So, a super long chapter! This one took so long to put together…you should all be proud of me. Legitimate hours going into this chapter.

The Point of View switches often in this chapter, and it goes back/forward a few hours a couple of times, so don't be too confused, please. : )

I hope that everyone is satisfied with this super long chapter, because school starts tomorrow, which means I will be updating less frequently. Don't worry, though. I am going to try to update as much as possible!

Please enjoy!

-Ace

Chapter Ten

~Dimitri~

"Ella!" I growl through the hallway as I stride down it towards the infirmary. "Get your ass out here, human!"

The southern nurse with cherry red lips swings out of the infirmary casually. I could see the amusement in her eyes.

"Now Dimitri," She drawls. "You know that if ya want to see me, all ya have to do is get injured." She opens her mouth in a small round O and winks at me.

I roll my eyes. "Where's Violet?" I ask.

She squints her eyes in thought before placing her hands on her hips and balancing her light weight onto her left leg.

"Hrm. Got to say I don't know."

I suppress a groan of frustration. I couldn't find Mariella's maid anywhere in the house.

"Oh!" Ella sticks a finger up in the air, dragging me out of my thoughts.

"What?" I ask.

"Have ya checked Jer's room?" She asks me.

I felt like banging my head against a steel wall. Of course she was in there.

Ella smiles.

"Thank you, Ella. I didn't even think of that." I say as sincerely as I can.

"I do what I can." She says and turns away.

I quickly make a decision to have some fun with her.

"Ella?" I call softly, letting a risky tone creep into my voice.

She turns around. "Hm?" She says, a hand still on one of her hips.

I gait over towards her and loop my arm around her waist. "Do you have any guests in the infirmary?"

She shakes her head. "Nope. It's been pretty quiet around here, actually."

I nod my head, pretending to be deep in thought. "My, won't you be bored today then, you poor little thing?"

She nods her head. "Some days. But I can organize the cabinets and medicine."

I pull her closer towards me. "Or…"

She raises an eyebrow, catching on. "Or…?"

I lean in fiercely and kiss her as she wraps her arms around my chest and parts her mouth open.

"Our secret," I murmur sexily against her lips. She chuckles as I swing her up into my arms and bring her into the infirmary, locking the door behind us.

I swing her down on one of the beds and crawl on top of her, sliding my hands under her shirt and taking it off easily. She fumbles with mine, but I quickly slip it off.

I touch her chest lightly and she moans as I take off her scrub pants. I then take off my silk black pants.

I kiss down her neck, nibbling the skin on her neck.

She nods her head enthusiastically, informing me that I can bite her.

I bite down hard and she moans. I clamp my hand down on her mouth and she bites down hard on my hand. I chuckle.

I drink for a long time before letting her go.

She smiles hazily and mumbles, "Mmmm."

I slip my finger along the rubber band in her underwear, teasing the edges.

"Noh," She mumbles incoherently.

I laugh. "Yes."

She tries to push me off her, but I hold my position on top of her.

She shakes her head, trying to clear the fog away from being bitten. She soon gets control of herself once again.

"Dimitri, no." She says firmly and pushes against my chest with all her strength.

"Why?" I murmur into her ear. "I'll be gentle."

"It's not about that. I know you're just doing this to get a distraction. Go deal with your problems somewhere else."

I grunt and hopoff her, slipping on my pants and buttoning up my shirt quickly.

An idea hatches in my mind. "Ella, would you like to be immortal?" I ask.

She stares at me. "If it was offered to me."

I walk back over to her. "It's being offered right now. I would bite you, I would make you royalty."

She purses her lips. "Why would you make me royalty? You can just hold back the venom to make me powerful, you know."

I run a finger down her chest. "I know. You can have all of this," I gesture towards my immortal body. "All the immortality and power, in exchange for one thing."

She raises an eyebrow. "What's the catch?"

I trace the outline of her underwear. "Just a little time with me," I say, a dirty glint entering my eyes.

I can see her eyes waver. I knew she didn't want to sleep with me, but she wanted immortality.

Her heart flutters loudly in her rib-cage. I laugh and flatten my hand against her breast, feeling the pound of her heart.

She snaps out of the trance and pushes my hand away, shaking her head. "Dimitri, you're really that desperate for sex? Just go to your new human."

I groan, pinching the bridge of my nose and squeezing my eyes shut. That was exactly who I was avoiding.

"Get dressed," I order in a gruff voice before stalking out of the infirmary.

How stupid was I?

More than stupid, that was for sure.

~Mia~

My eyes flew open when I heard the door open. I was ready to defend myself from him, but Jade and Alea walk in with a rolling rack of dresses.

"What are you doing?" I say, rubbing my eyes.

"Getting your clothes ready!" Jade says cheerily.

"For what?" I ask.

"The gala!" Alea says happily. "Dimitri told us to make you look 'more than rags' this morning, so we are going to make you look better than him!"

I snort. "Well that won't be too hard." I paused. "Wait, that's today?"

Jade laughs. "No, it's tomorrow. Get up. We need to see which dress looks the best on you."

I eye the rack they are resting their arms on. "All of those dresses?" I ask, astonished.

Alea nods. "Yep! So get up!"

I cross my arms and legs. "No, way too many clothes."

Jade sighs and walks over to me before grabbing my elbows and hoisting me up.

"Oh!" I gasp as I wobble on my feet. I glare at Jade when I can stand properly.

"Let's start with the red ones." Alea says.

I put a hand up. "Wait. Which one of you is the hair person and who is the clothing?"

"Clothes!" and "Hair!" Is shouted at the same time. I assume that Alea is the clothes and Jade is the hair.

I nod my head and put my hand down. "Okay, let's get this bloody torture over with."

Alea strips off my clothes in a hussle and pulls a dress over my head.

I barely have time to get it on before Alea and Jade are inspecting me.

