Be Careful When You Bite me

Be Careful When You Bite Me

Chapter One

The night's cold glare gazed over my body as I fought through constant harsh winds. Upper north, there stood my car, glinting as if gazing passionately towards the moon.

Hell of a lot of winds for an October, I thought, finally reaching my car. I unlocked the door and got in, feeling relief from the cold as it washed over me. I took a few minutes to think but there was no other thought other than the fact that I was lost and my phone had died. I had to be at least a couple of hours away from home and the thought to take a road trip all alone was quickly turning into the worst idea I had ever had. I let my muscles relax, seeming as if they don't have to fight anymore, then I began to drive.

That night, the winds never settled. In fact, they got stronger and harsher. I pushed on the gas harder and harder hoping my car would make it up the hill, but the winds were too strong.I was persistent but I knew no matter how hard I tried that I'd never make it up so I gave up and got out of the car.I headed down the hill and back into the small town.I looked for somebody, anybody but the town was completely empty. The time had to be around 7 or 8 pm but it was almost pitch blackout. Another wave of wind hit me hard, I fell back some steps then I kept going. Every shop was closed and every window was nailed shut. I couldn't help but notice the garlic that hung from the roof of each doorway along with the religious crosses and pictures of people who were down on their knees and worshipping something.

I sighed, realizing the cosmic joke that was my life to get stuck in no other place than this creepy town. Suddenly, something hard and wet hit my head.I picked it up from the ground and saw that it was garlic.

I threw it to the ground and looked from left to right.Fear slowly began to engulf me and I tried to go back towards my car but the winds were too strong. I tried to hold on to sticks or branches but they only broke.A wave of wind sent me falling and rolling back down the hill.

Ouch.

I felt my knee scrape against a rock. My blood spilled over the ground and I found myself dizzy from all the rolling. I felt someone approach and suddenly, the wind started to slow down. They grew calmer as I felt the footsteps get nearer and nearer until the winds completely stopped.

"That wasn't supposed to happen," said a voice.

"You took it too far, again!" snapped another.

I kept my head down and my eyes closed in fear that they might be dangerous.

"It's only my third try!" snapped the first voice," you're always such a jerk Damon!"

"Most Cold Ones get it the first try!" replied the other whom I assumed was Damon.

"What do we do now?" he asked.

"We have to put her somewhere where she can't be found, then we'll leave her there," he said.

Her? Were they talking about me? Do they even see that I'm here?

I tried to peek up above the rock but the only thing I could make out was two male figures.

"We can't do that! Look at the cut on her knee and her arm, she will bleed to death!"

I had a cut on my arm? I looked down at my hands and sure enough, they were drenched with the blood that was dripping down my elbow.

"She's not our responsibility, nobody has to know it's you."

"You mean us."

"I am not going to be responsible for something that you caused Seth! Get that!" snapped Damon.

Why would they think that they were responsible for my injuries? I was beginning to wonder if I should say something but part of me was too scared to make out words.

"But we have to do something, we can't let her bleed to death, she isn't a villager, she's not from here!"

I heard a tired sigh,"We can't take her to the castle, the guards will see and inform father."

"Or maybe we can, we have the old tunnel that leads through the back garden."

I felt my stomach start to twist and the sudden urge to vomit. I grew more lightheaded watching my blood flow down the gravel. My face began to hurt as I kept it pressed against the pavement and my knees burned.

Who were these guys and what the hell did they want with me?

"We could go through the back stairsand go down the tunnel. It will lead us to the main garden and from then we can take her to my room."

"The castle is guarded, how are we going to get to the stairs?"

"Not the stairs, not now, that's how I used to sneak out."

Castles and guards?

Part of me prayed that this was some stupid game meant to scare off lost and wandering tourists but the other part of me knew from the second I stepped into this town that something wasn't right. My surroundings suddenly began to shift and spin around me as I struggled to grasp a hold of reality. I could feel the dark figures approaching closer but I didn't have the strength to escape. I felt a pair of arms reach down and lift me from behind the rock and I tried to open my mouth to scream but nothing came out. The fight against my lids was fruitless and the urge to pass out was like an endless battle. Soon enough the coma completely took over my consciousness and I felt myself slip into slumber.

I blinked my eyes a couple of times until they opened and were greeted with darkness. My senses took a couple of seconds to register that I was being carried by one of the strange men from the hill.

"Can't you carry her Damon?" asked a filmier voice.

"No, this will help with your resistance."

I quickly shut my eyes before they realized that I was awake.

These people are insane.

I had to get out of here and make a run for it towards my car now that the winds have stopped but how would I do that. I had no idea how long I was passed out for or how far away is my car. I thought about attacking them both but I knew I stood no chance. I sensed a powerful and dangerous aura off of them. Fear and curiosity began to flood my brain and I felt a migraine arise.

Where are they taking me? Are they going to hurt me?

I opened my eyes the slightest bit but I saw nothing. After a couple of minutes, the hands that were carrying me handed me through a window. New hands grabbed me and I could only assume they switched. Seconds later I was engulfed by light despite my closed eyes.

"This way," hissed a voice.

"I know, I live here!"

"Come on, we gotta go," said Damon and began walking again.

I was terrified. I felt the goosebumps spread across my body and the hairs at the back of my neck lift.

Should I say something? Why does it feel impossible to speak!

A couple of minutes later, I felt myself being lifted down onto a bed. I urged to open my eyes but I did not want them to know that I was conscious in hopes that they would leave me alone and I could escape.

"Seth, go get the first aid kit, I'll wait here," said Damon.

Dammit.

"This is my room, why can't I stay with her while you get the first aid kit?" asked Seth.

"I won't touch the photos of Isabelle."

"But-"

As if speaking through gritted teeth, Damon responded with, "Seth, Go."

I gave it a few seconds and decided to finally open my eyes. I was inside a large bedroom. The largest bedroom I have ever seen in my life and no doubt, the strangest. The walls were a deep maroon color and the entire aesthetics of the furniture was like something out of an old horror movie. I wanted to lift myself and look around but I caught sight of a figure standing beside the closet.

So that must be Damon.

From what I could see, he was tall, very tall, standing well over six feet. I could tell that he clearly worked out from the bulging muscles of his back trying not to break out of his black t-shirt. I watched him reach over and touch a picture frame, trailing his index finger along the jawline of a picture of a girl's face. I quickly shut my eyes when he began walking towards me not having time to catch a glimpse of his face. I felt his presence get closer and I loosened my eyes so I could peek. I couldn't keep them closed anymore. I let the adrenaline take over and opened them all the way.

I almost gasped out loud at how beautiful he was. He was standing just a few feet away from me, just a little more than half his face within my view. In his hands was the same picture frame.

I couldn't take in all his beauty in one glance, it was too much. I blinked a couple of times to ensure that it was really what I was seeing. Suddenly it was hard to catch my breath, it was out of my reach. Every time I thought I'd gotten it, it would slip away. I hesitated to glance at him, not knowing what feature of his I want to admire first. He had stormy golden eyes that resembled the sun. His luscious brown hair was swept back from the many times he had run his fingers through it. His thick red lips slightly parted in a way that was almost seductive. I wondered who the girl in the photo was and why he was staring at her like she was both the best and the worst thing to have happened to him.

He suddenly turned his face and bore his eyes into mine and I gasped out loud.

"You're awake," he stated, putting the picture frame down.

"W-who are you," I meant to snap but instead I hardly whispered it. I tried to sit up and felt immediately dizzy.

My knees buckled in and Damon's arms quickly caught me and laid me back down on the bed. It felt odd to be close to him and I couldn't help but flinch away from his cold touch.

"Who are you," I asked again, this time with more strength.

