I walked back upstairs alone. I'd thought I was beginning to understand that place and the vampires living in it, but I'd been very wrong. I was confused, lonely, cold, and terrified, the lighthearted events of that morning completely forgotten. I wanted to break down in a fit of whining right then and there.

Then I thought of my mother. How could I get back to her if the slightest things broke me down? I wouldn't even survive the day, behaving like that. I gritted my teeth, determined to stay strong.

A jolt of energy shot through my right arm, making me pause on the stairs. I looked down, then tried to move my arm. It twitched, warmth consuming the numbness in my fingertips. I tried again, and the feeling moved upward, spreading into my hand.

"Come on," I muttered to myself, focusing on nothing but my arm. I opened and closed my fingers, but that was it. The hope I'd been feeling died a little, but it was progress. Progress was good.

I marched up the rest of the stairs, feeling a bit better than before. I'd been too relaxed for too long. I needed to explore the house more, to find an escape. I glanced around the second floor. Every door was closed, giving the hallway a creepy, kind of The Shining-like feeling. I jiggled the knob of the door nearest to me, but it was locked. The one across the hall was the same story.

I walked down the hall, trying each door. Apart from Liam's room and the door next to it, a bathroom, every room was either storage or locked. Even Lucca's office was locked.

I sighed, then walked upstairs. Same story, apart from the all-black door, standing out against all the brown. I shuddered, remembering the girl behind it.

I tried almost every door on that floor too. Two open bathrooms, one open bedroom, an office, and a slew of locked doors.

I was about to check out the third floor, but something stopped me. I still hadn't looked at Ruby's room, nor did I really want to. But...I had to conduct a thorough examination. If there was a secret trap door leading right outside I'd never know.

Sighing, I walked up to it, working up the nerve to try the door. But at the last second, I turned away. Whatever secrets were buried in there with Ruby, I didn't need them enough to talk to her.

But right as I turned around, I heard the door creak open behind me, letting out a blast of cold air.

"Well, well, well. Back so soon?" Ruby asked, tone almost sultry. Her cold arms wrapped themselves around my neck, eliciting a sharp gasp. Goosebumps rose where she touched me, and I shivered. Not just because of the cold, mind you.

"I-I was just leaving," I said, trying to pull away. Her arms were so thin, but probably stronger than both of mine. She held tight.

"Not yet. Tell me what you were doing," hissed Ruby, mouth dangerously close to my neck. Was everyone in that house some kind of homicidal maniac?

"I was j-just exploring the uh, house," I stammered, figuring that I'd never be able to come up with a convincing lie.

"Oh, I see!" Ruby exclaimed, spinning me around to face her grinning face. Our noses almost touched. "Well come on in then."

Before I could say anything, she yanked me forward into her dark layer, shutting the door after me.

"Wait, Ruby, I can't see anything!" I almost shouted, feeling around blindly for anything to hold on to.

Suddenly, I felt a tingling sensation in my right arm. I tried lifting it. Good news, it worked. Bad news, my hand found itself right on the cold, almost marble-like surface of Ruby's face. With a shriek, I pulled back, scuttling backward until I hit the door. It was sealed shut somehow, making turning the lock utterly useless.

"Don't worry, you won't need to see anything for this," Ruby said. I glanced around the room, trying to pinpoint her location. But her voice seemed to travel impossibly fast. Right next to me with one word and across the room with another.

Then her words registered, and I gasped, jiggling the doorknob faster.

"For what? What are you going to do?" I asked, eyes darting around more frantically. Ruby's giggle echoed across the room, bouncing off the walls like a sentient being.

"Oh, relax. You're not mine to kill. I do, however, need to ask you some questions." I deflated a little with relief.

"What...what kind of questions?" I asked, growing wary.

"First: What do you know about Liam?" Ruby asked, sounding more serious than I'd heard her.

I blinked rapidly, confusion replacing suspicion. "What, like in general?"

"Yes, in general. Now tell me," she ordered.

"Uh, not much. He's crazy, kidnaps minors, has drastic mood swings..." I trailed off, unable to think of anything else.

"And?" Ruby pressed, voice sharp. I winced.

"He likes tea?" I suggested. I really knew nothing else about him, not even his last name.

"That's it?" Ruby asked, sounding bored. I shrugged.

"He's not exactly going to reveal much to me, is he? I'm his prisoner, not his best friend." Ruby giggled, the sound so close to my ear that my hand shot out automatically. Nothing there.

"Someone's a little feisty, aren't we?" Ruby teased. "Tell you what. I don't mind you as much as the whiny little shits in the basement, so I'll make you a deal. Get Liam to come and, ah, visit me more often, and I'll tell you one of his deepest, darkest, secrets. Sound good?"

Suspicion narrowed my eyes. "What could you possibly get out of revealing Liam's secrets?"

Ruby laughed. "It'll get him mad at me, and it's always funny to see Liam mad at me. Besides, I'm bored, and I feel like ruining his image."

I shrugged. "Fine with me, then." I needed to understand Liam if I ever hoped to outsmart him. What better way to understand him than to learn all his secrets?

Ruby let out another shrieking giggle that ricocheted across each wall.

"Perfect, perfect! I knew you'd be perfect." I heard footsteps as she ran next to my right ear. "Ready?" Whispered Ruby, soft tone sending goosebumps across my neck.

"Go," I said.

"Liam's 21 years old."