While I pondered the issue of what to do with the key, I decided to spend the stolen money and head back to my cottage. The hotdog turned out to be so huge that, for once, I felt like I got my money's worth. At least one good thing had come out of all this.

Well, two good things. I mean, I'd made one cool friend, right? And while I didn't know if Ruby and I could be considered friends, I kinda liked her. And Liam...well, Liam was something.

Maybe I should just save Ruby and Helena and the other vampires they'd gotten. Maybe leaving Liam here to rot would teach him a lesson about how kidnapping was wrong or something. But then again, wouldn't that make me just as bad as he was? I mean, he was crazy, but he didn't seem dangerous dangerous. I suddenly remembered how we first met. The blood splattered all over the park. If I let him out, would I be responsible if that happened again?

Before I could come up with an answer, I felt myself yawning. It felt like it had been forever since I'd had a nap, so maybe I should take care of that first. Maybe a good rest would help me decide how to proceed.

I couldn't have been asleep for very long before a sharp bang brought me awake with a shriek. "Blythe!" A voice boomed from the doorway. "Have you seen my keys?"

What a strange question. "No," I mumbled, quickly falling back asleep. Why would a centaur need car keys anyway? Could they even fit in a car? I giggled sleepily at the image, already half asleep again.

"Dammit," I heard him grumble as I dozed back off.

A while later (being underground was throwing my sense of time way off) I shot awake on my own. I didn't remember my dream very well, but I did find myself with a mental image of Ant stuffed in a tiny car for some reason.

Oh shit! I suddenly remembered my half asleep interaction. That was definitely Ant, and he was definitely not looking for his car keys. God, why had I done that? I wasn't even thinking. I should just give the key back, I wasn't a thief. Maybe I could save the vampires some other way, I thought as I shoved the key in my pocket to return.

As I was straightening out my dress, I heard a knock at the door. "Oh Blyyythe! Are you awaaake?" Oak sang.

Wincing because of her volume, I called back, "Yeah, I'm up. Why?"

"It's almost 8, silly billy! Come see the festivities!" Oh that's what Oak was talking about before. I had to admit, my interest was piqued. What would a centaur festival look like, I wondered. And how lucky that one was happening on the day I arrived!

I left my cottage, excited and a little giddy despite myself. During my nap, the place had been transformed. If it was cool before, now it was straight out of an ultra detailed fantasy novel. The ceiling lights were all a light blue now, making the place look otherworldly. Which, I guess it sort of was. All the tents had been decked out with colorful fabrics and signs, and the ground trembled a little as centaurs danced in the center plaza. I just had to take a closer look around.

But as I was about to step forward, I noticed Ant over to the side, pacing (trotting?) back and forth with his hands in his hair. He looked nervous, which totally didn't fit the vibe. Weird, but lucky because I really needed to return the key.

I inched over to him. "What's wrong? Do you not like parties or something?" He let out a short, high pitched bark of laughter.

"Party? Are you serious?" I blinked, confused.

"Uh, yeah? It's a festival, right?"

Ant glared at me, stress in his eyes and his long, flowing hair all messy. "Wow. I didn't expect you to be so cold. Guess you really do fit right in here," he snapped, and began to turn away.

"Wait, wait, what are you talking about?" I asked, running after him. What the hell was so cold about enjoying a party.

"But the joke's on all of you now, cause I can't even find the key. Barbarians," Ant muttered. The key? What did the key have to do with anything?

"What the hell are you talking about?" I snapped, but Ant just ignored me, continuing to mutter to himself.

"You all claim to be so much more civilized than them but you turn around and do this shit for fun? It's such a fucking joke." I suddenly realized that I was following him to the prison entrance.

A small feeling of dread began to bloom in my stomach. "What's going on?" I asked. My own voice sounded quiet over the ringing in my ears, but I guess Ant heard me because he turned around.

"You really don't know?" I shook my head. His glare softened as we stopped in front of the prison and he turned to face me, arms crossed and towering over me. "The centaurs don't take prisoners. Especially not vampire prisoners."

"But," I peered behind him. "They're in there, aren't they?"

"For now, yeah, but after a successful battle we hold a big 3 day festival and at the end...well, we get rid of them. We make a big old public spectacle out of it."

My breath left my body. "What?"

"It's why the prison is so small. It never stays full for long. And as head guard, it's my job to take care of the messy parts. And as fun as that is, I can't exactly do it because I lost the fucking key. So now, Oak's probably going to have my hide up on stage instead." The stolen key burned in my pocket, searing guilt into my skin.

"But..." I tried to find words. "But that doesn't make any sense, why would you want to- I mean, you and Ruby-"

"Ruby and I are...friends. Were friends, whatever. The only reason she's still alive is because she hadn't gotten locked up yet. And now, her luck's run out." Ant's voice was cold, but it still shook a little. Suddenly, Helena's seemingly comical hatred of the centaurs made sense. I wondered how many friends she'd lost to them. And now, she would be...they'd all be...

My stomach churned and I wanted to throw up.

"But," I tried again. "You don't want to do this. I know you don't, so why-"

"Because I don't have a choice! I don't have any power here, I'm just the fucking muscle! We've done this for centuries, it's not just gonna stop." Ant snapped. His eyes were wild, hysteria making his voice go high, hands running through his hair over and over and over.

"But the festival can't end, right? Until you find the key?" I asked, the weight of so many lives right in my pocket.

Ant's fingers stopped. He stared at me, eyes wide and unblinking. "Yeah. I guess that's right." We stared at each other in silence for what seemed like an eternity, neither of us moving, the key so heavy in my pocket. It felt like my heart wasn't beating.

Finally, though, I managed to turn away. It was like time resuming, the ambiance of the festival suddenly deafening. "Damn, that's rough. Hope you find it! I'm kinda tired, i think I'll skip this so see you tomorrow!" I said quickly, turning around and plowing carelessly through the crowd to the safety of my cottage.

Of course my life couldn't stay peaceful for long.