My footsteps echo through the halls, sure and confident. The heels of my boots click on the stone, alerting all to my coming. The night outside is calm and quiet beyond the windows. I pass through the ballroom and spot the queen. She stops and looks at me, her red eyes watching.

“Going to get the troops ready?” She asks with a smile.

“What else would I be doing? The recruits you gave me this year are the worst you and your husband have brought in yet.” I look at her, not even bothering to smile.

I see her anger flare before she hides it away and puts a smile on. “Sorry, but the upper echelons don’t want to send their children to war.” She tells me.

I stare at her. “Then tell them to report to the training field in the morning instead of their children. It’s their damn war, they can fight or they can send their children to fight. If they don’t, then we lose the war and their precious life style and life will end.”

“Bu-“ Evelyn begins.

“If you don’t tell them, I will.” I give her the cheesiest smile I could muster.

She nods and walks down the hall towards the throne room. I roll my eyes and head towards the doors, throwing them open. On my eighteenth birthday I…demonstrated my abilities to my loving foster family. I wanted them to see how appreciative I was of them for being such gracious hosts for taking me in as their ward. After that spectacle, and seeing the tattoo that appeared on my chest for whatever reason, the whole royal family has been on a fine line around me. Not that I mind.

I see the king standing out on the training fields with Sidney, Elijah, and Victor. I sigh and walk over to them. Victor looks at me greedily. Our wedding is in a year which, to a vampire, is nothing. That’s one thing I’m not able to change with my new found power.

“What?” I ask Lucedio, crossing my arms.

“You will be going on a special mission with Elijah and Sidney.” He tells me.

“What is it? Why do I need them?” I look between the two of them with distrust. I’m sure they’d both just as surely slip a knife through my back as I would their’s.

“Because, you will be leaving the castle, and since you know nothing of the world outside, Elijah and Sidney will be going with you to help.” Lucedio says

“We’re going outside?” I ask, surprised.

I usually don’t leave the castle grounds and I’ve never been out of the village. I know the world outside is…different. I’ve seen the trinkets that other vampires bring back and I’ve felt the clothing from the outside. I’ve heard stories, but I’ve never been. I’ve never been allowed.

“Yes, we are.” Elijah says in his usual bored tone. “And Sidney and I were lucky enough to get babysitting duty.”

I glare at him. As good looking as he was, I still hated him. I still hated all of them. But Elijah held a special place. However, he was also forbidden to me. As much as I hated him, I also wanted him. Somewhere in me I suppose I yearned for a friend, but really, I just wanted what I couldn’t have. And that was Elijah.

“I am your commander. Don’t you dare talk to me like that.” I hiss at him.

“Enough. You need to get going. You’re on a surveillance mission. The targets are a high ranking family of the enemy. You need to observe their movements and report back in two days.” Lucedio says.

“Understood.” I say, turning on my heel and making my way out of the castle gates.

Elijah passes me up and stops. A metal…container stands in front of us. I’ve never seen anything like it before.

“Why are we stopping here? We need to get to the stables.” I say, getting impatient.

Elijah and Sidney share a smirk. “No,” Elijash says, “This is called a car. It goes a lot faster than a horse, and is a more common mode of transportation where we’re going. Just get in. It won’t hurt you.”

I eye the contraption, the car. Not wanting to look scared I roll my eyes and walk towards it. Elijah opens the door for me and I sit down in the seat. He shuts the door and walks around the car to the seat beside me. I don’t ask any more questions as we get ready to leave and hide my flinch with the car begins to growl.

“Just what sort of place are horses not as common as cars?” I ask.

“Hidden Springs.” Sidney replies, smugness in her voice.