The Battle

Anya started walking, not saying that she had no clue where she was going.
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Leanne was silent.
~!~!~
"That's cool," Ella said,s omewhat disappointed that he wasn't younger. "I'm 13." Not really, but she looke dit.
~!~!~
Draven quickly nodded.

"Yes, of course." he said. "Follow me." He said, then started up the stairs.
~!~!~
Leslie sighed, bored.

Elianna walked downstairs then, Isabel somewhere else, probably looking for Tobias again. She seemed to be growing strangely attatched to him, though he showed no interest hin her. Him and DRaven.

She sighed, and saw Leslie.

"Hello," She said, nodding at him.

"Hey," Leslie said, not even looking up.
~!~!~!~
Alex smiled slightly, then shook her hea.d

"No need to be," She said quietly. "I'm fine." Another lie.
~!~!~
"Why the long face?" Ember asked.

Lia watched Draven and Jamie come up the stairs but didn't say anything or move.

Amelia finally caught Justin and went back to her room. "go to sleep", she said putting him in the bed.

Justin laughed whe she had caught him. "fine...", he said rolling onto his side and closed his eyes.

Jamie followed, silently. "You shouldn't keep your back to someone you don't know." She said, stareing at his back.

~!!~
Cinder stood up, pulling out of the ghostly embrace. She picked up the dead cat and walked a little ways away, where she began to dig a hole.

~!!~
Christen nodded, and linked his lips. Crap! he was so thristy, so so thristy. . .

He took a step back, fear in his brown eyes, he didn't want to bite this girl. But it was so overpowering . . .

~!!~
It was on impulse that he leaned over and pressed his lips to hers. He had no right, yet he did it anyway. He loved Alex so much.

Isaac was not far away, he had seenher heading this way, so he followed her as well. He did not like what he saw. His face grew pale, then anger spraked in his eyes. He may have firlted with other girls, but at least he didn't kiss them. He was too far away to see if she kissed him back. His face grew sad, and closed his eye. Was that a tear running down his cheek?

~!!~
Dimtri shruged. "Hey, were you only kidding when you asked me to hang out with you?"

Draven felt a smirk make its way to his lips. He turned to her at the top of the stairs.

"Are you suggesting that I should not trust you?" He asked, obviously having fun with this.
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Leanne stood up and walked into her room, shutting and locking the door behind her when she heard Draven's voice. He was the last thing she needed right now.
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Ella saw the fear in his eyes, and frowned.

She took a step forward, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, are you okay?" She asked, tilting her head slightly.
~!~!~!~
Alex's eyes widened in surprise. If it were anyone else, she would have pushed them away and beat them to a pulp. She had never kissed a boy before, and this was Dominic, her childhood friend. Yet she found herself kissing him back. She wanted to pull away, yell at him, but she couldn't!

After a moment, she pulled back, shaking her head.

"I---I can't," She stammered, shaking her head as tears ran down her cheeks. Who did she feel like she was betraying? Issac? Certainly not. He had shown no interest in her. But she still liked him, so much....but what had just happened here?
~!~!~!~
Ember looked up, surprised. Then she shook her head, remembering her friend's advice.

"No," She said quietly, looking down and finishing the last of the orange juice.

Jaime frowned. "I don't trust you." She said. "Thats why I stay behind you."

In truth he souldn't trust her.

~!!~
Christen couldn't hold back, he leaned forward and sunk his fangs into her neck. He was cring.

Dhampirs didn't have to kill anyone, their victems always surviced the bitting, and staied human.

He drank her blood, it tasted strange, but he didn't care. He pulled back, his eyes going to the green they were when he wasn't thristy.

~!!~
Dominic looked sad. "I understand."

Isaac truned and ran before he was seen.

~!!~
Dimitri looked thoughtful.

Draven just nodded.

"That's good. You should never trust until you know someone," He said approvingly. He led her down the hall, past Elianna's room and down further. Finally, he opened a door for her. "I hope everything is to your liking, Prince," He said.
~!~!~!~!~
Ella's eyes widened, and she tried to pull back, but couldn't move. When he did pull back, she was blinking hazily, one hand pressed to her neck to stop the bleeding.