"The rubies are a little too 'poppy' for her eyes," Alea comments.

"A classical half-bun half-down curled would work," Jade says, walking over to me and checking the tag in the back of the dress to see the name. She quickly scribbles down something on a yellow note book.

Alea hurriedly pulls the dress over my head and sticks it on a hanger before throwing it onto my bed. A new red dress is shoved towards me, and I fumble to find the sleeves.

I liked this dress more. It had red fluorescent sleeves the tumbled over my arms and the silk hugged my body tightly. The v-neck cut accented my chest well.

"I like it except for that seam on the right side. It makes her butt look huge." Alea says, her face scrunching up in thought.

"Curled high pony-tail would work fine." Jade says, once again checking the brand of the dress before furiously scribbling down something else on the note book.

The dress is off me in a second as another one is being slipped on me.

It went like this for hours, Jade and Alea scrutinizing the dress and my hair before shoving another dress my way. I stood there silently like a mannequin the whole time as I stared at myself in the mirror for the few seconds I had to examine myself in the dress.

At what I guessed was three hours through the out-fitting and we were moving onto the yellow dresses, I interrupted. "I need to use the bathroom, I'll be right back."

Jade nodded absentmindedly and turned to her sister to discuss what dress looked best so far.

I scramble towards the bathroom and lock the door, sighing as I slump against it. My legs ached from standing still so long, and my arms were burning from lifting them up and down so frequently. I had never even dreamed that choosing outfits could be so tiring.

I stand up slowly and spin the faucet to let some cold water trickle. I splash it over my face soothingly before lathering my hands in lavender soap. I wrung my hands for minutes on end, just standing there, watching the water fall down to splatter against the bowl-shaped sink.

A furious knock sounds against the wooden door. "Mia, come on. We are only halfway done." Alea's voice wavers over to me. I am shocked by the formal tone in her voice.

I sigh and dry my hands on the black towel before stepping out of the bathroom.

Another estimated three hours of trying on dresses.

Fun. I think sarcastically.

~Dimitri~

I slam my bedroom door behind me, kick off my custom made Italian leather shoes in the corner and sit on the lid of my coffin.

I felt like smacking myself. Ella? I had stooped that low?

I was surprised and infuriated at myself. The news would soon be around. Ella's cherry lips couldn't seal tight a word.

"Shit!" I groan and punch the silky interior of the coffin. This cross-breed captive was making me insane. I did not want to say her name.

Everything about her made me insanely tense and aware of my surroundings. She was so…..beautifully infuriating. Her face, her body, her attitude, her passion, her blood….

I groaned and stopped there as my fangs slid out and over my bottom lip at the thought of her blood.

If I slept, maybe I would wake up from this nightmare.

I quickly unbuttoned my shirt (for the second time that day), threw it on the bed, and slipped inside my coffin to sleep.

Maybe she would leave.

~Violet~

I ran my fingers over the dress I was wearing for the gala tonight. It was a midnight blue that had thick noodle straps to hold it up. The V-neck cut in the front was a little too low-cut for my liking, but I would deal with it. In the back, the noodle-straps criss-crossed down my back, since the rest of the back was open until my waist. From there down, the dress was seamed into inconsistent fringes that fell down the dress to my middle shins. The silk bodice was a slightly darker shade of blue.

It was a pretty dress. Tearing my fingers away from it, I forced myself to go visit Mariella. It was already 7:40 a.m. The Twins are going to kill me as it is. She was supposed to be up at seven. I ran to her room.

"Mia. Mia!" She jolts awake, jerking her head forward to hit me square in the jaw.

"Shit! What the hell, Mia?" I exclaim, rubbing my jaw. She stares at me angrily.

"Why the hell did you wake me up?" She asks, glancing over to the clock in disbelief. "It's 7:45! I need my sleep, Violet!"

"The gala is tonight," I say cheerfully, still fingering my jaw. "We need to get you ready."

She groans. "What time does the bloody thing start?"

"7:30 P.M." I tell her.

It's her turn to drop her jaw. "You….woke me…..up….twelve hours before….?" She leaves the sentence hanging.

"The early bird gets the worm." I say, turning away to look for her clothes.

Mia fumes. "The moist, yucky worm with rabies!"

I ignore her remark. "There is so much to do and so little time. Get your dress out and ready."

"You have twelve fuc…."

I cut Mia off sharply. "You have to watch your mouth today, especially around other vampires. Not all of them are as patient as Dimitri."

Mia snorts. "Dimitri is one of the patient ones? Oh, well that's good to know. He's the calmest they get."

I looks at her seriously. "Really, Mia. They will tear your head off with a quick snap and you won't see daylight again. They are really fast. I mean, really fast."

Mia raises an eyebrow curiously. "You speak from experience…?"

I feel my face bloom with embarrassment. "Just get up." I tell her, avoiding her eyes.

She sighs and drops her feet to a floor with a loud "thunk."

"Get your dress out," I tell her.

She grabs it out of the closet and hangs it on a doorknob before extracting some red strappy stilettos from the bottom shelf. Then she stalks into the bathroom, slamming the door.

"Violet," She calls.

"What?"

"I need a strapless bra." She says timidly.

I pause. "Don't you have some in the drawer?"

"No strapless ones."

"I'll be right back," I call to her before racing out of her room. I hear her sigh beyond the bathroom door.

~Mariella~

I sigh and hold the dress up to my body. It looked decent, but it wasn't my first choice.

Alea's voice rings through my head.

"It's perfect!" She exclaims, clapping her palms together as Jade smacks her lips.

"What to do with her hair, though?" She says, tapping her cheek with her long, spindly forefinger.

Alea shrugs and examines me proudly. "You're so pretty in that dress," She murmurs. "Almost one of them."

I don't understand her last sentence, so I shoo it away with my hand.

Jade gasps, filling the silence I had created. "I know what to do!" She claps happily and pulls me towards the bathroom to spin me down onto the closed toilet lid.