"I'm Damon. My little brother Seth and I were walking and found you on the ground, there were some bad winds so I'm guessing you tripped and hurt yourself pretty badly," something about his soothing and calm voice made me want to trust him," We brought you back here because you were bleeding, Seth is just getting a first aid kit."

"I-I remember the winds and something about it being Seth's fault or something and how you're taking me to a guarded castle and-" I began to stammer but Damon quickly cut me off.

"Okay listen human, we are going to heal your cut so you don't bleed to death then we will take you back and act as if this never happened, okay?" there was a flash of something dangerous in his eyes that told me to just agree.

"Why are you helping me?" I asked instead," You don't even know me, why not just call the police?"

"Because it was our fault you fell down," he responded.

"How?" I asked, scrunching up my face.

"You ask too many questions," he sighed.

"What is this place?" I swallowed before asking,"do you kill people?"

"Something like that," he replied nonchalantly.

I couldn't tell if he was joking or not. At the shocked expression on my face, he rolled his eyes.

Seth walked in and smirked, tossing the first aid kit to his brother," You woke her up."

Seth was tall like his brother but much thinner. His brown hair and eyes were identical to Damons and you could tell he was much younger.

"No, she woke up," Damon responded.

"I don't get it, why don't we just drink her?" he asked.

I let out a breathless gasp and stared at the two brothers wide-eyed.

"Because, someone else like her might know she's here," said Damon.

This has to be a sick joke. My eyes watered and my heart came pounding against my chest.

I have to get out of here!

Damon examined the first ad kid in his hands and forcefully threw it back into the hands of Seth.

"This is empty you idiot!"

"I checked every shelf, that was the only one we have."

Damon's eyes flared with anger as he stared down at me and spoke," Stay here."

He stormed out of the room with Seth trailing behind him. I hardly gave it three seconds before I stood up carefully and quietly, making my way out the door and into the biggest hallway I've seen in my life. It went on forever into dark shadows that gave me the chills. This was no doubt, a castle. Crimson curtains lined the corridors and matching carpets hid the floors. I brought my hand up to undo the curtains in hopes of revealing a window but instead was met with brick walls instead that hung multiple paintings. I examined one of a man carrying a girl in his arms while kissing her neck. It took me a second glance to realize that the blood pouring from her neck meant that he was in fact, biting. I gasped and took a few steps back and kept walking. I tried to separate more curtains but was met with more brick walls and paintings.

This one was of Damon. In the painting, he had fangs and an expression that could put me six feet under. He looked almost hungry, animalistic but it was luring in a way. Suddenly I heard voices behind me shout out "Damn human!"

Without looking back, I began to run despite the fact that my vision started to blur again. I didn't get very far before I realized that Damon had already appeared in front of me.

"What," I muttered, looking back at where he was standing"How did you do that?"

"Do what?" he asked, clearly annoyed, and picked up and threw me over his shoulders like I was nothing but a leaf.

"How did you do that!" I repeated," how did you get to me so fast-"

"Shut up."

He flung me back down on the bed and ordered me to sit. I was more afraid than before and did exactly as I was told. He took out the first aid kit and began working on my knee. I watched as he took out a piece of gauze and began to clean up my wound. I couldn't help but be aware of his skin on mine. It almost felt impossible to bear, like I had to push him away but I knew he wouldn't let me. Instead, I tried to focus on his facial features

"Where's Seth?" I asked after a couple of minutes of silence.

His head lifted up immediately then he went back to working on my leg," he was hungry."

Something about the way he said it told me he wasn't talking about regular food. I took in three long breaths and waited for him to finish working on my leg. Finally, I gathered the courage to ask another question.

"What did Seth mean when he said why don't we just drink her?" I asked.

He looked up at me and smiled in a way that was almost wicked,"You ask so many questions but you know what? You can't handle the truth so shut up and let me finish cleaning these damn cuts."

Suddenly Seth walks in, his white shirt now stained with something red. I felt nauseous at the thought of what that might be.

He smirked and glanced right at me," that was a messy one!"

My eyes bulged out and I stared at him in shock.

Damon stood up and barked at his brother," What the hell do you think you're doing, go change."

"I thought you'd be done!" he said.

"Do you have any idea what would happen if father found out just how careless and stupid you've been-"

"What the hell is going on!" I yelled out, not being able to take any of it anymore. How could one wrong turn end up leading me here? I was sick and tired and I needed answers.

Damon turned around. His eyes had gone from their original golden color to a dark and angry charcoal.

"You need to learn to keep your mouth shut." he hissed out through his teeth.

Without warning, a girl storms through the doors and into the bedroom. I immediately recognized her as the girl in the photos. Isabelle.

She was breathtaking in real life with jet black hair and skin that was almost porcelain.

"What is going on here" she greeted, her black eyes looking me up and down suspiciously, "why did you bring a villager here?"

"Isabelle," said Seth, leading her out," I thought you already ate." Isabelle turned back around and her eyes landed upon me and she smirked," you saved some for me."

"no, not exact-" but it was too late.

Within a millisecond she stood less them a centimeter away from me, her eyes now hungry and her fangs extended.

I opened my mouth to scream but the force of her palms against my lips sealed them shut. Instead, I stared at her with wide and terrified eyes.

I felt her drag her nose against the side of my neck, sniffing me. She used her extended fangs to trail down my skin. I felt my heart thud abruptly against my chest and the pinch of her sharp fangs on my skin.I screamed out as she dug them deeper into my skin. The pain was electrifying. My body went limp beneath me and I felt her quick arms wrap around my waist. She dug her teeth deeper into my wound and the burning feeling began to fade until all I felt was a tug.

In the distance, I saw Seth's eyes turn dark and his fangs extend. He walked towards me, his vision fixated on every droplet of blood that rolled down my neck. I felt my vision begin to fade and the same coma that held me captive before returning to reclaim me.

This was it. I was going to die, at the hands of something I had no idea existed.

Suddenly, something...shifted. The movement was too sudden for my enfeebled brain to comprehend. I felt Isabelle's arms let go of my weakened body. Unable to support me, my legs gave out from under me and I felt myself plummet down, my view now being nothing but the floors. I tried to look up to register the scene but my eyesight was blurring worse by the second. In the background I saw Damon's arms extending over an angry Isabelle and Seth, holding them back. They were both staring at me with hatred and hunger, wide-eyed and snarling through their teeth.

Hot tears streamed down my face and I heard myself sob as opposed to feeling it. I watched but barely as the three wrestled against each other but Damon persisted until the two stopped fighting back. Slowly, their eyes turned into their normal color and their fangs drew back.

"What the hell did you stop me for!" Isabelle yelled, angrily brushing Damon off of her.

"You were going to kill her!" he yelled back in response.

"So what! She's just a human!" This time it was Seth.

"She's a gift, for Father," I saw Damon's eyes meet with Seths as he gritted," She was meant to remain untouched!"

"She was the King's villager!" Isabelle began to freak out,"Why didn't you warn me, you idiots!"

"It's not like you gave us much time," said Seth.

"Why the hell would she be here and not in the quarter!" She continued, now glaring at me.

"It doesn't matter," said Damon.

"Don't tell him I drank from her," her voice was frim and strict," Please!"

Damon nodded," just go."

"I mean it-" she began.

"Go."

She glared at the two brothers for another second and left.

When it was just Seth and Damon, Seth opened his mouth as if to break the silence but Damon beat him to it.

"I know, you couldn't hold back."

"I-I tried but when Isabelle bit her, I couldn't hold back."

"It's alright, you lost control."

"It's tough, I don't know how you do it," responded an embarrassed-looking Seth," I'm not sure I'll ever be able to control myself."

Damon patted his brother's shoulders," Go check on Isabelle."