"You're a dhampir...?" She mumbled, though he probably didn't know what she was talking about. He didn't know what he was, did he?
~!~!~!~
Alex turned in time to see Issac running away. Her blood ran cold. How much had he seen?

She shook her head. Who cared what he saw? He had broke her heart so many times lately. Why should she care if she broke his?

But if she broke his, did that mean he liked her too? She was torn between wanting to run after him or stay. In the end, she turned and ran back home, her vision blurred by tears.
~!~!~!~
Ember saw how thoughtful he looked, and frowned.

She stood up.

"Look, when I get home, my mom will not let me out for a long time," She said, pointing to her bruises, bloody hair, and arm. She still seemed unaware of the bruise above her left eye. "So do you want to do something now? See a movie, anything? I just really want to delay getting home," She said.

Jamie smiled. "I'm sure it is, Draven."

~!!~
"i don't know what that is." He quickly. "Look I'm sorry, I shouldn't of have."

~!!~
Dominic didn't see Isaac, and he felt back. He thought he was the reason she was cring. He ran after her.

~!!~
"Why not?" He said. "Just don't tell Sregei, he'll want to tag along."

Ember smirked, the nodded.

She stood up, still seemingly unaffacted by her wounds. Suddenly, a thought came to her. Would his mom ask hers about why she hadn't flinched? Would she pry into her business, and find out?

She shook off the thought, but it stuck with her. She didn't want anyone to know about her condition. Ever.

"Okay, so what do you want to do? See a movie?" She asked. "I can drive," She offered, but in truth she was a horrible driver. She had her lisence, but didn't drive much since....

Jeremy.
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Alex heard Dominic chasing her, which only made her run faster. She ran inside, up the stairs, and slammed the door behind her and locked it once she was in her room. Then she fell down on the bed, and cried.
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Draven nodded, and then left her there. He walked past Elianna's room, and saw Isabel. She must have seen him too, for she ran out and smiled at him. Elianna followed her, and froze when she saw Draven.

Draven stood still as a statue, his face revealing nothing. Elianna frowned, and ushered Isabel back in the room before stepping out.

"She's a disgrace," Draven said suddenly. Elianna glared at him.

"That is my daughter you're talking about!" She shouted. He didn't seem to care.

"She's a dhampir. That you would marry a human is inexcusable, especially for royalty," he said.

Elianna had had it, and it was apparent.

"We're not royalty anymore, Draven!!" She shouted. "Have you forgotten that??"

"We may be agian soon," He said simply ,folding his arms across his chest.

Elianna looked sad, but suddenly she glared at him.

"You don't say one more word about my cihld or my dead husband," She whispered. "I love them both. And.....and I hope that when you fall in love, fate tears you away from them like it has torn me away from him," She whispered, then turned back into her room, leaving Draven standing there.
~!~!~!~
Ella frowned. How could he not think it was strange, to go around drinking people's blood? It didn't make sense to her, but she didn't push it.

"It's-It's alright," She said quietly.

"If you drive, I pick the moive." Dimitri said, putting her cup in the sink.

~!!~
Dominic stopped running and sighed.

~!!~
Christen frowned. "No it's not, I just drank your blood! I drank other people blood. I like the taste! But yours taste awefully strange."

Ember just nodded.

"No chick flicks," She teased, and grabbed her keys out of her pocket, surprised that she had them this time. She walked outside and next door to her old, beat up truck.
She gestured to it before getting into the front seat.
~!~!~
Ella frowned. 'It's because I'm dead,' she wanted to say, but of course she didn't. Instead, she just smiled at him.

"Yes, it is. I'm not angry," She said quietly.

"No, I was thinking about one in German, or something, those are always fun." He teased back.

~!!~
He was annoyed. "Don't think it's werid, that some person you don't even know just bit you, and drank your blood!?"