"Watch this." She says, spinning the upper layer of my hair into what I supposed was a bun.

"Turn around, Mia." She says. I swivel to stare into Jade's wide eyes.

"If we framed those last two strips of hair to frame her face on each side, it would look amazing." Jade said, sighing.

Alea agrees enthusiastically. "Perfect. Okay, Mia. That's all today. We'll be back tomorrow to get you ready!"

I groan and stand up, tugging my hair away from Jade's eager twiddling hands.

Violet raps on the bathroom door, pulling me out of my thoughts. I hide myself behind the door but open it to see her holding a strapless bra in one hand. "Here it is. Just put it on now, and then go eat breakfast. After your shower, the Twins will help you get ready."

I nod and push the door closed.

"I'll meet you in the kitchen," She says before drifting out of my room.

I slip on a shirt and slide on some slippers that I had found beside the bed. Sighing, I walk through the halls towards the stairwell to join Violet and most likely Dimitri for breakfast.

~Dimitri~

I was sipping lightly from the wine glass when Mariella came strolling in, dressed in a casual tight t-shirt and some sweat pants. She stood silently by a corner of the long, old wood table, her arms crossing over her chest.

"Take a seat." I say to her, not looking up from the rim of the clear glass. I hear her swiftly pull out a chair, smoothing her pants with her hands before taking a seat directly across from Violet.

A drop of my drink started to spill over the thin rim of the glass. I swiped my finger around the circular rim before sticking it in my mouth quickly, sliding the drop onto my tongue. Mariella watches me with disgust and what I assumed was a small hint of fascination.

We sit there in silence, myself drinking, her sitting in the chair silently, knees tucked up to her chin and her arms wrapped around her knees.

She breaks the silence. "Well?"

I turn my head towards her questioningly.

"I was told this was breakfast. Am I going to be fed?"

I hold back a chuckle. What a humane question.

"Cynthia!" I call loudly through a monitor that was crafted into the table. "Our human guest is hungry. Could you make some eggs and pancakes?"

"Yes sir," Cynthia replies, her aging voice rambling through the speakers. "Five minutes, please, sir."

The monitor shuts off. Mariella sighs and rests her cheek on her knees. I return to my drink.

Her stomach grumbles hungrily every minute. I stifle my mocking laughs each time.

Her mouth doesn't make noise until the food came, when she muttered out what sounded like a mangled "Thank you" before digging into the plate stacked high with, fluffy, sugar drenched pancakes, scrambled eggs sitting on the edge of the plate. She had devoured them within five minutes.

I wait for her patiently to finish her meal. When she has sighed, wiped her face with a napkin and pushed the plate away from her, I begin.

"Tonight," I muse casually. I see from the brim of my eye a curved eyebrow raise.

"Tonight is the gala," I continue. I see her face drop. She obviously did not want to go.

"Since you are technically my human until your decision is made and agreed on, you will be accompanying me. You will behave, and dance, and act like a perfect maid would." I stood up out of my chair, pushing it away from the table to let me out before pushing it back in.

Mariella smiled a smile that I had never seen her wear before; a dazzling, half opened smile, her upper teeth showing in a perfect crescent bite.

"You see," She says, her voice filled with a guilty innocence. "However much we both want that," She pauses, her eyes flickering down to her hands before gazing back up with a vehemous sneer casting unearthly shadows at my face, all traces of the smile gone. "It won't happen. I'm human, I have my rights, and no way in hell will I ever be a maid for you. I wouldn't serve you for my life."

She slides the chair out aggressively, slamming it into the peeling old table before stomping out of the room.

"Humans," I mutter.

~Violet~

I sighed as a loose but rock solid pair of arms wrap around my waist. He kisses my cheek before nibbling on my earlobe.

"Hi," Jer says.

"Hey."

"You look beautiful in that dress." He says, moving one of his hands down to tease a ruffle on my thigh.

I swirl my hips subtly, watching the ocean blue dress wave at me through the mirror. He chuckles at my fascination.

Breakfast had been awkward. Dimitri kept a sly eye on Mia throughout the whole meal, and I did not speak a word.

"What will you wear?" I ask, trying to distract myself.

I see the sly smile that spreads across Jer's face in the mirror before only air hugs my waist, his arms gone. I see blurs of him in the closet, obviously gathering and changing his clothes.

He steps out in what I was sure was the least attractive and funniest suit ever made on the face of the earth.

It was a sleek black tuxedo that tore across his chest tightly, round, puffy cuffs sitting at the bottom of the sleeves. His pants were custom made with polished Italian leather shoes covering his feet.

All of this was fine. I didn't mind that at all. It was the back that made me burst out in fits of hysterics.

A little type of wisp was at the back of the suit, sticking out like what a butler would wear. The back flipped up like a little child's hair gelled up into a Mohawk.

I collapse onto the bed, gasping for breath when I hear a growl from in front of me, then a hard body come crashing down on me. The air knocks out of me.

I open my eyes to see Jer. I can see the mocking in his eyes and hear it in his voice when he speaks, but still, the trace of hurt I had caused was there. He couldn't hide much from me anymore. I knew him too well.

"What, don't you like my suit?" He asks foolishly. I raise my hand up and slap the tail of the coat down to his butt. He raises his eyebrows.

"That's how you want to do this?" He asks in a low, almost inaudible voice. I giggle like a young girl with a shiny red balloon in her hand.

He kisses me fiercely, only intensifying the kiss.

"We are still announcing our engagement tonight, yes?" He whispers against my cheek.

"Yes. Engagement that follows with many congratulations, mean glares from royalty, and a horrified Mariella. All the good stuff."

Jer groans. "Come on, Violet. At least pretend like you're excited to be engaged to me."

I smile up at him and he laughs. "I love you," I tell him.

"As I do you."

