Jaymi, Duke and I sat in the back of the dark black Rolls Royce as it travelled along the highway.

The drive would take about 2 hours, seeing as I was human and couldn't quickly run at the speed of light like the rest of them could.

Duke had agreed to the trip, obviously, but regrettably, of course, he wouldn't let me go without himself being present.

I was excited anyhow as I still got to do something productive on my end.

The drive was awkward, yet I kept conversations with Jaymi to distract myself from the close proximity of Duke beside me while I sat in between the two of them.

Another one of Jaymi's sneaky ideas.

"How much do you know about her?" I asked, as I faced Jaymi

She shrugged "I'd like to think quite a bit. When her brothers turned into master murderers, she wanted nothing to do with them. So she left, and began her own life across state. She's married now, and runs a small florist business with her husband Arnold" Jaymi described

"Sounds kind of beautiful" I mumbled, staring aimlessly out of the window besides Jaymi

"It is. Her garden is the most vibrant place I've ever been too. It always makes me happy" She smiled as she watched the passing objects out the window like I was

"Well, hopefully she can give us enough detail to put together a good idea as to what the brothers are planning"

"Hopefully" Jaymi smiled in agreement "But if she doesn't, at least we tried, we got out of the house too, and we might be lucky enough to see her garden, which will be worth it" She smiled, looking toward me.

•

The rest of the drive was pretty quiet.

We probably had about 6 more hours left until sundown which meant we probably only had about 4 hours of chatting time to gain as much information as we could.

I kept an eye on the passing signs and when we reached Swanhaven, I knew we were close. Ten minutes later, the car finally pulled up into a gravel driveway.

I stared out the window eagerly.

The home we were pulling up to was a small beautiful cottage. It was wonderful, surrounded by green shrubs and tree's, lined along the fences were hedges, probably the same height as I was.

It was tucked away and neat, and I kept my eyes firmly on the details as exited the car and headed towards the door.

At the front, lined along the wall, was a small patio. Beneath me were polished brown floorboards, and to the right sat a small white vintage table and two matching chairs.

It was quaint, perfect.

Jaymi stood in front of me, and Duke behind as we waited at the wooden door.

Jaymi knocked quietly with her tiny fist and my heart began to tremor nervously.

Seconds later a petite tall woman pulled it open. She had sandy blonde hair wrapped up into a tight bun. Her eyes were a deep green as she gazed over us.

"Jaymi? Hey, what are you doing here?" She asked, smiling. She was obviously surprised to see her, along with Duke and I behind.

"Hi Janey, we've just stopped by to ask you a few questions. These are my friends, Rosie, and Duke" Jaymi introduced, gesturing to us as we smiled.

"Nice to meet you both" She smiled in return as she held the door open for us to enter.

We were led through a narrow, yet breezy hallway and into a small lounge room.

It was cosy and unique, and most of the decorations and furniture were simple.

It appeared that the main color theme was a sea blue reminding us that the beach was only a few minutes away.

We were signalled to take a seat, snapping my head back to business.

The three of us sat on a long lounge in front of a window that led straight out into the front porch.

"Would any of you like anything?" She asked politely

Duke and Jaymi shook their heads, and I followed despite my dry throat and cracking lips.

Janey sat across from us on a separate two seater as I noticed the blue scheme matched her outfit. It was polished and tidy.

She wore a long sleeved light blue v-neck frilled shirt buttoned all the way up to the top of her pale neck, with dark blue jeans down to white socks.

"What is it that you wish to ask me?" She began as she crossed her legs and neatly placed her hands on top, her gold rings sparkling in even the most dull of light.

"A few questions about your brothers actually" Jaymi began cautiously

"My brothers?" She lightly repeated as she looked down for a moment

Jaymi nodded "They are planning a war against us at the moment" She lightly laughed, trying to ease the tension of the topic

She sighed and leaned forward slightly "I'm going to be straight-forward here Jaymi. I've heard all about what's going on. I've heard about your Cure, in which I assume to be this girl" She smiled as she glanced at me.

I felt on edge, and that twist in my stomach that told me something wasn't right began to churn. Duke seemed to shift uncomfortably too.

