There, standing in the flesh, was Nicholas Greene, the man in my village that had found us over a year ago. I had the sudden urge to hug him, finally having someone from my customary life in a tangible distance, but, the dismay in the air told me that something was off. Nick seemed way too comfortable in the presence of Jace, a Vampire, and, now that they were standing side by side, they looked, If I wasn't mistaken, related.

Why was he here?

Jace rubbed the back of his neck, his usual shades in place, hiding his eyes once again. "Clarissa...this is my little brother, William."

My own eyes widened and, not wasting any time, I did the only thing that I could think of: I ran.

The shelves, scattered about the vast library accordingly, acted as the perfect barriers to keep a safe distance between me and that traitor. William. He wasn't Nicholas at all, but 'William', Jace's brother. A Vampire.

How had we gone living with the enemy for so long without any idea about not only who, but what he was?

"Clarissa––it's okay!" Jace called. Scoff. I may trust him, but he didn't know his brother like I did, like I thought I did. William had become a close friend of mine; he'd kept me company when Jonathan was out hunting, he'd raced me in running and swimming––he'd always won, of course––he'd even danced with me on the night of my father's birthday because Simon was too much of a chicken to ask me.

"You go that way," Jace shouted.

He was really going to side with his brother?

I was close to being deemed hopeless, the last set of shelves approaching before I'd be met a dead-end. Their footsteps were getting louder. I needed to think of something and fast. I flattened against the back wall, my chest rising and falling erratically. Jace was the first to round his barricade, and, not even a second later Ni–William followed suite. The brothers, quickly, and scarily in sync, closed to large gap that I had made, their bodies acting like a cage around me.

"I won't hurt you," William said. "Come on, Clary, you know me."

"I thought I did," I spat.

"Listen," Jace said, not standing for our, what he must've perceived as, childish behavior. "William isn't like Sebastian. He's not like our father. Both of them believed that Will––"

"I go by Nick now," William said.

"They both believed that Nick was spying on the Resistance for our cause, but he didn't betray you guys," Jace said, "he betrayed his family––"

"Thanks Jace. That really makes me sound like a nice guy––"

"Shut up William. Tell her!"

Nick rolled his very blue eyes, placing a hand on his hip. "Jace has got it right, Clary. I promise. Your father sent me––"

"He knows?" I shouted.

Nick smirked, something he did a lot. "Anyways, I came back home to find you. I started around the outskirts of the village, but, once I learned that our father was throwing a ball, and that word was getting around that I was back, I figured that I needed to come here. Sebastian was talking to me about how Jace had bought his first blood slave––" William shot Jace a look "––and I didn't think anything of it until he mentioned your red hair."

William let out a sigh. "Sebastian is seriously infatuated with you," he told me. "I guess he's gotten a lot creepier since I left..."

My cheeks seemed to warm as Jace cut in once again. "That's wonderful and all, Nick, but we have to figure out how to get her back to her family."

Nick twisted his lips together. "Yeah, I didn't think that I'd find her here. I was originally just going to kill the Vampire that bought her, but...I can't exactly kill you, Jace. And there's also the whole evil-brother-and-father issue to worry about."

Jace exhaled, shaking his head. "We need to come up with a plan. A good one."

"It sounds a little risky," Jace muttered.

"It's the only chance we have," Will said, equally worried. I kept my eyes down at the table we were seated at, feeling their strong gazes on me. "Don't worry, Clary...Jace and I won't let you get hurt."

"But... I can't ask you guys to betray your family," I told them.

"You're not asking us to do anything," Jace said. "We're doing this because we want to––"

Something creaked and the three of us all whirled around. Aline.

Her eyes widened, "I-I was...I was j-just here to help her––the blood–your bloodslave, master, get ready."

Nick rose to his feet, his jaw locked, his eyes narrowed into slits. "What did you hear?"

"W-what?" Aline squeaked.

"Come on," Will gritted, "what did you hear?"

Jace joined his little brother and, for a second, I almost felt sorry for her. Apart they could be absolutely terrifying, but together...

"I swear I didn't hear anything!" my usual torturer continued to back away, her willowy figure and semblance, normally so composed and spitting with hatred, completely shattered. If I hadn't known any better, and if she hadn't been the one to abuse me for months, I would've seen her as an innocent bystander; simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. "I swear! Please don't hurt me!"

