In the silence that followed Mike’s pronouncement, Rose couldn’t stop herself from staring at Nazeem. At the vampire.

Who—just like the others—seemed normal enough on the surface. She wouldn’t have given him a second glance if they’d passed each other on the street. He was handsome, sure, and, like Ian, Nazeem didn’t look too much older than Rose’s twenty-two years. But where Ian’s looks—and presence—demanded Rose’s attention, Rose’s gaze kept sliding away from Nazeem, like her eyes couldn’t find anything to latch onto. Even when she tried, she couldn’t focus. Maybe not so normal after all.

Definitely not to her othersense. He clashed and jangled in a quieter way than Ian, with flavors and eddies of emotion that were like nothing Rose had ever felt.

This evening was a crash-course-wake-up-call, no question. Somehow, in all her exploration of her own psychic gifts and tantalizing hints of people like Mike and Alec, Rose had never taken the next leap forward to wonder if things like vampires might also be real. It wasn’t like once you took your first “There are more things on Heaven and Earth, Horatio” step into the supernatural they sent you a manual. All the late-night, sci-fi channel and Stephen King stuff—just how much of it did she need to be watching over her shoulder for?

And why was this the first time she’d run into any of this? One truth was becoming clear: none of these people could hide their differences from a sensitive. If there was a whole world of supernatural people running around, why had Rose never met any before tonight?

Mike shoved his chair back as he stood, one hand fisted in his pocket. “Explain this, Rutledge.”

“Explain?” Alec’s eyebrows furrowed. Rose couldn’t feel his insides, but she could see the confusion on his face easy enough.

Mike planted his feet, like he was bracing for an attack. “No one told me there would be vampires.”

“As no one told me I would be working with a priest. So we are both surprised.” Nazeem’s voice was soft, beautifully accented, and compelling. Rose found herself unable to do anything but listen.

Alec stepped between Mike and Nazeem. “Gentlemen…”

Nazeem held his empty hands out to either side. “Please, good Father, we are not enemies here.”

“Not enemies?” Mike pulled his hand free of his pocket, revealing a black-beaded rosary with a silver crucifix wrapped around his fist. Nazeem flinched at the sight of it.

“Stop it!” Rose snapped, jumping to her feet. Vampire or not, the last thing Rose was about to do was sit by and watch him get bullied. “We’re supposed to be talking.”

Ian also stood, his concern striking Rose with the force of a brick to the head. “Rose is right, and I, for one, want to hear what Mr. Rutledge has to say.”

After a few tense breaths, Mike lowered his hand. Whether from lack of allies in the room or some other reason, Rose couldn’t tell, but either way he returned to his seat.

“Fine.” Rather than putting the rosary back in his pocket, he lay it next to his plate, in easy reach. “We’ll all talk.” His voice twisted on the word.

Everyone settled back into chairs, Nazeem taking the place next to Ian, where he could watch Mike from across the table. The awkward silence grew, and Rose gazed longingly at the bowl of herbed potatoes before her. Would they never get to eat? The tangy, buttery smell was irresistible, but she felt awkward about reaching for it while everyone else was so intent on giving each other the hairy eyeball. Instead, she took a large swallow of her wine and tried not to stare at Nazeem.

Alec leaned back in his chair, swirling his wine. His mask was good—very good—but Rose could see muscles tensing under the dark skin of his neck. He was more nervous than he wanted to show.

“My friends, the world is changing.” His soothing drawl sounded confident enough. “Technology and fear make it difficult for us to go on as we have for centuries, safe from discovery. My employers believe it’s time for us to carve out our own space in the world.”

“Space to do what?” Rose asked.

“To live. To hide without hiding. A place of safety and peace.”

“Just who exactly is us?” Mike growled, still glaring at Nazeem.

“Us,” Alec answered in a smooth tone, a wave of his hand encompassing the room. “The supernatural community.”

Mike snorted. “We’re a community now? I must have missed that memo.”

“Of course we are. Voiders, vampires—even sensitives like Rose have special needs that are hard to provide for out in the world. My employers believe there is more that unites us than divides us and it’s time our various factions reached out to each other.”

Alec paused. Rose found some reassurance in the fact no one else seemed to have any idea what he was trying to say. Ian’s confusion was palpable, and while Rose couldn’t read either Mike or Nazeem, their silence spoke volumes.

“We brought you here,” Alec continued, “because my employers believe St. Petersburg is the perfect location to put their plan into action.”