I think I'm dying.

Scratch that, I'm pretty sure that I am in fact dying.

My whole body aches. It screams when I move, so I haven't done much of that. As equally as painful as my bodily pain, my mind swirls with daggers of uncertainty. Did I make a huge mistake? No, surely not. Giving my life to save the life of someone I care about can never be wrong, can it? Was my first sort of kind of act as Castrum's princess a royal bust? Did I only save Dalton for a short while, leaving him and the rest of my friends and family and the whole world to still die at the hands of this evil anyway.

This is the moment of truth.

The moment I find out whether or not this is how I'm going to die.

The man brought me out of my closet.

The first time I've moved in 24 long painful hours. I haven't even used the bathroom, not that I've needed to. I haven't had any food or water pass my lips since they took all of that blood now days ago.

Why waste anymore provisions on her until we know if she's worth it or not, Defario had said. To please him, giving him a small victory, the other two agreed.

I lay slumped over the table, my feet barely dangling over the cold floor. I lift my head just enough to turn and watch the man typing out some things on his little tablet and then mark them down in his notebook. I'm waiting on the result of the test. The one that decides my fate here once and for all.

I lick my dry cracked lips, but it doesn't help any. "What's in all of this for you?" I croak, my skill for subtly long forgotten. Even Malcom's little voice has abandoned me. Even he knows when a situation is hopeless.

He barely raises an eyebrow, eyes focused on his little machine. "Curious little thing." He mumbles.

I blink once, almost giving into the temptation to keep my eyes closed. "I wonder," I whisper quietly, knowing I'm taking a risk, but taking it anyway. "The force is being lied to," pushing my luck here, but desperate times... "The casters are being lied to too, aren't they?" The slight twitch in his cheek is all the conformation I need and all I'll get. "I want to prove my worth and my allegiance to your cause, but to do that I have to know what that is, and I think we both know that you're the only person here who knows what is really going on."

One side of his mouth curls up into an almost smile. "You're an interesting child, I will give you that." He sighs. "But I also don't trust you. I learned long ago to never trust anyone but myself. Your own are the only motives you can judge. The only thing you can count on from other people, is that they are always going to be looking out for their own best interest." He turns his black eyes on me and I might as well be writing out my will. I know I won't win him over. "I know that the other two see worth in your gift and an advantage that you could give them, but if it is honesty that you seek from me, I see your gift as a grave issue for me and for my plans. I also don't believe you want what you claim. I think you're smart enough to know how to stay alive and the others are blinded by what they think you can do for them. It's a game I too know how to play." I'm a little surprised by his outright admission. But it isn't good for me. It means he's calling me out on playing the same game, and there is only enough room for one winner here.

"What is your plan?" I figure it can't hurt to ask. He's called my bluff, so there isn't anything left to hide on my end. "I know that The Force will be dead soon. They follow you blindly and for a group so dead set on vampire supremacy, I know whatever you offered them is supposed to help them in their takeover of Castrum." I close my eyes for a second, thinking it out in my mind. I feel his eyes on mine and when I open them again, I find him grinning. He is impressed. I'm on the right track. "Defario mentioned something about injections. You want my guess?"

He folds his arms, bemused. "Proceed."

"Defario must think you are using the blood of legacies to create an injection that will make them stronger. Maybe even make him able to obtain the special abilities that legacies have. He wants to become stronger, bigger and better than the royals so that he can take over and run things his way." My mouth is so dry, but I force through the sandpaper feel on my tongue. "Poor idiot doesn't realize he's nothing but a puppet on your string. There are no injections. Once you've used him to overthrow Castrum you and the casters will kill them. Which, by the way, is a secret of yours that I haven't shared, though I could have to get on Defario's good side."

"Defario has no good side." He shrugs.

I nod against the table, my hollow cheek sticking. "True."

"And what else do you think you know?" He asks, his voice is low and even. Too even. He's edging to see if I really do know too much. He suspects it, but he isn't sure.

I wish I could put on a strong show, but my body is too weak. I close my eyes, but I keep going. "Elenora," I croak. "She told me that you hate vampires more than any other person. She even said you and a good reason, but someone who hates them as much as you won't be happy with just wiping out their poison from the world. You hate them. You don't want to heal them with a cure, you want them dead. All of them, and everyone. You knew exactly what you were doing with my friend and what he would become." I smile smugly, opening my eyes a crack. I know I'm treading shark infested waters here and that at any minute he could chose to end me, but what is life without a few risks? Especially a life that could be seconds away from ending anyway. Go out with a bang, right? If I die here, I'm going to make sure he knows he isn't as smooth and sneaky as he thinks. I will expose him, if only to himself, and I will hope with my last breath that it will plant seeds of doubt in him and that he'll start to crack under the pressure of his secrets that he thought were so well hidden. "Elenora doesn't know the truth, but that's another secret of yours I've been nice enough to keep. The casters would never support your real plan. No one would. It's the end of the world. It's monstrous."

