After dinner, I followed my brother down to the gymnasium space in the basement. He was moving quickly, and I had to let my hand rest against the railing as I took the stairs so I wouldn't fall in my pursuit. I heard the distant murmuring of people from the large room. I wondered how many my mother had been able to procure from the Capitol's Vanguard, curious as to how dangerous the soldiers could be. They had flown against the hours to arrive within nights of the outpost attack to help replenish the force within the Bartholomeu household.

I hopped down the last two steps in my boots and then followed Avalon through the door to the gym. I noticed the chatter cut to almost silence as the group of men and women stopped what they were doing to look at us. I put my most mature smile on and moved towards the sidelines where my father and Thaddeus Maldeas had already taken up residency. I was quick to adjust my athletic tank-top and then stood calmly beside my new mentor.

"Good of you to join us," Thaddeus said, looking down at me with a fatherly grin.

"I was hoping to get a sneak-peek at what the Capitol has to offer," I answered, falling into an at-ease position. "How many?"

"Between the Vanguard here and the Seattle squadrons, we're now at seventy-five. This group here is our top twenty from the Reserve. They'll be taking class with your father and Contessa Deloncré tonight," he said, his accented voice warm.

"Excellent," I commented, taking in the group he had selected. I noticed only four women among them, but all twenty were diverse in size, race, and age. My brother had explained that the best fighters and soldiers from each coven were sent to the Capitol as part of the Vanguard, and only the top recruits stayed to man the walls and army. Vanguard members who passed their Shadow initiation assessments went on to be Combat and Intelligence Shadows as some of the best warriors in the entire global coven.

Avalon moved over to talk with our father under his breath, and I noticed Dad nod at something he had said. Avalon pulled back from murmuring in his ear with a grin and also nodded. I had a feeling it had something to do with our mother. She had scoffed at him when he told her to take a break, telling him to leave her be while she handled the infirmary.

"I'll make her when we're done down here," my father said in response. "She needs to learn what 'rest' is."

"She's had over three hundred years. If she doesn't know its meaning now, she never will," Thaddeus said, having heard the quiet exchange with his elder vampiric senses.

Avalon chuckled and nodded, moving back to my side.

Before I could make a comment to him, the doors opened again. Elizabeth Anne and her entire council came into the room, followed by Nathaniel Bartholomeu and Kearran Silverstone. Elizabeth, Kearran, Contessa, and Malcolm were all wearing workout gear, reminding me of some superhero force that couldn't be stopped.

Elizabeth and Contessa were wearing black sports bras and leggings, both having leather detailing that tied into their kick-boxing boots. Contessa had fingerless gloves on, her blonde hair braided in perfect, symmetrical fishtails. Kearran wore attire similar to the two younger girls, a dark red running jacket tied around her waist. Malcolm had opted for black BDU pants and combat boots with a grey tank top. His long hair was pulled up into a doorknob bun, making me smirk at how different he looked in comparison to Marcus's clean cut appearance.

"I see you brought a party," Contessa said, grinning excitedly. She no longer looked soft and sweet to me, as she had when I first met her. Instead, she looked dangerous and calculated, like a true predator. I immediately thought of my yellow tabby cat when she would chase mice in the garden.

"Who am I to disappoint?" Thaddeus answered her with a chuckle.

"I was talking about the Blood Warrior," the younger blonde woman shot back sarcastically, making the troops laugh.

"Happy to help," my father chuckled. "I'm looking forward to see how well the Capitol has trained their men and women in the past hundred years of my absence."

I turned my head to watch him remove his black t-shirt, leaving him in only his black judogi pants. They were part of his training attire that he had acquired from a decade of learning with real judo masters a century ago. He tossed the shirt behind him to join his shoes and he moved forward to join Contessa.

"This will be interesting," Avalon murmured to me, and I nodded in agreement.

Elizabeth, Marcus, and Nathaniel walked over to join us on the sidelines. I noticed Elizabeth inserting herself between my brother and her second-in-command. Her movement also caused Nathaniel to shift, now next to his daughter to put Marc on the end. I frowned, but didn't comment when I saw Avalon's smirk.