Seth nodded and left the room.

Damon turned around and rested his soft and sorry gaze upon mine. I wanted so badly to close my eyes and let myself pass out but something inside of me wouldn't let me. I felt the bite on my neck both burn and sizzle at the same time. My vision came back into focus when Damon's shoes halted right before my face. I felt myself being lifted and once again being placed back on the bed, this time a lot more gently as if I was fragile and as if he was guilty.

"Th-thank you," I managed to utter out when he placed a pillow underneath my face.

"I wasn't helping you, I-," he replied moments later," I was helping them."

"Still, I think you saved my life." I swallowed and felt my dry throat ache.

When he remained silent, I asked, "What...are you people?"

Unexpectedly, he chuckled. He didn't answer my question. Instead, he picked up the first aid kid from the ground and started cleaning the fresh wound on my neck.

Bite. Not wound. Bite.

His cold fingers sent shivers down my spine and I couldn't help but notice how close he was. I waited to feel his breathing against my skin but I never did.

I examined his beautiful features from the outline of his strong and muscular jaw to the bed of dark eyelashes that almost made me envious. He was breathtaking. He was the man of my dreams, yet I'm not sure my dreams could have predicted someone would be so perfect. He brought his gaze up to meet mines and whispered," Vampire."

I blinked and blinked again, my eyes never leaving him. I nodded. I had no other words.

"We are vampires," he continued," We drink human blood."

I debated nodding again but this time I replied with," Okay."

"Why aren't you freaking out?" he smirked almost humorlessly.

"I'm passed freaking out."

I want to go home.

The stinging on my neck increased and a sudden shock slithered through my body. I yelled out loud and reached up to clench my skin. Damon's fingers moved mine and trailed over it, the sudden movement making me forget about the pain just a little bit. When he backed away, I was surprised to find myself disappointed.

"Isabelle has left her venom in your skin, therefore, I must suck it out," he stated, his eyes now stern.

I began to panic and my eyes widened," Wait what!"

"I have to get it all out now, or else the shifting will begin-"

"Shifting?"

"I have to suck the venom out now or else you'll start to shift and wake up like one of us." He started to walk back towards me and I felt my body flinch back against the bed, away from his touch.

"What happens if you lose control," My voice was calmer than I felt," What if-"

He sat down and placed his hand on my arm as if reassuring me but the action only made me more alert," I won't."

My eyes began to burn and I felt a fresh stream of tears start to pour out.

"You're Monsters," I breathed out.

"Well in my world little human," He hissed and brought his face closer to mines," you're the monster."

I forced myself to swallow the fear that arose in the back of my throat.

"Just get it out of me," I spat out," Get it out of me now!"

My heart sank down to my knees at the sight of his face darkening and his fangs extending. I was too shocked to say anything. Instead, I waited for this strange man who kidnapped me to bite my neck and suck the venom out. Just a few hours ago, I was lost in my car, searching for a highway to head back south to my hometown.

How did I get here?

Without another word, Damon brought his face closer to mine and placed his mouth on my neck. If I didn't know what would come next, I would explain the action as gentle, sweet, and almost dispelling. Seconds passed before I finally began to feel the pain. I couldn't help but let out a small whimper. The pain was almost electrifying. It felt as if the venom he was sucking out was on fire itself inside of me. I wrapped my fingers around his forearm and squeezed to keep from pulling away from his mouth. I felt the pain decreasing as I felt him move away from me. He didn't give me a chance to process what had just happened. Instead, his fangs disappeared and he distanced himself a few meters from me.

" Your leg, arm, and neck should be okay, you can go now, I'll take you to your car."

I only nodded. The rush of relief I was expecting to feel never came. For some reason, I felt emptiness as he reached down and picked me up again. I felt as if I was leaving something behind.

Vampires, I thought, they're really, actually vampires.

I remembered the garlic that hung from the windows in the small creepy town.I glanced sideways at him, suddenly feeling nervous. We stepped out of the bedroom and made our way down the medieval-looking hallway. A sudden figure rounded the corner and stopped into a halt when he saw us.I gasped when I saw his face.

Although he wasn't as handsome as Damon, he was still breathtaking with light almost grey hair and piercing blue eyes.

He was dressed in a black leather jacket and a tight white shirt underneath and blue-washed jeans that hugged his muscular legs.

"Well well well, what do we have here," he hissed, looking hungry.

Damon pulled me closer to his chest," What are you doing here?"

"Visiting poor father who has no idea what you've done," he said.

"Who told you?" Damon asked.

"Seth," he smiled and sent a wink my way.

"Why the hell would he do that?" Damon exclaimed, talking to himself now.

"And naturally, father now knows as well."

"You didn't," snapped Damon.

Suddenly, I felt small and scared like a tiny mouth stuck in a trap. Both men stared at one another as if looking for a fight that I would be caught in the middle of.

"I can't be the only disappointment, father wants to see you, now," he walked past us, but not before giving me a smirk that caused all the hairs on my arm to stand.

"Who was that?" I asked Damon, my voice coming out shaky.

"That is my older brother," said Damon and strutted down the hall.

"W-what's gonna happen now." But he never replied.

After what seemed like forever, Damon finally stopped at the entrance of something. He placed my feet down on the floor.

"Can you walk?"

I took a few shaky steps,"Y-yes, where are we going."

He ignored me and pushed the metal doors open.

Inside was a large room that was about the size of a church. Much like the rest of the place, this room was decorated with crimson walls and gold curtains that hung like chandeliers from the ceiling. There was a long corridor that went on for about fifteen feet before stopping at a pair of huge golden chairs where a man and a woman sat.

Guards' dressed in traditional metal attire stood at either side of the room.

"Damon." barked a voice.

I slightly jumped up, startled. My eyes traveled to the end of the carpet where an older couple were seated on the thrones,

The King, dressed in typical king attire, was wearing a velvet-colored robe and a crown, similar to the Queen. As we walked closer, I could see that the King looked like a much older Damon and the queen resembled Seth more. She had long golden hair with thick curls and her eyes pierced mines from meters away.

"Father, mother." greeted Damon bowing his head slightly.

"I have been told you have an injured human, one that isn't a villager, and brought her here without my permission," he snapped.

"You are told correct father," he admitted.

I glanced at Damon. It was almost strange to see him so distressed.

"Who hurt her?" asked the king.

"I did."

That wasn't true. Seth was the one who injured me and Seth was the one who insisted they bring me back. Damon would never have agreed to sneak me in if Seth hadn't bugged him so much.

So why was Damon taking the blame?

The King sigh," Damon, why do you continue to disobey me?"

"My apologies father, but I had injured the girl very harshly, I was afraid if I had left her there she would be trouble," he spoke nervously.

"I see you have taken care of her," said the King," but she now knows."

Panic began to rise within me again,"I-I promise not to tell a soul!" I yelled, suddenly.

Damon's head snapped sharply towards me and I quickly shut my mouth.

The King glanced at me, almost sadly"Of course you wouldn't dear, but we cannot let you leave, it is against our law," he said.

"What law?" I snapped despite Damon's glare.

"He's speaking of the Cold One's law," spoke the Queen.

"The Cold Ones?" I asked.

"Yes, our people here are the Cold Ones."

"What are you going to do to me?" I asked," you can't keep me here forever."

"No," said the King," we will arrange it so that you have no memory of this."

"What, how," I asked, not sure that I even wanted to know.

"We can try to have it done by a Cold Ones here at the castle," spoke the Queen's smooth voice," But it is not always successful as it is not what we are best at."

"And if it doesn't work,I-if I still remember?"

"Then I'm afraid dear, you will be stuck here until we find a witch that can," she said.

