When I was living in the hotel room back at the Royal Moroi Court, the nights were always the hardest. By day, I'd distract myself with endless Rose or Jill calls, but at night, I was all alone. Alone to my thoughts and the insanity my spirit bred. I was so alone and mad, that sometimes I'd control my dreams so that I'd be in Ms. Terwilliger's spare room once again, like I had been with Sydney, under the covers of the bed as the sun would rise in the morning and flood through the window into the wooden-furnished room.

But now, as I tossed and turned in my sleep, with nothing but the emptiness behind my closed lids, I didn't have the option to return back to that sanctuary. Starting on those anti-depression pills really did cut me off from my magic. That was why when Marcus made a stop at my room five in the morning the next day, I was already wide awake, showered, and silently sitting in a chair just waiting for the minutes to go by.

"Rough night?"

Marcus was standing by the foot of my bed as I was rummaging through the mini fridge for a drink. Pulling out a tiny square bottle of orange juice, I turned around and gave Marcus a little shrug.

"I was too excited to sleep."

Marcus laughed.

"So, how are you feeling?"

I couldn't help but look up at him from the bottle in my lap and give him a raised brow. "Do explain," I gestured. Marcus looked behind him briefly before falling onto my bed.

"I meant as in, you're a vampire, and vampires drink blood. Is it a daily thing?"

My hands around the bottle tightened. "Is this why you came here?"

Marcus shook his head. "I couldn't sleep either. Last night's conversation … It felt too rushed. Or something. I wanted to apologise."

"At five in the morning?" I snorted. Marcus frowned.

"Well, I suppose so. It just kept on bugging me."

"And you're bugging me right now," I involuntarily snapped. It was true that I, Adrian Ivashkov, was never known to be a morning person, but I wasn't that bad at waking up that I'd be extremely moody. And I could tell Marcus didn't really see it coming either. He jutted out his chin and crossed his arms in defence, however, his unbrushed golden hair falling by his neck.

"Do you need to feed or not?" Marcus asked bluntly. Taking the largest drink of juice I could, I threw the bottle into the chair as I rose and paced to the door.

Marcus needlessly followed, and as I turned the knob, I said: "What selection do I have? I typically like mine female."

"Oh," Marcus said as he brushed pass. "The ladies I worked with at the casino come in a wide variety."

Brushing the long hair of the human girl from the side of her face, I grinned and locked my eyes with hers. They were blue, and shining, but nothing like the life I saw in Sydney's brown ones. Not withholding my thirst any longer, I leaned in and parted my mouth, feeling my canines thrive beyond my upper lip. I could smell the fresh blood under her skin, and as a familiar old instinct took over me, my fangs punctured her artery and I drunk.

The endorphins rushed over her. I felt Marcus' curious eyes watching me as I drank, until eventually, I pulled away, licked my lips, and placed the girl's head back down onto the divan cushion. Getting up, I fixed the cuffs of my dress shirt and straightened my tie. Marcus clapped me on the back as we stood looming over the high girl. He grinned.

"Even I, Viper Majesty, could not pull of something quite like that. It's such a sight."

I wiped my mouth and turned away, eager to leave the poorly lit room. Marcus showed me out of the casino, and although feeding was what I did in order to survive, I couldn't help but feel guilty. I always did after I fed, ever since I left Palm Springs. It was just the thought of Sydney-Sydney who I never went a minute without thinking about-it was her and what she believed in which always made me hesitate before I fed. Would she ever think differently of me if she saw what I did?

As Marcus hailed a cab, I peered at him from the corner of my eye with suspicion. We climbed into the backseat and Marcus gave the driver the hotel's address.

"How are you not disgusted?"

Marcus, who was slightly busy looking out the window, glanced back at me and inclined his head.

"Disgusted by what?"

I rolled my eyes. "Did you not just see me feed of your colleague back there?"

Marcus shrugged. "I never did like Mandy much."

"Our bites don't hurt," I informed, mildly offended. "I don't know what the Alchemist taught you, but we give off a kind of high whenever we feed. It only hurts when we want to make it hurt, but that's a very typical Strigoi thing to do."

Marcus softly laughed. "I know, Adrian."

"Then why aren't you disgusted? Repelled? Angry?"

Marcus once again gave me a confused look. "Do you want me to be?"

"That's not it Marcus, and you know it. What I mean is-"

"Because once upon a time, I was an Alchemist, you assume I probably tremble in fear whenever I see one of your kind feeding." Marcus shook his head. "New flash, vamp: I don't mind. It's what you do. And you aren't killing. Mandy sure as hell was more than willing."

The cab came to stop. Marcus paid the driver and pushed me out of the car. When we walked to the entrance of the hotel, I saw in the distance my parked mustang. I could well and truly bet that Keanu and Eloise were probably both waiting in their rooms. I quickly turned on Marcus and stopped him.

"Okay. Look, " I said. "I need to know one more thing."

Marcus seemed patient enough, but I could tell that maybe all this second-guessing him was tiring him out.

"Anything for you, Adrian."

I hesitated.

"Is there a way to reverse compulsion?"

