Another meeting was held, of course, because life had grown too chaotic, only this time it was for the vampires.

The three younger girls stood there, and Cecile walked over to bend down before them, and patted their heads.

"It's nothing serious, Adalyn, Bernadette, Lark."

They looked at one another but Adalyn gripped Lark's hand tighter, and Lark's eyes were watering.

"Is it true they will come and hurt us?" Bernadette asked for the group.

"No, they won't. We've lived here this long, haven't we?"

"We will live here and the humans won't change that." I walked over to them and thought of what I really want. I didn't want them here, attacking my sisters, but at the same thing, this castle was a cage.

These crumbling grey stones, stone floors nicked by our heels, the small windows hardly enough for a head to fit, the dark, the gloom, the humidity—

"Forever and ever?" Lark asked. She pulled on Cecile's fingers. Cecile smiled. It was a fake one.

"Yes, Lark."

I caught Cecile's guilty eyes and then she quickly focused on the younger girls.

"So don't worry."

"Is Agnes mad?" Adalyn had asked, face somber for a girl her age. They knew the terrible things that Agnes did when she was mad, and I was usually at the end of her ire. When we had those fights, the girls stayed up in their room, the same room Cecile, Sabine, and I.

I turned to Sabine and Primrose, who stood by together, but while Sabine was facing ahead, brows slightly furrowed, Primrose was, for once, unable to dance around like the evil imp she was.

After a few minutes, the doors opened and Agnes entered, sharpe black silhouette followed by the other two in their drab dresses.

Agnes didn't even sit before she spoke.

"Margery, how has it been going?"

"Has what?" I asked, pretending to be oblivious.

"Has it been going with the artist."

"It's very well, he's very nice."

"That's not what I'm asking," her jaw tensed, "are you pregnant?"

I didn't reply.

"Have you slept with him? How many times?"

I had not slept with him, and somehow, I was glad. I had thought, of course, of trading my freedom with a child I didn't care for, but something had changed. No matter what, even if I didn't love their father, love them while they were in my womb, if they were there, I could not hand them over to Agnes.

"She hasn't," Primrose spoke. It was uncalled for, and I could tell it annoyed Agnes.

"I'm asking Margery. So?"

"He's not getting seduced."

"You wasted nearly three months, do you realize that? Did you see the incident last time? I can't keep these men here any longer, I can't have them lying to you girls and giving you false ideas. I need them gone."

"But I haven't slept with—"

"You're useless."

I stared at her as she said that. Words I never thought I'd hear. I was the Queen Butterfly, the one who took over her mother's position. Cecile's position. The leader of the Sixth Generation. The most beautiful and special of them, the one who was in the tower. As much as I hated that position, it—it was my identity.

"What are you planning then?" I raced to speak. "I can do it, I know, just give me time."

"There's no time."

"I'll sleep with him! If not Uriel then someone else—"

Why was I being so desperate? I didn't want to beat a child. I didn't want to be submitting to any men, either, I was not going to beg them. And I didn't love any of them. Then why?

I knew the answer the moment Agnes turned her long neck, black lace collar against the white skin, and stopped, face on her.

Sabine.

"Sabine, you—"

"I want to do it!"

Primrose had walked forward, chest puffed out before she drew her long fingers right between her olive breasts revealed from the low neckline, to her heart.

"I'm tired of Marg having all the fun. I have been thinking for some time, I can seduce them so much easier. She hardly talks to anyone but Uriel, while I talk to all of them. They know me, and trust me."

If I had heard that in any other situation I would've scoffed, or at least called her stupid. Trust? From the humans? To her?

Yes, it was funny, but here, the Elders had forgotten all about Sabine and I wanted to sigh, only I kept it in. I knew Primrose better than I ever imagined.

The Elders turned to one another, and Selma whispered something to Agnes. Ever since the humans attacked us, Selma and Rowena had grown more demure, no longer cackling like witches. Agnes, too, had changed the way she used to walk, head raised and lips pursed. They should've heeded my warnings earlier.