"How long does that take," my hopeless gaze turned towards Damon," I can't just stay here, I have a life!"

"It will take as much time as it needs," replied the King.

Chapter Two

It took a while for me to correctly register everything they had so easily said into my brain.

My eyes widened and I snapped," That's only if you fail to erase my memory?"

"Yes," the Queen responded," but if it fails, we have to go with the other option."

"Well, when can you try?" I asked.

"Tomorrow night, the full moon will be out, then we will have our maximum strength."

I thought the full moon crap was for werewolves.

"I can't stay until tomorrow!" I snapped," my family, they don't know that I'm okay-."

"I'm afraid you have no other choice," said the Queen.

"But what about my parents!" I asked.

"We will arrange for someone to get you a phone call," she said," but as for now, Damon will escort you to your room, we ask that you remain inside, the castle is no place for a human."

Damon began to drag me away again when the King's stern voice froze us both," Damon, have you forgotten something?"

"Please inform me father," said Damon.

"Your punishment," said the king.

"My apologies father, it slipped my mind," Damon said.

"You will keep watch of the dungeon for a week."

I opened my mouth as if to protest on Damon's behalf, it was Seth, therefore he should take the punishment, but I saw Damon's eyes widen in happiness for a slight second, before nodding," Yes father."

Had I imagined the glint in his eyes? I must have had. Why would a prince possibly be happy about becoming Dungeon Keeper for the week?

I let my head hang as if it was getting heavy with my thoughts and let him drag me to my room. We must have been walking for over ten minutes, passing hallways with entrances that led to even more hallways, statues, and sculptures that seemed priceless when finally we slowed down at yet another corridor.

"Here it is," said Damon, stopping in front of two brown wooden doors.

"Here's what," I asked, caught up in my thoughts.

"I had thought trouble was the only thing you can produce but now I know it's making my life difficult as well," he sighed and opened the doors," This is your room."

He pushed past me and went to close the windows. The room was similar to the one I was in before, with black curtains and matching plush carpets covering the ground. In the middle was a grey king-size bed stationed between two cedar wooden dressers.

"Never leave the windows open," he said," Never."

I nodded with no urge to find out why.

I sat on the bed," I-I don't have clothes."

"In the closet there you should find something suitable," his eyes turned a dark, angry shade, and he spat out, " you have caused me more trouble than you are worth so tomorrow when we erase your memory, you will participate like a good little human with no more backtalk."

I crossed my arms to hide the shivers and tried to swallow back my fear," There's a chance it won't work."

"It will," he sounded as if he was convincing himself as opposed to me, "Otherwise there will be one less human to worry about wherever you came fro-"

"Holly."

I could tell he was getting angrier when he said," What?"

I knew it was my cue to stop but I couldn't. I was frustrated and confused and angry and hungry but I couldn't help it.I wanted to talk to him. Even if we are fighting, I didn't wanna be alone in this strange place far away from home, and to my knowledge, he is the only one here that wouldn't kill me.

"My name," I replied," It's Holly."

I saw what looked like confusion cross his face and wondered if he didn't think we had names in the human world.

"I don't like being called human, just call me by my name," I continued.

"I'll call you what I please," Damon's eyes darkened in rage and he took a step closer to me. I tried not to shift my nervous gaze away from his.

Don't be scared, my mother had once told me, predators can smell fear.

Suddenly, Seth came barging in. His smirk was wiped off his face when he saw Damon's.

He pushed past Seth and exited the room, huffing angrily.

Seth turned towards me," Don't make him angry human, he might just kill you next time, I probably won't be around," with that, he turned around and exited the room.

I sighed out loud.

It's not human, it's Holly.

To expect sleep that night was simply absurd. With about a thousand thoughts racing through my head, rest was the last thing that I was thinking about. My brain was overwhelmed with questions.

Number one being what the hell is going on. Just a few hours ago, the world was normal. There was no such thing as vampires and witches and I was just a girl with a regular life and parents and friends who have no idea where I am now. I wondered when I would be allowed to call them or if they even had cell phones in this modern-day dungeon. I wondered about Damon and why he was so angry and hateful all the time and then wondered if it was only with me. I remembered the way he looked at the picture of Isabelle and wondered what had happened between them. I worried about tomorrow and what would happen if they couldn't erase my memory and wondered if it does work, how much of my memory would be gone. I thought about school and my friends. This year was my last and I will be graduating in just a few months. Maybe if I explained that to the King and Queen they would understand.

What about if they cannot erase my memory, and are unable to find a witch to do so, what then!

I certainly did NOT want to be stuck in this castle, not even for another minute.

I knew I was restless so I stood up and walked over to the window. I struggled with the hinges but managed to crack it open a little bit. I remembered Damon's warning to keep it closed but decided to ignore it. Outside was dark but you can see the sun was beginning to come up. It looked like the castle was hidden deep inside the woods because all I could see for miles were trees. I looked down to see that I was so high up that the ground was nowhere to be seen. I shut the window and walked over to the door and to my surprise, they were not locked. I peeked out into the halls but all I saw was black. The deafening silence was almost too loud and I decided that I would rather go back to bed than to risk walking down those halls.

A couple of hours later, and not a minute of sleep later, I was startled by someone opening the door.

A maid barged into my room and placed a tray of something on my dresser. I opened my mouth to ask her anything but she hurried out almost as if purposely. Confused, I stood up and walked over to the dresser removing the stainless steel tops from the tray to reveal a sandwich, some water, and fruit. I felt my stomach ache as if to remind me that I haven't eaten in over twenty-four hours. I sipped on some water that was almost painful to digest and nibbled on the sandwich. A couple of minutes later I decided to explore the many doors out in the halls in hopes of finding a shower.

Finally, I found a door that looked like it could be a bathroom.I opened it and gasped when I realized that it was a bedroom and there were people inside. Panic built up in me and I began cursing in my mind. I shut the door immediately and hurried down the hall, worried that they had seen me. Suddenly, the door nearest to me barged open and arms reached out and pulled me into a dark room. I let out a scream that was quickly stifled by the other person. Frightened, I struggled to shove the person off of me and searched for the light switch.

A frustrated sigh came from my attacker and suddenly, the room was filled with light.

"Damon!"I felt relieved even though I knew better," What are you doing!?"

"Just be quiet for a second!" he snapped, placing his palm over my lips. I couldn't help but be aware of the short distance between us. We were standing almost chest to chest, his white tee pressed softly against my black sweater. His hair was messier today as if he had been brushing it back more frequently.

When I stayed silent, he continued.

"Why did you leave your room?" he snapped. I scrunched my face up and waited for him to move his hand. When he did, I replied with," Because I had to use the bathroom."

"I told you not to leave, why do you make life difficult?"

"Are you kidding me!" I snapped," First I can't leave this place and now I can't even pee?"

"What did you see?" he demanded.

I turned away," I don't know what you're talking about."

He growled under his breath," Don't mess with me, human."

"Why don't you go see for yourself instead of lingering here like some sad and lonely-" Damon cut my rattling off with a snarl that quickly reminded me who I was speaking with," Watch it, or else the next time you are out of your room will be at your funeral."

My eyes widened in horror and I tried to turn around towards the exit but his firm grip held me in place.

"What," I spoke through gritted teeth.

"When you opened the door, what did you see?"

"It sounds like you already know-."

"Holly!"

I'm not sure why hearing my own name made me flinch. Maybe it was the way he said it that sounded foreign or maybe part of me was surprised that he remembered.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me close," If you don't tell me now, I'll do a lot worse than kill you."

I was almost trapped by his gaze and couldn't look away. It was like trying to break a spell to do anything other than stare back at him in awe. My words were forming at the tip of my tongue but what came out was merely a breathless whisper," What more can you do to me. We stared at each other for what felt like a couple of minutes. He finally retrieved his hands off my body and took a few steps back. He ran his fingers through his hair in distress and stared down at the ground.

