The antagonistic vampires think Katherine is going soft. She’s showing affection for a human, and worse, she’s kept the group same town for eight months—something she never does. They want their ruthless, calculating survivor back.
6. They hold a meeting without Katherine. Even Pearl agrees they’re risking exposure by staying. They decide to push Katherine into leaving by breaking her attachment to the human, knowing Katherine is the only one adaptable enough to survive no matter what.
7. While others occupy Katherine with a hunt, a few vampires secretly compel the human to reject and hate her. They want Katherine to believe there’s no reason to stay.
8. The plan works. The woman’s sudden hatred convinces Katherine she’s unlovable—a monster. The next day, she announces they’re leaving by nightfall because the town is “a useless little dump.”
9. In the early 1800s, some vampires begin acting recklessly. Katherine, hardened again, barely cares. Anna, worried, finally tells Katherine the truth about what they did back in the 1700s. She asks for reassurance that she and Pearl won’t pay the price for others’ mistakes. Katherine agrees. She doesn’t reveal what she knows, but she quietly reins the group in.
10. By 1864, Katherine has waited decades for the right moment to take revenge. When the town begins its vampire roundup, she
