Lest we forget that these creatures are killers - they swarm like bugs and they attack.

***

I exhale a short breath and the stray wisps of hair around my face sweep away, clearing my view. I can't focus and can't think. I grunt as I exert effort in dodging another arrow that was aimed right at my face.

It's dark around me with no other company but the holographic display of artificial bodies serving as my opponents. Blue lasers streamed through the pitch black room, not doing anything to light it.

My head floated in the air and I thought nothing but the night before. Did it really happen? I remember every detail vividly and can even still feel his hot breath against my neck. I remember holding onto him so tight that I wished we were one.

An arrow whizzed past my head again and I curse at how close it was to impaling me. Although it's just strobes of light and compressed air, it sure as hell feels solid.

I guess fantasies just never last forever, even if Prince charming was as perfect as Valentine. To me, last night was the turning point of our relationship. I haven't seen him and it's been hours. What it all just casual sex for him, to get me off of my bloodlust? I don't even know if it was real.

I am caked in more dirt and grime than a toddler in a sandbox and my hair is everywhere. I'm grateful I was able to find this gem in the castle. Heaven knows that I need this physical activity to keep mind off of the irrational. I absolutely hate that it's doing anything to help.

I'm not alone down here; there are others, just not in this section. The training room is hidden underneath the castle, right beside the dungeons. I was lucky to find an enclosed cubicle to practice my defense strategy and at the same time, my archery.

I have music blasting through the buds in my ears - electrifying my neurons and making my body move to the beat. I decide I've had enough of the emotional and really need to get this off of my chest. I go to the switch board and turn the settings to its maximum - the brutality of ten archers against one. Sure, it's not the same as a real fight but anything will help as long as I'm active.

Normally, I don't get nervous went I get attacked - I've trained myself to be impervious to shock - but I'm shaking right now. I don't know why, but my hands are coating in sweat and my heart is pounding harder than ever - it must be my nerves, I'm not used to any of this.

The simulation starts and I immediately duck due to an arrow almost shooting its way between my eyes. I roll and pick myself up only to dodge another aimed at my abdomen.

"Shit," I almost scream as I fail to evade an arrow of light and air that shot through my shoulder. It didn't hurt at all but the strain to get out of its way was agonizing. I'm out of shape and it's killing me, if this ever happened in battle, I'd be nothing but battered meat on a roaster.

A buzz courses through my body as the arrows synchronizes with the bass from my earphones. It helps me to concentrate and aids in my endeavours to actually get better at dodging these lethal weapons. Despite the hours I've dedicated to training, I think I'm getting worse.

With my heightened senses, I try to sense all of the simulated arrows on their way to me. While in my crouched position, I breathe in deeply and close my eyes, trying to also synchronize my own body with both the song in my ear and the training at play. A few seconds and I allow my determination to overtake my reality and blind my doubts.

"Agh," I yell as an arrow shoots past my shoulder, actually cutting into my flesh, making it bleed. "What the f-" I am cut off by another one that slices through my hair grazing my ear, cutting through the cartilage. My hand flies to my ear and I rip the earphones from my head. I look around the room, trying to figure out where those real arrows originated from.

With my enhanced hearing, I hear the tightening of someone's grip on a bow and the preparation of an arrow being pulled back on the string and before I could do anything, the mysterious person releases their grip and lets the arrow speed towards me.

The arrow tears through my skin and my hand instantly curls around the wooden arrow sticking straight out of my chest just under my right collar. If I were human, this would be fatal, but luckily I'm not - It does hurt like a no other though. I try to pull it out but the sensation of pain was too much. This needs to stop happening - I can't continue to be mended back together only to be torn apart again.

I lie on the ground, breathing heavily with the arrow sticking upright.

"You're not ready," a voice says. I realize that the simulation has stopped along with my heart. The heat rises to my face and it feels like my eyes are on fire.

I scowl and ignore him and also try to ignore the flashbacks from last night. "I am."

My nocturnal senses switch on and I could see the electrifying glint of his eyes as he stalks over to me and kneels down to my level. "No, you're not."

"Yes," I say through clenched teeth. "I am."

I try to speed away but Valentine gets a good grip around my shoulders and pulls me back. I bite down on my lips to suppress a pained scream from coming out. The arrow is still stuck in my collar, protruding out of my back.

A feeling twists in my stomach from his touch and all I want is his arms around me and his lips on mine. I try to take is hand from off of me and wriggle away but he keeps me planted in the same place.

"Stop moving, I can't get it out if you persist," his gravelly voice was stern but it made my stomach turn in whimsical twists.

"Are you insane?" My voice rises. "You were the one who impaled me with the damn thing."

"Indeed, but that was to help you focus." I grit my teeth at his comment and growl as his long fingers wrapped around the metal plated arrow.

"And you thought stabbing me in the collar would help?" I grunt as he pulls it out and my hands tightly clasp the fabric of his shirt. I cringe at both the sound of flesh tearing and the horrible feeling of getting the sharp object out of my neck.

He breathes in and smirks. "More or less."

"Well, I don't need your help," I detach myself from him. "You can go back to whatever it is you were doing."

He gives me a ferocious look as if he was a predator getting ready to pounce at his prey. An intense wave of heat hits my core and penetrates through my stomach. His presence makes my heart beat faster making the blood rush faster out of the wound he created. I shouldn't be so vulnerable around him - even after what happened last night.

"You mean return to listening to the vampire council reprimand me for starting another war in the underworld?"

"If it's that important then you are excused."

He takes a few steps toward me, finally understanding why I was behaving in such a way. "I had to attend this meeting."

"Since when did you give a damn about the council?"

