Richelle Mead owns the VA and Bloodlines series.

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I wanted to have a one shot up too, but this story keeps jumping up and down shouting "Write me! Write me!" whenever I try to work on something else. I guess that's a good thing, right?

I don't know what they were thinking with this whole reeducation thing.

Being cold, dirty, and more than a little hungry, was not exactly winning me over to the Alchemist cause. Not to mention the fact that I was still naked. I sat in the corner of the room, trying to keep myself in a tight ball to conserve heat. It didn't work as well as I would have liked, but it was better than nothing, which was what I had.

Nothing. Just four walls, a floor, a toilet and a sink. A sink with only cold water. I'd tried giving myself a bath once using the antiseptic hand-soap the Alchemists couldn't help but leave in the room, but quickly realized I'd rather smell than freeze to death.

I wasn't sure how long I'd been here. The robotic voice that occasionally spoke to me never mentioned things like time. They kept me drugged a lot of the time, I think. I wasn't sure how long they kept me under, but they knocked me out every time I disagreed with them. Robot Voice would come over the speakers telling me to admit my sins and purge my soul, I'd tell her I hadn't sinned, and a few seconds later the world would go black. Well, the world was already pretty black since they hadn't turned on the lights since that first day, but whenever I disagreed with them I'd lose consciousness.

I'd come to the conclusion that they must be pumping the drugs through an air vent because they could drug me at any time, whether or not I'd had water or food. I'd just drop to the cold, hard floor whenever they didn't like my attitude. And I had more than a few scrapes and bruises to prove just how hard the floor really was.

I pulled my legs closer to my chest, fighting off a sudden burst of frigid air. They did that sometimes. They usually kept my cell at a steady temperature of absolutely-freezing, but occasionally they'd bump it up to Hell's-about-to-freeze-over. If I could see anything in this darkness I was sure I'd see wisps of my own breath in the air and probably even slightly blue fingertips and toes. I'd been cold for so long I was surprised I hadn't developed frost bite yet. But the Alchemists were smarter than that. They wanted me so uncomfortable I'd give in to them, but not in any actual physical danger. If I was close to hyperthermia or frost bite they'd probably warm the room up. I suspected it was one of the reasons they knocked me out so often. To keep me unconscious when conditions in the cell became a little more comfortable.

For as much as they knocked me out, they had yet to let me actually sleep. The druggings were not sleep as far as I was concerned. It was fitful and uncomfortable and I always woke up feeling groggy and dizzy and a little sick. And then there was the lack of dreaming, of any kind.

I knew drugs prevented the use of magic and that even if Adrian was trying to reach out to me—which I knew he was—he'd never be able to pull me into a spirit dream. I tried to fall asleep as much as possible, even if it was hopeless while there were drugs in my system. The Alchemists never let me though. Robot Voice would start speaking whenever I closed my eyes and if I did manage to drift off they'd play a blaring noise through the speakers to wake me.

All in all, I pretty much hated this place. If I could have set fire to the building and burned it to the ground I would have, but unfortunately for me, the drugs also prevented me from using a fireball on the first person who walked through the door. My magic was out of commission for the moment and Adrian's was too.

The thought of Adrian simultaneously warmed me and sent a shiver down my spine. I'd thought about him often. Nearly every moment of my time in here had been spent remembering the way his hands felt on my hips, or the way his voice sounded as he whispered against my ear. I hoped he was okay, but I knew he'd be freaking out about my abduction. I just hoped he was handling it okay. After everything he'd been through he was finally getting his life together: going to school, taking mood stabilizers to control spirit. And now I was the one who might send him over the edge. Not even being kept in a dark room for weeks, naked and against my will, made me as angry as the thought that, by locking me up, the Alchemists might be condemning Adrian to suffer from spirit darkness.

I knew him, and as much as I hoped he'd stay on the pills and try to find another way to get to me, I knew he'd go right to spirit. If he could reach me in a dream he could keep me company through this, we could come up with some sort of plan. These stupid drugs! Why couldn't they just let me sleep?

I held out hope that Ms. Terwilliger could do a spell to find me, but as the days passed, my hope was beginning to fade. If Adrian knew where I was he would have already busted down the door.

Another frigid blast of air hit me and I gasped. It was almost painfully cold in here now.

"How are you today, Sydney?" the voice asked, coldly polite and disembodied as always.

"Pretty cold," I shivered, my teeth chattering.