"I'm sorry," he said, throwing me off guard completely.

"They were in the middle of...it," I decided to finally answer his question.

"It?" he asked," Must you speak in riddles?"

I sighed.

Is he really going to make me explain?

The image of Seth and Isabelle in a compromising embrace returned to my head and I shook it off.

"It Damon," I pressed not wanting to say the word," Sex-"

He shut his eyes and clenched his fists.

"Get out," he said.

"What?" I muttered, wondering if he was alright.

"Get out!" he snapped all of the sudden, his eyes wide and angry. I didn't hesitate to reach for the exit. Before I left I could have sworn I saw a glint of something shiny sliding down his face.

......A tear? Can vampires cry?

It took me about half an hour after the incident with Damon to find a bathroom. Although it wasn't much, taking a shower and cleaning up cheered me up the slightest until I remembered what tonight will be. My mind drifted back to Damon.

What is going on between him and Isabella? Who was she to him and who is she to Seth? Could it be possible that I had imagined that tear?

I couldn't imagine someone as cold and angry as Damon be so shattered over a girl but then again, it wasn't just any girl. It was the dangerously beautiful, fiery, and jaw-dropping Isabelle who, no doubt, can make a vampire as cold and mean as Damon shed tears. I sighed. Part of me wished that I could be like her. I quickly shrugged the thought as soon as it came to my head.

I entered my room to find a note wrapped in brown cloth on my newly made bed. It took me about five minutes to figure out that there's a string at the bottom of the letter that I have to pull but by that time, I had already tore the cloth open.

Beautiful cursive writing on a piece of thick paper that read;

Dear Holly,

The ritual will begin tonight as soon as the moon is up.

We will send up a servant to retrieve you when it's time.

For now, we have arranged for you to make a single phone call.

The King and Queen

I tossed the letter and fidgeted with the sheets until I found a cell phone. I gasped out loud and held it to my chest feeling as if I had just found gold. I pressed the buttons to reveal the home screen and punched in the number to the landline at my home I brought the phone up to my ears and felt my heart thud in anxiousness and excitement. It wasn't until I heard my mother greet me that I realized I had not come up with a story.

"Hello..Hello, anybody there?"

"Mom, it's me," My voice was shaky and nervous.

"Holly!" you could hear both the worry and the relief in her voice," honey, where are you! We were so worried when you didn't call us yesterday."

"I'm so sorry Mom, my phone died, I'm using a friend's but I'm alright-"

"Where are you and when are you coming home?"

"Soon," I was suddenly lost for words," I'm not sure, maybe a couple of days, I'm at a motel in this small town-"

"Holly this is ridiculous, I understand that breakups are painful but come home! Come clear your thoughts here where you can be with your family."

How do I tell her that my boyfriend cheating on me has suddenly become the last thing that I was worried about?

"I know mom, and I will," I reassured her," but here it's peaceful, and I don't start school again for a couple of days, I think I'll stay out here until I'm ready okay?"

"Holly-"

I didn't let her finish. I felt fresh tears pooling in my eyes and slowly trickle down my face," Mom, I-I gotta go, just tell everyone I'm alright okay? I'll see you soon."

"Holly-"

I hung up before she could finish her sentence. I wiped the tears from my face and placed the cellphone on the dresser. It felt like a huge weight lifted off my shoulder to be able to reassure my mother, not that I felt I did a great job at doing so.

Hey mom, I'm alright, stuck at a castle with some vampires who wanna erase my memory before they let me go, I'll see you soon.

I sighed once again.

I stood up and decided to raid the closet to keep my mind off my parents.

Surprisingly, there weren't any corsets and ball gowns. I was able to find a clean pair of black leggings and a baggy white t-shirt. I wondered if they belonged to Isabella and if Damon would feel some way if I put them on. A mirror hung by the closet and I wondered, do vampires have reflections or was that a myth.

I examined my reflection and couldn't help but compare myself to the women that I have seen so far. My light brown hair lay pitch straight stopping mid back. My green eyes looked tired, confused and sad. I brought my hands up to trail my fingers across the bite scar on my neck.

How the hell am I going to explain this?

I let my mind wander some more before deciding, this isn't working.My stomach growled, signaling that it was hungry so I stood and exited my room.Careful not to run into anybody,it wasn't long until I realized that I had no idea where I was going.I kept going until I saw a maid. I opened my mouth to ask her but, like the other one, she just sped up and walked away.I sighed and walked some more. I noticed that the castle was silent.

Too silent.

Shouldn't there be an echo of some poor helpless screaming humans like in the movies? Except this isn't some horror movie. This is horrific reality and it alone is providing me with more terror than any movie I had ever watched. A couple of minutes later another maid walked by. She sped when she got near me but I wasn't going to let another maid slip. I jumped in front of her, blocking her path. She stepped to the side and I followed.

"May I help you?" she calmly asked.

"Yes, can you tell me if I had grown spider legs? Because every darn maid I try to speak to runs away from me," I snapped.

"Your sarcasm is uncalled for" she snapped back.

"So was your rudeness," I said. I couldn't help but notice a similar scar on her neck.

Her face turned red," was there anything you wanted?"

"Where can I get some food," I felt my stomach growl again as if on cue.

"You can try the kitchen, first floor," and with that, she stepped to the side and walked away.

Why was everyone here so angry? I walked further down, my stomach growling even louder.

How do I get to the first floor if I have no idea what floor I am on now?

Three figures appeared from the shadows and I was able to distinguish two as guards. Between them, they dragged a person down the hall. He was dressed oddly, in something that resembled a funny costume. Startled and slightly scared, I stepped aside as if to blend in with the curtains and let them pass by, but not before catching the look of fear on the middle aged man's face. Questions immediately ran through my mind.

Where were they taking him? Why did he look so scared? Why was he wearing that?

I felt helpless even though part of me wanted to help the poor man.

Without a second thought,I ran after the guards, wondering that hallway they went into.

Left or right?

I ran around in the halls desperate to catch a glimpse of them but I couldn't see them anywhere! I ran back to the other hallway and took a right turn instead. I saw them, all the way at the end of the corridor. I ran after them but they turned. There was no sign of them anymore but I kept searching. Part of me nagged what I would do if I did find them but I chose to ignore it. Something about the expression on the man's face kept me going. I was scared for what they were going to do to him. My chest was starting to hurt and I couldn't help but stop for a couple of minutes.Images of them beheading the innocent man clouded my thoughts. Just as I was catching my breath and regaining the energy to keep running, I turned to come in contact with something hard.

Or someone. I looked up to see angry golden eyes staring down at me.

"What are you doing out of your room again!" Damon spoke grimly.

"The guards," I struggled to speak, still not having caught my breath,"I think they're going to kill that man."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, looking annoyed.

"I saw the guards dragging this man somewhere," I snapped," what are they going to do with him-"

He rolled his eyes," he's a villager, a native, he's ours."

My eyes widened with disbelief,"what ''I whispered.

He nodded," He is not for you to worry about."

All of the sudden, the anger that boiled inside of me unleashed and I began to shout,"You're monsters, you're all monsters!" I felt my hands clench into fists that slammed against his chest as I sobbed and screamed," You're going to kill that man for no reason! You're horrible monsters that deserve to die!"

I felt his hands wrap around mines and he pushed me away in an attempt to block the hits," Stop."

I could see through blurry eyes that he was angry but I was over it. I didn't know what to make of my fear and all I could do was cry.

"No one is coming to rescue you so stop."

In the distance past Damon I saw the two guards walking further down the hall.

