Hilton Meurtrier lead his guests up the fine stairway to the second floor. He led them past the master bedroom, to the right wing of the house. He explained that the same descendant who put in the bank account built the right wing of the house. It was purposely built for Red. He led them both to the end room. It was a bedroom. It was like the rest of the house massive.

Hilton left them, explaining that the staff would be setting up the right wing of the house to his needs. He also explained that the right wing was, or could be, a house in itself, with kitchen, living rooms, dining rooms, reception rooms and a ball room. "However" he remarked on leaving, "I would like you to join and meet my family tonight for dinner."

He closed the door and Isabella let out a sigh of relief before collapsing on the bed. She bounced up again. The bed was very soft. "Why is being so nice to you?" Isabella asked tiredly. " Because, soulmate, I am very important. My name can be used to frighten council members into submission. I do not mind because he will respect me and do my biding. If he does ask anything of me, unjustly out of my situation to do, I will kill him."

Red said this while poking round the room, examining every aspect. "Now, Isabella, why don't you take a shower, I'll go to this dinner of theirs, and I'll ask the servant to send up some food for you." Isabella sat bolt upright. "And why aren't I invited to dinner?" Red looked at his outraged soulmate. "Because I don't think that they will sit down and eat food."

Opps. Isabella blushed, How could she be such an idiot? They were vampires, their equivalent of dinner was a hunt. Red was smiling down at her. He went over to the walk in wardrobe. It was empty. "I'll have to go like this, but I'll see if he's got any daughters to lend you some clothes and take you shopping tomorrow and get you some new clothes." He smiled condescendingly and left for dinner.

Isabella eventually got up to explore the room. It was of course blood red and had intricate designs on the ceiling and floor. There were 5 doors off the room. One they had come in by. One to the walk in wardrobe. One to a balcony. One to a ensuite and one to a reception room and the rest of the house. Isabella walked back to the ensuite. She poured herself a bath, in the massive tub and soaked in it for half an hour.

By the time she came out it was pitch black outside, or as black as it could be in Las Vegas. A clock on the wall told her it was 11 O'clock. She wandered out on to the balcony. She sniffed the air. It didn't smell polluted like the guy on TV always said Las Vegas was. But then again, this was the best area of Las Vegas. Every house was a mansion.

Red came back in to find her lying on the bed asleep, with the TV still on. She was only wearing a bathrobe. Her hair was still wet. He picked her up and placed her the right way up on the bed. He locked the balcony door and placed a small pile of clothes in the wardrobe. He then got in the other side of the bed.

When Isabella woke in the morning Red was still asleep on the other side of the bed. She realised she was still only wearing a bathrobe. She got up and huddled the robe around her. She saw the cupboard door was ajar and found a pile of clothes. Quickly getting changed she headed out the room to explore.

The reception room lead out onto a hallway. The hallway had several doors leading off it and a flight of stairs leading down into a hallway that was similar to the one that she had arrived in the day before. It was just as big. She went down the stairs and found herself with the option of 2 doors. One to the left and one to the right. She chose the left and headed out into a room which was another reception room. 2 doors led off and she choose the one facing the back of the house.

Finding herself in a spa with a hot tub and other spa equipment she headed through the glass door in the end, out into the garden. It wasn't so much of a garden as a forest, with trees reaching the sky. She wandered in. It was quiet out there, with only the sound of birds singing. A giggle came from behind her. She turned round but there was nothing there.

A twig snapped and she turned again. Nothing. "I know your there. Come out and stop playing games." Another giggle. She spun round. Nothing. She started a spell, it was in Latin. The giggle stopped. The sound of retreating footsteps greeted her ears. Kids were always scared of magic. But now she was lost and at the moment no tracing spells reached her mind.

Red? I'm kind of lost in the woods. Any help would be appreciated. She pathed him and waited for a response. "Well you didn't need my help with those kids, did you?" Red grinned from behind her. She sent him a visual image of her slapping him and him breaking down into tears. He just grinned and lead the way back to the house.

"I sense that the maid did not do as I asked and bring you some food. Well I think it's time you had breakfast. Lori-Anne is already in the dining room waiting to meet you and go shopping. I'm sure you'll get along fine. She's Hilton's only daughter and I think you met his only son yesterday. The sheepish one." He had been reading her thoughts again. Typical. "Oh and those kids, there the servants kids." Great she'd been given the run around by the servants kids.

Red led her into a room, with a massive table and a curly red head girl sitting at it waiting patiently. As Red entered she looked at him with complete fear and dread. Isabella reminded herself that he probably told the girl that she was going shopping rather than asked. A maid came in carrying a steaming English breakfast and Isabella's eyes goggled at the sight.

It was massive. She only had a small appetite. "Hi, I'm Lori-Anne, but please call me Lori." The girl sounded desperate, especially over the please. Goddess Red, what did you do to her? "Hi I'm Isabella. Call me Isa if you want to. Um this looks big, but delicious. My compliments to the chief." She ate what she could, before surrendering. Lori talked about life in Las Vegas and Red looked sternly at them both.

When she had finished, Red called the Limo round and they all piled in. Hilton was already there. He smiled as his daughter and Red got in and then noticing Isabella, he asked "What's your secretary doing along?" This was met with an uncomfortable silence from Isabella and a smile from Red. Lori just looked horrified. "Dad, this is Isabella Abforth, she's Red's.." Lori trailed off. She didn't know the relationship between Isabella and Red. Neither did Isabella.

Red just sat beside Isabella, placing his arm possessively round her shoulder. He was smiling at the situation. Lori looked startled, Isabella looked out the window and Hilton looked very embarrassed. They stopped at the bank. The men went off to see the bank manger about accessing the account. Lori and Isabella talked on one of the sofas in the lobby.

"So are you Red's girlfriend?" Lori asked eagerly as soon as Red left. Isabella laughed. "I have no idea. I suppose so. I could be." Lori looked amazed. "How can you not know?". Isabella shrugged and changed the subject.

"So the night world like here?" Lori looked round. In a hushed whisper she replied, "Well there all means sons of bitchs. They go to the same schools as those damn daybreakers. There always picking fights. There are quite a lot of daybreakers round here."

"Fred says there inferior. Thick and all. That's why they want peace. 'Cos they're to thick to realise that there gonna lose. How can they get all four. Anyway, the last ones going to be on our side 'cos the prophecy says 'one from the twilight to be one with the dark'. No way the daybreakers gonna get that one." She was smiling all the way through her talk.

Isabella felt Red come up behind her. She told Red, while still looking at Lori, "Lori says daybreakers are inferior. She says they're thick and don't stand a chance." By the look on Lori's face she smelled a rat. "Don't worry Lori. It's Red's fault, he didn't tell you I'm a daybreaker." With that she got up and walked out the bank, Red followed along with the others.

And Red was smiling.

-*- Hi guys, I know I'm your favourite author, but I never get tired of hearing it. So keep telling me...