"How long were you standing there?" Jace growled.

"I-I j-just got here!" she cried. "I promise!"

The two brothers exchanged a quick glance, their similar figures and bone structure almost making it seem as if they were one in the same––if, you know, one didn't have gold hair and the other had hair as black as night. There were also a few differences that I was able to depict between the two Vampires, one being their eyes, and the other being the very small features they possessed.

They were equally as handsome, but, to me, Jace's beauty was unmatchable. He had a slender nose, whereas his brother's was slightly larger. Jace also had slimmer lips, and, even if he was older, he seemed to have a leaner build and more youthful appearance. Nick held wisdom in his eyes way beyond his years––even if he was probably over a thousand. You know what, just forget I said that...

They were both very confident, and arrogant. Very arrogant, but Jace, perhaps because of his disability, held an air of modesty. Don't get me wrong, he was still conceited, but in a more humorous way. Nick and Jace knew they were handsome, but Nick was more forward about it, one of the reasons as to why I never thought of him as more than just a friend in the past.

"I think we should cut her tongue out," Nick suggested, "just to be sure."

"I'll go get a knife," Jace agreed.

"NO!" Aline wailed.

"No!" I shouted, surprising the lot of us, myself included. "You guys have probably scared her enough. She's just a human, and, even if she did hear anything, Sebastian would never listen to her. I have known Aline for a while now and she'd never be that cruel." Eh, she actually would, given the chance.

"Clarissa," Jace breathed, "you don––"

"Jace, just let her go. She won't say anything."

Both Jace and Nick seemed totally against my reasoning, but, even if it was selfish to think about it as I was, they both cared about me too much to upset me, especially if it meant the difference between someone living and dying. Or, you know, getting their tongue cut out...

Jace strided towards Aline until he was towering over her. "If you say anything to anyone, I will kill you. Understand?"

"Y-yes," Aline whimpered.

I mounted to my feet and slowly went to stand next to Jace, holding my hand out for his maid. "How about you help me get ready for bed?"

She nodded quickly and didn't hesitate to follow as I began to lead her out of the room.

Jace, though he didn't seem too thrilled about it, decided to join Nick and the rest of his family for the evening, leaving me all by myself. Now that I had gotten used to his company, I felt almost depressed without it. I was truly alone, at least for the meantime.

I had settled myself in the library and soon became engrossed in yet a new novel. It was still amazing to me that I knew how to read. Of course I preferred to read aloud, with Jace by my side, but, even on my own, it was a glorious privilege.

I wasn't sure what was going to happen when Jace and Nick returned me to my family, but, even if Jace left me for good, I would never forget him. Or his beautiful eyes. Or his smile. Or the mercy that he had shown me. Or the friendship that had blossomed between us. I had been with him for over three months now, but I had only been his prisoner for one of them.

Without him, I realized, I'd probably be dead by now, killed by the Vampire that had originally bought me. He would've violated me in ways that I would've never been able to get over, if I was still alive, and I wouldn't be the same person that I am now. With Jace came new knowledge: not all Vampires are bad. In fact, they have feelings too, and real, tangible emotions.

I was hoping, however, for my sake, that most of the Vampires weren't like Sebastian and the king. Because there were still evil Vampires out there, just like there were evil people.

Cough, cough. Aline.

Honestly, I have no idea why I saved her, even if she was unusually kind when getting me ready. But when I mean nice, I just mean that she didn't say anything and kept her corruption to a minimum.

Ugh. Yeah. Karma can be too forgiving.

Maybe it was my mother speaking. When she was still alive, she had been the most gracious, gentle and kind woman you would ever come across. I had been raised to be like her, but, because of Jonathan's influence I turned out pretty jacked up. Oops. So, I was like a miniature, less wonderful and ladylike version of my mother...

Suddenly my mind was overrun by Jace's voice:

You're beautiful.

My cheeks became feverish. My brother had told me I was beautiful once, but only because he had thrown a huge pile of mud at me and was admiring the results. And he hadn't told me I was beautiful, but his finished product. My father tells, or at least told, me I was beautiful and meant it, but, even if his opinion meant the world to me, he was my dad. All dads are biased, obligated to compliment their wives and children.