"Wait!" I called out but they wouldn't stop.

I tried to make my way past Damon to head towards them but he grabbed my arm and yelled" Go back to your room! Now!"

"I can't! I have to help him!" I yelled, tears streaming down my face.

"You're too late! He's probably already dead!" snapped Damon.

Something twisted inside me when I heard those words because I knew he was right. That man was gone and there was nothing I could do or could have done to change that. "Go back to your room," his tone was more gentle now.

Silently, I obeyed.

Fear engulfed me as I walked back to my room. How long before I'm next?

Lets face it, if they can't find a way to erase my memory, that will be me.

Images of the innocent man flooded my head. What did Damon mean by native villager? I wondered if the man had a family or someone who is wondering where he is. I needed some answers but where could I possibly get them?

I finally reached my room and laid in bed. I noticed on the dresser there was a new tray with some more water and food but I had lost my appetite. I turned to my side and let myself cry some more and before I knew it, I had cried myself to sleep

I woke up a few hours later feeling hot and sweaty.

Lazily, I stood up and cracked open a window. The view of the woods was beautiful in daylight. I glanced at the clock that read 6:46pm.uddenly, a maid burst in as if it was her own room.

"Get up!" she ordered," we have things to do and little time!"

She looked me up and down before rushing me out of the room and down the hall towards the bathroom,"In!"

I obeyed and entered the bathroom wondering what she meant by things to do and little time. There was a pack of toothbrushes and some soap on the sink. I brushed my teeth then washed my face in the shower. .After wiping down with a red towel, I exited the bathroom. The maid stood there, impatiently tapping her foot.

"Come on come on!" she rushed me back down the hall.

Her short figure shoved me inside the bedroom and opened the closet.

"What are we doing?" I finally asked.

Instead of answering, she ran out of the room leaving me confused. A couple of minutes, she reappeared with a bag full of stuff.

"Sit child," she smiled.

I obeyed when I realized that that was the first genuine smile I had seen since I had arrived at this place. She went to work on my hair and face and I couldn't help but notice she had the same scar on her neck as the previous maid did. When she noticed me staring, she smiled down at her, her brown eyes soft and gentle.

"You're the first human we have seen here that isn't from the village," she spoke softly," You're a foreigner to the Cold Ones, caused quite a mess."

"The bite on your neck, is it-" I fumbled with my words as I searched my brain for a polite way to ask," Did they do that to you?"

The smile on her face lessened and she focused on plucking my eyebrows," I come from a breed that was meant to serve the Cold Ones. They don't feed on me anymore."

"What do you mean by breed?"

Instead of answering my question, she handed me a mirror.I almost gasped at my reflection.

My brown hair was styled into thick curls that nested down my shoulders. The black eyeliner on my lids made my green eyes shine.My skin sparkled slightly and my lips were a glossy red.

I turned to the maid," Why did you do this?"

She smiled slightly,"Do you like it?"

"Yes of course, but why?"

"You get to go home tonight. Tomorrow, you'll have no memory of this and you can go back to being a human. That's never happened here before," I saw a glint in her eyes that turned into a tear," People like us, we don't just walk out of here, unscarred."

"I'm Holly," I replied, having no idea what to say to her or how to help her," and you are?"

"Im Meredith."

"Nice to meet you, Meredith," I took her hands in mine and smiled up at her.

"The ritual is tonight. The last one was over a decade ago."

"Did it... work?" I asked.

"I'm not sure but I hope it will tonight."

She strutted past me and headed toward her bag," Now, wear this," she said, pulling out a white skin tight silk dress.

The dress was sleeveless and looked more like lingerie. All in all, it was beautiful.

I grabbed it from her hands,"This looks too small.

"It's traditional," she simply replied.

She handed me the matching heels and when I was done slipping everything on, I was taken back by my reflexion in the mirror. I looked beautiful. Seductive but elegant.

I look like I can compete with Isabelle.

"What time is it?" I asked Meredith.

"The ritual starts in half an hour," she said," I have to leave now."

I nodded,"Okay, will I be seeing you tonight?"

"Yes you'll see me tonight," with that, she smiled and exited the room and I was left alone with nothing but my reflection to stare at.

About twenty minutes later, I decided I had to go now. After exiting my room, I realized that I had no idea where to go. It was about ten minutes later that I remembered the note from the King and Queen instructing me to wait for a servant to bring me down when it was time.

Dammit I forgot.

I roamed around the castle until I heard shouting.

"You are always disobeying me!"

I turned and saw the same metal doors from yesterday, when I had met the King and Queen. I put my ear on the door to listen.

"When will you finally listen!" I recognized the voice immediately as King.

"I'm sorry father, I really am," a voice that sounded like Damon responded.

"If you continue to show compassion for the humans then you will never make it as King!"

King? Did that mean that Damon was meant to take over the throne?

I remembered briefly meeting his older brother yesterday.

I thought the eldest takes the crown.

Damon stayed silent.

"That jester that you rescued will go back into the village and let the others know that he was spared," said the Queen," It doesn't look good when the castle they are meant to worship and fear begins to spare lives."

"I apologize," said Damon," I will accept whatever punishment you have for me."

Damon saved the man? I thought that he didn't care? I thought the man had already died?

I felt relieved to hear that the man-made it out alive but more confused as to why Damon would react so harshly yet spare the man's life.

"Don't forget that the villagers are ours," said the King," Humans outside our territory may not belong to us but the natives are ours. We breed them to keep our kind alive!"

Questions ran through my head and I felt more confused than ever.

Is that what Meredith meant when she said she was bred to serve the Cold Ones? Did they breed humans to use as their own?

Chapter Three

I was too caught up in my own thoughts to even remember that I had to be at the ritual. Still curious as to why Damon had lied to me, I forced myself a reminder that I did not care and averted my focus back to getting to that ritual and getting the hell out of this place.

But where do I go?

I watched as a guard dressed in heavy armor passed by and debated asking him but before I got the chance to utter a word, I heard the big metal doors unveil behind me and out stepped Damon. He grabbed my arm and turned me around. He took a couple seconds to look me up and down, his face scrunching up in an expression I can only describe as curious or maybe taken back. I felt my cheeks heat up in embarrassment and was suddenly very aware of how little fabric was covering my skin. I watched his eyes linger on my exposed neck, observing the bite Isabelle had given me.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stay in your room?" he finally spoke, balmier than I was used to.

I yanked my bare arm from his grip and retorted,"I didn't know where to go, for the ritual."

He swallowed as if his throat had suddenly gone dry," I see Meredith has gotten to you." I simply nodded.

"Come with me."

Without giving me a second to respond, I silently obeyed. We walked for what felt like a couple minutes and I realized every step I took felt as if something in my stomach was dropping lower and lower. The thought of getting out of here and back to my normal life has distracted me from asking certain questions.

What exactly are they going to do to me? Will it hurt?

We finally reached a pair of large stone doors that opened up on their own to reveal a garden. I had to refrain from gasping loudly at the sight. I'm not sure if it was the feeling of not having been outside for almost 24 hours or if it was the beauty of the garden or a combination of the both that left me simply astounded. A cobblestone pathway stationed between acres of grass led the way towards a pavement opening where a large fountain was the main attraction. Large, perfectly rounded green bushes lined the football stadium-sized garden. Sculptures stood proudly and the perfectly kept pool made me wonder if vampires enjoyed swimming. The full moon shone so brightly I would have mistaken it for daylight had I not known the time. Damon led me down the pathway towards the fountain where his parents; the King and Queen stood waiting for us. I wondered how they had gotten here before us but shrugged the thought as there were more important things to think about.

It was the Queen who broke the silence," I see that you came fully prepared."

