Roí Tou Aímatos was on the far west side of Ruby - conveniently the furthest corner from Central you could possibly be; which tended to work in its favour when it came to making people disappear. It happened to be a far trek from Giorti, which I had decided would be my destination for the night.

The uneasy feeling that Kara had provided me with left me in desperate need of Violet's advice. Not that it was truly ever advice. She spoke more in riddles and expected you to figure out the meaning on your own - which I would prefer over the cold wasteland of unknowing I was currently abandoned in.

I'd set off without looking back towards the club, out of fear I'd return to Kara's side if I saw her pouting face. The snow was dancing underneath the streetlights, the howling wind not allowing it to drift to the ground easily. The blanket of snow that covered the paths had become nothing but a distraction; each crunch of my shoe in the fresh dusting breaking my concentration on the worries that plagued me. I couldn't help but feel thankful I didn't feel the cold as my clothes were blown around.

Between Marianna's hint that there was more going on than I realised, and the less-than-benevolent actions Adrienne and Kara were taking, the women in my life weren't giving me much breathing room. Despite being in my care, Kara had become much more subservient to Adrienne's slightly more chaotic view of her vampiric nature. While she seemed to appreciate my frequent trips to Ruby allowed her to embrace the District, she seemed less inclined to agree with my avoidance of fresh human blood.

I had many memories wiped from my mind, but the missing spaces that were left in those places indicated to me that my blood dependency had caused a variety of issues for me. A small splatter of fresh blood often caused me to blackout due to the overwhelming feeling of desire; requiring one or more vampires to pull me away from the human owner.

I'd only partake in the blood of a human if they were completely willing to hand themselves over to me, and I'd been given time to mentally prepare. Even then it was a difficult feeling to overcome; a gnawing sensation in the gut that demanded I sink my teeth in deep and drain them of life.

It had forced me to spend most of my time in Ruby within the highly regulated clubs where most humans circulated - that way, although certain high stake activities would be taking place, it wouldn't be to the extent I'd lose control. I hadn't found the strength to divulge this information to Kara, or even Adrienne; choosing instead, to avoid less savoury trips, and if need be their company.

Even Regulus was a bit of a push sometimes, I'd frequently linger outside the door and decide from the scent alone whether or not I could stomach being within its walls.

It wasn't as though I felt humans were worth protecting. That didn't necessarily come into my mind very often. What I actually felt was an obligation not to use what they didn't have against them. Humans were fragile, vulnerable things that could be killed in moments with little available to save them. Therefore, killing them was a waste of a life that once had the potential to grow - that kill, while also being needless would be cruel beyond reason.

What I couldn't verify was that a Nika with all of his memories would feel the same as I did. But... I couldn't verify that he wouldn't feel worse than I did either.

I had decided that what I needed to know now, more than what Adrienne and Kara were planning, was who was behind the removal of the refill. It had been a meticulously planned event that would have been securely discussed amongst as few members of Central and Eastern as they could possibly manage. That only meant one thing; either someone was able to intersect information that was being transported between the members, or a member had leaked the information themselves. The worst possibility, outranking all others, was a member had physically planned the retrieval of the packs themselves.

If anyone had answers that would help me understand our current situation, it was Violet. There was something about her that both engrossed me entirely and made me want to run for the hills. She was a woman that gave off a feeling like a calm wind over a harsh sea, her entire image alluringly spellbinding. So eerily focused on her movement and speech, blissfully ignorant to the thoughts of the people around her.

Despite this, however, Violet had a keen ear, advanced memory and intense interest in secrets; always knowing more about a person than they do. It was always hard to believe she'd ever been human. She embodies her vampiric traits with such ease; evoking a feeling of fragility that balances so well with her sensuality.

With such traits, she was always the first one to come to mind when I needed to know something, which is why my legs had ambled towards her regular bar before my mind had even grasped the situation.

I see the same old crooked bar sign up ahead, the red-splattered wooden back barely hanging on to the brick wall—the illuminated wires on the sign wrapped around screws to spell out the simple name, Giorti. I skip-run across the road, trying to avoid the mass crowds of vampires and humans alike; the latter of those crowds avoiding me just the same, much to my temporary amusement.

