A hush fell over the room, the silence stretching as my friends processed my words. Finally, Patrick whispered, “I’ve heard the stories about the Vampire King. They say he lost his bride a century ago, and it nearly destroyed him. But Phia, that couldn’t possibly be you. You weren’t even alive back then. Maybe you look like her, sure, but you’re not the same person.”

I bit my lip, wrestling with the doubt that had been gnawing at me. “I’m not sure about that anymore,” I ...