I have to close my eyes, but I hear the anguish and hatred in his voice. "You have no idea of the things I've been through, little girl." He snaps. "I only ever wanted to do good, and to protect my people, my family, from their kind. And now look at me!" I do so slowly. "This is what those devil creatures you belong to do! They are nothing but evil and a world where they exist isn't a world worth living in. When all is said and done, there will be no world left, and no lives left for them to destroy. I only hope I get to make my exit as well. I pray to fall with the world." He lowers his voice, his shoulders lowering back down from their angry high positions and he soothes back down into his chair. "In another life, people will be grateful to me. I'm not destroying the world, I'm saving it. I took an oath what seems like many lifetimes ago, to serve and help my people." His voice is hardly a whisper now. "I'm finishing the job." We fall silent for a few minutes, the only sounds my own ragged breaths, and the beeping of the little device in front of him. He looks over at me, then slowly turns to check the screen. This is it. He tisks his tongue, turning back to me. "Bad news for you." He sighs. "I've got one last idea to try with your human blood, which I will require some more of now, then your time here is up." He reaches out to pat my head before dragging my arm over to him. "You played a good game, child. And I hope we meet in that other life where you can thank me." He pulls out a new set of needles and tubing and defeat burns a hole in my chest. "Elenora!" He yells and a few minutes later she strolls in, the wind in her hair. She smiles until she sees my face.

"Oh, bad news?" She sighs.

"Bad for you and Defario," He shrugs once. "Your little toy is about to go out of style. Keep her quiet, will you?"

Smart, because I was about to spew all of his secrets. Elenora raises a hand to me, shaking her head. "A pity." She mutters before closing her eyes and a string of chants fall from between her lips. My mouth suddenly goes from dry, to overcrowded. I feel as if my tongue is swelling, cutting off my air way, but when I touch my hand to it, it feels normal. "That'll last you about an hour. Now, you're sure I can't keep her?" She asks, sounding hopeful. "I can take her away from here, lock her up until it's all over if you're concerned."

I know his answer before he give it. "No, Elenora."

She comes to my side, sliding her hand down my cheek. "Sorry, maybe in another life." She shakes her head, walking away from me. "Defario is going to be pleased."

The man smiles. "I don't know how pleased he'll be." He tells her. "She won't have enough blood left when I'm through to be much use to him."

She leaves us and I feel the needle dig into my skin.

There's no fight left in me, and no use anyway. I feel myself slipping away with every ticking second, until my world fades to black and the pain is finally gone.

I'm sorry guys, I really did try.

I snap my eyes open as a hand leaves a stinging slap across my cheek. I taste blood on impact and stars swirl before my eyes. Bewildered I look around in shock. How am I not dead?

I glance around the space, I'm in the torch circle, a few feet away from the blood tub. My arms scream out in pain and I slowly look up to see the thin rough ropes that encircle my wrists, digging and twisting into my skin the more I move. I'm hanging from a low hung branch, my tip toes barely toughing the ground. My mind is racing, the beat of my heart physically hurts and I'm crippled with confusion. Right up until a dark figure moves out of the shadows to my right, licking his fangs as he stalks in front of me.

No, no, no! Why did I have to wake up for this? Pass out! Pass out!

"You don't look excited to see me." He shakes his head, rolling up the sleeves of his black uniform.

"I'm not." I spit at him, then jump a little when I register that my voice is back. I go to scream for help, then remember where I am. No one can see or hear me while I'm in the circle. This is hopeless.

He laughs deep in his throat, then whips his other hands across my other cheek. My vision blurs. "I gave you a tiny sip of my blood," He informs me, circling me where I hang like the predator he is. "They almost took all of yours, which wouldn't have made you very fun for me." He smiles, showing of his fangs again and loving the look on my face. He steps closer, whispering into my face. "You know, when I was a boy, my mother always scolded me for playing with my food first. She said it was impolite." I try to look anywhere but at him, but he won't let me. "The older I've gotten though, the more and more fun it's gotten." I feel hot bile rise up my throat like a million little needles as his hands land on my hips, his nails digging deep into my flesh. He leans in further, his lips touching my ear. "I'm not much of a cubs fan I'm afraid." He whispers, shaking his head, then he swiftly rips my hoodie, right down the middle like it was nothing more than wet paper between his fingers. I want to scream. I want to die. "Now, that's better." His filthy eyes take me in and I have to turn my head, I won't give him the pleasure of seeing my tears.

That's when I see him.

Like a burning beacon, calling me to safety from the middle of an eternal hell, he enters the clearing at the far side of camp. My heart jumps from my chest, trying to abandon my body and go to him and his eyes sweep the area, looking right past me. My heart shatters a little, but I can't let Defario, who has his face buried in my hair, see him or the three other men who follow him silently into the clearing.

