**Bob in the picture above**

CADDIE's POV:

A sea of young women drowning in their dresses and men drowning in cheap gin, filled the dining hall. They all seemed to be having a blissful afternoon. Laughter filled the room, it was like music to my ears. Their smiles were so bright, only the light fixtures hanging from the ceiling could match their radiance. I felt more like an outside observer, as if I were watching a movie, than actually experiencing lunch in 1816. Most of their conversations faded into an inconsistent buzzing noise in the background but I picked up on a few topics that made their way to the lunch table in the twenty-first century.

A group of girls giggled behind their lace fans as they pointed their jeweled fingers at a table filled with less fortunate people. Gossip girls. Their lips were moving at such a fast pace, at first I thought they were vampires but the tinge of pink on their cheeks and sheen of perspiration on their foreheads proved- they were just as imperfect as everyone else. Sitting at a table no more more than five feet away from the gossip girls, was a group young men in old Fire elemental uniforms. The uniform was similar to a Roman gladiator's but the colors were strictly black. Their eyes were glossy from the smuggled gin and they could barely form a proper sentence but that didn't stop them from trying to hit on any girl that walked by. In the back corner of the dining hall, a boy and a girl sat hunched over colossal leather bound books with fraying pages. They seemed like the perfect nerdy pair, but their social anxiety crippled them from moving an inch closer.

It was strange. If the people of 1816 switched their trousers and dresses for jeans and t-shirts, I wouldn't have thought any time passed.

I continued to scan every person in the dining room until I found him. It wasn't hard. There was a crown mounted on his head, his fingers were glittering with jewels the color of his future eyes. His current eyes, however, reminded me of my aunt's. They were coal black, it was impossible to distinguish the pupil from the iris. Many admiring looks were casted towards the heirs, but everyone avoided looking at him. He radiated danger, that hadn't changed in two hundred years.

His intimidating presence, sent unwanted shivers of fear down my spine. My lips formed his name, as if I was calling out In a silent plea. Aleksander, who was standing close to my side, whipped his head around and stared at me with wide eyes. He only held my stare for a fraction of a second before he looked back at Bob. Recognition flashed before his eyes.

"Oh no," Aleksander muttered under his breath.

Oh no indeed, I thought to myself.

I wanted to keep Aleksander from discovering that Prince Roberto was Bob in the future. But I should have known better. Even if Aleksander didn't recognize Bob's face, he would have slowly pieced it together. He knew there was only a very short list of people that could elicit a feeling of fear within me. Once he went through the list, it would have taken him a millisecond to remember that Bob was a nickname for Roberto.

Aleksander's shock turned to rage as he continued to stare at Bob. Most of the anger was directed to Bob for being a traitorous, evil asshole but a sliver of his anger was also meant for me. Alek hated it when I kept things from him. But I couldn't help it, it was a force of habit. I was so used to hiding my fears from him, not because I didn't trust him anymore, but because I knew he had enough on his plate. Everybody thought of him as the perfect heir. He was personable and charming and surprisingly very intelligent. He knew when to smile, shake hands and kiss cheeks but behind the charade of being the 'perfect heir' he was struggling with his PTSD. Fear was a common emotion that everyone felt from time to time but Aleksander would have to live with it and fight it every waking moment of his life. I never wanted to add to the problem.

Alix nudged my shoulder to break me from my thoughts. I shook my head and diverted my eyes to the ground when I realized that I had been staring at Aleksander like a creep.

"You know," Alix whispered in my ear, "He is your boyfriend. You're the one girl in the world who isn't reduced to staring and fantasizing, you can actually reach out and touch him."

I choked back a laugh and reminded myself that now was not the time to be laughing. Jaxon let out a small chuckle at his sister's expense. I was grateful that Moria and Aleksander were completely oblivious to our exchange. In one day, Aleksander had managed to successfully make a girl fall in love with him. Simply holding hands had hurt and angered Moria, I didn't want to think about how badly she would take it if she learned Aleksander and I were dating. People like her, outsiders dying for a chance to fit in, get hurt often over the smallest things. I knew personally how she felt, because once upon a time I was the same way.

"The dining hall is beautiful, isn't it?" Moria asked.

She beckoned for us to emerge from the safety of the doorframe's looming shadow.

"Follow me. There must be one free table in this room."

My eyes flickered to the rowdy crowd before I took a hesitant step forward. The second my foot stepped into the dining hall, the conversations faded to silence. Curious eyes turned their full attention on my friends and I. It seemed like just as soon as the conversations stopped, whispers erupted. No matter where we went, we would always be the subject of gossip.

I quickly looked back at the floor when a pair of coal eyes focused on my face. Aleksander gripped my hand tightly as Moria led us through the rows of tables. I was too focused on not looking at Bob, I didn't realize that Aleksander had broken away from the group and was leading me towards the platform. I tugged at his hand, when our feet reached the edge of the first step. Curiosity burned within everyone in the room. Half of the student body was laughing to themselves, thinking we were fools for walking up to the platform. Others were waiting for a new piece of juicy gossip to be dropped onto their plates.

"What are you doing?" I hissed.

"Finding a place to sit," he replied.

An audible gasp echoed throughout the room as Aleksander placed his foot on the step and walked through the barrier without any resistance. Narrowing my eyes, I followed him but only because I wanted to keep him safe if Bob decided to attack. We walked onto the platform, hand in hand and weaved our ways through the royal tables until we found two empty seats. Conversations became increasingly louder as we took our seats. The royals were too shocked to even respond.

Lowering my voice to the quietest octave, I asked. "What's going on, Alek?"

