CADDIE's POV:
The ride to our destination was painfully short. Aleksander and I rode together, but while alone neither of us spoke or looked at each other. There were a million things I wanted to say but I had no idea how to word them. The feelings inside of me were so polar opposite, I had a tough time forming a single thought while in his presence. I didn't know what to think of him. He was such a confusing character with his wild mood swings and ominous nature I couldn't help but push him away. I still didn't understand how he felt about his brother. He chose to help me, so he had to like him. 

At least that's what I told myself. Trying to figure Aleksander out was difficult, to say the least.

The driver parked on a dirt path beside a dense, snowy forest. Hundreds of cars lined the thin path, but I couldn't see any people.

"Where is everyone?" I asked Aleksander as we stepped out of the car.

"They're already inside," he told me, and recaptured my hand.

"Where is 'inside?'" I looked down at our hands intertwined. It felt weird, almost wrong.

He stiffened. He must have felt how uncomfortable I felt beside him but he didn't let go.

"You'll see," he said coolly and pulled me down the dirt path with the other heirs trailing behind.

After a few minutes of walking past the hordes of parked cars, we saw the clearing and large building that occupied most of the field.

The dark marble structure looked like something from the Gothic Era. It was an impressive view with the black Corinthian columns in the front, and the golden dome on the roof. In the night it was almost invisible as I could really only see the glint of the gold accents.

Aleksander led me up the humongous black marble stairs. Two fine men bowed as we stood before them and opened the doors. I walked into the spacious building with the others beside me. Despite the dark exterior, the inside was very light.

Thousands of twinkling lights hung from chandeliers above the seated witches' and warlocks' heads. Most people were sitting down at ivory tables talking quietly and listening to the orchestra play. The atmosphere seemed pleasant, until they noticed our arrival. I held onto Aleksander's hand a little tighter as several accusing stares landed on me.

The witches and warlocks then seemed to regain their composure and stood, slightly bowing. The six council members appeared in the front of the room by the orchestra. The other heirs stopped walking as we reached the middle of the room and waited for the Head Minister to speak.

All of the men were wearing elegant suits. Heidi and Maddox's mom both looked glamorous in sleek dark dresses that were tailored to their bodies perfectly.

Everyone in the room had dressed accordingly for the occasion. Men wore tuxes and the women wore stunning ball-gowns. I felt slightly overwhelmed in a room filled to the brim with gorgeous and powerful people.

The Head Minister stepped forward and cleared his throat, demanding attention from everyone in the room. His white mustache twitched in approval as the room began to fade into silence.

"Today we welcome six fine individuals into our society as honored and respected witches and warlocks," His loud voice boomed throughout the large room; it seemed bounce off of the white marble walls.

"They are our future, and assurance that our kind will continue to survive throughout the following decades," He continued and I became increasingly aware of how important this day was.

I couldn't see any cameras but I knew that the rest of the witches and warlocks wouldn't be watching.

What did they think about us? I wondered. They were as vital to our society as anyone else in that room. Did they think that we looked powerful? Or like a bunch of confused teenagers?

I felt like a confused teen at that moment; it was a lot for a fifteen year old girl to take in. I don't even know how to boil water, so how can I be the future of a whole civilization?

At some point, while my thoughts were rambling on, the Head Minister must had finished his speech because the other heirs were bowing towards him and the other council members. I bowed a few seconds after the others, my cheeks flushed when I saw the disapproving look on Heidi's regal features.

The council members led us to a large table in the middle of the room. There were twelve seats positioned around the table for the heirs and council members. The others in the ballroom took that as a note to sit down and return to their original conversations. Heidi sat beside me on one side and Aleksander sat on the side. I noticed that I was still holding his hand and immediately dropped it.

The meals were already waiting for us, and my stomach involuntarily growled as I stared at the tender steak and fresh greens on my plate. Conversation at the table was light, and even though I was getting numerous dark glares from some observers and Mira and her father, I managed to relax.

When the food slowly disappeared, the energy began to shift in the room. More people were milling around and socializing with others.

When Aleksander noticed that I was finished with my meal, he pulled me back onto my feet. The others followed our lead and we began to mingle with the other adults. I tried to look for Alix over the hordes of people but it was impossible. Aleksander steered me towards an elderly looking couple who eagerly waited for their time to talk to us.

"Oh, Aleksander," The old woman murmured, looking up at him with admiration, "I bless you and hope that the future treats you kindly."

Her husband put a hand on his shoulder and they shared a proud smile, but the mood changed once their eyes landed on me.

The old woman trembled before me, and her voice shook as she tried to say something. When the fear was too much to handle she walked away, leaving her husband to answer for her rude actions.

"Forgive her, Miss Jones. I hope that there is some force in this world that will save you," his deep voice rumbled.

He went after his wife, leaving me appalled. Aleksander looked stunned as well, his hand tightened around mine and for the first time in a while I was glad that he was by my side.

"It's ok," he whispered, steering us towards another couple, "I'm sure they all don't feel that way."

I tried to believe his words, but as we spoke to each couple I was met with the same terrified looks and spiteful words. In Virginia people were mean to me all the time, but it was completely different here.

