I walked out and my dad stared at me with sad eyes. “You look just like your mother. Young, beautiful, and forbidden.” He said kindly and I smiled. I went into my room and put on my new makeup except for the hint of tan. It didn’t seem like something I should wear to this occasion. When I was done I went to my dad and smiled. I had on the dress, black high heals, my mother’s red ruby necklace she had left for me, and silver hoop earrings. My hair was curled into black rings that went around my face beautifully, which were the same color as my handbag. My father stood and walked to me.
“Knock ‘em dead, baby. Show them you can become one of them.” He said reassuringly. I nodded and hugged him.
“Thanks dad.” I said and he hugged me back. There was a buzz up to our room so I quickly went to the intercom. “Yes?”
“Hazuki? It’s Dimitri,” Dimitri said, “Come on down.”
“One second.” I said and then waved to my dad as I went out the door. I quickly walked down the stairs and out the front door, but did not expect only Dimitri to be there. “Where’s Roza?”
“My parents refused to let her into the city, so they sent me to get you. We are going to walk to my house since it’s a short way to go.” He explained and I nodded. I slipped off my high heals and he looked confused. “What are you doing?”
“Taking off my shoes. I don’t want to ruin them.” I said and as I carried my shoes. We started towards the suburbs of vampires without talking. I decided to start up a conversation. “So who is your date for tonight? Your girlfriend, Hannah?”
He shook his head. “I broke up with her yesterday and most people aren’t going with a date.”
“Why did you break up with Hannah?”
“I’d rather not talk about it.” He said as he put his hand in his pant pockets. I was about to protest but was stopped by Serine. She walked out of the CVS as we got close to it. She saw me and brightened.
“Hazie! Hey!” She yelled as she ran to me. She came up to me and hugged me. Then she looked at the guy next to me. “So is this the date you talked about when you came by earlier?”
I shook my head. “This guy is just a friend. We’re walking to the party where my date is.”
“Why didn’t your date come get you? Isn’t that kind of rude?” She asked and I smiled.
“He couldn’t. He is in college and lives out of town.”
Her eyes brightened. “Oooo! A college guys! Hazie! Nice catch!”
I laughed. “I know!” Then I turned to Dimitri, “Well we have to go, Serine. I have to get to the party so I can get back to my dad quicker.”
She looked sad for me. “If you want, I can go comfort him while you’re gone. We do live in the same building so it wouldn’t be hard for me to do.”
I shook my head. “He’ll hate it if anyone sees him.”
“Is it that bad?”
I smiled. “But me wearing my mother’s dress tonight I think helped. It made him remember how much we look alike.”
She nodded. “See you later, Hazie.” She said and then walked off. I started to walk when I notice Dimitri was not moving.
“Is something wrong?” I asked and he looked at me.
“Do you miss your mom?” He asked me sadly.
“She was executed when I was 2. I don’t really remember her at all, so I don’t know what it was like to have a vampire for a parent. I was just raised by a human around vampires.” I said and then walked to him. I put my hand on his cheek and he smiled. “Come on. We shouldn’t keep Roza waiting.” I said and he nodded. It was only a few minutes to his house so we walked in silence. When we got there Roza was waiting at the house gate. She ran to us when we were in sight. She came to me and smiled.
“Hey! Is that a new dress?”
“Kinda. But I really like yours.” I said. Roza had on a red dress that matched her eyes. Her black hair was up in a bun and she looked more beautiful than usual. “You look really good.”
“Hey isn’t that your mom’s ruby amulet?” She asked and I blushed. I pulled it up so I could see it.
“Yea. I thought I should wear it because it’s my mom’s 35 birthday tonight,” I said and she stared at me, “So Dimitri told you about what happened?”
She nodded. “Oh! This would go really good with your dress!” Roza said as she pulled a black group of bangles out of her purse. I accepted it and put it on. “I had wondered why Hajji had asked me so many questions about you lately. Every time I’ve seen him all he could talk about is you,” She laughed, “I now know why. He likes you.”
“I doubt it,” I said and then looked at the car parked in front of the house, “I think he did it out of pity. He is so much like his brother it’s scary.”
“What do you mean?” Dimitri asked.
Roza answered for me. “Hajji’s brother was the one who saved Hazuki from execution.”
“I owe him everything in my life, so if his brother wants anything from me I will allow it,” I said as I looked at Roza, “I owe him a lot because he brought me to you. He gave me and my dad hope. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for him or his family. Sei is my angel.” Roza’s mother walked over to me.
“Good evening, Hazuki. I’m glad you could join us tonight.” She said and I knew she was totally lying. The only reason she even allowed me in her house was because I am protected by Sei and his family. She hated me like the rest of them. They all hated me and it hurt. I bowed to her and smiled.
“Thank you for letting me ride with you Ma’am. I’m very grateful.” I said and she left. My eye started bothering me so I rubbed them.
“Is something wrong, Hazuki?” Roza asked me.
“No, my eyes are just hurting.” I said and then the pain stopped. I opened my eyes and Roza gasped.
“Hazuki! Your eyes!” She exclaimed, “They turned red!”
I looked to the sunless sky and nodded. “You didn’t know my eyes did that?” I asked and she shook her head, “Oh. They do it every time the sun goes down.”
“They’re beautiful!” She gasped and I smiled.
“Come on you three!” Roza’s father called to us. We walked over and he stared at me, “I’ve never seen you as a full vampire, Hazuki. You look just like you mother.”
I smiled. “Thank you, Sir.” I slid into the limo and sat between Roza and Dimitri as their mother stared at me.
“Your eyes are magnificent when they turn red, Hazuki.” She commented and I smiled.
“Thank you.”
“Do you get all of our powers when they turn like that?”
I nodded. “I also have special ones that half breeds get.”
“Like what?” Roza’s father asked as he slid in next to his wife with the shut of the door and the car started off.
“I can make things levitate and can see fully in the dark,” I replied, “They come in handy at points.”
He nodded. “I wouldn’t mind being able to see in the dark.”
Dimitri stared at me and when I turned to him he smiled. I was quiet when Roza spoke. “Mother, Father. Hazuki did the nicest thing for me today.”
“Oh?” Her mother asked.
“There were these human girls that go to my school. They pulled a prank on me during lunch and…” She started.
“What prank?” Her father asked angrily.
“They tripped me and made me fall into a hamburger.”
“What!” He hollered as the car moved quickly.
“But it’s okay! Hazuki stood up for me!” She said and then looked at me, “When they passed us in the hall at the end of school they laughed at me and Hazuki asked them if they were laughing because they had tripped me into a burger. They said no one tripped me. They said I had just tripped into it, so Hazuki got them back.”
“What did she do?” Dimitri asked.
“When the leader of the group passed, Hazuki put her foot out and tripped her. Haz put her hand in the girls face and smacked the girl’s nose! When she yelled at Haz for hitting her Hazuki said ‘No one hit you. You just fell into my hand. Wow, today is really full of coincidences.’ Then when we were leaving Haz told the girl, ‘hope it doesn’t swell.’ Everyone laughed and Haz totally got the girl back for being so mean.”
“Thank you for that, Hazuki. Roza could never stand up to those girls like that.” Roza’s father said kindly to me.
“I had to do something, Sir. They tripped her into a burger because she is vegetarian. That is wrong and unjust. I couldn’t just let them get away with it, so I used what my friend Serine told me to do. I had to pay them back to teach them a lesson.”
“Serine?” Roza asked with curiosity, “Who is she?”
“She lives in my apartment complex. We have been friends for as long as I can remember. She is our age and goes to the public school in town.”
“Oh? Why haven’t I met her?”
“She isn’t one of us, so I didn’t think it was a good idea.” I said and she nodded. The car stopped and the door to the back opened. Everyone got out and I waited. I started to get myself out when Dimitri put his hand out to help me. I accepted it and he pulled me out. I stood and smiled. “Thanks.” I said and then Roza stared at me with wide eyes.
“Haz…” She said and I knew something was wrong. I looked up to the top of the stairs of the mansion in front of us to see the devil himself. My uncle Vladimir.
“Oh no.” I said to myself and Roza’s eyes widened more.
“We have to sneak you in! If he sees you he will make sure you aren’t allowed in! If only Hajji was here to help.”
I slipped on the shoes I was carrying. “It’s alright, Roza.”
“But he will attack you!”
I nodded. “He may.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
“I’ll figure that out when the time comes.” I said and then walked past her. I walked up the stairs slowly and my uncle stared at me the whole way. When I got to the top of the stairs he stood in front of me.
“Get out of here, half breed!” He hissed and I felt my skin crawl. I stood up formally and bowed to him.
“It is good to see you too, Sir.” I said as I stood up straight again. He hissed at me again.
“Turn around, Hazuki Utashi. You do not belong here.” He said and I nodded.
“As you wish, Uncle. I shall go.” I said and I started down the stairs when my name was called.
“Hazuki?” Someone asked and I looked back up to the top of the stairs to see Sei with Hajji beside him.
“Hazuki! Hey!” Hajji called and my Uncle stared at me. I walked up to them and my uncle came over to us.
“I’m sorry, Prince Hajji. It seems I cannot come in.”
“Why not?” He asked as Sei stared at me with amazement. We hadn’t seen each other in 2 years because I told Sei I loved him and he denied me. But I did not care anymore.
“My Uncle told me I cannot come in. I must follow his wishes.” I explained and my Uncle looked at me.
“She is a half breed, Prince Hajji. She may look like one of us, but she isn’t.” He said as he stared at me.
“At night she is just like us, Sir. And she is allowed here because she is my date.” Hajji said and Sei’s eyes widened. I knew right then that Hajji had not told Sei why he wanted me to come here tonight. Sei didn’t know I was Hajji’s date.
“Your Date!” My uncle exclaimed and I smiled.
“Yes Uncle.”
“She is allowed here, Sir. Do not tell her otherwise.” Hajji said and then my Uncle left. Roza ran up to me and was out of breath. She grabbed my arm and I looked at her as Dimitri followed her.
“Haz! What did he say?” She asked.
“Nothing. Everything is perfectly fine, Roza. Please calm down.” I said and she nodded.
“You should watch for him tonight. Make sure he does not get anywhere near you.” Dimitri added and I smiled.
“I will be fine. He is just mad because I am still here. He wanted me to be rid of a long time ago. He will never get over me living until I am dead,” I said with a sigh. I bowed to Sei and then looked at him, “Thank you for letting me come tonight, Prince Sei. It was very nice of you.”
Hajji took my hand and kissed it. “Shall we go inside?” He asked and I nodded. He led me inside and I felt Sei watching me the whole time. We went inside and I saw, for the first time ever, a vampire ball. Beautiful men danced with glamorous women around the huge ballroom. People talked around the edge of the dance floor and on the wrap around balcony that we were standing on. The balcony was inside so it looked like a wrap around second floor that showed off the main floor. Hajji walked down the next staircase that led to the dance floor. As he escorted me down the stairs I saw his parents. They were on the furthest side of the ballroom in a blank area where only they were. They were sitting in the two thrones and had on beautifully expensive cloths. Hajji led me across the dance floor and to them. When we got there the two of them stared at me, but I did not feel scared like when the other vampires looked at me. These two people accepted me as a vampire unlike the council and helped Sei rescue me from death a long time ago. I curtsied to them and then smiled back.
“Thank you for letting me come tonight. It is a great honor.” I said kindly and Hajji’s mother stood. She walked to me and hugged me. I hugged her back happily.
“It has been so long, my girl, since we have seen you. I feel like for the past two years I have misplaced my only daughter.” She said as she let go. Her husband joined her side.
“Yes, Hazuki. You need to visit us more,” He said kindly, “We truly think of you as our only daughter and want to treat you like so,” He smiled, “What has kept you from us these past two years? Has something happened?”
I nodded. “My father has become very unstable lately and I have had to be with him at all times. He keeps getting sick.”
“Give our regards to him.” The queen said and I nodded. The queen looked behind me and smiled. “You’re back, Sei. Have you seen Hazuki already?”
He nodded as he passed me. “I did. She met with Hajji outside and I saw her while waiting for Melisa to show up.”
“She is still not here?” She asked and he nodded.
“Mother, is it alright if we go dance?” Hajji asked kindly and she nodded. Hajji led me to the dance floor and I blushed. “What is it?” He asked.
“I can’t dance,” I said quietly, “Well not formally at least.”
He smiled. “Just take my hands and I’ll lead you.” He said and then we were in the middle of the dance floor. He took my hands in his. “Follow my feet.” He said as he did a dance and I copied it. We went around the dance floor and I could feel people watching us, but I ignored them. I just looked at Hajji and listened to the music playing. We dance and I fell under a trance that I could belong here, even though I obviously could not. I was not accepted, but with Hajji by me I felt like I could be. Finally Hajji got tired and we stopped dancing. Hajji led me back to his parents. “Is Melisa still not here?”
The queen sighed. “Her father has become ill so she cannot make it.” She said and Hajji looked sorry for her.
Hajji let go of my hand. “I’ll be right back. I just have to talk with my father for a moment.” He said and then walked off. I walked off the area and ran into Dimitri.
“Hey, where is Hajji?” He asked.
“Talking to the King.” I replied and he nodded. “Do you know where Roza is?”
“She is sitting at a table off to the side with some of her friends back behind me.” He said and I walked off. I found Roza and she smiled at me.
“Hey.” She said kindly and I sat down at the empty seat by her. No one else was at the table.
“Dimitri said you were with your friends, where did they go?”
“To dance. They wanted me to go, but I’m really tired.” She said and I nodded. “It’s already midnight.”
“I’m getting a little tired t…” I started to say when something dropped onto my dress. I looked up to see Hannah, Dimitri’s ex-girlfriend, smiling evilly at me.
“Oh, sorry. Did I drop that cupcake on you?”
“What was that for?” I asked, “That was no accident.”
She smiled. “Well I wouldn’t know. Maybe a boyfriend stealer like you can figure it out.”
“Boyfriend stealer?” I asked as I stood and the cupcake fell off of my dress but its icing stayed, “I didn’t steal a boyfriend.”
“Don’t deny it, Hazuki! Dimitri left me because he said he loved you! You stole him from me! Who the hell do you think you are, half breed?” She yelled and I put my hands on my hips as I lost my temper.
“Excuse me?”
“Just go ahead and die half breed!” She hollered and everyone in the room stopped moving, including the royal family. “No one wants you here! Not even the humans will accept you!” She laughed and there was quiet talking around the room but what she said was true, then she kept on. “You are just like your mother! A man stealing b****!” She laughed and I felt my eyes glow a bloody red.
“Take that back, Hannah.” I demanded in a hiss and she laughed again.
“Why should I take it back half breed? You don’t belong here so I can say whatever I want!”
I walked closer to her and everyone held their breath expecting me to fight her. “What you are saying may be true, Hannah, but take back what you said about my mother! Now!” I yelled and she smiled.
“No.”
“I’m giving you one more chance Hannah! Take it back and nothing will happen! But if you don’t I swear to god I will pop your full blooded head off your shoulders!” I hissed and she smiled more. She had no idea what I could do.
“Like you can hurt me.” She said rudely and I nodded.
“I’m sorry, Hannah.” I said and then pointed my hands at her.
“Hazuki!” Roza yelled and I stopped.
“Is that all you have, half breed?” She laughed and I walked up to her. I slapped her across the face and everyone gasped. She looked at me with shock as I tried to calm down.
“You better be glad Roza was here. If it wasn’t for her I would have killed you without a thought,” I said and then hissed, “If I ever hear you speak badly of my mother again I will hunt you down and make sure you never walk again. I don’t care if you talk about me and say I shouldn’t have been born, but if you ever say anything of my mother I will stop at nothing to kill you.” I said and then walked towards the stairs.
“Hazuki!” Roza yelled again and then she grabbed my arm. I turned to her and she saw the tears running down my face. “Oh Haz…” She said sadly and I pulled away from her.
“I’m sorry I over reacted, Roza,” I said quietly, “I should have controlled myself, but I just couldn’t. I couldn’t take someone making fun of my mother.”
“She shouldn’t have said what she did, Haz. But you don’t have to leave because of it.” She said and I smiled.
“I need to go, Roza. I’ll see you around.” I said quietly and then walked away. I went out of the place and it stayed quiet. I started down the road when I heard footsteps behind me.
“Hazuki! Wait!” Someone yelled. I brushed my tears away and then turned to see Sei running towards me. When he got to me he was breathing heavily. “My parents want you to come back with me. Everyone feels really bad.” He explained.
I looked at my feet and made sure not to look at him. “I can’t Prince Sei. I can’t handle going back,” I said and then looked down the road, “I don’t belong with all of you. I need to go.” I said and then started to walk away but he grabbed my hand. I turned to him and he hugged me tightly.
“Please, Hazuki. I haven’t seen you in 2 years even though I have called and tried to meet up with you,” He said, “I was glad when Hajji said you were coming tonight and couldn’t wait, but then I found out you were here with my brother,” He said and pulled me tighter to him, “Do you know how hard it was for me to not take you away from him tonight? I’ve wanted to talk to you, but you never left my brother’s side.”
“Prince Sei…”
“Don’t call me Prince,” He said, “Just call me Sei.”
“Sei, why were you excited for me tonight? Shouldn’t you have been excited for your fiancé to be coming?” I asked, “You’re going to be her husband soon.”
“No I’m not,” He said, “Tonight I was planning on telling her I didn’t want to marry her.”
“Why not?”
“I can’t get over what you told me 2 years ago. Every day I regret how I answered to your confession and wish I could change that time.” He said into my ear because his head was by it. I tried to get away but couldn’t.
“You told me you didn’t love me back, Sei. You told me how you felt and I’m glad you did. If you hadn’t it would have ended bad for us.”
“But what I told you was a lie! It was a total and utter lie!”
“What?”
“I told you I didn’t love you because I was confused. I liked you a lot but had a title to keep. Once you stopped seeing me I finally realized how much I did love you and how bad it hurt to be without you. I tried to contact you, but you changed your cell number,” He said, “I loved you then and still do now!”
“Please, Sei. I’ve had enough for tonight. I don’t want your lies also.” I said and he lifted from me slightly. He kissed me deeper than he ever had.
“I’m not lying, Hazuki. I had to keep myself from taking you all night, but after seeing you get so hurt I couldn’t control myself. I wanted to tell you how I felt and wanted to be with you again. That is all I’ve thought of all night.”
I tried to push him away but he wouldn’t let go. “Let go of me Sei! I don’t want this!”
“Let go of her Sei!” Someone yelled and I looked behind me. Dimitri was standing behind us while breathing heavily.
“Stay out of this, Dimitri! This has nothing to do with you!” Sei yelled and Dimitri quickly pulled me away from Sei.
“She said let go, Sei. She doesn’t want you touching her,” Sei frowned at Dimitri as he stood straight, “I’m not going to let you harm her while I’m here.”
“Come on, Hazuki. We can talk somewhere else.” Sei said as he put his hand towards me. I took a step back and bumped into Dimitri. I shook my head at Sei.
“I don’t want to talk, Sei,” I said and looked at the ground, “I don’t want this. I don’t want to love you. I don’t want anything to do with you.” I walked away as Sei started yelling at Dimitri and tears poured down my face. I walked all the way to my apartment and went up to see my dad asleep on the couch with one of the new boxes of tissues next to him. I went over and kissed his cheek. “Goodnight, dad.” I said and then went to my room. I changed a quickly went to bed.

One week later, few in the vampire world had seen me since the ball. The sun was high in the sky as I walked to Roza’s house. When I got there a cloud had overcast the sun so that it was fairly cool. I rang the doorbell to see Dimitri. He stared at me with curiosity. “Hazuki?” He asked.
“Is Roza here?” I asked and he looked at me oddly.
“Uh, yea. But she’s in a meeting.”
“I really have to talk to her, is there any way I could interrupt?” I asked and he looked concerned.
“What’s the matter?” He asked and I sighed.
“Nothing. I just really have to see Roza,” I replied, “Please, show me where she is.” I said and he let me in. He led me down a hall of the house and stopped in front of a medium sized wood door. Dimitri knocked on it.
“Yes?” Roza asked.
“Roza, Hazuki is here. She said she has to see you.”
“Can it wait?” She asked and I pushed past Dimitri. I threw the door open to see Roza at the head of a large, wooden table. At the table were the King, Queen, Hajji, and Sei.
“Roza, I’m sorry for interrupting. But this cannot wait.”
Roza stared at me with uncertainty. “What’s wrong?” She asked and I handed her the bracelet that she had given me before the ball. She looked at me with confusion.
“I’m leaving the city tonight. I had to tell you,” I said and then pointed out the door, “I left a box of the things I have that are yours on your front porch.”
“What! Leaving?” She yelled, “For how long?”
I put my hand on her cheek and smiled. “Sorry, Roza. I’m not coming back.”
“Where are you going? Is it because of what Hannah said to you at the ball?” She asked as she took my hand in hers.
“Hazuki? What is this about?” The king said and I turned to him. I looked him deeply in the eyes.
“Sir, tell the council I do not wish to become a vampire now.” I said and his eyes grew.
“What! But Hazuki!” The Queen yelled.
“How can you talk to me like I am your daughter? After everything you can still talk to me like that?” I yelled and she was stunned, “I have to leave and that is all any of you need to know.” I said and then walked towards the door.
“Dimitri! Shut the door!” Roza yelled and I froze. Roza grabbed my hand and turned me to her, “Why the hell aren’t you going to become one of us?”
I stared at her with amazement. She had never acted like this to me. I looked at my feet. “I can’t become a vampire anymore.”
“Why not?”
I looked at her, “I have to go find my mother.”
“But she’s dead.”
I shook my head. “Not anymore.” I said and then pulled my sleeve up on my wrist. Roza gasped when she saw blood coming from my whole arm. Two deep cuts sliced down it. “She gave this to me when I had to fight her.”
“Fight her! She came to your house?” Roza yelled and I nodded. I quickly pulled my sleeve back.
“She got away with my father after she bit me,” I said and Roza’s hands went over her mouth. She looked like she was going to throw up, “I don’t have much time left, so I have to go find my dad before he ends up like me,” I said and then sighed, “I have already gained the urge to drink blood.”
Roza looked at the side of my neck and started crying. “She took too much of your blood! You can’t make it like you are!”
I shook my head. “She didn’t kill me,” I said, “But she took my father. If she bites him there is no way he will make it through tonight,” I said and then walked to Dimitri, “Please, move out of the way.” I said but he didn’t.
“We aren’t done here, Hazuki,” The king said, “You need medical treatment or you won’t be alive by the next sunrise.”
I hissed. “I know that! I know what will happen if I don’t get help! But I can’t wait for help! I only have a few hours left to find my father! He is my responsibility! I have to help him!” I grabbed my arm that ached from blood loss, “He is my only family I have left! I have to protect him! If I don’t no one else will!”
“But if you go to your father, he will die and so will you. It would be better for you to stay with us.” The King said as he walked towards me. He set his hand on my shoulder, “I know you want to go save him, but if you wait a day we may be able to save both of you.”
I shook my head. “He is a regular human! He can’t last one day out there with a dead vampire drinking his blood!”
“Think rationally, Hazuki. Your mother is possessed. She is only doing this to get back at something.”
I looked away and cursed. “I’m sure whatever it was had something to do with me. I can’t just let my possessed mother go and kill my dad! I can’t just sit here and be cured while he is out there dying!” I yelled and he sighed.
“Please Hazuki. She is probably far away by now. You can’t reach her with your wounds.”
I hissed. “Then I will die trying!”
“And how will that help your dad? What if the person who has possessed your mother took him as bait to get you? Then the person will win. You will be dead, but if you stay here with us I will send out a search party for him while we treat you,” He said and then slightly squeezed my shoulder, “Please Hazuki. Let us help you.” He said and tears started down my face. I brushed the tears away.
“Fine.” I said quietly.
“Dear, call a doctor.” The king said to the queen. She nodded and left the room, “Show me your arm again.” He said and I pulled my sleeve up. Hajji, Dimitri, and Sei stood by the king and waited for orders as Roza stood by me. “What sword did she use to do this?” He asked me.
I stared at him. “This wasn’t made by a sword.”
“Then what was it made by?”
“Her…fangs.” I said and his eyes widened, “She did this when I grabbed my father from her as she tried to escape,” I looked at my arm and remembered early this morning, “She tried to bite him while I was there, so I put a spell on him. Luckily it won’t ware off until I become a human again,” I pointed at my eyes, “After she left with a lot of my blood I lost most of my humanity. Even though the sun is out I am still a vampire.”
“That will make it easier to cure you and gives us a better chance of saving you.” He replied and I stared at him.
“I truly do not get you, Sir,” I said and he looked confused, “I am a half breed that no one wants to even exist, but you and the Queen treat me like a daughter. Shouldn’t you hate me like everyone else?”
He smiled, “I don’t understand how anyone could hate you, Hazuki. You are a beautiful, smart, and kind girl that only wants to be accepted. I see nothing I could hate you over.” He said and then touched my cheek. He turned my head to the side and saw my marks. “You shouldn’t even be standing, Hazuki. You’ve lost so much blood that most would be unconscious.”
“I’m too shaken to lie down.” I said quietly and then looked at my ruby necklace that had been my mothers. “Please, my King. Send someone to find my father.” I said and then handed him my mother’s necklace.
“What is this for?”
“It has my father and that woman’s scent on it. Whomever you send will need it to find them.” I said and he nodded. He took it and walked out of the room.
“You should sit, Hazuki.” Hajji said as he put his arm around my waist. I put my hand on his face and kissed his cheek with a nod.
“You’re right.” I said and he led me over to a chair at the table. I sat down and he sat in the chair next to me.
“Roza, come help me get some bandages for Hazuki’s arm.” Dimitri said and he left with Roza. Hajji held my hand in his and Sei stared at our hands intertwined on the table.
“Why didn’t you call me after this happened?”
“I didn’t want to involve you.” I said as I looked at Hajji. He brushed my black hair from my face and smiled.
“We have been talking on the phone every day since the ball a week ago. I was concerned when you didn’t call me this morning. Last night you seemed really down so, after this I was planning to go to your apartment as a surprise.”
“That would have been a good surprise.” I said kindly. I was starting to really like Hajji. He and I had been secretly meeting every day since the ball to talk. Also, yesterday afternoon he told me he loved me.
Hajji leaned into me and kissed me deeply. “I meant what I said yesterday, Haz,” He said as he took his lips from mine, “I really do love you.”
“Hajji! Come help me!” The king yelled and Hajji left. He shut the door behind him and Sei walked towards the door. I heard him lock the door and then he walked towards me. I stood with concern.
“Why is it alright for my brother to tell you he loves you but when I tell you it is denied!” He came towards me and grabbed my hands so that I could not move away, “I love you more than he could ever love you, but you deny me! Why the hell am I denied when I have loved you for many years, but he had only loved you for a few days?”
“Because he didn’t break my heart like you did.” I barked. He picked me up and laid me onto the large table in the room. He was above me on his hands and knees. He leaned down and kissed me deeply. He started sliding his hands up my shirt and I quickly pushed him off of me. I ran towards the door and before I knew it he had pushed me up against the door of the room and was kissing me again. “Get off of me!” I yelled to him and he started kissing my neck while pinning my arms against the door. I quickly kicked him away and he fell to the ground. I unlocked the door as fast as I could and then ran out of the room. The first person I found was Dimitri. I went up to him and he looked concerned.
“What’s the matter? Were you crying?” He asked and I brushed my tears off of my face.
“Sei tried to take advantage of me again,” I whispered, “Please, Dimitri, keep him away from me.” I said and he nodded. It was weird that I truly felt safe as Dimitri held me in his arms. Lately if I wasn’t with Hajji I wanted to be with Dimitri. Sometimes I would call him and talk or I would meet up with him in town. Last time we had been together was two days ago, Saturday afternoon. We had gone from a restaurant in town to my apartment. We chatted for a long time and Dimitri told me why Hannah had said what she did at the ball.
“I told Hannah when we broke up that I couldn’t date her anymore since I love someone else. She demanded to know who so I told her the truth: that I had fallen in love with you. She got really mad since I was leaving her for you and that is why she said what she did at the ball.” Dimitri said.
“Why didn’t you tell me before hand that you loved me?”
“I didn’t want to tell you until I was ready, but now that we have been seeing each other a lot lately I thought you should know. I really do love you, Hazuki.”
“I think I might be starting to love you too, Dimitri.” I said quietly and he smiled. We were on my couch and he kissed me. I welcomed him and lay back on the couch. He followed me and we kissed for a very long time.
“I will never let Hajji or Sei have you, Hazuki. I want you to be mine and only mine.” He said as he kissed my neck.
“I want to be only yours too, Dimitri.” I whispered and we kissed more. We stopped later because Roza called Dimitri to say he had to come home because it was getting dark. Then yesterday we were both busy with our own lives but he called me at midnight to talk. He told me how much he loved me and how we could date without hurting Roza.
I let Dimitri kiss the wounds in my neck. He looked up at me after he did with sorrow. “Does your neck hurt?” He asked.
“Not horribly.” I replied and he kissed me.
“I will stay by you while you are cured. If anything happens I want to be there with you,” He said and I smiled, “Once you are better I will go with you to find your father. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
I nodded. “I’d like that,” I said and then hugged Dimitri, “I love you.” I said kindly as he hugged me back. I let go as someone grabbed my arm. I turned to Sei, who was staring at Dimitri with anger and jealousy.
“What the hell!” Sei yelled to me and I pushed away from him, “You’re dating Dimitri! I thought you liked my brother!”
I nodded. “I do like your brother, but I don’t love him like he loves me. I love Dimitri.” I said and he got really mad. Dimitri walked over to me and put his arm around my waist.
“Sei, stay away from Hazuki.”
“Oh? And if I don’t?”
“I will have to hurt you, which I really don’t want to do, but will if I have to,” Dimitri said, “Hazuki is mine.”
“Oh? Then why did she tell me she loved me also?” Sei laughed and I got really angry.
“What?” Dimitri asked.
“Sei, you and I both know that was two years ago. I did love you, but you shattered my heart,” I said firmly, “I moved on last year and started liking Dimitri. When he broke up with Hannah for me I realized how much he liked me too. I love Dimitri now.”
He started laughing and I was confused, “Wait till you talk to my mother,” He smiled, “You won’t be able to tell me no then.” He walked off and Dimitri looked at me.
“You loved Sei?”
I nodded. “He saved me from death and treated me like a priceless jewel. But then I found out he didn’t love me. I confessed my feelings and he denied them. Now I have no feelings towards him.” I said and Dimitri kissed me.
“I would never turn you down, Hazuki.” He said and I smiled. We heard someone coming down the hall by us, so Dimitri let go of me and started wrapping my arm. The queen came over to us and smiled.
“The doctor is here, Hazuki.” She said and I nodded. We followed her to the front of the house and I finally felt my body aching and hurting. A tall, thin vampire man smiled at me.
“I see you are my patient,” He said as he looked at my neck, “She needs to lie down. Where can we go?”
“You may use my room.” Roza said and he nodded. We to the stairs and the doctor stopped in front of me.
“Don’t let the girl fool you. I can tell by the way she is walking that she may collapse soon. She is struggling to move. Please, someone help her up the stairs. She doesn’t have the energy to go up them.” The doctor said and I frowned.
“I don’t need help. I am perfectly capable.” I lied and he smiled.
“Alright, my dear. Prove me wrong.” He said as he moved out of my way. I quickly walked up 6 steps and stopped. Those six steps felt like a marathon to my legs. I grabbed onto the railing and kept on but only got two steps further before I stopped.
“Don’t push yourself, Hazuki.” Roza said and my feet came off the ground. I looked back to see Dimitri carrying me. He smiled at me and I sighed.
“I’m not going to watch you in pain while just going up the stairs. Just give up and let me carry you.”
“Fine.” I said and he nodded to the doctor. Dimitri carried me up the staircase and everyone followed us to Roza’s room. I was placed on her bed and the doctor sat down.
“Where are the owners of the home?” He asked Dimitri.
“They are at work. I’m in charge of the home for now.” He said and Roza nodded.
“So, my girl, you got bit by a Desiring?” The doctor.
“What?” I asked in confusion.
“A Desiring is a dead vampire that has come back to life and desires blood.” He explained. “Correct?”
I nodded. “Early this morning I was attacked by a Desiring.”
“Ah.” He said. “Other than the neck bite is there any other marks by the animal?”
I pulled my sleeve up and he saw my two cuts. “She gave this to me when I was attacked. It was from her fangs.” I said.
The doctor dug into his bag and searched for something. He pulled out a siring and a bottle of black liquid. “When the Desiring drank your blood she added a poison into your bloodstream that makes you turn into a Desiring.” He explained. “This will reverse the effects.”
“But will it work on me? I am a half breed.” I said.
“Oh? So you are famous half breed that was allowed to live?” He asked and I nodded. “Then there will be a few side effects to this then.” He said and I sat up.
“Like what?”
“This will be extremely painful because it will get rid of the poison, but it will also turn all of your half human blood cells into full fledge vampire blood cells.” He said.
“So I will become a vampire?” I asked and he nodded.
“It is a year too early for you to become a vampire, so I do not know the side effects it will have on your changing. You may never be able to become an adult vampire, or you may turn into an adult vampire a year before you are supposed to. Are you still willing to do this?”
“I’ve wanted to become a vampire so it is fine.” I said and he nodded. I lay back down as Roza sat on the other side of me.
“Alright. Try not to scream too loud. This will be very painful.” The doctor said and I nodded. He filled the siring with the black liquid and pulled up the sleeves of my shirt. He stuck the needle into my arm and it felt like he was pushing lead into my arm by the weight of the liquid. He took the needle out and sighed. “Here will come the pain.”
The doctor moved as Dimitri sat on my side the doctor had been on. He brushed my hair out of my face and smiled. “Be strong, Hazuki. The pain will only last for a minute.”
I nodded and then closed my eyes. All the sudden my body felt like it was on fire. My eyes and teeth stung uncontrollably. I breathed in quickly and held my breath. I felt like my skin was sizzling away as my eyes felt like swords had gone through them. It felt like I was having all of my teeth pulled out without anesthesia and I started crying. My insides stung and my muscles ached. Out of nowhere the pain decreased and my body felt fine. I opened my eyes to see everyone staring at me. I sat up and brushed my tears away.
“Hazuki…” Roza said and I turned to her.
“What is it?” I asked and she smiled.
“You turned into an adult vampire.” She said quietly. “You’re so beautiful.” She said as she put her hand on my cheek.
“I changed?” I asked and she nodded.
“Your skin is a white and flawless as the moon’s light, your hair is now curly, you eyes are red, and you have fangs.” She said with awe. She pulled a strand of my hair up so I could see it. My hair had lengthened and was now in beautiful curls.
The king walked into the room. “Hazuki, we’ve found your father.” He said with a smile as he handed me my mother’s ruby necklace. I nodded and stood.
“I’ll go with you.” Roza said and I shook my head.
“Please, Roza. I would die if you got hurt.” I said and she frowned. “But I will be fine. Dimitri is coming with me.”
“Both of my sons shall go also.” The king said.
“They don’t need to.”
“But they want to help.” He said and I nodded.
“We should go.” I said and then left the room. Dimitri, Hajji, and Sei followed me. “We need a car.” I said to Dimitri and he nodded. He led us to a Ford F-150 out in his garage. “Is it okay if I drive it?” I asked and he nodded. I went to the driver’s seat and sat down. I stuck my necklace on the dash in front of me as Dimitri sat in shotgun and Sei sat in the back with Hajji.
“So what’s the plan?” Hajji asked and he leaned out of his seat as I started the car. I pulled out of the driveway and into the street. I got out of the vampire suburb and into the country.
“I will go first. I will create a distraction so my mother lets go of my father. Then…” I started.
“What makes you think your father is still alive?” Sei asked rudely.
“I put a spell on him before he was taken. She cannot touch or bite him until I become a human, so he is safe.” I said. “But while I am distracting her you three must get my father out of there. Take him and drive him back to Dimitri’s home.”
“But how will you get back?” Dimitri asked me.
“I don’t even know if I will make it back. I am suspecting this was planned to be my last fight. My uncle just wanted me to finally become a vampire and be accepted. Now he plans to take my happiness away as soon as he can.” I said.
“Your uncle did this?!” Hajji gasped and I nodded.
“I knew something was up when he actually spoke to me at the ball. I knew it meant trouble, but I wasn’t expecting him to use his own sister to do it.” I said and then turned a corner. I stopped in front of an abandoned home.
“What is this?” Hajji asked me.
I sighed. “The house I grew up in.” I said and then quickly came out of the car. The three guys filed out and came over to me. “Before we do anything there is something I have to do. This is not where my mother is. She is about a mile away at an abandoned church. The one she got married in and gave birth to me in.” I said quietly.
“Then what do we need here?” Sei asked and I turned to him.
“I knew one day we would be attacked at this house, but we never were. Instead we were attacked at a store.” I explained. “Just in case I had hidden supplies in my home. Follow me. We have to go to my room.” I said and they nodded. I walked to the front door and tried to open it but it was locked. I hissed. I back up slightly and kicked the door in. Then I walked in and they followed. We went to my small room to see a rusty and dusty bed with toys. I went over to my bed and felt under my pillow where I remembered I had hidden a gun. The cold metal touched my hand and I quickly pulled it out. I loaded it and pointed at the window. I shot and then glass shattered. I smiled as I put down the handgun. I threw it to Hajji. “You know how to use one of these, right?” I asked him.
He nodded. “I was trained to use one.” He replied.
I nodded and then went over to my closet. I pulled out a small knife and threw it to Sei. I then pulled out a pistol and handed it to Dimitri. I went out of the room and the three of them followed. I stopped at a display of a long sword that had belonged to my mother’s father. I took the sword’s case in my hands and slowly slid out the sword. It shined at me and then I quickly sealed it with the case. “Time to go.” I said and the three of them nodded. We went back into the car and I drove us to the church. I stopped at the abandoned parking lot and my necklace glowed. I quickly put it on myself and got out of the car. Rain started falling from the dark sky and I looked up. A few drops landed on my face as I looked back to the small, white church. The steeple was starting to collapse with decay but the rest of it was fine. I walked up to the front door and the three guys followed. “At all costs, get my dad out of there.” I whispered and they nodded. I quickly pulled the sheath off of my sword and threw the door open. I looked in to see a few rows of pews and an offering table in the front of the church. A cross was above the table that held my father. One person sat in the front pew on the right of the offering table. My mother stood and turned to me with an odd expression.
“So you have finally shown up, half breed?” She asked me. It felt like her words sliced into my heart.
“Please mother. I do not want to fight you. Just let father go and we will leave immediately.” I said as I stared at her.
“I did not abduct him for my own benefit. I did it to lure you here so I could finally get rid of my last sin.” She said.
“Mother…” I whispered and Dimitri went in front of me.
“I won’t let you kill Hazuki.” He said firmly.
“Oh? And who do you think you are, boy? Other than a noble vampire you are worthless. You have nothing to do with me, my husband, or my daughter.” She said with a frown.
“I have everything to do with Hazuki. We are dating and I love her.” Dimitri said and she smiled.
“So you have stolen a vampire heart, Hazuki?” She asked me with a laugh. “Or should I say three hearts.”
“You don’t know what you are talking about!”
“Of course I do. You and I are the same.”
“We are totally different.” I said as I looked at my feet. “We may look and act the same, but our souls are different. Mine is full of sorrow and hope while yours is full of hate and revenge.” I said and then pointed my sword at her. “Enough talking. I’m here to claim my father back.”
She smiled. “And you think you can take me? A full fledge vampire against a half breed?”
“I’m not a half breed anymore. I am now a pure vampire.” I said with a smile back. “But I still have more powers.”
She laughed. “Let’s see you try to beat me.” She said and I focused on her arms. They lifted into the air and brought her body with them. She gasped as she lifted off the ground. I quickly threw my sword at her, but she got out of my levitating field before the sword pierced her. She ran at me with a hiss.
“Get my dad out of here!” I yelled and then ran at her. She grabbed onto my arms as I came at her. Dimitri, Sei, and Hajji grabbed my father and pulled him out of the building. My mother shoved me to the ground with a laugh.
“You may have stolen the bait, but you won’t leave here alive.” She laughed and then I quickly stood. She grabbed my neck and I choked. She threw me against the wall of the building. I flew through it and the wall collapsed as I hit the ground. I cried out as I grabbed my sides.
“Hazuki!” I heard my father yell and I quickly looked over at him. He was running towards me with Dimitri and Hajji following. My father kneeled beside me. “Oh god! What happened?!”
“Dad, please.” I gasped. “Get as far away from here as you can. I can’t let you see this fight.”
He brushed my hair out of my face and smiled. “You turned into a pure vampire?” He asked.
“I had to or I wouldn’t be able to come get you.” I said as Dimitri kneeled at my side also.
“Hazuki…” Dimitri said.
“Please dad. Go with Dimitri. He will take you somewhere that woman can’t get to you.” I said.
“That woman isn’t your mother, Haz. She would never use me as bait to get to you.” He said as he held my hand in his. “I want to stay here with you, baby. I want to see you.”
“But what if you get hurt?! I couldn’t bare that!” I said as I sat up. “Please dad. Go with Dimitri.”
“He is a vampire! He shouldn’t be saving me! He should be helping you!” My dad argued.
Laughing came from the church as my mother walked out to me. Her hands went to her hips as she smiled. “What a happy picture. A father reunited with his daughter.” She pointed her hand at my dad. “Too bad both of you must die.” A flame came from her hand and towards my father. I quickly went in front of him and the flame hit my back. I hissed as I stood.
“Don’t you dare touch him!” I hissed as my eyes glowed while rain fell around me. “Go away!” I yelled as I ran at her with incredible speed. I pushed her through the church and then threw her through the wall. When she hit the ground I got to her and stepped on her neck. She grabbed my ankle and hissed as her eyes glowed.
“Hazuki!” Sei yelled and I was pushed to the ground as a gun sounded. I looked up to see Sei had pushed me because my uncle had shot a gun at me. I sat up and Sei stared at me. “Did the bullet hit you?” He asked and I shook my head. The two of us got up and I looked at me mother. The bullet had pierced her forehead and she was as still as death.
“Good show, my boy.” My uncle said as he clapped. “But your highness, I will have to advise that you stay out of this fight. We wouldn’t want you or your brother to get hurt.”
“I won’t let you hurt Hazuki.” Sei hissed and my uncle laughed. He pointed the gun at Sei.
“Boy, you don’t know who you are messing with.” He laughed and I quickly went in front of Sei.
“I won’t let you hurt any of them, uncle.” I said as my eyes glowed more.
“Oh? So you have turned into a full vampire?” He asked. “I guess there was no other way to save you from your own mother’s bite.”
“You made her attack me! Don’t blame it on her!” I looked at my feet. “I’m a monster as you’ve always told me. I already know you want me dead.”
“Smart girl.” He said and then smiled. “Too bad I have to kill you and your friends. You all know too much. But first.” He turned his gun to Dimitri, Hajji and Dad. “I will take out the one you love over there. The one that stood up for you.”
“No!” I hollered. “Please! Don’t touch him!” I begged. “Shoot me! I don’t care! Just don’t touch him or any of the others!”
“Then come along, Hazuki. Your death must be shown. I must show everyone that I have gotten rid of the vampire’s last sin.”
I walked over to him and bowed. “I don’t care what you do. Just promise me you won’t touch my father, the princes, Dimitri, or Roza.”
“Fine. They are not worth anything to me.” He said as he dropped the gun in his hands. Before I knew anything my uncle had stood behind me and had his arm around my neck. We were turned to Dimitri who now had his gun out. “Shoot me boy, I dare you.” He laughed. “But your beloved will die with me.” Dimitri dropped his gun on the ground and my uncle laughed. “I have you all right where I want you.” My uncle laughed and I smiled.
“Oh?” I asked and he pulled me so that I was leaning to the right. He bared his fangs at me with a smile.
“Yes.” He said and his teeth sank into my skin. I shook slightly as I felt my mother’s necklace glow. My uncle flew across the wet battlefield as I picked up his gun. I pointed it at him as I walked closer. He sat up as blood ran from his mouth.
“You’re wrong, Uncle. I have you right where I want you.” I said with a smile and he hissed.
“What the hell was that?!”
I laughed. “Just like I did for my father, my mother put a barrier up around me so that no one can ever bite me as long as I have my necklace on. Also I am the only person who can take it off so I knew all along what I would do.” I walked up to my uncle and loaded the gun. “By this necklace my mother protects me even though she is dead. That is why I knew my mother was being manipulated. She would never hurt me by her own will. This necklace proves she loved me.” I said and then aimed the handgun. “Now I will get rid of the only sin left in my life.” I said and then I pulled the trigger twice in a row. Two bullets went into my uncle’s heart and he lay dead. I dropped to my knees, as I felt dizzy. Even though my mother’s necklace had saved me, I still had lost a lot of blood.
“Hazuki!” Dimitri yelled as he ran across the yard at incredible speed. He got to me and dropped into the puddle I was in. He tilted my head to the side and analyzed my wound. “He took a lot of your blood. Can you stand?” He asked and I just stared at him. Tears started down my face and his eyes widened. I threw my arms around him and cried more. He hugged me back.
“Dear god! I thought I was going to lose you!” I cried as I buried my face into his shirt. “I was so scared when that gun was pointed at you!”
He put his hand on the back of my head and held me as I shook fiercely. “It’s over, Haz. I’m okay.”
“I was so scared! The thought of losing any of you nearly broke my heart!” I cried as I let go of him. I wiped my tears away but more replaced them. I heard the other three guys coming to us. My father put his hand out to me and I took it. He pulled me up and wrapped his arms around me.
“Are you okay?” He asked and I nodded. “I’m sorry this happened. Everything was starting to go good for you.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t save you the first time you were kidnapped.” I said as I hugged him back.
“It doesn’t matter, Haz. For once your life was going good. Other than the incident at the ball you were doing great. Then Serine was put in the hospital the day I was abducted. Why does everything have to be hard for you?” He asked me.
I let go as looked at my dead uncle. “It is the way it must be. I may have defeated my uncle, but there are many who want me dead.” I looked at my dad sadly. “I’ve decided. Once I graduate high school I will be leaving Hearth for the last time.”
“What?” My dad asked.
“I can’t be near you or Serene or any of the vampires. I’m putting you all in danger. I need to leave or this may happen again, but next time the person who is controlling the situation may kill one of you.”
“That doesn’t mean you have to leave us.”
“Of course it does! What if next time someone abducts Roza or Sei or Hajji or Dimitri! They are all vampires! Whomever abducts them will have no mercy! Someone could die because of me!” My body shook fiercely. “What if I am responsible for another death? How could I manage?”
My dad stared at me and then sighed. “I can’t stop you now that you are no longer human.” He said as he crossed his arms. “But no one wants you gone, Haz.” My dad smiled at my dead mother. “She could even tell the love these three men have for you even though she had lost her mind.”
“You don’t get it dad.” I thought. “I am responsible for everyone’s grief, sorrow, and unhappiness. I don’t deserve the love everyone has for me.” “We should go.” I said to my dad.
“Yea. We need to go home.” He said and then the 5 of us walked to Dimitri’s car. I sat in the back of the car with Dimitri and Sei. Hajji drove and my father were in the passenger’s seat. When the car started moving Sei looked out the window as Dimitri sat between him and me. Dimitri watched me as I brushed away all of my tears and looked at my feet. He held my hand in his and I looked at him. He smiled sadly and I did the same. He leaned into me quickly and kissed me deeply. Then I laid my head on his shoulder.
“I love you, Hazuki.” He whispered under his breath as my eyes closed. I went to sleep, feeling safe by Dimitri’s body and soul.