I looked down at my dress when I realized it's what she was referring to and nodded," Yes, I am."

"Did you know white silk is traditional when performing a ritual involving a foreign human?"

"N-no," I stuttered. She must be talking about the villagers. The Queen smiled briefly," It's for good luck."

I almost wanted to chuckle or let out a snort but refrained.

I had to be the unluckiest person on the planet.

"Guards," ordered the King and as if on cue, the metal gates stationed between two bushes opened up from behind people began to bombard inside the garden.

Some cheered and some snarled, regardless it was quite clear they were not human. I was suddenly engulfed with the feeling of claustrophobia and glanced at Damon as if for reassurance but his focus was on the crowd of vampires.

My eyes drifted to the guards who began to line the perimeters and it was only a couple of minutes later that we had gone from just four to over 50 people. Joining them last, and standing the furthest from the crowd, stood Seth, Isabelle, and Damon's older brother.

"Quiet!" yelled the Queen. Immediately, everyone fell into a silence, their hungry gazes stationed on me.

I couldn't help but swallow back in an attempt to drown my fear and moisten my dry throat.

"As I am sure you have all heard by now, we have an unexpected...visitor here at the castle," the Queens turned her gaze towards me and back towards the crowd. I couldn't help but swoon over how beautiful she looked in her long-sleeved midnight blue skin-tight gown, her blond hair moving as if in sync with the wind," Tonight, we are going to attempt something that has not been done in over a decade, we will perform the Ritual of Obliteration."

"I say we breed her, turn her into a villager."

"She does not need to be a native to be turned into food."

"A human, whether foreign or not, loses all rights when stepping foot into the castle, she should be handed over to beget."

The crowd began to speak over each other, every single one of them being completely against the idea of setting me free. The hairs on my skin all lifted and I couldn't help but shiver. It was suddenly cold, almost unbearably so and part of me wished that Damon would at least look at me. Was I expecting reassurance from him? Maybe, he had saved that poor man after all. Part of me wished he would defer the angry and heartless act for later and spare me some comfort but I knew I was in over my head. I was in this completely and utterly alone and it scared me beyond imagination to know that.

"To breed a human whose blood does not come from a line of natives would be committing a transgression," the King's deep and authoritative voice managed to quiet down the crowd," The main reason we have been able to live amongst their world without war or fear of being exposed is by feeding off those who belong to the Cold Ones. This foreigner is going to be returning back to where she came from with absolutely no memory of having ever come into contact with The Underworld."

"Assuming the ritual works," a tall, thin natural redhead stepped forward for the crowd of vampires and I was almost in awe at her beauty," Assuming that our blood won't kill her and assuming that we have enough Cold Ones here-"

"Do not forget we have our best ally here tonight," the Queen's soft-spoken voice was almost melodic," when combined with the full moon, the power of our blood is stronger."

"We need a witch-" the redheaded woman began, only to be cut off by the King.

"We need each other."

The King glanced back and ushered his hands towards a guard who presented the crowd with a goblet. Had I not been so scared I would have humored myself with the cliche.

The goblet was silver and engraved with writing in a language I did not recognize. From a distance, I saw little gems glisten on the edges.

"I have the goblet of Obliteration of Memory here, as you all already know, a drop of Cold One's blood powers the stone combined with the Full Moon, the potion will be at full power tonight."

I watched in shock as the audience lifted their fingers and scratched a cut down their forearm. The guard holding the goblet presented it to every vampire. My face scrunched up in horror and my stomach twisted with the fear of what's about to come next. I watched as each person trickled a drop of their own blood into the goblet before passing it to the other.

It felt like seconds before the goblet was at the hands of the King and Queen who mirrored the actions of the crowd before handing the goblet towards the last person left; Damon.

He grabbed the cup from the hands of his father and looked down at this fresh cut before glancing back at me with a look I had not seen before.

"The venom," I breathed towards him, almost struggling to form the words," won't the venom shift me or-or kill me, or-"

I got the idea that I would have to drink this vampire blood-infused magic memory-erasing cup but wouldn't the venom poison me as Isabelle's did?

"Our blood does not have venom," Damon replied, "Venom comes from our fangs." He held out his arm and trickled a drop of his blood into the goblet before taking a step towards me and presented it to me.

I stared down at the crimson liquid that made up a quarter of the cup and stared back up at Damon.

Take it, his eyes said, drink it, now.

I grabbed the content from Damon's hands and turned towards the King and Queen and nervously, I asked," and if it doesn't work?"

"Then you'll come home with me," I turned my gaze to the redheaded women who stared at me with a smirk," Now drink the blood, human."

I took a deep breath and brought the goblet closer to my lips. Questions raced my mind and I wondered again, how much would I forget. I switched my gaze towards Damon's whose eyes were locked with mine. I felt a cold breeze on my skin. The slit of the dress at my thigh crept to the side exposing enough of my skin to make me shiver again. Without a second thought, I brought the goblet to my lips and drank. The warm rich liquid was almost pleasant and I felt myself swallow as opposed to ordering my body to do so. When the goblet was empty, I breathed out, my eyes still caught with Damon's. I wondered if I had gone deaf or if everything was suddenly silent. The wind brushed harder and my hair stirred in my face. Damon's curious gaze studied my eyes and it suddenly felt as if it was just us two.

I breathed out again, this time the feeling of something sharp-lined the bottom of my throat. My bones suddenly felt limp and my vision began to blur.

This is it. I wonder if I will remember you.

I felt my legs give out from under me and let myself fall helplessly but I never felt the hard painful ground. I felt sudden arms wrap around my waist catching me midfall. Golden eyes snuck into my failing vision and it must have been a second after that I slipped completely out of consciousness.

I was woken up by the bright sun emitting from the windows. I stirred in bed and was suddenly hit with the severe pain of my migraine. I gripped my head with both hands as if to keep it from breaking into two. Panic rose up in my throat and I looked around in terror to realize that I was still in the castle. I looked down to realize that someone had stripped me of the white dress and replaced it with my previous outfit.

No. No, this can't be happening, I was supposed to be gone!

I darted out of bed and made a run for it towards the doors but to my surprise, they were locked. I hit the doors and screamed out,'' Hello!?"

When I didn't get a response, I went to the dresser and saw another letter. I pulled the string from underneath the cloth to reveal a piece of paper.

Dear Holly,

As you may know by now, the ritual failed and you woke up minutes later in the garden, fully aware. We had given you a sleeping potion to cleanse you of the blood. We have sent out word to the rest of The Underworld in hopes of finding a witch. For now, another telephone call is available for you to make.

The King and Queen

I gripped the cellphone on the dresser and hurriedly punched in my mother's number. Hot tears streamed down my face and I felt the sudden urge to scream out loud. I heard the line ring on the other end before my mother's soft and familiar voice spoke," Hello."

I couldn't speak. I didn't know what to say. I was never good at lying to begin with but this...this was impossible.

"Hello? Is anybody there?" My mom was still on the other end. It almost hurt to hear her voice again.

I felt my body shake with silent sobbing and brought the phone down from my face.

"Hello, Holly?" I heard my mom's voice a mere whisper now and hung up the phone.

I fell to the ground and brought my knees down to my chest, and for the first time since I had gotten here, I let myself sob. I didn't care that my puddles of tears soaked my shirt and I cried and cried about all the horrible things that life has handed me recently.

Minutes or maybe hours passed but I had lost track of time and my tears were running dry.

The door rumbled and in walked a maid placing a tray of food on the dresser, not once acknowledging my presence before exiting the room.

I decided to see if my legs still worked and to my relief; they did. I walked over to the tray and unveiled another sandwich, an apple, and a glass of water. Hardly tasting anything, I fed myself, almost disgusted by the mere sight of the food. I glanced towards the doors.

