Chapter 4

I sat staring at an empty room around me. I couldn't see past a one foot diameter around me. The blackness seemed eery, like walls slowly crushing me. My eyes widened as the darkness retreated from coliseum lights. Each light was solely focused on me. I stood from my chair and the instant I was standing a glass cage surrounded me. I felt panic pump through my veins and I shoved against the cage to no avail. Two doors opened on either side of the coliseum and my brother stepped from one end. He wore the armor of a gladiator and held two, wickedly sharp swords. On the other side my father stepped out, also wearing gladiator armor but holding a long sword and shield. Both of their eyes locked on me.

"Don't move. Don't scream. Do it and I'll kill you." A cold voice hissed in my ear as I flinched from the dream.

Someone stood over me with a small blade to my neck. His eyes were staring down at me in cold calculation. I couldn't see color in his eyes. I couldn't feel the heartbeat in his wrists or see the vein on his neck. I couldn't see much of him.

I froze.

"Get up. Don't move your mouth beyond breathing." I did as instructed.

Strong arms grabbed and sinch-tied my wrists. I felt the cloth pulled around my mouth and the blade go on my throat again. Barely a hair away from ending my life.

"Walk." He shove me out the door and over to the stairs. I walked down them as he instructed, fear got the better of me.

"Dison!" A light flicked on in the living room and Connor stood. He has no weapons or way of defence with him. That's how it appeared at least.

"Hello Connor." I could hear the sneer in Dison's voice.

Dison grabbed the tie on my wrists and shoved me back behind him. I stumbled down on the ground. They both stepped forward.

"You aren't going anywhere with her." Connor's and Dison's glares met. I half expected a big explosion like in Harry Potter.

"You don't want to repeat Arc Angel, do you"

"That was three years ago. I'm not that stupid any more."

"People never really change."

"You're one to talk."

"I have a hostage to deliver. I'd appreciate it if we can postpone this pissing contest for another time." Dison drolled.

"Over my dead body!" Connor lunged at Dison, producing a silver dagger from nowhere.

Dison swept Connor's blow off and lunged also, as they met Dixon swept his knife in an arch that left Connor with a long S shaped slash across his body. Connor turned for another strike, but Dison was quicker. He had Connor in an arm lock in almost an instant. Connor fell to the ground and only then did I see his own silver dagger sticking out of his back.

I shoved myself up and just as I began to take a step forward, Dison had grabbed my arm and was dragging me out with inhuman strength.

I pulled against him, staring at Connor's still form. Dison cursed and pulled me harder, placing a blade against my neck again. He grabbed me and ran carrying me far from the small town, from Sejiluan, Jessica and Vic, Kelly and Lilly, and Connor.

Deep in the forest Dison finally stopped and shoved me against a rock. I used it as leverage to pull myself up. I shot him what I hoped wa my coldest and fiercest glare.

Dison walked around me and untied the gag. I exhaled sharply.

"Now, why are you so pissed. I thought girls liked being kidnapped." Before I could answer his voice changed slightly, "well you did almost kill her boy friend," his voice change back to normal, "shut up you! Make me! I swear to god you are so infuriating sometimes."

I felt my jaw drop as I stared at his one person argument. What the hell?

"You're freaking her out! No you are! Ugh you are impossible!"

I stood up slowly as he turned and started yelling at himself. I stepped back a few paces then turned and ran as quietly as I could. Freak.

I fell into a full sprint once I was out of earshot. I found a sharp river rock and got the sinchtie off. After that I ran like hell.

I was a fair distance from where I predicted Dison was when I had to stop for air. My throat burned with each breath and my body ached with fatigue. I honestly was just glad I had my comfortable tennis shoes on. I stopped by a stream bed and sat on a rock that was decently smoothed.

I sat and stared at the morning sun. The sky was still tinged with orange. Oh what I wouldn't give to be back home, even with my drunkard mother and the jackass bullies. Just away from this.

It is kind of beautiful out here, I thought, it would be better if it was home.

I tensed as I felt a hand snake around my neck and another around my shoulders. I was pulled against something hard and stiff and ice cold.

"I have to admit," a venomous voice whispered in my ear as the hand on my neck tilted up my chin, exposing my neck, "not many humans can escape from Dison, alive at least. Of course, not many find about his little multi- personality issue." There was a faint tinge of annoyance in his voice but I could hear the smug satisfaction at catching me before I even knew he was there.

"Get your filthy hands off of me." I struggled but to no avail. His arms just tightened and his hand pushed my chin even farther up.