Ella frowned. So he really didn't know what he was.

"Come on. Let me show you something," She said softly. She grabbed his hand to lead him, then quickly let go. He would figure out that something was weird if he felt how cold she was. Instead, she said "follow me" and began walking.
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Ember smirked slightly, rolling her eyes as she called out the window "Get in or I'm leaving you." Then she put the key in the ignition and turned it. Nothing. She turned it again. Still nothing.

"Come on, you piece of crap!" She yelled, hitting the steering wheel. It started then.

Dimitri got in, quietly.

~!!~
Christen frowned and followed.

Ember closed her eyes. Okay. Driving wasn't that hard, it had just been a while. She pulled off the curb, and started down the road. Once she hit a red light, she stoped quickly, pulling her forward on the seatbelt.

"Sorry," She mumbled, and soon the light turned green. This happened three more times. She sighed after the third time.
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Ella led him into the woods.

"I want to show you something," She said, hoping she didn't come off as creepy. "A place where maybe things will start to make sense to you."
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Leanne didn't move from the spot in her room. She was reading Dracula again, to keep her occupied while she waited for night to fall. She didn't think that she had ever had a longer day.
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Draven was back in his room, thinking about what Elianna had said. Him? Fall in love? Prepostorous.

"Pull over." Dimitri demaned. "You pick the moive, I'll drive."

~!!~
Christen said nothing.

Ember sighed.

"No," She said simply, looking forward agian. Soon she came to another red light, and stopped abrupty on the brakes. Again.
~!~!~!~
Soon, the manor came into view. Ella turned to Christen.

"Some people here may be able to help you understand," she said. "But beware, they're not the nicest." Didn't she know. If Alex were here right now, she would kill her. That is, if she wasn't already dead.

Lia was downstairs reading now, instead of being cooped up in her room.

Justin was asleep in Amelia's room now.

Amelia had just come back in from wondering around during the night. She sat in in a chair next to Lia, but was quiet.

He crused loudly in French. "Pull over, I'll drive, you pick the moive, and I'll pay, just pull over!" He damaned.

~!!~
Christen wipped the blood from his mouth. "Okay."

~!!~
Cinder quietly put the cat in the hole, and burried it. She truned around to look at the other kittens. They had finsh eating while she was haveing her break down. One had found it's way over to where Seth was sitting, through she couldn't see him. It pawed at his leg and meowed.

~!!~
Knocked on Leanne's door, then tried to open it. It was lock. In a few minutes he had the lock picked, and the door open. He dropped his bag on the floor near the door, and brought an alas over to her.

He quickly opened it to one map. He pointed at an area of moutions. "Dragmoir is here, it's a vampire commune. This is where Darren, Pamala, Karrie, and Jolie lives. Karrie and Jolie are Pamala's sisters. Where I was raised since the age of six. I don't think we will be able to find him there." He truned the page to another map, and pointed to an area by the shore. "This is where Axford is. This is another vampire commune, it's the one where I was born, and my family lives." He coughed. "My noble family." He said softly, he didn't want to tell her, but if he was right, she would find out soon enough. "Darren likes to sit on the near by beach, when he needs to think, I think thats where we will find him."

Ember glared at him out of the corner of her eye, but soon pulled over on the side of a not too busy road. She took the keys out and threw them at him, hitting him square in the face. She got out, slammed the door, and came around to the passenger side, all without a single word.
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Ella walked up to the door, and knocked. She was hoping someone like Myame would answer; she would probably be the best one to talk to about all of this.
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Seth watched Cinder until the kitten was buried. He saw the kitten pawing at his leg, and laughed slightly. He knelt down and touched it lightly with his hand, remaining unseen to Cinder, though she may have heard him laugh.
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Leanne herad someone trying to open her door, but didn't bother to get it. However, when it opened on its own, she jumped and sat up, quickly putting away the book and hiding it behind her back. When she saw that it was Patrick, she relaxed slightly, but kept the book hidden.