'You're beautiful' meant a lot more coming from someone else, someone that wasn't related to you. And, for some odd reason, it kept replaying in my head over and over again, making me all giddy and a little too happy. Would you cut it out, Clary? My God.

You're beautiful.

I could get used to that...

You're––

"Clarissa?"

Jace.

His real voice.

I looked up from my novel, the one that I had dropped in my lap and neglected. "Jace...Hi!"

One of his eyebrows raised and he smiled slightly. "Hi. Listen, my father has just sent out the invitations for the ball and...there's a theme."

"A theme?"

"Yes. It's...uh Victorian––"

"Is that the one with the corsets?" I asked, horrified, recalling the Victorian era from my previous novels.

Jace nodded, trying to stifle his laughter. And doing an awful job.

Well, to say I was angry would be a complete understatement. I was livid.

Even if I wasn't a real bloodslave, I was supposed to be one to Jace's father and older brother. Why the hell did slaves have to get dressed up? Oh, I'll tell you: because what the king wants, the king gets. What an awful man. How dare he force me into this, this...this thing.

I was wearing a huge gown, one with a million layers, and, all together, it probably weighed more than I did. And don't even get me started on the corset! It did its job to make my boobs appealing, but, in doing do, it literally made it impossible to breath and my already small waist smaller.

William had been the one, according to Jace, that had made the final decision on the dress. They had gone out last night to put together our costumes, and, since everyone in the village was also getting ready, they were limited to a small selection.

The dress wasn't ugly. I just hated it.

It was kind of a coral-ish color, with a lot of lace and intricate designs, enhanced by beads and floral input. In my opinion, this baby would look a whole lot better in a closet, under lock and key. I wouldn't wish this deathtrap on my worst enemy, not even Aline––well, maybe her...

Speaking of the devil, she had put my hair up in a beautiful yet messy bun that displayed my wild curls in all of the right places. A few strands helped to frame my face, while the others worked to add to the princess-look, twisting and blending and twirling. She'd also done my makeup, going light on the powder, heavy on the lipstick, and putting a decent amount around my eyes.

All in all, I looked very pretty, but a lot like a porcelain doll.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I turned around from where I had been standing in front of the mirror and couldn't help but smile. Jace, in a smoking jacket, with a waist coat underneath, and fancy black "breeches" or, more commonly known as (and less awkward to say) pants. His hair looked less disheveled than it usually did and was slightly slicked back, which, in my opinion, made him look pretty attractive. Yeah. Not too bad at all.

I wish I could've seen his eyes, because, even behind glasses, I could tell that he didn't think I looked too bad either, the sucking in of his breath told me that much. It was silly and trite, but I blushed. Again.

"Wow," he said after a while. "You look out of this world."

"Well, I am out of this world." My effeminate gesture had been completely erased, replaced by annoyance. Why the Victorian era? Since the world had been depraved by Vampires, and humans, the ones that wanted their lives back, were forced to become warriors, not only had reading become inessential, but so had learning about history. So, I really didn't know about other times and eras, just the basics, like geography and, you know, how to utilize my surroundings in order to survive.

Jace chuckled, a charming smile in place. "I still find it odd that a girl like you isn't afraid of me."

"I used to be," I told him. "Then you turned out to be...a total softy."

His face tightened, though his prior grin still lingered. "I am not soft."

"Whatever you say," I laughed, raising my hands in the air, as if to surrender.

"Hey guys!"

Moment ruined.

Nick came striding into the room, determined and alert, but then his eyes landed on me. Well, not on me, more like...a little region south of my neck. "William," Jace warned, snapping him back to life.

Nick looked up immediately, acting as if nothing had happened. "You guys look great!"

"We know," Jace murmured, his tone completely nonchalant.

"Okay...I really hate to have to say this, Clary," Nick said, pulling something out from behind his back, "but...all bloodslaves are required to wear this."

In front of me was a gold collar attached to a matching leash. My eyes widened and I looked up at the two Vampires in disbelief. "You're kidding."

Jace sighed. "I wish he were. It's called a bloodchain––"

"Bloodchain?" I breathed. "Why is it...?"