"You shouldn't act like you have control over the situation. It isn't appealing and it isn't true."

"Like I care," I snarled in response, "get off of me!"

"No..." The voice purred in my ear.

"You heard the lady, get off her." I looked down my nose at Vic, he stood squared off with my second captor.

"A hunter? I am not scared of hunters. You of all people know what I do to those who defy me like the hunters."

"Yeah I didn't notice the hundreds of beheaded hunters you leave on our doorsteps!" Vic snapped back. I saw a rustle in the tree behind him.

"Vic!" I choked out, just as Dison dropped from the tall oak above Vic.

Vic spun to meet his new attacker but was shoved to the ground by Dison's pure mass. I stared in horror as the only thing between Vic and the next best thing to death's door were put face to face.

I didn't have to watch for long because in another instant my feet had left the ground and I was carried away from the two fighting men. I had my eyes closed tightly until I felt my feet touch the ground again. My eyes opened and I saw the familiar roof of the castle. The same castle I had woken up in a few days ago.

I relaxed slightly now that I wasn't at risk of death by thousand meter fall. I was still not completely relaxed.

"You certainly are a lot of trouble human girl. Maybe I should just kill you." His hand tightened around my neck until it started to burn slightly.

"Go ahead, jerk," I growled back, "save us both a lot of trouble."

"No, I like your attitude. You aren't afraid of death are you?"

"Fear is a stupid hallucination. Go to hell by the way." Damn I sound like my dad.

"Funny," he didn't sound amused, "your father said the exact same thing before I killed him."

I tensed. This son of a class A jerk had killed my father.

"Didn't they tell you?" I could hear the smile in his voice, "no matter. I think you need some alone time with my," he hesitated, "friends."

My eyes widened as he dropped off the edge of the roof and in front of the great doors. They swung open and I had a seconds look before I was shoved roughly into the hands of two men in suits, who then dragged me out of the entrance hall and down a few corridors before they blindfolded me.

I was chained, hands above my head. I blinked twice at the darkness surrounding me. Trapped again. Whoopdedo.

I felt a cold hand began tracing the curve of my neck. It ran down from the base of my chin to my shoulder. Two more pairs hands began wandering over my body. Are these his "friends"?

As the hands wandered, the fabric they touched changed. and on the bare skin, silk appeared. White silk. Spiders… so cliche.

I felt the new silken dress cover my body. it was not tight anywhere, it was not particularly flared anywhere, but the silk felt like it wasn't really clothes. It felt too weak to be clothing. When I looked down, my jeans and T-shirt were gone, replaced with a long silk dress that had a high neckline and no sleeves. It was closed back, thank God, and closed front. But it still felt weak, it still felt flimsy.

The hands retreated from my body and I tried pulling against the chains to see if they would give way. Nothing… damnit.

"Much better." the venomous voice of Vladimir purred behind me. I whipped around as much as I could but he was gone, "I think you should wear white silk more often."

I turned again but once again he was gone. I really hate games…

"Mind if you stop playing and tell me what you are planning on doing with me now?" I tried to sound bored but my quavering voice probably gave away how scared I was.

"I think," the voice purred behind me again, "I'm going to taste you." he lingered on the word "taste" for a dramatic second.

Before I could turn around a cold hand snaked around my neck and held it up. I tried to lunge forward but his free hand snaked around my waist. I kicked but it was hopeless, I was helpless.

I felt cold lips on my neck and then two sharp pinpricks of pain that quickly grew into very painful and bleeding wounds. The damned jerk is feeding!

I struggled again, now with new incentive. Not standing still while he drinks my life away!

He slowly stopped and I heard the smile in his voice, "Sweet. You are just an innocent child aren't you. You haven't seen pain, you haven't seen fear. I suppose, I'll have to show you!"

He bit me again, slower this time. I could tell he was indulging in my blood. I screamed and kicked and tried everything I could to get him off of me. In response he just bent my back, breaking the chains holding my arms up. I was in a low bow with his arms clasped around my waist and my arms, and his other hand clamped over my mouth. I felt blood loss beginning to affect me and started to slump. Instantly he stopped and this time I could see his face and his smile, and his fangs.

He has pitch black hair that fell over one eye (both of his eyes were blood red) and down to the nape of his neck. He wore a white dress shirt and a black sports jacket and black jeans. God, not cliche at all.

My breathing was fast as I stared up at the man, pain ached in my neck and my joints and weakness settled in my body.

"Good," he purred in my ear, "stay strong, conquering is more fun than controlling…"

Then I passed out.