"This isn't what it's supposed to be like, you know?"

"I know."

"Then why is it?"

"Who knows?"


Bella woke up by herself for the first time, without Edward coming to wake her up. Her body seemed to hum with contentment.

Damned bed.

Damned temptation.

She jumped out of it, as though it was burning. She had never really been good at resolutions. Although that was not a valid excuse.

Edward didn't come.

She waited, and waited.

Then, she fell asleep once more. This time she made sure that it was on the floor (she stole the sheets from the bed though).

Ah well...

Sleep debt was such an easy thing to pay off.

"I trust you slept well, darling?"

Bella jolted upright to see Edward standing in the doorway, grinning.

"Maybe."

She felt embarrassed about the bed, and her red cheeks succeeded in showing that.

"You do know that more than half of the human population would kill you to have that?" he gestured to the bed.

Bella gave a noncommittal shrug.

"Well. Today is a big day for you."

"Really?"

"Sultan's ball is tomorrow and you've already spent seventy five percent of it sleeping."

Bella felt as though someone had dropped a pile of bricks onto her chest.

Tomorrow?
Of course, as soon as she let herself start to enjoy the routine of this messed up life, they decide to pull the red carpet out from under her.

"Here is the tradition. The vampire overseer of the place establishes who the bride or died to be is."

Bella shivered.

Bride or died, nice try at rhyming.

"Then," Edward continued." They find who the person is closest to and on the eve send them to retrieve them. I will be killed on the spot if I don't send you to the place."

"Then you go?" Bella did not like the sound of that, at all.

"No. If you are chosen, then I will be the one to give you away at the marriage. After that, I don't know what happens. All of these traditions are draped in mystery."

Fear clenched the rebel's heart.

She could take Vampyres and needles, even asthma.

But she couldn't stand the thought of losing a friend.

"You're going to be okay?" She meant to say a statement but it came out as an answer.

There was a pause from Edward. A long pause that made Bella's heart clench painfully.

"Yes," he finally said. "I know I'll be alright."

Bella clung to this thought like a drowning man does a piece of driftwood.

As long as he was going to be okay, then she would be just fine.

Even if she knew that he was lying.

"I see you're arming yourself with armor," Edward said, amused. She must have looked funny to him, because her face, usually lively and full of emotion was devoid of anything.

Except curiosity.

In books, Bella had read about many scenarios where the hero (or the person who fancied themselves to be one) had been caught by the enemy. They never had a single inkling of care in their thoughts.

Bella cared.

These were Vampyres. They had haunted her childhood, and tracked her until they found her. They had been nothing but a rumour, an army of beautiful ghosts. She thought she knew what they were, but she really didn't.

This would be her peephole into their society, how the enemy lived.

She would learn.

After all, learning is the first step to fighting.

"Yep. Those bastards don't deserve anything of mine. Even my thoughts," Bella said vehemently.

Edward erupted into laughter. This was something he obviously couldn't contain.

"You really are a Lunatik," Bella gave Edward a worried glance.

Edward didn't say anything, consumed in thoughts of his own.

Bella had a horrible sense of direction. They had to have been walking for only five minutes, but she wouldn't be able to tell anyone where her room was.

"Are we there yet?"

"No, love, we are not."

Bella had once asked why he used such endearing phrases when referring to her. Edward only gave her some crap about how she lit up his world with friendship and love when she came.

They weren't those type of friends.

They were just two pieces of wood that were leaning on each other. One can't stand without the other.

"Do you remember Tom and Jerry?" Bella asked.

"No."

"Oh."

Bella had really wanted to talk about Tom. She was really feeling a lot like him. Plotting the destruction of the enemy one moment, and in the next moment, nursing a wound in her backside.

Bella wished she had something to say, something witty, heart lifting and downright sassy.

Nothing came.

Edward quickly lost interest in talking with her. He did that sometimes. So lost in his own thoughts, that his mind went goes on autopilot leaving his body to be an effective machine.

Bella knew better than to talk to him, even though talking to him might have saved her from the deep pit of anxiousness that was swallowing her whole.

She let the conversation fade.

When Edward finally came out of his trance, it was too late. Bella waved him a small goodbye as she was shoved none too delicately through a door.

A red door.

"Now, don't look so stunned. We have a lot to do."

Bella was stunned. Before her stood a salon. There were manicure tables and pedicure chairs, and even synthetic windows. In the back corner stood showers, where a couple of girls were already showering.

A hand was already pulling at her, running a brush through her curls and whispering nonsense that Bella didn't care to hear.

This was so mundane. All of it.

Bella finally realized.

Vampyres really weren't the killing machines and heartless creatures that were only good to the world when dead.

They had once been human.

They still vied for beauty, money, and sex.

And blood.

Still, they were the enemy. They had enslaved an entire race underground. Bella wondered what they were doing aboveground.

If they hadn't been so heartless and had stayed in the shadows, leaving the world be, Bella could probably reason with their existence.

But they had taken everything away from her.

She would never forgive that.

She was a rebel, and she would stay that way.

Bella let them pull half of her hair out. She let them manicure her nails and shave her legs. Not without some snide comments.

