The sun was coming up and I could hear the servants starting their chores.

I was sitting on the hay again with Athena in between my legs, asleep and laying her head on my shoulder. Her soft breathing hit my neck and it, for some reason, relaxed me. Anon was wrapped around us with his tail lying against the outside of my right leg and his head resting on top of both Athena's and my legs keeping my back warm.

Last night still played through my mind about how cruel I was to that woman and I still felt horrible. I know she deserved it. She hit Athena and disrespected Mistress, but... it hurts knowing what I said to her was by someone that isn't me and it scares me knowing that I can do it again if it meant protecting someone I care about.

I sighed softly and turned my head to look at Athena's careless sleeping face that has a bruise appearing on her cheek, near her lip and under her eye. I felt anger once again for the woman who did it but quickly let it go when I remembered how Athena had told me not to heal it, even though I could.

She told me not to because if that woman saw her uninjured by the Nightwalker that was just cruel to her it would be suspicious. She even suggested that I should bite her but that's where I drew the line and told her to go back to sleep.

We should wake her up so that she can get to work. Anon suggested as he lifted his head and looked at me.

I nodded in agreement but didn't say anything. I didn't want to open my mouth just in case something mean comes out.

He didn't say anymore and stood up. I looked down Athena again and felt my heart constrict. If Anon felt like my brother to me, Athena definitely feels like a younger sister I would do anything to protect. I placed a kiss to her forehead before shaking her softly.

"Wake up Athena." I murmured but all she did was groan, turn her face into my neck, wrapped her arms around me tightly and went back to sleep.

I looked at Anon, who has shifted into his human form and has gotten dressed. All he gave me though was a raised eyebrow and a challenging smirk.

I scowled at him before looking back down at the girl in my arms. I hmm'd in thought before remembering something I saw when I was on the streets. I wasn't too sure what was happening but the child was laughing uncontrollably while the mother was poking at her sides and neck. So I tried that.

I started rubbing her sides but nothing happened until while I was pulling my hands away I accidentally poked her under her arm. She flinched lightly before letting out a breathy giggle. I tilted my head away from her and looked down at her to see a smile on her face. I poked underneath her arm again and it made her jump and start giggling a bit more.

"Stop it." She whined softly keeping her eyes closed but her grip around me was softening as she tried to lower her arms to hind her armpits while at the same time not trying to let go of me.

I smiled for the first time since the incident last night and started to poke her rapidly at each armpit making her scream out in giggles and try to push me away.

"No! No! Stop it!" She cried out in laughter but I didn't having too much fun. "I'm gonna pee! Stop it! I'm awake! I'm awake!"

I laughed with her and finally stopped letting her get her breath back though she kept loosing it with more giggles here and there.

I leant back away from her as she whipped the tears from her eyes. "I've never done that before, and I don't think I've ever laughed like that either." I commented feeling an unusual happiness well up inside me.

"Me neither. The only person that has ever made me laugh was my sister." Athena agreed before her smile dimmed and then faded as she looked at the ground.

"Where is she now?" I asked softly while tilting her head up slightly by two fingers to her chin getting her to look at me.

Tears pooled in Athena's eyes. "They put her in a cage and when they brought it back, nothing was inside it."

"I'm so sorry Athena." I apologised to the girl while pulling her into me as she started to cry quietly.

After a while she stopped and then pulled away from me whipping her eyes. "It's okay. I'm okay. I just wish I got the chance to say goodbye properly."

I leant over and placed a soft kiss to her forehead. "I'm sure she already knows and the dead are never completely gone. She lives in your memories while her soul watches over you amongst the mana that flows around us."

Athena smiles so softly at me that I can't help but pull her into a tight hug and think how adorable she is.

She'll be stunning when I get some food into her and stop this torture she's living in.

"We should go." Anon spoke up making Athena jump in shock and quickly turn around to see the large male who was petting Ruddy while he waited.

"Don't be afraid of him darling." I told her softly as I felt her fear. "That's Anon."

"But Anon's a wolf." Athena said while frowning in confusion.

"I'm a shifter, pup. The other half of my soul is an animal that my human body can morph into." Anon smiled softly as he explained.

"Oh! I've heard of those!" Athena gasped as she ogled Anon with amazement.

Anon chuckled softly. "Come on, we really do need to go now."

"Oh... Yeah..." Athena murmured softly.

"I will see you throughout the day Athena, I promise. If you ever need me just call for me." I told her seriously as we stood up and patted the loose hay away from our clothes.

