**Claire**
I wake up with a massive headache, my head pounds and I feel like my head was hit by a bus. The lights are still on and I see the inert forms of Myrnin, Eve, and Michael beneath me. My hands and feet are tied to the railing a few steps above them with a coarse rope that bites painfully into my wrists and ankles. The attackers are nowhere in sight and—neither is the police. What the hell?
"Myrnin," I whisper anxiously. How long had I been out? Where they even alive? "Are you okay?"
"Claire?" Myrnin whispers back hoarsely. "I will be fine. Are you alright?"
"As soon as we get the hell out of here I will be. Who did this?"
"That would be me." A deep voice booms and a surprisingly small man enters the room, guarded by a piece of muscle on each side. He is only about five-five, forty something with receding brown hair and cold gray eyes.
"Let me guess Captain Obvious?" I ask dryly. "I am getting really tired of all of you."
"And everyone else, Miss. Danvers, is getting extremely tired of you." His mouth twists into a threatening leer and I involuntarily try to move backwards against my restraints.
"What's going on? Where are the cops?" I ask nervously.
"Oh they're just a little occupied right now. What with the riot down town and all. Believe it or not, you and your little posse of delinquents are not the center of the universe."
"What riot?" I ask, turning cold with fear.
"The one that I orchestrated," He says smugly. "You see, we are all more than fed up with these vamps treating us like slaves. It's time to get them to ah relocate."
"Many have tried before and none have succeeded." Myrnin adds oh so not helpfully.
"This time is different; we've been planning for months. Besides, now's the optimal time. Because of your little ex-boyfriend Miss. Danvers, the vamps are divided. Some are dead and some have left secretly. This also gives us an excellent opportunity to dispose of Shane. We don't like it when so many of our people turn up dead."
"And you don't think that we want Shane put away?" I ask in complete disbelief. "Do you think that we like him killing innocent people?" He studies me a moment, cruel and calculating, and I force myself not to squirm under his scrutiny.
"No," He says finally. "Even if you are the Founder's little pet, I don't think that you'd condone this. But, you do care about the vamps, these three included," He says voice laced with disgusts and he gives a vicious kick to Eve's head who moans in pain but does not wake. "And so, you are more of a liability then an asset. You understand don't you Miss. Danvers?" He asks as a flame flicks to life in his hand. "You sided with the enemy and there are bound to be consequences. These two are even worse; they use to be like us. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a riot to get to." He pulls his arms back, aiming for—aiming for our gas stove that one of his goons has just turned on. The other smashes a window in with a chair making a quick escape.
"No!" I scream in complete terror. No, no, no I couldn't die like this! Is my last thought before Amelie crashes through a previously non-broken window with Oliver.
"I am completely and utterly tired of dealing with you." Amelie says before zipping forward and swiftly snapping the stunned Captain Obvious's neck, he crumples to the ground but his lighter still glows.
"Amelie, perfect timing as usual." Myrnin says, and I hear the grin in his voice.
"Amelie the lighter!" I shout as the flames begin to lick at the old, dry, wooden floor. She reaches down and simply crushes it in her hands before throwing the remains out the window.
"Oliver, dispatch of those two." She says nodding in the direction of the two retreating thugs as she stamps out the flame. Oliver nods in return before disappearing out of the shattered windows. She passes the three vampires on the floor and heads towards me.
"Wait, untie them first not me! I'm not sure if Eve and Michael are still alive!" I protest as she rapidly snaps my bonds.
"And you will not be if I let three starving vampires loose in here while you are tied down," Okay, point taken. "Now, go into the hidden room. You will be safe there."
Rubbing my raw wrists, I scramble up the rest of the stairs and to the painting in the hallway where the secret button is hidden. Pressing it, I hurry up the stairs, and I hear the door slam shut below just as someone begins ramming into it.
Breathing hard, I slump onto an old couch and listen to the continued pounding below. Why did this crap always happen to me? The banging seems to go on for hours before it finally stops and I drift off to sleep.
I awake several minutes or maybe even hours later, to a light knocking on the door below. Warily, I walk down the stairs and face the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Myrnin," I hear him say and I get a rush of relief. "Claire, are you alright?"
"I'm fine Myrnin," I say cautiously. "Are you alright?"
"Meaning am I insane and or trying to kill you?" He asks bluntly. "No I am not. You have been in there five hours and I am perfectly alright now."
"I'd love to believe you Myrnin, but I need to hear it from Amelie."
"You don't trust me?"
"I trust you when you're you Myrnin. Now get Amelie if you want me to open this door." I say firmly.
"Claire…" He starts and then I hear him sigh. "Fine, one moment."
"Claire, this Amelie," Her voice says merely seconds later. "Everything is fine. You may let us in."
I walk back up the stairs and reach out to push the button, but I hesitate. What if Myrnin was holding her hostage or something? What if when I opened the door, he attacked and maybe even killed me? Was I really willing to risk it?
"Claire, please." Myrnin says pleadingly a minute later. Before I can stop myself, I push the button, opening the door. He zooms up the stairs a second later and engulfs me in his arms. I stiffen for a second, before I relax when he doesn't tear into my throat.
"Are you alright?" I ask anxiously, when he finally pulls back.
"I'll be fine," He assures me, although I still see vicious burn marks on his wrists and neck. "Are you alright? I told you to stay outside, why would you risk yourself like that?"
"I'm fine. And I heard someone call my name."
"That was Michael, and he was trying to warn you, but that maniac knocked him out before he could finish. It was idiotic of Michael to do that."
"Well, it doesn't matter now, we're all safe. How are Eve and Michael doing?"
"Not very well," Myrnin says looking grim. "Eve is still catatonic and Michael is not much better." My stomach drops.
"Will they—are they going to be alright?" I ask voice shaking.
"Time will tell. They are both very young—a hundred year old vampire would be lucky to survive that. Let alone one not yet a year old."
"Can I go see them?"
"That would not be safe; they are incredibly unpredictable at the moment."
"Meaning they'd kill me." I say numbly.
"Yes," He says simply. "Now, I think we should be getting back to the lab."
"What about the riot?"
"It was controlled two hours ago. They failed of course; seventy of them are in jail right now."
"Oh. So is everything alright now?"
"I wouldn't say things are alright Claire but yes, for the time being things are quiet. Their leader is dead and Shane is still hiding."
"Great, then let's go." I say, glad for a least a nights worth of peace and quiet.