He shrugged.

Two silver platters appeared in front of us. Aleksander lifted the bubble dishes and began feasting on his breakfast. I gritted my teeth and followed his actions. The food looked edible. There were slices, eggs, and an assortment of colorful fruit. Playing it safe, I grabbed a strawberry and nibbled on it while I tried to tap into my bond with Aleksander. If he was going to play dirty and keep things from me than I was going to do the same.

"You're feeling betrayed and angry," Aleksander noted in between bites. "That's never a good combination."

I opened my mouth, to tell him that he was the cause of my anger but he placed his finger of my lips.

"Before you start raging, remember that you were the one that hid something from me first. Apparently honesty isn't the best policy, not in this relationship."

He was being a child. I didn't tell him because I thought he would overreact. And that was exactly what he did. Now, we were never going to get the chance to hang low and fit in.

My blood boiled and bubbled as magic coursed through my veins. I grabbed the fork, beside my plate and held it above my lap. The fork quickly melted into a small ball of metal, and then disintegrated. I brushed the ashes off of my lap and let out an aggravated sigh.

"Did you get that out of your system?" Aleksander asked.

I rolled my eyes.

"Good. Because now would be a good time to start answering their questions," he pointed at the other royals sitting at the table who were staring at us intently.

"Is there a problem?" I asked sharply.

Mixed emotions passed through the table. Most of them were angry that I would treat them with such disrespect, but deep within the corners of their mind they could sense how dangerous I was. They seemed indifferent, with their arms crossed and heads tilted upwards, but fear was still evident in their emotions.

"Why don't we all just calm down," Aleksander's voice was deeper with soothing undertones.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I hated it when he used that voice. It was the voice that gave him everything he ever wanted.

Anger slowly subsided as the heirs stared into Aleksander's hypnotic blue eyes. I applauded him for calming them down, I just wish he didn't have to compel them. The heirs were still watching us and they had just witnessed Aleksander use a power that only Adeline should be able to possess. If they weren't suspicious of us before, they would be now.

"I'm Aleksander and this is my friend Caddie."

I had to hold back an eye roll when a few of the royal sluts nonchalantly tugged at their corset, when he turned his charming smile on them. The guys weren't as easy to charm. They sat back in their chairs, trying to keep their composure.

"I heard that we just missed a good elemental game. Would anyone be willing to tell me what happened? I've always been a big supporter of the Fire team."

Just like that, Aleksander had won over the guys. Grins broke out on their faces. They shared quick glances with one another before nodding approvingly. A tall Royal with a thick mop of curly brown hair on top of his head, was the first to start recounting the game to Aleksander. After a few minutes the other guys jumped in and began animatedly explaining every play by play.

While Aleksander charmed everyone at our table, I sat back and let my mind wander. Curiosity was eating away at me but I couldn't distinguish whether it was mine or everyone else's. There were always too many questions and not enough answers in my mind. Alix had once said all my worrying was going to drive me mad. I promised her that I would try my hardest not to worry but how could I not when the devil, Bob, was trying to peer inside of my soul.

I looked up from my plate and met Bob's burning gaze. He hardened his stare. It was a ploy of intimidation, I used to do it all the time. Instead of playing along like I wanted, my subconscious went into auto-drive and kept my eyes trained on his. He was the first to look away and for a fraction of a second I felt triumphant. At least that was until he and the five other heirs stood up from their seats and walked towards my table.

"Do you mind if we join you?" Bob asked.

Everyone flinched at the sound of his voice and the conversation died. Bob grabbed a free chair and pulled it over to the table. The noise of the chair legs scraping against the wooden floor reminded me of nails on a chalkboard. Unwanted shivers ran down my spine as he sat down, his eyes never left mine.

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced," Bob began, "I'm Prince Roberto Acosta, future Dark Warlock. And you are."

"Caddie Böse," I had to bite my tongue to keep me from giving him the biggest shock of his life.

"Böse, you say?"

He tilted his head to the side and raised an inquisitive brow. His fellow heirs stood by his chair. I wish I knew what they were feeling but I was too focused on Bob. The warlock speaking to me, sounded exactly like the vampire I had trusted. Everything about him was the same; his faux friendly tone, his cold- calculating stare, even the way he held himself as if he was superior to all- it was all the same. Perhaps time doesn't change a person after all, I thought.

"And your friend," Bob gestured to Aleksander, "Who is he?"

"I am Aleksander Volkov," Alek interjected.

I whipped my head around and stared at him in shock. How could he? I roared in my mind. His stupid big mouth was going to get us killed! I clenched my fists tightly, and gritted my teeth. If he didn't shut up, I was going to make up him.

"We're related? How?" A voice as beautiful as tinkling bells asked. Adeline.

"Yes, Mister Aleksander," Bob said with smirk clear in his voice, "Do in enlighten us, please."

"Yeah," I agreed with a tight smile on my face. "Tell everyone. This will be an interesting story."

**I'm going to start this author's note off with a big thank you to everyone who is still reading the series. Your passion for the series fuels my own. I can't wait to start delving deeper into the story of 1816. Yes, this plays a big part in Caddie's life but hopefully this book will also help develop a few other characters. The book follows Caddie, but it will also tell the story of Adeline and Bob and how the shaped the future. Jaxon, Alix, Caddie and Aleksander will have to work as a team if they want to kill Bob before he destroys the world. Do you think they'll be able to do it? Or do you think history will be able to repeat itself and they'll fall apart while Bob triumphs?

Please tell me in the comments, I love hearing what you guys have to say.
XOXO,
Ro.**