How many people had heard about me already?

"You've been in contact with them?" Duke began, his deep voice cautious and calm.

"They called me yesterday. Dodge was overly excited about the news. He couldn't wait to tell me that he had found another Cure. It's his main concern, all because of my silly mother" She scoffed, almost disgusted

"I'm sorry" She apologized as she tilted her head toward me

It didn't ease my tension, something was off.

"Did they say what the plan was exactly?" I asked this time

"No of course not" She shook her head "But I'll warn you that they are extremely fussy with it at the moment. I assume the plan will be complex, dangerous" She continued, watching the three of us carefully "They will pursue many attacks just to test the competition out" She explained, looking down at her shuffling feet again.

Something was so wrong, my stomach was knotting uncomfortably as I watched carefully around the room, a shoot of heat racing through my body in warning.

I quickly gave Jaymi and Duke a glance, attempting to show them my discomfort if Duke hadn't already sensed it.

"Did they give anything about the plan away?" I asked, edging for more so we could get the hell out

She shook her head again "Not really. Dodge just said that he was being extra careful, and knew that one of your buddies was already onto them, so the plan had to be changed" She continued with a shrug

"Great" I mumbled as Jaymi sighed.

That person had to of been Seth, he was the only one putting his neck on the line to gain extra information.

I watched her expression as her eyes turned to me, and locked with my gaze. There was a mixture of regret and sadness amongst them.

"I heard you had a beautiful garden Janey" I changed the subject in hopes that the mood would change with it.

She smiled and folded her fingers together in her lap.

"My tulips are prize winners" She smiled proudly "My husband ..Arnold, he, uh.. " She trailed off for a moment, looking at her hands before continuing "He adores gardening, which is why we put so much effort into it together. It's our favourite thing to do together" She was watching me and I could have sworn she was holding back tears. I knew the look.

Why she was on the brink of crying, I had no idea, but I didn't like it.

I didn't like knowing there were more questions than answers being served.

"May I take a look?" I asked, breaking the silence as I stood.

Duke and Jaymi sat still, looking at each other before staring up at me in surprise.

"Now isn't really a good time" Janey stood as well, fidgeting her hands together uncomfortably.

She smiled, but it was forced, and at that moment I knew she was hiding something that we weren't supposed to know.

"What's going on Janey?" I asked honestly, folding my arms across my chest as I grew tired of playing games

"Rosie" Jaymi snapped standing as well as she placed a hand on my arm.

I kept my gaze straight on Janey.

"They're here, aren't they?" I asked, clicking the pieces together "And they've done something to Arnold, haven't they?" I shot out before anyone could stop me.

Instantly Duke was on his feet, moving beside me as Jaymi walked towards Janey.

"What's going on Janey?" Jaymi asked, shaking Janey's shoulders lightly as we desperately fished for more information

Janey was now close to crying as she bit into her bottom lip with her teeth.

"How did you.. How did she know?" Janey stumbled as she looked in between Jaymi and I.

I was taken back for a moment at the realization that I had been right.

What I had put together was true. They were here, and they were waiting for me.

My eyes searched around the room with a hungry gaze, panicked.

"Who's here?" Jaymi demanded as she shook Janey more forcefully "Tell me"

"Chuck and .. and, Weston" She rambled as Jaymi pushed her aside ready to storm into every room in search, but within her first two steps to round the lounge room corner, two men quickly appeared

Instantly I remembered Chuck from the night Bruce had attacked me, his face curled into an evil grin as he looked me up and down

"You again?" I asked, wondering how he hadn't of been killed when he and Bruce had taken me hostage

"Hey again sexy" Chuck snarled as he continued looking me up and down, this time making it more obvious as he licked his lips.

My blood ran cold and I froze.

Jaymi took no hesitation as she jumped at him with her fangs bearing sharp tips.

I watched in disbelief as they tumbled around, punching hard fists and kicks into each other, it was like a flash fight, every hit and turn, they would spin and move as if it were a drawn out paper-pad movie, the pages flicking in action. It was hard to keep up with, hard to realize who was winning and who was losing.

