Well shit. This can't end well. Simon wants to marry me? How could that happen? How could I let that happen? He doesn't understand. His entire life, Simon has thought that he had to protect me. But that isn't how it works. I've been tailed by grief and madness wherever I go, and it won't just disappear. I feel like this is partially my fault. To understand why fully, let's delve deeper into my past, shall we?

My head was pounding, my breath was coming in short gasps. I remember looking over my father's shoulder as he ran across the grounds of Watford and seeing fire. My young brain could only comprehend one thing at a time. Vampires. Pain. Fire. Pain. Mother. Pain. Pain. Pain. I could feel the vampire toxin rushing through my veins, changing me from the inside out. I could feel my front teeth growing and pointing. I could feel... everything. I could feel the trees rushing by. I could feel the animals around us scurrying away. I could hear the blood rushing in those animals, in my father's veins, in my own veins. Life. That's what I was feeling. I was feeling all of the life around me. Then I blacked out. The next week was just flashes. Fiona and my father standing over me, casting any spells they could. And tears. Endless tears. They washed over me, drowning me. I didn't even know why I was crying or why I was sad until much later. I still remember going into my father's study one night and wandering to his desk.

"Papa, where's mommy?" I had asked. He looked at me that night in a way he had never before. With hatred and malice. Like I was a monster.

"Dead" he spat, finishing off a drink. "And so are you"
I tilted my head in confusion, not understanding. My father laughed like a madman who had just been told the funniest thing in the world. He lunged forward and grabbed me by the shoulders. I screamed and tried to jump away, but he grabbed me by my ankle and dragged me towards him. "Dead, son. You are dead. Do you not recall being bitten? Do you not recall seeing your mother bitten? You really are an idiot. Probably a murderer too" he muttered, pouring himself more of the amber liquid. I was shaking, terrified.

"M-murder!?" I squeaked.

"Get out. Get out! Get out!" He yelled, and I scrambled away, running out the door and past a few startled maids and butlers. I ran as quickly as I could until I ran into something soft. A gentle hand touched the back of my neck.

"Oh Basilton, my dear, why are you crying so?"
I looked up into the warm brown eyes of my grandmother. She was the kindest woman after my mother that I had ever known.

"Grammy, Father is scaring me. He said I was dead, and that I was a murderer! I swear Grammy I've never hurt anybody!"

"Well of course not! He's an idiot and a drunk. Now Basilton, come with me and I'll explain a few things to you" she extended her hand and I took it. She led me to one of the reading rooms and we sat across from each other next to a fire.

"Basilton, do you remember back to a week or so ago?"
I shook my head.

"Do you remember Watford? You were there and Vampires attacked. I'm sorry to tell you that they killed your mother. But before that, they bit you. You know what happens when a vampire bites you, right?"
I shook my head.

"You become one of them. If they bite you, you become a vampire"
I gasped, shaking my head. She nodded sadly.
"You're a vampire, Baz"
I breathed in shakily and she took my hands again.

"Basilton, you don't have to be one of them. You can choose to be good. What you are doesn't define you. Please, I lost my daughter. Don't make me lose my grandson too" she pleaded. I nodded. And a few months later, my dearest grandmother lay in bed, dying. I was the only one in the room.

"Basil" she rasped. I jumped, reaching towards her hand. She took it weakly and I squeezed lightly.

"Don't let the darkness take you. Don't let it take you" and she took a final breath and died. My lip quivered and I bit it. I leaned forward and I kissed her still warm cheek.

"Don't worry, Grammy, I won't. I love you" I forced out. A few tears shakily swam down my cheek and I wiped at them. Someone knocked at the door, but I didn't move. It opened and I could tell without looking up that it was my father. I could hear his shoes tapping against the tiled floor. He gently and hesitantly laid a hand on my head and I looked up from the corner of my eye. He wasn't looking at me, but at the floor. We stayed like that for a few minutes before he patted my head.

"Good talk, son" he said and walked out the door. A few minutes later a nursemaid walked in and ushered me to my bedroom.

"Don't worry, child. You'll be okay" she said and closed the door. I didn't sleep at all that night. I sat on my bed and stared at the wall until another maid came and got me for breakfast. This night was the one I went over in my head that night at Watford in my first year. I was sitting in bed and looking at the ceiling. My hand unconsciously drifted to my forearm. The skin was still raw from the branding, but the mark was there. The upside down pentagram with four wings.

'Don't let the darkness take you' she had said. But I had. I had let it take me. I had followed those vampires out of Watford, let them kidnap me and join me to their cult. And the brand... that would have been the most painful part, you know, getting your flesh burned, but the ritual took that crown. They took my magic and used it against me, warping it, turning it black and evil. Then they put it back into me. It felt like my insides were explode. Speaking of explosions, there were plenty. Fire burst from my fingertips, setting the nearby trees, shrubs, and vampires on fire. Not many made it out alive, I know for sure that I wouldn't have. If it hadn't been for Snow.

Cocky arse he was had to come and save my life. I remember black, and then light, and then heat. Then Snow was standing over me, trying to see if I was alive. I used all of my power to groan and twitch my hand and he breathed out in relief. Then he put me on his back and ran until we hit the wall of the school and we passed out against it, still holding hands. The door raised at dawn and we were able to enter the school. We didn't let go of each other until Simon noticed the brand.

It was still new, so it was hard to see what it was. It just looked like a scorch mark and a lot of blood. Well, a lot for me, that is. He tried to urge me to go to the Mage, but I refused. A vampire that was part of a dark magic cult. Yeah, because the Mage certainly wouldn't kill me. Instead I let Snow fumble with magic and bandages for a while and went to bed. A few months later, I started noticing things. Things like the same person appearing over and over again near me on the same street for days. Eventually I turned down an unexpected alleyway and he followed me. I jumped on him when we far enough down the road and pointed my wand against his throat.

"Who the hell are you and why are you following me!?" I hissed at him. He held up his hands.

"P-please master! We are the same" he said, neck flaring against the tip of my wand. He carefully gestured to his arm. It was that damn familiar symbol.

"We are not the same" I growled. And with that I set him on fire. He was the first person I ever killed. I didn't even think about it, it just happened. I stumbled back, patting at sparks that had landed on my clothes. And I ran. I ran as far as I could. I ended up on the outskirts of the Watford grounds. How I was able to run the miles of empty land, I don't know. I guess it was adrenaline, mostly. I felt awful. But the thing is, I went back to them. To the cult.

I chose to be their king, their god. I thought I had all I wanted, until I realized how much I wanted Snow. How much I needed him. I left them for him, even though I knew that, at the time, he could never love me back. But then he did. I was foolish for thinking that they would just let me leave. They thought that if Simon were to become one of them, I would follow him. And they were right. If he became a vampire and urged me to come back, I would do it in a heartbeat. But things are different now. Simon is getting his magic back. With him, Bunce, and me, we may have a fighting chance. We are by no means giving up. They took the most precious thing I had, and I would get them back. This is war.

A/N: I'm so, so sorry for the long delay on this chapter! I've been sick and had to make up a ton of school work. I'm also entering my local writing competition, so I've been stressing over that. Anyways, thanks for the support! PM me and let me know if you all think me entering a legit contest is a good idea please, I'd really love to get some feedback. Thanks guys