I woke up as Hajji stopped the car. It was still raining outside and I was still sleeping on Dimitri’s shoulder. I sat up as Sei opened the door next to Dimitri and a gust of cold wind came in. I opened my door and hopped out. Dimitri followed and the 5 of us went up to the front of the mansion. Dimitri helped me walk and kept me from falling. My father rang the doorbell and Roza opened the door. Her eyes went straight to my neck and her hands covered her mouth.
“Dear god! Hazuki!” She gasped and I smiled.
“Its okay, Roza. We are all fine.” I replied quietly.
“You aren’t! Who bit you?!” She yelled as the Queen, the King, and Roza’s parents came behind her.
“Dear, don’t make them stand in the rain! Let the poor people in!” Roza’s mother said as she stared at me. The five of us went inside and Roza shut the door.
“Hazuki! Who bit you?!” The queen gasped.
“Franz Daphnia. My wife’s brother.” My father replied and the Queen and King stared at him.
“You are Hazuki’s mortal father?” The King asked.
My father nodded. “And you, I presume, are the king and queen. Hazuki has told me of your kindness from the past. I must thank you for the both of us.”
“There are no thanks needed. We think of your daughter as our own. At some points it seems as she is.” The Queen said.
“My daughter thinks very highly of you two and your sons.” My dad said with a smile then he turned to Roza. “And you must be the famous Roza. It is nice to finally meet my daughter’s best friend of 10 years.”
She smiled. “It is nice to finally meet you sir.”
“I can see the resemblance between you and your brave brother, Dimitri.” He laughed.
“Son, why are you holding up Hazuki?” Roza’s father asked.
“She is in a lot of pain and is weak.” Dimitri explained. “Is the doctor still here?”
The King nodded. “I will go get him.” He said and then walked away. He quickly came back with the tall, thin vampire man at his side. The doctor looked at me and smiled.
“Shall you walk up the stairs this time, my dear?” He joked. I shook my head.
“I don’t think that is a smart idea.” I said and Dimitri started carrying me. He walked me up the stairs and back to Roza’s room. I lay back onto the bed like before with Roza and Dimitri at my sides once again. The doctor looked at me oddly. He stood beside me and stared.
“What happen to you other than the bite? You seem weaker than you should be.” The doctor said.
“I was thrown through a wall, sir.” I said and he nodded.
“Do you think anything is broken?” He asked.
“My right arm is in a lot of pain.” I said and the doctor looked at it intensely.
“Where exactly?” He asked. I pointed to my wrist and he nodded. “You most likely broke your right wrist and by the way you were walking I think I should also check your left leg.” He said and I sighed.
“Where shall we go for this?”
“I will take you to the vampire hospital about a mile away. I work there so I can do everything for you.” He said and I nodded. “You should only bring your father. He needs to see everything that happens.”
“Will he be allowed in?” I asked.
The doctor stared at me and then seemed to look past me. “I suppose it isn’t a good idea to let a human be around vampires.” I nodded. “But you do need some kind of family member to go with us.”
“Can’t I go by myself?” I asked. “I can handle whatever it is.” I said and he nodded.
“Alright, but I need someone’s help to get you to the hospital and back.”
“I’ll go, sir.” Dimitri said and the doctor nodded. I sat up from the bed and Dimitri helped me stand. I looked at my dad.
“Dad, I’ll be home in a little while.” I said.
He nodded. “While you are gone I will go visit Serine in the human hospital. She will want to know what happened.” He smiled at me kindly. “I will make up an excuse. We wouldn’t want her to get involved with us.” I nodded.
“Tell Serine I am fine.” I said and the three of us left.
The doctor, now known as Mr. Destine, sat down in a chair next to Dimitri and I. He sighed deeply as the door shut to the room he had just come out of. He had been in an X-ray picture room, examining the pictures of my arm and leg. Mr. Destine looked at me with sorrow. “Well you definitely hit that wall hard.” He said and then looked at a clipboard that was in his hands. “You broke your wrist in 3 places. Two around the spot and one in the middle of your wrist.” He looked at me as he set the clipboard in his lap. “Your left leg bone will need surgery. The bone itself has split in half and is nearly shattered.”
I looked at my leg. “I understand my wrist, but my leg barely hurts. How can it be so badly injured?”
“You will feel the real break horribly if anything else happens to it. I wouldn’t be surprised if your leg doubles in size by tomorrow.” I remembered the sun going down when we had come here. Tomorrow was creeping around the corner. “We need to wrap up your leg so the swelling isn’t too bad and we will wrap your wrist as well.” He said and then stood. He looked at Dimitri. “Will you carry her?” He asked and Dimitri nodded. “Then follow me.” He said as Dimitri picked me up. We followed the doctor to a room and went inside the door.
I exited the room about an hour or two later. I yawned because I knew the sun was rising in the east to start the new day. A nurse handed me crutches and I put them under my arms. I looked at my large red cast on my leg and lifted it up. I gripped the handles of the crutches with my left hand and my right fingers that stuck out of my blue cast. Dimitri looked at me and sighed. “You looked fine. Why didn’t you tell me about your wrist and leg?” He asked.
“I didn’t know they were hurt that bad. I thought they were just bruised or something.” I replied and he walked closer to me. He put his hand on my cheek and kissed me deeply.
“Well I’m glad you will get better.” He said and then we started walking. Dimitri opened all the doors for me on our way out. We started towards my house, but Dimitri stopped in front of his house. “I’ll drive you back to your house.” He said and I nodded. He put his hands in his jean pockets and sighed. “I guess we’ll have to go inside to get my keys.” He said and we went up to the door. The maid opened the door and smiled like there was nothing different about me. Dimitri came in with me and started searching for his keys while grumbling.
“Dimitri, we can walk. It’s fine.” I said and he looked at me.
“I can tell it hurts for you to walk on those things, Hazuki…” He started to say when a yell came from another part of the house. Roza sprinted down a hall and came to me. She gasped as Hajji and Sei walked behind her.
“Hazuki!” She gasped as she walked closer to me. She knelt down and poked the cast on my leg. “What did you do to it?”
“Uh…the doctor said it will be fine in about a month.”
“A month?!”
“Well after my surgery I have to…” I started to say.
“Surgery! What?! Why?!” She yelled as she stood. She looked at me with astonishment.
“I spilt my leg bone in half. I have to get it fixed in about a week.” I said and she quickly hugged me. I fought to keep myself standing as my crutches fell.
“Do they hurt?” She asked me as I held onto her for support. Sei picked up my crutches and watched us.
“Not really.” I said with a smiled. “I’ll be fine.”
She frowned. “But that’s what you say every time you aren’t sure if you will be fine or not!”
I sighed. “Well I’m just nervous.”
“About what? The surgery?”
I shook my head. “Right now I can’t defend myself. For everyone that hates me it will be an easy time to take me down. I’m just nervous that someone will take advantage of my wounds and use them against me.” I said.
“But who hates you? No one did except for your uncle, but he’s dead.” She said and I let go of her. Sei helped me get the crutches in the right place. Then I looked away from Roza.
“You’ve never been out of your sheltered, protected life, Roza. You will never know how many people are after me. Only I do.”
“Why can’t I know?! I’m your best friend!” She yelled.
“That is exactly why you can’t know, Roza. If you find out who is after me they will find out you exist and will come after you. Losing you is one of my weaknesses. That is what they look for and that is what I hide.” I said. She frowned at me angrily. I looked at Dimitri. “We should go.” I said and we left.
Dimitri slowly set me down on the large couch in my living room of my apartment. He sat next to me and put my crutches on the table in front of us. I looked at my cast and thought for a moment.
“Something wrong?” He asked me and I shook my head. “You usually don’t space out like that. It isn’t like you.”
“I just have a lot to worry about.” I said quietly and he nodded.
“It is true that people could attack you at this time, but I won’t let them touch you, Hazuki. I promise.” He said bravely.
I put my free hand on his cheek. “With you by my side I have nothing to worry about. I trust you will protect me.” I leaned over and kissed Dimitri. When I lifted away he looked away from me. I was confused. “What’s the matter?”
“I want to go further than kissing.” He said quietly. “But with your casts I don’t think it is a good idea.” I leaned over and kissed him again.
“Dimitri, don’t let these casts hold you back from your feelings.” I whispered and he nodded. He kissed me as I lead back. He kept kissing me while we lay on the couch. We were stopped by the phone ringing. I grabbed my crutches and answered the phone. Roza said Dimitri needed to hurry home.
“Who was that?” He asked as I hung up the phone.
“Roza said you need to hurry home.” I said quietly and he got up. He came over to me and hugged me.
“I’ll call you.” He said and I nodded. He kissed me and then left. I went over to the couch and used a remote to turn on the CD player. My mother’s favorite songs came on as I relaxed. I quickly fell into a deep sleep of sadness.
Two weeks later I had met with Dimitri everyday after school. Since spring break and my mother’s second death were over I had to go back. Everyone asked about my wrist and leg, but I had different lies told. Roza helped me until we met her brother after school. Then Dimitri would walk me home and we would spend an hour together. But on this Thursday when Roza and I went to the spot in front of our school where we usually met Dimitri, there was no Dimitri to be found. My heart skipped a beat as Roza sighed.
“Where did he get off to?” She asked everything around us with a grumble and curse. I felt my heart speed up and my head started spinning. “Maybe he’s at home.” She said and I nodded. I followed her slowly to her house. When we got there she rang the doorbell but the maid didn’t come to the door. She slowly slid the door open to show only a few lights on in the house. Roza looked back at me. “Maybe they left.” She said, reassuring herself, but acting like it was for me. I on the other hand was dreaming the worst and hoping Roza was right.
“Maybe.” I whispered and she walked in. We went down a hall and stopped in front of her parent’s room. She turned the knob and I grabbed her hand. “Stop.” I whispered and she looked at me like I had grown a third eye.
“Why? It’s just my parent’s room.” She said as her hands went to her hips. I kept myself from shaking.
“Roza, go outside. Come the way we came and run as far as you can. Go to Hajji and Sei’s house and tell their father to come here immediately.” I said and he eyes widened.
“What? Why?” She asked and I grabbed her. She jumped in the dim hall as I quickly pushed her towards the way we came.
“Someone else is here, Roza. I don’t know who, but you have to get out of here.” I whispered and she grabbed my arm.
“But you can’t stay here!”
I pushed her away. “Go, Roza! Run and don’t stop until you are with the King and Queen!” I hissed and she ran out of the house. As the front door slammed I opened her parent’s room door. The large, dark door easily moved to my surprise. I walked in to see two bodies in the bed. I slowly moved myself over to the bed to see Roza’s parents dead, pale faces. Their eyes were closed and there was blood covering the floor and bed. I gasped and then quickly went out of the room. There was nothing I could do for them. I slowly went up the stairs of the house and quickly went to Dimitri’s room. A corpse inhabited the bed and I held my breath as I went to the person. Roza’s maid’s dead face stared back and I sighed but was still sorry. I was just relieved I hadn’t found Dimitri here, but he could be somewhere else in the house. A loud thud came from downstairs and I quickly hobbled my way to the top of the stairs. I was ready for the unwanted person to attack me, but was surprised to see Sei looking up at me.
“Hazuki!” He gasped through heavy breaths. A crash came from downstairs and a black flash went towards Sei.
“Sei!” I cried as I squeezed my eyes shut. I heard a horrible scream and opened my eyes, scared to see a dead Sei, but he was fine. A man in all black bled from a large hole in his back. I realized I had used my powers without knowing it to kill the man. I dropped to my knees and started shaking. Sei ran up to me and sat in front of me. “I was so scared that was your scream!” I cried as tears went down my face. “Then I would have lost 4 people in one afternoon!”
He squeezed me tightly in his arms as I cried. “It’s alright, Hazuki. I’m here. No one will touch you now.” He said.
“They’re dead.” I whispered.
“Who?”
“Roza’s parents and the maid. That man killed them.” I whispered. “But I can’t find Dimitri! What if that man got him too!” I cried and Sei held me tighter.
“Hazuki…” he whispered and I grabbed his shirt. I squeezed it in my hands and got closer to him.
“I’ve already had my heart broken! Why does this have to happen again?! I just became happy and now it is gone!” I cried as I felt my tears running down my face quicker than before.
Sei held me tightly. “I’m sorry, Haz. I never meant to break your heart.” He whispered and then the front door opened. The king came inside the house with three men holding guns that were following him. He looked at me with sorrow.
“Hazuki…”
“Sir, please do not let your wife or Roza in here. They can’t bare to see this.” I said quietly and he walked up to Sei and I with the three men following him.
“Hazuki, what happened here?” He asked me.
“I’m not sure. Roza and I were supposed to meet Dimitri at our school, but when he didn’t show up we came here searching for him. We came inside and I immediately smelled blood. The whole house was dark and smelled. I quickly sent Roza to you because I could feel someone watching me. I found her parents’ dead in their bedroom and then quickly went to Dimitri’s room to find the maid dead. But I haven’t found Dimitri and I can’t sense him in the house.” I whispered.
“But who is that man down there?” He asked.
“I think it is the man that killed Roza’s parents and the maid. He came at Sei with a knife so I quickly killed him.” I said.
“But he never came after you?” The king asked.
I shook my head. “I could feel him watching me, but he never came near me.” I replied and the king looked at the three men behind him.
“Get the bodies out of here as soon as possible.” He said. “There is going to be an emergency meeting for all noble and royal members.” He said and my eyes widened as the three men left. I stood slowly and put the crutches to support me.
“My father is part of my royal family. Will he be allowed to the meeting?” I asked the king.
He nodded. “Someone is after noble and royal families. We need to keep all nobles and royals hidden until we find out who did this.” He said and then walked down the stairs. I slowly followed with Sei’s help. The three of us went outside to see Hajji with the queen and Roza. The three of them stared at us as we shut the door of the house.
“Dear, what happened?” The queen asked me and I looked away. I stared at the grass we stood on.
“There has been a noble killing.” I said and she gasped at the same time as Roza. I looked at Roza as tears went down my face. “I…I’m sorry Roza.” I whispered and she ran into my arms as she started crying. My crutches dropped and I hugged her tightly. My shirt became wet from her tears. “Roza, I…I couldn’t find Dimitri.” I whispered and her eyes widened.
“Is he alive?” She asked through tears.
“I don’t know. I just pray that he is safe wherever he is.” I said and she squeezed me even tighter.
That night the king had every noble family and royal family go into a meeting that was heavily guarded. My father and I were part of the group since my mother had been part of a noble family and so were we. I stood in front of hundreds of vampires and told them the happenings of that day. Most freaked out and felt unsafe. The king quickly came up to the stand I had been at and sent me back to Sei and Hajji’s sides.
“Silence!” He hollered and everyone stopped. He calmed down with a sigh. “Now I know all of you are scared and worried about your families’ safety like me. So I have come up with a solution.” He said and everyone became attentive. “All noble and royal family members will be moving to an island in the pacific that I own. It will be heavily guarded and will keep us safe. Having all of us in the same place will make it easier to keep us all safe and alive.”
A man raised his hand and the king nodded towards him. The man stood bravely. “But sir, how will someone find the killers if we are all in lockdown? I know we all want to be there, but we will never get out unless someone finds the murderers.” The man cleared his throat and proceeded on. “The non-noble vampires are not strong enough to take on these people and all soldiers will be guarding us. I just don’t understand.”
The king nodded to the man. “I have thought of that too. That is why I have called all of you here. We must select a certain few of us to not be guarded and search for these people.” The king looked around the large room. “Any volunteers?”
I quickly stood and used my crutches to get myself over to the king. He stared at me. “Sir I will go.”
He slightly frowned. “But you are injured, Hazuki.”
I nodded. “I know I am, but within the next month I will be just fine and I presume this evacuation will take some time.” He agreed with a nod. “So while everyone is evacuating I will get better and then will be able to help.”
“But Hazuki…”
“Sir, please. I am one of the strongest vampires here and am not a huge loss if something were to happen.” I said and then looked at my staring father. “I am eternally grateful to your family and the council for letting me live and I want to pay you back by devoting my life to protecting the royal and noble families. I will do anything.”
He nodded to me. “As you wish.”
“I will go also, father.” Sei said as he stood.
“But you are the reining heir to the throne, Prince Sei. We cannot let you die.” A council member in the back of the room protested.
Sei shook his head. “I want to become king someday, but in the process I want to help my people stay safe and this is a way for me to help. I am a very strong vampire and if anything were to happen to me Hajji may take the throne.”
“But…!” The council member started to say again and I interrupted him which he was not pleased about.
“I will protect Prince Sei while he is with me. He will be a great help and knows a lot more than me.” I said and the king nodded. He put his hand on Sei’s shoulder.
“As you wish, my son. I will put you in charge of helping and trying to protect Hazuki.” He turned to me and smiled. “You will be the leader and protector of my son. Do you two understand this?”
We nodded. “I will do all in my power to protect your son, Sir. I will put my life in front of his.”
he king smiled again. “It is decided. These two will be our people that will find the killers.” The king turned to the beings in the large room again. “Now we must start evacuating this area. We will start with the united states’ noble families and then move on to the rest of the world.”

