"E....Eve?" his eyes were wide as dollar coins. His expression, priceless. He was surprised, confused and scared all at the same time. I would have laughed my heart out if we were not in this unfortunate situation.

"Yes. Kyle it's me."

"Eve Kheelan?" I was annoyed now.

"What proof do you want Kylie pie?!" I got up and gave my brother a bone crushing hug.

"Eve! Oh God it's really you! I thought....."

"Sssshhhhh. Keep your voice down. Oh gosh it's going to be nine. What are you doing here?"

"What does the timing gotta do with anything? And don't interrupt me when I'm talking. As I was saying-"

"Wait let us go somewhere else instead of talking in the middle of the hallway." I grabbed his hand and pulled him to the corner.

"You will not interrupt me again," Kyle spit out. "As I was saying, I thought you were dead. Henri told me not to keep my hopes up for you. I mean not in a bad way, she just told me to be prepared for anything because well....this is not the nicest place for us humans," I nodded understandingly.

Even I am surprised that I've lasted this long. "But boy am I glad you're alive!" he said cheerfully and hugged me again.

"Me too but I'm not happy to see you here Kyle. Were all of you...?"

"Taken? Yeah. Oh and Eve? I couldn't recognize you just now. Not until you used that monstrous nickname," he then looked me up and down.

I looked away feeling almost embarrassed. Thank God it was just Kyle. I was a scrawny servant with dead eyes. "I...I know I don't look my best Kyle," I said in a low voice.

"You look like crap! Oh God, am I gonna end up looking like you?! How long till my beautiful face lose it's.....it's.....it's...beauty?!"

"Kyle!" I whisper yelled. "Don't shout and don't rub it in my face!"

"Oh. Um okay but you still look horrible though." I let out a heavy breath, giving up on the boy in front of me. Where were Alex and Tonya when I needed them?

"Enough about my looks. Tell me about Henri and Tonya."

"Henri will be cleaning castle grounds. Tonya outside the castle. Something to do with plants and shit."

"Gardening?" I corrected him.

"Yeah whatever." he said picking at his sleeves. I could see he hated everything already. I couldn't blame him. It's only going to get worse.

"I know that you're dying to know my job now. Well before I say anything I absolutely hate my job and the stupid bloodsucker I have....mmhhmmm!" I almost pushed my hands inside his mouth. Why was he so freaking stupid?!

"Kyle you stupid stupid boy!" I whispered while pinching his ear as hard as I could. "Owhh owh. My ear is sensitive now!" he whined like the toddler he really is. Once he was quiet again I let go of his ear.

"Now just calmly tell me who you work for."

"You mean who I'm a slave for and who my master is? It's bloody Prince Timothy Angel freaking Isoldrius. Oohh I swear his middle name was a mistake." I smiled at Kyle's irritated tone.

"I'm sure he can't be that bad I mean-"

"He's ten Eve." He said flatly.

"How can he be ten when the firstborn is a few hundred?!" I was shocked to say the least.

"I dunno, ask the King and Queen. I don't think they'll stop with Prince Timothy. They'll keep making as many as they ca..."

"Okay okay I get what you're trying to say. We better get back to the quarters. Meet up with Alex and he'll teach you how to not get yourself killed."

We had already spent a lot of time. Almost twenty minutes. If any one of the guards caught us here we'd have to answer some serious questions. I forced Kyle to go back and ran all the way to the quarters.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day I had a normal breakfast with India and Beth. After weeks of fear and uneasiness I felt a tad bit lighter. I could finally breathe a little. I guess it was the effects of Kyle. This small bubble of happiness scared me because I knew quite well that it would end as soon as I get comfortable.

"Stop worrying and eat Eve. Make the most of this." India whispered into my ear. Then proceeded to push half the portion of food from her plate onto mine. Beth followed right after.

"No! Stop it! I won't take it." I tried rejecting their offer.

"Look here! You need it more than we do. Beth works in the kitchen. Now I'm not saying that's an easier job. Not when there's so much food and none anyone can have but she'll manage," Came India's commanding voice while her eyes searched Beth's for support.

Which came immediately.

"India's right Eve."

"And I work in the garden."

"So?! What does that suppose to mean?! We all have jobs to do India. None of us have lighter duties than the other."

"But neither of us have the Dark Prince drinking our blood! Have you seen yourself Eve? You're becoming skin and bones. You're pale and have dark circles under your eyes. We're trying not to have this version of you become permanent." My eyes welled up at her words. Did I really look that bad?

"What India's trying to say is that you need to eat as much as possible now. Only that would give you enough strength to pull through the day. In case the prince decides that your blood type is his favorite kind of flavor. Which I think he already has right?" Beth said stuffing a spoon full of mashed potato into my mouth.

"Ho are you goin' to pull thru if you guys ony eat half yo meals?" I asked with a mouth full. I wasn't comfortable at all with them giving me their food.

"Don't worry about that. Besides we only do this when we can. We don't always share the same meal time after breakfast," India said lightly. She was right.

I don't always show up for dinner or rather I'm not permitted so mostly I only have one small meal a day. No wonder everyone I see keep calling me skin and bones. I must really look horrible.

