Hello everyone! Thanks as always for reading! This next chapter starts off with Doctor Rowan and his wife frantically searching for their daughter, Katja. Will they find her? Or has something happened to her? In the castle, we spend a little time with our darling, Cassandra. Enjoy!

The village:

Myra was in a full panic. Katja was missing along with Charlotte. They had been searching and searching for an entire day. Inquiring their neighbors and friends if they had seen the children, but all said no.

"What could have happened? Why would Katja go off with Charlotte?" Myra was growing hysterical.

Rowan did not hear her. He was staring at the castle gates.

"Rowan!" Myra grabbed at his arm. "We must keep looking. There are only so many places they could be." She followed his gaze towards the castle, shivering. "No. No you do not think they…"

Rowan closed his eyes.

Myra's chin started to quiver, her knees beginning to buckle as she sank to the ground.

"Myra," Rowan said, opening his eyes and helping her to remain on her feet.

"They will die in there. Please, please tell me she is not in there Rowan."

"I do not know, my dear."

"You must seek an audience with Lady Dimitrescu."

"What?" Rowan frowned at her.

"Perhaps she was taken by mistake."

"Nonsense," Rowan said, guiding her away. "Our Katja is not in the castle. Come. We will continue to search the village. I am sure she is around here somewhere."

Myra did not say anything, continuing to glance back at the castle in tears.

The two continued to search for another two hours before Rowan sent Myra home. There was no sight nor sound of either child. Myra, of course, more concerned with their daughter, he could not help but feel rage towards Charlotte. How could she just leave as she did? How could she be so irresponsible?

'I was so close. So close to discovering a cure. To bring those who have been inflicted by this disease humanity again, but now… now all is lost.' So lost in his thoughts, Rowan did not realize he was headed in the direction of the church. He stopped at the gates, recalling the day the massacre had occurred. A hooded creature had slaughtered almost everyone inside while the rest had been taken to the castle. 'Forgive me, Gerhardt, I should have done more. I am nothing but a coward. Hiding behind my medicine and science rather than take hold of my weapon and fight.'

He took a step back and noticed the bulletin board. On it were the faces of missing folk. The majority of them were young girls. Knowing their fates had been sealed by the lady of the castle. He could not imagine Myra even suggesting seeking an audience with her, but what if Katja had been taken within that prison? Or what if she had been killed by Charlotte?

His shoulders started to shake with emotion. Helpless to do a damn thing.

'What am I to do? Who can help me?' Tearing himself away from the billboard, he walked back in the direction of home. 'I will have to put her name up as well. If she does not return by this evening…'

When he reached home, Myra was shut inside their bedroom and crying. He entered inside and comforted her as best he could. Telling her the hard truth and saying they would have to put up a missing poster sign out. That made Myra cry harder. All the while Rowan just held her and stared out the window. The sun disappearing behind a cluster of grey clouds.

Soon Myra had fallen asleep in the bed while Rowan went into the kitchen to cook them a little something. He knew neither of them would feel like eating, but it occupied his mind for the moment. Putting extra wood on the fire, he sat in the darkening room, drinking a cup of bourbon.

"I guess it is time…" he stared at the poster he had created. He had taped a photograph of Katja on it with her name underneath. It was not much, but he prayed by tomorrow morning she would be home and safe. Pouring himself another cup, he got up to his feet with the poster in hand and once again set out. He knew he could not linger outside too long. The darkness brought all sorts of dangers, and it was that thought that made him even more afraid for Katja.

He quickened his steps, the village quite eerie without a soul to be seen.

"Please be safe. Charlotte, if you are with her, please watch over her." He reached the church in ten minutes and placed the poster on the billboard, and started to turn away when he froze. From up the path where the gate that belonged to Lord Heisenberg came animal-like roars. Hearing more and more answering the call. "What in the hell." Bang! The sound of heavy bodies slamming against the locked gate got Rowan running. He prayed the gate would hold against their vicious assault. "My god…, what would happen to this village if those things were let loose?" he did not want to think about that terrifying fact. Having already seen the power of what one could do.

He did not stop running until he reached his front door, gasping for air.

"Myra?" he called out, entering inside and locking the door behind himself. "You awake?" he entered into the bedroom to find it was empty. "M-Myra?" He kept searching the entire house for her, but she was nowhere to be found. "Myra!" he returned to the kitchen and spotted a note on the counter. He picked it up and scanned it over, his fingers trembling so violently he had to place the note down. "I cannot believe you would…" he turned his eyes back on the front door. "She must have just missed me. I would have seen her go to the gates on my way back." He cursed, rushing back out into the dark world. "Myra. Please do not do this. Please!"

{-}

"I can draw better than that."

"What is that supposed to be?"

"A cat, brat, what does it look like?"