I watch them flank each other, Dalton taking the lead, holding a hand up beside his head to give a hand signal to the others and all together they move forward, leading them towards the lab at the back of camp.

I want to scream for them.

I'm not in there! I'm right here!! Save me!

I have to buy time. They have to find me, they just have to. I can't go out like this. Not when they are so close. I turn back to Defario, holding in my tears. "They're lying to you!" I yell. "They don't want to help you, and you're just too stupid to see it. That's what they said!"

I'm so shocked by his swift movement I almost don't even hear the loud cracking sound as his elbow connects with my ribs, I definitely feel it though. "They already warned me of your tricks." He snaps. "That's why you're here with me, because of your little lying mouth." He grabs my face hard and slams his lips against mine. I cry out as he forces his tongue into my mouth, the very last of my strength and resolve zapped right out of me. My body just hangs limply in front of him and he enjoys my submission.

Suddenly, in a flash of movement, Dalton appears behind Defario, a large boulder in his hands as he crushes it against the back of Defario's head. Dalton's eyes find mine for only a second, but he has a job to finish, and I smile as I watch him go to it.

Defario falls back, taken by surprise and Dalton quickly grabs a small rock from the ground and sends it flying so fast and with so much force it slices right through my rope and I fall to the ground, a bag of brittle bones and tears. I pull what's left of my hoodie around me and I shiver hard into it.

It's ok. You're ok. He's here.

Only it isn't ok. I'm not ok. My sobs only make my broken ribs protest more and more and I feel the urge to vomit but I have nothing inside of me.

Defario lunges for Dalton, calling for backup that won't hear him.

It's the hour before sunrise, no one is coming.

You can almost see Dalton's rage rolling off of him as he charges for Defario, the two slamming into each other with a loud bang. Dalton's bigger and stronger, easily tackling Defario beneath him, but Defario jerks forward, biting into Dalton's bicep, making him howl in pain. Dalton whips his head back and then shoots it forward, connecting with Defario's and sending him flying back to his back again. Defario has barely hit the ground when Dalton spins to the side, ripping one of Defario's arms clean off like a Barbie doll, then swings it back and slap Defario with his own hand.

Defario swings with his other arm and makes a connection with Dalton's jaw, throwing him off balance just long enough for Defario to crawl from beneath him and get back to his feet, grabbing up Dalton in a one armed choke hold. Dalton bucks back but on his knees he's at a disadvantage.

I shove shakily up from the ground, picking up the biggest rock I can manage, tears streaming down my face and my ribs protesting I slam the rock down on the back of his head. I fall too with the force but it distracts Defario, his food fighting back, and Dalton takes back the upper hand. When Defario turns for me Dalton sweeps his legs under him, knocking him to the ground, then pins him down with one knee to the chest while he reaches an arm back and yanks away Defario's left leg.

I crawl away as with the sweep of his hand and a spray of blood he deftly pulls away the skin and muscle alike, leaving nothing but bone in his hands which he yields as a weapon, using it to stab Defario over and over. Both eye sockets, in the gut, in the chest, everywhere. Blood sprays up into the air. My stomach should be turning, but it isn't, I might even be smiling through my tears.

I scream as arms encircle me, but then his smoky blue eyes come into focus and I fall into him. "Daddy!" I cry out. I cling to him and he kisses the side of my head and holds me carefully, not touching my side. "I've got you baby."

Dalton's grunts still fill the air and Dad scoots away from me to grab Dalton's hand, stopping him mid swing with the leg bone. "Son, that's enough." He says gently, trying to calm Dalton, but Dalton's eyes still hold pure unadulterated rage as he stares down at the body that used to be Defario, but now looks more like a mess of bloody guts and mismatched body parts.

"Do you know what he was about to do to her?" He screams, his voice not even sounding like his own.

My dad goes to shush him, but then his eyes trail back to me, taking in my ripped clothes and bruises. His eyes go black as he turns to grab Defario's severed arm and create a bone sword of his own which he jabs directly into the area that used to be Defario's groin before he lights some of the clothing from the ground with the torches and then sets fire to the remains.

Dalton's eyes find mine again as the fire burns, they're wild and wide with worry and something else. Disbelief? Did he not think they'd be able to find me? I had the same fear myself. He sighs, his shoulders sinking slightly as he watches my dad carefully lift me from the ground and cradle me to his chest.

"You're safe now." Dalton whispers, such a contrast to his yelling just seconds ago.

My dad scans the area as he steps out of the circle, Malcom and Lance appearing behind us as Dalton leads the way to the trail that will take me away from this nightmare.

"You're ok now, everything is going to be ok." Daddy whispers.

I should tell him. I should tell him that nothing is ok. The danger isn't gone.

I should tell him that for now I may be safe, but the whole world is another story.

I should, but instead I give in, falling into a painful black sleep against my father's cool chest.