"How many of these fledges have had the privilege of facing a Moon Worshipper?" Malcolm asked, his voice hard and commanding.

My eyes returned to the group, watching only seven hands rise.

"I doubt the Capitol would only send a few veterans," Kearran said calmly, her arms crossing over her chest.

"And we shouldn't dissuade those who have yet to experience one of the most ruthless enemies on this earth," my father agreed. "How many combat vets are in this room, against the supernatural or the mortal?"

All twenty hands were lifted.

"Better," Kearran said. She began to walk amongst the group, inspecting them. "But to face a Moon Worshipper, especially on the night of a full moon, is much harder than anything you have ever faced. They are faster, they are stronger, and their bloodlust knows no bounds. They will drain a fellow vampire dry if they feel the need to feed," she continued. "You must be more intelligent, more prepared, and ready. Shadow Deloncré, are you willing to help demonstrate with the Blood Warrior?"

"My pleasure," the French native answered her elder. "I'm sure the squadron has heard of the infamous first and last fledge of Grand Elder Count Dracula. Are you prepared to play the enemy, Lord Logan?" she asked.

"As I have had centuries of experience with our opponents, I will be better equipped to match their speed and strength, unlike a couple of children," Dad teased as he moved forward.

Contessa giggled and nodded, immediately stretching her arms over her head. She finished warming her muscles and held out her hand so Malcolm could toss a pair of bo-staffs to her. "We shall see."

"Twenty bucks says my father has her on the mat first," Avalon whispered to Elizabeth and I.

I glanced in their direction to my right.

"Contessa is a Deloncré, Master Scholar," Elizabeth answered. "It takes a lot to put her down. Think about me throwing you down, but three times harder."

Avalon chuckled. "You're gonna get your Round Two a lot sooner if you think Mezdor blood can be beaten that easily."

I had to roll my eyes discreetly so he wouldn't notice. While my brother had decent sparring skills, he couldn't possibly compete with career warriors.

"Fifty says you won't win Round Two either," Elizabeth responded.

Avalon chuckled again. "You're on."

"Looking forward to it."

I watched as Contessa tossed a bo-staff to Dad and the two began to circle, keeping their shoulders lined up with one another. My father moved in for the attack first as the aggressor, abandoning his usual teachings of letting the opponent strike first. He came in for a high strike, making Contessa immediately grasp the bo-staff in both hands, blocking just above her head. When he went low, she blocked again in fast movements. Her left hand brought the staff up just in time to meet his in the middle as they locked up.

"See how swiftly Lord Mezdor moves his arms?" Kearran asked as they fought. "You must be ready to defend. Use your senses. You must understand their movements in order to meet them in equal measure."

Dad broke the locked hit first, striking forward with the wooden pole towards Contessa's chest in a fast jab. The blonde quickly blocked again, using her staff to push the hit off-course. She retreated back three paces, spinning the staff as she went. Father moved forward just as quickly before attacking again. Their weapons locked again before he forced Contessa's to the ground. In one smooth motion, he spun the pole around his head in a quick circle, striking at her head.

Contessa ducked quickly, also prepared to move when he circled it around even faster, targeting her legs. She jumped up and then landed squarely, sweeping her bo-staff around and meeting his next strike. She knocked his to the ground before kicking out, aimed for Father's head.

Dad backed up a few steps to retreat from her attack, nodding. "Good. Again, faster."

The woman nodded in agreement and followed him back to their original spots on the blue mat. She waited for his attack and quickly engaged her vampiric speed to keep up with his. I watched as they went through the motions of the same match again, Contessa pushing herself to block each move with the same precision as she previously had at vampire speed.

I winced when she narrowly missed the circling strike to her face and then I glanced at the men and women watching. Their faces were intent, watching each quick movement that seemed to blur before our eyes. The following motion went through to circle for her legs, this time catching her ankles. The woman dropped onto the floor, but brought up her weapon again to block Father's hit as he struck downwards like swinging an axe. She threw momentum back into her return, knocking his staff up into the air. With a fast buck of her body, she found her feet again. She went on the offensive, striking first to the left and then right, meeting each of my father's hits as he tried to overpower her. She copied his spin motion and moved like a dancer in order to deliver a sharp blow to his head and neck.

