Some days passed at the ship before we finally got out.

I was what one called seasick. The day after Uriel and Yves came to deliver food I was nauseous. I thought I needed blood, imagining Uriel offering his for a moment, until Yves claimed it was seasick.

"What's that? Are you sure I have such an illness?"

"Yes," he said adamantly. "It'll cure you if you lay on your back on your bed, don't talk, nor eat."

"Is that true?" I was sure it was a plot of his because he hated me and wanted me to suffer so I looked at Uriel for help. He shrugged.

"I'm not good with vampire illnesses."

"Seasick is not an illness," Yves said, "it's because they aren't used to being on a ship."

"Then shouldn't she get some fresh air?" Uriel asked uncertainly.

"No!" Yves was really pushing it. "Anyways, don't worry, we will explore the ship with the girls so they can leave you alone."

Like that, I had spent countless days, which was apparently four days, in the ship.

When I finally stepped off the boat with my face washed this time, my beauty was not as radiant as before, because I was 'seasick'. Yet thankfully once I got off the boat I wasn't ill and I put on my bonnet before going down the boat, Uriel holding my hand, and gasped at the world.

It was—so plain!

Tall big houses were everywhere, clustered, and people were all moving by at a fast pace. The five of us stood to the side away from them, and I watched but my nose was filling up with the smell of human flesh and blood. Similarly, it was filled up with the bad smells, sweat, human fluids, the smell of people not bathing, soiled clothing, many things I wish to not describe.

"It stinks!" Adalyn said, holding her nose. Lark, too, was hiding her face in my skirts. I looked down and wished I could be a child again and hide my face in public. I looked at the two men.

"It smells like home," Uriel said.

"My home smells like roses," Yves boasted.

"What is this?" I asked. "It's the same as Jardin! My castle is prettier than any of these buildings! Even the cottages are!"

"Listen, we are in a port city. It's supposed to be ugly," Yves said. "Now we head to the city, to a safe place."

"Where?" I asked.

"You'll know when you get there. Here, Lark, want this? It's called chocolate."

Lark cheered. "Thank you, Yves!" When had they became so close?

"Does Yves have something for younger girls?" I asked no one in particular, narrowing my eyes. Uriel heard and turned around.

"No. Yves is really a nice person. He has been ostracized but deep inside, he relates to you most of all."

"No, we aren't the same!" I said defiantly. Uriel shrugged and hoisted the two luggage bags he and Yves had as Yves pointed everything out to the children.

"I couldn't care less. Is this it? The outside?" I was disappointed.

"No, you have to look ahead, Margery." Uriel pointed.

It was a long street down. I could see more people but pretty architectures now. They looked almost like the church in Jardin. Only here, there were many buildings like that. I broke apart from them and wandered down.

"Wait!" Uriel and Yves shouted.

They ran over with the other girls, who also raised their heads. The sun was nearly blocked. The buildings were immensely pretty to the point they were indescribable. Some had iron gates of circular patterns and boxed flower beds up the windows. I turned, where there were stranger building. Ones with huge glass windows of colored glass and almost like a smaller castle.

"That's a house with flats! It's adorable, isn't it? People live inside, floor by floor. That's a library. My university has one. It's really big, like a castle, famous for many original records about vampires, under glass in tables." Yves was smiling as though we weren't vampires.

"Really?" I asked Uriel. We walked behind them, and it had been a long time since we were alone. He nodded.

"One day I'll bring you to my university. Anywhere you want to go." He was quiet for a while as we walked, the smell turning more into perfume and less sweat. "I was honest when I said I wanted to bring you outside."

"I still haven't forgiven you for lying. For telling me to kill Agnes to destroy my clan. I have my pride, as the clan's Queen Butterfly," I said angrily, and then I mellowed without knowing why. Maybe it was his hanging of his head and the glasses that made him look like Uriel—the real Uriel. "But I am grateful you are taking care of my sisters."

"No, I barely did anything. But you know, you girls can take off the bonnets or whatever you don't want to wear."

