The day started off without a hitch. We went to our classes, had lunch, and never spotted any evidence of the biter. Thomas seemed different. I wasn't sure how to describe it. There was just something different about him. During lunch, I realized that he seemed happier, more relaxed. He didn't look as serious and wasn't as quiet as he usually was. I wondered if he felt better now that he'd gotten more blood. It even looked like there was a bit more color in his cheeks. When our afternoon classes were over, we stayed in our room, just to be on the safe side.

There was still no sign of the biter when we went to the pre-port lecture. I started to hope that he had stayed in Chile. The lecture ended a little after ten, and we decided to swing by our old rooms to get fresh clothes and pack for our next port. We were all in fairly high spirits. In less than twelve hours, most of it spent asleep, we'd be safely in Peru. I couldn't decide if I was nervous or excited at the prospect of being on a trip with Thomas. We split up on Deck Four. Thomas and TS stayed with me in my room, while the others went to Dani and Mariana's room. After fifteen minutes, we met back up and, suitcases in hand, headed down to Deck Three. We stopped in Thomas and TS’s room, while Dani and Mariana went with Charlie.

We hadn't been in the room for more than a minute when TS dropped his suitcase and looked around.

"Did you hear that?" he asked. "It sounded like a dog whistle or something..."

He and Thomas looked at each other, eyes wide. "Danio!" they both gasped.

Then, they dove for the door and out into the hall. I followed, glad that I had my wand with me. Thomas was off like a shot and was already in Charlie's room by the time I was halfway there. The moment Thomas vanished into the room, TS transformed into a wolf and tore down the hall after him. I crammed into the tiny entryway in Charlie's room behind them. Someone was shouting and flailing in the middle of the room. It took me a moment to realize that it was Dani and Charlie's roommate, Mark, fighting. Growling, TS lunged forward, and Mark whirled around in shock. Dani tackled him, and, after a brief struggle, had him in a headlock with one arm wrenched so far behind his back I was surprised it wasn't broken. Charlie's roommate stopped struggling.

"You got him?" Thomas asked.

"Yeah." Dani glanced up at Thomas, eyes black and churning furiously. He adjusted his grip, and Mark gasped in pain. "Hurry up before I typhoon."

"Are you okay?" Thomas said.

"I'll be fine." I hadn't even noticed Charlie until he answered Thomas. He leaned heavily against the wall, looking significantly redder than normal. Thomas went over to him, and I was able to get a better look. I gasped in horror; Charlie had a hand pressed to his neck and blood, too orange to be human, was running down his arm. Mariana stood next to him, holding a stake and looking terrified.

"Let me see," Thomas said softly.

Charlie lowered his hand. Fresh blood welled up in two gashes in his neck, and wisps of smoke rose up from them. Thomas spat into his hand a couple of times and pressed it against Charlie's neck.

"He was turned, recently," Charlie said. "I'm sure I'd have noticed before."

Thomas frowned. "I would have, too. What happened?"

"Mark jumped me as soon as I came in the room."

"Not very well thought out," Thomas muttered.

"No," Charlie agreed. "He's lucky Danio didn't kill him."

"When were you turned?" TS growled.

Mark's jaw dropped. "It talks!" he cried.

I didn't know that wolves could roll their eyes, but TS did. He turned back into a human, and Mark's eyes grew impossibly wide.

"Holy shit! Are you like a werewolf or something?"

"He asked you a question," Dani snarled.

"When were you turned?" TS repeated.

"Turned?"

TS sighed. "Let him up."

Dani glanced at him, eyes still black. "You sure?"

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"He's just a new, confused dhampir. Let him up."

"One wrong move, and I'll drive a stake so far into your hearts it comes out the other side," Dani hissed. Then, he released Mark and stepped away.

Mark slowly climbed to his feet and backed as far from Dani as he could. He looked back and forth at all of us, clearly worried. The room was so crammed that Thomas and Dani had to step around each other to change places. Dani started gently examining the wound on Charlie's neck, and the two whispered softly. Thomas stood between them and Mark. He reached back and lifted his shirt just a bit, and I saw part of a stake.

"You were human when this voyage started, right?" TS said.

"Yeah," Mark said, still looking worried, "but now I'm a vampire." He sounded almost proud. "Well, almost," he added.

"Almost?" Thomas asked.

"I'm taking my test," Mark said. "And then..." He trailed off and gasped in horror. "You're the vampire slayers, aren't you?"

Thomas and TS glanced at each other, and I was sure I heard a chuckle from Dani.

"Vampire slayers?" Thomas said.

Mark nodded. "Nathaniel warned me that there would be vampire slayers on the ship."

"Nathaniel?" TS asked.

Mark stiffened and eyed him warily. He didn't look like he was willing to answer.