Dad ducked just in time, looking completely calm and unhurried, despite their fast pace.

"You will need to hone your mind and body to operate on full-speed while engaging with the enemy on the nights of the full moon," Kearran was saying. "They have no other pace when their powers take over. From now on, those of you who do not practice your drills in vampiric speed will need to add this to their routine. If you want to protect the Dark Child and our future monarchy, you must be prepared. While you are here, Lord Selway will be enforcing this practice."

"I told you Tess is fast," Elizabeth murmured to Avalon beside me. "Sure you don't want to withdraw your bet?"

"Nope," he answered, smirking.

Flirt, I thought, relaxing my shoulders. I glanced up at him and then shook my head.

"Then you're going to owe me here in a few minutes," she shot back.

Contessa leapt up and struck downwards on Father in a fast movement, meeting his bo-staff with hers. She recovered when my father threw his weight back against her momentum, ducking the return in order to strike at his legs. She then backed up one step, bringing the staff up again.

There was an audible snapping sound of the wood breaking in half as Dad's came down on hers. The staff buckled into two within her hands.

"C'mon, Tess," Malcolm said calmly from the sideline where he was circling the match in the opposite direction as Kearran.

The blonde woman spun the new weapons in her hands, bringing them up into her fingers as if wielding two knives. She struck at Father's weapon repeatedly, spinning and striking with practiced ease. Two hits made contact with our father's fingers and wrists as he blocked. She leapt up in a turning attack, slamming one of the pieces of wood down on his staff. The sound of wood meeting wood made a loud clanging sound. As her feet hit the ground, Dad's staff came in for her middle, making contact with her side just above her hip.

"You know, you don't have to prove anything to me. I doubt you could pull off your victory again," Avalon needled teasingly to Elizabeth.

"I disagree," she answered, her voice as quiet as his so no one would notice. "I think you were the one who was struggling last time. I have no problem pinning you again to prove it."

"Still willing to wager fifty on it?"

"Absolutely."

Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced past the pair to Marcus from where he was trying not to notice their interaction. He moved away when Elizabeth bumped my brother with her elbow. I shook my head slightly. Once again, Avalon was pushing his limits.

Contessa fell off one step and used the momentum to roll to the ground and back on her feet. She didn't have much time to recover as Father moved with vampiric speed in on her. She blocked both hits and then struck out in a flying roundhouse kick, making contact with his shoulder. Just as she went to bring the raw end of wood on his chest, Dad knocked her to the ground in a sweep with the staff.

"Well done," Kearran said from her spot outside of their space.

I watched as my father nodded and offered a hand to the younger woman. "You're good," he said, his voice breathy from the exertion.

"So are you," Contessa answered, also out of breath, taking his hand and letting him pull her up.

"Guess I owe you a twenty," Elizabeth said from off to my right.

"Double or nothing?" Avalon asked.

Elizabeth smirked at him, looking mischievous. "On this fight or Round Two?"

"Lady's choice."

"If possible," Kearran had gone on, "try to outnumber your enemy during full moons. If you aren't as fast or as strong, two are always better than one. Use your partner as your secondary weapon. Elizabeth."

The American coven leader looked at my brother again and then walked forward to join the lesson. She waited as Contessa and Dad tossed their bo-staffs off the field of practice and then she began to circle behind our father.

I watched as Contessa attacked first, taking a running leap at Dad. She kicked once for his waiting forearm and then followed with a knock towards his head as her body turned for the ground. Just as Father ducked the kick, Elizabeth dove in from behind, her shoulder making contact with his hip to push him off his feet with the momentum.