"If I had the choice, I would have stayed, you know that," he pleads. His body language told me that he wanted to be close but I don't think I'm ready to do that, at least not yet.

"Do I?" He was only a foot away and I walk towards the door. "I have tasted your blood and even shared the same bed with you but I don't know you."

His mouth falls open but remains quiet. I shake my head and open my mouth to speak once more. "I don't know if what you said last night was true. You're just a typical vampire, Valentine, hungry for blood and sex."

The dead silence made it feel like my heart was falling out of my chest. I'm drowning and I can see him above the surface, but he doesn't jump in to save me. A pressure builds behind my eyes and around my temples and I head out without looking back.

"Saphira." His voice was deep but emotionless.

I ignore and keep walking out of the door. The halls are dark and not one soul is around. I move my legs to quickly get away from him and I make to the entrance of the training room without him following. I make it close to my room and I look back and sigh with relief at the empty hall behind me. The wound in my shoulder has healed and the blood is beginning to dry. I need to clean myself up before anything else happens.

As I turn back around, I am abruptly halted as Valentine's masculine and tall frame loomed right over me, casting a shadow against the walls.

"I don't want to talk." I say with malice. I close my eyes to fight back what's been captive in my heart. He comes forward and pushes me into the wall, pinning both of my arms to my sides. I trail my eyes to his face and I can't help but gasp at the black orbs that looked down at me with a hard and impenetrable gaze.

His thick lashes create a dark shadow under his eyes, giving the appearance that everyone seems to view him as - a dark and brooding spirit of the underworld. I shift my gaze to the side but Valentine commands otherwise. "Look at me."

His hands leave my clenched fists and he traps my head between his cold palms, forcing me to keep looking into his dark eyes. Veins start protruding from the hollows of his eyes and friction electrifies the ends of my hair and tips of my fingers. I hear a ferocious growl coming from the bottom of his throat as his fangs elongate and his pupils turn red.

I squirm against his rock hard body but he is immovable, even with all the vampire strength I have. I don't know what he is doing, but I don't want to stay to find out. He can kill me. I try to kick myself out from under him but he has me stuck between his body and the wall.

My breathing quickens as his mouth inches closer to my face.

"I'm not your typical vampire, Saphira," he whispers and I shiver from head to toe from the chill in his voice as it hits the small hairs on my cheek and ear. "I'm the monster that vampires fear. I don't just drink, I devour."

He throws his head back to prepare himself to bite me with his razor sharp teeth. I gasp audibly and seal my eyes shut to meet my fate. Maybe this is how it should have ended long ago. I should have let him drain me the night we met. The savage rumble of his growl hit my heart and head really hard.

He is a monster. A monster I undeniably fell in love with.

He places a free hand over my chest. "I could rip your heart out and let you bleed." The edges of his fangs graze my skin and instead of maliciously biting me, he gives me a soft but passionate kiss. "But I can't."

Valentine brushes his thumb across my lips and caresses check and neck. My tense shoulders relax as he releases his tight grip around me and sets me down. He gulps and his jaw becomes stiff. "Do it, you'd be doing me a favor," I cry out with an icy tone.

He hits the wall with his palms and he presses himself even harder into me, leaving no room between our limbs. I try not to push back because my attempts would be utterly useless.

"You are not going to die until I say you do," he enunciates in a voice so husky it made it feel like I'm walking into a cold room.

"That wasn't part of our agreement."

"It is now."

I try to shove him off and succeed and making him hit the opposite wall. "So, what, you're just going to keep me here until Sebastian tries kill me instead?"

Surprisingly, he picks himself up and looks at me in confusion. "Sebastian wasn't trying to kill you, Saphira," he says incredulously.

"I saw him, as clearly as I see you now," I protest.

"It can't be him because we have him locked up. Sebastian is with the council as we speak and the shifter is being kept in the dungeons with plenty of guards. "

My eyebrows meet together in doubt and I clench my fists on my sides. Whenever I close my eyes I can see his glowing green eyes flash with so much hatred.

I gulp deeply. "Show me."

"Hm," he hums, "Are you going to cooperate now?"

His demeanor changes as he bites his lip and gives me a look of mischief. His playful side has to be my favourite - it makes me feel very comfortable around him.

"Oh, please, Valentine," I scoff. "You're the prime instigator, I should be asking yourself that, not me."

The ambience around us is more than amiable now. It feels intimate. He takes this time to step closer until our faces are only inches apart. His eyes are now their original majestic hue of never ending seas. "I'm sorry," he whispers before sweeping a stray lock of hair away from my face, "come, I'll take you to see him."

We make our way into the dungeons, which is in the same direction as the training room. It's actually adjacent to it. I was so close to him earlier that I could have just walked in and finished him with my bare hands. As we walk in, the smell of titanium grows stronger and the sense of captivity is present in the air.

Two muscular guards greet us at the entrance and clear us to go in. To my surprise it's bright with enclosed cells. Multiple vampires and creatures were being held in their own rooms, behind thick glass.

"Ah, Saphira," a voice says out of one corner. "I knew I would see you down here soon. Have you come to visit our rogue assassin?"

I don't move, instead I keep my head held high and my eyes narrowed at him. He wouldn't be foolish enough to do something in here. Sebastian gives me a curious look, waiting for me to acknowledge him. If he isn't the shifter, there is definitely something odd about him. Valentine says it wasn't him, but I have high doubts. And I don't care that he is King, I'm perfectly fine with killing royalty, so long as it is justified.

I fold my arms and shift my weight to my left side. "Where is he?"

Sebastian gives a sinister smile and clasps his hands behind his back before turning to the single cell on the far side of the room. "This way."

****

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