My eyes opened as the train we were on came to a jolting halt. Sei grabbed onto me and kept me from falling into the small isle between our small couch-like seats. We were on a train to the border of Russia from Germany. I quickly sat up and Sei let go of me. Images of him from my dream flashed through my head. His hair color was different and so was his eyes color. I had the same thing changed to myself. Sei’s hair went form a jet black of noble vampire family and was now a light brown. His red eyes were now hazel. My hair was bleach blond instead of black. My eyes were now blue unlike their once red tint. Sei put his hand on my leg and smiled.
“Hey, you were talking in your sleep about some disturbing things. Were you dreaming of the future again?” He asked out of experience. I shook my head.
“I was actually dreaming of the past.” I replied.
“Oh?”
“I saw you like you used to be. I saw Roza, your mother, your father, Hajji, my dad, my mother, my uncle, and…” I started to say but stopped so I would not cry. Sei stood and sat down next to me. He put his arms around me and hugged me.
“Dimitri’s gone, Haz.” He whispered. “He has been missing for 6 years now.” He let go of me and then kissed me. “All that is left is you and I, Haz. We have to forget our past and think of the future we are trying to make.”
I nodded. “You’re right. I must get over him and the rest.”
“We are one of very few of our kind that is allowed outside of guarded walls. We need to embrace that.” He said as a woman knocked on the door to our small two person room made only for sitting. She came in and smiled.
“Miss Yuri, someone has come in front of the train requesting you. We cannot let him on the train until you give us approval.” The lady said in a Russian accent. I nodded.
“Show me the way.” I said and Sei got up at the same time as me. We followed the woman to the front of the train and she opened a door. We stepped out to a platform that went around the front of the train. We walked to the middle of it to see a man wrapped in layers standing before us.
“Are you Yuri?” The man asked and I nodded.
“I certainly am, but may I ask for your name?”
“I am Kei Riga.” He said and the woman escorting us dropped to one knee and bowed to him. Sei stared at me with uncertainty. He didn’t understand why this noble man, that was once the General of the Army, was looking for me. “You have grown up since the last time we met.” He said kindly.
“And you seem to have grown younger.” I replied and he laughed. His breath of laughter showed in the air in front of him. A gust of wind hit the train and us. The train made a deep noise of the engine cooling more as I grabbed my long hair so that it would not go in my face.
“Princess,” The woman said to me as she stood. “A snow storm is heading our way. Shall he be joining you or shall he leave?” She asked. Usually she would have no reason to tell Kei not to come on the train, since he was a noble, but she was here to help me and I was of higher rank than him now. The regular vampire called me the Princess because I was their hope and was soon to be Sei’s wife. Sei and I are their saviors in their eyes. We are looking for the vampire’s weakness; the killers from 6 years ago. Now some of the regular vampires are being killed by the murderers, so any vampire we met wants to help us since we are the only people that can save them.
I looked at Kei. “Shall you join us?” I asked and he nodded. He came over to the front of the train and hopped over the railing in a graceful manner. He bowed to Sei and then to me.
“Lead the way.” He said kindly and the woman brought us back inside the train. She escorted us to our small room and we went inside. The woman bowed to me.
“If there is anything you need for Sir Riga, please let me know.” She said and I nodded. My fake fur coat and thick cloths below it felt warm in the train.
“Miss, can you tell me how many days are left on our ride? I have lost count.” I said.
“We will be delayed one day because of the snow about 1 day away. The town we are supposed to pass through was just hit with a blizzard so we will have to wait for the snow to blow off the tracks some. So we will now arrive on the Russian border in 2 days.” She replied kindly.
“And will we be stopped in this town you have talked about?”
She nodded. “We cannot move through there and we should not use up the fuel for the train, so we have made accommodations for all passengers to stay at a hotel in the town.” She answered with her accent.
“Alright. Thank you.” I said and she walked off. I went into the small room and shut the door. Kei was sitting in my long couch-like seat while Sei sat in the one across. I went over and sat next to Sei. “Kei, why aren’t you in the guarded area?”
He smiled. “Are you worried about me?” He asked smugly. I smiled at him as I brushed my hair out of my face.
“Of course I am. We are family so I am supposed to worry about you.” I replied.
“You are related to Sir Kei?” Sei asked me and I nodded.
“We are half siblings.” Kei replied and Sei was shocked.
“Why didn’t I know of this?”
I put my hand in Sei’s hand. “It has been a secret between Kei, my father, and I for a long time.”
“So you have told no one?”
Kei nodded. “But I thought you should know since you are my little sister’s fiancé.” He replied.
“So everyone in the guarded area knows of that?” I asked.
Kei shook his head. “Only people outside of the gates know of it. I found out while on my way here.”
“So why are you here anyway?” I asked.
“I was sent to help you. I requested it and the King thought it was a good idea also, since I was the general of the army. He requested I find you two and help with the search.” He looked at me kindly. “The king had no doubt in his mind that you could take care of Prince Sei, so he sent me to help protect you.” He added and Sei grumbled about it.
I looked at Kei with concern. “How is my father?”
He smiled. “I have been with him ever since I was brought to the guarded area. He is doing well and Roza has been living with him as a daughter.”
“Really?”
“But she and your father will be moving in with the king and queen soon because Roza will be marrying Prince Hajji in a few months.” I turned to Sei with curiosity.
“I guess my brother has finally given up on marrying you and has fallen for Roza.” He said with a laugh and I nodded.
“So Roza is doing okay?”
“She is very quiet.” He replied.
“She usually is, but after losing all of her family…I’m surprised she can handle it.” I replied.
“I have a long chat with her while in the gates. She said she misses you and only keeps on because you are still alive.”
I looked out the window. I’m sorry Roza. My last words to her 6 years ago rang in my head and images of her face when I told her about her parents and brother went through my head. I looked at the floor and sighed. “I wish I could do something for her. She has lost everything because of me.”
“It wasn’t because of you, Haz. It is because of those people who are after all of us.” Sei argued.
“It had to have been someone who knew me, I mean the man that from 6 years ago. Why else would he spare my life? If he was a regular vampire he would have immediately killed me.” I looked at my legs. “It’s so weird. Back then everyone only knew me as a half breed and hated me for it, but that person let m live even though he killed Roza’s parents and her maid.”
Sei looked down. “And her brother.” He whispered and I frowned. I stood and he stared at me.
“Dimitri could still be alive Sei! Don’t just assume he’s dead! He is stronger than me so he could easily make it!” I hissed and then opened the door.
“Ha…Yuri!” He yelled, almost forgetting to use my fake name. I walked out of our sleeping compartment of the train and went to the dinning part. I sat down at a booth on the right side of the train and immediately the girl from earlier appeared. She was talking to a waitress and pointed to my table. The waitress came over and bowed to me.
“Good evening, Princess.” She said and then stood. “May I get you something to eat or drink?”
“I’m fine. I just came to look at the scenery.” I replied kindly. She nodded and then walked away. I gently set my left elbow on the table in front of me and rested my chin on my hand. I looked out of the window on the side of my booth and sighed. Slow flew between the moving train and the wooded landscape it was going past. Outside looked like how my father had described Russia to me when I was 8. He had gone here for his job and had left me with Serine’s family. Someone put their hand on my shoulder and I looked up to see Kei.
“Can I sit with you?” He asked.
“Of course.” I replied and he sat across from me and sighed.
“So you never told me why you changed your name.”
I looked at him and he smiled. “Well my name was too well known and I knew whomever those people were 6 years ago would be trying to stay away from me, since I was the only person who saw them, that is still breathing. If I finally find them I don’t want them to get away because they know my name. It would ruin my chances.”
He nodded. “It seems like you had a long time to think about this.” He replied.
“I had a whole month to myself. I had broken my leg and wrist so I stayed home a lot and everyone was being moved to the guarded area, so I was of no use.”
“So why did you get so defensive over Roza’s brother earlier? When I saw you 10 years ago you told me you hated him.” He said as he leaned forward in the booth.
“You mean Dimitri?” I asked and he nodded. I looked back to outside the window. “Well I did hate him then, but right before the attack I had realized something.” I looked at a strand of my hair that had fallen in my line of view. “I was shielding myself from my true feelings for Dimitri. I did not hate him like I used to. I realized I actually loved him.”
“It is a thin line between hate and love.” He replied with a nod.
“Then Sei found out about my love with Dimitri and got mad. But then Dimitri’s house was attacked. When I went to his home with Roza I never found him. Everyone in the home was there but Dimitri. Those murderers abducted him.” I replied and Kei looked sorry for me.
“Yuri, there is a high possibility that he is dead by now.” He said shamefully and I looked at him.
“I know that and I have tried to forget him, but my heart won’t give up on him. I have to believe he is alive or I will slowly break down with depression.” I said quietly. He looked at me sadly and put his hand on my cheek.
“I also hope he is alive.” He replied and I smiled.
“Thank you, Kei.” I whispered and he nodded. “We should head back to cabin. It is getting late.” I replied and he nodded. We went back to the small room and I lay down. I went to sleep without even speaking to Sei.
Fear moved my body as I caught myself from falling when the train stopped without warning. I quickly stood as Sei groaned with disgust and discomfort. My brother quickly looked out the small window of our cabin as I went to the door. I looked outside it to see people opening their doors while complaining. I went over to my brother and looked over his shoulder. A man with a gun in his hands was at the far end of the train. I noticed he was pointing at someone and my heart stopped for a moment. Without thinking I ran out of the cabin, down the hall, into the front of the train, and found the man. He was pointing the gun at the woman who was escorting me.
“What is the meaning of pointing a gun at a defenseless young woman?!” I hissed at the man. He looked at me and smiled with fangs.
“Holdups still count for pretty women. There is no difference.” The guy laughed. I put my hands on my hips.
“You think you can take down everyone on this train?!”
A cold piece of metal touched the back of my neck and I froze. “He’s not alone, girl.” A man hissed with a deep Russian accent. He grabbed my arms and pulled them behind me with one strong hand squeezing my wrists together.
“What is the reason you would take over a passenger train?” I asked and he laughed deeply.
“People are worth more, my dear.” He laughed and then let go of my hands. He walked around me but kept the barrel of his gun on my neck. I finally saw the man and was not surprised. He had a dark, thick beard around his face, a fur hat, fur cloths, and red eyes. He lifted my mother’s noble necklace and smiled. “Especially a noble vampire such as yourself.” He laughed again. “You will be worth much.”
“So you plan to sell me?” I asked and he smiled.
“Well you are worth much more than the rest of the vampires on this train.” His smile turned evil. “If you come with us willingly, we will let the rest of these vampires live.”
I looked at him with uncertainty. “But why would you do that? There is more benefit taking all of us than just me.”
He nodded. “But there are also 100 more mouths to feed and keep alive.” He smiled again. “And to Hazuki Utashi, a young girl like yourself will make her more willing to give in.”
My eyes widened and then the man from before grabbed my escorts hands and put them behind her back. “Please! Don’t hurt that blessed woman of which you hold!” She yelled to the man aiming at me. I turned to her with confusion.
“You are worried about some noble over yourself? What a stupid girl you are.” The man holding me retorted.
“She is not just some noble! She is our blessed princess! If you kill her millions of vampires will come to kill you!” She yelled.
He stared at me and smiled. “So you are the Princess, eh?” He asked and then the door of the train opened. Kei and Sei ran out to see me at gunpoint.
“Get the hell away from Yuki!” My brother hissed. I noticed he had put in colored contacts. His irises were now blue like mine.
“You have no place to talk, boy. If you move any closer, the sacred Princess Yuki will have a hole in her neck.” The man holding me chuckled. The man looked at me and smiled. “So do we have a deal, girl?” He asked and I nodded.
“Deal?!” Sei yelled. “What deal?!”
The man holding pointed his gun at Sei’s head. “Shut up boy!” He hissed and I went into a mode that had come up after the loss of Dimitri. A mode where I would kill anyone in my way. My eyes glowed red and I hissed.
“Put the gun down!” I hissed and the man looked at me. He laughed at me and I felt my eyes glow more. He put the barrel of his gun against a soft spot of skin between my eyes.
“Point blank.” He whispered and pulled his finger towards the trigger. Time seemed to slow and I seemed to gain speed. I quickly twisted the man’s gun at his accomplice. Time sped up to normal speed and the bullet flew. The vampire man holding my escort was shot in the neck and fell dead. That was another weakness of vampires. We could die easily by a shot to the throat. I pulled the gun out of the man holding and grabbed his jacket. I ran and pushed him into the side of the train with great speed. No one had any time to do anything about my actions because I was exceeding their muscle reflexes. The man’s eyes grew and he smelled of fear. I pointed his own gun barrel at the same spot between his eyes that he had done to me, but with more of my weight pushing him at the wall. He gasped as he realized what had happened.
“Ditto. Point blank.” I hissed and his eyes grew more.
“Nickolas!” The man gasped as he looked at his dead friend.
“Miss! Please take that man’s gun!” I said as I looked at the man. My escort picked up the gun and I smiled to the man. “If you don’t get it, I have surpassed you in strength, agility, and intelligence. Now…” I put down the gun and put my hands on my hips. “I will give you and the rest of your men one minute to run. If any of you are left in eyesight I will hunt you down and kill you.” I shoved the man towards the open door of the train across from his dead friend and he fell into the snow. “Get the hell out.” I hissed and he quickly scurried to his feet. He yelled something in Russian and then 15 men joined him at his sides. “49. 48. 47.” I counted down and they all started running away like I was death brought to life. I walked over to the dead man and kicked his corpse out of the train. I brushed the blood that had come out of his neck out of the train and then threw the gun I was holding out of the train. I turned around calmly. I walked up to Kei and Sei. “Excuse me.” I said quietly and they moved with stunned faces. I walked past them and went back into the cabin part of the train. I went into our small room and straightened up our suitcases that had fallen off of their places in the bag compartment above the couch-like seats. I lay down in my seat and looked out the window, as the train started moving again. Snow was still falling and still reminded me of my father. I missed him and everyone else, but right now my heart longed to see Dimitri one time. I lay there until my tears stopped that had started falling down my face when I had started walking towards this room. I brushed the tears away and sighed. I sat back up and grabbed my prepaid worldwide calling phone. I dialed a number only I knew and listened in. I had no signal on this heavily padded room, so I left the room. Kei and Sei were at the end of the hall. They stared at me as I put the phone to my ear and listened. A man picked up.
“Hello?” He asked quietly.
“James?” I asked kindly. “It’s Yuki.”
“Hey! Aren’t you meeting me at the border tomorrow?” He asked and I sighed.
“There is snow blocking our way of transportation.” I replied. “We won’t get there until an extra day.”
“But the plan…”
“I know. The plan is completely ruined. I won’t be able to meet up with Hans when I was supposed to. Then he will stop working with us.” I sighed as I sat down in front of the door of the room. Kei and Sei came over to me and just watched.
“But if he does that the whole plan will fail.” He replied.
I nodded. “It will…” I said as I thought. “Actually I will meet you in the town we planned on.”
“But how will you get here?” He asked. “There is too much snow for cars or trains.”
“I know. I will find some way. Just meet me at the edge of town tomorrow afternoon.” I said. “Goodbye James.” I hung up the phone and quickly dialed another number. I put the phone to my ear again and waited.
“Hello?” A woman asked.
“Miss Julia?” I asked. “This is Hazuki.”
“Oh! It’s good to hear from you, Hazuki. It has been some time. How is your father?” She asked kindly.
“He is fine. And how are you and Lucas?”
“Good, good. So what is the occasion of this call? Did something happen?” She asked in her old, kind voice.
“Actually, I am going to be stopping in your town tonight and thought I could swing by for a visit.” I replied.
“You are? But everyone is grounded right now. No trains or cars can move right now.”
“Well my train is actually stopping near you because of the snow, so I thought I could come over.” I said happily.
“Of course dear! When should I expect you?”
“Well actually it will be me and two of my friends.” I replied. “Is it alright if they tag along?”
“That is fine.”
“Then we will probably get there about 8 or 9 tonight.”
“Alright, see you then.” She said happily and then I hung up the phone. I laid my head back on the door and sighed. I was tired from just talking to people.
“What was that all about?” Sei asked me as he sat on the ground next to me.
“Well, to get you safely through enemy territory and to a safe house I had to make preparations that were ruined by the snow.” I replied.
“Safe house?”
I nodded. “I will be going into a horrible battle where I am highly outnumbered. I cannot let you into the same situation.”
“But I’m your fiancé! I’m supposed to be taking care of you! Not the other way around! I love you and want to keep you safe!”
“You are soon to be the king, Sei. I can’t let anything happen to you. It is my duty to protect you even if we are planned to marry in the future. Your life is very important.” I said.
“No, Hajji can replace me anytime!”
I shook my head. “He may be able to be king someday, but he is not ready. You, on the other hand have been ready since about 3 years ago.” I put my hand on his cheek. “Don’t think Hajji can easily replace you. He isn’t as strong as you mentally. He can’t handle being king. Only you can.” I said and then removed my hand. I stood and looked at my brother. “We will be leaving the train tonight. Are you going to join us?”
He nodded. “I want to help.” He replied with a smile. “So where are we going?” He asked.
I stared at him and then looked at the ground. “That woman I was talking to knows my father and our mother.”
“She does?”
I nodded. “Mother lived there for 6 months when her parents found out about my dad. She ran to Miss Julie, who was her neighbor as a kid that had moved to the German border. She then met my dad and became my godmother.” I looked back at Kei. “Her son is a few years younger than you and I have known him for a long time. I lived with them one whole summer because of my uncle hunting for me.”
“So you know these people well?”
“They are pretty much my extended family in a way. You have mother’s and your father’s parents as that, but all I have is Miss Julie. Her son, Lucas, is like my cousin.” I replied.
“So how are we going to get to her home? Is it in the town we are supposed to stop at?” He asked me.
I shook my head. “It is a few miles out of town. We will have to make our own pit stop to get there.” I replied. “Or otherwise it will take us half a day of walking. But if we get off at the right time we could have to walk for less than an hour.”
“So we’re going to jump out of the train? While it is moving?” He asked and I nodded. He crossed his arms over his chest and smiled. “And how are we going to do that with luggage?”
“There are only three bags with us, so one bag each. We will just jump with them.” I replied and he nodded.
“This is crazy, but that’s what I expected when I decided to come with you.” He laughed and I smiled.
“One!..Two!..Three!” I yelled and I jumped from the moving train. Sei and Kei did the same and we all fell into 4 feet of white snow. I landed on my knees and hands, so not much was hurt. I looked to my right and a little ahead to see Sei rubbing his back. He had obviously landed on it. I looked back and to my left to see Kei with cloths all over him and the snow around him. I busted out laughing and fell into the snow mound around me. When I finally stopped I spoke. “What happened Kei? A cloths bomb?!”
“Shut up! My suitcase just unlatched!” He remarked and I laughed more. Then I stood, went over to him, and held my hand out to him.
“We have to do something before we go any further.” I replied and he took my hand. He stood and we picked up all of his cloths. Sei came over to us and helped put it back into the suitcase. Then they looked at me. “Come here, Kei.” I said and he did. I put my hand on his forehead. “Hold still.” I replied and he did as I closed my eyes. I focused and then opened my eyes to see Kei’s hair had turned blond like I had wanted. “There.”
“What did you do?” He asked me.
I pulled a strand of his hair in front of his face and his eyes widened. “In this part of the country we can’t have you looking like noble.” I said and he nodded. “Keep those colored contacts in for the time being.”
“So where do we go from here?” Sei asked me kindly. I looked up at the gray sky and thought. Then I looked back at him.
“We will head east for 3 miles, and then we will be there.” I replied and he nodded. We all took a suitcase and started walking. The three miles took two hours through cold snow. When we reached a wooden fence I smiled. “We’re here.”
“But there’s no house.” Kei said as he looked around at the wooded and prairie landscape.
I nodded. “This is the edge of Miss Julia’s property.” I replied and they looked confused. “Can either of you whistle?” I asked.
Sei nodded. “But what does that have to do with anything?”
“Just whistle as loud as you can and then don’t talk.” I said and he looked odd. He whistled extremely loud and then I yelled. “Alicia! Alicia! Come here girl!” A black and white border collie ran towards us and was barking violently. I hopped over the fence and she growled at me with anger. I immediately sat down on the ground and put my hand out to her, palm down. She slowly walked towards it and sniffed it. Then her tail wagged violently and I smiled as she put her head under my hand. I rubbed her ears. “You’re such a good girl, Alicia.” I said as I hugged her. She licked my face and I laughed. I turned to the two guys. “Come over the fence and sit down. Put your hand to her with your palm down.” I said and they did so. She sniffed their hands and then her tail slightly wagged. She knew they were my friends and allowed them into her property like I was allowed. I stood and so did Kei and Sei. “Come on, Alicia. Let’s go home.” I said and she started trotting through the deeps snow. The three of us followed. Sei was to my right and Kei was to my left.
“So this is Miss Julia’s dog?” Sei asked me.
I nodded. “She guards the property and the animals.”
“Animals?”
“There are horses, chickens, and pigs.” I replied. “But Lucas takes care of all of them with the help of Alicia.” Alicia’s ears rose as her name was said, but she didn’t stop walking. She led us to a small brick home in the middle of an open area covered in snow. I went up to the door with Alicia and the two guys followed. I rang the bell and Alicia wagged her tail. A light turned on in the front of the home and then the door opened. I smiled as Alicia ran past a man. He was tall, handsome, dark brown hair, thin, strong, and red eyed.
“Can I help you?” The man asked with an accent. Lucas.
“I’m…” I started to say when a dark brown haired woman ran through the house.
“Hazuki! Is that you my dear?!” She called and Lucas’s eyes widened. He stared at me as I laughed.
“Hello, Miss Julia.” I said as she stopped at Lucas’s side. She looked behind me and smiled.
“Are these your friends?” She asked and I nodded.
“Miss Julia, this is Kei,” I said as I pointed to Kei, “And this is Sei.” I said as I looked at Sei. Both Miss Julia and Lucas bowed to the both of them.
“It is good to meet Hazuki’s almost family.” Sei said kindly as they stood. He walked to my side and put his hand out to Lucas. He shook Sei’s hand and then Miss Julia did.
“Please, come in.” Miss Julia said kindly and I walked in. Sei followed and then Kei did. She led us to a table I remembered from not too long ago. We sat down and Miss Julia handed us tea. Kei sat to my right and Sei sat to my left. Miss Julia sat across with Lucas.
“It’s good to see you, Lucas. You have grown since last time I was here.” I said kindly.
“You have changed much since last time.” He replied.
Miss Julia stared at me. “Dear, last time you were here was 6 years ago, why are you back so suddenly?”
I looked at her with sorrow. “Truthfully I am here as a rest stop on a long journey.” Then I looked away. “And I also came back…for something.”
“Something of your mothers?” She asked and I shook my head.
“For advice, Miss Julia.”
“Should everyone leave?” She asked and I shook my head.
“We will stay.” Kei said and Sei nodded.
“So shall I.” Lucas said and I sighed.
“Miss Julia, I want to know how my mother felt when she was not allowed to love my father.”
“That is history dear, why should that be brought up?”
I looked away. “History always repeats itself and I am trying to stop the same things my mother did from happening to me.”
“What?”
“I love two men just like she did.” I whispered and her eyes widened. “I love Sei and am soon going to marry him, but I am scared I will end up like my mother. She was going to marry her vampire love, Sir Dean, but right before they were married she ran off with my father. I am scared I will do the same.”
“Whom do you also love, my dear?” She asked.
“A man that is supposedly dead. But I will be going to fight his kidnappers and am afraid I will be reunited with him.” I looked at the teacup in front of me. “I truly want him to be alive, I just can’t see him. Then I will have second thoughts like mother.”
The woman sighed like I had never heard. She looked at me with sorrow. “I can’t do anything for you, Haz.” She replied quietly.
I nodded. “I thought so.” I said and then stood from my chair. I smiled at Miss Julia. “Well we should go. We just came to visit.”
“Well you don’t have to go now. When do you have to leave town?” She asked me as she stood also.
“I’m not sure yet. I will be getting a call tonight about it.”
“So you have no way to get out of here and you’re just trying to make up something without lying to me?” She asked with a smile. “Don’t try to do that to me, Haz. I can tell.”
I sighed and looked towards the door. “Actually it is the truth for once.” I said quietly.
“But how will you get out of town without trains or cars being able to move and no airport?” She asked me as she went around the table and stood beside me.
“I have no idea how I will leave, but I have to find a way. Millions of lives depend on the next two days.” I looked at the floor.
“Millions?”
I looked at her. “Have you heard of the Princess Yuki?”
She nodded. “Everyone has.”
“Do you know what her goal in life is?”
“To help the regular and noble vampires from the murderers.” I nodded and her eyes widened. Her hands quickly covered her mouth as she gasped, “Dear god!”
I smiled. “I knew you could figure it out. You are a very smart woman.” I said kindly and she held my arm.
“I can’t believe it! You! That everyone has hated for so long! Is now the savior of us all?!” She gasped with wide eyes. Lucas stood and stared at me. Kei laughed.
“I’m surprised you didn’t know yet, ma’am.” Kei said as he looked at Miss Julia.
“Well some aren’t as smart as you.” I replied. Kei stood and smiled at Miss Julia.
“Miss Julia, I must thank you.” He said.
“For what? We just met.”
He smiled. “You took care of my mother after she had me and left my father. But you have also taken care of my younger sister. I am in your debt for your kindness.” She gasped.
“You’re Starlet’s son?!”
He nodded. “Hazuki, her father, and I have kept it just between us for a long time, but now that I have met you and Sei I believe people should know. Also, I am not ashamed to be related to Hazuki. She may be called a sin, but she is the only person in the world I would die for.” He said kindly and I smiled.
My phone went off in my pocket and I quickly took it out. I smiled as I opened the phone. “Hans?” I asked.
“Hey, James told me you couldn’t get here because of the storm.” He said and I sighed.
“I’m going to try to.” I replied.
“Well I think I will be driving near you tomorrow morning, should I pick you up?” He asked and I smiled.
“Could you?” I asked.
“Yea. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He said and I hung up. I smiled at Miss Julia.
“We’ve got a ride.”
“When will you be leaving?”
“Early tomorrow.” I replied.
“You three should stay here until then. Please, I insist.” She said.
“As you wish.” I said kindly and she smiled. “I will sleep on a couch. Let Kei and Sei have the extra room.” I said and she nodded. She walked to the stairs.
“Please, follow me.” She said to them and the three of them disappeared. I smiled at Lucas who was staring at me. I took out a box of cigarettes and a lighter.
“I’m going to step out for a moment.” I said and he nodded. I walked to the door, opened it, and jumped as something warm brushed against my leg. I looked down to see an eager border collie looking up at me. “Do you want to go outside, Alicia?” I asked and she barked as her tail wagged. I let her go in front of me and then went outside myself. I sat down on the snowy porch step and flicked on the lighter. I lit the cigarette and blew out a puff of smoke as I watched Alicia chase a bird in the yard. I breathed in and then took the cigarette out of my mouth as I blew out a puff of smoke. I laid my head in my lap and sighed. But I quickly looked up when the front door of the house opened. I looked up at Lucas to see he had put on boots, a snow jacket, and a pair of snow pants. He came out and shut the door behind him.
“Can I join you?” He asked as he stood near me.
“Be my guest.” I said and scooted to the right as he sat down. “I would offer you a cigarette, but you shouldn’t smoke. It isn’t good for you.” I said and he laughed.
“You say that, but why are you smoking?”
I shrugged. “I need something to help me not go suicidal and this seems to help.” I said and he nodded as I breathed in again.
“You seemed really depressed last time you came here.” He said as he watched Alicia. “I remember it well. You came on the hottest day of the summer 6 years ago. When I opened the door I saw you in short and a short sleeve shirt with a suitcase in your hand and tears coming down your face. You hugged me so tightly when you saw me and then you cried more.” He looked back to me. “But now I barely recognize you. Why did you change your appearance?”

I took the cigarette out of my mouth and blew out a puff of smoke. “Back then I had just become known as a vampire. But right after I got back to America I kept on being attacked and so did my friends. I then changed how I looked and my name so no one could get hurt.” I replied quietly. “I’ve been known as Princess Yuki ever since and prefer the title. Now people look at me as a savior and not a monster. It makes it easier for people to be nice to me.”
“And you are planning to marry Prince Sei now? What about that man you were so sad about when you came here last time?” He asked and I sighed. I looked up at the night sky.
“I really like Sei and all, but my heart still belongs to that man.”
“Then why are you going to marry Sei?”
“The other man might be dead.”
“So that is why you smoke? To kept your mind away from thoughts of him and to keep you heart from breaking?”
I nodded. “You know me too well.”
He laughed. “You and I pretty much grew up together, Haz. It’s only natural. You know almost everything about me and I want to know everything about you.”
I nodded. “I want to tell you everything too, Lucas. But I can’t bare it. I can’t bear to think of my life since Dimitri was kidnapped. The past six years have been a blur. All I thought of was finding Dimitri or killing those who killed him. My whole life and soul is now dedicated to him.” I sighed again. “I don’t think I can ever get over him.”
“Then why are you trying to?”
I looked at him and then back at Alicia. “He is my best friend’s brother and a noble. I am a sin. We should have never fallen in love.” I said.
“But what’s the difference in loving him and loving Sei?”
“Sei can do something about the way people think. He is soon going to be king and no one will be able to defy him. But anyone could defy Dimitri and I.” I said as I put the cigarette in my mouth again. “We should have never fallen in love.”
“What if you find him tomorrow? What will you do?” He asked me.
“First is first. I will kill all of the other men then I will go and get Kei and Sei. The 4 of us will go back to the gated area and I will bring Dimitri back to his sister.” I looked away. “After that I will help get everyone out of the gated area. I will stay away from Dimitri as much as possible.”
“I don’t think he would care if anyone would hate the two of you. It sounded like he loved you before he left, well from what you told me 6 years ago it did.” He remarked.
“I can’t let him love me anymore. Others’ may hunt him because of me. He could become in danger.” I said as I dropped my cigarette. I stomped it out and looked at Lucas. “We should go back in. It’s getting late.” I said and he nodded. He called for Alicia and she came to us. The three of us went back inside and I went to a couch as Lucas went upstairs. I took off all of my furs and snow stuff to show a pair of black pants and a deep green sweater. I sat down on a couch and put a blanket over me with a pillow under my head. I took the pillow and squeezed against me in a hug. “Dimitri.” I whispered and then started crying. After a few minutes I fell asleep.
Hans met us at the edge of town with a large black car covered in snow. The three of us got in and put our suitcases in the trunk. I sat up in the front seat next to the tall, thin, handsome vampire man. Sei and Kei sat in the back. “Have you been waiting long?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Just got here.” He replied and then smiled at me. “You seem to be doing well since we saw each other last.”
I smiled back. “I have been. And I’m sure you have too.” I replied. “How long has it been?” He started driving the car.
“The last time we saw each other was 3 years ago.”
“It’s been that long?” I asked and he nodded.
“I have been in a town about a mile away protecting a sick noble man who can’t make it to the gates.” He replied.
I nodded. “And I am still protecting the soon king-to-be.”
“It is good to see you, Sir Sei. Hello general.” Hans said as he looked through his rear view mirror. Sei nodded and Kei spoke.
“Did you work for the army?” He asked, confused why Hans had called him general. Hans nodded.
“I was a commander Hans until six years ago.” He replied. “Then I was sent to protect some of the nobles.” Hans looked at me with uncertainty. “What will we be doing with these two? We can’t let two important nobles come with us.”
“I know. That is why they will be going to a safe house.”
“With who?”
“James.”
Hans stared at me in amazement. “You’re going to let that villain take care of the Prince and the general?! Are you insane?! He will sell them for profit!”
I laughed and he got madder. “Don’t worry so much, Hans. We can trust James.”
“No we can’t!”
I smiled. “He won’t deceive me. I won’t be able to.”
“Huh?”
“He is blood bonded to me. He can’t deny my wishes.”
“What?!” Hans, Kei, and Sei yelled all at once. “You blood bonded with him?! Why?! When?!”
“I have been planning this mission for 6 years, but I could never figure out who I could trust Sei with. Then I realized I could only trust myself with his life, so I gave James part of myself so I could protect Sei. I had no other choice.” I replied.
“But you have to give up something to make a blood bond! What the hell did you give up?!” Hans yelled.
“It isn’t important! Just drive or we will miss our window of opportunity! I didn’t give up so much just for you to screw the whole damn thing up! We have to be in Russia within an hour!” Hans stared at me like he was startled and everyone was quiet. I finally figured out that my eyes were glowing and so was my necklace. I quickly grabbed my necklace and turned to the window. I breathed slowly and finally calmed down. The urge for blood dropped and I was fine once again.
One hour later Hans stopped at a small cabin in a baron part of Russia. The ground was dusted with snow and the wind was strong. I quickly stepped out of the car and went to the door of the house. James opened the door and smiled at me. Kei, Sei, and Hans got out of the car. They came over to us and James bowed to Sei and Kei. “Come on in.” James said kindly and we all went inside. James shut the door and I finally felt the warmth of the house. I took off all of my snow gear like the three guys and then we all went to the living room with James. I sat at a two-person couch with James as Hans, Kei, and Sei sat on a larger sofa across from us. James put his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him.
“Kei, Sei. This is James. He will be taking care of you until I come back. He is very skilled at guarding people, so I’m sure you two will be safe with him.” I said to them.
“It is my honor to help the Prince and General.” James said and Sei stood. He frowned at James.
“We all know you are a bad person, Sir James. And I know you would never want to help Kei or me. So, tell me. Why are you doing this?” Sei asked rudely.
James laughed. “You are very smart, your highness.” James’s smile turned nearly evil. “I am doing this because your fiancé asked me to.”
“But why would you care what she thinks?” Sei demanded.
“Well we are blood bonded and I’ve loved her for some time. So when she asked me this large favor she offered her blood and half of her life to me. I could not refuse the offer.” James said evilly and I quickly looked away. I felt Sei watching me and it hurt. I quickly stood and looked at Hans.
“We should go. The murderers are leaving this city tonight.” I said quietly and Hans stood. I turned to James and smiled. “We will be back soon.”
He nodded. “I know. And if you do not return I am supposed to take these two to the king.” He smiled kindly. “But you are strong so I have no doubt you will return.” I nodded and then put on all of my snow gear. Hans did the same and we went out to the car without a word spoken between us too. I knew he thought I was a fool and I knew I could not prove him wrong. What I had done was foolish, but I had no other choice.