"So," Jace drawled out, "this is a newer invention, created to keep sla-humans in line. I'm not sure if you ever got the chance at the auction to see anyone else wearing them, but they can be worn around the neck or wrist."

"Aren't they just like a rope?" I pressed, still worrisome about the whole 'blood' aspect.

He shook his head, to my dismay. "Like I said, they're an invention. You see...the Vampire that puts this on a human is the only one that can take it off and...if that human tries to take it off themselves...well, that's where the 'blood' part comes in."

I felt all the color drain from my face. "That's horrible!"

"It is," the two brothers agreed.

"And," Nick said, "I'm sorry that we have to put this on you...but, it's just until we can get you away from this place. Okay?"

I nodded slowly, watching as Jace took the bloodchain from Nick and took my wrist in his hand.

Author's Note: The 'bloodchain' is not at all my creation! It's the author of the Captured series. Let's continue...

Now that I was here, I was really confused as to why the king had to throw a ball to find me. I mean, why not just go to the place where the auction was held and make everyone attend instead?

I had never been to a ball, no surprise there, only read about one. In the book they had made it seem so surreal, but that author has nothing on the one that I was at. People and Vampires were everywhere, crowding the vast entry room excessively. The only pro to this situation was the fact that Jace couldn't leave me by myself. Still, other Vampires kept looking at me and it was seriously grossing me out.

I wished that I could talk to Jace, but bloodslaves were obligated to follow around their masters, keep their mouths shut, and avoid eye contact, which, by the way, I was doing an awful job at. Upon that realization I averted my attention to the ground.

"Hello, my fellow people," a booming voice was suddenly overpowering the persistent laughs, shouts, squeals, and giggles. All was silent and, even though I knew it was risky, I had to look up. Standing at the top of the first staircase was Jace's father. The king. The King.

It was like seeing double. Sebastian and Jace's father looked eerily alike, almost as similar as my mom and me. He was much larger than all three of his children, and much broader, and, even if it was pretty much impossible to be so, he was even scarier than his oldest son. A semblance of power radiated off of him, in his Victorian attire and all. Don't get on his bad side.

"Your presence was required, but, while you're here, I hope to make this quite a fun night. I know that all of you are curious as to why I have thrown this ball, but, after I tell you, you'll understand the worthiness of this cause: In our most recent raid on the Resistance, one of you, without your knowledge, captured their leader's daughter."

My chest tightened and my fists clenched together.

Excited chatter rose in the air, only to be silenced, once again, by their king. "I know. I know. Your enthusiasm is understandable...After centuries of continuing to prosper, it has been the Resistance that has kept us from seizing our rightful power. Once this girl is found...their army will be destroyed. For good." The king looked around thoughtfully, a smug smile gracing his features. "And, not only that, but, the Vampire that has this girl in their possession...will be met with an award.

"Now, here's how this is going to work," Jace's father said, his voice seeming to have risen at the sight of all of the cheery faces. "All of you will take turns coming up here, with your slaves, and my youngest son, William, who has been spying on the Resistance for the past year, and has come to know this girl, will identify her. Only after we have found her will we celebrate."

Everyone began to cheer, raising their hands high in the air to go first.

"It has come to my attention," the king said, "that my son Jace has found himself a fine bloodslave; You're up first, my son."

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.

Jace lead me, none too gently, up the set of stairs, past the numerous Vampires, and, when we were halfway there, we were met with Nick. The two brothers, one on either side of me, played the part of acting as if I actually were a bloodslave, their demeanors emitting dominance and aptitude.

I was careful to keep my eyes down.

I was trembling when I was brought to a halt, not even five feet away from the man that was the ruler of all Vampires. I felt his gaze on me, warm and intrigued and disgusting. "Well, William. Is this her?"

Nick grabbed my jaw, tilting it to the left and then to the right. "No," he finally said.

"Shame. Take her––"

"But it is her!" someone screamed.

There, standing at the foot of the stairs was Aline.

I didn't have any time to edit this so I'm really sorry. And, I'm also super sorry for the long wait. I feel like such a jerk! I am not, however, discontinuing this story or 'Hate', for those of you who were worried. PROMISE!

Even if I don't update on time, there will be a chapter up eventually. I'm going to really try to update more frequently, though!

Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Until next time, peace.