"We're almost there," Amelia says recognizing a few things. She had been trained to look around and constantly observe her surroundings, noting ways to escape and anything else that might become useful. Even though she was afraid, she tried to remember every instance, except for one, from that night.

"Did you notice any lycans guarding the wall?" Raze asks.

"Along the base...shouldn't we be able to get past them easily?"

"Some will probably cooperate...others will not be a problem," Raze says.

"Here," Amelia says stopping her horse,"This is where we dismount and run on foot."

Raze and Amelia dismount and send the horses on their way, hoping them return to the castle so Lucian would know their progress. Raze looked to the sky,"It appears to be nearly half the day. The vampires should be fast asleep."

"Let's hope," Amelia says beginning to run. There was a small town outside of the castle, a wall, then the inner castle. Raze and Amelia ran from house to house, evading glances from the towns people. They headed towards the only weakness of the outter wall, a sewage tunnel. When they reached the wall the two gazed at the overgrown entrance. It was small and let water run out of the wall. "Are you going to fit?" Amelia says giggling.

"Oh haha," Raze says,"Get your tiny ass through and I'll follow." Amelia disappears through the wall. Raze follows closely until the two stop at the other side. "Do you see any guards?"

"Just the lycans on the wall."

"What is our next entrance point?" Raze asks.

"Do you remember when I lost my kite in that tree when I was five?" Amelia asks.

Raze thinks,"Yes."

"Do you remember how we got it?" Amelia asks smiling.

Raze thinks and then mirrors her smile. "Let's get you up there." Slowly the two slid from the tunnel and remained flush to the wall. The lycans were lazily laying. "Go slowly," Raze whispers. Amelia begins one foot after another across the court. Finally a lycan caught sight of her. He began to growl until they saw Raze. Confusion flashed across their eyes. Raze knew that they desperately wanted to help him and yet they would be helping themselves if they guarded the vampires.

Amelia stopped as she approached one. She reached out her hand and the lycan pushed his nose into her hand. She stroked the soft fur on the bridge of his nose as he nearly purred. She noticed the tatooed "V" on his shoulder then saw the collar on his neck. "Did you wear one of these?" Amelia asks gesturing to the collar.

Raze looks at the collar,"Yes." His answer was heavy and full of memories. He was not a slave for long, but that terriftying night he fought for his life flashed across his eyes.

"Raze," Amelia says calling his attention,"I'm so sorry."

Raze looks back at his brother lycans,"Some day none of us will wear a collar."

Amelia smiles,"Well, we best be going."

"Which way?"

With a finger Amelia gestures upwards. Raze sees an open window and realizes what she has in mind. Getting the kite from the tree. He cradles his hands and crouches down. "Your carriage my lady," he says smiling.

"Thank you good sir," she says stepping a foot up. With one large thrust upward, Raze throws Amelia into the air. She glides upwards and surpasses the window but lands gracefully on the ledge. Raze begins to swiftly climb up to the ledge. "Welcome," Amelia says smiling.

"Let's get serious," Raze says.

Amelia nods her head. She grabs her dagger from her belt and slides it into the latched window. She gently opened the shutter and listened. No foot steps. Good. But vampires do not make foot steps. They both jump and land on their feet back to back. Their eyes scan the dark corners of the blackened room. "Where now?" Raze asks.

"We need to enter the hall, I can tell better from there," Amelia says. She glides forward cracking the door. "How many vampires move around during the day?" Amelia asks in the quietest whisper.

Raze could sense apprehension in her voice. This was her first mission. "The sunlight weakens vampires severely. They are nearly paralyzed by the sun so this time they should not be moving at all. Only the older ones will be able to move, and when I say move, I don't mean fast."

Amelia nods,"Let's move then."

The two then begin quietly running down the hall, Raze following right at Amelia's heels. She made several pauses as if looking around but managed to lead them to a large pair of doors. Amelia onces again opens the door and sneaks in. Raze follows and stops seeing Amelia frozen in her place.

"This is where I met him," Amelia says her eyes watering. Raze remembers that night in the woods he first saw Viktor. So much had happened that Viktor was not the most overwhelming thing about the scene. He places his hand on her shoulder, offering that gesture of comfort. "I'm fine," she says looking back at him, offering a small smile. "There," she says pointing and moving towards the far side of the room. The two run over. Sure enough, there were piles of papers that held information about the vampires. "Look at all this stuff," Amelia says in amazement,"What should we take?"

"We need to get the date of the...oh no!" Raze says.

"What," Amelia says looking over his shoulder to the paper.

"I found the paper with the ceremony," he says frowning.

"And?" she asks.

"It's not good."