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I couldn't tell how long I had been sitting in the cold metal chair. Time was inconsequential now. It drifted by, neither slowly, nor quickly. I felt another slap across my face. The blow left a numbing sensation, and then it began to sting. I couldn't even bring my hands up to shield my face. They were shackled to the chair behind my back. The Alchemists still left me with the ability to see.

I glared up at my attacker. My father, Jared Sage. His face was contorted in fury, his eyes filled with hatred. No matter what happened I couldn't let our relations, keep me from what was right and wrong. I had made up my mind. There was nothing wrong with vampires. They had cared about me more so then anyone else.

After all none of my Alchemists friends had promised to find me and save me no matter what happened to them.

"Do you like vampires?" Jared asked me, breaking my train of thought. There was disgust in his voice.

I wasn't going to let him win. I looked him in the eye and tried to act braver than I felt. "Yes." I answered.

My father snapped his fingers and two other Alchemists came into the room. One of them held a long knife.

My father repeated the question. "Do you like vampires?"

I nodded, afraid to open my mouth as I watched the Alchemist with the knife. Jared Sage made a gesture and the man with the knife came closer. I drew myself up in the chair. I wasn't going to scream or cry. I was going to be strong. Try to be like Rose, I was going to be fearless and unbreakable. I was going to fall asleep as soon as I know where I was. I was going to make it back to Adrian. I clenched my teeth as the blade cut me. Ruby red crystals of blood flowed from the incision. I felt the pain. There was so much pain.

"Were you involved with Lord Adrian Ivashkov?" her father asked.

"Yes." I replied. Then came more cuts and more pain. I could handle it. They weren't aiming for any major arteries or veins. This was a torture technique for brainwashing. I was being reeducated. Why else could I expect?

"Do you love him?" her father asked.

I hesitated. What kind of a question was that? Why did they need to know? I didn't even know and right now wasn't really the right time to think about it. Instead I gave a comment that was sure to provoke him.

"For as long as we both shall live." I said mockingly.

Instead of cuts, I was physically abused. The two men hit me everywhere, punching and slapping, and my body throbbed in pain. I remained still, not complaining, not even one grunt of pain. I couldn't give them that satisfaction. But it eventually became too much so I feigned unconsciousness.

They stopped hitting me and I heard their feet scuffling backwards. The door opened and then closed. Someone had walked in. The footsteps circled the chair I was in. The person's eyes seemed to boring into me.

Then the person spoke. "She's not going to give in, is she?"

The person was a woman, middle aged, and her British accent indicated she was from London branch of Alchemists.

"No I don't think so." Her father said.

He sounded a little nervous, as if he didn't expect this woman to show up. She seemed to be in charge. Feet shuffled around me, and I could tell I was being surrounded in a circle. I was beginning to become a little sleepy, but I had to stay awake in case I found out where I was.

"We're going to move her to The Headquarters." The woman said, professionally.

"The one in Miami?" My father asked.

"Is there any other Headquarters, Jared?" The woman snapped.

" No, mother. I'll take her to Miami." My father said.

My grandmother was in this room. I had never met her. I didn't even know she was alive. My father had always kept her a secret. But there was no time to think about it. I knew where I was going to be, and I had to sleep and tell Adrian as soon as possible.

I let the wave of fatigue wash over me and I was abruptly in the room I was currently in again. I was still in the cold metal chair, with my hands chained.

Adrian walked through the door looking extremely angry. He surveyed me closely and banged his fist against the wall.

"Calm down." I told him.

"Calm down!" He repeated. "You want me to calm down? Have you seen what they've done to you? Damn it, I'm going to rip them into a million pieces, feed them to alligators, burn the alligators,-"

"There's really no need for animal cruelty in a time like this." I said interrupting his cute rant.

His head snapped toward me. "Where are you? I can't stand not knowing where you are" he said frustrated.

"I don't know but I do know that my father and the Alchemists have me and they're sending me to the Alchemist Headquarters in Miami." I told him.

His expression turned into disbelief. "Your own people did this to you?" He reached his hand forward and touched a bruise on my forehead. I winced at the contact, so he slowly drew his hand back. Then he unchained my hands.

"I can't believe this. If anyone's going to chain you up in shackles, it's going to be me." He said winking at me.

I blushed furiously, knowing what he had just insinuated. Then said something without thinking. "My dad asked me if I loved you."

Adrian met my eyes, resolute, filled with curiosity. "Do you?" He asked.

I shook my head. "I don't know."

He nodded, understanding. He knelt down then gripping my hands; he rubbed circles in the middle of my palms.

"If you were with me, you wouldn't have all these bruise over your body." He murmured.

"Oh I don't know. There are a couple of things you and I could do that involve bruises." I commented, hoping he would take the joke.

"Not ever unless you were ready." He said, while the corners of his lips curved upward. I jumped into his arms hoping he knew how much that meant to me

Then like last time, the room began to fade. I awoke with a start, with sunlight blinding my eyes. I had been sitting in a car, but someone was pushing me out of it. It seemed like I had reached Miami.