"I only have boots, and my hair would be visible if I took it off—"

Leaning forward, Uriel untied my bonnet and pulled it off my head. I looked away from his face as he came closer and reached for what tied my hair back. He pulled away my ribbon and brushed out my curls with his fingers.

"But my beauty—" I hissed, looking around. Not a single women in their makeup nor dress could match up to me in my plain brown canvas dress. I was going to stand out.

"It's fine, Margery. I'm here. Hold my hand."

And it didn't raise any suspicion. People walked about, some in strange clothing. I watched in surprise as they smiled and laughed without turning an eye to me.

I was still much more beautiful, but I did envy the dresses they wore, the boots and shoes that showed. The pearls on their neck and hats with many beads and hat pins. Most of all, their dresses were bright with color. Life.

Jardin and it's rainy skies were no more.

Realizing that, I wanted to scream out in joy.

***

We walked for along time before we boarded what was a train. I pulled at Adalyn and Bernadette to see, because Lark had fell asleep and Yves was propping her up next to him. Her face was tranquil.

"Look! It's a building! It's another! They can't compare to the castle at all, or Jardin's houses," I said proudly.

"They have horses," Adalyn whispered when we passed green pastures with the dirty creatures. "I want one."

"To eat?" I asked.

"No, Margery. I want to ride one as it runs."

Uriel gave me a strange look I ignored.

"Bernadette, are you watching?"

"The weather looks nice." With that, Bernadette settled into her seat next to Adalyn on the train. Next to me was Uriel, and Yves and Lark were in a different seat. Us four faced one another and while Adalyn and I spoke, Uriel talked with Bernadette.

Both Adalyn and I got tired of the window once we reached the countryside and all we saw were small cottages. It was noon and the days were cloudy so we didn't have to hide from the sun—yet. The places, though, seemed similar to Jardin and I wished I could return to the place called the city.

Bernadette was asking about the place we were going to.

"It's a big house like any here, I believe, very old, but it will have a room for you girls. I promise no one will disturb you, and it will be safe. Yves promised," Uriel said, trying to comfort us. But it didn't.

"Yves is not trustworthy!" I lowered my voice. "He despises me!"

"But he doesn't hate Lark, or Adalyn and Bernadette." He was serious, and I found myself angry. He was right. Then why did I feel this way?

"But what about me? Doesn't it matter to you that Yves only cares for them?"

"Of course not!"

"You don't care if I'm killed," I said.

"Margery!"

In a moment, he held my face, squeezing my cheeks. Adalyn made a sound hinting at something and Bernadette gave one quick laugh.

"Let me go, Uriel—"

"Listen, Margery! I will not let you be killed or even hurt by anything! I love you!"

I saw Yves and Lark turn from the corner of my eyes and pushed him back, hard. His hands left my face and I was hot with anger. How dare me subject me to such humiliation!

"I am not in love with you!" I said quickly. "You're not in love with me either, or else why—"

Why would he chase after me on the ship?

Why come with Yves and leave Dr.Gregoire and Cecile behind?

Why tell me to not kill Agnes and that he would take me outside?

Huh, no, that's not why. I was getting confused, and looked at the two fifteen year old vampire girls in front of me. They both smirked. I wanted to scold them but I was stunned into silence.

Vampires a decade younger were looking down on me!

And when I turned to Uriel, he smiled gently. Why? I had just said I didn't love him. I couldn't.

The scene outside became more and more clustered, houses together with front lawns covered in flowers, and white or brown fences. It was such a pretty place, even though it was all small and with such big, open windows. Somehow, they reminded me of Uriel.

"Did you grow up in a house like that?" I whispered softly.

"No," he said, "I grew up in a very old, but bigger house. Back when my father was alive he had a room of books, a true library. He was interested in not only vampires, but our history with them, and ways to have treaties. He met a famous clan once, and they left him unharmed because he was so well-versed in their history."

"But he died in our clan." To me. The vampire you claim to love.

"Where and how he died doesn't matter. What he accomplished in his life did. I always believed that instead, because that's what Gregoire said." Uriel closed his eyes. "He's been a second father to me ever since. He aspired to be like my father, only sometimes I think they are both in a realm together I can never reach..."