Chapter 2:

"You're what?" Rose spat through clenched teeth.

"They had plans that I was enlightened to but were cruelly taken away before they could fulfill them." Obron explained easily a hint of rage edging at the back of his throat.

"Aren't you a saint?" Christian teased only slightly tightening his hold on Lisa.

"This must be your girlfriend, I haven't had the pleasure." Obron charmed holding a hand out to Lisa and smiling widely to show off sharp fangs. She pressed closer to Christian and refused to look at the red rimmed eyes. Christian turned her away and blocked her carefully with tensed lips and narrowed eyes.

"And you won't." Christian snapped his smirk turning ragged. Obron pulled his hand away slowly but kept his face close.

"I will dear Christian, I will." He snapped before jerking away. "You see there is a game I wish to play in honor of my friends. A game I believe you have played before. There are five of you…."

"Wow, you can count!" Christian snickered gaining a tense smile in return and a stern look from Lisa and Rose.

"There are five of you, and only two of you will live. I don't much care who survives and who doesn't. It's all your choice."

"We aren't going to sacrifice anybody!" Rose seethed angrily tugging at her harsh.

"You will, when I'm done you will be begging for the mercy of death."

"Well aren't you a poet." Christian stated his words dripping with sarcasm, but rose could see a fearful tint in his crystal blue eyes.

"For now, I shall leave you alone. But don't fret, I'll come back and add to the fun of our game." Then all the strogi exited leaving only a dim light radiating from a bare light bulb behind them. The door sealed loudly and the sound of bolts locking echoing through the depressing room.

"Is everyone okay?" Dimitri questioned calmly glancing around the room.

"Just peachy." Christian mumbled clutching Lisa close. Everyone in that room was worried about somebody else whether by friendship, love, or loyalty. Either way they had clue who really needed to be worried about.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"Good morning all." Obron's voice cackled through the room. "Who wants to go first?"

"Well you just jump right in don't you?" Christian mumbled sleepily stretching out his long legs.

"Is that volunteering?" Obron snickered edging closer to him with a menacing smile. Smirking even wider when there was no reply.

"No it was not volunteering!" Lisa and Rose yelped at the same time, Rose's tone a bit more dtrong then Lisa's. Obron left his features unchanged by the barrage of objections.

"Fine, I will choose." He droned in boredom before a grin broke across his dried lips and he twisted around, "You."

There his finger head steady right at Lisa's terror filled jade green eyes. She choked on fear while burying he blonde head in Christian who snapped his strong arms around her shaking form. Before Obron could reach her both Christian and Rose snapped, "I volunteer!"

"Oh, is that so? Now which to choose?" He joked turning his beaming expression between the two stern faces. "Though I was looking forward to getting to know this young lady, I suppose since Ozera here has been so entertaining I could give him a favor. The snappy young Rose will go first, because I am a bit thirsty."

"No!" Dimitri barked for the first time in a thick accent.

"I do not find you entertaining boy. Titania, my darling, please come and teach this young man a lesson." Then a thin long woman glided in, she had surely once been lovely but not now. Her skin was ghostly pale and ripped down her right arm, along with burnt eyes that were once a warm brown. She could only be twenty if that old but had been around much longer. Leather stretched along her long legs leading to a tight black tank top and curly dark hair.

"No problem, but can one of the others do it I just got a manicure," She chimed motioning to the long glossy nails.

"I've never seen a strogi who cares what she looks like." Christian chuckled snarky keeping his tension far from his face. Titania snapped her long legs over to him in a few strides leaning close with a sweet smile.

"Who is this?" She hummed tracing a log nail over his jaw line and making him cringe in disgust. She ran the tip over her lips gently and stared down at his gorgeous eyes.

"Dear Titania, it's not his turn yet." Obron teased watching the look of disappointment that drenched her features. She jutted out her bottom lip in a puppy dog fashion which looked strange on her sharp features.

"Fine, but tell me when it is his turn." She growled swinging her arms and sweeping away to pull Dimitri up. Two more strogi entered the room to help in dragging the guardian out. Once outside they could hear a struggle ensue before a cry rang out drenched in agony. Rose cringed at the sound and fought even harder for freedom.

"Now, dear Rose." Obron began shuffling over and jolting her to her feet harshly. She kicked ferociously, swinging rock hard arms blindly to no avail. Obron dragged her to the center and wrapped her flailing arms around the wooden chair.

"I'll take her place." Eddie piped harshly with a stone like face.

"I almost forgot you were there. From what I heard from my parted friends you were a delicious snack." He teased while snapping his fingers to bring a strogi in from the stairway. The man's sharp fangs sparkled bitterly as he twisted behind Eddie. With a swift strike his teeth plunged into Eddie's neck emitting a fearful groan. His face went stark white with bleary eyes peering out to nothing.

Obron smashed his knuckles into Rose's cheek and letting blood trickle from the corner of her mouth. With another hit blood fountained from her broken nose. His boot bit into the flesh of her stomach when its steel tip slammed into her abdomen. The shock made her cry out in pain even though she tried to hold it back. Lisa sobbed in the background of her mind and she stared up to Eddie whose face was now blank.

"To make it stop all you have to do is tell me you want to live. Then kill one your acquaintances." Obron spat calmly cracking his knuckles on her face again.

"Never." She said tensely spitting out a mix of blood and saliva.

"Very well, we will move on to somebody else. But I will let you discuss….options for the rest of the night." Then he threw Rose back to the wall with a sickening crack emitting from her shoulder. The strogi withdrew his fangs from an unconscious Eddie and followed suit. Before closing the door a bloody Dimitri was carried in and carelessly tossed into his previous position, earning a painful grunt.

"Dimitri! Eddie! Are you okay?" Lisa cried out from her tear drenched face still buried in Christian's now salt water soaked shirt.

"Fine," Dimitri groaned struggling into the sitting position, "Just bumps and bruises."

"I'm just a…little light…headed." Eddie grumbled breathlessly unable to push himself up from the lying position.

"Why does this always happen to us?" Lisa whined sadly.

"I blame Rose's karma." Christian joked trying to lighten the choking air. Even as he chuckled at his own joke his smirk was falling off his lips. How were they going to get out of this one?