She nodded as he spoke. SHe had never heard of a vampire commune before, but then again, only a month or so ago she had thought that this would neve rhappen to her.

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise when he said he was from a noble family, but she said nothing of it. But she did wonder why he had never told her; she would ask him later. Now was not the time. It didn't bother her at all that he was from a noble family, nor make her like him any more; she liked him for him, not what he had. But she also liked Darren, and that was killing her.

She nodded, and looked at him.

"When can we go?" She asked simply.

Dimitri took the keys and got out and went around to the drivers side. He had to fix her seat before he could get in, because of there height diffrentces.

~!!~
Myame walked towards the door, and opened it. "Yes?" She asked, confused, she didn't even see Christen.

~!!~
"Tonight, but it will be day over there, so we will have to wait till nightfall there to leave the airport, then it's a long walk to Axford, no cab can take us, no human knows about it. It will be almost day break again by time we get there.

~!!~
Cinder looked towards the laugh. She looked confused. "Can that cat seewhat I can't?"

Ember got into the passenger seat, and sat with her arms folded across her chest, pouting silently. She pulled down the mirror to see if her face looked as bad as it feared; her eyes widened as she saw the large bruise above her left eye. She ran a finger over it lightly, but of course she felt no pain. She frowned, then closed the mirror, pushing a strand of dark brown, almost black, hair behind her ear.
~!~!~!~!~
Ella smiled at Myame.

"Hello, Myame," she said politely. She knew most of them there, though she hardly came here. She took Christen's arm, and gently pulled him forward, no longer caring if he felt how cold she was; she culd come up with an excuse for it later.

She stepped up to Myame, and whispered in her ear 'I think he's a Dhampir, but he doesn't believe in any of that. Can you help?' Then stepped back.
~!~!~!~!~
Leanne sighed, then slowly nodded. She needed patience, yet she had none, especially not now.

"What country is it in?" She asked quietly, looking down at where he had pointed again.
~!~!~!~!~
Seth saw her look over at him and speak, and smiled slightly. He wanted to tell her that it was him, but then he could no longer go to school; people would think her crazy, and he knew that that wasn't a good thing for her, as depressed as she already was. He just wanted to help.

He stood up straight once more, falling silent again and watching her, looking straight into her eyes.

Lia looked up from her book for a moment when she heard a knock at the door, and looked at Ella and Christen. She didn't say anything and just went back to her book.

Amelia was just watching them wondering who they were but then looked at Lia.

"Uhhhhh." Patrick look stumped. "It's not really in a human country. It's under the rule of Vampire royals. Axford is ruled by the Lurelacks, while Dragmoir, well it's under the rule of the Lurelacks too, but it use to be under the Wishbone's power, but all this is in Eroupe, I geuss."

~!!~
Myame nodded. "Come in!" She said.

The boy frowned.

"Elianna!" Myame called quickly, she might be able to help.

~!!~
Dimitri was a far better driver then Ember, through he went a bit faster then needed.

Elianna came downstairs when she heard someone calling her name. Isabel ran down as well, sensing the presence of another Dhampir. She grinned broadly at Christen, showing her fangs. Elianna frowned and went over to Myame.

"What is it?" She asked. Ella looked at Isabel, tilting her head slightly. She didn't recognize her.
~!~!~!
Ember frowned as he drove a little too fast.

"Slow down, or I'll make you watch a chick flick," She threatened him.
~!~!~!~
Leanne just nodded. She wondered what Draven would do if he heard they were going to wher ehe used to rule, but soon deicded that she didn't care.

"I don't know if I can sit here all day. I know for sure I won't be able to sleep," She said quietly. Sleep had brought her nothing but nightmares these past few days; nightmares of her mother.

Christen was taken back at the sight of her fangs.

"What do you know about . . . half bloods?" She said useing a simpler trem for Dhampir.

~!!~
Dimitri slowed down a bit, and they soon came to the moive theaher. "No chick flicks." He said.

~!!~
"Do you have any . . . very dark sun glasses?" He asked suddenly.