~Mia~

I have five minutes to myself before Jade and Alea bang down my door.

"We have to get you ready!" Jade squeals.

"Why?" I groan, glancing at the clock. "It's, like, seven-thirty a.m! Why can't we start this around five? I don't take too long to get ready."

Jade sighs as Alea says "You don't take time getting ready. We do." It seemed like Alea was used to this phrase, almost like it had been recited over many times to different people.

"But the gala doesn't start until 7:00!" I yell exhaustedly.

"Precisely!" Jade says hysterically. "We barely have any time!"

My mouth drops open in disbelief. "I thought the vampire believers were crazy, but you guys…" I shake my head at a loss for words. "You two bring crazy to a whole new level."

Alea laughs but keeps her strained gaze on mine. "Come on, Mia. We have to get you ready and presentable. You know, eye candy for all the vampires there. Well, of course, even without looking good, you are irresistible to them." She chuckles. I only glare.

"Up up." Jade says, grabbing my hands in her smooth petite ones, tugging on them lightly to pull me up. I groan and tiredly throw my legs off the side of the bed.

"Okay," I groan. "Fine."

It was what I had expected.

Jade fiddled and tossed with my hair for an excruciating amount of time while Alea slipped the dress over my body and adjusted it for hours on end, mumbling to herself small criticisms. "That angle doesn't work" or "That sleeve is too high on her shoulder." She twitted around me like a hyperactive bird.

It was hell.

~Dimitri~

"Fix that cuff, son." Father says, pointing to my right sleeve which was slightly off around my wrist.

"Yes, father." I say casually, twisting the cuff back in place.

Father sighs. "No more of this 'father' business. You will address me like you would any other vampire. By my name."

"Giuseppe." I say formally, straightening my spine.

"There, son." Giuseppe says, hitting my back. "That is what a ruler should look like. Since you are so opposed to Mariella as a mate, try to find a lady at the gala tonight, yes?"

I nod. "I will try."

"Good man." He pats my back one more time before swiftly leaving my room.

I let out a large gust of breath from my living-dead lungs. I didn't want to find a mate. Why couldn't I rule our species alone? I had the potential. Everyone knew it.

After I took care of Mariella, I would find a mate. Maybe turn Elizabeth?

I laugh quietly. Maybe.

~Mia~

It dragged on endlessly. I would stare at myself in the mirror with a blank expression as the twins fiddled around me, trying to get my look perfect.

I knew it wouldn't work, though. I was as close to looking perfect as I could get about thirty minutes into the dressing.

Honestly, I thought I looked fine. The dress hugged me tightly and my hair would have looked fine down. But, from what I was experiencing, it seemed the twins were OCD when it came to their jobs. I guess I would be too, though. The lunatics were very precise.

When Dimitri entered the room, I tucked my face behind a curtain of my hair, staring down at my bare feet.

He didn't once talk to me. He addressed the twins, and when he talked about me, I was called "She" or "Her". I guess his words were proper grammar, but I did have a proper name.

I was relieved when he finally left. I was able to get my hair out of the glands in my mouth. I spit it out as if it were a vile poison.

"Mia, chill." Alea says quietly, chuckling with the dangling heart she had after Dimitri had snapped at her. "It's just hair."

Jade scoffs. "Just hair? Lea, that makes half the appearance!"

I see Alea roll her eyes through the mirror. "Okay, okay."

"How are we going to get Mia done by 6:00?" Jade asks under her breath.

Alea shrugs. "No up-hair, maybe?"

Jade stares at her sister like she was flying in mid-air. "Are you insane? We just had this discussion that hair assembles half the appearance!"

Alea lets out a huge breath. "We will both have to split some of our time, okay?"

Jade nods. "But at 4:30, I swear to everything I love that you better hand her over for hair."

"Jade-" Alea starts. I cut her off.

"I'm not an 'it', okay? I'm standing right here, listening to your whole conversation. Please, at least while I'm around, treat me like I'm actually living and breathing."

"Sorry." They murmur in synchronization. I nod appreciatively.

"Thanks."

I stood and they worked in silence for minutes on end, Alea flitting around me in circles to make sure she had all the angles and drapes and curves and fitting correct before I spoke again.

"What do you do to prepare my hair?" I ask, turning to Jade.

She smiles. "Well, first, we wash it. Then, I blow-dry five times through, brush, tease, put it up, and then spray in hairspray."

I eagerly looked forward to getting my hair washed.

~Violet~

I stared at the clock restlessly as I sat on my bed, trying to absorb myself in Othello. It wasn't working at all.

Time was mocking me. The seconds would tick away, taking me closer to my engagement announcement every time it sounded, but the minute would take years to change. I waited eagerly for the numbers to increase, but when it did, I didn't feel any closer. It just felt like I was waiting in a broken time.

4:29 disappeared. I looked around my small, plain room, trying to pass the time.

The four walls were made of cheap wood, paste white paint smeared over them. There were no windows; only five light-bulbs produced artificial light that hung from the ceiling. The twin-sized bed headboard was pressed up against the west wall. On the north wall, I had a personal bathroom, tub, and shower.

It wasn't bad for imprisonment. Most nights, I spent up in Jer's large room.

I remember the evening we first spoke.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Sir." I stumble over my words, picking up the silver platter and the broken glass shards that were laying on the white tile, drenched in red blood and wine.

"I didn't mean to spill that all over you. Let me get the stain, please, sir." I say, trying to fix my fatal mistake. I was positive that a move like this and I would be dinner at the next gala.

"It's fine." He says, wiping his suede tuxedo jacket with a clean white handkerchief.

I stood up slowly with my platter of small glass shards to mistakenly look into his eyes.

"Hell," I think. "There is my death sentence. Right there."

Instead of glaring at me and immediately scheduling my death appointment, he smiles kindly at me.

I quickly realize that he is a vampire I had served before.

"Violet, correct?" He asks. His voice had a husky rust tone.