Trying to control my breathing after running so far was difficult. I leaned against a metal wall of the inside of a warehouse and held my small handgun near me. I had changed from my regular and winter clothes to a tight black pair of pants and shirt. The vampire soldiers used them so that their clothes would not slow them down while running. I wore it for the same reason. It was warm in the building and echoed of voices. I quietly crouched down to the ground to see into the main room of the warehouse. There were six men in there. Four of them had guns in their hands and the other two were talking while looking at a computer screen. The four with guns were talking quietly near the other two. Then the two main guys turned to the 4 men with guns and all went silent. “We will be leaving in an hour for Oregon.” One of the two main men said proudly and I had to keep myself from gasping. He was the man I killed at Roza’s home when he tried to kill Sei. Anger raged within me, but I stayed quiet.
“Sir, what shall we do with that man?” One of the 4 men said. The second of the two men that I presumed was the second in command smiled.
“Bring him out here. The girl will be coming for him when we are in the United States.” The guy said and I realized he was the man from the train. Two of the gun holding men left and went to a car in the warehouse. They came back while dragging a limp, older looking Dimitri with them. I nearly ran to him, but quickly stopped myself. In time I would get him.
“While we are on our way out of the country we must stay away from Princess Yuki. She has already killed our third in command and is very deadly.” The headman said. I felt something grab my arm and I had to keep myself from screaming. A man with a gun grabbed my hands and pulled them behind me. He threw my gun away from me and squeezed my hands tightly.
“Boss!” The man yelled and I felt my stomach drop. The man pushed me out into the open and everyone turned to us. “She is already here.” The man threw me to the ground and I gasped. I caught myself right before my face hit the ground. My blond, curly hair fell to my sides. “She had an ally outside, but he got away.”
The second man hissed and quickly walked towards me. He pulled me up by my hair and I hissed back. “You b****!” He yelled.
“I knew you were of no good, sir. But I never expected to see you here.” I smiled and he slapped my face. Dimitri pulled at his holders and they grabbed him. I fell to the floor on my butt as the second man followed me.
“Let that girl go.” An older man with a beard said and the second man stopped. The second man turned to the guy and frowned.
“What are you talking about, old man? She has killed one of our own! She can’t be let go.” The second man hissed.
The older man smiled. “I just thought you should know she has put a spell on herself. That is not her true form, so she may not be the same girl.”
The second man’s eyes widened. “Then take it off.” He said and the old man nodded. The old man walked to me and pushed me onto the ground. He stuck his hand on my head and closed his eyes. I felt my eyes and my hair change color. He took his hand off of me and everyone was shocked. I quickly stood as Dimitri stared at me. The headman was amazed.
“You ass hole!” I yelled to the man as I ran towards him, but was stopped when the man from before grabbed my hands and pulled them behind me. The Headman walked towards me and I hissed as my eyes glowed. “Why are you still alive?! I killed you!”
He smiled and then grabbed my chin so that I was looking at him. “It has been six years since that fateful day.” He replied.
“But I killed you! I know I did!” I yelled and he laughed.
“No, you killed my double I made. But I was the one who killed everyone.” He said evilly and I hissed.
“Why?! What did that maid and the Airi clan ever do to you that made them deserve to die?!” I yelled.
He smiled. “Nothing really. I just needed to kill some noble’s and chose them. That maid got in my way when I was going to kill the boy over there so I had to kill her too.” He let go of my face and took a few steps back.
“Then why didn’t you kill Roza and I?! We were there!”
“Well I would have killed that other girl, but she ran away when you told her to.”
“Then why didn’t you kill me?!”
He smiled again. “It would be a sin to kill something as beautiful and rare as you. Half breeds are much more beautiful than a real vampire, but you are the only one that still exists.”
“Then why did you use Dimitri as bait to get me here?!” I yelled and he laughed again.
“I had been watching you and had seen you and this noble going up to your apartment for long periods of time. I knew you were in love with him, so I used him to get you.”
“But why would you want me?! Vampire’s hate me!” I yelled and then the man ordered the guard to let go of me. He did and then the man smiled.
“Well I thought if I killed the man you loved you could become mine, but then a few weeks ago I found out you are going to marry Prince Sei soon and I went looking for him. I was planning to take him but you, while disguised as Princess Yuri, killed one of my men and stopped my plan. Tell me, where is the Prince?” He asked me.
“I would die before I told you!” I hissed.
“Oh?” He asked and then smiled. “But would you be willing to let Miss Julia and Lucas die?”
My heart stopped. “What?”
“I know all about them, Hazuki. I know everything about you and anyone who associated with you.” He looked at the guard behind me. “Go to the home I gave you the address for. Find the two people who live there and kill them.” He ordered.
“No!” I yelled and the man smiled. The other guy started walking away and I quickly grabbed at the side of my pants and grabbed out another small handgun. I shot the man in the neck and he instantly died. The headman grabbed my hands and forced me to let go of the gun. He lifted my hands above my head and then I felt him lick the side of my face. I flinched and he quietly laughed.
“Don’t even think of resisting me, Hazuki. You are under my control and have no one to save you. You are coming with us.” He said and then I felt him kiss my neck. “But before that…” He said and I felt his teeth pierce my neck, but my mother’s necklace quickly acted and shocked him. He let go of me and I fell to the ground. “Put her in the car with the other captive.”
“But you said you used Dimitri to get me here! You have me now so let him go!” I yelled and he laughed.
“I’m not stupid, Hazuki. I know if I let him go you will blow up the car we drive in. You will give your life for him and I know that. He will be staying with us and used to make sure you don’t act up.” He said and then two men grabbed me. They put me in the back of a large car and then put Dimitri in there with me. The headman came and tied my hands up behind my back and then shut the door. A black shield blocked us from hearing anything the men said as they got in the seats in front of us. Then I realized they couldn’t hear us either. The car started and we started moving. Dimitri stared at me as I looked at the black window. When I knew no one was looking at me I took my phone out of my pocket and it dropped to the ground. I moved and pressed the buttons with my fingers. Then I pressed the speaker button and James picked up.
“Haz, you there?” James asked. “Hans just came back here.”
“James, take Sei and Kei to the gates. Have Hans help you and get them to the gates safely. I will keep the murderers under watch and make sure we don’t cross paths. Once Sei and Kei are safe go to Oregon.” I said quietly.
“Oregon?”
“Yes. That is where we are heading. I found the captive we have been searching for. I will get him away from the murderers, but you have to get him to the gates for me.”
“But what about you, Haz?”
“I’m not coming back, James. These people want to kill someone, so I will let them kill me. It’s the only way to fix this.”
“Understood. Be brave, Haz.” He said kindly and I nodded.
“Goodbye, James.” I said and then hung up the phone. I slowly slid my phone back into my pocket and then looked at Dimitri. “Once we are in the US I will find a way to get you away from these men.” I said and he moved closer to me.
“Hazuki?” He asked me and I looked away from him. I wanted to cry so badly, but I had to keep my mind on getting him out of here.
“Roza will waiting for you at the gates.” I said quietly and he put his hand on my cheek so that I was looking at him. A tear ran down my cheek when I looked at him and he looked sad. “Please, let go of me.”
“Hazuki…” He said as another tear went down my cheek. “I have missed you so much.” He whispered and I saw my love reflect back at me through his eyes. I knew we both loved each other more than we had 6 years ago. He leaned to me and kissed me deeply. I started crying as he kissed me more. He brushed my tears way and then kissed my cheek. “Hazuki…” He whispered and I cried more. “Now that I am reunited with you I feel like I’m going to go crazy.”
“Dimitri.” I cried quietly and Dimitri untied my hands. I hugged him as I kissed him. He leaned over and lay on top of me. He slid his fingers through my hair as he kissed me more. When he lifted his lips from mine he was breathing hard.
“I love you Hazuki.” He whispered and I cried more.
“I thought you were dead…” I said as I brushed my tears off my face. “I was so scared they had killed you.”
“I’m okay, Haz. But being without you for six years was almost too much to bear.” He whispered and I nodded.
“If I hadn’t found you today I don’t know how I could have lived on. All that has been keeping me alive is the hope that you were alive. I couldn’t bare even thinking you were dead.” I whispered back and he kissed me again. The car stopped and he quickly got off me. I sat back up and Dimitri tied my hands back together. The headman opened the back door and smiled.
“Bring that man to the plane. I will take Hazuki.” The headman said as he pulled me out of the car. He walked behind me and held my hands that were tied together so I couldn’t run off. He walked me to a plane that was at a private airport. We walked up the stairs of the plane to show a private jet with 10 seats all facing the isle. He sat me in the first seat and sat himself in the second one. The old man sat across from me as the second man sat next to him. Dimitri was put next to him and then the rest of the seats were filled with guards. Two other guards went to the front of the plane and shut the doors. They started the plane as the headman untied my hands. I rubbed my wrists where the rope had rubbed against them. The headman stared at me like Dimitri was. The bearded man cleared his throat and I looked up at him.
“So, if you were disguised as Princess Yuki where is the real Princess?” He asked me respectfully. I looked at him with curiosity and decided I had nothing to lose by telling him.
“There is no Princess Yuki, it was only me the whole time.”
He seemed intrigued. “So for the past six years you have been Princess Yuki?”
I nodded. “There was never a Princess Yuki. I just used Yuki as a fake name and was given the title because of my engagement to Prince Sei.” I replied.
“Why were you engaged to Prince Sei? That certainly could not help you in your efforts.” The man said and I sat up straight.
“It made me less obvious to the public. It just helped cover my tracks.”
“Your tracks finding us? But why would you want those covered?”
“No, you have misunderstood. I mean my tracks as the half-breed everyone hates. They love me as Princess Yuki even though I am the same person as the person they hate. They all believe I have died by another’s hands.” I replied quietly. I looked at him intensely. “My tracks to find all of you can easily be found, but only by certain people.”
“Such as your brother?”
My eyes widened. “Brother?”
He laughed at me. “We all know you are the younger sister of General Kei. You do not need to hide it, my girl.” I looked at my feet and then looked back at the man.
“I would never get my brother caught up in my own life. He is a noble that should be treated as one, not as the brother of a half breed.” I replied firmly.
“Then whom did you leave your tracks for? That man that brought you to the warehouse?” He asked.
“You can keep trying to persecute me, Sir, but I won’t tell you.”
The man’s eyes widened. “So you knew all along that you would be captured by us sooner or later?” He asked.
I smiled. “I have had this day planned out for many years, sir. I knew all that was going to happen and I have a plan for anything you will throw at me later.”
“Smart girl.” He said with a nod.
“It is not like you are the first people to attack me or hunt me, sir. You are just a group of my enemies.” I replied.
“Like your uncle?”
I shook my head. “My uncle was of no match for me.”
“But he resurrected your own mother to fight you and she nearly killed you. How can you say he was no match for you when he nearly killed you?” He asked.
“He used dirty tactics to attack me. Back then he forced me to become a vampire just so I would not know how to use my powers for that time.” I replied.
“And how do you know we won’t use dirty tactics worse than his?”
I smiled. “I don’t.”
He smiled back. “You seem very happy even though you are captured and may be facing your death. What keeps your hopes up?” He asked me.
I looked at him for an answer and stopped smiling. “I have no clue. All I know is I cannot give up hope regardless of the situation. Many have told me I am stubborn like my mother because of it.”
“You are one strange girl. I can’t even read your mind, when for most I can.” He said with a sigh.
“You are a telepathists, correct?” He nodded. “I assumed so since you could tell I had changed my form.”
He smiled. “It takes someone extremely powerful to change their form, not even I can do it. Tell me, how did you do that?”
I smiled back. “If you are supposed to know you will find out.” He frowned and sat back in his chair.
“You shouldn’t talk to someone like that who could kill you.” The second man said with an evil smile.
I frowned. “I hope the comrade I killed when you attacked me burns in hell.” I snapped back and he hissed at me. He stood and walked towards me. I watched him as he walked closer to me, but both of us were startled when a blade came in front of the man. We both looked at the headman with confusion.
“Don’t touch her.” He barked and the second man sat back down. The headman put his sword away and was quiet once more. I turned to the headman and he looked back at me.
“What do you want for Dimitri’s freedom?” I asked. “Name your conditions.”
He smiled at me in an evil way. “Well first call off your engagement.”
“Done.”
“Also you must give your life to me.” He replied and I stared at him. I pulled the collar of my shirt down to show 3 black X’s. He stared at them with confusion.
“I cannot give you my whole life, but I can give you what I own.” I replied and he frowned.
“Who has 30 years of your life?” He asked me.
“I gave it to the man that I asked to protect Prince Sei and my brother when they go back to the gates.” I replied.
“That is a heavy price for just protecting people.”
“Two are for the worth of Prince Sei and one is for the worth of my brother.” I let my collar go back to the position it had been at. “I will give you my other 50 years.”
“Agreed.”
“So he will be let go once we are in the US?”
He smiled at me. “As I said before I know you will kill us once he is gone. He will stay with us until your last years of life are legally given to me.”
“So you are using him as a token for your life?”
He nodded. “If you could kill my brother, I have no doubt you are a strong vampire, so just in case I will keep him to protect myself.”
I looked over at Dimitri strongly. “Fine.”
“So you gave almost half of your life to a criminal?” He asked and I stared at him. “I know you had James Datashi helping you and Hans Fronded watching him.”
I smiled. “For Dimitri I would team up with anyone. Even if that meant selling my soul to the devil.”
“You are so love sick it is disgusting.”
“You’re so obsessed it is past stalker standards.” I spat back and he frowned. “Regardless, you are planning to use my power to take down the gates, correct? You are aiming for the King.”
“How did you know that?”
“You defied all of his wishes, it was pretty much spelled out.” I looked out the window of the plane to see nothing important. “I should tell you, not even I can take down the king.”
He stared at me. “But his son will be able to be taken down by you, both of them actually.”
I nodded. “True, but they both own my soul. I cannot hurt them.”
“So you do not really own any of yourself, do you?” He asked. I nodded and he frowned. “But how can you give me the rest of your life if you don’t own it?”
“Protecting Sei and following all of his wishes for 6 years gave me ownership all of my years, but the princes own my soul.” I replied and Dimitri stared at me. The old bearded man stared at me.
“You are a mother, a warrior, Princess Yuki, a half breed, and the sister of Kei…how can you be all of those people?” He asked me and I stared at me.
“Excuse me?”
He smiled. “Yes?”
“A mother I am not.”
“We all know of your son, Hazuki. Don’t deny it. We know his name and his father.” He replied. “Tell us, where is your boy?”
I stared at him and hissed. “Like hell I would tell anyone.”
“Oh? But the boy’s father is our captive…shouldn’t he know he has a son?” The man said and Dimitri stood.
“What?” Dimitri asked me. I looked at my feet.
The headman answered Dimitri. “A few months after we captured you your son was born. Right about the time you two started dating he was conceived.”
“Now he is hidden and seems to have disappeared from the world.” The old man added.
“What do you expect me to do?! Let him out into the open so you can take him hostage?! Or what if the council gets their hands on him?! He would be executed instead of me because I am the soon to be Queen!” I yelled at the old man. “I had no choice other than to hide him!”
“Does he even know you are his mother?”
“Of course he does. The person who is watching him has shown him the news stories about me. He knows me and we have met.”
“That does not sound like a mother-son relationship. That sounds like distant relatives.” The old man argued.
“If I am around him too much he will be found. And anyways, I am not cut out to be a mother. I am a warrior and that is all I can be. The person who is keeping him is a better mother for him.” I looked at Dimitri. “Once Dimitri is let go he will be brought to our son. Then my friend will help raise the boy and help Dimitri find a wife.” I replied quietly.
“So there is now another half breed in the world.” The second man said with an evil smile. “We should obtain him for his power also.”
The headman scowled at the second man. “We shall not. Our objective is Hazuki. Nothing more. Her son is free to be.” Then he stood and looked at me. “Also, I want you to bring your friend and your son when you give me the rest of your life. It will make it so you know Dimitri made it to your son.”
I nodded. “Thanks.” I replied. The plane became quiet and I thought about how I was going to handle the rest of this. I fell asleep after a while.

The headman awakened me. He told me to call my person because we would be in the US in two hours. I nodded to see everyone watching me. I took out my phone from my pocket and dialed the number I needed. “Put it on speaker.” The headman said and I did so as a man answered.
“General Ulrick.” He announced.
“Good evening sir, this is Princess Yuki.” I said and all of them looked at me oddly.
“It is good to hear from you ma’am. I shall give the phone to your father.” He replied and I quickly spoke.
“Actually, please give the phone to the king.”
“The king, ma’am?”
“Yes. This is important and he will understand.” I replied and then the line was quiet until the King’s voice came.
“Thank you, Sir.” He said and then a door shut. “Hazuki?”
“Hello, Sir.”
“I just got a call from my son. He told me you were captured. So your dream of the future came true?” He asked and I sighed.
“Yes, but there are new things. I actually called for a favor because of it.” I replied.
“Oh?”
“Please send Roza, my father, my son, and Hajji to…” I looked at the Headman.
“The capital of Oregon.”
“…The capital of Oregon.” I repeated.
“So you have found Sir Dimitri?”
I nodded. “Yes sir. He is safe and I will make sure he stays that way.” I added.
“So you will not be coming back this time?”
I was quiet for a moment. “I told you this would come Sir.”
“We will pay for you to be given back! We can help you!” He protested loudly. “We can’t lose you, Hazuki!”
“Sir, this is for the good of Roza, my father, my son, Sei, and Dimitri. I told you when this started, ‘I am eternally grateful to your family and the council for letting me live and I want to pay you back by devoting my life to protecting the royal and noble families. I will do anything.’ I meant that, sir and intend to do just so.” I replied and then pushed some hair out of my face.
“But what about your other dream…the one of your death.”
“Sir, please. Don’t tell Roza of it or my son. They are already hurt by this.” I said and he sighed.
“They will meet you there in 2 hours.” He replied sadly and then I hung up the phone. I handed it to the headman.
“Sei will be calling soon.” I said quietly and he put the phone on the small table by him. It went quiet in the plane again and I laid my head against my headrest. I had another dream of the future when I went to sleep earlier. It showed Roza with a small infant girl. It was her daughter. She had said during the dream that she was going to name it after the most important person in her life, Hazuki. I kept myself from crying while remembering the dream. I was going to have to break her heart soon and many others.

