Something colliding with my ankle rose me from my slumber. I startled, automatically knowing I should feel nothing whilst locked in a damn cell. Through sleepy eyes, I couldn't make out the small fuzzy thing at first, but then I rubbed the sleep, and the haze cleared.

It was a rat.

A damn rat.

How the fuck did a rat get down here?

I scowled at it, scooting it away with my foot. It startled, jumping a foot away before standing up on its hind legs. It peered at me, head bobbing and nose twitching. Then it came back!

What was this rat doing?

Its fur was black, a change from the brown ones I used to see back in Evermore. I didn't mind rats, in fact found them rather sweet. They were destructible little shits, so it wouldn't surprise me if this little shitter chewed through the brick.

When the rat came closer, I noticed it had something tied around its neck. Who put a collar on a rat?

The rat hopped, stopping beside me to nibble at some food on the floor. I hesitated, staring down at the collar made from rope. There was a small something attached to it, a quarter the length of the rat's back. I pursed my lips before giving into my curiosity and picking up the rat.

It squeaked softly, but didn't fight my grip. Holding its warmth in my hand, I pried the collar from its neck and set it down. It didn't go far, nibbling the surrounding crumbs, so I turned the pendant to reveal a piece of paper rolled up.

Unrolling the tiny scrap of paper, I found it was a message.

They're coming for you, my flower.

Asra?

Did somebody train a damn rat to follow crumbs and come into my cell? How clever.

Patting the rat softly on the head, I smiled. "Good rat."

It blinked up at me, beady eyes holding no emotion before it continued to search for food.

I rolled up the piece of paper and set my head against the wall with a soft smile. Asra better have had a good explanation for why he threw me in a damn cellar.

My mind spun at the possibilities of the past week I had been in here, so I had many roads to go down. But now, he must've changed his mind. Therefore, something made him put me and so many others in here. Why was he training harder the past week? Why force workers to work more?

Something was happening. Something was coming.

Whatever it was, he must've wanted the weaker of us safe. Me being a human; he acted stupidly and locked me in the cellar to protect me.

He was gonna get it so bad.

I chuckled to myself, deciding to go back to sleep. I was going to need the energy later when I beat the shit out of him.

***

I was walking through the trees again.

Barefoot and free, I followed an old trail as the sun rose in the sky. I knew where I was going, having walked this pathway so many times. It was mostly worn down because of me and my countless times of pacing.

Tears pooled in my eyes, and I glared down at a stupid rock. Grunting, I threw my heel into it, only to curse when a rippling pain shot up my leg.

"You okay there, Ailia?"

I turned, spotting Jeremy in the bushes. I huffed, wiping the tears from my face with a sniffle.

"I'm fine."

"Then why are you crying?"

"I am not." I huffed.

"You are too." He chuckled. "What happened? Did your mother ruin your birthday?"

I turned, crossing my arms around myself. Avoiding his gaze, I stared at the ground beside him, using my hair as a shield.

"Something horrible." I murmured, glancing at his face.

His face hardened into a glare, something washing over his face that had his jaw set hard. I frowned, looking away. Did I piss him off?

"What did she do?"

I shuddered, shaking my head. "I don't want to talk about it."

"She hurt you again?"

I shrugged. "She always hurts me."

"Then somebody else?"

"Not yet." I muttered.

"Ailia." He started and stood before me.

I jerked when his large hands wrapped around my shoulders. He squeezed them, urging me to look up at him. When I did, he frowned, wiping my tears.

"You're my best friend, you know that, right?" I pouted.

He smiled sadly. "What's wrong?"

I sighed. "She is giving me away."

"What?"

"She is selling me to the Chester's son."

"Darius Chester?"

"Yes." I muttered. "I have to..."

"Ailia..."

"I have to marry him when I turn eighteen!" I gasped, feeling the sobs choke me again. "She took me out to dinner last night with them. It was all arranged!"

He grumbled, a strange sound from a person, before pulling me close. "That isn't fair. Tell her you won't."