I nod lightly. "Yes sir."

He holds out his hand. "Jer. A pleasure to officially meet you. I have seen you attending to my chamber."

I hesitantly hold out my hand and shake his hard, smooth one.

"Would you like to dance?" He asks me, his eyes shining as he smiled.

I fight my jaw to stay closed. The vampire's king's eldest son was asking me to dance?

He understands my gaze. "I'm not trying to get you in trouble. Just a dance is all."

I snap myself out of it and take his arm as he leads us out to the middle of the ballroom.

"I-I can't dance." I mutter quietly, knowing he will hear me.

He chuckles. "Follow my lead and you will be fine."

I rested my hands on his strong shoulders as he put his hands on my waist. We swayed in a slow, methodic way before he spun me around. Too soon, the dance was over.

He kissed my hand gingerly. "It was a pleasure dancing with you." With that, he walked away, smiling. I swore I caught him wink over his shoulder at me as I watched him walk away incredulously.

I would have never guessed that in two year's time from then, I would soon be an immortal, like him, spending my eternal life with him. Fate had an ironic view of life.

I glanced over at the clock once again to see a shock. 5:00.

My eyes widened. Half an hour reliving the past. I guess it was a way of wasting useless time.

I hopped up out of bed, throwing Othello down onto the mattress and stepping into the cold sprinkling water of the shower.

I had to look presentable when Jer announced our soon to be eternity together.

~Mia~

"Too hot, too hot!" I whimper as Jade spins the hot water knob.

"I'm sorry, Mia, it has to be hot to get all of your dead hair and skin out of your scalp." Jade says sympathetically.

I suck in air through my teeth as I clench my eyes shut, trying to make myself adjust to the scorching temperature of the water.

"Could it be hotter?" I mutter.

"Much." Alea says. I can picture her lifting her hands up onto her hips.

My head is thrust down further towards the drain of the tub as the water seeps into my tangled hair and pours over my head. Jade artfully weaves her fingers into my hair, massaging my scalp. It would feel good if the water wasn't boiling.

Cold shampoo relieves the aching touch of the water. It's freezing for the first few moments until Jade scrubs it in my hair, turning the bubbles into warmth. I frown as the cold slips away.

"When will it be done?" I moan.

Jade groans. I imagine her rolling her eyes. "Mia, we haven't even washed out the shampoo yet. We still need to condition, moisturize, smooth, and shine."

I raise my wet eyebrows. "Is that even legal to do to hair?"

Alea giggles under her breath. I feel Jade's fingers slip out of my hair and I hear a small smack.

"Ow! Shit, Jade!" Alea whines sadly.

"You deserved it." Jade sounds smug.

"Guys!" I yell under the constant gurgle of the searing water. "Get over your problems right now, my scalp is about to melt and seep down the drain!"

I feel Jade's fingers weave back into my hair and rinse the rest of the shampoo out.

I feel a cold substance squirt onto my scalp once again. I assume it's conditioner.

"We only need the hot water for the conditioner, and then no more, okay?" Jade says.

I sigh in relief. "Good."

Jade goes through the motions of cleaning my hair as I stay crouched over the tub, my hair draping in front of my face so I can't see much but my dark wet, dripping hair.

The water shifts into an iceberg freezing. It feels awkward compared to the searing warmth, numbing my head a little bit.

It stays cold for two rinses, what I suppose were the "moisturize" and "smooth", before it warms up to a tingling heat that was in between the searing hot and dry-ice cold. It was soothing on my now water-tortured scalp.

I am incredibly relieved when the water stops dribbling down the sides of my face and Jade gives me the okay to lift my head up. With a jerk, I flip my head up and my hair goes over to my back, sending little sparks of water twirling through the air to smack onto any surface. Jade and Alea gasp in shock. I giggle quietly as I realize that my hair just pelted them with cold droplets of water.

"Why would you do that?" Alea asks.

I shrug. "That's how I flip my hair back when I step out of the shower. It's normal for me."

"I haven't ever had that happen to me, even when I am preparing vampires. And, I mean, they are super-quick, so…" Jade stops.

"Jade, you have to remember she is half-vampire." Alea responds to her sister.

"Oh, right. I totally forgot about that." Jade smiles.

I roll my eyes. Vampires didn't exist.

Jade wrapped my hair up into a roll on the top of my head, shaking it in her hands before un-rolling it and starting the hair-dryer up.

It was boring to sit on a stool and watch yourself in the mirror as girls played with your hair this way and that. Time dragged on endlessly.

When my hair was combed out and dry, and Jade was twirling the outer-layer of my hair up into a small, tightly coiled bun, I spoke.

"What is the point of the galas anyways?" I ask.

Jade and Alea stare at each other for a moment before turning their attention back to me and shrugging in unison. "We guess it's just a chance to meet other vampires and flaunt how powerful you are." Alea says.

"Only powerful, wealthy vampires are invited." Jade adds.

"The families that are the highest of the highest." Alea states.

"Oh." Is all I can say. Jade smiles.

"It's not too bad. Just stick around humans, and you will be okay." Alea says.

I nod my head. There was so much stuff to do and not to do for a few meek hours.

Jade takes out a hair-straightener and plugs it in. It heats up within a minute.

I stare at my reflection as Jade curls in my side-bangs.

On the crown of my head sat a large coiled bun. It was so intricately wound, it looked like a flower and the small curls falling out of it looked like a trail of falling petals, metaphorically.

Alea clapped her hands together before she and Jade slapped their palms together.

They squealed in unison. "You're ready!"

~Violet~

6:15. I was ready with my satin, dark blue dress on, and my hair was wrapped into two low braids. I had brushed a shimmering blue dust over my eyelids, used a ton of black eyeliner for cat-like eyes, swabbed on mascara, and smeared on lip gloss.

I took in three deep breaths before walking towards my bedroom door to run straight into Jer's chest.