The plane landed at another private airport near the capital of Oregon. The headman had called the King and told him exactly where to meet us. I stood and the headman quickly grabbed my arm. The bearded man held onto Dimitri’s arm and then we all exited the plane. I looked across the field next to where we had landed and was sad. There stood my father who was holding my son and Hajji holding Roza’s hand. Roza was now a beautiful woman. She was the essence of her mother in many ways. My father held onto my son as he squirmed.
“Mommy! Mommy!” He yelled as he tried to get to me.
“Please, my boy.” My father begged. I quickly looked away from my son so I would not cry. I looked to Roza who was staring at Dimitri. I quickly looked back to the Headman.
“Let Dimitri go to Roza. I swear on my life I will not do anything. Just let them see each other.” I said quietly and he nodded towards the bearded man. Dimitri was let go of and both he and Roza looked at me with confusion.
“Hazuki…” Roza whispered, not believing the woman standing before her was I. I looked nothing like before. I was now much stronger and more beautiful.
I smiled at her. “I told you, my dear Roza, I would do anything to get Dimitri back to you.”
She bit her lip and tried not to cry. “But you gave up your freedom!” She protested. “I didn’t want that!”
“Please, Roza. Enjoy that you are reunited with your brother. Don’t worry about me.” I said and she started crying. I looked back to the headman sadly. “Please.” I whispered. He let go of me and Roza quickly ran to me. She was crying while she squeezed me in her arms. I pulled her closely to me.
“Oh god! I didn’t think you were ever coming back!” She cried as she held me tightly. I just stood there and let her cry. Finally she stopped and let go of me. I brushed her tears off of her face and she sniffled.
“It’s alright, Roza.” I said quietly and she nodded. I turned her to her brother. “Go see Dimitri.” I said and she went over to him. My son jumped from my father’s arms and to me.
“Mommy!” He cried as he ran to me. I knelt to the ground and he went into my arms. I hugged him and then picked him up. He latched onto me for dear life. My father walked over to me sadly.
“Father, Miss Julia says hello.” I said quietly.
“You saw Miss Julia?”
I nodded. “I thought I should. I don’t know how much time I have left.” I said as I looked at my son. “How has he been?”
“All he talks about is you.” He said in a slightly happy way. “He told the king a few days ago that you were coming to take him home.”
“Oh…” I said quietly and the boy latched tightly to me. My father looked around me and saw the headman.
“So this is the man from your dream?” He asked.
I nodded. “By his hands is where I shall die, just like my dream said.” I replied quietly. Then Hajji walked towards me. I handed my son to my father and knelt down to the ground. I put one knee against the ground and put my arm against my leg that was bent. I bowed to Hajji and he just watched. “It is good to see you, Prince Hajji.” I replied as I bowed. I stood and he just stared at me.
“So you are giving up your freedom for me, my brother, and Roza?” He whispered to me in amazement. “What happened to the young girl I watched kill her uncle?”
I looked away. “She grew up, Sir.” I replied and he frowned.
“If you grew up why can’t you tell how dumb of a mistake you are making?!” He yelled.
“What?”
“No one wants you gone! My brother is love sick about you and so is Dimitri! My father, mother, and I love you like our family! And you are Roza’s best friend! None of us want you to leave!” He yelled at me and then looked at the headman behind me. “We are willing to pay however much you want for Hazuki’s freedom.”
The headman smiled as he grabbed onto my arm. “You think I would give up this one of a kind gem for money?”
“What?”
“Hazuki is the one and only of her kind other than her son. She is more beautiful than any vampire or human.” He replied.
I looked away from Hajji and towards the field in front of us. I wanted to just die in that field. Then I would leave my whole life of craziness and misery. I so wanted to disappear, but I had no time for dreams. I looked back to Hajji and smiled. “By the way, I must congratulate you.”
“For what?”
I looked over at Roza. “You and Roza shall have a child next year.” I said and then looked at my feet as the headman let go of me.
“How do you know all of this?”
I smiled at Hajji. “I have dreams of the future of those close to me.” I replied. “That is how I know that I have to leave with these people. I have seen the outcomes of going with you and of staying with these people. If I don’t choose this every noble will die.”
“You will leave Dimitri even though you love him?”
“That is why I’m leaving him.” I replied quietly. My son started whining and I took him from my father. “Baby, I have to tell you something.” He looked at me. “I’ve got to go back to work and won’t be coming to see you for a long time.” He was going to cry and I could tell. “But I want you to stay with Aunt Roza while I’m gone, Okay?” He nodded. “And I have someone I want you to meet.” I smiled to Dimitri. “See that man over there with Aunt Roza?” I asked my son.
He nodded. “Yes.”
“That is your dad.” I replied and my son stared at me. “That is why I have been gone for so long. I went to go find your daddy.” My son stared at Dimitri.
“But he isn’t one of us, mommy.” He replied. “He is like everyone else. How can he be my dad if he is a vampire?”
I was shocked to hear him say that. Then I sighed. “There are no others’ like us, my son. But Dimitri is your father.”
“Dimitri?” I nodded. “Is he the same Dimitri you told me about?”
I smiled and nodded. “That is he.”
“But when will you be coming back, mommy?” He asked me and I could never tell him the truth.
“Don’t worry, dear. I will come back for you someday.” I lied and he smiled. My father stared at me sadly. He took my son I his arms.
“I will explain it to him when he is older.” My father said.
“Goodbye, Justice.” I said and then kissed my son’s cheek. He hugged my father and tried not to cry. “Father, take care.” He nodded to me and then I turned to the headman. “Let’s get this straight. The whole agreement.”
The headman nodded. “Fine.”
“I will give you the remainder of my life and in return you will spare the king, Hajji, Sei, Kei, Dimitri, Roza, my son, and my father. Correct?” I asked and he smiled.
“Fare enough.” He said. “50 years of a precious life will be enough pay to spare all of these people.” The old, bearded man smiled as he walked over to me.
“But you cannot kill yourself.” He added.
“Agreed.”
Laughing came from the second man and we all looked at him. He pointed a gun at my son with a smile. “This little monster needs to disappear.” He laughed and the headman hissed.
“What are you doing?!”
“I’m done playing your game. Now it’s my turn to decide something. I’m doing my own thing.” He spat back and I heard a gun release its safety pin, but it wasn’t the second man’s gun. I looked behind him to see Lucas holding a gun against the back of the second man’s head.
“Think again, ass hole. I won’t let you touch my nephew.” Lucas hissed at the second man and the bearded man pointed his own gun at Lucas with anger.
“Put down the gun, boy.”
“Same goes to you, old man.” Lucas barked back. Three guns released their safety pins and I looked to see Hans, James, and Kei with guns. Hans’s gun was pointed at the second man, James’s gun was pointed at the old man, and Kei’s gun was pointed at the headman who was as shocked I. I then quickly felt cold metal against my ear and turned in astonishment as the headman grabbed my arm. He pulled out the safety pin.
“All of you put down your guns or Hazuki dies!” He hissed and before I knew anything the headman had hit the ground and Sei was standing next to me.
“You bastard! Don’t even think of touching Hazuki!” He hissed as his eyes glowed. The headman sat up as Sei picked up the headman’s gun and pointed it at its’ owner.
“You have been officially captured, boys.” I heard a familiar voice say and I looked towards the plane. The king walked towards me with his wife. Soldiers surrounded the headman, the bearded man, the headman’s soldiers, and the second man.
“Sir!” I gasped as he walked over to me.
“Are you alright, Hazuki?” He asked me kindly. “Did they do anything to you?”
I shook my head. “But how did you plan this?”
The king smiled. “Actually Sir James came up with the plan.” He said as the soldiers took all of my enemies away from us. I watched them walking away and quickly acted when I saw the headman get away from the soldiers. He ran at Dimitri and shot his gun.
“Dimitri!” Roza yelled in horror as the bullet flew at him. I quickly ran in front of him and the bullet hit my left shoulder. I fell to the ground as the blood started down my arm. I quickly stood and went to the headman. I grabbed his gun from him and threw it to the side. I pulled him off of the ground by his shirt collar and he started chocking. I felt my eyes glow as my fangs grew.
“Don’t ever think anyone can hurt Dimitri while I’m here!” I hissed at the headman. He hissed back and I threw him to the ground. “Now you will all have a high punishment. I would have let you go with your lives and drop all charges, but it is different now. You are sentenced to death for murder of the heads of the Airi clan and attempted murder of the new head of the clan.” A soldier came over and grabbed the headman. I put my hand gently on the headman’s cheek and he was confused. “You could have become better in life. You may have been able to make up for your sins. But you crossed the line and will now die because of it. What a shame to lose such a blessed soul to the flames of hell.” I said and then let go of him. I looked at the soldier. “Take them away. They are done here.” He nodded to me and then disappeared with the headman. I walked over to the king and bowed. “Thank you for your help, sir.”
He smiled at me. “I would do anything for you Hazuki. You are like my own daughter.”
“Thank you sir.” I said and then stood.
“We need to get that arm checked.” He said.
“No! I’ll be fine! But you have to make sure Sir Dimitri is all right! He was in captivity for 6 years! He may be seriously hurt!” I protested and the king looked sad for me.
“Hazuki…”
“Please, Sir. He is the head of the Airi clan now! You have to make sure he is okay.” I pleaded.
“But you are bleeding horribly, Hazuki.” He said sadly.
“Noble blood comes before my own. Sir Dimitri must be helped first.” I replied strongly.
I heard someone walking to us and turned to see Dimitri. I quickly looked away and he looked at the king. “I am perfectly fine, sir. They never hurt me. Just help Hazuki.” Dimitri said and I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up at Lucas.
“You need to go, Haz.” He said kindly. “I’m not going to lose you because of your stubbornness.”
“But…”
“Do it for Justice, Haz. He needs his mom.” Lucas said. “And do it for me. I can’t lose my best friend.”
I sighed and then nodded to Lucas. “Thank you, Lucas.” I said kindly and he smiled.
“We will drive you to the hospital, Hazuki.” The king said and his wife nodded. I looked at them and nodded. Then I heard my son running towards me. I automatically put my hand to my side and he held it in his small fist.
“Mommy?” He asked and I looked at him.
“What is it, baby?” I asked him kindly as everyone watched us.
“Why did you take that bullet for Dimitri?” He asked me and everyone was quiet. I knelt down to my son’s side and smiled at him, as I looked him straight in the eyes.
“He is your dad, Justice. I didn’t want him to die before you met him fully.” I said kindly.
My son looked at the king and smiled. “See, sir!” He said happily. “I told you my mommy would come back for me.”
The king smiled at him and nodded. “You were right, Justice. Your mom came back just like she said she would.”
I smiled at the king. “Is it alright if Justice comes with me?”
He nodded. “Everyone can.” He said kindly and I smiled. James, Kei, Hans, Roza, Sei, and Hajji walked over to me. They said nothing as the king and queen walked away. I stood and smiled at James with thanks.
“James, why didn’t you follow my plan?” I asked him curiously.
He smiled. “Your plan involved you dying in the end, Haz. I can’t allow you to die.”
“We went to your cousin’s home because I knew he would want to help us get you back.” Sei said as he walked beside me. I turned to him and he put his hand on my cheek. “Did they do anything to you while you were gone?”
I shook my head. “Not really.”
Sei looked at Justice and smiled. “So this is the son you had so many dreams of?”
I nodded. “Sei, this is Justice.”
Sei knelt down to Justice and smiled. “Hello, Justice.”
“Hello, Prince Sei.” Justice said with a childish bow.
“You don’t need to call me Prince Sei.” Sei said kindly. “You can just call me Sei.”
“But you are the Prince.”
Sei nodded. “I am, but I am also your mother’s fiancé. So you will soon be my stepson. Are you alright with that?”
Roza and Hajji were shocked. “Fiancé?” Dimitri just stared at me.
I smiled at them and held back tears of regret. “Indeed. While we have been gone for so long Sei and I have become close.”
“You’re gonna marry mommy?” Justice asked Sei and Sei nodded. Justice quickly looked at me with confusion. “But why? He isn’t one of us mommy.”
I nodded to my son. “But he is a great man, baby. And with him the council can’t take you away.”
Sei stood and held my right hand in his left. “I love your mom, Justice. I would do anything for her. So I will protect you from the council. I won’t let you be taken from Hazuki.”
“But Hazuki…” Roza said and I looked at her. I quickly looked away from her sad gaze.
“Thank you for all of your help over the years Miss Roza. If there is anything you need let me know.” I said and she walked over to me.
“I want my best friend back!” She yelled at me.
“What?”
“The old Hazuki! I want that girl back!” She yelled and I looked at her sadly.
“That girl is the one standing in front of you, Fair Roza.”
“No it isn’t.”
I knocked on a light colored oak door and then walked into a large room with a few couches in it. Roza and Dimitri stood when I walked in. I was wearing a short black spaghetti strap dress with black high heels. There was a white bandage over my shoulder and my necklace went over it. I smiled at them as my son felt my presence. “Mommy!” He yelled as he ran to me. I knelt down and he ran into my arms. I hugged him as he hugged me.
“Good afternoon, Justice.” I said formally.
“Where have you been, mommy? I wanted to play with you but when Aunt Roza and I went to your room we were told we could not go in.” Justice said and I smiled.
“I was making arrangements for the beginning of departure.”
“What?”
“All the noble vampires that live here will now be leaving because the threat is gone. And since I am second in command of the army I had to help form the plans.” I explained.
“You’re second in command?” Roza asked me as I stood and she walked over to us.
I nodded. “Sir Kei and I are blood related.”
“What?!” Roza yelled.
“We never told anyone, but then had to a week ago. Then my brother requested I become his second in command because I am the best soldier he has ever seen.” I replied.
“So when will we all be leaving?” She asked.
“A week from today.” I replied and then became formal again. “But is it alright if I take Justice for a while?”
“Where are you going?” Roza asked curiously.
I smiled. “To see my mother.”
She became sad. “Oh, I see.”
“I must perform a ritual before her.”
“Ritual?”
I nodded. “I am giving my spell and necklace to Justice today. Some of my powers and all of my mother’s will be given to Justice so that no one can bite him.”
“But then you will be able to be bit!” She argued.
“That is true…” I said but turned so Roza could see the three X’s on my neck. “But I don’t have a lot of time to worry about this.”
She stared at the marks. “What are those?”
“They represent every ten years of my life I have sold to someone.”
“What?!”
I looked at my shoes. “While trying to save Sir Dimitri I had to leave Kei and Sei with a criminal. I had to make sure he would protect them, so I gave him 30 years of my life in exchange.”
“But why would you do that?!”
“I would never let Sei and Kei be hurt and I certainly was not leaving my mission to save Sir Dimitri.” I replied. “But that is not worth anything now. Justice and I must go before sunset.”
Dimitri walked to Roza’s side and stared at me. “I will assist you in guarding Justice while out of the gates.” He said and I was going to protest when Roza nodded. I bowed to him and he was shocked.
“That is very considerate of you, sir.” I said formally. I knelt down and picked up Justice. I carried him out of the room and Dimitri followed. We went outside of the building we were in to see a Jeep with Lucas at the wheel.
“Ready to go?” Lucas asked and I nodded.
“Sir Dimitri, you may sit in the front.” I said and he nodded. I got in the back and buckled Justice into his seat. Then I buckled myself. I put my small black purse in my lap and was quiet. Lucas turned to me before he started the car.
“Try not to smoke until we are out of the car, okay?”
“I’ll wait. Don’t worry.” I said and Dimitri looked confused. Lucas started up the car and we went out of the gated area.
I got out of the car and then helped Justice get out. He looked at the surrounding area and then quickly ran back to me. I shut the car door as he grabbed onto the end of my dress. The cemetery frightened him and I knew he could feel the dead souls here.
“Mommy…” He whispered in disgust and confusion.
“It’s alright Justice.”
“But there are so many dead people here.” He whispered to me as Lucas and Dimitri came over to us. I moved his hands from my dress and held them in my hands.
“It is alright, baby. There are only our people here.”
“Our people?” He asked me curiously.
I nodded. “This is the cemetery for half breeds like us and their makers. This is where your grandmother is.”
“She’s here?” He asked and I nodded. “But I never met her.”
I looked down at him and tried to keep a smile. “Neither did I, baby. She died to keep us alive. We must pay our respects.”
He stared at me as I held back tears. “Okay.” He said bravely and I took an old piece of paper out of my pocket and Lucas gasped.
“Remember this?” I asked him kindly.
“That was our map as kids! The one that lead us to our sanctuary!” He gasped and then laughed. “Why did you keep that after all of these years?”
I smiled at him. “I kept this paper so Justice can find my mother if he ever needs her or me.”
“You?”
I nodded. “I have requested that I am buried with my mother, so I will be here also.” He stared at me sadly and I looked away. I read the map and then picked up Justice. “Alright, follow me.” I said and Lucas nodded. He and Dimitri followed Justice and I as we swerved through the tombstones. I stopped at a small square stone and set down Justice. “In memory of Scarlet Riga.” I read off of the stone and then looked at Justice. “That was your grandmother.”
“Scarlet Riga?” He asked and I nodded. “She was your mommy?”
I smiled at him. “Yes she was.” I said and Lucas put his hand on Justice’s head.
“Justice, your grandmother was a great woman. I know she would have loved to have met you.” Lucas said kindly and I nodded.
“She would have.” I agreed.
“So what is the ritual we are doing?” Dimitri asked me. I looked at him and then at my mother’s tombstone.
“She has to be here when I give up her necklace.” I said and then unclasped my necklace. “Justice, please stand next to the tombstone.” I said and he did so. “Now put your hands on the stone.” I requested and he immediately did so. I went behind him and put my hands on the stone. “Mother, thank you for your sacrifices for Justice and me. We would not be here if it wasn’t for you. Your necklace has helped keep me safe all of these years and I know it is only because of the love you put in this necklace.” I laid the necklace on the stone. “Now I may have to face the same fate you did. I may be executed because I birthed Justice. And, just like you, I am willing to die for my child. But if I must die I want Justice to be safe just like I was. So, I ask you to keep your love and powers in this necklace. I will put my powers and yours back into this necklace so it can protect Justice from anyone that shall harm him.” I took Justice’s hand in mine and then put them on top of the necklace. Energy flowed through Justice and I with words.
Hazuki? Is that you my child?
I smiled as Justice gasped. “What was that?!” He asked me.
“Your grandmother. She wants to meet you.” I said and he stared at me with surprise. “Mother, I have come to speak to you and introduce you to your grandson.”
A light flickered above the tombstone as the sun started to set. The area around us became dim as my mother’s spirit formed above the stone. The light formed into a beautiful, young woman about my age. She looked much like me and had a beautiful smile. She looked at the four people by her tombstone and smiled at me. “So you have come back, my girl?” She asked me and Dimitri gasped.
I bowed to my mother and looked back at her. “Hello mother. It has been a long time since I saw you like this.”
She nodded. “Yes and last time you brought Lucas with you also. But who is this other man?”
I looked at Dimitri. “Mother, this is Sir Dimitri. He is Roza’s older brother.” I explained to her.
She stared at me deeply. “So this is the man your heart calls to?” She asked me. “This is my grandson’s father?”
I nodded. “He is indeed.” I replied and she looked at Justice who quickly grabbed onto my dress again. I smiled at him as my mother laughed lightly.
“So this is my grandson?” She asked me.
“Yes, his name is Justice Riga.”
“What a wonderful name. It suits the young man well.” She said kindly and then looked at me. “So you say you may share the same fate as me? The council wants to kill Justice?”
I nodded. “Even though I have done everything they have ever asked me and have followed all of the rules, they still want to punish Justice for the life he holds. But I will die for Justice if I have to.”
She nodded. “I thought the same when they wanted to kill you, my girl. If you wish to give all of our combined powers to this boy I will do so.”
I smiled at her. “There are so many enemies the three of us have and I am gone from Justice so much that I am scared someone will hurt him.” I put my hand on Justice’s head. “But mother, I must ask, should I give Justice to someone else? I am scared the more I am with him the more chance he has of being hurt.”
She looked at me sadly. “Whom would you give him to?”
“I wish for Roza to take him, but she is going to have a child.”
My mother looked at me oddly. “But won’t you marry Sir Dimitri? He is your child’s father.”
I looked away from my mother and sighed. “I am in the same situation that you were in, mother. You loved my father but were supposed to marry Sir Dean and you started to like him. I am truly in love with Sir Dimitri, but I am supposed to marry Prince Sei. I really like Prince Sei and he can save Justice from the council.”
“Dear, does your heart burn when you are away from Sir Dimitri?” She asked me and I was shocked.
I slowly nodded. “When he was gone for the past six years I…” I started to say but choked back tears.
“You started smoking and cried yourself to sleep every night.” She said and I stared at her. “I have been watching you, dear.”
“I couldn’t handle the pain I felt. The thought of Sir Dimitri being dead broke my heart.” I admitted.
“Then you and I both know you want to marry Sir Dimitri.”
“But Justice and Sir Dimitri will be hurt if I stay with them!” I protested. “I would rather break my heart than hurt them!”
She stared at me. “Then you must choose.” She said and then her hand pointed to the necklace in my hands. It glowed and she smiled. “I have given all of my powers so that they can go to Justice. And now half of your powers will protect him.” She said and I nodded. I unclasped the necklace and then slowly put it around Justice’s neck. I re-clasped it and he looked at it. “Now I must go, my daughter.” She said kindly.
“Goodbye mother.” I said and she disappeared.
“The spell is done?” Lucas asked me. I nodded but did not look at Lucas. I stared at my mother’s tombstone as I spoke.
“You three can go back to the gates.” I said. “I want to stay for a little while and think.”
“Hazuki…” Lucas said quietly.
“Please Lucas. Take Justice back to the gates.”
“Mommy?” Justice asked me and I looked at him. I knelt at his side and he put his small hand on my cheek. “Why are your eyes all wet?” He asked me.
“It’s nothing, Justice. Just go back to the gates with Lucas. Can you do that for me?” I asked and he nodded. I hugged him tightly and he did the same for me. “I love you Justice. I’ll see you soon.”
“Let’s go Justice.” Lucas said and Justice went to him. Lucas started to walk off with Justice but noticed Dimitri wasn’t following. “Sir Dimitri? Aren’t you coming?”
Dimitri stared at me as I stood. “I’ll stay here with Hazuki and make sure no one attacks her while she is hurt.” He said and Lucas nodded. I could not deny Dimitri’s wish so I watched Justice and Lucas leave us. Once they were out of sight I opened my small purse and took out a package of cigarettes and a lighter.
“I shall be going to the garden.” I said to Dimitri as I looked at my feet. “You may stay here if you wish.” I walked away and heard Dimitri following. I walked to the familiar garden and sat down at the end of a long bench. Dimitri sat a ways away from me on the same bench. I lit a cigarette and breathed in. I exhaled and a puff of smoke came out of my mouth. I stuck the cigarette back into my mouth as I crossed my cold legs. Dimitri stood and walked over to me. He stood in front of me and watched me.
“Can I sit next to you?” He asked.
“Be my guest.” I replied quietly and he sat down.
“So when did you start smoking?”
I looked at another puff of smoke that came out of my mouth. “A month after Justice was born, so about 5 years ago.”
“Was what you mother said true?” He asked. “You smoked and cried yourself to sleep every night because I was gone.”
I nodded slowly. “You know how I felt about you before you left, Sir Dimitri. It was only natural to be sad.”
He looked at me oddly. “Why are you calling me Sir?”
“Because I am of lower rank than you.” I replied.
“No you aren’t. We are both nobles.”
I shook my head. “Before you were captured we were of the same rank, but when I offered to go on a search for you I had to give up my noble title and become a soldier. Otherwise the council would not let me out of the gates. It was part of my deal with them.”
“So now you are a soldier?” He asked.
“As of yesterday I gave up my title as a soldier. Now I am the second in command of the army.” I replied. “You were there when I told Miss Roza of that.” I looked at Dimitri for the first time since he had sat down and he was surprised. I held the old piece of paper that leads me to my mother’s grave to Dimitri. “If it isn’t too much to ask, could you hold onto this map for Justice until he is old enough to understand?”
“Why can’t you hold onto it?” He asked. “You’re his mother.”
I nodded. “I am his mother, but you are his father.” I looked at my cigarette and sighed. “But I cannot stay with Justice for much longer.”
“What? Why?”
“Well, I have a choice to make and either way I will be leaving Justice.”
“Choice?”
I nodded. “I must either marry Prince Sei next week or deny his wishes and be with you and Justice.”
“But then you will be with us.”
I shook my head. “But if I choose to stay with you two like I want to, then Justice will be sentenced to death.”
“What?!”
I looked at Dimitri strongly. “But I will never let the council touch Justice.” I retorted. “I will die in his place.”
“Isn’t there another way? Some way you, Justice, and I can be together?” He asked me and then put his hand on my cold legs. “I want to have you as my bride, Hazuki. I want to marry you and live happily with Justice as our son.”
I stared at Dimitri and then felt a tear run down my cheek. His eyes widened and I quickly turned away. I dropped my cigarette to the ground and quickly brushed my tear away but more came. Something warm touched me and I turned back around to see Dimitri hugging me tightly. I cried even more as I felt his warmth against me. “Dimitri…” I whispered through tears.
“We have to find a way to let us all live together, Hazuki. I can’t live another day if I know you are going to be another man’s wife. I want to marry you so badly and I truly want to make Justice my real son. Not just by blood but by friendship.” He whispered and then stopped hugging me. He looked at my face and wiped my tears away. He lightly kissed my lips and I cried more. “Do you really want to marry Sei?”
I shook my head. “But if I don’t you or Justice might be killed. I couldn’t make it without you two alive.”
He brushed my hair from my face and looked at me kindly. “Don’t worry about it. We can find a way to make this work.” He said quietly and I nodded. “But will you marry me once this is done?”
I cried even harder and he seemed sad. “I’ve always wanted to hear you ask me that.” I whispered and he was shocked. “Yes.”
He smiled but then looked slightly sad. “I made you a promise before I was kidnapped and haven’t kept up to it…”
“What promise?”
“After you got your cast I told you I would protect you, but it seems you have been protecting me since then.” He explained. “But I will protect you and Justice from the council. Then you don’t have to marry Sei.”
After a while Dimitri and I left the cemetery. I was shocked to see a jeep still in the parking lot. Crying was coming from the open door in the back. I saw Lucas in the back of the car talking sweetly to Justice while he cried. I quickly went over to Lucas and put my hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me as Justice looked at me also. “Mommy!” Justice said happily and immediately stopped crying. Lucas sighed as he stood regularly. Justice unbuckled himself and hopped out of the car. He hugged my leg tightly.
“He threw a fit the minute the car started. But I couldn’t get him calm enough to tell me why he was crying. I don’t even know why he was crying.” Lucas explained and I sighed. I looked down at Justice who was watching me.
“Baby, why did you cry?” I asked him.
He smiled as he hugged my leg tighter. “I didn’t want to leave you, mommy.” He replied. “I want to be with you.”
I knelt to his side and smiled. “Baby, you’re with me all of the time now.” I said and he was confused.
“What?”
I picked the necklace off of Justice’s chest so he could see it. “This necklace links you, your grandmother, and I together.” I said. “If anything happens to you I will know immediately.” I held his small hands in mine. “Now I will be with you always, Justice. You will never have to be alone again.”
“Really?” He asked me and I nodded.
“Now, you should apologize to Lucas for throwing such a fit.” I said and Justice nodded. I stood and Justice went to Lucas.
“I’m sorry, Sir Lucas.” He said formally and Lucas smiled.
“It’s cool, little man.” Lucas said as he messed up Justice’s hair. Justice smiled back at Lucas. Then the four of us went to the car.
“Mommy, can I sit in the front?” Justice asked me.
I nodded. “That is fine, as long as Lucas is okay with it.”
“It’s fine.” Lucas said and then he helped Justice get into the passenger seat. I slid into the back of the car and then Dimitri followed me. I sat in the middle and he sat in the left seat of the back. Lucas started driving the car and talked to Justice. Dimitri slowly held my hand and intertwined our fingers. I laid my head on his shoulder and he kissed the top of my head.
“I feel like the past 6 years didn’t happen. It’s like we are back to the way things used to be.” I whispered to him and he nodded.
“But my feelings for you have grown.”
“So have mine.”
Dimitri stepped out of the car and I followed. Justice came over to me and I picked him up. Lucas stood on my right as Dimitri stood on my left. Two soldiers ran over to us. I quickly stopped and so did the men following me. I looked at the soldiers and they quickly saluted me. I saluted them back and then went back to carrying Justice. The taller soldier spoke first. “Good evening, ma’am.”
I nodded. “Good evening, gentleman. How can I help you?”
“The head general requests for your presence as soon as possible.” The shorter soldier replied.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“He did not say. All he told us was to find you and bring you to him, ma’am.” The taller soldier said.
“Where is he?”
“In the grand library, ma’am.” The shorter one retorted.
“Alright.” I replied and then Justice grabbed onto my waist. “Justice? What is it?” I asked him.
“I wanna stay with you mommy.” He whispered to me sadly.
“I’m sorry, baby. But this is my job. I can’t take you with me.”
The shorter man perked up. “Actually, the general requested that you bring your son, Sir Lucas, and Sir Dimitri with you.”
I nodded. “Thank you. We will head that way right now.” I said and then walked up the stairs of the palace. Dimitri and Lucas followed as I made my way to the Library. When I got there I saw a guard at the door. He saluted me and then let the 4 of us in. I walked in to see Roza, Hajji, Sei, the king, the queen, and my brother. I went in and stopped quickly as the door of the room closed. I felt concern coming from everyone in the room.
“Good evening, Hazuki.” My brother said formally and I immediately knew whatever this was could not be good.
I bowed to him as I held Justice. “Good evening.”
“You may sit down.” He offered and I just stared at him.
“Should Justice leave? This seems like a serious matter.” I said. “I don’t want him to hear if there is any arguing.”
“Haz, he has a say in what we are talking about.” He replied and I set Justice onto the ground so he could stand.
“Baby, go sit by Miss Roza please.” I said and he quickly followed the request. Dimitri and Lucas sat down also and I stayed standing. “What is this about?” I asked Kei.
He sighed. “The king and I are concerned about your reasoning for marrying Prince Sei.” He looked at me as a regular girl, not as his sister. He was serious. “Are you marrying Prince Sei for love or for defense against the council because of Justice?”
I stared at him and could not believe my ears. I thought my brother understood my reasoning for all of this, but now he was questioning it. “I don’t understand.”
He sighed even deeper. “Are you marrying Sei because you love him or not?” He asked in a rude way.
My head hurt. I knew I was going to hurt everyone on anyway I answered, but I was in a position where I could not escape. I stared deeply into my brother’s eyes as I answered. “I don’t know.”
“How can you not know if you love him or not? It is a very obvious thing.” Kei said as he crossed his arms. I was getting a verbal beating from the head general; my brother did not stand before me now.
“I do love Prince Sei, Sir.”
“Then why did you have Sir Dimitri’s child?” He prosecuted me.
“Because I love Dimitri.”
My brother’s eyes seemed to deepen as his gaze had a chilly bite to it. “How can you love both of these men?” I became defensive of myself, but quickly stopped all thoughts going through my head. I did not answer and he became angry. “Answer me.” He ordered.
“I cannot, sir.”
“What?!” He hissed at me. “Why not?!”
I stared at him with regret. “My answer will hurt all that are here. It will especially affect you, sir.”
“It does not matter, Hazuki. We all need to know the truth.” He replied angrily and then stared at me. “Give an answer.”
I looked away from all of them. “I asked myself the same question you ask me today many times over the past six years. When I left today I was given advice by someone who understood what I was going through.” I stared at my brother. “I spoke to my mother.” His eyes widened in shock. “She helped me understand my feelings and emotions.”
“Then what is your answer?”
“I do love Sei very much. I wish I could love him as much as he loves me, but my heart calls to Sir Dimitri. I have been in love with Sir Dimitri since my mother’s birthday seven years ago.” I looked over at my brother and felt power rush through me. “Because of my decision I understand all of the consequences. Justice will be sentenced to death.”
“Mommy?” Justice asked me in a frightened way.
I looked at my brother and felt my eyes turn red. “But if you think I will let the council touch Justice, you are extremely wrong.”
“Hazuki…” Roza whispered and I looked at her.
“Please, Miss Roza.” I said and she froze. My gaze was like that of the devil to her. I could tell by her eyes that she thought so. I looked away and then looked at Sei. I bowed to him and he was surprised. “I’m sorry, sir. I will take whatever punishment I receive for my actions.” I looked at Justice. “I was not supposed to have Justice, but I did. Now I will take whatever punishment comes from it. I will die in Justice’s place.”
“Mommy!” Justice cried and he then ran to me. I knelt down to him and brushed his tears off of his cheeks. He cried more and I could feel my heart tearing. “Mommy! You can’t die! You just came back for me!”
I looked at Justice and sighed. I then smiled and pointed to the necklace on his chest. “Remember what I told you earlier about this necklace I gave you?”
He nodded. “I will never be alone and am now connected to you and grandmother.” He replied.
I smiled. “That’s right. So, if anything happens, you don’t have to worry Justice. This necklace will link us together so we will never be separated, even by death.”
“I’m sorry, Hazuki. But the council said you cannot switch places with Justice for death.” Brother said formally and Lucas quickly stood. I looked at him with uncertainty.
“How can you say that to your own sister?! Your mother gave up her life to save Hazuki! How is this any different?!” Lucas yelled.
“Sir Lucas.” My brother hissed. “This is not any of your concern.”
“Of course it is of my concern! Hazuki is my best friend and Justice is my fake nephew! They are my family and yours too! You should be standing up for Hazuki instead of me!” Lucas yelled and then stared at my brother. “Has your title corrupt your thinking?!”
“Lucas…” I whispered and he quickly came over to me. I put my hand on his cheek and he looked even more sorry for me. “Please, Lucas. Take Justice back to my room. I will meet you two in a while.” I said kindly.
“But Haz…” He argued.
“Please, Lucas.” I whispered and he nodded. He took Justice and quickly left the room. I looked at my brother and then quickly looked away. “Can’t we make a deal of some kind?”
He shook his head. “This is not a matter for deals, Hazuki. This is just what is right.”
I looked at my brother and felt my heart burn. “If you hated Justice and me so much, you should have said so in the first place.” I felt tears beckoning to fall down my cheeks. “I thought you, Kei, of all people would be someone who could accept us.” I whispered. I felt a tear escape me. “But I was foolish for ever believing a vampire could understand us.”
“But Hazuki!” The queen yelled to me.
“Justice and I will be leaving tonight.”
“What?!” Roza yelled.
I looked at my brother. “I will never let you or the council touch Justice! If we are such a burden to you then just let us leave!”
“But if Justice is kept alive it will make it seem like our government does not punish those who break the rules!” Brother yelled.
“Do you even know why they let me live, Kei?!” I yelled and he just stared. “The council planned to use me for experiments! That is the only reason they let me live! But my father got me away!” My brother’s eyes widened. “I will never let any of this government touch Justice because I know what you will do to him!” I yelled.
“But he must die for the common good!”
“So killing us will solve all of your problems?!” I yelled. “Is that what the council has made you believe?!”
“Hazuki! Don’t speak so harshly about the council!” The king yelled and I stared at him. I quickly looked away as my hands clenched into fists.
“I thought at least one of the people I have come to love would understand my feelings for everything I did…” I whispered. “I am a fool for thinking the people who tried to kill me would ever understand me or help me keep Justice safe.” I looked at my brother with no emotion. “We will be gone by morning, so you don’t need to worry. We won’t be a bother to you much longer.”
“But we want you to stay here, Hazuki!” Roza yelled. “Justice has to be executed or people will think our system has corrupted!”
I stared at her. “Roza…” I whispered as a tear came down my cheek. I quickly brushed it away as her eyes widened. “Dear god!” More tears fell and she quickly ran over to me.
“Do you finally understand why we must do this?” She asked me as she set her hand on my shoulder. I quickly slapped her hand away from me and she gasped. I hissed at her.
“Don’t touch me!” I yelled to her. “The Roza I left here 6 years ago was nothing like you! She believed all vampires should accept me and my kind! But now you’re telling me to let you kill my son! What is wrong with you?!”
“I do want you to be accepted, Hazuki! But the only way to do that is for Justice to be executed!” She yelled. “I would never want to lose you!”
I took a few steps back and brushed my tears from my face. I looked at her angrily. “You think this will solve my problems?”
She nodded. “I know it will.”
I looked away. “I have truly become naive.” I said quietly. “I truly thought everyone in this room understood me and my reasoning’s for everything I have done…” Tears ran down my face. “But I was wrong. All of you don’t get it at all.” I walked over to the table in the middle of the room. I took three pieces of paper from my pocket. I set one in the direction of Sei. I quickly looked at him. “There is a check inside for all the money I own. It is yours.”
“But it’s your money…” He replied quietly.
I nodded. “But you own everything of me except for my heart. This is payment because I am taking away what is yours.” I said quietly and then walked over to my brother and put a paper out towards him. He took it cautiously. “Mother told me to give this to you about 20 years ago. She knew someday that you would come to hate me. She said that when the day came I had to give this to you.” I looked away from him. “I had told her you would never betray or try to hurt me, but I should have listened to her. She was right.” I quickly went over to Dimitri and he stood. I handed the last piece of paper to him. “Take care, Dimitri.” I said quietly and he took the paper.
“What is this?” He asked.
I slightly smiled. “I don’t know.” I whispered. “My father and mother wrote something and I was told to give it to whoever’s child I had.” I then walked to the door of the room.
“Where are you going?” My brother hissed.
I stared at him. “To get my son away from the likes of you.” I hissed back.
He laughed at me. “Do you really think you can leave the gates?”
I smiled at him. “I know you can’t stop me.”
“What?!”
I smiled. “We monsters can do things you can’t even imagine. Try to stop me and you will be killed.”
“You can’t kill your own brother!” He laughed as I opened the door. I heard movement and quickly turned back around to see my brother with a sword in his hands pointed to me. To the right of him was Hans who was holding a gun to brother’s head. My brother hissed at Hans who smiled.
“But you aren’t my brother. I will kill you for Hazuki.” Hans said in an evil way.
“You would kill your own general to help an ex-general?”
Hans smiled. “I don’t care who stands in Hazuki’s way. I will kill all of them.” Hans pulled the release of his gun. “I don’t care what I have to give up. Hazuki deserves to live and I will go to any length to make sure she does.”
“Why are you defending a half breed?!” Brother exclaimed.
“Why aren’t you?! She’s YOUR sister!” Hans spat back.
“I am only her half brother!”
Hans touched the tip of his gun to the side of my brother’s head. “Your kind of people makes me sick!” He hissed. “You only hate Hazuki because she is different! Do you even know what she has been through for the past 6 years?!”
“What?” My brother asked in confusion.
“She has been shot numerous times, watched people she love die, and kill people she did not want to kill! She did it all for one of YOUR nobles because she loved him!”
“She did it so she could marry the man! Why else would she do it?!” My brother yelled and I looked at Hans.
“Hans…” I whispered.
“Hazuki did not do it for marriage! She told me three years ago that she knew that saving the man may lead to death for Justice and her! She knew that and still did it! She only did it to make YOU, Miss Roza, and Prince Sei happy! She has done everything for you and now you want to kill her ONLY hope left in the world! Now that she is trying to save her son you are planning to kill both of them before they can leave! Are you mad?!” Hans yelled and I walked over to Hans. I put my hand on his shoulder and he put down his arms that held the gun. He looked at me sadly. “Why were you going to leave without telling them your reasons?”
I smiled at him and then looked at the floor. “I do not deserve sympathy, Hans. If they want to kill me then they can. But I have to get Justice away.”
“But this is all wrong! You could have stayed here and done nothing but you risked your life to save that man!”
I sighed. “No one in this room will ever understand me as well as you have, Hans. They will always look at me for my blood. It is a waste of time to fix it.” I said quietly and then looked at my brother. “Even if you are my brother, I will kill you or anyone that stand in the way of Justice’s happiness. He is my son and it is my duty, as his mother, to protect him from everyone and everything. I will do the same for Justice as Scarlet Riga did for me when my uncle tried to kill me.”

“But unlike our uncle, I will be victorious.” My brother said and I felt a fire in his eyes that had not been there before.

I looked at my brother and sighed. “You are wrong, Sir. I am more powerful than our mother ever was. No one can touch Justice that tries to hurt him. OUR mother is watching over my son like she did for me but he also has me.”

“I do not care. I will kill him regardless.” Kei said madly. “As of now you are a threat to the vampire nobles and are under arrest!” My brother yelled and the door flew open to the room. I hissed and Hans’s eyes widened. He put his hand on my shoulder.

“Calm down, Haz.” He said and everyone watched me as three soldiers walked towards me. I pushed his hand off of me.

“I am past staying calm, Hans.” I turned to my brother and smiled. “I will use your guards as an example of your future if you do not let Justice leave with me.”

“What?!” My brother yelled and my smile deepened. Anger flowed to my heart and then to the rest of me. I pointed my right hand at the soldier closest to me.

“Freeze.” I hissed at the man stopped in mid-step with his gaze on me. I took a small hand knife from my purse and held it in my left hand as my right still pointed at the soldier. “Die.” I hissed and then moved my knife in a straight line towards my right hand and pointed it at the man. He gasped as I dropped my hands and a deep cut formed across the middle of his chest. Blood spewed out and the man screamed as he fell instantly to the floor and lay still as a pool of blood formed around his corpse. Roza screamed at the sight as everyone else stared in disbelief.

“Hazuki?” Hans asked me as everyone, including the two guards left, watched us.

“Do you remember the plans I told you of long ago?” I asked. “When I saw my first dream?”

He nodded. “It was of this exact moment that you believed would never come true.”

“Then follow the plan I was shown.” I said and he nodded. He pointed the barrel of his gun at my brother and smiled.

“Stay there, Sir. Then no one will get hurt.” Hans hissed. “Neither of us want to kill you, but will if we have to.”

“James!” I yelled and a light flew into the room. James stopped and smiled at me. “The time has come. This is the point you pay me back.”

He smiled. “So who should I kill first?” He asked in an evil way. Roza and the queen gasped.

I shook my head. “We are in too deep of water. Only injure those who get in the way.” I said and he nodded. “Get Justice and Lucas. Then meet me back here.”

“What are you gonna do?” He asked.

“Just go.” I said and with a frown he was gone in a flash. I put my knife away and looked at the King. “I’m sorry it had to come to this, Sir. I was not planning to hurt anyone in the vampire world but I cannot let anyone touch my child.”

“Why are you defending that monster?!”

I stared at the King. “Why did you let that monster’s creator take care of your precious son?”

“Because I knew you would never hurt him!” He yelled.

I held back tears as fury burned in my body. “Then why do you think I left Justice under your care?!” I yelled as tears warned to fall. “I thought I could trust vampires! I really did! When I was told I could not trust anyone by many people I would always argue and say I had people I trust waiting for me to come back and get my son from them! I have told everyone for so long that I am lucky to have people I can trust!” Three tears fell down my cheek as my eyes glowed deeply. “But I was wrong…” I whispered as I looked at the door. My son walked in with Lucas and James following him.

“Why are you crying Mommy?” He asked me and I smiled.

“It’s nothing, baby.” I said kindly.

“Miss Roza, why is my mommy crying?” Justice asked as he took a few steps towards her. I quickly grabbed his hand and he looked at me.

“Please stay by me, baby.”

“Mommy?”

“Say goodbye to everyone, Justice. We won’t be seeing them for a long time.” I said as tears fell down my cheeks. Justice tugged on my hand and I knelt by his side. He brushed my tears away and then smiled at me.

“It’s okay, Mommy. Don’t cry.” He said kindly. “Miss Roza is safe. You said you would never cry unless someone hurt her.”

“Oh, Hazuki…” Roza whispered as she stood. I quickly stood also and picked up Justice. He was extremely confused.

“Don’t come near him, Miss Roza.” I said. “Of all things I don’t want to have to kill you. You were my best friend and are the sister of Sir Dimitri. If I hurt you I would be pained and so would Sir Dimitri.” I said and Justice tugged on my shirt.

“Miss Roza…” Justice whispered as I felt his mind reach mine. “Why did you tell mommy ‘Justice has to be executed or people will think our system has corrupted!’?”

“Justice…” Roza whispered and I hugged Justice tightly.

“Don’t fret over anything they said, Baby.” I said as I brushed Justice’s hair to the side. He looked up at me sadly.

“You cried because the vampires deceived you?” He asked and I nodded slowly. “It’s expected, Mommy. Grandmother told me that you knew this day would come. But what can you expect? You have not kissed any of them so they cannot love you as deeply as the others do.”

“Kissed?” Roza asked.

Justice nodded. “Mommy has only done that to Hans. It is the only way to truly bond with someone that isn’t like mommy and me. That is why Hans will do anything for mommy.”

Hans nodded as I looked at him. “You were to be next, Miss Roza. Hazuki wanted to make you her true best friend.”

“But vampires that are not one of our followers cannot be trusted.” I said as I looked at Justice. “You were right all along.”

He nodded. “Let’s go home, Mommy.” He said happily and then I nodded. I started to walk away when a gun was shot. I turned back around to see my brother frozen at the spot he stood at. James was standing between me and Kei with a gun pointed at my brother. There was also a small hole in the wall to the right of my brother’s head. I smiled as James hissed.

“Don’t even think of touching Hazuki or Justice. “ James hissed. “As her soon to become second-kiss I will not let anyone harm her.”

My brother hissed and then I quickly smiled. I ran out of the castle with Lucas, James, and Hans following me. We got out of the gated areas easily and went to Germany where I left Lucas even though he wanted to go with us wherever we were headed. I denied the request. James, Hans, Justice, and I then went to our new residence that would be the place I raised Justice.

The front door to the house slammed as something was dropped. “You still here Hazuki?!” James yelled from the front of the home. I got out of the wick chair I had been reading in and quickly got myself to James. The tall, thin vampire smiled at me.

“Is something wrong?” I asked him curiously. His black hair had a slight blue tent to it as the light coming from the window above the door hit it. His tinted blue eyes shone as he looked at me. He had on a suit since he had just come from work.

“Nothing’s wrong. I was just curious if you were still here.” He said kindly and then kissed the top of my head.

“I won’t be for much longer. Andrzej has his flight coming in and I have to get Bogdanek from school.”

“Oh? When is Hans’s fight coming in?”

“Don’t call him Hans anymore, James. All of us changed our names so we could not be tracked.” I complained.

“I know, but I’m used to calling Hans by his real name. I’m still trying to get used to calling him Andrzej and Justice Bogdanek.” He sighed and I smiled.

“In the house you can call us by our names, but outside of this home you are Anzelm as I am Lusia.” I said and he nodded. I was about to add something to my statement but was stopped by my cell phone ringing. I quickly went to the kitchen and opened my phone. “Hello?” I asked.

“Lusia? It’s Andrzej.” Hans said kindly.

“Hey, aren’t you on your flight back here?”

He sighed. “I would be, but Berlin was hit with a lot of snow again. I won’t be coming back home for a while.”

“Hey, Andrzej. Can I call you back?”

“Sure. Talk to you later.” He said kindly and I hung up my phone. I brought it with me as I went back to James.

“Hans is stuck in Berlin.” I said as I slipped on a pair of boots and then pulled on a white jacket.

“So we are going to get him? Right now?” James asked me.

I nodded. “If he stays in one place for too long we could be found. Germany is crawling with hunters right now.” I said and then opened the door. Snowflakes fell into my hair as I walked out of the house. I went to my small, black smart car and James followed. I got in the driver’s seat as he claimed shot gun. I turned on the car and then quickly drove down to Justice’s school. When we got there I saw many kids outside playing with snow as I stopped the car and got out. James followed me as I quickly went into the school building and to the front office. When I got there a 16 year old boy smiled at me as a woman behind a desk nodded to him. Justice was now almost fully grown and was now fluent in Polish as well as English. He had dark black hair like me and green eyes that were the same. He walked out of the office and hugged me. He was now my height and as deadly as me. I had taught him how to use all of his powers correctly and without the vampire seeing it.

“Tak są my udający się udawać się otrzymują Andrezej, Matka?” He asked me. So are we going to go get Andrzej, mom?

I smiled at him. “On nie może wracać z powodu śniegu, tak my będzie udawać się otrzymywać jego.” He cannot come back because of snow, so we will be going to get him.

He nodded and then followed me to the car. Justice got into the back of the car as James and I reclaimed our seats. I started the car as Justice moved as close as he could. He rested his elbows on each of the front seats that held up his head. “So Hans is stuck in enemy territory?” Justice asked me.

I nodded. “Now while we are in Germany we must speak the native language.” I replied as I watched the road.

“Good thing you taught me that too.” He said happily. “So what town is he stuck in?”

I sighed. “I don’t know. Can you call him and ask?” I said and Justice took my phone from the consol of the car.

“Andrzej?” Justice asked. “Hey. It’s Bogdanek.” There was silence. “Yea, mom wanted to know what city to go to.” Silence fell on the car once more. “Um… I’ll ask.” Justice said and then moved the phone from his face. “Um…mom… I don’t know if we should go get him.”

“Why not? He’s in danger. We have to get him.” I replied.

“But…”

“What’s the matter?” I asked as I looked back at him.

“Hans is in the outskirts of Krayne…” Justice said in an almost depressing manner.

I sighed. “Tell him we will be there soon and will call him when we are closer.” I said and Justice did so. Then he hung up the phone and I could feel him watching me like James was.

“Are you sure, mom?”

I nodded. “Krayne is only a three hour drive from Choszczno. It’s not too far out of the way.”

“But that is where…” James started to say and I stared at him in a way that made him shut up.

“I know who lives there. Of all people I should know.” I gripped the steering wheel tighter in my hands. “I’m not going to let my feelings get in the way of protecting Hans. He is an important being to our kind.”

“Mom, he may be your first Kiss, but we have James with us. Even if he is your second Kiss he can easily protect us.” Justice said to me. “Don’t do anything you don’t have to, mom. You’re weak right now. If we run into someone that is hunting us it won’t end well.”

“I know that, baby. I know what I am risking with this move but I can’t just leave Hans in enemy hands.” I loosened my grip on the wheel. “And if I need to see people I would never want to run into, then that is fine.”

When I called Hans I was frightened when no one answered. I sighed as James took his head out of the small hood of my car. He wiped grease off of his hands with a napkin as I leaned up against the window of the driver’s seat. Justice watched me sadly but I could not look back to comfort him. My mind was spinning with thoughts of what may have happened to Hans and how I could try to find him. James put his now clean hand on my right cheek. His warmth flowed to me.

“It’s shot.” He said sadly as he looked into my eyes for an answer of some kind. I nodded.

“I was expecting that. Having your car shot at makes it almost unfixable.” I sighed. “And Hans is not answering his phone. Someone may have caught onto us.”

James dropped his hand from me because he knew I was right and that there was no true bright side to this. A sniper shot the front of our car and killed my car while trying to shoot me. Hans was missing and we were in the middle of country land with no way to get anywhere except by foot. “How’s your leg and shoulder?” He asked as he knelt beside me. He examined my bleeding leg and then looked at my right shoulder.

“Nothing is broken, but they are deep wounds.” James stood and I held back tears. “You two should go find shelter. That sniper will be coming for me soon. He knows I have no way to run and am in great pain.”

“But he will bring you to the king! They will torture you until you tell them where I am!” Justice yelled at me.

I smiled. “They can torture me all they like. I will never breathe a word.” I assured Justice with the truth. James’s face changed as he picked me up off the ground. He held me like a damsel and I stared at him for answers.

“You know we won’t leave you here, Haz. I’m bringing you to Lucas. He lives just down the road, right?” James said.

“Yea!” Justice agreed. “He will help us!”

“I can’t see them…” I whispered. “Then they will be put in danger because of me once again.”

“They would do anything for you, Haz and I’m not taking no for an answer. We are going to their home whether you like it or not.” He said and I nodded.

“I’ll carry her, James.” Justice offered but James declined it. James carried me all the way down the road until we got to the front porch of Miss Julia’s home. Justice knocked and I felt like dying. The older looking woman I knew so well opened the door and froze. She recognized me but not the others.

“Hazuki…?” She whispered as the sun started to fall behind us. Justice bowed to her.

“It is nice to meet you again, Miss Julia.” Justice said. “I am Hazuki’s son, Justice.”

“The last time I saw you, was 10 years ago. You sure have grown.” She said and then looked at James. “And you are James, correct? You returned my son to me with Hazuki.”

James nodded. “I’m sorry to bother you. But Hazuki is horribly injured and I had nowhere else to bring her.” James explained. “Can we please come in so Hazuki can rest?”

She nodded. “Boys! Come help me!” Miss Julia yelled into the house and I was uncertain. I knew Lucas still lived here, but she said ‘boys’. Who was the other? My question was answered as Lucas and Dimitri walked into the doorway. “Please go clear off the table.” She said and they quickly ran back into the home. We followed Miss Julia to the table and I was set on top of it. Miss Julia brought me a first aid kit as I took off my jacket. Justice winced as he saw the hole in my right shoulder that had blood pouring from it. Lucas brought me a wet towel.

“I’ll do that.” Justice said and Lucas gave him an odd look. “Sir Lucas. It is me. Justice.”

“Justice?” Lucas asked with amazement.

“But I was told you were dead!” Dimitri argued and Justice took the wet towel from Lucas. He put it against my wound and I winced. He quickly pulled away.

