Everything was dark. Not black, but almost. It was a colour she couldn't describe. It was black, but seemed to have many other colours mixed in. She felt a deep, pulsing pain from somewhere, but she pushed it away, not wanting to risk increasing the pain. But it was relentless, coming closer and closer, more and more painful until eventually it consumed her completely.


A loud crack was heard just before an ear shattering shriek of pain erupted from Claire's cell. Oliver watched calmly as she bolted upright on her bed, holding her neck and hissing, her eyes a blood red and her fangs fully extended. She sagged slightly, so Oliver knew the pain of her broken neck healing was gone. She raised her head and took in her surroundings, looking like a wild creature locked in a cage. As soon as she spotted him leaning against the cell bars opposite her cell, she went completely still.


He was leaning casually against the wall, watching her with calm eyes. Claire stopped breathing for a second, her body automatically preparing to asses the new threat, but when she realised he was making no move towards her, she narrowed her eyes and swung her legs off the shelf she was sitting on. She assumed it was meant to be a bed, but it looked like a shelf, so she was calling it a shelf. As she took in her surroundings in more detail, she realised he was leaning against another cell opposite hers, and the entire corridor was made up of cells side by side. However, she could not see or hear any other inhabitants apart from her. Oliver said nothing, merely remaining standing. She sighed and stood up, stretching. Several bones in her back cracked and she groaned. "So" she said to the unresponsive Oliver "How long until visitors are allowed?" as the last word left her mouth, she heard a door open in the distance and heard the click clack of heels on the stone floor. "Speaking of the she-devil herself" she muttered, sitting on the shelf and crossing her arms.

After a couple of minutes, Amelie came into sight. Claire didn't look up, just remained staring at the floor, refusing to give a reaction. She could see Amelie's cream pumps come into view and stop in front of her cell, facing her. There was silence for a moment, then she spoke "Claire" her voice commanded authority and Claire felt a sensation she hadn't as a human, an urge to obey this master vampire speaking to her. She scowled at the floor and gave no response. "Well, I must say, you have changed" What was this? Small talk before she ordered Claire – because it would be an order, not a request – to do whatever it was she had had Oliver snap her neck and drag her all the way back to this hell hole for. She snorted in disbelief, and looked up.

Amelie looked no different to the last time Claire had seen her. If she hadn't been wearing different clothes, Claire could have been tricked into thinking no time had passed at all. Still had those ice blue eyes, piercing into Claire's very soul. She refused to give any sort of reaction, just sat up off the wall and asked what it was she wanted. A flicker of something passed over Amelies face, but it was gone too quickly for Claire to be able to tell what it was. "I would like you to analyse Eve, to work out what it was that allowed her to carry this child inside her" Abomination a voice inside Claire's mind whispered. There would have been a time, a time long ago, when she would have rejoiced at this new being, a result of the supposed eternal love between a vampire and a human. But she'd been through too much, had changed beyond repair. The word no had already passed through her lips before Amelie had finished speaking. "No?" the word was not spoke questioningly, it was a threat, daring Claire to go further. But dare she did.

"I won't do what you want me to do. You can lock me up in here as long as you want, I'm not going to change my mind" Amelie's head tilted a fraction, as she replied "Oh I wouldn't be so sure of that Claire. You see, I know that you would claim to hate everything about this town, to hate everyone on this town, but I know that there is one person in this town that you still hold a degree of affection for." No Claire thought to herself There's no way that she found out about us – we were so careful! Our system was foolproof, we checked it countless times! But even as Claire thought furiously she knew that Amelie knew that she had been, infact, talking to someone inside the town limits.

At some unseen signal, two guards came down the hallway, dragging someone inbetween them. All she could see was a mess of brown curls, but not being able to see the face didn't matter. She knew instinctively who it was.

Myrnin.

Hey guys, just before you go I wanted to apologize for the long wait between chapters 2 and 3. So, sorry! But unfortunately I wont be able to post for a while because I'm going on my hols, and there's no internet connection :-(