Thomas snorted in irritation. "We're not vampire slayers."

"Yeah, right. You think I'm stupid or something?" Mark said. "You obviously know what I am, so you aren't regular humans. He threatened to stake me!" Mark pointed at Dani, then at TS. "And you're a werewolf! Everyone knows that werewolves are the only animal that can kill a vampire!"

"You've gotta be kidding me," Dani said with a derisive laugh.

"Do I look like a vampire slayer to you?" Thomas asked. Before Mark could answer, Thomas took a step closer to him. I couldn't see what he did, but from the way Mark jerked back in surprise, I assumed that Thomas had shown Mark his fangs.

"Whoa! You're a vampire, too!" Mark cried.

"When did you become a..." Thomas hesitated. "When did this happen?"

"Yesterday."

"Where? Do you remember who turned you? Was it Nathaniel? Did he say anything?"

Mark's eyes narrowed, as he studied Thomas. "I'm not answering anything else."

Thomas sighed and turned to TS. The two started muttering in another language. I was pretty sure it was Japanese.

"Is that some sort of secret magic language?" Mark asked eagerly. He seemed pretty happy, considering he had just been turned into a vampire, or rather, a dhampir.

A moment later, Dani joined them. I felt a little left out, but it was nice to know that they were using another language out of necessity, not because they were trying to talk behind my back. I glanced over at Mariana and saw her frowning in concentration. She spoke it too, then, or at least some of it. Then, Dani rejoined Charlie and started talking slowly. It didn't sound the same as Japanese, and I wondered if it was Greek. I squeezed into the space between the foot of the bed and the wall with them. Dani looked up at me and grinned apologetically. I was glad to see that his eyes, although still churning angrily, were blue again.

"Sorry," he whispered. "We'll fill you in as soon as we can." He gave my hair a half-hearted fluff and went back to stand with Thomas and TS.

Charlie smiled at me. "I'm not quite clear, anyway. Most of the Greek I know is from Dani's mother babbling at me, and she usually isn't talking about MES related things."

"And no Japanese?" I guessed.

He shrugged, and I got the impression he was embarrassed that he hadn't learned it. "A bit. Not enough to do more than order sushi."

"Right," TS said. "Mark, is it? Come along with us to our room. It's a lot bigger than this one, and we'll be able to talk more comfortably."

Mark hesitated. "I'd rather not." He clearly still didn't trust us. Then again, I wasn't sure if I trusted him. Charlie's neck had healed remarkably fast, but it was still fresh and looked painful. The wound and his shirt, not to mention his arm, were caked in dried blood.

Dani said something in Japanese, and Thomas sighed and nodded. "You said this Nathaniel told you there are vampire slayers on the ship?"

Mark nodded.

"If there are, that's news to us. If so, we'd be safer if we stick together. You and I need to talk, and since you were recently turned, you'll need protection. You're not very strong yet."

"I guess so," Mark said.

"Char, grab your stuff. If this gets worked out, tonight, we're still going on our trips in the morning," Thomas said.

Charlie quickly threw some things into a suitcase. When he was ready, we left the room. TS ran down to his room to grab his and Thomas’ bags. Then the seven of us made our way upstairs. Because of where Charlie's rooms were located, it was faster to go outside than to wind around the long corridors of the ship. Charlie walked in front, while Thomas and TS flanked Mark. Dani was behind them, hand on a stake. Mariana and I brought up the back. Mark didn't look happy about it, but didn't complain.

As soon as we reached the room, Charlie invited Mark in. Either Mark didn't realize he was practically a prisoner, or he didn't care. He looked around the room in awe.

"Wow, get a load of this place!" he cried. "You're so lucky! A balcony and everything! What's this? Damn! You've got a freaking living room?"

"Go on in and check it out," TS said.

Mark walked in "This is huge!" He turned to rejoin us, but Thomas was in the doorway, blocking him.

"Have a seat on the couch, we need to talk, now," Thomas said.

TS joined them and shut the door. Charlie sat down on his bed with a sigh. Dani sank down next to him and put an arm around his shoulders. Mariana and I sat on our bed.

"So, what's going on?" I asked softly.

Dani beckoned, and I went over and sat next to him. He leaned over and whispered softly in my ear.

"Mark's obviously been fed a bunch of lies. He's a dhampir. He can't be turned into a vampire. Ever," Dani began. I couldn't help but feel a little proud I had already figured that one out. "And this vampire slayer stuff? I mean, there are some out there, but not on the ship."

"I don't think it's a coincidence that my roommate was turned," Charlie added. "This has to be the work of our biter."

"What are we going to do?" I asked.

They were both quiet for a moment. Mariana slipped over and joined us, looking anxious. Finally, Dani sighed.

"Depending on what Tom finds out, we're going after the biter."