Ethan was right when he said that his parents wouldn't be impressed at us leaving. Of course, they knew the reason why and we would be back to visit, it's not as if they would never see us again. Miranda already knew of our plans, Godfrey passing on the details very quickly to her. I couldn't completely drop off the planet, it would be too obvious. I still had to be on the council, I still had to be seen in the vampiric community. This made Ethan's parents happy, we would return to the castle whenever there was to be a grand council meeting, which surprisingly happened a lot.

We had managed to find a terraced unit right next door to Mary and Dale's place. Ethan thought it was a little too convenient and quizzed me about it. Obviously I had something to do with it, how could I not? I could see Ethan turn his nose up at it, it was a three bedroom, two level terrace unit. This place was small; I think our bedroom at the castle was bigger than the living room.

We had taken our new forms, Oliver and Sophia Gilmore and our daughter Eve, the new neighbours. As soon as we had the keys to the place, I went over and introduced myself, baby as well. Mary delighted in another mother so close by and instantly we were friends. She didn't even think twice about our fake past, never questioning why the both of us were always at home. I was a stay at home mother and 'Oliver', having hurt himself in a work place accident, had received an insurance payout. This of course made perfect sense to her, that was the reason as to why we had expensive furniture. I had told Ethan not to get expensive things, that it would be too much but he didn't listen to me. His reasoning was, that if he had to live in that tiny house, he should at least have things around him that he was used to. I think he missed his club, I knew that Claude had taken over and this worried Ethan, he knew is little brother was a little too aloof when it came to the business.

The years passed quickly, we settled into our routines rather nicely. Stephanie and Evangeline grew up together as the best of friends, always hanging around each other. Ethan was so sick of them trying to climb the fence between the two yards that he ripped a few palings out so they could pass from one yard to the other without hurting themselves. At first I was concerned that Evangeline would blow the cover, but she was better than I could ever expect. It was like she was an old soul; she knew so much before her time. She knew she had two lives, two names, two worlds. She understood that it had to be kept a secret to protect her friend, to protect us. Ethan stressed out when I had said that I was going to tell her everything, after all, how could a five-year-old keep such a big secret?

She sat at the dining room table, picking at her jam sandwich.

'Evie, you know what we are right?'

She nods at me, her long black hair falling off her shoulder.

'You know how to lock secrets in your mind don't you?'

'I do mummy. Special secrets put in special boxes.'

'That's right. Do you know why we do that?'

'Because there are mean people that will steal the secrets.'

'Correct.'

Ethan sits at the table, watching on. He didn't like the thought about talking to her like this but we had to ensure that her mind was locked. This was the only flaw in our perfect plan, a child's mind.

'Do you understand why we sometimes stay here and sometimes at the castle?'

'We go to the castle to see nanny and poppy and uncle Claude and aunty Montana.'

'That is one reason that we go, another is that mummy goes to special meetings with other vampires. It's called a grand council.'

She listens quietly, eating her sandwich.

'Before the grand council was formed there was a king and a queen, it was the king's job to watch over his people, to look after them. Before you were born, a terrible tragedy happened.'

'I know.' she interrupts me. 'Godfrey told me that a mean man killed them and stole their little baby.'

'Godfrey speaks to you?' I say a little shocked.

'All the time.'

I look over at Ethan who is just as shocked as what I am.

'He said I need to take extra special care of Stephy, she is very special.'

'That's right, she is.'

'She's the baby.'

'Yes, but you must never tell anyone, do you understand that?'

'Mummy, I have known for a very long time, Godfrey told me.'

I look up at the ceiling muttering that I had wished he would tell me that he speaks to my child.

'He has been helping me with learning how to be me, in case I need to help Stephy.'

'What do you mean?'

'Learning my tricks. He said that Stephy can also do some of them, but for the moment she shouldn't. He said that I need to pretend that I am a human when I am around humans.'

'Uh... Yes, that's right. Do you have any questions?'