Despite clear regulations in the different zones of the city, humans could apply through Central to gain access to the Ruby District. The humans who applied for visits tended to correlate them with friends in order to stay connected and safe; despite this, it wasn't out of the ordinary for a few to drop off and disappear. Much, I suppose, like Viviana and her friend.

I wonder if she managed to find her.

I push through the door that was on its last hinges, and am met with the homely smell that filled every corner; the scent of leathery seats and the red paint that had recently been reapplied to the walls. It wasn't out of the ordinary for that scent to underlie a Ruby visit; seeing that after several nights worth of scratching and fighting often left dents and marks beyond covering up.

"Avery," I murmured as I approached the bar, following the name with a small nod. The man, having his back turned to me, dropped the phone in his hand in an instant. As he turned, he'd offered me a somewhat disgruntled expression that was briefly followed by a gentle concern in his eyes.

His hands were placed gently on the bar as he released a long breath and made himself stand tall. I couldn't tell if he was preparing himself for the often-long conversations we'd partake in, or if he'd already had a long-enough night.

Avery had already placed three glasses at the seat in front of me; my regular order being a statement piece in my Ruby visits. I noticed a slight hesitation in the movement as the shaker he must have pre-prepared drifted over each glass in turn.

Avery often moved away from me after pouring the drinks, but for some reason, this time, he'd opted to stand in front of me and grip tightly onto the frame of the bar.

I looked down at the silvery liquids he'd provided me with and lingered my fingers over the edge of the glass. I turned my head to the stage and took in each dancer that was performing on the individual platforms. I needn't have analysed each one, in turn, I'd know if Violet was performing if a ruckus was occurring at a stage edge. A hand-drawn out over the crowd was enough for Violet to gather quite a selection of men and women alike.

"Avery," I spoke again, with the man flinching away in response. I raised an eyebrow as I continued, "Is she here?"

Avery had looked up at where my eyes had gone earlier before shaking his head quickly, "It was the same as usual, right?" He asked, motioning towards the drinks in front of me. I swallowed sharply before twisting the drink around with my nails.

"I suppose," I reply cautiously, trying to put aside my concern for him. As much as I wanted to hear what was plaguing Avery's mind, I was slightly more focused on what information I could pry from Violet's head, "Is she here?"

The always-snarky man seemed to shrink into himself as he stood meekly, running his fingers down the side of the shaker he'd used on my drinks. Every movement he made seemed rushed but eager; he wanted something over with. I'd taken another gander around the room, hoping if I couldn't find Violet, I'd be able to get a glance at Frederik - the one man Violet seemed to rely on.

He was the owner of the club, but tended to bartend later in the night; not only to get a good look at the customers for that day but to keep a careful eye on Violet.

Avery cleared his throat, his eyes focused on the part of the ceiling where Violet's room would be located above. With a release of breath and puffed up cheeks, he finally answered me, "She ran out of here in a hurry a few hours ago. Muttered something about helping someone out. I've never seen her look... that way. She's found someone that she's been drawn to obsess over, which makes a change. Frederik's beyond worry about it."

"Helping someone out - that'll be the day," I chuckled. He did not. This threw me off, comments like that would at least get me a small smirk, or a gasped laugh. Avery was often on my side with these things, more than willing to offer a dry remark at her expense - not that Violet minded, usually.

"She... tries her best. She can't tell you everything she knows. It's bound to change some things..." Avery seemed to say this to himself rather than at me, having turned away to reach something on a shelf.

"She's just a dancer, Avery," I murmured in reply, a statement that Violet had often spoken about herself. I could just see her face as Avery spoke so eloquently about her; disgust, that's what it'd be. The two had a torn relationship that was just barely built on thorny respect.

"Do you think a butterfly tries to get stepped on?" Avery asked, sounding almost rhetorical. I couldn't quite understand what he was getting at. The way he was acting was so far from his character that it made me question whether it was genuinely Avery I was interacting with.