"That's how it feels inside of your soul," it said in a monotone that made me want to roll my eyes. I might have if I wasn't so cold. "Cold and dark. Not a nice place to live, is it? We can make you feel better if you just confess your sins."

This was the same routine the voice and I had every day—or, at least, every time I was conscious. Sometimes I'd argue with her, telling her I hadn't sinned. Other times I'd gesture rudely into the air, knowing they had night vision cameras set up in here somewhere. Today I just ignored her, pressing my face into my knees, too cold to fight.

The voice was undeterred. "You have a guest today, Sydney. We hope you'll feel better after speaking to her."

My head snapped up. A guest? This was new. I'd never had a guest before. No one had ever been in my cell before. I stood as a part of the wall opened up in front of me. I felt less selfconscious than I ever thought I would at the idea of being naked in front of someone. Someone who was not Adrian, that is.

Slowly, the lights came up, giving me time to adjust to the brightness. A woman stood in front of me, wearing a long white coat over a slim pencil skirt. She had a fuzzy white robe in one hand. My eyes fixated on it and I couldn't look away, even when the woman introduced herself.

"Hello, Sydney," she said, and her voice wasn't unkind, but it still sent a shiver of fear down my spine. "My name is Dr. Alvarez and I'll be helping you through this crisis period." She must have noticed my shiver and misinterpreted it, because she held out the robe to me. "It's quite chilly in here, isn't it? Here, please. Take it."

If I'd been thinking I never would have reached for the robe, I would have shown guts and determination and ignored her. But I was so cold. I'd been so cold for so long. And standing in front of this woman, naked and in the full illumination of the lights, was starting to make me feel uncomfortable. It was one thing to know they were watching me through the cameras, but I could actually feel her eyes on me and I suddenly wanted nothing more than to cover up. I guess I was still more self conscious than I'd hoped. Before I could think better of it, I grabbed the robe and pulled it on. It was just as fuzzy and plush as it looked. I was still cold, but it was better.

Once I was decent she called in two men who set chairs down in my cell. Dr. Alvarez took one and gestured for me to take the other. As the men were leaving I got a good look into the hall beyond the door, but there wasn't much to see. Just white walls and more white walls. The thought of picking up the chair as a weapon and fighting my way out occurred to me, but dissipated just as quickly as I saw the guns on both men's hips. The door slid closed and my chance was gone.

"Please, Sydney," Dr. Alvarez said, gesturing to the chair again. "Take a seat so we can talk."

I didn't want to talk to this woman, but I sat down anyway, thankful to be off the floor for even a few minutes. Now that my eyes had fully adjusted to the light, I could study her. She looked like any other Alchemist. Ordinary business attire, except for that white coat. Her brown hair was pulled up into a sleek, harsh bun on the back of her head and she had a small mole on the left side of her face. She was pretty, in a severe sort of way. I couldn't tell how old she was, but I'd guess a little younger than my mom. Her brown eyes appeared kind, but I had no doubt about her intentions as she smiled at me.

"I know this can't be easy for you," she said gently. "And I know you might not understand it right now, but I'm going to try to help you through this. I want nothing more than for you to be released from this place, a happy, healthy member of society."

"Then let me go and I'll definitely be healthier. The thermostat in here is broken and I think I'm getting a cold," I remarked, trying to smile innocently. Not that it was any use, but giving them an attitude made me feel better about being locked up. It's what Adrian would've done.

"I'd love to, Sydney, I really would," Dr. Alvarez said, ignoring the attitude. "But you're in here for a reason and this," she gestured around the cell, "is all for your own good. My job is to get to the root of the reason you ended up here. Do you know the reason you're here?"

"Of course I do," I smiled again. "I'm here because my father and sister don't approve of my choice of boyfriend."

Dr. Alvarez narrowed her eyes this time, but other than that didn't betray her light, genial smile. Still, I liked that the attitude was getting to her.

"Ah, yes. The boyfriend," she said casually. "Would you mind telling me about him? I'd love to know more about him and why your father disapproves."

I blinked at her. Did she really think I was that stupid?

"I do mind, actually," I told her, dropping the innocent act for an insolent one. I'd had enough. "I'm not telling you anything about him or anyone else, for that matter."

"Sydney, please," Dr. Alvarez pleaded. "I'm just trying to do my job here. I want to help you. I can help you, if you'd just talk to me."

"I don't need your help."