She frowns as she thinks about it.

'When is aunty Miranda coming over?'

'I don't know. Evie, I meant about Stephanie, our life here.'

'Can Stephy come over?'

'Sure, make sure Mary knows where she is.'

I sit there a little gob smacked as Evangeline gets up from the table with her plate, dumps it into the sink and skips out the back door.

'It's like she's ten years older than what she really is.' I groan.

Ethan chuckles as two little girls enter the house. Stephanie is still as cute as when she was a baby, her hair longer than Evangeline's, Mary quiet often puts it into long plaited pigtails. Even cuter. She sniffs the air, I know what she can smell, blood.

'Hungry?'

She nods at me, knowing the routine. I hold out my arm, watching as she sinks in her fangs. This was the one little secret that she had to keep, her blood lust. I didn't know how much longer this could carry on for, I knew that it would come to a point where she could no longer feed from us without knowing what she was. When I spoke with Miranda about it, she suggested supplementing the blood with blue steaks. I had thought that she only fed from me, being that I could not be drained and older than Evangeline, I was the more suitable choice. It was when I found the two of them in Evie's bedroom, Stephanie with her fangs in Evie that I was concerned. I didn't think that Evie was old enough to cope with the blood loss. So it was from that point that she was to feed from me, although I suspected that she might still have been feeding from Evie as well. As the time passed, we had to ween Stephanie off our blood and onto the blue steaks, I knew it was a mistake to allow her to feed from us. It was creative cooking on my part that helped her. Giving her the sustenance that she required without her knowing. Once they had started school, Mary returned to part time work and the girls would stay at our unit until she returned from work. Every afternoon I would make them afternoon tea and within the food was what she needed. It was that way for years, it was all that I could do to help her control the blood lust. I could read her mind that she struggled with the thoughts, the unknown need that she had. It was in these times that I questioned Godfrey for placing her with humans.

The days drew closer to Stephanie's eighteenth birthday, I knew that Mary was toying with the idea of holding a birthday party for her, but I subtly slipped thoughts into her mind that a quiet dinner at home would be a good idea. I didn't want any attention drawn to her, I knew that Miranda would be showing up very soon, in preparation for taking Stephanie to her country, so that she could ascend to the throne. There were a few things that had to happen of course, she had to turn eighteen, she had to be in her own country and she had to marry the prince of Santrina, a man that she had never met. Of course I had met him, a very handsome man, very well spoken and generally a nice person. But on the day of her birthday someone threw a spanner in the works. Evie turned up after school without Stephanie.

'Where is Steph?'

Evie shrugged as she slumped into the dining room chair, the permanent attachment in her hands, that bloody mobile phone.

'Got offered a job. Left school early.'

'What? Didn't you think to at least send me a text to tell me?'

'It's fine mum, she's at home, Mary's there, stop stressing.'

I huff at her with a frown as I sit down at the table.

'What's the job?'

'Personal assistant to some rich guy.'

'Oh Miranda is going to be so happy.' I scoff. 'You know she is supposed to...'

'Yes mum, I know.' she groans with typical teenage attitude. 'I could go and tell her if you like.'

'You will do no such thing young lady.' Ethan growls from the doorway.

Evie has the look on her face, one of serious attitude.

'I'll go and see Mary. See if I can get some more information.'

I could hear her in the back yard picking herbs from her garden bed.

'Hey there stranger. What's new?'

She looks up at me with a slight grin, a bit of confusion and sadness mixed in.

'Steph has a job, she's leaving tonight.'

'Leaving?' I begin to panic.

'Yeah, she has to live on site, personal assistant to some rich son.'

She frowns as she looks at the door and yells out to Stephanie. I look up as she pokes her head out the window.

'What?' she groans.

'Who is it that you're working for now?'

'The prince of Santrina.' she gushes at me, her eyes alight with happiness. 'And he is gor-geous.' she says almost singing.

