"It's beyond me...knowing a person like you..." Memphis whisper but not enough for me to hear the complete sentence.

"Same here," Ruka chuckled darkly hearing it, "Now. Why did you kill one of my ranked teachers? Not to forget you cornering my mate and asking for information."

Memphis just stared at him without an answer, " The time is going to revert back and she is going to be the key. A sacrifice," he said.

"Go on," Ruka said for Memphis to throw a dirty glare at him.

"I don't answer you!" he spoke back, "Your mate can trade back again to get something back. My master is the only one I answer and-" he stopped talking. The person Ruka had killed in the dungeon had spoken something along the same lines I remembered.

"Who's your master?" Leo asked but there was no answer.

"That's alright," Ruka stopped Leo, "We no longer need it. I just needed to know something and its clear," he walked near Memphis and snapped the chains.

For a moment all of us were stunned, wondering what was going on but I didn't expect what I saw next. Ruka pulled Memphis collar to his eye level.

"Did you say tasty meal before?" he c.o.c.ked his head to the side, "Bon appetite," he said sinking his teeth in Memphis's neck to drink his blood. I felt my eyes go wide looking at the scene.

Ruka could drink other vampires blood? So a franchixer could survive with it too as it was at the top considering the supernatural hierarchy. Once he was done, he threw the body down on the floor. He turned around licking one of his finger clean that had blood on it.

"What's with the other prisoners being held?" he asked Leo and saw his blood red eyes. Before Leo could answer him, Ruka spoke to me, "Love, why don't you go up to where Vernon is. I heard he has a rabbit."

I would have laughed if I was staring at his blood red eyes which was serious. Not to forget the other man in the room who almost popped his eyes wide. Of course, I knew there was no rabbit. Why would a vampire even keep one? Maybe as a blood bank.

"Ah-yeah," I said with a smile and got one in return. Going out of the room, I found my way back to the entrance. Vernon was standing there leaning his back on the wall when I saw him in sight. He back straightened looking at me.

"Hello," I greeted him

"Hello," he replied and the silence went on to continue.

"How many prisoners do you have here?" I asked him out of curiosity.

"Nine but eight to be precise now, my queen," was his curt reply.

"What do you mean?" I asked confused and then it dawned, "I got it." He was talking about Memphis, "You don't have to call me Queen like Ruka said. Just Eve is fine."

"It's hard to tell when the king is serious. There are times when he tests us. Either for loyalty or for strength," he sighed looking outside, "It's going to be a red moon in three days," I heard him.

I only knew full moon, half moon, and no moon. What was a red moon? Vernon seemed to be busy talking to someone on the phone so I took a black rock and began drawing on the walls due to boredom. After fifteen minutes Ruka came out with Leo, talking to him about the cells.

"Yes," Leo answered to something Ruka said.

"Alright then, I'll leave it to you. Let me know when you get his details," Ruka said taking my hand, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," they murmured.

We walked out of the cave, going through the path we had come. The fog had increased in the air since the last time. I could hear the sound of movements behind us but I kept my gaze straight. I could see a few shadows around us and I felt my heart rate increase. Everything was dark about it, faces hidden in their hooded and ragged clothes and their feet not touching the ground.

"Ruka," I whispered to him, tugging his arm. Even my whisper was loud in the forest.

"Hmm? What is it?" he turned to look at me.

"There are shadows creeping," I told him and felt a kiss on my temple.

"They won't hurt you, my sweet love. They know well than to attack us. Though they don't know what I am, they are aware of what I can do," he said holding my hand tightly, "In actuality, they are friendly creatures unless you dishonor or mock them. They live in both the worlds."

"As in?"

"As in here and the land of the dead," he said and I saw the car waiting for us. I was glad to see it, going to the passenger's seat I pulled open the door to sit inside.

"Did we come on the same route? It looked different," I said, for some strange reason I couldn't identify the trees I had walked across before going to the cave. Ruka took a reverse so that the car could head out.

"We did turn back," he said and I did to see the branches of trees curl and uncurl. That was the sound of movements! Looking at me I heard him laugh, "Let's go home."

Before looking ahead I saw one of the shadows stand there and giving me hand signs but I couldn't understand a word. My mind must be playing tricks due to sleep. The shadow looked smaller and smaller as Ruka drove away from there.

"You're going to have a three day holiday from tomorrow. We need to install security measures around and redo few strategies," he explained and I nodded happily.

Who didn't want a holiday? I was way happy now, a holiday meant waking up late.

In the morning, when I woke up my chin was resting on top of Ruka's head. This was the first time I found ourselves in this position. Usually, it would be the opposite or Ruka spooning me. His warm breath fanned on my exposed skin and felt goosebumps form on my neck. One of my hands went around to tangle my fingers in his lush, dark hair. It was smooth and long as I combed it lightly not wanting to wake him up. At this point in time, I could say life was amazing.

I was smiling when I felt my collarbone bitten not so gently.

"I forgot to tell you something. Your mother called," he said pulling back, "I told her about the holiday and she wanted you to stay two nights there."

"Nice," I said smiling. It would be nice to stay there for two nights with my parents but what about Ruka?

"I'll drop you there for now. I have few meetings to attend and will be back by evening," he said smiling and I grinned to it.

When he went to take a bath, I took hold of a bag and went to my closet, taking out my clothes and stuffing them inside. Once I was done with it, I zipped the bag and kept it aside. At the corner, I found Bunny hopping and it was a relief to know Caesar hadn't eaten it.

Ruka dropped me home and I was now sitting in the kitchen with my legs crossed on the chair, eating my mother's choco cookies.

"We first thought of Roses but we weren't sure about it so we stuck to lilies," mom went on talking. I found out a few minutes back that mom called Ruka often to make our wedding plans. I saw dad walk inside the kitchen.

"Your mother cannot stop talking about the wedding. There's still time for it," my father said.

"What do men know how important a wedding is," she said swishing her hand in dismissal.

After a talking to them and see my mom go on about the wedding, I went up to my old room. My battery beeped notifying me of low battery and I had forgotten to get the charger. Peeking out of the room, I yelled enough for her to hear.

"MOM, where's the spare charger?"

"It must be there in the last drawer," I heard her.

There was nothing in the last drawer she must have cleaned the whole place. When I went to sit on my bed and pull out my pillow, a piece of paper fell down. Picking it up from the ground I was going to leave it on the table until I found something written on its back.

Beloved Eve,

Did I forget to remind you? Third time is always the charm.

It was the same kind of note I had found last time in my room.