"It looks like a pumpkin with four legs and a tail!" Daniela laughed.

"We will see about that! Oh, Mother, what does this look like to you?"

"Let me take a look," Alcina said, taking the drawing and flipping it around and around.

"Well?" Cassandra said. "What do you say about it?"

"I must say your interpretation of a spider is truly unique."

"It is not a spider!" Cassandra growled, stomping out of the bedchamber.

All the while Daniela was laughing hysterically, holding her belly and rolling around on the floor.

"I can't breathe! A spider!"

"Calm yourself, dearest," Alcina tittered, glancing at Bela who was seated next to her on the bed and reading, well, was reading was more accurate. With all the chaos going on now, she had slammed the book shut and snuggled down into the bed. 'Oh, darling.' Alcina reached out and patted her hip, hearing a heavy sigh escape her eldest from somewhere under the pile of blankets.

Daniela slowly relaxing, remained on the floor and breathing hard.

"Time for bed. Up you go."

Daniela got right up and snuggled up against her mother. Silence settling around them as Alcina opened her own book and began to read, while Daniela kept quietly giggling to herself.

"Quiet now." Alcina wrapped an arm around her.

"Will you read to me?" Daniela said, resting a hand on her mother's arm and staring up at her with big, bright eyes.

"If I do you will not understand what is occurring in the story. I am already on chapter six."

"It doesn't matter to me, Mother, I just like listening to your voice."

"Very well." Alcina conceded, unable to say no to her, or perhaps it was because she was a sucker for compliments. She started to read the novella to Daniela. The child completely enraptured by the story. A few pages containing old sketches of the rooms, or people in the story, Daniela instantly fell in love with it all.

"Do not stop, Mother," Daniela yawned twenty minutes later. "I am not tired in the least."

"Hush now." Alcina set the book aside and turned the lamp off, settling down into the bed and gently pulling Daniela in closer to her.

"Thank you for reading to me, Mother."

"Yes, my love." She rested her chin on top of Daniela's head. "Good night."

"Goodnight, Mother." She yawned again, soon falling into a tranquil sleep.

Alcina, too, had begun to drift off. Her last thoughts on where Cassandra had gone. Hopefully she was asleep in the nursery rather than going into the cellar all night. That child. What am I to do with her?

Outside of the room, Cassandra was indeed not in the nursery, but wandering about the castle. She enjoyed having it all to herself. Imagining that she was the queen of it all and could do whatever she wanted. The number one thing would be sending Bela into the cellar and keeping her there. The thought made her chuckle nastily.

"Where does this room go?" Cassandra materialized inside, finding herself in a small room filled with old paintings. How boring. Back out she went to see what other secret rooms she could discover. Another part of this little adventure she so enjoyed. Being able to snoop around without her mother stopping her, or having an annoying little sister following her. She was determined to discover all the secrets the castle had to offer, which led her back downstairs. She stood in the Main Hall and eyed around. Listening. Sniffing.

Something was amiss.

Or rather…

"One little piggy is out of her pen. How wonderful." Off Cassandra glided after the little escapee, finding her in the kitchen and drinking a cup of water. Cassandra did not attack her right away. She merely watched her from the shadows. How sadly oblivious the poor thing was. Once she had finished drinking her water and placed the cup back where it belonged, she started back to the servants' quarters when Cassandra whistled at her.

The maid froze, turning fully around and whispering.

"H-hello? Who is there?"

Cassandra let her bugs do the speaking. Around and around they buzzed around the maiden, who cried out as she frantically swatted at the pests and finally bolted away with the bugs in pursuit. Cassandra laughed at the fool. Making a mental note to tell Mother about her. What fun that will be to watch.

There was nothing else out of the ordinary. The castle remaining calm and still. How mind numbing. Once again she was back in the Main Hall, staring in the direction of her mother's bedchamber. Was she really about to go down and join them? Her legs seemed to do the talking for her as she made her way to the stairs.

When she got to the room, she could not help but feel some jealousy at the sight of Daniela tucked snuggly against their mother. Both smiling. Then there was Queen B who was asleep beside their mother.

A low growl rumbled in her chest at the sight. The odd ball out. There was no room for she. Cassandra crossed her arms and took a seat in her mother's chair, watching them as they slept. Daniela twitching occasionally; their mother snoring softly, and Bela still and calm like the castle itself.

Cassandra remained there the rest of the night, occasionally placing a few pieces of wood into the fire to keep it going. She did not know what time she had fallen asleep, but when she next awoke she found a blanket covering her; their mother missing while her siblings remained asleep in the bed. She could not help but smile, smelling her mother's scent strongly on the blanket, which made it all the warmer.

"Thank you, Mother…" she yawned, snuggling further into the blanket.