"Ileana... I can't believe you didn't tell me." He couldn't help but sound hurt, not to mention upset with himself for not noticing or making an effort to find out. "It doesn't matter if I'm busy or whatever you think I have going on. I want to know things like birthdays." His pace slowed, but he kept himself from stopping completely. "I'll just have to make it up to you, then."
Cole sighed, his gaze settling on the ground. "Yeah, he came after me - but I got away." He didn't mention the cuts on his arms, since they were healing fairly well. "He... well, he had no head. If you ever run into him, Ileana, you need to run. You can't reason with him, so make sure Vasilissa knows that, if you can. As for the zombie..." His expression hardened into something unrecognizable, and he shook his head. "Aaron. It was Aaron, and I wasn't there to talk to him, and by the time I was... it was too late. He-- Micah and I, we decided that it would be best to... to get rid of his skin for next time. He was so decomposed, you know, and he was scared so we thought it might be easier if he was... just bones instead." His throat tightened painfully, and he wished he'd never mentioned it in the first place.