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Chapter One

Life is nothing without pain We cannot feel the war cold; we cannot feel the joy of a s heartache But someti it, either

My life would end today, when I hopped in the car at the end of the driveway and saw David in the rear-vieaving It would be enough to crush ht now, in his arine this hat joy felt like

"Don’t say it, Ara" He stepped back frooodbye if you say it"

"That’s not true, David I’ve never said goodbye to anyone I’ve lost--doesn’t change the fact that they’re gone"

He s his thumb over my cheek "Well, who knows, maybe I’ll turn up some positive information on your bloodline--perhaps you were adopted after all, and you’ll be saying hello to a whole new family you never knew you had"

I smiled "Well, I’ll keep the dad I have, but I’d like a sister"

He laughed a little "Then, a sister I shall find you"

We both looked up to the car when Mike cleared his throat for the tenth tier door sitting open

"I think that’s your cue to go," David said

"No, the last four huffs before that were He’s one grunt short of physically re me"

"Shall we run away then?" His eyes, as I looked up at him, offered only humour, not the proposition I hoped for

"I e could But then who’d catch the big bad vamp?"

He waved a dished and wrappedfroainst the shade of his towering height "I’ll see you soon"

"You will" He kept one hand around htly away "I’ll find Drake for you, Ara--and I’ll be at the manor by the end of summer"

"Promise?"

He shook his head "Too many promises have not been kept, my love I won’t promise this, but I will promise not to rest until I find that son of a bitch"

"It’s not his fault, you know"

"Who?"

"Drake It’s not his fault there’s a prophecy that states he’s going to be killed by a kid Ius down if ere Drake I feel sorry for hih his nose "And this is why children should not take on adult responsibilities"

"Who? Me? A child?"

"Yes"

"I’m not a child"

"Ara, you’re nineteen You’re a child"

"Then you are, too You’re nineteen"

"I’m over a hundred and twenty years old My body is nineteen But my mind is wise beyond that--far wiser than yours"

"So, now I’m dumb"

"Not dumb, irl, but sos with the innocence of a child"

"I disagree I think I’ht about Drake"

He half turned away, looking back at the house "You’ll see, in time Your decisions will directly affect others now, mon amour, and I can only warn you so far There will coe you’ve done beforemy hands onto o rule those people"

"I will be ruling Once we catch Drake"

"Fine Then you can do it alone I quit If I know nothing, why should I--"

"Ara" Mike grabbed , baby We gotta go; the Lilithians are rallying to rasp "I’ anywhere How can I find one ounce of faith in myself, when no one else seems to have any?"

"We do, baby We’re all just stressed, okay"

"David?"

He looked up fro to do this?"

"Just say it," Mike said; I looked at hi at David

"Say what?" I asked

"Nothing," David said, staring Mike down

"Guys!" I sto abouton?"

Mike took a breath "He’s not worried about your abilities as queen, Ara"

David stepped forward a little, his body language holding no bars back, warning Mike not to elaborate

"I’m sorry, mate, she deserves to know"

"Knohat?" I said

"He’s worried about the spirit bind"

David sunk back, silently cursing

"Really?"