"You know, if you provided me with a hairbrush, I wouldn't be going bald."

A middle-aged looking vampire was combing through her hair with a ferocity that made Bella feel like a doll. Now she wished that she hadn't been so cruel with her Barbies when grooming time came.

"You were a Lunatik. Hairbrushes can be used as weapons. To yourself."

This Vampyre had a distinct European accent, but Bella couldn't place from where the accent was.

If only Bella had actually been crazy. Maybe all this would have been seen in a different light.

"How many Vampyres does it take to build a castle?" Bella said cheerfully, gripping the arms of the chairs that she was put in like they were some kind of life vest.

The Vampyre didn't answer.

"None. They make the humans do it."

The brushing seemed to get a little more violent. Bella realized that she could be killed from something like this.

"What is a Vampyre's favorite food?"

No answer. That was just fine.

"Pyrates."

A couple of girls to her left were trying not to chuckle. Bella was on a roll.

"How do you make a bonfire?"

Silence. Just the painful sound of her hair being ripped from her scalp.

"You light up a couple of Vam-pyres."

Finally the brushing stopped. Bella was almost used to the pain by then.

The vampyre was not amused at all, even though Bella was a world-class comedian. Even someone with an accent like that should understand her jokes.

"Shower. Now, tasty morsel."

Back with the comments about how good you tasted.

Bella did as she was told.

Now, the Vamps didn't dare venture into the showers, because it was rumored that if they got their hair wet, then it took more than three days to dry it fully.

After she stripped, she was pushed into a communal shower. The walls were blindingly white, and three other girls were showering with her.

Bella wasn't shy. Her mother had taught her that it was stupid to be afraid to show yourself to people of your own gender. On the other hand, she had said with a smile, the opposite gender is a mindless piece of meat that will never be relevant in your life, so they don't deserve anything of yours. To which, her father had rolled his eyes and simply pointed to the wedding ring on her finger.

Such a weird place to be homesick.

Bella finally realized that one of the girls was talking.

"I know that he will pick me. I am a pure-blood. I was born in Infirmary 25 and have been here all of my life. I heard he likes pureness. Anyways, we all know that I am prettier than all of you."

No one answered, simply because they hadn't been born here and were scared out of their damn minds.

Bella was feeling angered. It had been such a long time since she met a bitch like her, and she had hoped that she never would.

She was a Mollie, who liked ribbons in her hair and sugar to eat. It was that obvious.

Bella was ready for a fight. She needed one.

"A little modesty would do you some good." Bitch.

The girl spun around and faced her, a flabbergasted look in her dumb eyes. She looked like an American. Blonde hair, big ass, big mouth.

Which, Bella supposed, wasn't such a bad thing. In some cases.

"Jealousy is spoken through series of blows to the heart." Bella recited, absentmindedly washing her hair. The other two girls gave Bella half-smiles realizing that she was coming to their aid.

This had been something her mother used to say.

"Who are you talking about?"

Bella looked around her, and then focused her eyes back to the girl.

"No one," Bella said, pushing sarcasm's limits.

The girl narrowed her eyes, but got the message and shut up.

Bella lamented that the girl hadn't pushed back.

She finished quickly, seeing no reason to be in showers with Pureblood over there for longer than she had to.

When she stepped out, her Vamp was waiting for her, a towel in hand.

Her hair was dried, styled and her nails fixed up.

Bella didn't speak anymore, because a wave of homesickness pounded her.

She didn't see this as an omen. Homesickness was just unavoidable.

The Vampyre hummed under her breath as she worked, and somehow this soothed Bella of her worries. She slowly relaxed her tight muscles, and let memories of home bring her to complete peace.

After all, this was her last day.

Or her first.

Bella wasn't a very good at compliments when it came to herself. After looking at all of the other candidates, she was sure that she had no chance.

She would be thrown out to wolves.

There was a lot that she had done to scratch out this second chance.

A lot.

Flipping off the Sultan was only part of it.

It seemed like an eternity later when the Vamp pushed her off of the stool and got her dressed. A white dress was pulled over her head, and a blood-red ribbon tied around your neck. Bella's vision was a bit blurry. From tears.

Not that she would acknowledge them as such.

The Vamp suddenly stood back and admired her handiwork. Her harsh looking expression softened, and she gently reached out and dried Bella's eyes.

This only made Bella want to cry harder, but she didn't. She couldn't take any acts of kindness from these beasts.

"Don't cry, child. You are a pretty morsel with a strong pure intention. Nothing can change that. Even death."

Good intention?

Did the Vampyre know that all Bella wanted was for her kind to disappear? Just burst into flame and not leave any ashes behind?

"Yes, child, good intention. You just haven't found it, but you will. I know you will."

Bella only nodded and walked out the door with her, back into the endless corridor.

Damn.

She really was walking to hell.

Thank you for reading.

I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone who has been reviewing, following and faving. Thank you sooo much for already more than fifty reviews and over ONE HUNDRED followers, with only five chapters in. I feel like I will be in a good mood for a very long time. Thanks.

Thank you to 4MeJasper for beta'ing this, all mistakes are mine.

Cvaboda