Eva and Lucio scurried through the corridors like naughty children. Lucio's hand was closed round Eva as he led her around the maze of hallways.

"Out front the guards will change in half an hour," Lucio informed her, once they passed a room full of drinking happy vampires. The smell of the liquids in their cups made Eva go weak at the knees, but she had to focus. "It's currently a vampire called Quentin."

Eva snorted at the name.

"You laugh now; wait till you see him…"

"Oh wonderful…"

"I'll distract him anyway, don't worry. The guard changes to just a human and some guard dogs for the day in half an hour, which is simple to get by but you cannot wait that long."

"I need the head start." Eva agreed. "Will you be okay distracting him?"

"I don't plan to start a fight with the man or anything, which would be foolish beyond belief. But I'll do the job, don't you worry.

Eva smiled and was reassured in her trust of Lucio. They passed another room with a shut door, but the smell of blood was distinctly in the air. Eva stumbled in their hurried pace, while trying to think of other matters. Lucio looked at her with concern.

"Have you not fed for a while?"

"No, but I'm fine."

"You're not fine, you're distracted. You cannot be distracted. I can get you something…"

"No its fine, you'd probably look suspicious requesting synthetic blood in this den of sin…"

"I drink True Blood," he informed her with a shrug before striding onwards.

"Really?" She whispered, hurrying after him.

"Yes, if anyone asks I'm vegetarian."

"Aren't you?"

"Yes, well…" He gave a short quiet snort of laughter. "I was born a vegetarian, so to speak."

When he turned back to Eva's eye contact, she looked bewildered and amazed. A light shone in her eyes that reached out to Lucio, and he gave her a questioning look.

"So am I. I have never consumed human blood."

With the truth out there on the table, both felt a sudden calm wash over them despite the chaos they were living through. The reality of another person as odd as them made them both feel so normal.

"You're tempted…" Lucio began again.

"…but staying clean becomes a euphoric feeling more tempting than a real feeding…" Eva continued.

"Feeding…feels wrong…"

"Immoral."

"Whats wrong with us?"

Eva smiled a smile so broad and natural and radiant it warmed Lucio. She hadn't seen that smile in a long time, and for it to now appear during these revelations made it so much more special.

"Maybe we're a new breed of vampire?"

Lucio laughed at her theory. He'd never been able to look at his strange ways with such a beautiful light.

"Most vampires atleast drink and go through a violence within themselves at first that then makes them decide to go clean," he stated.

"We're obviously not most vampires."

The incredible idea that the humanity to abstain was present within a creature such as herself made her evaluate a lot of things. The compassion she'd been looking for within her own kind had been there in herself all along, and it took another person like her to bring that to reality. Then again, no one can see the good in themselves unless it's reflected back.

"We have to hurry," Lucio suddenly whispered as he remembered their purpose in sneaking through those hallways.

Eva nodded, and taking his hand they continued their flighty escape. The royal red of the walls flitted by as they ran like vampires.

Lucio brought her to only other room of the den she'd seen properly, De Castro's office. The ominous fear she'd felt before came racing back, but Lucio just squeezed her hand as he felt her shudders, and led her in the room.

"Felipe's downstairs probably, but even so, we still do not have much time…"

"I'm confused…"

"You see the fireplace?"

Eva did, she remembered gazing at the flames that flickered in the hearth as she tried to steady herself under Felipe's deep glare.

"It's your escape route."

Lucio opened a cabinet behind the large mahogany desk and pulled out expensive looking bottles of what Eva guessed (hoped) was synthetic blood. As Lucio twisted the caps off and used the liquid to douse the fire, she smelled the hints of human blood in it, and her knees went weak again.

"It gets easier," Lucio said without having to look at her. "You get use to the smell; learn how regularly you need to feed to avoid cravings."

Eva suddenly laughed, taking him by surprise. Turning to her with an incredulous look, she was still giggling away.

"Sorry, it just reminded me of avoiding chocolate in the old days. Seems my dieting never ends."

Lucio laughed with her, and as he doused the last of the flames moved towards her. The laughter and joy she could bring to a dark situation was incredible, and as he took her hand with one of his, and held her face with the other, he prayed to whatever God looked down on all living creatures that he would see her safe again in Louisiana.

"What will they do with you; they'll know you helped me."

"Don't you worry about me, I can handle them."

"Don't get yourself in trouble."

"Too late," he murmured into her lips. They shared a brief short kiss, before Lucio ushered her to the fireplace. Eva tore herself away and ducked under into the brick tunnel.

"Be safe," he whispered as she let go of his hand and disappeared back into the big wide world.

Lucio stood in front of the fire-less hearth for moment, then left to clear her path of guards outside. He wished her a safe journey, and them both a safe reunion.

Eva came out onto the roof, her already mangled clothes blackened and coated in soot. The black powder was in her hair, and on her skin, but Eva ignored it and from the moment she came out to fresh air she moved stealthily and quickly.

She slid down the angled roof, and let herself drop to the ground – glad of a windowless den. She ran across the grounds, the wind whistling by her. Within second she was out of Felipe's ground, and on her journey again.