging it on a large black hook in a nearby closet.

Kendall's dad – Trent – didn't even seem to be aware that his daughter wasn't alone until Kendall had spoken. "Sorry girls," he said after introductions were given. He had a sheepish grin. "Just really want to hear this broadcast."

Kendall turned to the old TV, where a Special Report was being broadcast. A rather young woman was speaking in solemn tones, her exposed neck and shoulders displayed tribal tattoos. Viking marks, Kendall thought they might be. Kendall stiffened at the headline. Tragedy strikes in Mayan. Town on high alert.

"What happened in Mayan?" Paige asked, taking a position beside Trent on the floor. A terrible sinking feeling took route in her stomach. Nothing good ever happened in Mayan. Maybe Agatha was right. Maybe Mayan really was cursed, but Paige wasn't so easily fooled. She still thought Aaron had to be responsible for what happened in Mayan. The town was just too close for it to be unrelated to the monster that stalked Purefin.

"Terrible thing," Liz said from the doorway, cleaning her hands on a dishtowel. "Those poor children."

Before Paige could repeat her question, the news broadcast cut through her words.

"Although no official time of death has been given yet, it is believed the attack took place sometime this morning between seven and nine AM." The camera left the newsroom to show a large house, a familiar house, surrounded with police tape and men in uniforms. Large black FBI vans were lined down the street.

Paige felt as if she was going to be sick, but the woman, the Viking, continued to speak as the camera showed the men in uniform swarming the yard and taking positions on the porch in front of the house.

"As we can see, the Mayan Police Department has enlisted the help of the FBI and the Supernatural Council to track the killer – a possible Feral whose supernatural race has not been determined yet – who has been stalking this small town for a few months now. But never before has this Feral carried out such a sadistic attack until now." The camera left the site of the house as black body bags began to be wheeled outside. The young face of the Viking showed up on the screen again. "The police have yet to confirm the number of fatalities, but according to our sources, there were fifteen residents and two custodians. No survivors have been found yet."

"Terrible thing," Liz said again her face swelling with grief.

Kendall's face grew unnaturally pale as the broadcast ended as the Viking promised to keep the nation well-informed as new information was revealed. She was staring holes in the TV which switched back to a commercial about vacuums. Like Paige, she recognised the house that was just shown on the TV. When she spoke, her voice was soft and weak. She almost couldn't believe what she had just seen. What that reporter had just said. It couldn't be true. It just couldn't. "Please don't tell me that was Venerer."

Trent turned away from the commercial. "Yeah," he said, surprised his daughter knew the location of such a vicious attack. "Venerer Home For Youths, I think it's called."

Paige raised from the floor, a buzzing sound piercing her ears. It sounded like she was aboard an airplane, only worse than a slight ear pop. Her stomach swirled and she leaned heavily on her knees to regain her balance. It didn't work and she swayed slightly on her feet.

"Paige?" Kendall's voice was filled with anguish.

Paige only feebly shook her head, and instantly regretted that small movement. Her head swam as she stumbled backwards and out of the lounge. She ignored Kendall as she moved through the house, to the bathroom she had seen earlier. She shut the door behind her, moving unsteadily through the small room. It felt as if the world was on a spin cycle. She vomited before she even had a chance to collapse to her knees in front of the toilet.

***

Paige was left alone for a while, but after ten minutes, the queasiness had subsided and she didn't vomit again. The smell of her own vomit was enough to cause a lump to raise in her stomach. She flushed the toilet and pushed herself away, crawling on her knees, her legs still too untrustworthy to use at the moment.

Venerer. Venerer had been attacked. Without knowing more, she knew, she just knew, that the police wouldn't find any survivors. Everyone was dead; Brittany, Diana, Lucy – Joshua. Would Aaron kill his own brother? Without thinking about it more, Paige knew the answer.

He would.

Not even his own flesh and blood was safe from his violent wrath. What hope did the rest of the world have then? Paige felt numb and weak as she dragged her body across the floor, giving up near the vanity and leaning against the dark green painted wood.

"We're all gonna die," Paige whispered, her voice barely tangible. We're all gonna die. Lucy's warning kept ringing in her mind. Paige felt her muscles stiffen as the last piece clicked together.

Lucy had seen her own death, long before it came to be. She hadn't seen just her death, Paige realised. She had seen them all die, everyone within that facility, and no one paid her visions any attention. Kind of ironic.

Everything felt surreal, nothing was in focus. She tried to organise her thoughts, command her mind to make her muscles work, but it required too much focus, too much energy. She couldn't do anything except lean against the vanity.

Seconds turned into minutes, and eventually a plastic cup was thrust into her hands. Paige was so disoriented, it took far too long for her eyes to focus on Kendall's leering face. Her face went out of view as she forced Paige to take a sip of water. The water offered some relief and instantly the taste of vomit was washed away.

"Paige?" Kendall's concerned face came back into view. Her fingers were on Paige's cheeks, trying to keep her head from rolling to the side. "Paige, come on, focus. We'll call you an ambulance."

Before she could leave, Paige's fingers were locked on her wrist. "No," she whispered. "No ambulance." She's spent enough time in the hospital to last a lifetime.

Kendall seemed torn, but she didn't argue. "Paige, I think you're in shock." Her fingers left Paige's face long enough to help guide Paige into a sitting position. Paige was too weak, too numb, to do anything other than follow Kendall's guidance.

Paige had another mouthful of water. Her mind was starting to clear, but not nearly fast enough. "Eight o'clock."

"Huh?" Kendall wanted Paige to lean forward and put her head between her knees, but Paige's gasp only tightened on the cup of water as she leaned against Kendall for support.

"They died a little after eight o'clock this morning."

Kendall's fingers swept Paige's dark locks together, delicately, almost like a mother with her child. "How could you know that? The police don't even know that yet."

Paige's muscles finally worked enough for her to tilt her head upwards. "This morning. I had a . . . I don't know. I think it was a vision or something. I was in Venerer. Aaron was there. So was Lucy. I think Lucy was showing me the vision she's been having for weeks."

Kendall's fingers froze on top of Paige's head. "What Lucy said. 'We're all gonna die'."

Paige's head moved slowly up and down. "I think Lucy was seeing her own death. And this morning, I think she shared it with me. When she died."