“Sorry, mom! Did I hurt you?!” Justice asked as he looked at me like a wounded angel.

I shook my head. “It’s alright, Justice. It just stings a bit.” I said and then put my hand over his that held onto the towel. I slowly set it back onto my wound and let the pain pass. Miss Julia came back to the table.

“Roll up her pant leg.” Miss Julia ordered and James did so. She put on a few layers of gauze and then put a layer of tape to keep it on. She did the same to my shoulder carefully and then she looked at my body. I was only in a gray tank top without my jacket. “You seem much skinnier than you should be, my girl.”

I looked away. “I don’t eat very much now.”

“So who shot you?” Lucas asked me and I looked at him, but quickly looked back to my legs.

“I don’t know.” I said quietly and then gasped as my phone in my pant pocket started to ring. I quickly got it out and handed the phone to Justice.

“Andrzej?” Justice asked. “Yeah. Mom’s right here.” He said and then handed me the phone.

“Andrzej? Are you okay?” I asked.

“I’m fine, but I couldn’t answer my phone earlier. A hunter has caught onto my trail.” He explained.

“Where are you?” I asked.

“I’m walking down the road where I found your car.” He explained and I gasped.

“We saw a sniper there earlier. But now he is heading towards where I am.” I explained.

“Where are you now?” He asked.

“I’m at Miss Julia’s home.” I said and he laughed.

“Well come outside.” He said and I hung up the phone.

“Justice, get Hans. He’s outside.” I said and he nodded. He ran to the front of the house and I heard the door open. It quickly closed and Hans walked into the room with Justice. He bowed to Miss Julia and then quickly walked over to me.

“So the sniper put those bullets in your car? And he shot you?” Hans asked as he looked at my shoulder.

I nodded. “He came from nowhere. I was driving and I don’t even know where he was.”

Hans smiled in an evil way as he handed me a long gun. “Well the bright side is whoever sent him will never get a report back.” I looked away and then nodded.

“Good job, Hans.” I said quietly and he felt horrible.

“I’m sorry, Haz. I was just trying to protect you.”

I nodded. “I know.” I said and then looked at Miss Julia. “Miss Julia, if it is not too much to ask…could you keep our appearance to yourself?” I asked. “If someone found out we were here then all three of you would be prosecuted or killed.”

“We would never tell anyone, Hazuki.” She said kindly. “But you are terribly injured and a storm is coming through tonight. Since you don’t have a ride I insist you four stay here until the storm has passed.”

“But you will be in danger the whole time we stay here! Why do you think I have not visited you in the past ten years?! I did not want to put any of you in harm’s way!” I protested.

“It’s okay, Hazuki. We understand why you did not come visit us.” She said kindly and then put her hand on my cheek. “We have missed you, Hazuki. We are also glad you are still alive and okay.”

“Miss Julia…” I whispered and then she hugged me. I hugged her back lightly.

“For so long I was scared the council or the royals had captured you and Justice. Ever since that day ten years ago I have been praying for your safety.” She said as she squeezed me closer to her. “It has to be horrible to have to be hunted by your own brother, your best friend, and the man you fell for.” She said and then let go of me. I smiled at her.

“It was wrong for me to have let my guard down for so long to people I was told would kill me one day.” I said. “And the worst part is that I almost let Justice be killed by their hands. Because of them I truly thought I could be accepted. For the first time in my life I questioned myself.”

Miss Julia nodded. “But you will always have me, my dear.” She said and then looked at Justice. “And you can trust me also, Justice. I was the only female your grandmother gave her kiss to.”

“So now you are bound to mom and I, like James and Hans are bound to us?” He asked Miss Julia and she nodded.

“There is a room upstairs. The four of you can use it.”

“I will sleep on the couch, if that is alright.” I said and she nodded. I turned to Hans and smiled. “You three should go upstairs.” I said and he nodded. The three of them did as told and Miss Julia helped me off the table.
“You really have some good guys there. You chose right to give your Kiss to them.” Miss Julia said.
I nodded. “They would follow me to the ends of the earth.”
She smiled. “They just love you, Haz. They want to help keep you safe.” She added and I looked at her.
“I am just glad Justice will have people for him if I am finally killed.” I said with a dazed look. “Hans and James may have sketchy backgrounds, but they love Justice like family.”
She looked at me in a sad way. “Did you ever find your father?” She asked me.
I nodded and then held back tears. “Once I found his body I buried it next to my mother. Now they can be together like they never were before.”
She looked at me sadly. “So have you filled your father’s last wish yet?” She asked me as she slowly sat down in a seat by the table and insisted I sit in the one next to her.
“Which wish?”
“That you would finally find a true love and finally be happy.” She explained.
“I truly love Justice, James, and Hans.”
“Not like that, my dear. Someone you want to spend the rest of your life with and have as your husband.”
I sighed. “That may sound possible, but I could never do that. Whoever it was would be hunted like me.”
She nodded. “Well if it wasn’t for that, would you have someone you would want to marry?” She asked.
I nodded. “I have someone but he is past my reach.”
“Where did you meet him?”
“At a dance.” I said bluntly. “But he is a vampire, so nothing could work. He isn’t Kissed so there is no way anything could happen between us.”
“How do you know he doesn’t love you enough to become Kissed?” She asked me.
I looked away. “It doesn’t matter if he wants it; I love him too much to even think of ruining his life like that.” I said quietly and then stood. “If you don’t mind, can I step outside?”
“But what about the sniper?”
I sighed. “Hans killed him.” I replied quietly. “Anyone who gets close to me that is against us he kills.”
“He just loves you, Haz.” She said.
I nodded. “I know that. But every time I think of anyone that works for the government I think of what has happened in the past ten years. How many innocent people who were just hunting me so that they were not executed I had to murder in order to keep Justice safe.”
“It’s fine if you go.” She said and I nodded. I picked up my jacket and then went to the front door. I shut the door behind me and went into the snow that covered the yard. I missed Alicia whom had died 7 years ago. I took my phone out of my jacket pocket and then dialed a number I knew by heart as the front door opened. Lucas walked out and smiled at me. He watched me as I walked back and forth in front of the porch he sat down on. Someone picked up the call after two rings.
“Hello?” Someone asked.
“Jake, its Lucia.”
“Haven’t heard from you in a long time, what’s up?” He asked me in a kind way.
“Can you order all the snipers out of Germany and into Russia? You’re giving too many hints to the king. I was almost found today.” I complained. “If you want to keep this deal going, please get them out of here. I’ve already been shot twice.”
“But why are you in Germany? Your house is in Poland.”
I nodded. “I had to pick up precious cargo personally. So can you give the order?” I asked and he laughed.
“As you wish, Lucia. You know I would do anything for you.” He said kindly and I smiled.
“I know. If you do this for me you will be rewarded.” I said in a naughty way. He laughed again.
“Alright. I’ll see what I can do.” He said and then I hung up the phone. I looked at Lucas as I put my phone back in my pocket. He stood and walked over to me with his hands in his pockets. He smiled as he stopped right in front of me.
“It’s been a while, Hazuki.” He said quietly. “You seem to not be doing well.”
I looked away. “I would have never planned to put you in danger by me being here.”
“You left me here 10 years ago, Haz. Do you know how worried I’ve been? I thought you were dead.” He said in an angered way as he frowned.
“I was truly worried about you too, Lucas. Every time I was in Germany I would always come check up on you.”
“And you never once came and told me you were okay when you knew I was worried about you?” He asked.
I sighed. “Every time I came here I had to keep myself from running to you. I’ve wanted to talk to you for a long time but I was scared someone would hurt you if I did.” I put my right hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes. “I’ve really missed you, Lucas.” I said and then slowly hugged him. He hugged me back as I squeezed myself as close to him as I could.
“Let’s go inside.” He said and I nodded as I let go of him. We went into the home to see Dimitri setting a blanket onto the large couch in the living room. He looked up at us and smiled when he saw me holding Lucas’s hand. Lucas led me over to the couch and I sat down. He sat on an ataman for a one person couch and then looked at Dimitri. “Would you like to join us?”
“Is that alright?” Dimitri asked me.
I nodded. “There are things I need to give both of you.” Dimitri sat down next to Lucas and I smiled. “While I have been gone I have been thinking of you two; a lot, actually. I have a gift for each of you.” I put the palm of my left hand on my heart and laid my right hand flat on my lap. I thought of what I had at my home that I was keeping to someday give Lucas and Dimitri. I felt power surge through me and then opened my eyes to see two objects in my right hand. I took my left hand off of my chest and breathed deeply. I was very weak right now and using my magic took a lot of my energy. I smiled as I saw a DVD in a blank case, a necklace, three pictures, and a small picture frame. I handed the picture frame to Lucas and he turned it over. His eyes widened as he looked at a picture I had treasured my whole life. It was of Lucas as a three year old with a puppy in his arms, his mom standing behind him, my father standing next to Lucas’s mom, and my mother standing next to my father with a baby in her arms. The picture was old and slightly faded, but still had all the memories it kept intact.
“Where did you get this?!” He gasped.
I laughed to myself. “When I buried my father 9 years ago my mother told me of a place I needed to get something from. When I went there I found my entire mother’s belonging and this was one of them. I thought it would bring back some happy memories for you.” I then took one of the three pictures in my lap and handed it to him. It was of Justice with his two front teeth missing. He was standing between James and Hans. Justice was sitting in my lap on the ground while I was kissing his cheek. Lucas looked up at me with confusion. “Justice told me when I showed him this picture that he wanted you to have it. I’m sure he doesn’t remember saying it now that he is grown up, but he did.” I said and then handed one of the remaining two pictures to Dimitri. He took it slowly as Lucas looked at it also. It was of me in a hospital gown with a new born baby in my arms. Roza was standing next to me and smiling with her boyfriend, Hajji. Sei was on the other side of the bed and smiling also.
“What is this?” Dimitri asked me.
I tried to smile but couldn’t. “It was the day Justice was born. I had been planning to give you that picture when I came back to the gates ten years ago, but it didn’t work out.” I looked at my lap. “That picture only gives me sorrow, but I thought it may give you happiness, so I kept it for you.” I then handed the DVD to Dimitri and smiled. “This is every birthday Justice has had. I recorded all of them because I thought you would have wanted to be there. You are his father after all.”
“Hazuki…” He whispered and I smiled.
“Actually I’m not called Hazuki anymore. I changed my name.” I said.
“What?! Why?!” Lucas asked.
“Once my dad was gone I hated calling myself Hazuki. He and mom gave me that name. And…” I brushed my hair out of my face as I squeezed the necklace in my hand. “That is what Roza called me. Her, Hajji, Sei, and Kei.”
“Haz…” Lucas started to say but I shook my head.
“My name is Lucia.” I said as I looked at Lucas. I then stood slowly. “Do you know where Miss Julia is?”
I heard footsteps and looked by the front door. “I’m right here, my dear. What is it?” She asked me and I slightly smiled.
“I have three things over here for you.” I said kindly. “They are from my mother and me.” She walked over and slowly sat on the couch. I sat back down and set a necklace in her hands. “My mother saved this for you. It represents to my kind that you were her kissed person.” Miss Julia looked at the ruby in the middle of the necklace. I turned it in her hand so that she was looking at the back. In the gold that held the ruby were words.
“Love is all we want and all we have.” Miss Julia whispered to me and I smiled.
“It was what you told her when I was born, wasn’t it?”
She nodded. “All we had for you was love.” I smiled and then handed her the last picture I had. It was in a thin picture frame that kept the two pictures together. The right picture was of my mother and Miss Julia as teenagers hugging. The left one was of me as a child hugging Miss Julia.
“We both wanted you to have this.” I said quietly. “It shows how much you have helped us and how much we love you.”
“Dear…” She whispered to me and I smiled. I quickly tilted my head down and took a necklace off of myself. It was a key hanging on a gold chain. I set the necklace in her hand.
“This is a key is to a box that is in my mother’s room. She said she left everything in there for you and Lucas.” I said quietly. “When I saw her last year she seemed very concerned about you and Lucas. She wishes she could see you two.”
“You saw her?”
I nodded. “At her grave. Next time I am going there I will try to bring you with me, if you like.”
“I’d love to see her.” She said kindly. “Also, my dear, I wanted to have a word with the two men you have Kissed. I want to explain to them what it means exactly. Is that alright?”
I nodded. “That’s very kind of you, Miss Julia.”
She smiled at me. “Are they the only two Kissed you have?”
I sighed. “That is still alive, yes. I had another…but…” I started to say, but couldn’t finish. I put my hand on the top of my head and focused on not crying.
“You had another?”
I nodded. “Her name was Isabelle.”
“What happened to her?” Miss Julia asked as she put her hand on my shoulder. “Did the army get a hold of her?”
“Yes.” I whispered. “Seven years ago I had finally moved on from everything I left behind ten years ago. I had finally found a vampire I could trust and made her one of my Kissed. Isabelle was my age and was the nicest person I have met. When she became Kissed she learned combat training from Hans and protected me with her life. Then on that Christmas I was captured…” I looked at my clenched fists. “She came to get me out and she was captured also. They started torturing us and Isabelle lost hope of our survival. Within two days she was begging for the army to kill her.” I brushed a tear off of my face as it slid down my cheek. “They refused and tortured her more. I had to watch a person I loved suffer as much as me and couldn’t bear it anymore. I had a friend in the army and set it up so that I could sneak in poison. I made it so the poison was in Isabelle’s water the next night and by the time the guards came to check on us she had died.” I looked out the window at the falling snow. “I had to kill my best friend. If I hadn’t Kissed her she might still be alive today.”
“But she wanted to protect you, dear.”
“So? I could have said no. I could have put her life before my happiness, but I was selfish.”
“Don’t blame yourself for mistakes, Hazuki.”
“I know.” I whispered quietly and then slightly jumped as my phone buzzed in my pocket. I took it out and opened it. “Hello?”
“Lucia, it’s me.”
“Hey Jake.”
“All snipers are leaving Germany as you requested. They are going to be in Russia so don’t go that way for anything.”
“Thanks Jake. I’ll make sure to pay you back for this.” I said kindly. “I’ll see you in a week.”
“See you then.” He said and then I hung up the phone. Miss Julia watched me.
“Who is Jake?” She asked me.
“He is my friend in the army. He helped me save Isabelle.”
“What did you mean by paying him back?” She asked me suspiciously. “Is he the vampire you’re in love with?”
I shook my head. “I’m not in love with him, but he is in love with me. He wants to become Kissed and will prove it by following anything I ask.”
“Then why are you going to pay him back?”
“I don’t want to ruin someone else’s life. I have to pay him back every time he does something for me so that I do not owe him. If I do he can use that as a reason I should make him Kissed.” I replied quietly. “The vampire I love hasn’t seen me in a long time. I wouldn’t be surprised if he hates me.”
“I’m sorry, my dear.” She said quietly and I nodded. “Well, we will leave you so you may get some sleep.” Miss Julia said. “Do you need anything else?”
I shook my head. “I’m fine.”
“Goodnight, my dear.” She said and then kissed my forehead. “Come on boys.” She said and the three of them left. Once there was no more noise in the house and everyone was asleep I pulled a pillow to my chest with a smile.
“I must look like I did when I was 20.” I laughed to myself. “I have changed a lot since the last time I was here.” I thought of my old life and tears slid down my face. “Was I better off being brainwashed? Is there another way I could have gotten Justice away and still been happy?” I asked myself and then laughed quietly as tears fell down my face. “What am I saying? Happiness was never supposed to be mine.”
“You talk to yourself more than last time I saw you.” Someone whispered and I jumped while keeping myself from screaming. Dimitri walked over to me and smiled. “Can I sit?” He asked and I nodded. He sat down on the couch next to me.
“I thought everyone was asleep.” I admitted. “So how long have you been here for?”
“I came here a month after you were finally put as a threat to the nobles. I couldn’t stay with those people that hated you.”
“They are your people, Sir Dimitri. You should be with them, not with a killer.” I said and he put his hand on my leg.
“Right after you left that day ten years ago I read that letter from your parents.”
“Oh?”
He nodded. “It was really weird.” He said. “It said that I had to make a choice. I either had to forget all about you and Justice or I had to follow you forever and accept the punishments that came with it.” He smiled as he looked at my eyes. “Obviously I am here because I chose to follow you forever. Since you left so quickly I didn’t know how to find you. I came here in search for you a year after you left to find out you had disappeared as far as everyone knew.” His eyes were lighter than they used to be as he thought. “I decided to go to your mother’s grave six years ago. To my surprise she was waiting for me with your father. They told me to wait at this house for you because they knew someday you would come here.”
“Why didn’t you move on, Dimitri? I left you because I wanted you to happy since I can’t give you happiness.” I squeezed the pillow closer to me. “I really wish I could.”
“Why not? Is it because you are in love with the vampire you were telling Miss Julia about?” He asked sadly.
I quietly laughed. “I said he was a noble vampire and that we hadn’t seen each other in a long time…” I smiled at him. “I was talking about you, Dimitri.”
He smiled back at me and then slowly brushed my hair from my face. “I still love you like I did as kids and when I saw you ten years ago. None of my feelings have changed.”
I looked away from him. “But I have changed, Dimitri. I have turned into someone that will kill others.”
He turned my face so that I would look at him. “Then I will learn to love the new you.” He replied. “I want to be with you no matter what, Hazuki. I gave up my title for you.”
“You did?”
He nodded. “The day you left I gave up my noble standings. Your brother asked me why I did and I think I made him mad.”
“Oh? What did you say?”
He smiled. “I told him that I was going to fix what he messed up. I never said I was going to find you, but I did make him mad.”
“He knew how much we felt for each other so I’m sure he figured it out.” I said with a slight smile. “He hates how easily I steal people’s hearts.”
“So I have a lot of competition?”
I shook my head. “No one is in the same place as you, Dimitri. They may love me like you do, but I love you back.” I said kindly and then leaned towards him. I lightly kissed his lips and he froze. I went back to where I had been and smiled. “Now that I am being hunted I thought I needed to hate you since you were a noble, but no matter how much I tried I couldn’t even think a bad thought of you. I don’t know why, but I can’t.”
“So you hate everyone from before?”
I looked at him. “How could I not?”
“You even hate Roza?”
“I don’t hate Roza, Dimitri. I loved my best friend as a kid…but the girl that has taken her place since I went searching for you is nothing like her. Your sister got angry over me not being allowed to go to dances, but the new Roza wanted me to kill the only person like me in the world.”
“How can you be so sure I am Justice’s father?”
I smiled slightly. “Because you are the only man I have ever slept with until 5 years ago when I tried to forget you.” I then looked at my lap. “And Justice is a brave and strong as you were when everything was alright. During him growing up when he would say something or do something I always saw you in him.”
“Aren’t you dating Hans? He was your first Kissed right?”
I laughed. “If that rule was real then Miss Julia would be dating my mother.”
He slightly blushed from feeling foolish. “Oh. How could your mom make Kissed happen if she was a noble? She wasn’t born by two different parents.”
“If a vampire mates with a human, the vampire becomes able to Kiss others.” I said and then it became silent for a second.
“I’m sorry I didn’t stand up for you on that day, Haz. I knew I wanted to go with you but I didn’t know if you wanted that.” He said as he looked down. “I thought I might get in your way.”
I put my hand on his cheek and he looked up at me. “You could never get in my way, Dimitri. You could never be a downside regardless of the situation.” I smiled kindly at him and he slid his fingers through my hair. I kissed his lips again, but this time he did not freeze. He kissed me back and I accepted it. He leaned forward and I leaned back. We lay on the couch and kissed until we fell asleep. Dimitri slept with his head on my chest and I slept with my hand on his head. Neither of us wanted to leave that spot for all of eternity.

Mom…” Someone whispered in the middle of the night. I opened my eyes to see Justice looking over at Dimitri and me. I slowly slid out from Dimitri’s grasp and went over to Justice.
“What’s the matter? It’s so late…” I asked as I set my hand on his cheek. He looked at me with uncertainty.
“What are you doing? Sleeping with a vampire so close to you…that’s dangerous. He could be on the royal’s side and attack us in our sleep.” He said with a stern look. “I know you love him, mom. But don’t let your guard down.”
I looked at Justice and then at Dimitri. “He is your dad, Justice. You shouldn’t be afraid of him.”
I looked back to Justice and he frowned. “But your own brother is out to murder us, mom. That guy isn’t even blood related. If I’m afraid of my own uncle how could I let my guard down to some stranger? No one can be trusted unless they are bound to our kind.”
I nodded. “We learned that the hard way, Justice. But I know Dimitri can be trusted.”
“How? Because you love him!” Justice yelled and everyone woke up in the house. Hans and James quickly ran down the stairs to see if we were all right and they were followed by Miss Julia and Lucas. Dimitri quickly came over also.
“What the hell are you yelling about Justice?! It’s 5 in the morning!” Hans yelled.
“I’m just telling mom the facts!” Justice said as he crossed his arms on his chest. “We both found out the hard way that no one can be trusted except if they are bound to us and yet she is still letting her emotions get in the way of her judgment!”
“Haz?” James asked and I looked at him. I then looked back to Justice and sighed.
“Justice, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Of course I do! I’ve been through this hell with you, Mom! Don’t treat me like I’m just a stupid kid that doesn’t get why everyone is hunting us!”
“Justice listen…”
“No YOU listen Mom! You are letting your emotions towards this VAMPIRE get in the way of everything we have learned! Just because he is my dad and you love him DOES NOT mean he can be trusted! You loved your brother and the Prince! Don’t you see where those lead to?! They deceived you, Mom! So what makes you think Dimitri is different?! He is…!” Justice yelled as his fists moved in the air. I quickly grabbed his arms and squeezed them so that he would stop yelling and listen.
“Because he chose you and me over his position, Justice! He chose to leave the vampire world just to find us! He could have ended up like the rest, but he chose us over them! He has been waiting for us all these years just to tell me that he was on our side! That is why I trust him!” I yelled as tears filled my eyes. “He loves you, Justice! And right now you are acting like my damn brother! You are shunning him just for what he is! You’re doing the same to Dimitri as my brother did to me and you!” I let go of Justice and whipped the tears from my face. “I know you aren’t a child, Justice. But you didn’t live through what Dimitri and I did before everything happened. I still can’t bear to tell you everything of my past, baby. Some of it I don’t even understand.” I put my hand on Justice’s cheek. “Dimitri is your dad, Justice. Not just by blood, but we can trust him even though he isn’t like us. He has proved himself over the years that he loves you and me.”
“Mom, I’m…sorry.” He whispered.
“I’m not mad at you, Justice. You don’t need to apologize. I just want you to understand.” I said and he nodded. He then hugged me tightly in his grasp. When we let go Justice walked over to Dimitri and bowed.
“I’m sorry; I should not have yelled about you two.” He said and Dimitri put his hand on Justice’s head. Justice stood and Dimitri stuck his hand out towards Justice. He shook Dimitri’s hand and Dimitri smiled.
“I want to make up for the past 16 years.” Dimitri said. “I wish I could have been there for you and Hazuki.” Justice nodded and then Miss Julia sighed.
“Well since we are all up…does anyone want breakfast?” She asked as she looked at me. I nodded and she smiled.
I sat on the porch in the front of the house and listened. Justice was sitting next to me being as silent as air and as still as a picture, like me. Snow fell all around us and every living thing moved around us. A gust of wind moved past us and then hit the old shed that was slowly decaying. The building creaked and whistled like it was rusty. There was only gray for sky and the flakes that descended from it. The air smelled of the fire inside every house near us with the scent of pine added. Justice laid his head on my shoulder and I soothed him by slowly moving my hand through his hair. He smelled like Miss Julia’s home and our house in Poland combined. A groan came from Justice. “How much longer? I’m bored.” He whined and I smiled.
“Soon, baby. Just give it a little longer.” I whispered and then was interrupted by the door opening to the house.
“Haz?” Lucas asked.
“What are you…?” Dimitri started to say.
“Shush!” Justice hissed and they were quiet. I sat there for a minute and then took a deep breath. When I let it out a spark flickered in the back of my conscience. I quickly grabbed Justice’s right hand in my left. “Mom?” He whispered.
“It’s here.” I whispered and he quickly sat up straight. He squeezed my hand slightly in anticipation. Then a dream played in front of me and Justice like a scene played out for a movie. A tall man was faced away from us in a throne that was very high above. I felt cold on my wrist and looked down. A pair of handcuffs shackled Justice and me together. I was still holding his hand, but was in a black dress I had never seen before. Justice was in a black shirt and pants he did not own. I felt wetness on my face and knew I was crying. The man on the throne sat down and looked directly at me. I gasped as Sei frowned in the place of where I expected his father. My brother stood to his side. Sei looked to my brother and nodded.
“You have finally succeeded in your life long quest.” Sei said and my brother smiled. “You will be awarded for so.”
“Thank you, King Sei.” Brother said with a bow and I kept from yelling at them. Sei looked down at me and frowned.
“Now. Both of these half-breeds will be executed for murder, abduction, and deceiving the previous king.” He said deeply as if he was god. “The execution will be held tonight and 12. This execution will make the vampires of the world victorious over past mistakes.” Tears filled my eyes and I didn’t understand. Sei came down a staircase and towards me.
“How could you?” I hissed in a whisper. “You loved me.”
He smiled. “I would never love a monster like you.” He hissed back and then slapped my face. “You are a whore who refused to follow MY father’s wishes even though he was planning to let you live! You deserve to die a painful death!” He yelled and then black flashed past my eyes. A view of the cabin I had been in with my brother and Sei 6 years ago came to view. It was like I was back there, but this time Justice was by my side. “But I’m your fiancé! I’m supposed to be taking care of you! Not the other way around! I love you and want to keep you safe!” Sei yelled and then black passed my eyes once more. I then saw the scene when I ran away from the dance on my mother’s birthday. “I can’t get over what you told me 2 years ago. Every day I regret how I answered to your confession and wish I could change that time.” Everything went black once again and I saw the day Sei saved me from execution when I was a child. I blinked and snow entered my surroundings. I dropped Justice’s hand and quickly put my fists against my eyes as tears started to fall.
“Dear god!” Justice gasped as he stood up. He quickly went in front of me and hugged me. “Mom! Come on mom! Calm down! You’re gonna be okay!” He said and the door to the house opened. Hans ran out and moved my head so that I was looking at him. He quickly dropped his grip and talked to Justice.
“What’s wrong?” Hans asked Justice in concern.
“After breakfast mom said she was gonna have a dream and that she wanted to show it to me. Last month I asked her to show me her next dream but…” Justice said and then put his hand on my arm. “She saw our execution. Usually she could handle it but then she saw something from long before that upset her. It was followed by two other past events.” Justice said and Hans took a hold of my chin and made it so I was looking at him. Tears were running down my face quickly.
“It’s okay, Haz.” Hans said and more tears came. “Let’s go inside.” He said and then helped me up. I stood and brushed all my tears away. Hans led me inside with everyone else following. He sat me down on the couch and sat beside me. Miss Julia came to the living room and gasped.
“Hazuki!”
Hans looked up at Miss Julia. “Could you get Hazuki some water?” He asked and she quickly left. When she came back she had a glass of water in her hands that she handed to me. She then stood in front of me and next to Justice. Lucas and Dimitri were next to Miss Julia. Hans handed me the water and I drank it quickly. Then he took the glass and sighed. “Miss Julia, Hazuki’s dream of the past went crazy. Do you know what to do to fix it?”
“I wish I did. I’m sorry.” Miss Julia whispered sadly. “Scarlet couldn’t see the future like Hazuki since she was still a full vampire before she died. I don’t know how to fix it and probably no one does. Hazuki is the first of her kind.”
“I think I just need some rest, that’s all.” I whispered.
“But Haz…”
“I’ll be okay, Hans. I just need some time to think things out.” I whispered. “I’ve mixed up the future with the past.” He nodded and then left with Miss Julia and Lucas. I lay on the couch and Justice sat on the edge of the couch by my stomach. Dimitri sat on the ataman in front of me.
“What we’re all those dreams about, Mom?” Justice asked me. “I saw them, but only understood the first one.”
I looked at Justice and brushed his hair from his face. “Most of them were of my life, baby. They were from before I had you.”
“But all of them were of the Price Sei…”
“He was my best friend before he deceived us, baby.”
“What happened earlier, Haz?” Dimitri asked me curiously.
I looked at him. “When I was trying to find you long ago I was given a power. I could see things of the future. But today my mind went off. I saw the day Justice and I will be sentenced to death by Sei. But after that I was shown a time before I came here while on my way to find you. Then I was shown the day of the ball long ago. After that I saw an image of Sei when he saved me from the council as a child.” I whispered as I looked at him, but then looked away. “I’m really weak right now and being hit by emotions of the past makes me weaker.”
Justice looked at me. “Weak? Since when?” He asked. He did not know about my medical issues from lately.
“A long time ago, Justice, I had to fight your grandmother…”
“But why would you fight her?!”
I looked away from him. “My uncle charmed her with resurrection so she would kill me. Your grandmother was the most powerful being I have ever scene and she still was after death. But when I fought her she threw me through a wall and I broke my leg.” I then looked at him. “And last week I was attacked by my brother while you were at school and I was in Berlin with Hans. He knew I had difficulties with my right leg because I had had surgery on it, so he shot my leg in four different places.”
“What?!” Justice yelled as he stood. “I will kill him!”
“Justice, no.” I whispered as I pulled him back to me.
“But he could have killed you! He made you weak so that we were vulnerable!” He yelled. “He shouldn’t get off with that!”
“Don’t ever go near my brother, Justice.” I ordered. “I don’t know what I would do if I lost you because of him.” I added as I put my hand on his cheek. “But because of this wound I can’t fight well and he knows it. He will go after us with all his force while we are vulnerable and I can’t fix it. If you go after my brother he will surely kill you.”
“I can handle him, mom. He doesn’t even know a forth of our power. I am almost as powerful as you and he has only scene you freeze someone and use a knife trick. That is child’s play for us now. We could kill his whole fleet together.”
I shook my head. “I can’t use my power anymore Justice! Just seeing the future messed up! What would happen if I used a very important spell?! What if it messes up?!”
“This was a fluke, Mom!”
“I’m not going to take any chances, Justice! What if I hurt someone?! And if I use large amounts of power right now I could…” I said and then looked away.
“Could what?” Justice asked. “At least finish what you’re saying. I’m so confused right now I don’t know what to do!”
I sighed. “We are all confused, Justice.”
“What were you going to say when you said, ‘and if I use a large amount of power right now I could…’?” He asked and then held my left hand in his right. “I want to know.”
“I could…die.” I whispered and he frowned. “I don’t get why, but my whole body has become weak lately.”
“Is there anything we can do to fix it?” Justice asked me and I looked at him.
“I think it just might be the time for me to pass on, Justice. I am almost 30 now.”
“You’re not going to die from a leg wound, mom. We will just slowly rebuild up your power. That will fix it.” He said and then slightly squeezed my hand. “You’re my best friend, mom. I’m not going to let you die so easily. And we can have that traitor help you. He is a doctor.”
I nodded. “I’ll call him now.” I said quietly and took out my phone. I dialed the number and listened.
“Hello?”
“Jake? It’s Lucia. Sorry to call you…again.”
He laughed slightly. “It’s fine. So what’s up?”
“Could we meet sooner than next week?” I asked kindly.
“Sure. When should we change it to?”
“Whenever you can get here.” I replied.
“Do you need me quickly? Is something wrong?” He asked suspiciously. He was trying to protect me again.
“I hurt my leg and need you to look at it, that all.” I lied.
“Where are you?”
“At my sanctuary. I told you where that was a while back.”
“Expect me there tomorrow morning. Goodbye.” He said and then the line went dead. I sighed as I shut my phone.
I woke up on the couch in the living room and heard voices coming from the kitchen. I went in there to see everyone at the table eating pancakes and they noticed me immediately. There was one empty seat left at the table between Justice and Dimitri so I took it. “Morning mom.” Justice said kindly.
“Good morning.” I replied as I kissed him lightly on the crown of his head and then took a good look at my son. He was wearing a sleeveless white shirt and a pair of ripped up jeans. The low collar of his shirt showed the beautiful red stone that hung around his neck proudly.
“So when is the traitor showing up? He said he’d be here around now.” Justice asked and I gave him a stern look he knew well, but unlike usual he just frowned without a remark.
“JAKE is keeping us safe, Justice. Don’t be judgmental. If it wasn’t for him I would never know where my brother is.”
“When are you going to drop him, mom? He is just helping us so that he can get with you.” Justice argued.
“All is fare in love and war, Justice.” I retorted.
“But nothing said you should use love in war, mom.” He spat back and I frowned at him.
“Drop it, Justice.” James ordered and Justice looked over at him like he was a worm.
Hans agreed. “Your mom hates the man, Justice. We all know she would never want to be around any of those noble bastards unless she had to be. “
“She’s doing this for you.” James added and Justice sighed.
“Whatever.” Justice said and then doorbell rang. I quickly stood and walked to the door. I opened the door and a handsome vampire man smiled at me. White snowflakes were in his hair and his red eyes glowed slightly.
“Hey.” He said kindly and then kissed me. It was revolting to have a noble kiss me, but I had to keep him on my side so I said nothing to it. I opened the door and he walked in. I moved out of his way slowly and then shut the door. He took off his long black coat and his shoes. When he looked regular he turned to me and smiled. He slid his fingers through my hair. “You look weaker than the last time I saw you.”
I nodded. “Things have been crazy lately.”
He set his hand on my cheek and then kissed me even deeper than usual. “Well I’m here to help.” He said kindly.
“Keep your hands where we can see them, traitor.” Justice warned from the table. I looked down the hall to see everyone watching us with unhappy looks. I sighed and looked back at Jake who had a frown on his face as he looked at Justice.
“He’s having a bad morning.”
Jake slightly smiled at me. “Does he ever have a good one?” He asked with a quiet laugh and Justice stood. He started to walk over but Dimitri grabbed him for me.
“Let go of me, Dimitri.” Justice hissed. “Do you seriously want to stop me from slugging the guy that is kissing your fiancé? You want to hit him too.”
“Fiancé?” Jake asked me and I nodded.
“Not technically, but yes.” I replied. “Dimitri is Justice’s father.” I thought Jake would understand but he seemed to get even angrier.
“Hazuki?” Miss Julia asked as she walked over to me. “Do you two need something for the operations?”
“Operations?” Jake asked me. “I thought you said you just hurt your leg.”
I nodded. “Well I did. Its just there is a bullet in my leg.”
“Ma’am I have everything I need other than an extra pair of hands.” Jake said and Lucas stood.
“I’ll help you.” Lucas offered and I smiled.
“Alright where shall we go?” Jake asked. “The floor would probably work, but there might be some blood so I’ll need a tarp or something.”
“You may use the den. I will put down an old blanket that can be thrown away.” Miss Julia offered.
“Alright.” Jake said and I slowly brought him into the den that was between the kitchen and living room. It was a small, wooden room with a piano and nick-knacks. Miss Julia and Lucas came in with a blanket and set it out in the middle of the room. I sat down on it with my wounded leg straight out and Jake sat down next to me with the suitcase he had brought with him. “So what exactly is wrong, Hazuki?”
I took off my jacket to show a bandage on my shoulder and then pulled up the pant leg of my pajama pants to show a second bandage. I slowly took the bandages and he saw the two bullet holes in my skin. Justice walked in with Dimitri, James, and Hans following. Jake stared at me with wide eyes and tried to find answers in my face but I smiled. “Lets just say your snipers are very good at their job.” I said in a kind way that no one expected. “The person had perfect hiding, precision, and aim. He must have been taught by the prince or my brother.” I said quietly and the room went silent. I moved a strand of hair behind my ear and looked at the hole in my leg. “It’s really far in my shoulder, but not too far in my leg. Luckily I was moving when I got hit, if I hadn’t been I would have lost my arm and leg easily.”
“So where is the sniper? If he knew it was you and was here then General Kei must know by now.” Jake replied.
“He’s in hell by now.” Hans retorted. “I wasn’t going to let that guy get away with his life if he knew we were here.”
Jake nodded. “Smart.” He said quietly and then lifted my leg up so that he could see the wound better. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to a hospital, Hazuki? I can’t take the bullets out without it hurting like hell.”
“I know that, but going to a hospital is out of the option. It will leave evidence that I was here and it will take too long to heal.”
“Well you’ll have to wait a while before you go to combat again, Haz.” Jake said and I felt my eyes quickly turn red and glow with anger. He was surprised like everyone else.
“I will not just sit on my butt and let YOUR people get closer to MY people, Jake.” I yelled. “I don’t care if I am in pain. I have to get out of this place before someone tracks me.”
He looked at me with curiosity and regret but nodded. “Ma’am do you have ice by chance?” Miss Julia nodded quickly.
“I’ll get it.” Dimitri said and then left. Jake took out a bunch of tools and a needle. Dimitri came back with ice and gave it to Jake.
“All I have is something that will knock you out for a while, but won’t help with the pain after.” Jake said quietly.
“That’s fine.” I said as I put my left arm out to him. He took a hold of my elbow and injected a white liquid into my arm.
“You should lay down, Haz. You will get really drowsy in about a minute.” Jake informed me and I nodded. I lay down and closed my eyes. After a few minutes I was asleep and could feel nothing.
I woke up on the couch I had been on before and saw Justice who was slowly nodding off into sleep. I set my left hand on his arm and he slightly jumped. He looked at me quickly and seemed happy to see me awake. “Baby, go to bed. You need to sleep.”
“I’m fine mom.” He whispered back to me but we were both surprised when the front door quietly opened and then closed. Dimitri looked over at Justice but his eyes widened when he noticed I was awake. He quickly came over to me with a bag in hand.
“Hey.” I whispered with a smile. I felt throbbing in my right arm and left leg that felt like they were burning off.
“You’re finally awake. You were out for 2 days.” Dimitri informed me.
“What time is it?”
“One in the morning.” He replied. “How do your injuries feel?” He asked as he sat on the floor in front of me.
“Like hell, but I expected as much.” I replied and then Jake walked into the room. “You two should go to bed, I have to talk privately with Jake.” I said and Justice sighed. He left with Dimitri without a complaint or protest.
“Hey.”
I smiled at Jake and replied. “Hi.”
“How’s your leg and arm?”
“Painful, but I expected it.” I replied. “How should I repay you for this Jake? It was a large thing to do.”
He sighed as he sat down on the edge of the couch by my head. “I was thinking about that and actually need a date to a party.”
“When?”
“Two days. It’s in Russia and is for a friends’ birthday.” He replied. “It will be slightly fancy, but not like a ball.”
“Sure.” I replied.