Marcus took longer than I wanted in answering. But when he did, that easiness he always had around him dispersed. He suddenly seemed so serious.

Marcus took a step closer. "Why?"

I scoffed. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

Marcus didn't seem amused. Irritated, I waved my hand in the air and clicked my tongue.

"Whatever. It doesn't matter then-"

Marcus caught my hand.

"Why?" he repeated, his voice hitting a deadly low. I jerked my hand away and sneered.

"Because I made a huge mistake! I erased her memories thinking it would be the best, but I never thought it through. I need to get them back. I just …"

I didn't know what I needed. What would happen if I prison broke Sydney, retrieved her memories and went back to the way we were? Would things be easier? Would we then be constantly on the run? Or what if I broke her out and left her the way she was. She could maybe reconcile with the Alchemists. Have nothing left to do with me, or Keanu. We'd clear her name, hunt after the Warriors, put an end to everything … and Sydney and I would live our lives without each other forever.

Could I really do that?

I kicked at the ground with my boot and scoffed.

No, I couldn't.

Ever.

Marcus sighed. "When you compel someone to forget a certain thing, that is all that happens. They forget. The memory itself still exist within them, but it's buried away with a glamour of magic, never to be touched again."

I perked. "So then, I could just compel her to remember?"

Marcus shook his head. "You know, there's only so much you can tamper within the human brain before you send it malfunctioning. I mean, if it was something little, then I'm sure you could simply compel them to remember again. All you'd be doing is recreating the memory, but not destroying the glamour over the original."

"What if I compelled her to forgot an entire year of events?"

Marcus' eyebrows shot up.

"An entire year?"

I nodded.

"How?" Marcus gasped.

"I just did. Compelled her like I would with anyone else. I mean, there were certain … repercussions … but cutting me off from my spirit solved it all."

Marcus nodded thoughtfully. "So you're a spirit user. I'm actually not surprised."

Well, that made one of us. The fact that Marcus knew what a spirit user was made me question just how much he knew entirely.

Marcus shook. "Look, compelling her to remember what she's locked away would send her crazy, if not kill her." I blanched. Marcus went on. "As I said before, by compelling someone to remember something, you aren't removing the glamour, you're simply recreating-or cloning as you could say-what they have forgotten. If you were to recreate a whole entire year in this girl's mind, she wouldn't have the capacity to store it. You wouldn't solve anything."

My head flopped back and I felt my insides churn. It was one thing to be indecisive about whether you wanted someone's memories returned or not, but another to be told it was impossible.

Marcus grimaced and quickly pulled me into the hotel lobby.

"But there is a way," he continued in a whisper as we past the receptionist and walked into an empty elevator. "I mean, it'll be tricky, but it isn't impossible. All you need is a well experienced witch-or, well, warlock."

Life came back into me. I turned around and grabbed at Marcus' collar. Desperately, I shoved him towards me with a grin.

"Explain!"

Marcus flushed. "Well … uh … firstly, you'd need-"

DING.

The elevator doors opened to our floor. On the other side of the two sliding doors of the machine were Eloise and Keanu, grumpily carrying bags and even my duffel one. Once glance at the lock I had Marcus in, and I saw Keanu start. He tore through, ripped my hands from Marcus' shirt, and pushed us both a good three feet away from each other.

Then, in a commanding voice, Keanu said: "Oi! Adrian, I know you can throw a bloody good punch, but watch it. Whatever is it you two are arguing about, it doesn't matter."

Marcus advanced a little sheepishly.

"Well, actually-"

Keanu spun around. "Shut it, Merlin. The fight can wait after we make it to the re-ed centre."

I sighed and walked forth to give Keanu a little shove.

"We weren't fighting, moron. It doesn't matter what we were doing. My car is here. Ready to to Utah or not?"

I glanced to Eloise, her pixie hair looking not quite as lively as usual, and gratefully took my duffel bag from her. Then, as we made our way back to my car, Keanu took out the keys and hesitated.

"Who drives?" He said, looking between me and Marcus. Eloise, who had already grunted about snagging the back seat, didn't seem to mind. I glanced to Marcus.

"Probably the guy who knows where we're going."

Marcus shrugged, took the keys, and started the engine as we all poured in. He gave Vegas a good look before starting.

"Where to, anyway?" said Eloise beside me. I decided it was best to keep Keanu and Eloise as far away as possible. It seemed the two really didn't get along. Marcus smiled.

"82 miles roughly from Salt Lake City-we head to the city called Logan."

Author's Note:

Hey, guys! Long time, no hear, I see. Lol wut. Anyway. I'm not really going to explain my absence, but there was one. Obviously. Late chapter updates may occur more recently though-but I assure you, they will not be as long again, or so, I'm hoping. Tumblr is currently under maintenance, so for the first time, the new chapter will be posted on here first! Give me a heads up on what you think. Action will unfold next chapter-bascially, the past three chapters have been character building and foreshadowing. Look forward to when they go to Logan next chappie!

Also, follow me on twitter for news and what not: twitter ellishade (there will be tons of book talk-give me a shout and I'll follow back!)