"I don't get a choice, Jeremy." I sobbed, my head falling into his chest. "It's already arranged."

His chest was vibrating strangely, but I didn't listen too much as I drowned in my own tears. Jeremy's hands remained on my back, rubbing it softly as I cried into his shirt. Even the birds and critters had fallen quiet, only my cries passing through the air.

When I had sobered up enough to pull my head from its slump, Jeremy rubbed my tears away.

"Ailia, I am afraid we can't do this anymore." He muttered.

"What?" I gasped, my stomach flipping with anxiety.

"We can't do this anymore." He repeated, dropping his hands from my face.. "The meeting up in secret, the training..."

"N-no, Jeremy. Please, you're the only friend I have."

"Ailia. You are engaged to a man who leads this town. If I am caught passing lines, it won't be good for me back home, or for you." He shook his head, taking my hands. "I'm sorry."

"Jeremy, please..." I begged, crying for a whole extra reason. "Don't leave me here alone."

"You won't be alone, Ailia."

"I will be!" I wailed.

He stepped away from me, shaking his head. No ounce of emotion reflected in his eyes, keeping them downcast as he backed away into the trees.

"You won't, I promise you, not for long." He whispered. "I'm sorry, Ailia."

"Jeremy..." I whimpered.

He shook his head, face as passive as can be, before running into the trees. I stared at where he went, holding my breath. I listened to his footsteps as they disappeared, light and echoing through the greenery. Sorrow clutched at my chest, breaking my soul as my only friend ran away from me.

My heartbeat thudded in my ears and I fell to the floor, curling my knees to my chest. I hugged myself, sobbing as I gazed at the disturbed leaves by my feet. It was all I seemed to do, ruin things. Things had been great, things had been perfect, and then I interfere, mess it up, and I lose everything.

Something was coming closer, loud, fast footsteps running. For a second, I thought maybe Jeremy was coming back, but I felt my mind teeter as my ears picked up the sounds.

That wasn't here. That was...

I jerked awake once more, the strange, vivid dream I had of crying in a forest cut short. I shook the weird image of the male figure clear, sitting upright to find out what was happening.

Was Asra coming to get me out?

I glanced around for the rat, but it wasn't here anymore. Must've run off to find some more food. I slept light down here, reverting to my sleeping pattern from Evermore.

Cells clatter, somebody rattling them and shouting nonsense to the people behind bars. Somebody yelped, begging to be released.

I frowned, not about to let somebody hurt one of my pack mates. Swaying to a stand, I shuffled over to the bars and peered down the hall. A male had Serenity by the collar, pulling her tight against the bars. She was wailing, doing all she could to not let her skin touch the silver bars.

"Hey!" I shouted. "Let her go!"

"Oh, yeah?" The male laughed.

His head spun to the side, levelling his gaze with me. His lip parted, a manic grin on his face that soon dispersed when he saw me. He snapped his jaw together, releasing Serenity. His expression darkened, lips curling into a sadistic smirk.

"And who may you be?" He breathed, standing before me.

I scowled, noticing how his chest rose with a deep inhale.

"Ah, flos, Luna." He crooned, reaching a hand inside.

I stepped back, avoiding his touch. He wore all black; a long-sleeved shirt beneath a short vest jacket. There were fingerless gloves on his hands, and dark polish on his nails. His hair was dark too, matching the clothes he wore, but his skin was pale and his eyes were frighteningly pale blue.

"Pleasure to meet you again."

Again?

This man was more delusional than I was. At least I could keep a sober mind whilst locked in a jail cell.

"I don't know you. Don't touch me." I spat.

"Of course, you don't. It has been... a while." He grinned.

My eyes dropped, catching sight of the two sharp canine teeth. Instead of four big, fat wolf teeth, this man had two thinner daggers in the top row. My breath hitched at the realisation that this man was not a wolf.

"What are you doing down here?"

"I came to free a friend." He smirked. "But I may take back additional baggage."

I rolled my eyes. "How cliché."

