As soon she woke up, she hurried downstairs to free the kids that were stuck in a cage. Winter stopped in her tracks since she had remembered the fact that she had to feed them first. Yet she had no idea where she was supposed to get blood from. Winter tip toed towards Lazarus room, however she didn't have to knock on the door. Lazarus already stood in the door opening with raised eyebrows.

"Wait how did you know I was here?" Winter asked confused which made Lazarus smile.

"I'm a vampire remember? Anyway why are you here?" Lazarus turned around and was trying to tie his black tie.

"Well...you told me yesterday that I could free the kids. However you also told me to make sure I feed them first. And well the problem is I have no idea where I'm supposed to get the blood from. I was wondering if you know...could help me out?" Winter said the last part unsure. Too afraid to look up since Lazarus never failed to intimidate her. Yet Winter still looked up and his cold eyes stared back at her.

Winter didn't expect Lazarus to casually throw a whole bag filled with blood her way. If it wasn't for her reflexes, there would be blood splattered on the ground. Winter still smiled at him and went downstairs. Leaving the man with cold eyes and a heart made of stone wonder if he was indeed growing soft.

When she arrived downstairs the guards where watching her with wondering eyes. Winter ignored it and went into the hallway where the prisoners were. It was extremely dark and perhaps she should have came in here with one of the guards. She pushed the thoughts in the back of her mind and made her way to the kids their cage. Winter looked at all the kids in the cage and it made her heart sink in her chest. There were 2 kids that looked around the age of 7 and the other kids seemed to be older. Perhaps maybe around 13 or 15.

"Okay listen up kids. I would want to free you all, however I don't want to die yet so let's make a deal. I let everyone out but one at a time, as long as you don't bite me. Seriously don't bite me." Winter told them while still smiling and the younger girl she had seen the other day smiled up at her.

"Yes ma'am." They all said at the same time and Winter felt so old.

Winter used the key to open up the cell and just as they promised they let one kid out of the cell, and didn't fight about how was aloud to go first. Winter smiled at how the kids let out the youngest first. Winter took the bag with blood and let the first child drink from it. The second child was let out of the cage and Winter fed the child blood from the bag. She repeated this process until there was no child left in the cage. All the kids were quiet and looked at her with wondering eyes. Wondering what was next.

Just as she was about to walk away one of the older kids stopped in their tracks. "I-I think someone was calling for you miss." The boy was so quiet she could barely hear him.

"Someone is calling me?" Winter asked with wide eyes. She looked behind her and walked back to the cage and noticed that right next to the cage where the kids have been in, there was an other one. The hallway was already dark however that spot made sure there won't be any light entering the place.

Winter knew better than to stand to closely, so she used her eyes to look into the darkness. She could only see a man sitting in the cage covered in blood. Winter wanted to let the man out however when their eyes met Winter already knew how it was. A set of eyes she had seen enough of times in her life. Eyes that have seen her cry and laugh in some situations. Winter still couldn't believe it and her idea of letting the man escape was thrown out of the window. Lazarus would have her head if she let the man free.

"You are just going to stand there and watch?" The voice she had heard someone many times, the same voice that belonged to the one man she thought she owned her life to.

"Chris?" Winter brought out hardly. She approached the cage however the same child that had spoken up earlier stopped her from doing that.

"H-he has bad intentions miss. D-don't get too close." The kid with dark hair and glowing blue eyes spoke up.

Winter wasn't sure about what kind of powers vampires possessed. She thought it was just super speed and the urge to drink blood. So when the kids spoke out those few words, she became wary of Chris even more. Letting out a sigh while looking at him in disappointment. She turned around and walked out of that place with the kids right next to her. Lazarus had been standing in the doorway again, watching them all with cold eyes but filled with curiosity. Wondering why the small boy helped a lady he did not know at all. Vampires are not known to be nice.

However Lazarus vanished again leaving Winter alone with the kids. Winter wasn't necessarily good with children, so she wasn't sure of what to say. She was sure they have gone through a lot when she was absent. Winter had found a maid that was willing to help with looking for clean clothing for the kids to wear, and also bathing them all. Winter planned on leaving the kids with the maid and look for Lazarus. Asking if she was aloud to go out in the garden. However it seemed as if the kids were following her. Not leaving her out of sight.

A laugh escaped Winters lips and she turned around to look at the kids. "I'll be right back, I just need to ask Lazarus something. I promise I will be back." Winter tried to reassure them and one of the older kids took the younger ones and walked back to where the maid was. Winter had noticed that the two older children seemed to be twins.

Winter hurried towards Lazarus office and walked in and looked around for Lazarus. The man turned around annoyed and glanced at the human girl. "I see old habits don't die down easily." The man spoke up with so much authority that it made her shiver. "Next time you knock, understood?" Lazarus stared at her and Winter tried to recall how to speak.

"Yes sir, also Euh I wanted to know if could go to the garden with the kids?" Winter asked him which resorted to Lazarus nodding his head.

"As long they don't break anything." He told her simply.

"They won't, thank you." She said happily and ran out his office.

Winter finally reached the room where the maiden was with the kids. They all already wore shoes and coats, winter figured they must have heard her conversation with Lazarus already. When they were outside she was nervous, and she wasn't sure why. The kids where running around and all she did was watching them happily. They were finally free, winter could feel less pressure on her shoulder. She felt like she could finally relax. However she still had no idea what the kids their names were.

"What's your name?" She asked the kids carful not trying to scare any of them. Everyone was quiet however the same boy from earlier spoke up.

