A/N: sorry guys! I had stupid finals all week. ((shoots glare at evil algebra teacher who smiles, completely unfazed)) sigh on with the show!

Things That Go Unnoticed

(Lyssia Vida's POV)

I pulled up outside of Nikolas' house warily. If he invited me, he had something planned. I stepped out of the car, stretching my long legs. I was slightly worried that I hadn't brought enough knifes. Sure, there was one on my back, two on my upper thighs, and two in my knee high boots...but would they be enough?

I looked down at my outfit next. My mother would kill me if she saw me, and I knew it. I wore a striped white and black skirt that landed mid-thigh. On top, I wore an off the shoulder black shirt that was tight on the bottom and looser towards my shoulders. A strand of pearls looped twice around my neck, my knee high boots, and a pair of dangling pearl earrings completed the look.

I smiled slightly, enjoying the feel of the skirt on my legs. I strode up to the front door purposefully, flipped my hair, smiled, and knocked. Almost immediately, a vampire answered the door.

I smiled largely, although I was upset on the inside. I wanted the advantage of surprise; how much more surprised could Nikolas get to opening the door and seeing me? I ran a hand through my hair, feigning uncertainty. "So, like...can I come in?" I asked the vamp. He eyed me warily for a moment before letting me pass. I pressed up against him as I walked through, tempting him and gaining his trust.

Most girls that came to these parties were senseless. They had no clue what they were getting themselves into, or who all their new 'friends' really were. Any typical girl would have supposed that they were human. She would have supposed that the man who opened the door for her was a gentleman; a very, very hot gentleman. She would have rubbed up on him, trying to get his attention. The vampire supposed I was one of the girls invited to the bash, knowing how they act as surely as I did.

I looked out at the house in mock surprise. Everything was black and white. A plush black carpet decorated the floor with a large white leather couch, and a black leather love seat. A white table sat in the middle of the floor; on top sat a black vase with white flowers. The walls were white with black paintings all over them. The paintings resembled shadows, dancing and twirling in the moonlight.

A shock went through me when I recognized one of the shadows as Sarah.

On the love seat, a couple were making out. I stretched a tendril of my power out to the couple, sensing their auras. The male was a vampire of moderate strength. He wasn't nearly as strong as Nikolas or Kristopher, but he was stronger than Aubrey. I shook my head, sickened. The female was human, but obviously a blood bond. She was practically begging to be bitten into.

As I was watching the couple, someone came up behind me and enveloped me in a large hug. My eyes bugged out in fear; I tried to turn around and see my attacker. All of my efforts were stopped, though, when the 'attacker' spoke.

"Lyssia." Sarah, my Sarah, whispered. Tears shone in my eyes as I turned to face her. I noticed for the first time that she wasn't as pale as the vamps around her, that her aura wasn't quite as violent. I noticed that her hair was still long and beautifully blonde. Even her eyes, which I had thought were purely black when I last saw her, still held a trace of sapphire blue. Sarah smiled at me, gently whipping a tear from my cheek with her hand.

"What are you doing here?" She asked me finally.

"I think I can answer that." Nikolas said, stepping forward.

(Salem Smoke's POV)

I leaned back on my bed, contemplating the noises from below. I heard talking, then silence. Finally, I heard tears, heavy footsteps, and a slamming door. What the heck happened? I thought frantically.

"Mom?" I asked, stepping cautiously from my room. My mother had her head down on the kitchen table, taking deep breaths. I rushed down the stairs to my mother's side, concerned for her safety. "Are you alright?" I asked her.

My mother raised her head, tears glistening in her eyes. She shook her head. For a moment, it was as if she couldn't speak. As if something had hurt her so much, she was unable to form words.

"I told her." She said finally. My eyes widened in shock.

"Wha...what?" I asked. Mother had never wanted to tell Daley she wasn't truly a Smoke line witch. Only Dominique could have made my mother tell Daley the truth. "How did she take it?" My words were quiet, filled with dread.

"Not well." My mother stuttered slightly. "She...she ran out the door." My mother looked me square in the eyes then, allowing me to see how much fear she really held inside. "I'm afraid for her, Salem. What will happen if a vampire finds out she is the last of the Light line? And in this condition? She won't survive the night."

I had never heard my mother's voice so pained, so full of self directed anger. I shook my head slightly, kissing my mother's temple. "No, she will. I'm going to go get her, Mom. Don't worry." With that, I stood up, grabbed a knife Dominique had given me, and walked out the door.

(((((insert breaaak here, if my computer wasn't too stupid to do it...))))))

I rushed down the road, spreading my senses as far as they would go. It was obvious that Daley had run on sadness and anger, not on common sense. Her path was light, but I could still faintly detect it.

Think of it like a search and rescue bloodhound. The bloodhound smells a belonging of the missing person, then traces the scent. The scent is like a path; the stronger the scent, the closer they are. The lighter the scent, the further they are. If the scent is weak, you could assume that the person had been in that spot, but is no longer there.

That's sort of how I followed Daley's path, only I tracked her aura. Her aura was weak in places she hadn't been for long, stronger in places she stopped to take a break.

I stopped suddenly at an area where Daley's aura was very strong. A path led into the woods, but there was no way I was going to follow it. The path was marked by a bush of black roses. The mark of a vampire. However...if Daley had gone down this path, then I suppose I would too.

Too bad I didn't see the drops of the blood on the grass then, or the fallen petals of black roses scattered on the ground. Too bad I didn't notice a torn piece of material snagged on a thorn, or a vampire's aura swirled in with my sister's.

No, I was so determined to save my sister, I didn't even notice these obvious signs. Instead, I walked straight down the path, wondering why Daley's aura seemed to be muted. Not even guessing that I was walking straight into the vampiric equivalent of a lion's cave.

A/N: soooo, watcha think? I hope you like it...sorry if it was bad, though. I'm still a little brain dead from finals. ((shoots another glare at algebra teacher. He randomly starts whistling before writing some complex equation on the white board.)) ((looks at the equation and passes out))...eh, review?