"Ready, kid?" Malcom asks me the next day as we sit on the couch together, pretending not to notice each other. If anyone saw us conspiring, they'd know something was up. I nod discreetly and he hums to himself. "Brave, stupid, but brave."

I realize it's a compliment, but I don't want it. Not right now.

I have one thing on my mind and that is saving Dalton, and the rest of the world while I'm at it. All I need to do is follow the plan. I stand slowly, stretching my hands over my head and then I fake a shiver. "I'm going to go change into something warmer." I announce to no one in particular, getting a chin nod from Pedro and Lance over in the study.

Malcom keeps his eyes down while I walk over to my room and I sit on the foot of the bed. I need this to work. If I can't get them to agree, or worse, they've already done it, we'll be sunk and all of the careful planning that Malcom and I did will have been for nothing.

I slow my breathing, counting the beats of my heart to relax myself. I can do this.

Everything is going to work out because it has to.

I picture the lab, the man and woman bickering.

It takes longer than I wanted, but finally the tingles start in my fingers and toes and I take a deep breath before opening my eyes.

I hear a man's deep gurgling cough and snap my eyes open.

"Dalton." I gasp, seeing him wrapped in wet chains on the floor in the corner of the room, slumped against a wall with holes banged out through it the size of fists. He clearly put up a fight. I run to him, trying to touch him but he can't hear or see me and my hand just passes right through his strong arms. He coughs again, gagging on something they've got shoved down his throat.

"I had a feeling you'd be back."

I jerk away, looking behind me and find the red haired woman staring down at me, a coy smile in place. "I came to see you." I tell her, then glance around.

"He isn't here." She tells me, explaining the scientist's absence. "Even he has to feed eventually." She narrows her eyes at me. "Why are you back?"

"I told you." I straighten my back, tying not to look scared and trying not to focus on the sounds coming from Dalton. "I'm here to see you."

"Why?" She hisses softly, drawing out the word.

I take a small breath, needing to make this quick. "I want to trade." I tell her quickly. "Me for him."

"No." She whispers, leaning in. She's taunting me. Like a predator.

"You haven't heard me out yet." I insist.

She waves her hand in the air. "As much as I'd love to keep you, little astral girl, I can't." She sighs sadly. "We need him."

"I could be the one you're looking for." I won't take no as an answer. "He's strong, but that's all." I lie. "My ability is much stronger, and I'm much more...cooperative." I let a poker face take over, a mask of total coolness. Like we're discussing the humidity and not my life. "It would be a shame to let me slip by. My blood could be the answer." I see it in her eyes, she's on my hook. "And if not, use me as you will." I shrug. "Anyone could become your monster. You don't need him."

She looks around, her glowing eyes deep in thought and she tilts her head. "The others will be cross." She mutters to herself.

"What helps your cause the most? A strong man to be used as a monster, or a girl with real powers that might even be the key you've searched for. Your people are getting restless, aren't they?"

She shakes her head. "You're an interesting trophy for sure. You claim real power, but you don't know how to use it. I could teach you." She's not talking to me, she's weighing her options in her head.

"I'm a better trophy than you think." I tell her, it's my last card to play. "I'm...I'm the King's niece." I fall on the lie instead, better to keep at least one card up my sleeve.

A smile cracks across her face. "You're in the capitol right now?"

"I am."

Her smile fades. "This could be a trick."

I shake my head. "I assure you it isn't. And even if it were, I've seen what you and the other casters can do to a vampire. There'd be no winning."

I feel the tingling begin.

No. Not yet.

She sighs thoughtfully, looking over at Dalton.

"A king's niece, and a talent as well." She whispers. "Fine. Your life for his."

Dalton stirs on the ground, fighting against the chains, gagging on whatever is in his throat. "No." He grumbles out. "Rose. No." His voice his sharp and sounds like he's underwater, but I can understand him. "Don't. Be. Stupid."

"Hush, boy." The woman chides him. "Someone cares an awful lot about you."

Before I run out of time I tell her the rest of the plan.

She barely has time to agree before I fade out, Dalton's gurgled begs ringing in my ears.

I go straight to my desk and pull out three papers.

I write fast and with a purpose. Letters for just in case.

One for mom and dad, one for Logan, and one for Pedro.

If all goes well, they won't be needed. If it doesn't, Malcom will know where to find these. I want them to know how much I love each of them and that this decision was my own. I know what I'm doing, I know what I'm risking, but to me it is worth it. I've got to do this, not just for Dalton, but for the whole damn world.

I go back to into the suite and pretend to be sullen for a few hours more in the suite. Trying not to give anything away, but also trying to let Pedro know how much I love him. I watch him with Mathew and I can tell there is definitely something there, even if he's trying to fight it. I hope that he can find it in his heart one day to let someone else in.

Before I know it, it's time.

"Hey, Lance?" I meander over to him in the study, his nose in a book. He looks up expectantly and I feel like garbage for bringing him into this, but he's part of the plan. "I was wondering if you wanted to take a break? I could use some fresh air."