She'd, apparently, had enough of my attitude, because her smile finally dropped and her tone turned cold. "I'm sorry to hear that, Sydney."

She stood from her chair and turned toward the door. The two men from before were standing there when the door slid open. They rushed in and collected both chairs, forcing me back to my feet. Dr. Alvarez held a hand out towards me and I stared at it a moment, wondering why she'd offer to shake hands with me after that mildly hostile encounter. But then I realized she was waiting for the robe back.

It was tempting to keep the robe, but I knew the Alchemists would never let me. Even if Dr. Alvarez left without getting those guys to rip it off of me—an scenario I wasn't interested in exploring—I knew they'd just drug me and take it back once I was passed out. Slowly, I let the warm terrycloth fall down my shoulders and then handed it off to the doctor. She didn't smile, but nodded her head like I'd done something she'd expected. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"I know you don't trust me yet," she said, watching me from the doorway. Her brown eyes were kind, but I could see her wheels turning, trying to pick me apart piece by piece until there was nothing left but an empty shell. "I hope someday you might, though. I really do want to help you through all of this, Sydney."

The lights flicked out and I sank back against the wall. Then she turned to go, leaving me to the cold and my own loneliness for a while longer.

That's the thing about being alone. You feel it, deep in your bones, and it hurts like a physical thing.

It didn't matter that I knew Adrian was out there somewhere, loving me no matter what. It didn't matter that I knew my mom and sisters were out there. They were all my family, and I knew in my heart they all loved me.

Even Zoe.

I couldn't imagine what had happened after Dad abducted me. I knew Zoe had been there, but I wasn't sure what he'd do with her afterwards. He definitely would have had her pulled out of Palm Springs, not wanting her to be around the vampires who'd corrupted one of his daughters already. I felt guilt wash over me as I realized that my actions had probably swung Zoe over to Dad's side permanently. She'd never choose to live with Mom now.

Being locked away, I had no way of knowing if my parent's custody battle had happened already or not. Last I knew, it hadn't been scheduled yet, but I wasn't sure how much time had passed. I thought it had been a few weeks, maybe. But I could've been wrong. It was hard to keep track when everything was always so dark. My dad wouldn't have hesitated to lie to a judge about my absence. And he would have had no problem forging some sort of affidavit saying I thought he was the better parent.

My heart sank as I realized my dad could have full custody of Zoe already. She had been doing so well before everything fell apart. She'd taken driving lessons with Eddie, laughed with Jill about Angeline's silliness. She'd even gone out with them all for ice cream. She'd been coming around. If I hadn't been so stupid and selfish I could have gotten her away from Dad's control. But now she was doomed to live her life the way I had up until last year when I met Rose Hathaway in Russia.

Could I hope Zoe would see the light one day? That she'd run into some lovable, wild dhampir who would turn the old Alchemist stereotypes on their head for her? Even if that did happen, how long before the Alchemists found out and locked her away in this prison, same as me?

How could I let this happen? I was no good to anyone locked away, least of all Zoe. And what about Jill? What good was I doing her if I was locked away? Who would help her with her chemistry homework and math? What other Alchemist would understand the real danger she was in from the rebel Moroi out to find her? No one knew she'd already been killed, they didn't know about the bond between her and Adrian.

And Adrian. I could hardly think of him at the moment, my longing for him was so powerful. What must he be going through right now? Eddie would have no doubt told him about what happened. Had he told him the words I'd claimed were a sleeping spell that he could use on the Alchemists? Would Adrian have figured them out even if he had?

Centrum permanebit. The center will hold. Even if Adrian figured out that the words were meant for him, would he believe them? Would he hold them to his heart and know that no matter what happened next, I would always love him?

For the first time since the Alchemists abducted me, I felt myself beginning to break down. I usually avoided thinking about things too hard, just for this reason. But talking to Dr. Alvarez—or not talking to her, really—had dredged up everything I'd been trying to bury away.

This was unfair and wrong and horrible in so many ways that all I wanted to do was curl up in the corner and cry. And I was cold and my skin was raw and hurt wherever it touched the damp concrete walls and floor. I wanted to crawl out of my body and go someplace else for a little while, but I couldn't even do that because the bastards wouldn't let me sleep!

I took a deep breath, and then another, and another. I kept breathing until my head felt light and the edges of my vision started to go black. They were pumping drugs into the room, right on schedule.

I closed my eyes and let the darkness take me away, even though it wasn't to the place I wanted to go.