"Okaaay enough about us being kind and all. Soooo, did anything happen last night?"

"I thought we agreed on not forcing anything out of her Beth."

"I'm being concerned!"

"Guys it's okay, stop. He let me go last night. Nothing happened." My voice sounded confused even to me.

Both their movements ceased. They looked at me speechless after what I said. No one spoke and we just looked at each other. I knew we shared the same thought. The same question.

Why let me go?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was wiping the windows when an uneasy feeling settled in me.

Again.

I looked up at the time and saw that it was five in the evening. Nothing happened during this time but I felt something dark. I walked up to Flower and stroked it's petals gently. It was just fine.

But I wasn't.

The feeling of that something bad was about to happen was too strong. I was getting more worried by the second.

I closed my eyes to calm my breathing. It took a while. When I reopened my eyes, a gasp escaped my lips.

This time I knew I was awake and wasn't hallucinating. The scene before me only filled my already confused mind with more unanswerable questions.

Did I do it?

If I told anyone....just thinking about it made no sense. I could almost hear the laughter and see the worry on India and Beth's faces. Most of all Alex. But this was not the first time. It had happened a few times before. Once in front of India and she convinced me that I was mistaken. Then I convinced myself.

However, it was getting harder to deny reality. I knew deep down there was a connection. An unexplainable, mysterious connection. If there wasn't I wouldn't be looking at Flower in this state

Flower had wilted before my eyes. It had completely transformed from a perfectly healthy looking rose to a brownish wilted one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dinner time came sooner than expected. I readied everything on the table and timidly stood at the side. Close to his chair like he wanted.

While I waited, my mind drifted off to Alex and Flower. Mostly Alex.

I missed him terribly. He is everything to me. If what Beth said was true, I was making him worry.

A lot.

No matter what I will see him before I go to sleep tonight. I have to.

As I was contemplating on my thoughts, I saw heavy boots enter my vision.

He's here?! How could I not have heard him enter?!

As a servant I am to greet him first with a bow. Now I didn't know how long I was day dreaming and I didn't even notice the Prince walk in.

"You always mess up don't you?" He said sounding serious as ever.

"S...sorry Your Highness," I managed to let out. He took his seat without further questions or salty remarks about my work.

He ate whatever that was on the table then let out a heavy breath. Then he stretched out his legs. I felt his eyes on me for a very long time. All that time I prayed that he'd do what he did last night and for a moment my wish came true.

"You may leave."

I immediately began to clean up and take the tray. Not wasting any more time, I gave a light bow and strode towards the doors. The only thing that separated me from my 'freedom'.

An ironic thought, coming from a slave.

I held the tray with one hand and with the other I opened the door. I was halfway through when it happened. The events happened in a blur. Too fast for me to see anything. Only the sounds were clear. The crashing sounds of the tray and culinary items were deafening. But the loudest sound of all was the slamming of the heavy wooden door.

He moved so fast, I couldn't sense anything. He had slammed the door shut, almost slamming my face in the process. I yelped in shock as I stared at the closed doors.

I was so close to getting out.

Now I was caged between his arms that was placed on either side of me. His hands were firmly placed on the door right in front of my face. My back was pressed against his chest when felt his hot breath in my ear.

"Oh little flower, I tried. I really did. I just can't....." he was quiet for some time. My eyes welled up.

Was this ever going to end?

All of a sudden I was yanked away from the door. He threw me over his shoulder and walked towards the other side of his room. I kicked and punched at his back, begging him to put me down. I knew I was breaking the rules but I couldn't simply stay still like a doll. I don't think anyone would. He was hurting me.

"Please let me go. I t...tried to do everything r...right Your Highness." I swallowed a lump in my throat. I was desperate now.

"What else is needed to be done so your pitifully slow mind would understand that no matter what you do, it would never help you?! I. Own. You!" He held both my upper arms with such strength that I thought my arms would break. I whimpered. "You are just a weak castle servant! I could do whatever I want with you. Never forget that. Ever!"

He was furious and was shouting at the end. I didn't know what I did to make him so angry.

The veins on his arms began to slightly protrude. They were dark blue and they swiftly sprouted out like roots from a tree. This blue was so dark that it was almost black. Things escalates further as the temperature began to rise really fast.

The room was beginning to heat up even though it was night time and my fear was increasing but I didn't know what possessed me to do what I did next.

I lifted my teary eyes and dared to look at his face.

The whites of his eyes turned pitch black and the dark blue veins spread throughout his face and neck.

I couldn't breathe after what I saw. He looked like a terrifying creature who looked to be out of this world. He was also tightening his grip on me.

"My..my arms...Your....Highness." I couldn't feel my fingers anymore and my bones began to ache. If he continued to tighten his grip, I knew he would break my arm.

"P...please, Your Highness."

Something must have snapped inside of him because the blue veins slowly began to vanish. This time however I didn't look up at his face. I sat there silently begging for it to end quickly.

His hold on me loosened a little but he still kept me caged. "You belong to me. You are mine. Your mind is mine. Your body is mine. Your soul is mine and more importantly your blood is mine!" He declared.

With that, I felt my back hit the mattress. The last thing I saw was his fangs elongate and the last thing I heard was my scream.