He smiles warmly, and my heart gets a little colder. "Sure thing." He practically jumps from the chair. "Garden?" He suggests and I nod along knowing that was the plan all along.

"Did you say you're going to the garden?" Malcom chimes in from the other room, appearing in the doorway. "I've been dying to see this." He folds his arms.

"I didn't invite you." I snap at him and he rolls his eyes.

"Oh, come on." He shakes his head. "Humor your dear old grandad."

My skin crawls, but I huff and nod. "Fine, but don't bother me." I grunt as we all three walk out together.

Lance prattles on about some cryptic writings he found in an old book that he thinks alludes to the casters. As if I hadn't already realized the truth of their existence.

The air out in the garden is fresh, it's rained recently, dressing the shrubs and flowers with little glittering drops of water that sparkle under the light of the moon.

"Sure is a beautiful night." Lance smiles up at the stars and I pray for her to be on time, I don't know how long I can keep this up.

She doesn't make us wait. "Indeed." She murmurs and Lance grabs me, yanking me to his side as she materializes out of thin air.

"Rose, run!" Lance screams, jumping for the woman, but Malcom floors him, taking him down and catching him off guard.

"I'm so sorry." I tell him, stepping over him and Malcom. Realization hits him and he shakes his head hollowly, still fighting with no luck. "Where is he?" I ask, walking to her.

"I needed to be sure you'd hold up your end." She grins, then waves her hand over the area beside her and his body appears.

"Rose, don't." He's weak, hardly able to sit up on his knees. "Please."

I drop in front of him, catching him before he falls to the side. "I'm going to be ok."

Please don't let my last words to him be a lie.

The woman clears her throat and I stand.

I turn away from him, my hands reluctant to leave his skin, but I follow the woman to the far side of the clearing. "Shall we?" She holds out her hand. I hesitate for only a moment and then slide my hand into her shockingly warm one. "I hope they don't kill you." She shrugs and the world around me disappears, rippling back in the woods.

I recognize the area from one of my visions and I follow her down a torch lit path.

Stopping at a little building hidden among the trees.

She opens the door and I follow her into the lab.

The man stands, his black eyes falling onto me. "What did you do?" He says angrily.

The woman ushers me in, sitting me down in front of one of the tables. "I made a good judgment call." She shrugs.

"By getting rid of my-our only chance?" The man's voice is acidic. "How could you be so stupid?"

The woman doesn't seem to take offense. "She's truly gifted, more so than she even knows. Her blood will be strong. She could be the one."

The door slams open again and I jump out of my seat until the woman slides me back down. "Great, Defario is here." I recognize that name. Malcom said he's the head of The Force. I guess up until now I've thought that the scientist was him. If not, then who is he?

"Tell me the rumors aren't true." His deep voice booms. "I'll rip the heads off of every one of your hippy-dippy-."

"You'd try." She snaps, spinning to face him, no fear in her eyes. "Test me, I've wanted to drop you since day one."

The scientist's chair skids across the floor. "Both of you stop it. It doesn't matter."

"Doesn't matter?" Defario gapes, his emerald green eyes looking at him like he's insane. "Elenora trades our best find for this scrawny little brat and you say it doesn't matter?"

Elenora barely rolls her eyes. "This brat," She points at me and I shrink under their glares. "Is not only a seer and astral, but she is related to the king. Even if her ability didn't make her extremely valuable, her connections do. We can use her to get to him at the very least."

This is good, let her sing my praises, it'll keep me alive longer.

Defario doesn't look interested. More like I'm a piece of gum stuck to his boot that he just wants to scrape off and be done with. "You ruined our plans! Our weapon is gone!" He looks as if he might take a swing at Elenora, but I think he knows better.

I stand and square my shoulders, I'm not just a prisoner here. I have a role to play. Show my worth, earn my keep. Malcom's words play over and over in my head. Play nice.

"Your little invention would have ended the entire world." I snap at him. "I saw it myself," A small lie, but it's believable. "That thing you wanted to make would've been the downfall to all of humanity."

Elenora and Defario drop their angry expressions and turn to me, but the scientist keeps his eyes down on his blood slide, the slightest of a twitch in the muscle of his cheek. This isn't news to him. Not like the others.

It's clear to me now.

Whoever this man is, he's the third player.

He's the one keeping the peace between the casters and The Force, and he's so obviously working his own angle. I just need to know what that is.

"No matter." He finally mutters, disinterested, or very good at pretending. My guess is a little of both. "We still have our main objective. The girl doesn't change that, in fact, she may just help."

"But what about-."

"Anyone can play monster for us, but if the girl is telling the truth, maybe that was a bad idea to begin with." Elenora says to herself, then smiles at me like I'm her favorite toy on the shelf, and I just might be.

I may have avoided one crisis, but whatever their main objective is still poses a threat.

I've got to find out what that is, while making sure I prove myself as a good and valuable ally. I need to bide my time, just until my family and friends can come up with a plan, which I hope happens fast.

My life quite literally depends on it.