They truly hated me, they refused to look at me for longer than five seconds or else hostile words began to burst from their mouths. If it wasn't for Aleksander standing by my side, a few of them might have attacked me. Maybe Heidi knew what she was doing by forcing him to be my date. Everyone else seemed to like him.

In fact, they seemed to treat him like a god, and I was almost too disgusted to watch. He basked in the glory, and I swore that his face was going to freeze if he continued to smile. As much as hated to admit it, I needed Aleksander's presence. Without him I didn't know what I would have done.

He steered me towards a middle-aged woman with graying hair and frown lines marred into her plain face. Her dress was as simple as her features and didn't capture my attention for long. What caught my attention was burning hatred that was festering behind her dark eyes. My heart began to sputter as I anticipated her following words.

She began to open her mouth but she was cut off by Aleksander's, father's voice, "I'm so sorry ladies, I'm afraid that I'll have to steal Aleksander for a few minutes."

Aleksander's dad, Stefan, looked like an older version of his son. From the hypnotic blue eyes to the cocky curve of his smile, he was attractive even in his mid-forties. His looks would make Robert Downey Jr. would jealous. I was mortified as he began to pull Aleksander away, now nothing could distract this woman from making her harsh words clear.

She watched them leave briefly before turning her burning gaze to me. "You look just like your mother," she said with a sour look on her face.

"Thank you," I told her, clutching the poof of my dress tightly.

"That wasn't a compliment," her nasally voice said with mock pity, "I hated that woman, just like how I hate you."

I clenched my teeth and tried to push passed her insult. It was one thing to hate me, but it was another thing to hate my mom. She had passed away, whatever petty resentment this woman held to her didn't matter.

"With all do respect, ma'am, you don't know me."

Her eyes flared with anger as the words left my mouth. She took a step closer, her face was inches from mine. I tried to suppress my fear and waited for her to speak again. I could take any sharp words that she sent my way.

"You almost killed my niece. I don't need to know anything else," she hissed, bearing her teeth.

I dread filled my stomach. This woman was Mira's aunt. Now I understood her hatred of me, but I didn't get why she hated my mom.

I doubted the woman who gave birth to me was capable of doing anything malicious. Then again, I'd never known her.

"I never meant to hurt Mira," I tried to explain but the woman refused to listen.

Her hands twitched, I could see how close she was to exploding. Sparks began spurt from her fingers, a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead as she tried to restrain herself.

"You are an abomination. Your magic is the reason why terrible things are happening to our loved ones."

Before I could respond I felt a warm hand against my back. Surprised, I turned around to see Heidi behind me. Her features were pleasant, but there was something darker was hiding behind her small smile.

"Is there a problem, Katherine?" She addressed the hostile woman in front of me.

Katherine's demeanor immediately changed so fast it was almost scary. She went from looking like a mad woman to perfectly composed. Once again I saw how much power my aunt held over others.

"Of course not, Lady Bose," Katherine lied, "I was just telling your niece how she looks just like her mother."

After that last comment Katherine quickly turned and left Heidi and I alone. I was happy to see her leave as my spirit had already been destroyed by several others.

My shoulders sagged, how much longer could I endure this torture? Heidi scanned the room quickly before returning her attention to me.

"Where is Aleksander?" Her asked sharply.

I shrugged, still trying to gather my wits. "His dad needed to speak with him," I murmured. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aleksander walking back into the room.

"There he is," I told Heidi, pointing in his direction. Heidi's shoulders straightened and she walked over to his father and him. Aleksander's dad led Heidi out the back door and sent Aleksander over to me.

"What was that about?" I asked as he returned to my side.

He did not look as confident as he did before. The cocky smile was gone and he seemed genuinely worried.

"Nothing." He replied and forced a smile onto his face. "Would you like to dance?"

He held out a hand, and I warily accepted his invitation. His emotions were awry; something was very wrong.

He twirled me around the room effortlessly. I didn't realize that he was twirling me out of the building until we were at the back door. The bottom of my dress was immediately damp from the snow covered grass. The only light source I had was from the moon, Aleksander's features illuminated by the soft light. The hard look on his face caught me off guard.

"Aleksander? What's wrong?" My voice was weak. He inched closer to me, grabbing my face in between his hands.

Then he crushed his lips against mine. At first I was too stunned to move, but once I came back to life, I struggled against his brute force. Lifting my knee, I kicked his groin and he released me.

"What the hell was that for?" He yelled, covering his crotch with his hands.

"I'm going to ask you the same thing!" My eyes flared with anger. I felt completely violated.

He slowly stood up but kept enough distance between us. A horrible thought crossed my mind. Mr. Bryant said that the Heart Curator's kiss can enslave his victim. My fingers brushed across my lips, as I waited for my perception of Aleksander to change. I waited for the feeling of desperation and devotion, for him to become my entire world. But nothing happened.

"Do you feel different?" Aleksander asked cautiously.

I shook my head. Maybe it was a delayed feeling? I convinced myself but nothing changed, I still found him attractive but I didn't feel like a mindless slave.

"Why didn't your kiss enslave me?" My voice cracked with worry.

With a straight face and a heavy heart he said, "That's because I'm not Aleksander. I'm Dmitri."