When Roran returned with Nicolai in tow I was furious and more than a little nervous. They were talking among themselves in what I assumed was Russian, and my panic increased exponentially at the fact I couldn't understand their conversation.

Obviously seeing my distress, Roran held up his hands and explained, "Relax. Nicolai isn't here to turn you. I just thought if we told him what we know about Moroi that maybe he could help us."

My eyebrows rose in disbelief. "Um, sure, or he could rat us out and have us killed!"

"Da. Yes, I could. But you are dying anyway, so why worry?" Nicolai asked, smirking at me in challenge.

"It isn't me I'm worried about!" I snapped, glaring at him in return. "Roran has suffered enough and I don't trust you not to double-cross him after I'm gone!"

He grinned at me in response, his fangs glinting dangerously in the dim lighting. I shrank back; afraid he might change his mind about bleeding me dry.

Instead of attacking me however, he turned to Roran and said, "She really is a fascinating creature. I can see why you're so desperate to keep her."

Roran looked a bit sheepish, but instead of commenting on Nicolai's observation he turned to me and said, "Listen, Thea, I know this situation isn't ideal, but we need to find you a way out. Since Nicolai is in Moroi's inner circle there's a chance he knows things we don't. We don't have any other choice but to trust him."

"We have plenty of choices!" I shouted, incapable of standing still. I paced the floor, ranting angrily, "There are thousands of other people down here to ask! We may as well go right up to Moroi himself and tell him everything we know! Because that's the first thing Nicolai is going to do, Roran. Run and tell on us to his master like a good little mutt!"

A hiss worked its way past Nicolai's lips and he snarled, "Watch who you're calling names, human. I am not so inclined to help you that I will tolerate being spoken to in such a way."

I rolled my eyes and continued my pacing. He didn't scare me nearly as much with Roran standing so close.

"And stop your pacing!" he snarled at me, his pupils swelling ominously and his fangs elongating. "Don't you know predators like a chase?"

 I froze in place, realizing both pairs of eyes had been observing my movements with rapt attention. Roran shifted his weight and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"We can't go around asking other creatures in purgatory for a way out. First, because they don't know. If they did they all would have left ages ago. Second, because they would rather kill us on the spot than talk to us. Nicolai is one of the few people in purgatory who might actually agree to help us."

I threw my hands in the air and said, "Fine! Whatever. Tell him. But if he betrays us don't say I didn't warn you."

"Duly noted," he replied with a small smile.

I sat with my arms crossed in protest as he relayed everything we had found out about Moroi. Nicolai stood leaning against the wall, his posture and facial features never changing despite the heavy implications of what Roran was telling him, indicating he wasn't surprised by any of it. More than ever I felt like it was a mistake to trust him.

When Roran's story was finished Nicolai sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "I had suspected Moroi was doing something like this," he said, shaking his head. "It is why I warn my coven against taking his deals.  I didn't think it would be as glorious as he made it sound."

"He never made it sound glorious when he explained it to me," I said, remembering my encounter with the king. "I think all he said was I would have an eternity to get used to either situation."

Nicolai stared at me for several moments. "I don't understand. You met with Moroi and he let you walk away human?"

"No, I was partly a vampire when I arrived here." I could tell from the confusion on his face that I wasn't explaining things well.

"How can you be partly a vampire?"

Roran decided to interject with, "Her body was still transitioning between human and vampire when she was killed. Or at least that's what we believe."

"How, if she were dead, would she be able to return to her human form?" Nicolai asked, obviously not believing us.

Roran and I shared a look, both of us unwilling to share that information. He would have a target on his back from this day forward if word got out that his blood had cured me.

 "We aren't sure on the details," Roran hedged, not completely lying. "And it doesn't matter. We're here to discuss Moroi, not Alethea."

"Ah. So that's her name. Alethea. How...unusual. It suits you," Nicolai said, gazing at me in a way that made me very uncomfortable.

"That's all you care about after what we've told you? My name? Don't you think we should be discussing Moroi? Or possible ways out of purgatory?" I snapped at him.

Nicolai shook his head and gave me a look of feigned anguish. "Both would be pointless, I'm afraid."

Roran grabbed him up by his shirt and slammed him against the wall. "Why? Tell us what you know!"

The bared fangs inches from Roran's face didn't seem to scare him at all. Despite how much Nicolai fought to free himself from Roran's hold it was obvious he wasn't getting free until Roran got his answers.