"Oh!" I gasp as I step away from him, fixing my dress and smoothing my hair to look up into his shining, gleeful eyes.

"Hi." He says.

I smile. "Hey."

He extends his hand. "Are you ready?"

I take another deep breath before taking his hand. "I hope so."

~Dimitri~

I paced around Jer's room as he stared at me, glancing at the clock every so often.

"Dimitri, it's 5:50. You better start walking over to grab your human."

I pound my fist on the dresser. "She is so infuriating! Why must she be? I hate her, she plants vile, putrid thoughts in my head!"

Jer laughs. "You are just how I was at first with Violet. Oh, little brother, you got it hard. Don't worry, she will mellow out and you will too."

I rush at Jer, grasping his shoulders. "Dammit, Jer! I don't want her!" I shake him roughly.

He just laughs harder. "You know you do, Dimitri, so just accept it. See how tonight goes, and we will see where you are."

I sigh and turn away from Jer, facing the wall. "She doesn't even believe we exist. She thinks we are just lunatics."

"We are, in a way." Jer says in a smart-alec tone. "But then again, everyone is."

"Shut the hell up, Jer." I growl.

Jer stares back at the clock. "Sorry, Dimi, I need to go check on some things before I go pick up Violet. We are announcing tonight, so I'm making sure everything is prepared."

I turn back to him, a faint smile setting on my lips. "Oh? Wonderful, Jer, wonderful. Really, I mean it."

He smiles. "I'm very glad that you are sincere about this." He stands up and clasps my shoulder. "See you there."

I nod. "Yes, of course." I watch him exit his room, leaving me standing in the middle of it.

What would happen with Mariella?

I wouldn't let her control me anymore. I was leading this game now, whether she liked it or not.

A smug smile sits on my lips as I stride out of the room towards her.

~Mariella~

When a faint knock rumbles on my door, Alea and Jade frenzy around me, making finishing touches on my outfit before scampering over to the door to reveal Dimitri.

I sigh, turning around to stare at him. His suit astounded me.

A black, tightly draped tuxedo clothed him. The black was so clean, it looked like it sparkled under my bedroom lights. His white buttoned shirt was clean and wrinkle-free, ruffled in the right places along his chest. His pants were black, also with creases folding through them. He cleaned up well.

He stared me over, his eyes drifting lazily over my body, which caused me to feel self-conscious about what I was wearing, even though at high school parties before this I had worn tighter, slinkier dresses. Something about his gaze was more intense, more mature, than the boys at the packed parties. I fix my posture to show him I was uncomfortable.

He got the hint, and immediately fixed his gaze to stare back up in my eyes as I walked over to him.

"You made her decent." He says, addressing the twins.

"Thank you." They say, trying not to beam.

Alea and Jade stood behind me. "Uh, Mia." Jade says. I turn around.

"We have to go. You know, get ourselves ready."

I nod. "See you there."

"Bye." They say together, slipping past Dimitri, leaving us standing there awkwardly, him on the outside of the frame and me safely on the inside.

He slowly extends his hand towards me, reaching through the doorframe. I cautiously take his arm instead and step out of my room, closing the door behind me.

We walk silently through the twisting halls towards the upper floor on which the ballroom inhabited.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dimitri eyeing me up and down. I pull in deep breaths as I imagined in my mind's eye what I was wearing.

The dress was a scarlet red, thin silk that was snug against my body. It had one thick noodle strap while my left shoulder was strapless as the material slanted down and twisted around my back, exposing both of my shoulder blades. Little ruffles cascaded down the base of the dress, flowing out in the tight fabric. The bodice tightened around my waist.

Dimitri shot me one last glance as if to ask "Are you ready?" before opening the large ballroom doors with a sweeping gesture, herding me into the large room with his other arm. I glance back at him before entering.

Turning my head back to the crowd of unknown average people and lunatics, I was infinitely grateful to Jade and Alea. They had dressed me so I would fit in, even with the beautiful lunatics.

Watching the swirling bodies twirl around the extravagant room, I realized that every lunatic that I saw was gorgeous compared to an average, everyday person. They were stunning.

As the pale faces turn by me in a blur, I looked back to Dimitri. His white rose petal skin looked water-kissed by the bright lights that were bathing the room. His deep onyx eyes were shadows seeking souls around the room restlessly. His deep sunset colored lips were in his normal pout. His dark brown hair was strewn over his face, giving him a brooding look.

He was beautiful, stunning, amazing, imaginary. All of the above. I couldn't describe the flawlessness that he was.

Well, that he appeared to be. His personality made up for that.

"What are you staring at?" He asks me, staring curiously back at me with his onyx eyes.

"You're allowed to eye-rape me the whole walk over here, but I can't look at you once without being chastised? I see how it is." I hiss.

He lowers a finger to my lips. "Watch how loud you are, all of us can hear you. And no profanity tonight, hm?"

"How could all of you hear me?" I hiss back at him, correcting my words.

He chuckles. "You seem to forget what we are. Heightened senses are part of the deal."

I roll my eyes. "You don't exist." I say, spitting venom at him and forgetting to lower my voice. Many pale, gorgeous heads turn our direction, eyes locked on my face.

Dimitri wraps his arm loosely around my waist.

"What the-" I start. His hand cuts me off.

His cold breath tickles my ear. "Watch your language, yes? We are supposed to be very close as maids and vampires go. You know, I am supposed to share the same sleeping space with you, you are supposed to prepare my dinner, and obey my every whim…" He trails off, humor thick in his voice.

I scoff, but keep silent as he leads us to the room. "Just be good." He murmurs once more before turning his attention away from me, although still keeping me close by his arm.

I was dragged by many people as he talked to them kindly. I guess that was understandable how people wanted to talk to him; he was heir to their throne.

"William, how nice to see you again." Dimitri plasters what even I can tell is a fake, plastic smile.