I took Jake’s hand and he helped me out of the small black limo. Snow slowly fell in my now light brown hair I had dyed for tonight and had also changed my eye color to a light grayish blue. I stood on my black high heals as my black sparkling dress fell down to my ankles. It was a spaghetti string dress, long, had a low V in the top, and had a slit that went from the bottom of the dress but stopped at my mid-thigh. A warm sash covered my arms and shoulders as long black gloves went to my elbows. Jake put his arm around mine and walked me up the long steps. At the top were two large open doors that showed a dance floor and thousands of people. Jake let go of my arm and held onto my hand with our finger intertwined. I got suspicious of him. “Jake, who is this for?” I whispered and he sighed.
“You’ll see.”
“Why won’t you tell me?”
“Just remember that we can’t leave now.” He said at the perfect time because right after a lovely monster appeared in my view. Prince Sei. THE Prince Sei at a throne at the other end of the room. I squeezed Jake’s hand and wanted to break it out of anger.
“Are you trying to get me caught?” I whispered in a hiss.
“Well I needed to have a date and you owed me.” He replied. “But don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you.” He said and I noticed two other thrones by Sei and nearly fainted, but had to act normal as Jake pulled me across the room and to the stage Sei was on. Jake bowed and pulled me down with him. I focused and curtsied to him. Sei stood and walked over to Jake with a friendly smile I missed terribly. He looked like an older version of himself, but in a good way that made him look mature. To his side came my nightmare. Prince Hajji and Roza. I nearly cried at the sight of my best friend I missed more than I missed my father. She was more beautiful than ever and Hajji held her hand.
“I’m glad you joined us tonight.” Sei said as he shook Jake’s hand that wasn’t holding mine. “And who is your date?”
I wanted to crumble or hide under a table but stopped and thought about Justice. This was all for Justice so I had to act cool. I smiled at Sei. “It is a pleasure to meet you Prince Sei. I am Lust Sataru.” I replied as I used my new adult vampire voice. “And good evening to you Prince Hajji and Princess Roza.” I added and Roza smiled to me. I felt my heart slowly tearing at the sight.
“Same to you Miss Lust.” Roza replied. “When Sir Jake told me he had a date tonight I truly did not believe him.”
I smiled. “Well Jake is known not to be the most truthful.”
She laughed and I pushed myself to do the same. Then I heard someone walking up behind us and turned. I had to keep myself from taking out the knife my dress hid or crying when the headman that captured me 10 years ago watched me. “Sir Vladimir! I’m so glad you could join us!” Roza said happily and it burned me.
“Hello.” He replied to her as he watched me. “Thank you for inviting me tonight, Prince Sei.”
Sei nodded. “Of course.” He replied and I nearly screamed. I wanted to know why Sei was now friends with a man that tried to kill me, but then understood quickly. They both wanted to kill me now so of course they were allies.
“Good evening Sir Jake. Who is your beautiful date?” The killer asked Jake.
“This is Lust Sataru…” Jake started to say and I interrupted. I got closer to him and pretended to be obsessed with him.
“I’m his fiancé.” I added and everyone was surprised including Jake, but he stayed cool. “Isn’t that right, honey?” I asked Jake.
He kissed my forehead and smiled. “Of course.” He said with a lovesick smile towards me as I laid my head on his shoulder. “Well if you would excuse me Prince Sei. I would like to dance with my fiancé.” Jake played and then led me away. He took me to the center dance floor and smiled. “Can you move with your injuries?”
I nodded. “Pain is around me tonight, so this will not hurt me any more.” I replied and then took his right hand in my left. He pulled me closer to him and then I followed his every move around the dance floor. Jake took his left hand that was on my back and set it on my head so that I would look up at him instead of looking at my feet. He sighed and mouthed ‘Sorry’ to me. I dance with him for a long time until Prince Sei requested him. I stood to the right of the stage and sat in a chair as I waited but was scared when my hunter, Sir Vladimir, sat in a chair next to me. I looked at him as he watched my every move. “Hello Sir Vladimir.” I said sweetly and he smiled.
“So of what rank are you, Miss Lust?”
“I am just a regular vampire, sir. Nothing more.” I replied.
“Then how did you meet the second in command of the army and become his fiancé?” He asked me suspiciously.
“Well Jake was stationed in my hometown and that’s where we met. We have been together ever since.” I said kindly. “But aren’t you also a regular like me, sir?”
He nodded. “I was the one who hunted the half-breed.”
“Ah.” I said quietly and then looked up when felt someone else’s presence. Sei stood in front of us and smiled.
“Sir Vladimir, may I have a private word with Miss Lust?” Sei asked and Vladimir stood. Sei sat down next to me and smiled. He watched my eyes in an odd way.
“Good evening.” I said kindly and he nodded.
“So you are the fiancé of Sir Jake?” He asked. “I would have never guessed Jake could fall in love. He seems too involved in his work to have time to be in love.”
“You have been in love, haven’t you sir?” I asked and he nodded. “Well you are the soon to be king. If you can handle your job and fall in love I don’t see how Jake can’t do the same. Either way we are too much in love to be separated by his job.”
He smiled. “Well the woman I love is too involved in her work to even notice me.”
I watched him and then smiled. “Then she is a fool to not feel something towards such a kind man as yourself.”
“What are you saying, Miss Lust?”
“You are handsome, kind, and powerful sir. If she is too caught up in her work to let you into her life then I pity her.”
“You are certainly an odd woman, Miss Lust.” He said with a laugh and then sighed. “I wish I could be with her.”
“Why don’t you tell her how you feel, sir? That’s what I did with Jake.” I replied.
“I haven’t seen her in a long time and don’t even know if she remembers me.” He said sadly.
“Well if you truly love her, search for her sir.”
“You’re right.” He said and then smiled. “I really like you, Miss Lust. Someday I wish to introduce you to her if I can.”
I smiled back. “I’d like that, sir.” I replied but was surprised when a hand was set on my head. I looked up at Jake and smiled. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself.” He replied and I stood. “We should go, my dear. It is getting late and I have a plane to catch tomorrow.”
I nodded and then kissed Jake. He accepted it happily but I quickly stopped it. “It was nice speaking to you, Prince Sei.” I said with a smile to him. “I hope to meet you again.”
He nodded. “Same here.” He replied.
“Goodnight.” I said and then walked off with Jake. We did not talk the whole way back to Miss Julia’s home until he stopped the car.
“I guess I’ll see you soon, Haz.” He said kindly. “I have to go catch my flight.” His car was stopped in front of Miss Julia’s.
“Alright. Goodbye, Jake.” I said and then kissed his cheek. I then slid out of the car and walked up to the front door of the house. I watched him drive off and I then knocked on the door. Miss Julia opened it with a smile and then let me in.
“We were just sitting down for dinner.” She said and I nodded. I then followed her to the kitchen to see everyone looking up at me with surprise. None of then had seen me so formal in a long time and I could tell they thought I was beautiful in the dress.
“Hey.” I said and was repeated kindly. I walked over to Justice and kissed his forehead. I then sat between him and Dimitri as I finally relaxed. I slid into the chair and then felt my son’s gaze on me. A slight ringing came to my ears and I quickly darted my eyes to him. “Please don’t.” I whispered.
He looked at me sadly. “I can tell something happened mom and it seems like something you don’t want to talk about so I was going to just look so you wouldn’t have to talk about it.” He said sadly.
“I’ll tell you later, baby.” I said and he nodded. I watched my lap and felt like I was entirely stupid. When Sei was talking about how he loved a girl I had wished it were me he was talking about. I am an idiot for wanting the love of my enemy. Miss Julia looked at me sadly and I knew she wished to read my mind to try to find out what was wrong.
“So how was the party, Hazuki?” She asked me.
“Alright, I guess.”
“Did you recognize anyone?” She asked me and I looked up at her. I nodded and then looked down at my hands that lay on the table.
“My brother was there…” I started and everyone went silent. “So was Sei, Hajji, Roza, and the man that abducted Dimitri ten years ago. His real name is Sir Vladimir.”
“Oh god Hazuki. I didn’t mean to bring back bad things.” Miss Julia apologized. I clenched my hands and shook my head. Everyone watched me as I looked up at her.
“No, it’s fine Miss Julia.” I said quietly and then stood. “If you don’t mind I’d like to take a shower.” I added and she let me do so. I went upstairs to Miss Julia’s bathroom and turned on the hot water.
I kneeled onto the ground and picked up a book that had fallen off of my mother’s bookcase in her room that had not been touched since I had been here last. I looked at the front cover of the book and saw ‘Journal’ written on it in black ink. I just stared at the cover until a cold hand was set on my shoulder. I quickly stood, turned around, and saw Dimitri in front of me. I blushed slightly as I set my mother’s book on the table behind me. Dimitri was extremely close to me and all I had on was a towel wrapped around me. “Oh, hey.” I whispered and he touched a piece of my damp hair. He looked down at me and smiled kindly.
“What are you doing in this room?”
“This was my mother’s room.” I replied. “I was just looking at her things and straightening up.”
He nodded. “So are you okay, Hazuki? You’ve seemed different since you got back.”
I looked away from his gaze and nodded. “I was just shaken a bit by seeing your sister.”
“Did she recognize you?”
I felt hurt once again and looked up at Dimitri. I shook my head and then felt a tear run down my cheek. Before I could stop myself I was crying like a child as I tried to brush the tears away quickly. Dimitri hugged me and I cried even more. I sniffled and then squeezed myself as close as I could to him. I laid my head on his shoulder and cried more as he pulled me even closer to him. “I was her best friend for such a long time but she didn’t even recognize me! She didn’t even care that I might have been there or not! She…!” I chocked back more tears. “She hates me like everyone else! She thinks I’m a monster! Roza thinks I’m a horrible monster!” I cried and nearly became hysterical. Dimitri took my head off of his shoulder and kissed me passionately as I cried.
“Hazuki…it’s okay.” He whispered and I cried more.
“No it isn’t! She hates me! Of all people SHE hates me!” I cried as I shook my head and he looked even more sorry for me. “She was the only person left in the royal world I cared about and she has come to hate me!”
Dimitri took one hand from my back and set it on my neck. He pulled me closer to him and kissed me more than he had since we were kids. When he separated our lips I had stopped crying and was now just sniffling. He brushed my wet hair behind my ear and set his forehead against mine so that we were looking directly at each other. “Haz, she is crazy if she thinks you are a monster. Anyone who thinks you are obviously does not know you like I do.”
I nodded and sniffled. “No one knows me like you do.” I said and laughed quietly. His face immediately lit up with happiness as he realized I was all right once again. I leaned to him and we kissed like we used to before everything changed. “You have been here for me the whole time and never left me, Dimitri. Thank you.” I said and he nodded. I laughed slightly and he was curious. “We have been through so much together. I hate that you had to go through that stuff but I think it has brought us closer than we could have ever been.”
He nodded. “For such a long time we hated each other, but then after the ball I couldn’t keep myself from you.”
“Love and hate are not very different so it isn’t all that surprising.” I said and then smiled. “I love you Dimitri. I love you as much as my parents and our son, but you hold a part of my heart no one else can or will.”
“I love you too, Hazuki.” He said but then his smile faded. He took his hands and head off of me, but I quickly took his hands in mine. I looked him in the eyes and was worried.
“What is it?” I asked him. “What’s wrong?”
He looked away from me, but then looked back. “Haz I can’t handle you leaving me here. I want to be with you at all coasts through bad and worse.” He said and I slightly smiled.
“You sound like you are proposing, Dimitri.” I laughed quietly and he sighed.
“I think I might be.” He said shyly and I was stunned.
“What? Are you serious?” I asked him and he nodded. “But I don’t want you to get hurt, Dimitri.”
“Being without you will hurt me more than anything the royals throw at me, Haz. I love you too much.” He said and then slightly smiled. “I want to marry you, Haz.”
I blushed and he kissed my cheek. “But we can’t…”
“Why not? We love each other, right?”
I nodded. “But my kind can’t get married without being blood bonded to a person.” I looked away from him.
“Then how can we become blood bonded?” He asked and I was surprised. “I want to be with you Haz. No matter what.”
“I would have to Kiss you.”
He smiled like it was a joke. “We have kissed before, Haz.”
“No I mean I will have to mix our blood, Dimitri. To my kind it is different than with true vampires. If I make you one of my Kissed we will become inseparable like I am to Hans and James. They will be with me for the rest of my life to protect me and help me.”
“So we will be bonded and inseparable for all of eternity, is there any bad side?” He asked.
“Well you will be given the powers Justice and I posses that no one else was born with.”
“I’m fine with that, Haz.” He said and then slightly squeezed my hands in his.
I smiled. “Okay.” I whispered and he was happy.
“Really?”
I nodded. “I’ve wanted to Kiss you for a long time, Dimitri. I just was scared to, but if you want it than I will do it.” I said and he smiled. Footsteps came up the stairs and Justice appeared at the door of my mom’s room. He walked in and I smiled as I fixed the towel around me. “Hey, baby.” I said and he nodded.
“So should we talk now or should I wait a few minutes?” Justice asked and I smiled as he walked around the room looking at all of my mother’s things.
“We don’t need to, baby. I’m fine now. Dimitri helped me fix it.” I said and Justice stopped in his tracks. He looked at me with an odd look I had never seen him make.
“Fine.” He said and then walked out of the room. He went down the hall by the room and went into his own room. I heard the door slam loudly and I slightly jumped. My mother’s book fell off the shelf even though I had just put it back there and I sighed. I bend down and picked it up. I brushed my hair behind my ear as I looked at Dimitri who was concerned.
“Why is he mad?” Dimitri asked and I sighed again.
“He’s a teenager, Dimitri, but he has been scared all his young life. All he has in his life right now is I and he feels like you have taken the only thing he has from him. When I came to you instead of him he feels like he has been replaced.”
“How do you know what he’s thinking?” He asked.
I looked at him. “Because we have been through so much together. I know him as well as I know myself.”
I knocked on the door of a room in the house and James opened it. He smiled, “Hey.”
“Hey, is Justice in there?” I asked and he nodded. He let me in and I saw Justice sitting on a small bed. “Hey, baby.” I said and then held up the book that was in my hands. “I found something in your grandmother’s room that I thought would be good for you and I to look at.”
He frowned at me. “Why don’t you go ask Dimitri to look at it with you?”
“Justice…please don’t be like that.” I said sadly. “I love Dimitri but you are my son, Justice. Dimitri can never take your place in my heart. And there are things I can do with you that I can’t do with him.”
“Oh yea? Like what?”
“He didn’t go through everything we have gone though together, so I can’t go talk to him about last year or how it feels to be a half-breed. Please, Justice.” I begged and he sighed.
“Fine.” He said and then walked to me. I brought him downstairs and we sat on the couch.

I woke up in the morning to see clear roads and quickly sat up. My shoulder and leg were finally healed and I felt really good. Dimitri had asked me to marry him and when I asked Justice what he thought of it and he said he was fine with it. I walked into the kitchen to see Miss Julia sitting at the table by herself. Her face seemed sorry and scared. “Miss Julia?” I asked and she looked up at me.
“Oh, hello.” She said and I went over to her.
“What’s wrong?” I asked her and her eyes seemed to deepen. “Please tell me.”
“It’s horrible, Hazuki…” She whispered. “The royals announced that tonight there will be an execution.”
“Execution? Of who?”
“A…half-breed.” She whispered and I wanted to cry. “A little girl! A little girl just like you when the council wanted to kill you! She is just 4 and will be dieing tonight!” She cried and tears started down her face. “Another tombstone will be put in that cursed cemetery your parents are in!”
Tears started down my face as I ran to the staircase of the house. I went up half of them but stopped and felt like I was going to be sick. “Hans! James! Justice!” I yelled in a cry. I leaned my head on the wall that made up the staircase and then my legs started shaking. I held my hands together as I slid down the wall to sit, but that was when all 5 men upstairs ran to me. I was covered in tears and having trouble breathing. For a second all 5 of them stayed at the top of the stairs in shock that I was that upset about something, but finally Justice came to my side. He put his hands around mine I was using to pray.
“Mom! What’s going on?! What’s wrong?!” He yelled and I looked at him, which made me cry out of anger.
“The bastards are going to try to kill another!” I cried and Justice looked confused. “The council is going to execute a new found girl of our kind!” Justice backed away from me in slight horror as I cried. Miss Julia came to my side quickly and I stood. “When is it going to take place?” I asked her as I tried to stop crying.
“Midnight. At the same place they killed your mother.”
I became outraged. “Where’s the closest airport?” I asked Miss Julia.
“About a mile south.”
“I’m going right now. If I leave now I will get there in time.” I said and Miss Julia gasped.
“You can’t go, Hazuki! They will kill you!”
“But if I don’t go that girl will die for sure! I have to go for her sake!” I retorted and then sighed. “I can’t let the council kill another innocent person.”
“But you don’t even know her, Haz.” Lucas said and I nodded as I looked at him.
“But I know what she is going through. Both of her parents have been horribly murdered because of her existence. I know how she feels.” I said and then looked at my legs. “We both have killed our own parents.” I whispered and then stood.
“You should grab new cloths from your mother’s room.”
I nodded and then went to my mom’s room. I went to the closet and got out a vampire stealth suit. I also got a pair of dark jeans, a pink tank top, and a black leather jacket. I quickly changed into the regular cloths and put the stealth suit and my old cloths in a purse I found in the room. I stood in front of my mother’s mirror looking just like her. This was going to work.
I was sitting in a black BMW in a short black dress as Jake set his hand on mine that rested on the consol. I looked at him and he smiled sadly. “You okay?” He asked me.
“I will be.” I replied quietly and then laid my head back on the window of the passenger’s seat. I watched James drive the car off the highway and onto a small city road. Then we were quickly on a dirt path and stopped in a sea of trees. We got out and I quickly held onto Jake’s arm so my heals would not get stuck in the dirt that made up the ground below us. Jake led me to an opening in the trees and onto a crowded platform made up of an odd material. He then led me through the crowd but stopped by Sei and the king. Jake bowed and I quickly did the same as I ignored my twisting stomach.
“Good evening, sirs.”
“Well good evening, Sir Jake. It had been a long time.” The king said and Jake smiled. “But whom is your beautiful date? I do not recognize her.”
“Lust Sataru, sir.” I replied kindly.
“She is my fiancé.” Jake added as he slid closer to me and I nodded with a smile.
“You are a brave man to bring your fiancé to an execution. I would never think to bring my wife.” The king said as Hajji and Miss Roza joined his side with a nod to Jake and me.
“Well…” Jake started to reply but was interrupted by the clearing of the head councilman’s throat. We all looked up to the higher part of the platform to see him standing next to a vampire in all black.
“The execution will start in one minute.” He announced and then left again. I squeezed Jake’s arm noticeably like we had planned on the way here. He looked at me curiously.
“Are you sure you want to stay?” Jake asked me sadly.
“I think I’ll go to the bathroom.” I replied quietly and then kissed him goodbye. I made my way to a portable bathroom on the edge of the platform and quickly changed into my suit. I snuck out of the bathroom unseen and hid myself in the trees surrounding the area. I quickly made my way to the other side of the trees and stayed still at the top of the trees that were behind the execution spot. Everyone went silent as a little girl with a cloth around her mouth was brought out with tears down her face. She was placed a few feet from the man in all black and he lifted his gun to position. The head councilman lifted his hand into the air above his head and I knew when his hand fell the gun would be shot. The safety was taken off the gun and aimed at the exact spot of the girl. I was ready and when the councilman’s hand got halfway down I darted. I went at an inhuman, even invampire speed as I took the girl and moved her away from the gun’s point. The gun was shot and everyone gasped as they realized someone had moved the girl. Everyone, including the girl in my arms, looked at me but could not figure out who I was because of the mask that covered my whole face except for my now red eyes. The mask also flattened my long curly black hair so that I was unknown.
“Get the traitor!” The headman hissed and two soldiers came at me. I pointed my hand at the left soldier as everyone watched me. The left one froze in his steps and the other one stopped in curiosity.
“Surrender to my will.” I whispered but everyone heard. I clenched my hand into a fist that was pointed at the soldier. He lifted his gun and quickly pointed his gun at his comrade. The gun was shot and his follower immediately died. The masked man quickly shot the now crazy soldier and then quickly shot at me. I pointed my fist at the bullets and smiled. “Stop.” I whispered in a hiss and they did as told. I used my index finger to show a twirling motion and the bullets turned back to the masked man. “Go.” I whispered and the bullets went at an untraceable speed. The masked man fell over dead as I took a gun from my side pocket. I walked closer to the councilman and he hissed. I set down the small girl and took the cloth off of her face. She stared at me with curiosity and I quickly took off my mask. Everyone was scared as they realized the invincible being before them was no other than me. I smiled down at the girl.
“Thank you.” The girl whispered to me and then grabbed onto my leg.
“Hazuki Utashi!” The councilman hissed as he looked at my gun. “Monster!” He yelled to me and I smiled.
“I am not a monster, sir councilman. I am merely misunderstood like this little girl you are trying to kill.” I replied and he got even madder, but then smiled.
“Well let’s see you beat Sir Kei.” He hissed to me as my brother came to his side with a gun pointed at the girl.
“Put down the gun, monster. The girl must die.” Kei hissed and I sighed.
“Just like your sister and mother must die also?” I asked and his expression softened for a moment, but quickly went back to anger like before. “Sorry, but I don’t have time for your childish games, Sir Kei. I’ve gotten what I came for and plan to leave now.” I retorted and he shot a bullet at the girl beside me.
“Die, monster!” He yelled and I quickly put my hand in front of the girl’s face. The bullet went into my hand and I ignored the pain. The girl started crying again when blood started pouring from my hand as everyone stared in shock.
I smiled at my brother. “She is one of my kind, Sir Kei. I will not let you harm her in any way. In place of her parents you killed I will raise her and protect her from the likes of you.”
“But how can you fight without your right hand?” He asked me with a smug smile and I laughed. I took the bullet out of my hand and moved my fingers. The pain was horrible, but I needed to have surprise and shock on my side.
“I have surpassed regular powers, sir. You cannot stop me now.” I retorted and he hissed. I picked up the girl at my side and held her close to me. I smiled at my brother again. “Try to catch me.” I hissed and then darted off with the girl in my arms. I heard soldiers following me, so I used my highest speed of running. I got to the portable bathroom with the girl before the soldiers had even made it to the trees behind the execution sight. I shut the door of the bathroom and the girl cried quietly. I knelt down to her side and brushed her hair from her face as I tried to sooth her. “It is alright, little one. I am here to protect you.” I said kindly.
“Who are you?” She asked me through tears.
“My name is Hazuki. I was sent by your parents to protect you.” I lied and she smiled. She hugged me and I did the same to her. I then quickly changed back into my dress, as she was quiet. When I looked like Lust Sataru I put my cloths back into my purse and looked at her. “Alright, little one. I want you to close your eyes.”
“Why?”
I smiled. “I am going to make you transparent so we can get out of here without someone seeing you.” I said to her and she nodded. She closed her eyes and I quickly made her invisible. I set her on my shoulders, “Hold on with all your might.” I whispered and then left the bathroom. I was shocked when Sei ran over to me. “Prince Sei!” I gasped in surprise in my fake voice.
“You must get out of here, Miss Lust!” He warned. “A monster is on the loose and may attack you.”
“Oh god!” I gasped in fake fright. He grabbed onto my hand and started to run. He stopped pulling me behind him when we got to his car. The king looked at me sadly.
“We thought the monster had gotten you, dear girl.” He said to me and I had to keep myself from laughing.
“Oh I’m sorry to have worried you!” I said sadly and then I felt a fierce hand grab my open hand. I looked back to see Jake in a wonderful act to look frightened. He hugged me quickly and I hugged back.
“I thought you died!” He yelled and then looked at me. “Come on, we need to get out of here. It’s not safe.” He said and I nodded. He bowed to Sei and the King. “Goodbye, sirs.” He added and then brought me away. We went to his car and got in. Before I sat down I quickly took the invisible girl off of my head so the top of the car would not hit her. I sat her in my lap and tried to look like I had just tried to brush something off of my head. Jake drove off and quickly got to his apartment. We went in and I held the invisible girl’s hand. Before I brought the girl back to visibility Jake shut all blinds so we could not be scene. I shut the door and then made it so the girl could be seen. Jake smiled at her and she quickly grabbed onto me.
“Vampire.” She whimpered in fear and Jake backed away. I kneeled down to her eye level.
“What is your name, my girl?” I asked her.
“Aurora.” She whispered.
“Aurora, this is Jake. He is a vampire, but he is on our side. He helped me save you tonight and has helped me many times before.” I assured her.
“How can you trust one of them? They want to kill us Miss Hazuki.”
I sighed. “Not all vampires hate us, dear Aurora. Jake is one of the vampires that want to protect us. You can trust him.”
The next morning I woke up in Jake’s bed with his arm around me. We had done nothing, but I still was willing to sleep in the same bed for his sake. What I didn’t expect was Aurora to be lying on the ground next to me. It was 5 in the morning, so I slowly got out of the bed and didn’t awake Jake. I picked up the limp girl and held her like a baby. She slept with her head on my shoulder and I took her into the living room of the apartment in New York. I laid her on the long couch, put a blanket on her, and slid a pillow under her head. I sat on the open end of the couch and turned on the TV. After an hour she woke up and rubbed her eyes. I smiled over to her. “Good morning, Aurora.”
“Miss Hazuki?” She asked me and then sat up. I patted the edge of my leg and she turned around on the couch. She set her head on my leg and watched the TV.
“What do you usually watch?” I asked her.
“Sponge bob.” She whispered and I turned the TV to the show. We watched it until Jake walked out of his bedroom and smiled at us.
“Good morning.” I said kindly to him.
“Morning.” He said and then walked over to me. He kissed me and then went to the kitchen. “So when are you going to leave for the flight?” He asked me and Aurora looked at me.
“In 30 minutes.”
“You’re leaving?” Aurora asked me and I could see tears swelling in her eyes.
I smiled. “We are leaving. You and me.” I replied. “You are going to come live with me and another person like us.”
“There is another?”
I nodded. “My son Justice is one of us.”
“You have a son Miss Hazuki?” She asked and I nodded. “But... I thought you were going to be my new mommy.” She whispered and then started to cry. “I don’t want to leave you Miss Hazuki. I want to stay with you.”
I brushed the tears from her face and then kissed the crown of her head. “If you want me as your new mommy then I will be happy to be, Aurora. You can become my second child. How does that sound?”
She smiled. “Great.”
I carried Aurora down the dirt road and she laid her head on my shoulder. “Where are we going again, Miss Hazuki?”
I smiled at her. “We are going to my friend’s house. She is a vampire, but we can trust her. She was watching my son for me while I got you.”
“How long until we get there?”
“See the next house?” I asked and she nodded as she looked over to it. “That is where we are going.”
“Oh.” She replied and was quiet for the rest of the walk. I went up to Miss Julia’s door and knocked. Miss Julia opened it and tears ran down her face.
“Hazuki! You saved the poor girl!” She cried as she hugged me. Then she looked at Aurora and put her hand out to her. “Hello, little one. I am a good friend of Hazuki’s.”
Aurora hid her face in the sleeve of my shirt and blushed. I laughed as Miss Julia did too. “Miss Julia, this is Aurora.”
“Is that her name?” Miss Julia asked and I nodded. We then walked into the house. When the door shut I looked into the kitchen to see everyone looking at me.
“Hey mom.” Justice said and Aurora looked up at him. When she looked back at me she was confused.
“Is that your son?” Aurora asked me and I nodded. I went into the kitchen and up to Justice. “Justice, this is Aurora. Aurora, this is Justice.”
“Good job mom.” Justice said. “Your rescue of Aurora is all over vampire news.”
“Really?” I asked and he nodded. I set Aurora down on the floor and sat in a chair. She immediately crawled into my lap as everyone watched. Aurora held my hand in hers for comfort.
“Hello, Aurora.” Lucas said and she looked to him. She blushed and squeezed my hand. “Would you like your own seat? You don’t have to share one with Hazuki.”
Aurora shook her head. “I’m fine. I want to sit with my new mommy.”
Everyone looked at me and I sighed. “I am going to adopt Aurora as my child.”
“Can you handle another kid, Haz?” Lucas asked me.
I nodded. “She is one of Justice and my kind. It is only natural for me to want to protect her.”
I opened the door of the house as I pushed it wider with my foot. My hands were filled with Aurora on my hip and a large suitcase in my open hand. I put down Aurora and the suitcase, but Aurora quickly hooked onto my leg. I sighed as I looked at her and took her hands away from my leg. “Go sit down on the couch, Aurora. I have to help bring in the stuff.” I said and then walked off. I went out to my new black car and found Justice, Dimitri, James, and Hans all unpacking the back of the car with Dimitri’s belongings. I took a suitcase out of the back of the car but Hans quickly grabbed onto it before I could leave. He tried to pull it away from me.
“Your body is weak, Lucia. We all know it no matter how well you hide it.” He informed me. “We have this. Just go inside and show the girl around.” I frowned at him.
“I am perfectly capable of carrying a messily box.” I argued and he sighed.
“Fine. Prove me wrong.” He said and I quickly picked up a box. I started carrying it but felt the pain in my legs and slowed, sadly that was not enough. I started slowing until I got to where I was not moving. I set the box on the ground and quickly moved my leg around. I then shook off the pain and picked it up. I brought it into the house and into the kitchen. I quickly sat down on the ground with a thud and grabbed my leg. I moved it around and then lay onto the ground. I realized Aurora was watching and quickly sat up.
“Mommy, what’s wrong with your leg?” She asked me.
“Just an old injury, that’s all.” I said kindly. “Don’t worry about it.”