"How do I call for you when you don't have a name?" Athena asked making me realise how silly what I just said was.

I blushed lightly with an embarrassed chuckle. "Ah... Just call me Purple like Mercy does." I shrugged to her.

"Okay." Athena nodded with a smile before going up onto her toes and placing a kiss to my cheek before running out of the stables.

"She's a cute pup." Anon commented as we started for Mistress' room.

"She is." I agreed with a soft smile and hoping that today will be okay.

•

The day was a rush of servants running around the place trying to please all the guests that had arrived the previous night and to get everything ready for the night when the ball started.

My Mistress had to greet and socialise with some important guests so Galen and I followed her around the castle watching in disgust at some of the Nightwalker's that Mistress had to speak to. Almost all of them were pompous, self-absorbed and just completely horrible creatures that thought of nothing but themselves. And blood. They were always with a slave who looked pale, thin and just about ready to fall over from blood loss. It angered me but I kept myself in check and stayed silent behind Mistress as she spoke coldly to these people.

I also caught glimpses of Athena. It saddened me to see the dullness back in her eyes and I thought I was going to loose control when I saw the start of some new bruises appearing on her body. When I saw that old woman kick her I was about to move towards them until the slightest touch from Mistress' hand to my wrist stilled me. I had to grit my teeth together to keep myself from losing it.

I would keep an eye out for her but if I ever saw her getting in trouble or hit I forced myself to turn around as much as it pained me to. I had to be smart and patient.

Night began to fall and that's when the party started.

The grand ballroom was massive!

The walls were black just like the rest of the castle while at both ends of the room had two large fireplaces. On both sides of the the fireplaces were black stone statues of creatures that were utterly grotesque. Un-proportionate with large arms or legs, muscles bulging disturbingly, had large fangs coming from their mouths and claws curled from their fingers while horns curling from their heads. They were terrifying and I don't understand why they were there.

Doors leading out to a courtyard were set in the middle of the back wall while other doors lead to the kitchens and other rooms I wasn't too sure about. Hanging up over the walls were framed paintings and thick tapestries portraying once again the horrifying scenes of the Master rising to take control over the mortal realm. The entire floor was also a large mosaic showing a petrifying story of the prophecy becoming reality.

At one end of the hall, on a stage, a band of musicians were set up and playing something slow and soothing. They were Nightwalkers so I knew they weren't going to even need a break, meaning that the music was going to play throughout the whole night. Near to them were round tables for, I presume, when the dinner was going to be served. I'm afraid of what is going to be served, since I highly doubt most of these Nightwalkers even eat normal human food since it's not a necessity unlike blood.

Mistress was one of the last to enter and was announced at the door by a man since she was one of the top leaders in our world. Lucas, Hawk, Galen and Anon held positions in each corner of the large room while Georgia and I followed Mistress around the hall as people filled it.

Once again I was made to listen to selfish Nightwalkers talking about how much money and slaves they have. They for some reason thought that it was a reason to brag about exactly where they got their slaves from. Such as one male had a woman who had the same amazingly earthy brown skin tone as what Ashwini has and said that he got her from a slave trader who took her from her tribe somewhere Southeast. I looked over the slave, which was collared and only wore scraps over her private parts, but only barely hiding them.

Our eyes met for a second before she looked down and I felt her shame. I scowled at myself for staring and making her uncomfortable. Trying to amend my fault I touched her mana and flowed my sympathy into her. Her eyes widened as she looked up at me again. I wanted to smile but I held my face into an unemotional mask to not give my sympathy away.

Soon Enrique entered with a large applause from the crowd, except for Mistress and our little group.

"Greeting's everyone!" He smiled perfectly fake as he joined the musicians on their small stage. "I welcome you all to my little gathering to rejoice in the choice of our Master in choosing me to find the Pure Child! What I ask of you all is for your cooperation in finding it. Help me find this thing and we shall rule the world without having to hide from the pathetic humans! We won't have to deal with those pesky Hunters nor those dreadful Angels that believe that they are the strongest creatures in this retched realm!"

I was shocked by that. As everyone around me cheered their hate towards Angles, I was thinking that I had no idea that they actually existed. I thought they were fake and were only created by those humans that are going around the place saying that God and his son was our saviours. I'll have to ask Mistress about it when this is all over.

"We'll scour the world until we find this creature and let our Master once again roam this realm and cast destruction over all that has stood in our way." Enrique grinned sickeningly as all the other Nightwalkers cheered. "But for now we celebrate! Celebrate my chosen status with blood, sex and slaves!"