The "William" greets Dimitri the same way. "Yes, it's a pleasure." He extends his right hand, clasping Dimitri's elbow as Dimitri does the same to him.

William turns to look at me, smiling after a moment. "Oh, and is this the girl who has been top news lately? The half-and-half, as they call her?"

I stare at him skeptically, stifling a gasp when Dimitri pulls me slightly closer.

"Indeed." He says.

"Oh, my." William claps his hands together. "What a wonderful opportunity it is to finally meet you. And my, you just look like perfection." He picks up my hand in a blur, slowly planting a kiss on it. I retrieve my hand as quickly as I can. He smiles at me; that creepy smile that scary people gave you, warning you.

"And she serves you?" William says, eyeing Dimitri and I. He laughs, a dirty glint entering his already ruddy eyes. "And just how is she?"

I look up to Dimitri, who glares. I don't understand what he is asking until I put it into what Katy would call "That's What She Said" context.

I barf a little bit in my mouth, but gulp the bile back down, a shot of pain wavering through me at the thought of Katy. She and Jeanelle must be worried sick.

"Fine, just fine, actually." Dimitri says, hugging me closer.

William smiles at him before his gaze returns to me. "I'm sure she is." He muses.

Dimitri clears his throat. "It was wonderful seeing you again, William."

"Yes." William says as we turn away. "It was splendid."

When Dimitri and I are what I guess is out of earshot, I ask "Who is he?"

"I will explain later." Is all he says before letting go of me and murmuring "Enjoy the gala for a while. I will be back later to have a dance."

I nod and turn away from him, blindly staring into the crowd to try to find a familiar face.

I wander aimlessly through the throng of people and lunatics, finally stumbling by Violet. She was clinging onto Dimitri's older brother's arm.

"Violet!" I say, tapping her shoulder. She spins away from the brother to face me. Shock registers over her face.

"H-hi, Mia." She says, stuttering.

I eye her and Dimitri's brother. "What's going on?" I say slowly.

Violet stares at me wide-eyed, her mouth closed. "I-well-weIl-" She stumbles.

The brother turns around, weaving his fingers around Violet's as he turns to face me. At first, his face is one to fear; it was turned up into a sneer. Then, he seemed to recognize me and he smiled genuinely.

"Hello, Mariella." He says, a dazzling smile playing over his lips. "I'm Jeremiah, Dimitri's older brother."

"Nice to meet you," I say, smiling back at him. He was an upbeat and laughing person, I could tell. He was the first lunatic that I actually liked.

"Violet, we need to go towards the front." He says. "I am truly sorry for the short chat, Mariella. I will make it up to you in the future, I am positive. We must leave, Violet and I. I hope to see you soon." He smiles, and with that, drags Violet behind him as he walks towards the front of the room.

I nod, casting a confused look at Violet as she follows helplessly behind Jer.

I sigh, spinning around to face the exit.

Maybe getting out of this room for a few minutes would help, I think, walking towards the door.

When the large doors swing shut behind me, I sprint for the nearest bathroom, which is who-knows-where. It takes me endless tries and minutes to get there, but I'm relieved when I finally do.

I quickly lock the door and run cold water in the sink, letting the cool water run over me. It felt nice.

What am I doing here? I think as I wash my hands. The normal Mia would be kicking and screaming and making a hell of a scene to get out of here. Why am I just sitting around?

A crazy, spontaneous, and probably live-or-die idea pops into my head.

It was a gala. No one would notice me gone. I just had to sneak back through the halls, away from the ballroom and the gala, and then open the front doors and run home.

I could make it. I could if I tried. No one could stop me.

Ambition and adrenaline run through me as I turn the faucet off, fixing my dress and straightening my back.

I could get away.

A surge of joy rushes through me at an incredibly fast pace as I unlock the door and check the hallways.

Anger fills me as I remember that I have no idea where I was in the house, so I would have to wander for awhile. It was okay, though. I would be free soon.

~Violet~

Mia's confused, bewildered face kept flashing through my mind. Guilt gnawed at me, taking large bites out of my butterfly-filled stomach and nibbling at my legs so I was a little unstable standing. Jer's arm kept me standing.

"Don't worry, Violet. It'll be okay, just relax." He whispers into my ear, giving me a small kiss.

I nod and try to clear my head of the guilty fog swirling inside me. I shake Jer off lightly, murmuring something about grabbing a drink. He nods and releases his grip on me.

I saunter over to a refreshment table. There was some sparkling, bubbly water for the humans, which I eagerly took instead of the blood and wine mix.

The bubbles fizzed and hissed in my mouth, but I closed it to stop them from making too much noise. The strong, acidic drink brought the realization to me that I was incredibly thirsty. The sparkling water didn't quench my throat-scratching thirst; it intensified the pain.

I gulped it down quickly and blocked out the burning claws that were tearing apart my throat. Taking three deep breaths, I strode back over to Jer, who was speaking with some vampires who I recalled were very wealthy.

I wrapped myself under his arm, snuggling my nose into the soft, velvet smell of his clothing. He was startled by my change in mood, but I ignored his bewildered looks and stared at the vampires he was having a conversation with.

"You must be Violet." One says.

I nod fervently. "Yes."

"How nice to meet you." One standing by the other says.

"Please," I say. "The pleasure is all mine."

The music slows down and mumbles down into a low background sound as Jer smiles at me and pulls me up towards the front of the room with him.

"Ladies and gentlemen." Jer says, his voice ringing through the room with authority. "Thank you for joining us for this special gala. It is truly a pleasure to see all of your faces once again." Few vampires return Jer's welcoming smile. The butterflies quiver in my stomach.

Jer continues. "This gala is particularly important for one reason." He pauses, sifting his eyes over the full room. "I am taking this human, Violet Winters, to be my partner for eternity."