My gaze quickly turned to the other man, Weston. He was greasy and stood tall and burly. His hair was a thick daggy brown, his eyes a cold hard black as they stared in between me and Duke deciding which to take on first.

Duke quickly stepped in front of me and blocked my view from the entire scene with his tall stance. I had only just noticed I'd begun to shake as I heard the screams and grunts from Jaymi and Chuck as they fought.

"Gotta leave her side sooner or later. Jaymi won't be able to take on both of us at once while you protect her" Weston threatened as I peeked out from Duke's side.

He was edging around the brawling Jaymi and Chuck.

I looked towards the far wall where Janey was huddled in a corner, her head inbetween her knees as she cowered away.

I shook my head, and returned my gaze to Weston.

Duke was angry, and ready to pounce, his body was tall and straight as he held himself strong.

I could tell he was heavily debating whether or not to leave my side.

I also knew that if Duke didn't move, Jaymi would be in danger.

"Help Jaymi Duke. I'll be fine" I whispered from behind his back

He still didn't move until Weston began to circle around us, he was trying to get a glance at my full form as he tilted his head side-ways clicking his tongue.

"She's pretty just like everyone back home says. She should be loads of fun when I get a hold of her" He licked his lips and raised his eyebrows making me feel nauseas

That was all it took, Duke pounced hard into him, crashing himself against Weston's chest with a loud thud as they crashed into Janeys wooden dining table, sending pieces flying in all directions.

I quickly moved towards Janey and huddled down beside her, watching in terror as the four vampires fought viciously.

It was hard to keep focused because of their speed but I somehow managed with my adrenaline at a high.

Jaymi was doing well against Chuck. I watched as they crashed into numerous pieces of furniture before Jaymi gave a heart stopping pound with her fist straight into Chucks jaw sending him flying into a nearby wall where picture frames fell and shattered.

She sped right up to him and took his hanging body in the drywall to her advantage, quickly wrapping her arms around his neck.

I didn't hesitate to look away shooting my gaze over to Duke and Weston. They were faster than Jaymi and Chuck, and I had to concentrate harder as they flew around the room, breaking everything in their way.

Seconds later, I heard a quick snap followed by a whoosh noise. From the corner of my eye, dust flew violently upwards, spreading out over the room.

Without hesitation, Jaymi was instantly joined in with Duke's fight as they both tackled Weston into a joining staircase. His back collided with the first few steps, creating cracking noises which I wasn't sure were the staircase or Westons bones.

Duke had him by the throat, his eyes coal black as he held a tight grip on him panting heavily while he growled inches from his face.

Jaymi rushed up behind Westons head and placed two hands on either side of his face, that's when I shoved my face into Janey shoulder just in time to miss the sight of the piercing cracking noise that created another array of flying dust.

The room was quickly quiet, and all that could be heard was the rough breathing of the four remaining occupants of the home.

Before I could lift my head or relax, Janey had pulled me up into a fierce grip, one hand rest around my torso holding my arms firmly down against my sides as her other hand gripped hard against my neck.

I wriggled, but didn't see the point when I realised I wasn't going anywhere.

She was a vampire, far too strong for me to get free.

Duke and Jaymi stood in front of me, their eyes black with anger as they kept their gaze on me and Janey.

"I have to take her" She started as she sobbed "I have to give her up to get Arnold back"

"We can get him back, just let her go" Jaymi tried as she held her hands out in surrender "This isn't you Janey, this isn't who you are, I know you.." Jaymi continued to bargain "Would Arnold want you to do this? Would he condone what you're doing right now?"

I glanced at Duke as my eyes began to water from lack of air.

My healed neck was sore and becoming weak from being held around the throat.

One day I was sure it would just snap like a twig.

Duke's eyes were firmly held on mine as his face tensed up, creating a deadly angered jawline. He was frightening, and I felt scared to be around him when he was like the way he was.

I attempted another wriggle, thrashing around in hopes of getting a limb free to peel her hand from my lungs.

"Let me go" I choked out through constricted air, tears streaming down my face as I struggled to remain conscious

"Janey, you're killing her, please. Let her go. For Arnold" Jaymi continued as Duke stepped forward towards us.

His face said he wasn't listening to Jaymi plea with Janey. His eyes were intent on one thing, getting me from the woman's grip.