I got a call from Dimitri and he sounded as if he was in the middle of the desert. “Maria?” He asked me with a sigh.
“What is it Josh?” I asked while following with his fake name like he did to me.
“I just got a call from the elementary school…” He sighed again but deeper. “It’s about Brittany.”
“Do you know what happened?”
“No. They said they called the house but couldn’t get a hold of you, so they called me. It seems there is some kind of problem and Brittany demands for you.”
I sighed back to his response. “I’ll head there right now.” I said and then hung up the phone. I quickly got up out of my bed and went to the car outside. I turned it on and drove to the elementary school about a mile away. I parked near the entrance and went in to see Aurora sitting in a small chair next to the principal’s office door. I went into the office that was outside of the principal’s office. My grayish blue eyes and brown hair that represented Lust Sataru hid my true identity. Aurora now had the same look as me, but her face was covered in tears. I opened the door and the secretary stood. I smiled to her. “Good afternoon.” I said with an accent for British people.
She nodded to me. “Your daughter’s teacher is waiting for you in her room to talk about what happened today.” I sighed and looked at Aurora.
“Brittany, come along.” I requested and she followed me down to her teacher’s classroom. When we walked into the open door of the room I immediately felt the presence of a noble vampire. My blood became cold but I stayed calm. I came into the room to see an old woman named Ms. Jane standing with a small boy and, of all people, Sei. They all looked over to us as Aurora squeezed my hand in hers. “Good morning Ms. Jane. It is a pleasure to see you.”
“It is the same for I. Please take a seat.” She said and I nodded. I brought Aurora with me and we sat in two seats at a small table. Sei and the boy were also sitting at a small table near us. “Ms. Sataru, Brittany has done something today that can lead to suspension.”
I looked at Aurora and she looked at her legs. “What exactly did she do, Ms. Jane?”
“I saw her hit Oliver early this morning.”
I looked to Aurora who looked up at me. I knew immediately the boy had done something to her. “Is there a reason you hit this boy, baby?”
She nodded slowly. “He…” She whispered but then plunged her head into my sleeved and started crying again. When she stopped she looked at me sadly. “He tried to take my necklace, mommy. He was mad because I would not let him cut my hair with the scissors we were using.”
Ms. Jane looked sorry. “Well if you would have told me that earlier, Brittany, we would not have had to bring your mother.” Ms. Jane looked at me with concern. “She won’t talk to anyone, Ms. Sataru. When I ask her anything she starts to cry.”
“For my nephew I want to say he is sorry and that he knows what he did was wrong.” Sei said kindly as he looked me deeply in the eyes.
I looked at Aurora and smiled. “Baby, please apologize to your classmate.” I whispered and she nodded.
“I’m sorry, Oliver.” She said quietly and then Ms. Jane looked at me.
“I’m sorry to ask this but why will Brittany only talk to you?” She asked curiously.
I sighed. “Brittany hasn’t talked much since her parents were killed. We are trying to work on it.” Ms. Jane nodded and I stood. “I shall take Brittany home for the rest of the day.”
Ms. Jane nodded and then dismissed us all. I went out to the parking lot with Brittany and buckled her into the car. I jumped when someone tapped my shoulder. I quickly turned to Sei and held my breath but he smiled. “It has been a long time Miss Sataru.”
I bowed. “It is good to see you again, Prince Sei.”
“After meeting you last time I was planning to try to meet you again, but never got a hold of you, so I’m glad we got to see each other again.” He said and then the little boy that had been with him yelled ‘uncle Sei’. Sei sighed and then handed me a formal letter. “I must go, but take this.” He said and I did so. He then left and I got into my car. I opened it and read as I drove us back to our home.
Dear Lust Sataru,
Meet me at 1803 Oxford St. I would like to discuss important matter with you privately. I will be alone at the house from 10 tonight to 6-tomorrow morning.

~Sei Hajji
I knocked onto the door of the house I was supposed to meet Sei at, as everything around seemed to get quieter. Sei opened the door and smiled to me. He moved out of my way and I walked into the house. I looked around to see a small town home like all others I had been in near the heart of London but smelled of violet. I slightly jumped as Sei’s cold hand touched the bare part of my right shoulder. He smiled at me again and then led me to a living room with dimmed lighting that slightly concerned me. I was offered a seat and sat at a two-person couch. Sei sat next to me, which was uncomfortable and became worse when he held my hands in his. I looked at him with confusion. “Miss Lust, there is something I have to tell you.” He said in a sad way.
“Don’t be shy. Go on.” I said as sweetly as I could.
“I have been told to arrest you tonight.” He whispered and my eyes widened.
“What?!”
“Sir Kei is convinced you are working with Hazuki Utashi and are trying to kill me and my family.” He slightly squeezed my hands for a moment. “But I won’t arrest you, Miss Lust. No matter if it is true or not. But you have to tell me the truth… are you in connection with Hazuki?”
I looked at him and then quickly pulled my hands from him. I stood and frowned towards him. “Either answer will make you angry, Prince Sei. If I tell you I work with the half-breed you will ask me why I deceived my people, but if I tell you I have never talked to the half-breed you will be disappointed because you thought you had a connection to her and it was not true.”
“But I need to know, Miss Lust. Not as the Prince of the vampires or as a noble man, I need to know because I want to know if Hazuki is okay.”
My hands went to my hips angrily. “Like you give a hell about her. You deceived her even though she loved you.”
“Only few people know about that, Miss Lust. So you must be in connection with Hazuki.” He said as he stood also. His hands gripped my bare shoulders strongly. “You have to let me see Hazuki.”
I slapped his hands away from me. “I’m not going to let you play me!”
“You don’t understand, Miss Lust… I still am madly in love with Hazuki…I…I can’t get over her! I can’t move on from the feelings I have for her! I don’t care if we are supposed to kill each other! I love her too much to let stupid people get in the way that don’t understand!” He yelled with anger.
I frowned even more. “She has seen her death, Sir Sei. You are going to become the king and will kill her and her son. She and I will never trust you.”
“I swear on my life that I will never hurt Hazuki again. I just want to be with her again… please Miss Lust, just tell me how she has been or something. I need to know she is okay. I haven’t slept well ever since she left and won’t until I know she is alive and well.” He set his hand back on my shoulders. “Please, just sit down and tell me how she has been.”
I looked away from Sei as my heart stung. Tears started down my face and would not stop. Sei turned my head to him and then brushed my tears off. I closed my eyes and let my fake form disappear. I opened my eyes as Sei’s eyes stared. I looked him in the eyes and cried more. “I’m okay, Sei.” I whispered and his arms wrapped around me. I cried until I finally couldn’t cry anymore. Sei still held me as close as he could, but finally looked at my face and saw my black curly hair and red eyes. He leaned in and kissed my lips and then slightly tilted me over. He slid his fingers through my hair as his tongue moved at the same pace. When his hand moved down to my back I gasped for breath and looked up at the ceiling. I closed my eyes but they quickly re-opened and I looked down at my stomach. A black handle of something slightly glared and I quickly felt the pain. I grabbed my stomach that was around the handle and a red blood covered them. I pushed Sei from me.
“I love you, Hazuki. I want to take you out of your misery.” He whispered and then walked closer to me. He set his hand on my cheek and sighed. “I will take all of your kind out of your misery.” I slapped his hand away and hissed.
“That is not what I want!” I yelled and then slowly pulled the dagger from me. I gasped as more blood slid from my body. I ran out of the house and back into my car. I quickly turned it on and started off. I called Dimitri’s cell phone.
“Hello?”
I gasped twice and then got enough breath to talk. “Go get Justice from his college.” I whispered. “Then go find James and Hans and meet me at my mother’s grave.”
“But that is only for emergencies.”
“I know…that is why you, Justice, Hans, and James have to go there.” I whispered. “I will find a way to get to you.”
“But…”
“I have to go.” I whispered and then hung up. I pulled into my driveway and quickly ran inside. Aurora ran to me as I quickly pulled my jacket around me. I quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her outside.
“Mommy?”
“I don’t have time to tell you anything, baby. We need to go somewhere.” I whispered and then brought her to the car. She buckled in and then held my hand in hers. I closed my eyes and imagined my mother and father’s grave. When I opened my eyes we were sitting in the parking lot of the gravesite in my car. “Come on.” I whispered and we got out of the car. I quickly brought Aurora to my parent’s gravestones and tried to catch my breath.
“Mommy, what’s wrong?” She asked as she grabbed my hands in hers. I felt light headed and slid down so that I was sitting on the ground with my body against both of my parent’s gravestones. “Mommy!” Aurora cried and I felt my parent’s presences. I looked up at their faded shapes.
“Please, mom and dad. Watch over Aurora until Justice and the others come to get here.” I whispered and then blacked out.
I woke up with my head resting on Justice’s shoulder as we rode in a car. Dimitri was holding something to my wound as James droved and Hans held Aurora as she cried. I looked up at Justice and smiled. My slight movement made everyone realized I was awake. “Mom…” Justice whispered.
“Where are we?” I whispered.
“About three miles from the graveyard. But mom what happened to you?” He asked me and everyone was silent while waiting for the answer they so badly wanted to hear.
“I…I don’t remember. All I do remember was bleeding and immediately calling Dimitri. Then I drove to Aurora and quickly brought her to my parents…” I whispered even though it was a lie. Sei’s hands, his lips, his tongue…I remember it all.
“We will take you to that traitor…he lives near here, right?” Justice asked and I nodded. I didn’t want to be near Jake right now but if I made a large deal about it they would suspect I was lying. James stopped the car and Dimitri opened his door. The door by Justice and I opened and I was gently picked up by Hans. He brought me to the front door of Jake’s home and rang the doorbell. The door opened as everyone joined us and went into the house. Jake didn’t ask anything, he just quickly led Hans to what looked like a surgeon table in his garage. I was set on it as everyone stood around me and Aurora held my hand tightly in hers.
“So this is why he called me?” Jake asked me with a frown. His hands clenched, “Did you seriously think things between you two could work?! Are you stupid!”
I looked away from Jake and to my wound. “He was acting like the man I used to love, Jake. How could I refuse a plead for truce?” I asked with a strike of pain.
“He is the prince of your enemy!” He yelled and I quickly sat up but grabbed my stomach.
“I don’t need this!” I yelled and quickly stood but fell towards the ground and Jake grabbed me.
“You need me, Hazuki. You and I both know it. And he can’t come back to get you here.” He said and then quickly pulled me back to the table.
I woke up in Jake’s master bed by myself in a loose nightgown and sat up but barely felt a pain. I walked over to the door of the room and opened it. I listened for moment and heard the sound of something sizzling, so I went to the kitchen of the house, which I had trouble finding since I had not been here in such a long time. I saw Hans and Jake at a stove working together as James held Aurora in his lap and sat at a large table with Justice and Dimitri at either side. “Good morning.” I whispered as I slowly walked into the room. Aurora immediately jumped from James and ran to me. I kneeled and she hugged me tightly like usual.
“Mommy!” She repeated over and over until she was tired. I laughed and then carried her over to the table. I sat down with her in my lap as Dimitri set his hand over mine that now rested on the table. Justice looked at me with sorrow and concern. I knew he had seen my memory of the time while I was passed out. Most would act like Jake did, but Justice had felt all of my emotions during the time and knew why I did everything.
“Justice shared with all of us your experience, Haz…” Dimitri explained to me. I nodded as I looked away. I felt as though I had cheated on Dimitri even though I had not done anything like that. Just going back to thinking of Sei made me feel like I was deceiving Dimitri.
“I’m sorry Dimitri.”
“Sorry? For what?”
I looked at him sadly. “I kissed another man…I did that and didn’t even think of how it might affect you.”
He slightly smiled. “I know how you loved him before, Haz. It’s only natural for you to miss him.”
“I love you, Dimitri. You have to know I will never love him like I love you.” I whispered and he nodded kindly.

I walked over to the man in a suit and frowned. He smiled at me in a cheap way like he had just stolen my wallet without me knowing. “Hello, Miss.”
“Hi.” I said with no kindness. “So this apartment is for sale?” I asked as I looked around.
He added. “And it comes with all its original furniture.”
I frowned again. “Then I am wondering why you are trying to sell MY apartment.” My arms crossed my chest.
“Your apartment?”
I nodded. “This apartment was my father’s. He gave the will for it to me, so you don’t own it.” He frowned and got on the phone with someone, but quickly left in about ten minutes. I looked around the apartment I had grown up in and felt pain with joy. I picked up my phone and called Dimitri. “Come on up.” I said and then hung up. Before I knew anything Justice, James, Hans, Aurora, and Dimitri walked into the apartment. I smiled and turned to them. “Welcome to our new house.” I said kindly and then looked around. “I will have to clean out some things but it will be sufficient.”
“Isn’t this the apartment you grew up in, Haz?” Dimitri asked and everyone else was surprised when I nodded.
“This is my mother and father’s place, which is now our place.” I said as I looked around and felt like crying. “Go on and check it out.” I said and everyone disbursed to look at the two bedrooms and other places. I walked around the main living room and slid my fingers across everything. I felt past experiences and my old life. This is where I had left most of my feelings behind which now flooded into me. I stopped when my hand touched my mother’s CD player and pressed play. My mother’s favorite song turned on and I felt peace I hadn’t felt since I was Justice’s age. I picked up two picture in picture frames next to the CD player. The first was of my father and me at his 30th birthday, but the second one hurt to look at. It was a picture of Roza pushing Dimitri to the side as I stood and smiled while holding Sei’s hand. I was 15 when this picture was taken and felt all of my past. Justice walked over to me with a look of curiosity.
“Didn’t you used to hum this song to make me go to sleep when I was a kid?” He asked me and I nodded.
“This was your grandmother’s favorite song…” I whispered and he set his hand on my shoulder.
“Something wrong? Your mood has changed.”
I shook my head. “I’m just remembering my past.” I said with a sigh and then set the picture of me as a teenager face down so Justice couldn’t see it, but I handed him the other picture. “This was me and your grandfather at his 30th birthday.”
“Really? But your hair wasn’t curly and your eyes were blue…was this you before you changed?”
I nodded. “This was me when I was human, baby. Those days I was a human when the sun was up and a vampire when it was down. But that all changed when my uncle attacked me and your grandfather.”
Justice looked at me with surprise. I had never told him anything of my past in this much detail but he surprisingly seemed intrigued. “So you really were human, mom? Just like grandpa. In the sun you were one of the humans…” Justice kept saying the same thing in different ways to try to make himself understand like a kindergartener would do while trying to understand something in their own way. I smiled and felt like I could really tell Justice my past, which I never thought I could.
“Justice…there’s something I want you to have.” I said and he looked like a kid who stumbled into a candy store, excited and surprised. I took Justice’s hand in mine and brought him to my old room. Inside there were Hans, James, Aurora, and Dimitri who were just looking around. I quickly went to my nightstand by my old bed and took out a thin blue book. I handed it to Justice and he opened it to see the front page. It said just what I had written in there at age 5, ‘Property of Hazuki Utashi, daughter of the greatest parents in the world.’ I smiled as Justice looked at me. “I’ve been waiting to give that to you, baby. This was my journal while growing up…you deserve to know everything about me, Justice. My mother gave me her journal before she died so I could understand where I came from, so I want to do the same for you. Everything I lived, hoped, and dreamed for is in there.”
“Mom…” Justice said with surprise. “Thanks.”
I nodded. “There are things you need to understand, Justice. Things I went through that reflected how I raised you. This was my life as a Shaigi child. Read it out loud if you want. Everyone in this family should know.”
“Okay,” Justice said and I sat on my bed. Everyone joined me as Justice read the first page. “Roza Airi is my best friend. She is a vampire of a noble family. She is sweet and kind. She keeps to herself a lot, but when she has something on her mind I am the one she goes to. She has other friends and is nice to everyone, but I am her best friend. She always chooses me over the others. If anything happens to me she feels like it is her fault, even though usually it is mine. She cares about all living creatures and has become a bag vampire for that reason. I, on the other hand, am a half-breed; also known as a shaigi. My mother was a vampire and my father is a human. They reproduced and my mother was executed since the vampire council made it illegal for vampires to mate with humans. But since I am half vampire I get to become a vampire when I graduate school. Usually shaigi children are executed along with the vampire parent, but I am an exception because I have been extremely smart and gifted since birth. I was allowed to live and am extremely lucky.” Justice stopped reading as I looked out of my bedroom window.
“Haz…” Dimitri whispered and I smiled to him.
“This book is from the heart of the old me, Dimitri. It has everything about others and us in the past. I meant every word I wrote in there.” I said and then looked at the window again.
The next morning I was home alone at my apartment. Justice and Aurora were starting their new schools as the three guys were out getting food and other things for our new home. I was sitting on my couch at about 2 p.m. when the doorbell rang. I went to the door and opened it to see a familiar face added with age. Serine. “Hello! You must be the new neighbor! I’m Serine Faith. It’s nice to meet you!” She said as she handed me a covered basket that was heavy when I took it. After she said that and I took the basket from her she finally saw my face when I pulled off my jacket hood. My blue eyes and straight black hair sent tears to her eyes that stung me in a good way. “Hazuki?” She asked and I smiled as her hopes skyrocketed.
“Come on in.” I said and she followed me in. “Please, take a seat.” I added as I set the basket on my kitchen counter. She didn’t sit down. She ran to me and threw her arms around me as she started to cry.
“Hazuki! It’s you! You came back!”
I hugged her back and brushed her hair slowly and kindly. “It’s good to see you Serine.”
“I haven’t seen you in almost 20 years!” She cried with joy and squeezed me tighter. “Your father disappeared 8 years ago and I was scared the two of you had died! But now both of you are back here living together!”
I was still and Serine became concerned. She let go of me with curiosity. “Serine…my dad died 8 years ago. When he disappeared he was murdered.” I whispered and then used my left hand to squeeze my right wrist as I held back tears.
“He died?” She asked and cried sadly. “But he had just told me everything!”
“Everything?” I asked. “What do you mean by everything?”
She looked at me with astonishment and sorrow. “ He told me that you are a vampire, Haz. He explained why you two were always gone and everything else. I know now.”
I looked away from her. “I was afraid he had told you everything after I left.” I whispered and was shocked when the door to the apartment swung open.
“Mommy! I’m home!” Aurora yelled as she ran in while dragging Justice behind her. She stopped dead in her tracks when she realized someone was with me. “Mommy?”
I smiled at the two of them. “Welcome home you two.” I said kindly. “Thanks for picking Aurora up for me, Justice.”
He nodded. “No problem.”
Serine set her hand on my shoulder and gave me a look of surprise. “These two are your kids?” She asked me curiously.
I nodded as Justice walked over to me with Aurora. “These are my kids, Justice and Aurora.”
“So they are Shaigi too?”
“How does a human know about us, mommy?” Aurora asked as she tugged on my sweatshirt.
I smiled to Aurora and picked her up. “This is one of my friends, baby. Her name is Serine.”
“Hello.” Serine said kindly.
Justice walked closer to Serine. “You were mom and grandpa’s neighbor for 15 years right? You are the girl mom wrote about.”
“Wrote about?” Serine asked Justice.
“In her journal as a kid.” Justice replied and then looked at Aurora. “Aurora, you can trust Serine. She helped mom and grandpa for a long time.”
I smiled at Serine. “The last time you saw Justice was when he was born, right?”
She nodded. “He definitely has grown up.” She laughed and then sighed. “He looks a lot like you.”
Justice looked at me and was in shock. “Mom, what did you do to your hair and eyes? You look like you did as a human like in the picture.”
“I felt like being my old self again.” I replied kindly. “But I’m glad you got to meet Serine, Justice. She was one of my best friends as a kid.” I set down Aurora. “We should sit.” I added and we all went to the couches. I sat with Serine on one as the kids sat on the other.
“So when did you have Aurora?” Serine asked me.
“I actually saved Aurora from the council and adopted her. She is not my birth child.” I replied and she nodded.
“Your dad told me about the council. They are horrible for killing innocent people like you. If the rest of the humans and the US government knew about this conspiracy they would do something to save you, Haz. You should tell them.”
“It’s not as easy as it sounds, Serine…vampires can kill humans easily…I know. I’ve seen it done. They are ruthless and horrible. They kill humans like they are animals.”
“You’ve seen them kill humans? When?”
“My dad…” I whispered and she nodded. “But he was related to me so that was going to happen, but I’ve seen countless humans murdered since I left this apartment.” I looked away from Serine. “That is why I never told you who I was. I was scared you would be hunted and killed.”
“They would do that?”
I nodded. “Anyone who helps me they will kill.” I set my hand on Serine’s shoulder. “Serine, if you are ever asked about us, deny everything, okay?”
She nodded. “I know.” She said and the door to the apartment opened. Dimitri, James, and Hans walked in but stopped when they saw Serine.
“It’s been a long time, Miss Serine.” Dimitri said kindly.
“Omigosh! Dimitri!” She gasped and then looked at me. “But why are there three vampires with you, Haz?”
James shut the door. “The three of us aren’t vampires anymore. We are protectors of Hazuki.”
“Protectors?”
I nodded. “They will follow me for the rest of my life and protect us Shaigi.”
“That’s good.”
“You should probably go, Serine.” I said and she stood. I walked her to the door and everyone moved out of our way. I walked out into the hall outside my apartment and shut the door behind me. “Serine, can I ask you for a favor?”
She nodded. “Anything, just name it.”
“If my protectors and I are killed will you take Justice and Aurora to live with you and make them seem like humans?”
“Of course, Haz.”
“Thank you, Serine.” She walked off and went to her apartment. I went back inside to see my kids still on the couch as the other guys were in the kitchen putting away things. When I shut the door everyone stopped.
“Mom…” Justice said. “What did you mean by ‘if my protectors and I die…’? Is something wrong?”
“Nothings wrong, Justice. I just want to make sure you two will be safe if something happens.”

Dimitri took my hand in his and slowly pulled me out of the black limo. The building I had come to with Dimitri, Roza, and their parents for Sei’s wedding party before this all happened was staring back at me. I smiled at Dimitri with confidence. He was nervous because I had not changed my look. My black hair was curly and my eyes were red and my face was the one everyone was terrified of. I had on the black dress from last time I had been here but didn’t have on a necklace like last time. “Ready?” Dimitri whispered as I put my arm through his.
“I’ve been ready. I’m not hiding anymore.” I whispered back and then started walking. We went up the steps of the building that were empty. The ball had been going on for an hour so everyone was inside. We got to the top and I opened the door. A woman who was walking past the door as I opened it didn’t notice which I was surprised. We walked to the royal stage and a man finally recognized me.
“Shaigi!” He hollered. I walked up onto the stage and my brother ran at me. I just stood calmly as Dimitri quickly ran in front of me. He held my hand in his as he looked at my brother. Kei stopped in his tracks before he attacked a man of higher status. Kei hissed at Dimitri.
“Move out of the way Sir Dimitri!” Kei yelled as everyone went quiet and watched us, but was changed when Roza stood up from her throne next to Hajji.
“Dimitri!” She yelled with hope.
Dimitri didn’t even notice and watched my brother. “Move from our way, Sir Kei. This does not concern you.”
“Of course it does, Sir. I have to kill that monster!” Kei yelled with anger.
“Then you will have to kill me also, Sir! I am a Shaigi also!” Dimitri yelled and I squeezed his hand. I walked to the side of Dimitri but kept his hand in mine.
“Sir Kei, this is not an attack. Let us pass.”
“Like I would trust the word of a monster!” Kei yelled and then threw a knife from his pocket at my head. I sighed and caught it in mid-air. I threw the weapon to the ground.
“Move Sir or be moved!” I warned.
“What is this about, monster?!” The king yelled and I looked at him. “Why is Sir Dimitri calling himself a Shaigi?”
“Because he is one, sir.” I replied and the king pulled a gun out at me. He pointed it at me and Dimitri put his hand up.
“Burn…” Dimitri hissed and the king yelled as he dropped the now red-hot gun.
“I have married Dimitri, Sir.”
“Why would you hurt him like that?!”
“I asked her to, Sir. Don’t blame her for it.” Dimitri held my hand again. “I don’t care what your laws say, Hazuki is not a monster. Both of us aren’t, we are just misunderstood.”
“Why are you two here anyways?” Hajji asked rudely.
“I’m here to make a proposition.” I replied. “I know I am your worst threat, so I want to trade my life in change for the death penalties on my children.”
“Children?”
“Aurora and Justice. They deserve to live.”
The king stood and frowned. “We learned our lesson with you, Hazuki Utashi. Your kind should never get a chance to live because they will deceive us at some point.”
I looked at the king and then at the crowd watching me. I felt like an animal stuck in a cage being watched at a zoo. “I don’t want to fight your family anymore, sir.”
“Then you should have given Justice to us! If you had you could be sitting at Sei side like I wanted!” The king yelled and I looked away.
“He is my son, sir. I would not let you kill him just like I would not let your son get killed while everyone was in lock down.” I whispered and held back tears. “But…” I brushed a tear from my cheek. “I can’t fight anymore! I can’t fight the people I used to love like my family! I just can’t do it!” I cried as I clenched my fists. “I’ve lost almost everything I love in this stupid war for no damn reason! I’ve lost my brother, my love, my best friend, my family, and the vampire people I held so dearly! I can’t do it anymore!” I clenched my fists tighter. “But I won’t give up one of the few things I have left. I will not give up my children that have done nothing to deserve this hate.”
“Hazuki…” Roza whispered sadly and I looked at her. Then I looked at Dimitri.
“Stay here.” I whispered and then walked over to Roza. She looked curious and slightly scared but gasped when I handed her a gun that was hooked to my right shoe. I set it in her hands and took a step back. I looked at her intently. “If the vampires want me dead so badly I want to die at the hands of you, Roza. Even after everything you are my best friend.”
She started crying. “I…I…” She cried as she looked at the gun but quickly dropped it and ran to me. She hugged me so tightly it hurt but I loved the pain. “I can’t kill you!” She cried into my hair and I hugged her back. I closed my eyes and brushed her hair kindly.
“It’s okay. Don’t cry.” I whispered and she cried even more. I then let go of her and smiled as I picked up the gun. I tossed it underhand to the king and he caught it. “Take the shot if you want to kill me. I won’t fight anymore.”

The king looked nervous but was shocked when his wife quickly hit the gun from him. “You know we all have missed her, dear! I don’t want to cry anymore because of this war!”
“Your highness…” I whispered and then walked over to the gun. I picked it up and tossed it to Sei. He was surprised. “You try to already kill me, so try again.” I was shocked when he tossed it back to me and shook his head.
“My brother and I agree with our mother.” Sei replied with a smile. I lifted the gun into the air and looked at the crowd.
“Any takers?” I asked and everyone was silent, but I quickly walked over to my brother. I got extremely close to him and set the gun in his right hand. “I know you will kill me, Sir Kei and I’m giving you the chance to.” I said and then took a step back. “You can kill this monster without a fight.” My brother didn’t do anything so I turned to Dimitri, but his eyes widened and I was curious. Then I realized his horror.
“Hazuki!” Roza screamed, as I felt weak. I looked down at my back and saw my blood. My brother had shot my spine and I knew I was going to die. I fell to the ground and felt my last touch from someone. It was Dimitri who was trying to keep me awake. I felt my eyes closing and he started yelling but I had stopped listening. My eyes closed but no white light came. I was curious if I was now going to hell and it would stay dark for a while but didn’t care after a while. I knew I had left with the satisfaction that Aurora and Justice would live. What I had always wished and wanted for had happened; we are accepted.
I finally saw a color, which was red and was frightened. But no flames came or the face of the devil. I realized I was Alive! My eyes were closed and my eyelids were showing I was in a lighted are. I lived! I quickly opened my eyes to see I was alone in a well-lit room. Outside of my room was a dark area that only got light from the room I could see across from me in the building. I saw needles in my arms and knew I was in a vampire hospital that was closed since it was day. I saw a piece of paper and a cup of pens for the doctors to use. I quickly grabbed a black pen and a piece of paper. I realized I could not move anything past my hips and knew I was partially paralyzed. I wrote my thoughts.
Dear Justice and Aurora,
I’m sorry it had to end like this, but I’m glad I finally got your freedom. You two will live a regular life, which is all I have ever wished for. I love you two with all my heart and leave everything in my life to you. I hope you the best in life and wish I could see you two grow up for a little longer. Just to see you one more time and to hug you would make me feel so much better, but I don’t have that kind of time left. I want you two to know I would have never left you if I didn’t have to and that you two are my hope, life, and love. You completed me and I will never forget you for it. If you remember anything about me please remember the happy times we spent together.
Justice, I pray to god that you have a great life. I have left may people to protect you in your years to come and have set a large sum of money for you and one that I need you to hold for your little sister.
Aurora, I’m sorry we haven’t had much time together. But I am glad I was able to be your mommy for as long as I could. I could never be as happy as I was when I was with you and your brother. You two made my life what I loved and I will miss you because of that.
Dimitri, I will love you for all eternity. I’m so glad I married you before I had to face my death. I wish we had more time to be together but will always remember you.
Hans, I could never thank you enough for being there for me whenever I needed someone. I wish I could spend more time with you and get to have more good times together.
James, you are the best guy I have ever met with such a long record of problems. I hope you meet a woman that can make you as happy as you deserve.
Serine, I’m sorry we did not get to catch up much but hope the rest of your life is great. I will always remember the times we had together as kid like gems.
Roza, I’m sorry we did not get more time as friends once again but I will always remember you as my best friend and new sister-in- law. I hope you are Hajji live well together because you two deserve it.
Sei, I’m sorry for everything that has happened but I know I did love you and wish I could tell you in person. I hope you find a woman that will make you as happy as I wish I could have.
King and Queen, thank you for taking care of me throughout the years and treating me like a vampire even though I was not one for so long.
Lucas and Miss Julia, I could never tell you how grateful I am to the two of you. I could have never made it through life without you two. I will tell mom and dad how well you treated me and will watch over the two of you while you live on.
Brother, I have loved you even though you have hated me for so long. Mom and I could never think badly of you and we wish you could have loved us back. I hope you will not hate me even though I am gone. I want you and I to both only think about the good times we had as kids and on the train with Sei.
I will miss everyone I have ever come into contact with and wish I could tell you how much I will miss you, but I am so weak and can feel myself dieing. I would like to be buried next to my parents in the cemetery of my people. I wish I had more time but am glad to have lived for so long. Love is all my people wanted and that id what I have received from you all.





I will miss you all,










Hazuki Utashi

Hazuki was found the next morning dead in her hospital bed with the note of love for everyone in her hands. Kei was the worst effected by this because he finally realized he did not hate his sister, but it was too late to tell her that. Hazuki was buried next to her parents and is now honored by the vampires as the woman who showed them the error of their ways. Hazuki is still in the hearts of everyone, but her soul in still left with her family where they have become closer than ever and are as happy as they can be without Hazuki. In the end Hazuki’s death fulfilled her life long dream that all would accept her kind. Shaigi people are now treated equally in the memory of Hazuki.

I got out of the car as Oliver turned off the engine at the sight of the other long awaited car. The apple-red convertible stopped and stopped its engine. Justice walked over to me with a smile and hugged me. He was in thick layers of cloths just like Oliver and I. Justice’s wife, Kimi, hugged me after her husband and smiled to Oliver who took my hand in his. I looked up at him as snowflakes covered our hair. “Lets go.” I persuaded and he nodded. Justice and Kimi walked behind us hand in hand also. Oliver stopped at the sight of a dim light in the fairly dark area. A familiar face was shown by the light as the person jogged to me. “Dad!” I whispered in joy and hugged my dad at the same time as Justice. Dad smiled and looked at me.
“You look beautiful in your mother’s dress, dear.” He told me and then smugly smiled to Justice. “You cleaned up very well, boy.”
“So did you, Dimitri.” Justice said back and they laughed together. We then went to a spot lit by ten other candles. I smiled to everyone as Oliver went and shook his father’s hand.
“Hey dad.” He said kindly and I smiled. The trees covered us from snowflakes so we were all less covered.
“We should start.” Oliver’s grandmother said and I nodded. I walked with Justice to the stone in front of us as everyone else formed a single line around the area. The other 13 people seemed to hold their breath when Justice unlocked his necklace. He set it on the third stone and nodded to me. I set my hand on the stone as Justice did the same and we closed our eyes.
“Mother…” Justice whispered and then looked to the stone. “Grandfather and grandmother…please join us on this beautiful Christmas eve.” He said and we took a step back. Three people formed out of an almost see-through material that looked like fog. Our beautiful mother, grandfather, and grandmother smiled to us. Our mother brushed a tear away from her face and smiled.
“What a beautiful sight.” She whispered to Justice and I smiled to her like he did. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas.” Everyone whispered back to my mother and she smiled.
“Wow…everyone’s here?” She asked me directly and I nodded.
“Oliver and Kimi came with us, dad, Prince Sei, Roza, Prince Hajji, the king, the queen, Hans, James, and uncle Kei all came on their own.” I replied and she smiled like usual to my grandmother.
“This is all your doing, mom.” She said with a laugh and grandmother shook her head.
“I only gave birth to you, dear girl.” She looked to all of us and smiled. “You did this. You made it possible for everyone to be equal. You have done well.”
“And how happy we are you did.” Dad said and mom looked to him.
“Dimitri…” She whispered in a lovesick way that made me miss her more. I looked at everyone else to see they all felt the same thing as me.
“We love you mom,” Justice said and then looked over to everyone else. “But we must go.”
She nodded and walked to Justice. “And I love all of you like you could never imagine…” She said and then looked to uncle Kei but looked to dad after. “Keep up the good work.” She said and he nodded.
Just like every other time I had come here at Christmas I wanted to grab my mother’s arm like I used to and never let go. I wanted to bring my mom back with me and let everyone here feel better, but that was not possible. I looked up to my grandmother and then to my mom with the smile everyone knew too well. “Love is all we want and all we have for you.” I said and felt everyone’s spirit grow. We all knew even though death separated up we still loved each other. “Bye mom.” I whispered and mom waved as Justice took his necklace off of the stone. I felt a tear drip off my chin and quickly brushed it away. I looked down to the ground below my feet and slightly smiled. “Love is all we want and all we have…” I whispered and then looked to Oliver. Everyone said their goodbyes and we left for the millionth time with our reminder of our connection to all of us, all we have for each other is love and that is all we want and need. All we need is each other; nothing lifted my heart like that thought did.