"It is pointless to discuss because if Moroi is stopped someone else will just take his place. It is pointless to discuss because this has been going on for eons. And it is pointless to discuss because there is no way out!" Nicolai hissed in Roran's face.

Turning to look at me, he smiled evilly and whispered, "And you, my dear Alethea, are going to die here. Painfully. Slowly. You are both lying to yourselves if you think otherwise."

Before Nicolai could take another breath Roran had tossed him bodily from the cave. Flames crept up along his arms again and he quickly moved to follow Nicolai's falling body out of the cave. I clambered down the rocks as quickly as I could, but since returning to my human form I wasn't nearly as graceful.

When I finally reached the bottom, I found Roran standing over a recently decapitated Nicolai. I cringed and retched at the sight, turning away and putting my head in my hands.

"You shouldn't have followed us down," Roran's voice whispered above me. "I know this type of thing bothers you."

I turned back to him, incredulous. "This type of thing? You mean murder? Yes, seeing people killed does tend to bother me, Roran!"

He frowned at me, but looked somewhat guilty. "I had to kill him. He would have gone to Moroi."

"Are you kidding me?!" I shouted. "I told you that was what was going to happen! If you had just listened to me in the first place you never would have had to kill him!"

He nodded. "I know. And I'm sorry. But I was willing to chance it if there was a way he could get you out."

I placed the palms of my hands against my eyelids and took deep breaths in an attempt to calm down.

When it didn't seem like my anger was going to fade any time soon I gave up and snarled, "Stop making decisions about me without asking me! This is my life, Roran. I choose how I will live it. And how I leave it."

He had the decency to look a bit ashamed, but made no other indication to show that he heard – or agreed. We stood glaring at each other in the dim light for what seemed like ages. Eventually he broke eye contact and lifted Nicolai's body onto his broad shoulders. He turned and walked off into the darkness without another word to me and I wanted to curse a blue streak. In my anger I flipped him the bird and made my slow way back up to the cave.

About a quarter of the way up the wall my vision started to swim and my heart felt like it was pounding out of my chest. I tried to wait it out but it seemed to only get worse as time went on. As I reached for the next handhold my fingers slipped and my stomach dropped with horror as I fell backward.

It was lucky I hadn't climbed very high. As I landed on the unforgiving stone the wind was knocked from my lungs and it hurt, badly, but I didn't break any bones.

 For several minutes all I could do was lie there in the corridor on my back trying to regain my breath. I knew from here on out I wouldn't be able to climb up to the cave. Starvation was taking its toll on me and I was quickly losing energy. It wouldn't be long before my organs began to shut down.

You could end it quickly, the little voice in my head whispered. There are plenty of big bad monsters around who would be more than happy to kill you.

Not to mention my death would force Roran to move on and prevent him from making any more stupid decisions that would get him killed. The idea definitely had its merits. But could I do it?

I took a deep breath and stood up on shaky legs. My muscles protested and I winced. Before I could change my mind I forced my legs to carry me away from the cave and into the dark.

My only regret was leaving Roran behind in this hellhole. I felt bad about it, but what could I do? There was no way out. And I most certainly wasn't returning to vampirism. Not for him, not for anyone.

It took me longer than it should have to realize I was being followed. I was so caught up in my morbid thoughts that I hadn't been focused on my surroundings. The sound of fluttering wings echoed through the corridor behind me, getting closer and closer as the minutes passed. I didn't run or try to hide. What would be the point? I wanted to die. I just wanted it all to be over.

The waiting was horrible. It gave me time to plot out every possible scenario, and my mind was a dark place. Eventually, when no attack came I turned around to face the shape-shifter in confusion.

But there was no one there. I blinked several times, trying to figure out what was going on. The dark made it hard to see, sure, but there was nowhere for it to hide. The hall was completely empty. Shaking my head, I realized my extreme hunger must have been causing me to hallucinate.

"Psst!" I heard from around the corner in front of me. "Hey, over here!"

I peeked around the corner, halfway expecting to see a hoard of angry monsters waiting to pounce. Instead there was only a boy. He was young, probably sixteen at most with big bright eyes and tattered clothes.

I eyed him suspiciously, knowing nothing here was ever as it seemed.

"Who are you? Were you the one following me?" I asked him, refusing to move any closer despite his urging.

The boy seemed uncomfortable, shifting from foot to foot. "My name's Oliver," he replied in a whisper. "And I know the way out of here."

...

Here you go! Hope you guys like this one. Leave me a comment if you want  and a vote please!