"I-I'm Rogan, I'm actually 15. This is my little twin brother Rohan. Silly names I know." The boy with similar blue eyes and dark hair rolled his eyes.

"This little girl here is Atalia." Rogan was cut off by the little girl.

"Hey I'm not little." She said angry and huffed.

"Yes you are." The other brother Rohan spoke up annoyed. The only difference between Rohan and Rogan was the fact that Rogan has freckles.

"No I'm not." The little girl with darker skin and glowing eyes complained.

"Calm down you two are scaring Raul." Rogan raised his voice a little which seemed to shut the two kids up. Winter couldn't help but noticed how Rogan himself seemed to be shy yet still was the one that looked out for the others.

"Raul is the youngest here, his 5 and doesn't like dark places too much. Which of course is...understandable." Rogan smiled at the younger boy with light curly hair and tanned skin. Rogan pointed to the last girl with straight black hair and beautiful eyes. The girl was mesmerising she radiated warmth. It reminded Winter of the sun.

"This is Lente, and she is 7 however I think she turned 8 some days ago." Rogan seemed composed however Winter couldn't help but notice the way he was staring at a brown door with hatred in his eyes.

"Are you okay Rogan?" She asked the boy however his eyes never left the door.

"H-his...his coming." He finally brought out and Winter raised her eyebrows at the boy. She removed her eyes from the boy and stared at the brown door like every other kid was doing. The door suddenly opened and revealed Lazarus in his expensive suit. His eyes watched every single kid and the 3 youngest hid behind the two brothers.

"Lazarus your scaring the kids." Winter said annoyed and watched the way Lazarus just Ignored her.

"It's getting cold, go back inside." Lazarus told her simply and planned on walking away however his eyes lingered around them longer than it was needed. Lazarus watched the boys intensely and Rohan was starting to get annoyed.

"What are you staring at?" Rohan asked the man with annoyance evident in his voice.

Lazarus raised his eyebrows. Rogan tried to stop his brother however once Rohan opened his mouth, most of the time there was no stopping him. Laughter escaped Lazarus lips. Winter could not even remember the last time she had heard this man laugh, she was pretty sure it was even the first time she had heard such a sound escape his lips.

"You are bold, I'll give you that." Lazarus said amused and watched the way the boy only grew more annoyed.

"For someone that is supposed to be the strongest vampire, you sure are and look lame." Rogan gasped at his brothers words.

"You really are bold." Lazarus spoke up however the amused look he had on his face a minute ago was out of sight. A sigh left his lips and he turned around. "Dinner is ready, get your asses inside I won't ask again." Lazarus walked back inside, and all the kids left out a breath they didn't know they were holding.

"Dinner?" Winter said out loud. "It's that late already?" She asked herself with wondering eyes.

Winter took Raul's hands and walked with him inside. From all the kids, he seemed the most scared of that man. She wasn't sure what she could do to make them all feel less on edge. Maybe it was all about time, Winter remembered when she was saved by Chris the first time she got kidnapped. It took her awhile to get back to her old self. However even after years she never fully recovered. The man named Lazarus still haunted her dreams.

They were all seated and waiting for dinner to be served. Lazarus didn't say anything about the kids joining them at table, so she figured he won't be mad about it. Everyone seemed to avoid making eye contact with the vampire leader. Yet it seemed like that didn't apply to Rohan. He just stared at Lazarus with no shame at all. Forcing Lazarus to make eye contact with him. Winter wasn't sure if Lazarus was annoyed or enjoyed the fact that Rohan wasn't so scared of him.

After dinner winter just picked a random room for them. This castle was big enough to let the kids have their own rooms however, they youngest one couldn't sleep alone. Winter looked at the kids with raised eyebrows.

"The girls will sleep together, and the same goes for the boys." Rogan spoke up and winter nodded. To her it seemed a good idea, separating the kids while they have been together in that cage for perhaps long enough was a good reason to let them stay together. Maybe they were attached to one other, maybe they needed each other.

After the all went into the rooms to sleep, winter turned around made her way towards the office and knocked on the door. Lazarus told her to come in and she opened the door slowly. Winter sat down on the chair In front of Lazarus. Starting at the man with secrets so big she wasn't sure where to even start.

"Are their parents still alive?" Winter found herself asking not entirely sure if she wanted to know the truth.

"Probably not." He answered so casually that it had made Winter so angry.

"How can you say it like it's totally normal to take someone's life?" Winter said in disbelief.

"If they are death than they probably deserved it." He told her simply while reading some documents.

"How can you do that? Because of you those kids while have to grow up without parents." Winter found herself raising her voice and Lazarus got annoyed.

"Give me a break Winter. If they are death than they deserved it. You have no idea who their parents are, so how can you pass judgment like that than?" Lazarus raised his voice, the argument was only about to get more heated.

"Who is going to look after them? You made them into Orphans how in the world Is that a good thing? You can't just take lives whenever you are pleased. It is not your roll either to pass judgment on them."

"Damn it." He screamed, the whole room went silent and Winter closed her eyes in fear.

"No one kills my family, my friend and get to live. Now get out of here before I do something I'll regret." His eyes were filled with sadness, however sadness directed to who? To winter it seemed like it was directed to her but why? Why In the world would he feel bad for her.

"Taking a life makes you just as bad right?" Winter asked him unsure of what to think about the situation. Unsure if she even had to have an opinion about the situation. However even if Lazarus wasn't saying much, she felt like this was about her.

"If that makes me just as bad, than so be it. I don't mind being the bad guy after all." Winter looked up at the man with secrets bigger than she can imagine. She had hoped that a month would have gone by easily, yet it looked like this was only the beginning of something unexpected.