Dad rolled with the force of the second hit, using vampire speed to bring both himself and the coven leader to the ground. He grasped the back of her leggings for grip and flipped her over onto her back beside him on the ground. As she recovered, he swept his foot out at Contessa and then bucked back to his feet, throwing consistent punches at the young blonde. Contessa dodged a kick and dove forward into a tucked roll. Elizabeth took over, moving with fast speed to take her third-in-command's place. She used her forearm to block a returning punch before executing a left-handed upper cut.

I felt my jaw clench when Father's head careened back to miss the impact. He took one step back and then went low, re-centering his gravity and struck her middle with an arm-bar across her torso. They moved so quickly I was certain the hits they were laying on one another hurt. This wasn't a painless training session.

Elizabeth dropped down to the ground, rolling backwards and onto her feet and out of the way as Dad came down on the spot she had just occupied with a hard kick. She struck out again in a hard punch, connecting with his waiting forearm. She pushed him back two more steps before Contessa came up from behind and swept her leg across Dad's knees.

Just as Dad dropped, he kicked his leg up, hitting Elizabeth in the thigh.

"Avalon, help your father," Kearran said, her hands now resting on the small of her back as she supervised. "Let's increase the numbers again."

I looked up as my brother took his t-shirt off and handed it to me. He rushed forward just as Elizabeth recovered and went to take down our father from behind as Contessa occupied his attention. He speared her across the middle, knocking both of them to the mat with vampire speed. She made a sound of surprise before she reared her elbow up and brought it down on his shoulder-blade.

"Nice try," Elizabeth huffed, rolling to pin him. She landed on top and went to punch down on his shoulder, purposefully avoiding his face. Before she could land the hit, he reached up and grasped her fist with his open hand, pushing it off-track. He shoved his torso up against hers, knocking her off.

I winced when Contessa hit the ground again, leaving both her and Elizabeth down. As Father moved in on her, she rolled backwards and found her feet. She dove in the same instant Dad bent to grab her. Contessa brought both feet off the ground, making contact with his shoulders and neck with her ankles as she supported her weight on her hands. I heard Dad's grunt of surprise as he grabbed her shins and stood back up, bringing her hands off the ground so she had less leverage.

Avalon, meanwhile, had rolled to pin Elizabeth. But the coven commander was ready, using his weight against him as she threw him over her. She got back to her feet, rushing to get into Father's blind spot and ambush him.

"When your opponents are older," Kearran was lecturing from the opposite side of the ring, "it's important to use as much strength as possible. Utilize your partner."

Contessa tucked her body up so she was sitting on Father's shoulders in a quick movement. She twisted her torso hard, using her lighter weight to its fullest as she brought them both down to the ground. As she did, Elizabeth went for Dad's knees.

Avalon had moved with vampire speed and tackled Elizabeth. In perfect timing, all four hit the mat's surface in the same second. Again, I tried not to flinch. My eyes swept from Dad to my brother as he and Elizabeth struggled together.

Elizabeth caught Avalon around the neck and put him into a headlock just as she rolled a final time. She grunted when he landed between her legs, his head ducking down to press into her torso. I saw her grin and her grip tightened on him.

"You done?" she asked, her words hardly able to be deciphered amongst the other noises in the room.

I glanced to my right to see Marcus watching the two. His jaw was clenched tightly as his hands bunched into fists. He was uncomfortable, looking irritated. When Elizabeth pressed her body into my brother's to hinder his movements, Marcus looked away.

Avalon chuckled, just barely audible to my ears, pulling my attention back to them. "Are you gonna be my girl then?" he responded to her question. He grasped Elizabeth's thighs and shoved her upward, separating her arms from holding him. She landed on her back again, scrambling to get her elbows under her.

She struck out with her right foot, hitting the base of her heel into his shoulder to push him further away from her. Avalon grabbed her ankle as he was forced backwards and he pulled her with him. Before he could get up to pin her, she tipped her head back, seeing half of the broken bo-staff. She reached for it, grabbing it with just the tips of her fingers. Using her legs, she pushed off my brother's body and was finally able to wrap her hand around the staff.

"Six!" the coven commander yelled, throwing the wooden object over my brother's shoulder right before he yanked her flat to the ground.