"She'll seduce Yves," Agnes announced.

Yves? No, I couldn't let her do that. If Yves found out about we were using them, we would all be shot. One pull of the trigger, and I could kiss the world farewell.

"No," I said quickly, stepping forward. "Yves loves me!"

They looked at me, Agnes frowning, Sabine hiding a smile, and Primrose scowling.

"I'll win him over," Primrose hissed. Oh, no, I shouldn't have said that. Now Primrose will set her sights on him, and try and defeat me.

"Oh, but he did tell me he cares more about bodies than faces, and how Cecile had a big bosom," I made up on the spot. "He's a pervert, and is quick to fall in love. More like lust. He's an easy man to win over."

Cecile looked mortified. Maybe I had gone too far.

"I don't want him," Primrose suddenly said. Yes, thank goodness for her simplistic personality.

"Karl is nice," Cecile offered.

"Marcel's kind, too," I added. He was the weakest of them all, and I believed he wouldn't harm us. "If you look carefully, his freckles are absolutely darling. Oh, his long nose, too."

Primrose crossed her arms. "I don't know."

"Don't waste any more time," Agnes repeated for the third time. "Marcel will do."

I looked at Primrose, who managed to nod and flip back her hair.

"But he looks weak."

"So Karl?"

"Let me think." I could feel it—she was going to go for Uriel.

"Just choose one already!" Agnes snapped. Even Primrose stiffened.

"Give her time," I replied. "It's a life choice, and Primrose is beautiful, she'll get whoever she wants."

They all looked at me funny.

"Of course, if she shuts her mouth," I added. That seemed to have diverted their suspicious.

"Yves or Marcel, then," Primrose said, sounding defeated. "Karl is always with Dr.Gregoire."

"We'll have to separate Yves and Marcel, as they work together. Sabine, can you manage that?" Agnes turned to her.

Sabine nodded. "Yes."

They continued on talking but I could only focus on Primrose. She wouldn't meet my eyes, but I knew her plan, or at least part of it. When the night drew close, Cecile walked the younger girls to bed so only me, Primrose, and Sabine were left.

The three of us stood in a triangle, unable to speak first. Then Primrose finally spoke.

"I don't care what you do from now on, Marg, but don't interfere with my plans."

I was just about to respond when Sabine went first.

"Thank you."

"I didn't do it for you—"

"Thank you, Primrose. Thank you, Margery." She tipped her head forward so we couldn't see her eyes, but I could tell by the way she clasped her hands. We had grown up together and I knew it when she was sad. "I've always thought you two did it to keep the clan going, to keep our bloodline pure, but tonight I realized what I should've." She looked up. "It's not about purity and strength. It's about how fast we can become the terrifying clan we've called ourselves for centuries, isn't it?"

"We're not terrifying," I said, wry smile on my lips. "We're so weak, and our rules have never made sense. Killing parents for children to blossom in the beauty of loneliness and despair."

"We've all felt that, haven't we?" She turned to Primrose, who clammed up. "Like your mother killed mine, your mother was eventually killed, too."

Primrose looked down, and blinked out a tear. I had never seen her in such weakness, and there and then she looked angelic.

"I'm so sorry, Sabine."

"Don't be. We can get over this quickly." Her eyes darkened. "We can take over this generation, and the children—Adalyn, Bernadette, and Lark—we will never vote them out."

"Yes."

"And we will live here in our castle forever, wouldn't we" Then she turned and stare me right in the eyes. "Right, Margery?"

Our castle, she had called it.

She didn't know I'll eventually leave. That I'll bring Cecile and even her, and all the girls with me to the outside.

If she would even listen to me.

"Of course," I whispered, looking down.

Of course I'll save you.

You were all I lived and went through all the Elder's torture for. You, with your sweet blood and sweeter words.