They all sat on the couch now. Michael was on the phone with Oliver and Eve was digging her face into his shoulder and shuddering. Shane looked straight ahead. The words were still running through his mind. A sudden knock at the door startled all three of them. Michael closed his phone and set it on the table. Eve didn't move as he got up and answered the door. Amelie and Oliver swept in. they both knelt down beside the covered body.

"What could do this?" Oliver said rhetorically

He looked up at Michael with a sharp cold look.

"He just came through the door looking for Claire." Shane cut in

Both Oliver and Amelie looked at him now. His face was blank of any emotion. He didn't know what to feel. She was gone.

"Where is she?" Amelie asked

Shane just shook his head.

"She never made it here." He said "But I'm going to go look for her."

"Not wise unless you'd like to be the bait, then I wouldn't stop you." Oliver said

"She could be dead." Shane said coldly

"She isn't."

Everyone looked at Amelie.

"Whatever has her needs her. She will live, but for how long, I don't know."

"We should look for her then." Eve said "I know a few people who'll help."

In an instant Eve grabbed Michael's phone from the table and walked off into the kitchen already having dialed the number. Oliver followed.

"I'll go now." Michael said

He turned to Shane.

"Don't get yourself killed." He said

Shane glared at him.

"Don't give me that look either I know what kind of moron you can be."

Shane rolled his eyes. Before he could retort Michael was gone and the door was hanging open. Shane looked around. The only that kept them protected had fled out into the dark to look for the girl that dug herself into trouble. Now him and Eve were stuck in the house with two vampires. Shane took an uneasy step back. Eve came back and froze.

"Where's Michael?" she asked

"He bolted early to get a head start in looking for Claire." Shane said

"Shit, I have his phone."

"We should go." Shane said

"Go where?" Eve asked

"Look for Claire." Shane said

"He is right." Amelie said "We will go look for her and whatever has taken her. Oliver you wil stay here with the girl and protect the house."

He nodded, a small grin forming.

"No!" Shane and Eve exclaimed at the same time

"He's crazy." Eve said

"If he touches her-"

"If he harms her I will deal with him properly." Amelie interjected coldly "He won't do anything short of keeping her alive."

"It will be nice to catch up with my employee." Oliver said

"Lowe and Hess are out there as well." Eve said as she gulped

Shane nodded and followed Amelie out. He had to speed walk to keep up with her and he wasn't even all that sure he wanted to. At the moment he was extremely vulnerable and without any protection for himself.

"Don't worry." Amelie said

"Why would I worry? Apparently Claire would trust you enough to become your slave so I'm perfectly fine." Shane said sarcastically with lots of emphasis

Amelie chuckled. She actually made an effort to laugh a little and it scared Shane a little. His fist clenched.

"I see why she protects your way of living and has stayed away." She said

"What? You know why she wouldn't come back to the Glass house?"

"Indeed. She has been away for four years and a lot has changed. She has changed you all have changed. She knows she'd disrupt whatever life you three have accustomed yourselves to."

"Life?" Shane scoffed "We don't have a life. Michael is a vampire thanks to you and we've been avoiding each other. Everything fell apart. I can't even say I'm friends with them. Their just housemates."

"The problems in your household is only your fault. You could have moved on. it was only your choice not to."

"And you could've kept her here!" Shane yelled

Amelie stopped and turned. He'd seen her cold and icy, but right now her face was just sullen.

"I needed her to learn. I needed her alive. For that she had to leave. I'm sure you understand that. You'd want her to live right?"

Shane didn't say anything.

"Then don't question my authority over her. I do need her alive. She is everything at this point."

Shane could see the seriousness in her eyes. She turned away from him, her icy nature returning and turned the corner.

"Where are we going?" he asked next

"There is another I need to seek council with." She said

The rest of the walk was silence till they came to an alley. Shane shivered from looking down it.

"What's down there?" he asked

Amelie didn't answer. She just kept walking. Something told him he shouldn't be going down there. He followed her anyways. He didn't see much except for Amelie's form. She stopped in front of a door that was locked. Opening it she stepped inside.

"Close the door and lock it." she ordered

Shane complied. Next thing you know I'll be her slave, he thought. Turning, he followed her into a dimly lit room. There were books everywhere along with large collections of dust. There were broken beakers and test tubes on another table.

"Myrnin." Amelie called

"Yes?" came another voice

Shane turned and his eyes went a little wide. There sitting in a cage was a vampire, but there was something about him. He wasn't all there. He looked at Shane like he could be a chew toy.

"You brought me food Amelie, that's sweet." He set his book aside

"No Myrnin. This boy isn't food. He's Claire's at the present time." She replied "Have you seen her? Your apprentice?"

"Not since morning." He replied "She is missing?"

"She is. I thought maybe she had escaped."

"If she had escaped, she wouldn't come here. She would know better." Myrnin said "Let me out. I can help."

"Myrnin you are not as lucid as you once were. I cannot." Amelie replied

"Amelie, on the table. She's created a new formula. It will last longer; she's made sure it does. Give it to me and let me help."

Amelie turned and saw it. Shane stood there feeling conflicted. Claire was this crazy leech's student? What was she doing for them? Amelie unlocked his cage and handed him the formula. He drank it all in one gulp. For a second he saw Myrnin's eyes roll back to the back of his head then he was out of the cage and stretching. He looked directly at Shane as if analyzing him. Then he looked at Amelie and nodded.

"I'll find her." He promised "I have to. No other student has lasted so long. She is close to finding it. Amelie, she could save us."

Then he was gone. Shane looked at Amelie who was already leaving.

"Save you? Why would she do that? You don't need it let alone deserve it." he blurted

Amelie looked at him.

"She took the job Shane. You talk to her about it."

That was all she said. She'd even gone as far as to say his name. She was cold about it as well. She didn't wait for him. He followed after her. They were supposed to be looking for Claire and the farthest they got was releasing a crazy ass vampire. Shane hoped that Eve and Michael were doing better on their ends.


Claire coughed and sat up. Her head ached. Reaching up, she winced. It was sticky wet.

"Great." She mumbled "This is worse than a hangover."

"Claire Danvers."

Claire shot up then and looked around. It was all dark and the only light source came from a light bulb overhead. She scrambled backwards and ran right back into a wall.

"What do you want!" she cried out

"You are special Claire. You have connections and I hear you're very smart." He said

Her breathing was ragged. She looked around, her eyes bigger than saucers.

"Don't be scared Claire. I won't kill you until you become utterly useless and even then I might keep you for a pet."

Claire shuddered. Whoever was there was fast which meant that he must've been a vampire.

"I should properly introduce myself, it's be rude if I didn't." he said

He stepped into the light and Claire bit back a blood curdling scream.

"My name is Bishop. I'd ask you your name, bu tit wasn't hard to find out so it would've been pointless you see." he said "IT is nice to finally see you with my own eyes."

He leaned down and looked at her with a wide smile.

"I've been waiting a long time for you to return." He said