Janey swivelled around as Duke edged closer "Don't. Don't move, or I swear.. I swear I'll .." Janey trailed off as she began to lightly cry "I can't lose him. All because of this" She shook me more fiercely this time as I managed to wriggle my left hand free.

It raced up to her grip around my neck trying to pry her fingers off

"Janey, please, if you don't comply with me, we will have no choice but to kill you. Duke is already having a hard time holding back" Jaymi tried again edging further a few steps forward

"Close your eyes Rosie. Close your eyes" Jaymi then turned her words towards me. I immediately did what she said, tightly squeezing my eyes together.

I listened as Jaymi continued to speak.

"Janey, let Rosie go right, now. This isn't the answer. You're cutting her air supply off. She will die" Her voice was soft and calm, almost tinged with a hypnotic tune.

My brain quickly put together that she was trying to use her ability on Janey.

I waited, gasping for air as my eyes trickled more tears.

Slowly, after a few minutes silence, the grip on my body and neck dropped. I fell to my knees, being quickly caught before my face hit the ground. I desperately sucked in air, my throat burning as I dragged in oxygen.

Duke lifted me up from the ground to my feet as I held a hand to my neck making sure it was still in tact.

I could hear Jaymi soothing words into Janey, controlling her as she instructed her to leave.

I didn't look towards them, instead I held my head down near Duke's chest, breathing heavily. My arms were holding tightly around him while he held me up by my waist.

"Are you okay?" He panicked, releasing a hand from my back, moving it to my face, tilting it upwards as he looked my neck over

"I'm fine" I croaked, coughing

"Let's go" He demanded, assisting my walking out of the house.

I didn't argue or struggle, I complied and let Duke drag me along back to the parked car.

I could hear Jaymi following out hurriedly behind me when Duke slung the back door open and helped me inside.

"She okay?" Jaymi sighed as she rounded the other side to meet me on the other end.

I wriggled in and lay back against the middle seat, quickly being joined by Jaymi to my right and Duke to my left. The doors slammed shut and a tap signalled the driver onwards.

"Rosie, are you okay?" Jaymi panted as she turned towards me, placing a hand on my forehead. I continued to regain air that burned it's way back into my lungs while I nodded

"I'm fine" I repeated, croaky "Just sick of people doing that" I held a hand against my throat which I was sure would appear nicely with another bruise over the next few days.

Jaymi placed a hand over mine on my throat

My eyes opened and watched her through the blurred vision overshadowing my eyes.

I could hear Duke sigh heavily, so I turned my gaze to his face as Jaymi's hand dropped from me, only to pick up my right hand and hold it in hers.

"Relax" I told him as I rubbed my eyes with my free hand

His head snapped towards me "Relax?" He repeated angrily "Are you insane?"

"Obviously" I snapped back

"You were nearly killed, again Rosie. So no, I will most definitely not relax" He growled, his eyes meeting mine as I rest my head sideways on the leather seat.

My eyes had now adjusted and I could see his full features perfectly.

His jaw was still tense, but his eyes had returned to the normal golden glow that melted against mine.

"Yeah and every time, it's my fault" I spat, watching him. It was true, every time I was nearly killed, was because I had either taken off, or made a stupid request to leave.

After today, I had a funny feeling I would be staying home until the big war ended.

"I should have said no" He argued back.

Jaymi was watching out the window closely, obviously not wanting to get involved.

I shook my head "Whatever" before turning back to face the front of the car.

I pulled my hand from Jaymi's and rubbed my throat as it began to sting. In a way, I was grateful I hadn't been bitten, that pain was far worse and intense.

I squinted my eyes as I poked and proded it, wincing when I hit a sore spot.

"Stop it" Duke whispered, taking hold of my hand with his.

He gently pulled my hand down to my lap, keeping his cold grip on mine. His hand fully covered my own with it's size. He lifted our holding hands and placed them into his other, gently rubbing over slow circles on my heated skin.

His eyes were watching his movements as the coldness settled into my skin.

Jaymi was clearly smiling out the window as I took a quick glance towards her.

I subtly rolled my eyes, knowing she'd bring it up later.