His stupid smirk didn't falter, and he licked his fangs. "They are right about what they say about you."

"Entertain me?" I mused. "What do they say about me?"

"That the old blood of old really does have an attitude problem." He grinned, and I felt myself freeze. "It seems not much has changed in a few centuries."

Exhaling, I tried not to let him get to me. "Who are you?"

"Me?" He cocked his head. "I don't believe we are on a first name basis, Luna."

I scowled. "Then fuck off."

He laughed, the sound echoing down the hall. "Definite plus one. Marc, we can bring along an extra, can't we?"

"If you can, I can." A gruff voice answered.

I couldn't see how many people this vampire had with him, the man before me blocking most of my view.

"How did you get down here?" I asked.

"If I revealed our secrets, it wouldn't be such a fun heist, would it?"

Heist?

What were they looking for?

A clang of metal echoed, a creaking vibrating the floor. My skin rose with goosebumps, a foul scent and an icy breeze brushing my skin. I felt it, whatever this was. Dark, menacing, and sinful. Whatever they were doing was not a good omen. I felt sick to my stomach, my heart racing.

The male before me stepped to the side, and my eyes locked onto the darkness of the room behind the once sturdy security cell. Blood stains coated the floor, only a small window inside revealing three thin slithers of daylight.

I could feel my pulse in my temple, a lump in my throat. My stomach twisted and turned, sweat breaking on my skin. I couldn't tear my eyes away, unable to move.

A bare foot stepped out of the darkness, toenails jagged and bloodied. Blood coated the bare calves and up before shorts took their place. A bare torso also covered with blood. The man coming out of the strongest cell was not somebody you wanted to cross.

I felt dizzy when I finally looked at his face, my mouth drying like a desert. A powerful jaw, slim face and a sharp nose. Bushy brows shadowing a harsh glare.

Blue eyes, dark as a midnight sky, stared back at me.

"Asra?" I whispered.

The man grinned. "Much worse, Princess."

I swallowed, taking a step away from the bars. A man with my mate's eyes stepped out of the shadows and nodded at the vampires that exited behind him. The guy that had taunted me walked over and shook the bloodied man's hand; the two of them bro-hugging.

What was going on?

"I suppose I should introduce myself." The eyeball stealer smirked.

Even his mouth was the same, his teeth slightly more crooked and crowded, but the lips were the same. His face was slimmer, and as he stepped closer, I noticed his hair was a dirty blonde, with skin paler than Asra.

But those eyes...

I had only ever seen eyes so beautiful on two other people.

One being Asra, one being his father.

I paused, my chest tightening as I realised. The man stopped before me, raising his blood-caked hands to grip the bars separating us. The silver didn't burn him, and my mind whirred.

What had happened to him?

Why was he locked inside a cell?

Why was he covered in blood?

"Azriel?" I whispered.

He grinned. "So, you have heard of me, Princess?"

I swallowed, shaking my head. "Only once."

"I suppose that would be correct." He nodded, pursing his lips with faux interest. "My brother does not really care for me much anymore."

I wondered why, but then Azriel broke my cell door from its hinges. I startled, my voice dying on my tongue as he threw it to the floor. Before I could scream or run, Azriel headed toward me. Stupidly stumbling backward, my rear collided with the wall before he trapped me. He took hold of my forearm in one hand, brushing the hair from my neck with the other.

His fingers graced my mark, humming. "Silver, how interesting."

Remaining still, I held my breath. Azriel, although frighteningly handsome, reeked of angst and darkness. And blood. So much metallic, nose-burning blood. Old and new coated his skin, scarred marks of handcuffs around his wrists.

His voice drew me from my staring, and I noticed there were five other people now in my cell. All of them stood behind him. I glanced at the first vampire briefly, who smirked at me.

"Ever teleported, Princess?" Azriel wondered.

My eyes widened, looking up at him with horror. "No-

"First time for everything." He laughed.

Before I could ask him to stop, everything blurred around me and I fell, dropping into nothing.

*****