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Author's Note: Please enjoy and remember to review. This chapter will be quite fast-paced so if you don't understand something, please just let me know.

Chapter 5: An Attack and Some Travel Plans

Billy's POV

My first day at my new school was all right, I suppose. My classes were pretty easy and I had already started to make some new friends. The school seemed pretty OK, but I had a feeling that the peace and quiet of our new lives here would be short-lived.

I tried to shake off my dark thoughts. We would be fine. Nothing would go wrong. I hoped.

After school, Nicolaclair said that she was going out with some friends. She said that she didn't need all of us to go with her so we agreed and I, of course, volunteered to go with her while the others stayed. Eddie and Neil were a little apprehensive about us going without another guardian but they finally agreed and the two of us went to meet her friends.

When I met them, I was relieved to see that I recognized some of them from break time today. The others, Jack, Georgea and John, seemed nice enough and I was sure that we would have some fun tonight.

"So," I said to Nicolaclair. "What are we doing tonight?"

"We're going to see a film," She replied. "And then we'll get a pizza or something and go home."

"That sounds like fun." I told her and it really was.

The movie we watched was one I'd never seen before. It was about a bunch of people, well kids really, running around in an arena, trying to kill each other with swords, knives, spears and other nasty weapons. It was apparently called The Hunger Games and it was actually a pretty good movie.

After the movie, we decided to go to KFC, instead of getting a pizza like we'd originally planned. We got a Boneless Bucket and shared it between us.

"So Billy," Taylor, a nice girl with reddish hair asked me smiling. "What year are you in?"

"Fifth," I told her. "I just started at the school today."

"Yeah, I thought that," Taylor responded with another smile. "I've never seen you before today."

I shrugged and studied my surroundings. Nicolaclair and Georgea, who I think is her best friend, were talking quietly together and glancing cautiously back at me. I wondered what they were talking about, and in sheer curiosity, decided to listen in. I know, I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help it. I was just so curious that I moved a little closer and listened to catch their quiet conversation.

"I know," Nicolaclair was saying in a frustrated tone. "But I don't think he feels the same way."

"Oh, come on!" Georgea said exasperatedly, "You told me that he was really sweet to you and that you guys almost kissed once when you were in France."

Uh-oh. Maybe I should've stopped listening right then but I couldn't. Their conversation was definitely about me and I needed to find out more.

"Yeah," Nicolaclair answered Georgea. "But that was four months ago! He probably doesn't feel that way any more."

"Well, you could always ask him and find out." Georgea said calmly. "The worst that could happen is that he says no." Nicolaclair's cheeks flushed as pink as the top she was wearing.

"Shut up! He's right there, he'll hear us!" She hissed at Georgea fiercely.

"You're the one nearly shouting." She replied, grinning at her friend.

I decided that I'd heard enough and that it would be better to interrupt them now so that i wouldn't need to hear more.

"Nicolaclair? Shouldn't we be heading back now?"

"Yeah, we probably should." She agreed and hurriedly said goodbye to her friends and followed me back to the car.

That night, Neil, Eddie and I flipped a coin to see who would be patrolling around the house tonight. Unfortunately for me, I was the unlucky one who had to do it. It wasn't that I wanted Nicolaclair to be in danger because I definitely didn't, but I didn't really want to be up most of the night either.

"Just patrol until you see the sun come up," Eddie told me. "Then you can get some sleep."

"I know what patrolling means." I grumbled as I pulled on a warm black t-shirt.

"What are you doing?" Liam asked me. "Aren't you going to bed?"

"I'll be back later," I said and quickly left the room before I could punch him or something.

For the first few hours, I didn't see anything but foxes. Then, out of nowhere something lunged at me and I reacted immediately.

I drew my silver stake and turned to face my attacker. It was just as I'd feared, my attacker was a Strigoi. I'd never fought a Strigoi before but I pushed my fear aside the best i could and managed to catch it by surprise when I stabbed the stake straight towards its heart. I didn't quite manage to kill it instantly but by wiggling the stake slightly, I hit the heart and the Strigoi went limp. I pulled my stake out of its chest and turned to find another Strigoi behind me.

Before I could even think about acting, the Strigoi had me on the ground and was leaning in, about to bite me. Then, a thick white mist rose from a neighbour's fountain and went straight into the Strigoi's red-ringed eyes. This gave me a chance to roll us over and pierce his heart with my silver stake.

"Are you OK?" Asked a scared voice behind me. I turned my head to find a worried-looking Nicolaclair kneeling beside me.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" I asked. "You could've been killed! Do you know what would've happened if that Strigoi had gotten loose?"

"Yes, I do," She responded simply. "And it's because of me that it didn't get loose. I was the one who created that white mist! Didn't you wonder where that came from?"

"Y-you saved my life?" I asked. I had wondered where the mist had come from but I'd never imagined her ever saving my life. After all, it was my job to save her life, for god's sake not the other way around!

"Of course," She said, rolling her beautiful big green eyes. "You didn't think I'd let you die, did you?"

Instead of responding, I pulled her into a tight hug and then something happened that I'd been hoping for for a very long time. We kissed and it was the best kiss I'd ever had in my life. Her lips were soft and sweet and...

"Um, sorry to interrupt," An embarrassed voice said from behind us. We broke apart, very embarrassed, and turned to see Neil standing there, holding a mobile phone.

"Oh, Neil, um we were just ... talking." Nicolaclair said quickly, her cheeks turning pink. Neil nodded but he definitely didn't look convinced.

"I just came to see if you were both all right and to give you this. The queen called and said that she wanted to talk to you."

Nicolaclair nodded and took the phone. I didn't hear the conversation but from her face, I could tell that it wasn't anything good.

"What's wrong?" I asked her anxiously. She turned to me, and I got even more worried when I saw how pale her face was.

"My half-sister, Jill, Lissa's other sister, just got attacked by Moroi assassins. She's OK but they're sending her to Palm Springs for safety and Lissa says I have to go there, too."

"What?" I asked. Go to Palm Springs? When? How?

"Yeah, and you guys have to come with me. We're leaving tomorrow."

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed. Please review and tell me what you thought. the next chapter should be up fairly soon. It will probably be a little longer than any of the other chapters so you guys will hopefully enjoy it. Anyway, until next time: hunterofartemis126.