"We have to do this together, though. Today I'm going to lead you through some techniques. There's more to this than just scuffle around on the floor like toddlers. When it gets dark, we'll go outside and practice. I want you to practice hard, but keep your focus. I am not losing another member of this coven! We all need each other-every one of us. I will not tolerate any more stupidity. If you think you don't have to listen to me, you are wrong." Riley paused for a second. He was smiling in a weird way. I knew what he was going to say. I shuddered. "And you will learn how wrong you are when I take you to her"-everyone shuddered at the mention of Victoria.- "and hold you while she tears off your legs and then slowly, slowly burns of your fingers, ears, lips, tongue, and every other superfluous appendage one by one."

Everyone could imagine how that felt. I was the one who felt like I had that happen to me. I was the one that heard Diego's thoughts and through him, felt it. Riley's face as he said that, scared most of the newborns. It was calm and cold, smooth and beautiful, his mouth curled at the edges into a small smile. Everyone could tell something had changed Riley, hardened him somehow. If they only knew.. I shuddered, again. Raoul was smiling like Riley. Raoul wasn't going to kill his victims so fast next time.

"Now let's get some teams figured out so that we can work in groups," Riley said, his face normal again. "Kristie, Raoul, get your kids together and then divvy up the rest evenly. No fighting! Show me you can do this rationally. Prove yourselves."

He walked away from Raoul and Kristie. Since I was near Raoul, he was walking away from me, too. As soon as Riley moved, those two started bickering. Riley touched a few newborns on the shoulder as he passed, nudging them toward one of the new leaders or the other. He was heading towards Bree.

"Bree," he said. He couldn't see Bree because she was near Fred.

"Bree?" he said again, softer than before. "I promised Diego I'd give you a message. He said to tell you it was a ninja thing. Does that make any sense to you?" He added.

Great. He just had to say that, didn't he? Just had to give something away. Bree is a bit smarter now. She can think for herself. She has realized Riley was lying to everyone. Would she realize that he had given something away, or not?

"Diego?" Bree muttered.

Riley smiled-I couldn't see it, Bree's image came into my head.- "Can we talk?" He jerked his head toward the door. "I double-checked all the windows. The first floor is totally dark and safe."

Bree followed Riley out the door. He gave Raoul some instructions, nodded to Kristie, then went upstairs. He totally ignored me. He wanted to play it "safe." He didn't want anyone to see how much he cares about me. Too late. Everyone knows, well, ones that are a bit older than me do, anyway. I didn't listen to Riley and Bree's conversation. Riley wouldn't want me to.

As soon as Riley and Bree were gone, Raoul turned to me.

"I guess you knew about this, huh?" He said, thinking about ending me.

"Yes. I have gone to visit her a few times. She told me so I would be aware of the threat we posed." I said, almost laughing at Raoul's expression when I mentioned her.

"Riley isn't here… I should end you while I have the chance."

"Oh, I'm so scared. You've had plenty of time to end me. Riley is in the garage. He will smell burning vampire. When he finds out it was me that was burning he would have you thrown in the fire, too. He wouldn't care that he needed you. He would be so angry that you ended me that he wouldn't care if it was himself he threw in the fire!" I said, with sarcasm in my voice.

Some of Raoul's gang started heading towards me, ready to fight.

"Really? You don't want to take me on alone? Just like you didn't want to take Diego alone. I understand why you didn't want to take Diego on alone, but me? I'm a weak girl compared to you. I'm older which means I'm weaker, in this case. Besides, guys are always stronger than girls." I said, trying to make it sound like I was complimenting him. He took the bait.

"That's true. I can take you on alone." Raoul said, thinking he could get away with ending me. Of course, he didn't know that I could read minds. I know every move he is going to make. Like, right now he is planning on grabbing my arms, ripping them off my body. Then set my arms on fire, then force me into the fire. He was debating how to do this without Riley getting mad. He figured it out and lunged for my throat. I moved out of the way. He moved to my right, I followed suit. He went to my left side, trying to get my throat, but I followed suit, again. He tried this a few times, never getting even an inch closer to me, when Riley finally came back. Riley noticed Raoul and me, he raised his eyebrows. I just shrugged. Raoul growled and went back to arguing with Kristie.

The training lasted all day. Everyone had been divided up into four groups of four. No one picked Fred for a side. So Fred and Bree didn't join in. If I didn't know better I would think those to loved each other. Raoul seems to think so. Kevin asked about Diego once.

"So, did Diego end up getting fried after all?" Kevin had asked in a forced joking tone. I had flinched, which, luckily, no one but Riley noticed.

"Diego's with her," Riley had said. "Surveillance."

A few people shuddered. No one said anything more about Diego. Nice cover up for Diego. Ha! Surveillance? That's what he came up with? That's really stupid. He must have come up with that when Bree asked about Diego. I only knew that because I would have asked about him if I was in her position.

Riley didn't give anyone a break for three days and two nights straight. During the days Riley moved us back into the basement. It worked better for Riley. He could catch a fight before it got ugly. Once he had to stop Raoul from killing me. That was funny. Raoul had ripped of my right hand and almost ripped the rest of my right arm off, when Riley caught it. Oh man, he got SO mad. It was cute to watch him get mad at Raoul for ripping my hand off. He had never gotten that mad at Raoul before. Raoul didn't touch me or talk to me for that matter, since then. I was glad he didn't. I don't like Raoul.

Riley kept repeating the same instructions to everyone.

Work together, watch your back, don't go at her head-on;

Work together, watch your back, don't go at him head-on;

Work together, watch your back, don't go at her head-on. It started getting annoying. The repetition and the fact that me and Riley never got any time to talk, alone. Riley let me stay with him, not fighting in Raoul or Kristie's groups. No one got to hunt. I was about to kill Riley. If I didn't get something to drink soon I'm going to hurt the one person I would die for. Weird way for Riley to die. Victoria would be glad, though, that I got rid of her "problem."