Chapter Two: A Photograph That Would Not Pass

Jianyue ran. Footfalls followed from the wall above—he was descending on all fours without using the stairs. She burst outside, where July rain had begun without warning. Behind it, the blood moon resembled an inflamed eye. A temporary checkpoint blocked the street. Black-clad officers sorted citizens into three lines: red light revealed vampire iris marks, blue light tested werewolf scent, and a white mirror examined the reflections of the Kin. There was no fourth line for humans. Jianyue entered the Kin line behind a long-haired woman whose reflection moved half a beat late. As they approached the mirror, Jianyue triggered her camera flash. The sudden light sent the woman's reflection into a furious distortion.