My lack of response makes him turn around again, pressing against the bar and taking hold of my shoulder, "Watch your tongue - that's all I'm saying, Nika. Have you ever considered her position and what she has to put up with?"

His eyes dropped to the drinks, then pulled back up to look at me. As his eyes locked with mine, everything had gone cloudy; the sounds that had raged beside me were muffled as he spoke to me directly, "Drink."

It was a command that sunk deep into my core; my body complying with the command while my mind had shut down. It was then I realised that Avery shared the same bloodline as Aria, and would be able to make me comply with anything he said.

As the silvery liquids had gone down my throat one after the other, Avery had slowly become more and more frantic in his movements. His hands reached out to stop me from drinking the third, a firm grasp taking hold of the glass, "She- she asked me to do it, Nika. I couldn't refuse her. You don't understand. She came in here and threatened my life like it was nothing."

I splutter as his power fades, and I have control of my body again. The second drink sprays across the bar as his face drops, tears brewing in his eyes.

"What did you do, Avery? Who asked you to do what?" I could barely get the questions out as my throat began to close up. I tried to examine the glasses in front of me before my eyes blurred over; the liquid inside looked like it always did, a murky silvery brown, but upon closer inspection, the golden beads on the side of the glass were a new addition. He'd put something in the drinks.

I guess it all made sense. Why he had been shifty as soon as he'd seen me, why he'd reacted to me so differently, and why his speech was so rattled. He was either trying desperately to warn me in his own way or was genuinely, unbelievably terrified of whoever put him up to it.

As I stumbled forward, he reached over and placed a hand firmly against my chest. His other hand grasped the fabric of my shirt to pull me towards him, "I can't tell you. I can't tell you anything. She had my heart- my heart in her hand. Her hand was clenched around my heart, Nika. Please understand, I didn't have a choice."

The man had pulled apart his leather jacket and his eyes were glancing down at the large blood splatter that had left a stain in the centre of his shirt; sure enough, it was fist-sized. I couldn't doubt that someone had in fact threatened him in order to do this.

"I-I get..." I try to comfort the man breaking down in front of me but realise there's a more pressing issue at hand. The taste of the drink hadn't given anything away, Avery clearly an excellent enough bartender to choose different types of alcohol that'd mask its flavour for the most part, which led me to ask him, "Ave- What is it?"

His lips form a pout as he looks down at the beads of liquid on his bar. As he ponders the answer to my question I take the opportunity to grasp a bottle of alcohol from the bar before falling backwards when he speaks, "Colloidal Silver."

"Gr-great," I grunt in anguish; all of my silent prayers being positively smashed. Of all things that could've been used, it just had to be that.

Colloidal silver.

There wasn't much in the way of poison to counteract a vampire, and in small amounts, colloidal silver wouldn't tend to do much; most of the newer vampires being provided with bracelets or necklaces made of the stuff in order to get used to its effects. However, Avery knew this. What he also knew was how much someone like me would need to consume to counteract any resistance I would put up against it.

Consume enough of the stuff, and the effects were detrimental, which is why I was now struggling to breathe or feel my limbs. If I didn't do something soon, this was almost certainly going to kill me. Which I could tell Avery knew, his eyes filled with tears as he looked down at me. I pressed my hands to the floor and pushed myself up, urging my legs to regain some strength.

There weren't many things within the walls of Eastern that could be used to harm a vampire, but some members had been known to procure colloidal silver from Central for 'emergency' situations. It begged the question, where did Avery procure it? If he got it from the woman who asked him to do this, where did they get it? You'd have to be obnoxiously good at sweet-talking to have it handed to you.

My legs almost buckle as I get to my feet, my vision already blurring as I make my way to the door, the green lights that circled the floor of the club illuminating the path every few seconds as they flashed. My fingers scratched at the faded paint on the door as it creaked away from my touch. The harmonious sobs that were coming from Avery became a subtle comfort as I stumbled back into the snowy streets of Eastern.

I wasn't entirely sure where I was going to go. There wasn't much hope for me now, I was better crawling deep into a sewer and letting the snow cover my corpse until it turns to ash.