It was strangely quiet around me. I no longer heard their screams, only the slight echo of talking on the other side of the walls.

I tried to move, yet my arms were secured tightly by the wrists and positioned high up on the wall. Peeking out, I observed my surroundings. Dark stone walls surrounded me and I knelt on a dirty wooden floor. Where had he taken me?

I pulled harder on the chains restraining me, only to snap my arms back with the sound of the clang echoing in my ears and I realized I could not free myself.

Suddenly, I heard a shuffling to the left of me.

“Well, well... So you're awake.”

I swung my head around to see Rickie lounging comfortably on a chair in the corner of the room.

“Where am I?”

His eyes observed my appearance and his face seemed void of any emotion. “Just an old room,” he spoke.

I lowered my head to stare at the floor. In desperation, I pulled at the chains once more only to hear them clack again. I pulled with all my might, though it seemed I lacked the power to escape.

“Can't do it, can you?” Rickie wondered, a slight grin coming over his lips.

I took a breath in defeat. “Just get me out of here.”

Hearing him chuckle, I looked back to spot him shaking his head. “No can do.”

“Come on, Rickie. What the hell?” I pulled at the chains in spite.

“Chris will have my head if I let you free.” He seemed relaxed as he calmly sat in silence on that chair, though I could sense in his eyes something else.

It was true Rickie was only half vampire as well. Chris was sure to shelter him in the same way he served to protect CiCi while she was under his care. However, unlike CiCi, there was more of a connection between them. Possibly one such as that which Mikael and I carried, yet different in a way I could not quite comprehend.

I smiled. He was quite good at covering up his emotions... yet not good enough.

“Come on. You and I both know you couldn't give a shit about me, Rickie.”

He sat back, his eyes still focused clearly. “Oh, you're damn right.”

“Well, why not loosen up these cuffs a bit. I jump out that window there, and you can tell Chris you tried to restrain me—“

“No!” With a smirk on his lips, he tipped his eyes down to look at the frame of the chair. “Oh, I would love to let you free, Lucious. I really would. Hell, I would love to see you burned in the fires of hell!” His eyes came up to stare at me in animosity.

“What the hell did I do to you?”

“It's not what you did to me. It's what you did to him!” he hollered loudly, his voice bouncing off the stone walls.

I shrugged. I had absolutely no clue what he was talking about.

“Rickie... what are you—“

Quickly he stood up causing the chair to crash to the floor.

“Listen, I had it great. Just Chris and I... then you, you come along again after years of chasing after this big dream, and it hasn't been the same. I despise you... everything about you can burn under the blazing sun and I would laugh it up until your pile of ash blows away!”

“I've never done anything to you.”

“Bullshit! You've done everything and you don't even know it! You come in and claim that you have found the 'one' you're looking for... since then Chris hasn't been able to stop talking about it. You've taken him from me, damn it. You've taken everything that he promised to me and stomped on it!” he continued, stomping his heavy boot on the back of the chair which lay on the floor below.

I only knelt there in silence. I did not understand a thing he spoke of. I couldn't comprehend why Chris would lay everything on the line for me especially after torching his own million dollar manor just to make sure I was dead.

Finally, Rickie put his hand down and stood quietly eying me. A look of rage overwhelming his eyes and I could see peaks of red burning through his baby blue contact lenses.

“What's this?” Chris's voice interrupted the tension as he entered the room.

Rickie was quick to turn and look at him and he immediately bowed.

“It's nothing. He's just acting up, that's all.” Rickie explained shortly.

Chris silently closed the door behind him and approached me.

“Rickie, stop torturing our prisoner.” He chuckled then handed him a pair of scissors. In his other hand he held a syringe. “Cut his shirt off his back...”

****

“That son of a bitch!” Serena cursed up to the sky.

We both stood in shock at what had happened just moments ago. How could he suddenly disappear with Lucious so quickly?

Serena turned to look at me in haste.

“I'm going to kill him,” she said. “And you're going to help, Mikael!”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. Don't chicken out on me now. That bastard. Lucious will never be free if he's not dead. And if you want to live at the mansion, we need to eliminate him.”

I felt a shiver deep inside. I couldn't believe he was gone from me again, however I feared I was too weak to continue this battle. If only I could have some time, time to gain those strengths I so desperately needed. Even with Serena by my side, could we possibly have enough power over Chris, who seemed to possess the most god-like abilities?

“I...” I gulped. “I can't do it.”

“Listen.” She turned and grabbed hold of my shirt. “You can do it! You are a full vampire now, damn it. You're not some weakling little worm about to dig yourself a hole, are you?” She looked into my eyes, and I saw a twinkle run through hers. She was much stronger than I had thought. “Mikael, if he is all you have... you should place all your strength into eliminating anything that stands between you!”

She was absolutely correct. I couldn't stand here in continuous fear over what Chris could do, I had to stand up and face him some day. But by eliminating anything, does she even realize that could mean to eliminate her as well?

I knew Lucious desperately wished to roam alone. We wanted to be free of everyone. Wanted to be away from everyone's ruling over him. There was only one way this could be achieved.

“Ah, fuck you.. I'll do it myself!” Serena snapped as she began to walk away.

“Wait!” I stood behind her watching her about to leave. “I'll help.”

With those words, she stopped and swiftly turned back to face me. A smile perked up in her lips and her tension ceased.

“Good. And with our bonds, we can find him fast.” She began. “You do sense him, correct?”

I looked up and out towards a small gathering of trees. I could sense him. In fact, I could almost imagine exactly where he was.

“Yes. Chris must have taken him back downtown,” I said.

She turned to look in the same direction. “That's where I sense him, too. Let's go.”

As we took to the sky, I couldn't help but feel apprehension causing my shoulders to tense up. This was it. I had hoped I was strong enough to fight now, if not then at least I could help to rescue Lucious, leaving Serena to battle Chris. As a pair, could we possess just enough power to overtake him and help Lucious escape from his eternal struggle for good?