'Oh. Wow.' I look at Ethan who is standing at the door with his mouth gaping. 'That's great Steph, congrats.'

'I've never heard of the place.' Mary mutters as she picks the parsley.

'I have.' A familiar voice appears out of nowhere, Miranda.

Mary stands upright and looks at her.

'Mary, have you met my sister?'

She shakes her head.

'Melanie.' Miranda waves slightly at her.

'Oh, uh... hello.' she frowns 'You've lived next door to me for near on eighteen years and I never knew you had a sister.'

'Strange you haven't seen me; I visit quite often.'

'Yeah, strange... I'll catch up with you tomorrow, dinner on the go at the moment.'

We watch as Mary quickly scampers back into the kitchen, Miranda gestures her head towards the back door.

'Did you have something to do with her job offer?'

She nods.

'I may have suggested to the king of Santrina that he look for a personal assistant for his son, told him to try a particular school, to request a particular student and obviously the most intelligent student at the school.'

There is a sound of a certain someone sitting at the table, clearing her throat.

'Sorry.' Miranda chuckles. 'Second most intelligent student at the school.'

'Damn straight.' Evie scoffs.

'So now what?'

'She will be safe with them; I will keep an eye on her.'

'Does this mean we can go home now?' Evie says ever hopeful.

'Yes.'

'After graduation.' I add.

We patiently waited the day of their graduation to pass. Stephanie had returned to the residence with Alex. For days after Mary gushed at how handsome he was, she could see that Steph had fallen for him, her fingers were crossed that marriage would eventuate. I inwardly chuckled, Mary you will get your wish, your daughter will marry this handsome young man, whether she liked it or not. It was something that Stephanie did not know awaited her, an arranged marriage. Evie considered herself very lucky, she too was royalty but did not have this hanging over her. We had sent her to the castle, now that her schooling was over, she didn't need to be here, her duties with Steph were done now. Of course they were still the best of friends and constantly texted each other. All that remained of my duties was to make sure that Mary and Dale were ok, as soon as the wedding was organised they would be taken into the protective custody of the king's guard. I would have preferred that it happened sooner, but Miranda said that it would arouse suspicion, to have kings guard protecting humans, Steph would be found out instantly. So they continued in their day to day routine, Ethan took varying forms to watch over Dale when he went to work and I watched over Mary. It was a long and boring task and I wished for it to be over so that I could get on with my life. Evie was going to be eighteen soon and I longed for another child, Ethan and I agreed to put off more children until this task was over with.

I was sitting in the lounge room, the windows open allowing the wonderful breeze to float in. Ethan laid with his head on my lap as he watched the television, I was engrossed in a book. Something caught my attention, a familiar scent on the wind. I sniffed the air, which made Ethan sit up.

'What's wrong?'

I looked out the window, concerned about this smell.

'Keep your form but disappear.' I whisper, getting up to the door, I disappear too.

I turned into a beetle, scurrying under the door, as I flew up into the air, I could see nothing in our little garden. It was the unnatural shaking of a tree across the road that caught my attention. I flew over and hovered around the tree, not seeing anything. This of course meant nothing, it could be a vampire in the tree, having disappeared I would not see it. I sniffed the wind again, the scent was the strongest in the tree, the closer I got the more powerful the scent. It was a smell that over the years I had accustomed myself to, knowing the danger of the owner of this scent, Gavril. He was here, in the tree and I knew what he was after, Mary and Dale. I quickly tapped into Ethan's mind.

Ollie, we have a code one.

He knew exactly what it meant. This was the plan that we had long discussed and hoped never be needed. I quickly flew to Mary and Dale's house, crawling under the door, Ethan soon following me. It had to be a quick process, the house was being watched. We took our human form in their lounge room, the form that they were not used to. I didn't know how we could get them out of here without Gavril seeing us, as they turned and gaped at us, I had a moment of clarity, I knew how I would get them out of here.