The crowd applauds. When the noise has died down, Jer starts again. "Does anyone oppose?" He scopes the room with a precise eye, searching for any sign of opposition at all. "None?" He asks. "Good."

"Our bind together will be discussed in the near future. Thank you, everyone. Enjoy the party."

With that, Jer kisses me swiftly, causing the crowd to burst into small 'awe's' and claps before he takes my hand and gently pulls me off the stage.

"You did great." Jer says. I laugh.

"You were the one talking."

"Nonetheless. A flawless pose on your part." He says, pecking me on the cheek and chuckling before turning around to be congratulated.

The rest of the gala was surprisingly easy and well.

~Mariella~

Adrenaline surges through me at an inconstant rate as I skidded to a stop every other turn. I was digging myself further into the mansion, I was sure. Violet had never showed me this part of the house. It was a 'vampire'-only zone.

I really wished that I could have gotten a tour of this section of the house. Escaping would have been so much easier and quicker.

I kick my body into overdrive.

My heart pounds in my chest as I sprint through the dark corridors. I now realize my life depends on whether I can find an exit through this maze.

"Keep going," I encourage myself in my head. I keep my labored breathing to a minimum noise of panting.

I can't let them find me. They will bring me back into the lovely room that serves as a prison cell. They will kill me.

My feet thud on the black, smooth carpet as I run. My breath is labored, but I keep it quiet. The only thing that was protecting me right now was that they were all at the gala. When he found out I had slipped away, he would be following my scent quickly.

My lungs scream in protest at the work, but I force myself to keep going. My strappy heels had been ditched a long time ago, but I could feel the blisters that had formed popping under every step.

"Mariella?" I hear an echo through the halls.

"Shit," I curse vehemously in my head.

My heart race picks up and I turn a left, then a right, nearly hitting a wall. I know he is behind me, but maybe if I take enough turns, he will get lost. I might be able to confuse him with my scent.

I turn corner after corner, sprinting and skidding every other heartbeat.

"Mariella, I can hear your heartbeat. It's racing, isn't it, my dear?" The voice is mocking now. I can picture him laughing, which only infuriates me. I push myself harder when I see a door placed at the end of the stretched hallway.

I run into it, turning the glimmering golden knob violently and sealing myself behind it. Once inside, I fumble with the lock. I know it won't help, but it may slow him down, even by a second.

Turning around, I see an outline of a chair against the darkness. A couch, a bathroom, a large bed…..

I make my decision quickly. I jog over to the bed, squeezing myself under it. Once I am under, I look up to see a small space where the wood has splintered in the frame. I crawl up into the hole, bunching my body together so that I wouldn't take up as much room. I try to slow my breathing down with the few seconds that I know I have.

I manage to stay silent as he squeezes the golden doorknob in his hands. I hear a crunch.

I hear the smile in his voice. "Mariella, my dear. Won't you come back to the gala? We haven't had a chance to dance yet."

I would have rolled my eyes if I wasn't intoxicated with fear.

Even though I can't hear him pacing around the room, searching for me, I still know he is there. If only he wasn't so quiet….

"Hmm. It seems that my faithful maid isn't in here." I silently hiss in frustration. He pauses. "How inconvenient."

I hear the door open and close, and I breathe out a small sigh of relief. Still, I know he knows that I am in here. He is just waiting outside the door to strike.

I decide to stay in the hole. At least for a half an hour.

I tremble violently, succeeding in hitting my spine against a plank of old wood. "Damn it," I mutter quietly.

I expected to hear a chuckle from the door, but none comes.

He would have chuckled. I know he would have heard me if he was standing outside the door. So, that means….he isn't outside the door. Or still in the room.

I let out a deep breath quietly as I slip out of the hole. I guess I wasn't staying hidden for a half an hour.

I drop to the ground on my hands and knees silently. Crawling out from under the bed, I twist my head in each direction to make sure he isn't in here. Once I'm sure he isn't, I squirm my way out.

I don't bother to wipe the brown dust off of my dress or my hands and knees. I don't care about that right now.

I just need to get out of here.

I walk on the balls of my feet over to the mangled door. I see he has carved the gold around his hand while breaking the lock. How did he do that?

I push my ear up to the door, even though I know I won't hear anything. Damn them for being so swift and silent.

I sense nothing, and I hear nothing.

"Here goes nothing," I think miserably in my head. Still, I had to try. I would rather die in an escape attempt than die from them. From him.

I grip my hand around the now de-formed golden doorknob, surprised to find that my hand fits the creases in his perfectly, only his were larger.

I twist it slowly, hoping it won't make any noise. It turns with ease. I peek through the crack in the door, searching for any of them.

When it's clear, I step out into the dim hallway. I turn left and start into a fast jog, making sure my feet don't make a sound.

The hallways all look the same; dim, only one light for every hall that sits on the left, black paint and black, machete carpet. This doesn't help my escape plan much.

I take lefts and rights, only hoping I'm getting closer to my destination. I stumble into walls at times, due to the lack of light.

I see a small sliver of light sitting at the end of a slinky hallway. I run towards it, knowing that it is the ebony black double doors that I have been searching for.

My heart beats rapidly. I am so close to escaping this hell. I can feel the iron handle in my smooth, peachy hand. I can see each dent and mark that is carved into the doors. I feel as if I'm in slow motion. My legs won't go fast enough towards the sweet moonlight that will set me free.

I'm only inches away as I reach out my hand, yearning to grasp the iron handle. My breath catches as I see him blocking the doors, less than a second before I would have grabbed the handle. I run into him, my body crumpling up against his rock hard ivory skin.

I crumple to the ground, groaning as I curl into a tight ball. I clutch my ribcage.

He bends down, his cold, piercing mint breath sweeping over my face. "We still haven't had our dance."

I look up through teary eyes to see him smiling his dazzling white teeth. Only after my eyes adjust do I see the tiger teeth protruding from where his canines should be.

Fangs.