hello, hello!!! all did not go well and i couldn't post this yesterday. and i know, i've been gone forever, which is terrible after a cliffhanger, sorry!!! its also takin me a while to type this and get it the way i wanted it, i couldn't make up my mind! and i didn't want to post a crappy chapter thats not up to my usual standards. hope it doesn't disappoint and that it was worth the wait, thanx 4 reading!!!

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When I awoke I had a terrible headache and was sore all over. I rubbed my head and winced. I tried to remember what had happened but I drew a blank, so I turned to look at the clock...

Only there wasn't one.

The memories came back in a rush. The attack on the vampires, getting seperated, and...

I growled deep in my throat. The stranger. The newcomer that had surprised me. The feel of his cold fingers at my throat still lingered and as I reached up to touch it I winced. My left hand was wrapped many times over in gauze and the only visible skin was a mottled purple. I looked down and noticed that I still had smears of dried mud on my arms and legs, and that somebody had wrapped a sheet around me. I could also see bruises that ranged from the vivid purple to a deep red lined with black all over my legs and a particularly bad one on my shoulder from where he had crashed into me.

Now knowing that I was far from safe, I examined my surroundings more closely.

There were two doors, one that was open and led to a small bathroom, and the other was apparantly the only exit, for there were no windows. Two walls were filled with bookshelves and I was laying on a black suede couch in the back of the room, next to a small desk with a lamp on it. There were no phones. The door was most definitely locked. I was trapped.

I slowly and gingerly got up and pushed past the pain. I walked into the bathroom and examined myself in the mirror.

There was a bruise on my cheek and a small cut that had been bandaged right above my eye. But there was no wound at my neck. It shouldn't have surprised me, seeing how as I'm not dead, but to see the physical evidence that he had not killed me was a little overwhelming. Why? i aked myself. Why wouldn't he kill me?

I was horrified as I thought of the only reasonable explanation.

They had something worse in mind for me. I, who has killed so many of their kind, has fallen helplessly into their clutches. I'm wounded, I'm weak, its only logical that they should kill me now. And because of my deeds, I knew that it would not be quick and painless.

My stomach twisted in dread and I felt as though I would vomit.

I rushed to the door, all pain forgotten, and was going to try and open it, even though it would be in vain I had to try.

But someone opened it before I could.

In walked three of the party we had attacked the night before. The leader was in the middle of the small procession. He had wet,white blonde hair that continued to fall infront of his blood red eyes. There was a woman to his right with the same white blonde hair and I vaguely recognized her as the female that had attacked Alex and given her the scar on her leg. The man to his left, however, I could scarcely place in my memories. There was something about him that was faintly familiar...

The newcomer. His dark hair falling across his crimson eyes, eyes that seemed to glow as he brushed the hair from my neck.

I took an unconscious step back and a malicious grin spread across the face of the covens leader.

"Well, well, well." he said, taking a step forward, chuckling lightly as I took another small step back. "So this is the young assassin that has killed my kin and slaughtered my species without mercy or hesitation." He chuckled again and stepped towards me, and this time I refused to move.

"Though now you seem a helpless stray." he said, smirking.

I forced myself to smile sweetly, though my eyes felt as though they could kill. "And you look like a drenched cat, don't you?"

Th blow came quick and unexpected as he struck the side of my face.

I turned my head back towards him slowly, willing my eyes not to water. I tasted blood, metallic in my mouth and smiled again, showing my stained teeth. "It seems as though I have struck a nerve."

He only grinned, confident in his authority over me.

The female was still near the door, as well as the other male.

"Do you not know to whom you speak?" she said in a cool, venomous voice. "I managed to harm your precious cousin before. You should be even less of a challenge." she said, cocky.

"But you only marked her didn't you? You're too weak to kill us when we are free to use our powers to the fullest. I doubt you'll be strong enough to kill me, even when I am trapped here."

She hissed at me, walking forward and I growle back at her, inviting her to come closer.

The man that was still in front of me held out a hand to stop her. "Danya, you know better than to give in to her taunting."

"Damon-"

"That is enough Danya." he snapped at her.

I grinned at her, holding my chin up triuphantly.

He turned away from her to face me again."It will be terrible to waste something so beautiful." he said, and the grin vanished from my face and was replaced with a look of pure hatred. He took my chin and cupped it in his hand while I continued to glare."Such spirit," he said slowly, a smile coming to his face. A look entered his eyes that made me cringe away, but he held me all the tighter and pulled his mouth to my ear." I wonder, how long would it take to break you?"

I pulled myself from him and raised my hand to slap him, but he caught it quickly.

He continued to smile as he slowly bent my hand back painfully, and it only grew as my mouth opened soundlessly and I began to shrink towards the ground.

"Yes," he said in an icy voice that chilled my bones."I shall enjoy breaking you."

"Damon!" came a shout from over his shoulder.

I looked back and saw that the stranger had moved forward and was stopping Damon. I glanced quickly between them for a few moments of silence, all the while Damon's grip on my hand tightened.

"What is it Ethan?" he asked through clenched teeth.

I looked at Ethan's face and saw a moment of hesitation before it hardend into a mask of cruelty.

"She is to heal first. Then you shall relish the challenge of a wolf in her prime."

My heart sank at his vicius words, but I was nevertheless grateful when Damon released his grip on me.

"Yes, how true. Come Danya. Ethan, stay behind and give our stray her instructions." I groweld under my breath but made no comment. I sighed in relief as he finally started toward the door, but then his icy breath was once again at my ear."You know as well as I that you shall heal quickly." he whispered fervently, "I'm looking forward to it." He kissed me hard on the lips before turning away and walking out of the room that had become my prison.

"We'll be waiting."

My knees shook beneath me and despite all my efforts I had to choke back sobs. Ethan was still standing quitely next to the door. We stood in silence for a moment untill my legs began to give out from underneath me.

Two cold arms caught me as I slid to the ground, but I tried with all of my might to push him away. "Don't touch me!" I yelled at him as he dragged me back to the couch so that I could sit down.

"Are you allright?" he asked uncertainly.

"Just perfect." I snapped, my voice dripping with sarcasm and venom.

He looked at my face and stroked my cheekbone where Damon had struck me. I pulled my face from his hand and wrapped my arms around my knees. He stood up quickly and took a couple steps away from the couch.

"Someone will be here shortly to bring you your food. There is a bathroom right there where you are free to take a shower and in the cabinets are some clothes that you can change into as well as some towels."

I only nodded and after he had closed the door behind him I got up to look in on the bathroom.

There was a shower with a sliding glass door and the walls were painted a deep blue. The mirror I had used earlier hung over the sink and underneath the sink there were two small cabinets. There were, of course, no windows, and I wondered grimly if I would ever again see the sun or feel the cool rain on my face...

As the realiation of how hopeless the situation really was struck me, the tears finally began to run down my face. I slid down the wall and lay my cheek against the cool tile, and cried for my family, for Alex, and Carina, I cried for Adrian, and I lamented my loss of the stars.

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not longer than the last chapter, but longer than the rest!

and so sorry it took forever, this week was friggin' terrible!! way too much happening in only seven days.

i'm going to try and post up the next chapter after mothers day.

as always, REVIEW!!! c'mon, little purple button right there, just push it. reviews always make my day!!!

in the meantime, i suggest to everybody that you listen to Smile In Your Sleep by Silverstein, AMAZING song! love it so much, listening to it right now actually...

so R&R and have a good weekend peoples!

the-truth-about-heaven...