Wait, did she lock the door?

I ran over to the double doors whom to my surprise were left unlocked.

I headed through a dark hallway that led to a set of stairs. Desperately, I searched for an exit or an escape. I went down the stairs and heard faint voices. I tiptoed some more and realized it was Damon's voice.

"Father gave me a new punishment, therefore I must leave," he said almost nervously. I peeked inside the doorway from which his voice was coming from and distinguished it as the kitchen.

I wondered if vampires need a kitchen or were it merely the construction.

"When do you have to leave?" asked a soft seductive voice. I stood on my toes and peeked further to see him standing with his back facing me, with Isabelle.

"T-tonight I guess," Damon stuttered.

"There has to be a way," her big eyes almost pleaded Damon," You have to talk to him again."

I wondered where Damon was going. I had remembered that he had to keep watch of the dungeon but for some reason, I had thought that it would be at the castle, perhaps the basement.

"I deserve this," said Damon weakly," I have no choice but to fix this."

"You can ask for a lesser punishment, you can watch the dungeon some more, I'll be there, or you can-"

"I can't challenge my father."

Isabelle placed her hands on his chest,"You do not have any potential to be King if you cannot challenge your father on this."

"Isabelle-" I watched as Damon softly and slowly took her hands into his," We can't."

I began to wonder if what I had seen the other day with her and Seth had been a fragment of my imagination. Isabelle leaned forward and planted her lips on Damon's. At the sudden movement, I jumped back and stirred the curtains. They both quickly turned to my direction but I was already gone heading back up the stairs.

When I heard his footsteps hot on my trail, I ran faster through the maze-like hallways, hoping he wouldn't catch me. It didn't take long before I felt Damon's hand wrapped around my arm and pull me back and against the wall. I flinched at the impact and struggled to breathe at how close he had his face to mine.

"What do you think you're doing?" he hissed out loud but I wasn't yet ready to form words. I was still held captive by the shock that was his eyes. Instead, I stared at him, my lips slightly parted, trying to pace my breathing.

This time he spoke through gritted teeth," Answer me."

"W-why did you save the guy?" The words surprised me more after exiting my lips and I realized my body had done that without my command.

"What?" Damon spat out the word and loosened his grip on me," What are you talking about."

"I know," I whispered," That you saved that man, and now you're leaving because the King has punished you, I just want to know why."

Damon's fists made an impact with the wall, millimeters away from my face and I couldn't help but let out a soft whimper. I heard the shreddings from the wall hit the ground and pressed my back deeper into it. Seconds passed by with nothing but silence until his facial expression changed. He now stared at me with an evil smile and said," You're coming with me."

"What do y-you mean?" I stuttered.

"I-I won't tell anybody, what I saw," I stuttered," I'll forget that I saw you and Isabelle-"

He seemed to have trouble controlling his anger and I shrunk down, fearing what's coming next. All of the sudden, Isabelle appeared at the end of the hallway and with a smirk playing at the corners of her lips.

"You found it."

"She was lost," he turned away to face her," She was just leaving."

He turned his face to mine as if to tell me to leave. I didn't wait another second before rushing out of there and back down the halls.

I wondered what he meant by coming with him.

Where would we go? I'm sure anywhere is better than here.

I reached the doors to my room and to my surprise, there stood Damon's oldest brother as if waiting for me. For a second I wondered if I was in the right room.

At the look of shock that crossed my face, he smirked," Come in, it is your room."

I walked in, leaving the door slightly open behind me. Not that it mattered. If he was anything like Damon, I wouldn't have time to breathe let alone run out if he tried to kill me.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Shut the door," he demanded.

"W-Why?" I asked, trying to sound calm.

"Shut the door," he repeated," I'm not going to hurt you."

I hesitated for a second before shutting the door behind me.

"What do you want?" I repeated.

He reached up to push his hair back and I tried to not focus on how handsome he was. He took a couple of steps closer to me until he was merely a foot away.

"I'm Xavier, you must be Holly."

I merely nodded.

"So you are the foreigner everyone's been talking about," he said. I remained silent, wondering where he was going with this,

"I have never tasted...foreign blood," his eyes bore into mines and his words gave me the chills instantly.

"I don't understand," but part of me already knew where this was headed.

He trailed his cold fingers down my jaw before resting them on the bite on my neck," I have never tasted blood that doesn't come from a villager or a blood bag, but clearly someone else has," his eyes were almost accusing.

I felt the words stuck at my throat and remained silent. He drew his face closer to mine, his fingers still on my skin," I have a proposition for you."

I didn't say anything.

"By the law of The Underworld, a Cold One must never feed off a human who does not come from a breed of natives."

"What are natives?" I managed a whisper. I already knew the answer but part of me needed to confirm the horror that is this new reality.

"Natives are humans that we breed to live in the village outside the castle. They don't know life outside the village and spend their entire life serving the Cold Ones, as you can imagine, there isn't much excitement in that."

I swallowed trying to moisten my dry throat and asked," What do you want from me?"

"As per your situation, I felt inclined to let you know that I happen to know a witch."

My eyes widened," C-can she help me?"

"Of course she can," his fingers went up to trace the shape of my lips leaving me breathless," but nothing comes for free."

"What do you want from me," I repeated.

"The law however, does not say anything about a foreigner giving their blood to me willingly."

I looked at him in terror and quickly realized that between his brothers, he was the most frightening.

"If I let you bite me, you will help."

He nodded, his eyes fixated on my neck," Yes."

"And if I don't? If I wait on the King and the Queen-"

"The witches don't owe us any favors. For one to donate the kind of energy it would take to summon a spell as strong as erasing days worth of memories from a human would be close to impossible."

"But the Queen said-"

"My mother will say anything to be reassuring," he cut me off. I shook my head in disbelief, unable to process anything he was saying to me," I don't believe you."

"Suit yourself," he stepped away and headed for the door but not before turning around and asking," have you heard of the dungeon."

Nervously, I nodded.

"What do you think happens to foreigners whom we cannot find a witch for?" he began his stride back to the door.

"Wait!"

He paused before turning back and the look on his mind made me hesitant.

"If I let you do this," I began," If I let you bite me-, the venom."

"Come on now," within half a second he was at my face again, fingers trailing down my lips," I wouldn't leave any, I'm not an amateur."

"Why would the witch help me, why would she do you any favors."

His eyes darkened the slightest and he said,"She does anything if I ask."

Confused, I decided not to press, instead, I said," Okay."

His eyes lit up in excitement, "Okay?"

I nodded, my gaze falling down to the floor.

Was this the right decision? Am I making a mistake? He must be playing me.

I shrugged the thoughts of fear away and decided that I was desperate enough to do this. He moved my hair and tilted my head to the side away from him, revealing access to my neck. His lips neared and I could feel his fangs extending and rubbing my skin gently.

"You smell good," he moaned against my skin. I felt new shivers line every part of my skin.

I shut my eyes tight and dug my fingernails into my palms. I felt the slight sting of his fangs enter my neck and it wasn't long before my vision began to blur. He sucked on my skin soft enough to ease the burning sensation of his teeth. I got lost in the feeling of being drained and soon enough the bite became almost pleasurable. I let out a sigh that was almost half moan and felt my knees weakening. Almost like he read my mind, Xavier's hand's grabbed my hips at either side tightly holding me up, sinking even deeper into my neck. His fingers trailed down the side of my body and I shivered in delight.

I could feel his lips on my neck, lifting in a smile. His tongue traced a pattern on my skin and I let out a soft moan. He pulled his fangs out and began to trail a line of kisses down my neck that sent me into a frenzy. I wanted to both escape his embrace and melt into his arms.