Chapter II:

Meeting the group

"How far are we from your home?" Little Micheal asked Kevin as the four of them landed on the rooftop of a nearby skyscraper.

"Not too far, sweetheart." Krystal replied, "And don't worry, we have a little girl around your age you can play with."

She turned and looked at him, noticing he was shivering due to the weather getting colder. All he wore was a blue jumper over a white t-shirt, and tennis shoes. She took him into her arms and held him, while Kevin removed his long-sleeved black leather trenchcoat he wore and placed it over the child.

"Hang on tight, baby-doll." Krystal said as she held him.

All four of them resumed their journey by leaping from one rooftop to another, until they reached the forest on the southern part of town. That was when they stopped leaping and started running through the forest until they reached a large, three-story gothic castle.

"Wow! What a big castle!" Micheal said to the four of them.

"Good evening, your majesties." A guard said to them as he opened the massive front door.

"Good evening." Krystal replied as she and the others walked through the front door and entered the castle.

Micheal looked around the castle. Although it was a modern one his family took over and had it fixed up after leaving the crypt and bookshop four years ago, he noticed all of the windows were covered up with wood.

They entered the throne room and approached both Cella and William, who were both sitting at their thrones. Beside them were Kevin and Krystal's thrones. Both of them got up and dissipated themselves into black mist, then appeared before them. Micheal hid his face away in shyness.

"Hey, guys." Cella greeted the group, "I take it, your guys slayed some vampires out there tonight."

"One got burned to a crisp." Kevin replied.

"To ashes is more like it." Krystal added

"Mom, dad," Kevin said with his hand on Micheal's back, "This is the little dhampir I have been telling you guys about."

"Well, hello sweetheart." Cella greeted him warmly

"Micheal, it's all right." Kevin said, "These are my parents."

"Hi." Micheal replied

"Welcome to our home, little one." William greeted, "Kevin, have you reported him to the police?"

"No, dad." Kevin replied, "I didn't want to leave him there because it's going to be very cold, and I don't wanna take him over to the police because of what he is. Could he stay with us until we find anything about his parents?"

"Yes, he may." Cella replied

Wolf looked at Leon, who was standing in line with the other guards, then back at William and Cella.

"Your Majesties!" He exclaimed to them, "Please, I must protest!"

"Wolf, its all right." William assured, "This child will be safe here."

Kevin turned his attention to Micheal.

"You hear that?" He said to him, "This is gonna be your home for right now. Come on. Lets go find you a bedroom."

The three of them left the throne room and began to walk down the corridor. Wolf returned his attention to Cella and William, not knowing Leon was watching.

"Your Majesties," He said to them as he pulled the medallion out of his front pocket and showed it to them, "That vampire Kevin and Krystal burned wore this medallion."

Cella took it and examined it, along with William.

"What does it mean?" Wolf asked

"I'm not sure." William replied, "Fox and Fara found the same medallion after they destroyed a vampire at the Cornerian Flight Academy two nights ago."

Cella placed her hands on her hips and began to think.

"The spies are coming tomorrow night." She told both Wolf and William, "I'll see if they can find out what the medallion is and what the symbol means."

"And find out who the child's parents are." William added.

Both Wolf and Cella nodded in agreement, then they dissipated themselves into black mist and teleported out of the throne room.

Meanwhile, Kevin and Krystal carried Micheal into his new bedroom on the second floor of the castle.

"There you go, little bud." He said as he laid him down on the large bed and removed his tennis shoes, "This will be your room."

"I have a hard time sleeping." Micheal told him, "Are you guys vampires as well?"

Kevin sat down on the side of the bed and looked at him.

"My parents and almost everyone else in this castle are." Kevin replied, "You and I are dhampirs, and what we do while laying on a bed is close our eyes."

"Like this?" Micheal asked with his eyes closed.

"Yes." Krystal replied with a chuckle, "You'll meet our daughter in the morning, and I will tell you what a dhampir is. Now, good night."

Krystal kissed him on his forehead and laid the sheets over him, then she went to bed for the night, while Kevin walked down to his study at the end of the corridor. He closed the doors behind.

"Wolf." He said to Wolf telepathically, "Must speak to you. Report to my study right now."

Wolf appeared out of black mist before him.

"You called, your highness?" He asked.

"I want you spy on Leon." Kevin ordered, "If he does anything to that child, you are to report to me. I will deal with him. Understood?"

"With pleasure, Your Highness." Wolf replied with a teeth-bared grin, knowing he was going to enjoy hurting Leon.

Kevin walked up to the bookcase behind Wolf.

"That'll be all, my friend." He whispered with a hand on his left shoulder.

Wolf nodded, then he and Kevin dissipated into black mist once again.

Outside the room, Leon stood beside the door and listened to the conversation going on between Wolf and Kevin. Fox and Fara were now running the bookshop, but where also spies for the kingdom.

"Blast it all." He said with a cold smile, "That child is now living in the castle. I thought leaving him under the boardwalk was a good way for him to suffer. My leaders are gonna have my head, but I must tell them."

He dissipated himself into black mist and dissapeared out of the castle.

End of chapter II