I was horrified when slaves stumbled into the grand hall naked as the day they were born. Only they had iron collars around their necks. Music started playing while smoke coming from incense pots situated around the hall wafted around the room. I stopped any access of the smoke from being able to enter me by placing a shield of pure mana around me. I saw Mistress, Galen and Georgia doing the same. I helped Anon with fighting of the drugged smoke and felt like I was going to be sick when people started to latch onto the naked slaves and feeding from their necks without a care in the world.

Cries of pain echoed from the slaves while laughs came from the surrounding Nightwalkers. I glared at everyone and fought against the primal instincts inside me. There were two instincts inside me that was tearing into my mind. One being to join everyone in the blood and sex, and the other was begging me to kill everyone here and save the slaves. I was hurting myself by how much I was fighting back against both these instincts inside me.

That was until I heard the softest cry from a familiar voice cut through everything else. "Purple!"

In a second I had all my senses on high alert and another second I found her in the grip of a fat man who was salivating over her young naked form. Before he could bite her I was there throwing him off. I felt more savage than ever before at that moment. Both my instincts that were previously fighting inside me were now working together to both protect Athena and cause pain to the fat man.

"Back off." I growled lowly staring into the man's shocked murky green eyes as I flashed my fangs at him.

"H-How dare you!" The man stuttered as his meaty hand clamped over my one, which was holding him up off the ground by his fancy shirt's collar. "Put me down this instant!"

"Touch this girl again with your disgusting hands," I warned him darkly pulling him closer as I once again wrapped myself in dark mana that filled the room putting pressure on him. I knew I was already more dominant than him, I could feel it, but with the added darkness I could feel from his mana how much I was terrifying him at that moment. Truthfully, I didn't even care. "I will make sure you have no hands to even touch yourself with."

I dropped him with that warning and he fell down onto his ass. I sneered down at him in disgust.

"What is going on here may I ask?" A cold voice asked and I turned to face Enrique to see that we had gathered quite a crowd.

Athena whimpered almost silently from behind me and I felt her step up close while a hand gripped shakily into the back of my shirt.

"Th-this girl stopped me from biting that little whore behind her." The fat man blubbered pathetically as he stood up and pointed at me shakily.

I growled at him in warning at the same time as I heard Anon growl as well while he stepped up behind me and Athena. The man quickly dropped his hand and stepped back.

"Now now." Enrique said trying to calm the situation down though he was staring at me. I looked back into his blue eyes with distaste while something in the back of my head was screaming to be remembered about this man. "Why would you stop a man from getting his needs met?"

"Even if that pig was a man I still wouldn't allow him to touch this girl." I told him darkly. "I want her."

"Then you can have her." Enrique shrugged like it was no skin off his nose. The fat man gapped at Enrique in shock but wasn't going to argue with the dangerous man.

I also frowned in slight confusion and felt myself go on edge by his carelessness. "What do you want in return?" I questioned not expecting him to give up so easily.

"Smart girl." Enrique smiled at me, which made me feel violated worse than anyone has already done before. His face then dropped to a flat expression as his eyes roamed my body. I heard Anon growl in waring behind me but I calmed him through our bond. His blue eyes then met mine. "I want to know why I recognise you yet I don't remember you."

To say I was surprised would be an understatement. He felt it too, the recognition. I swallowed nervously. "I don't know what you're talking about. I've only been changed recently."

"I know... I can scent how young your change is, yet, I can also smell something old, something mature, about you." Enrique stated as he stepped closer to me. I froze and didn't allow myself to show him how scared I was at that moment. Athena's hand tightened in my shirt and I felt her shaking. "I remember you, I can remember your smell. I can remember the scent of your blood, I've scented it before... but I feel like it was many many years ago..." He grumbled almost to himself as he continued to look me over. One more step closer to me, I felt his natural heat from his body while I felt choked by the rotting evil that constantly surrounded him.

He lifted a hand and I forced back a flinch. "Do not touch her Enrique." Someone ordered and I felt like sighing out in relief at Mistress' voice.

Enrique froze inches from my face. "Ah... I was just trying to figure something out about this girl, lady Aviva." Enrique chuckled until it stopped and his face took on an expression of amazement as he looked at my neck and shoulder. I know the crescent moon mark on my neck was hidden, I made sure of that, so the only think he could be looking at was the scar. "Impossible..." He muttered.

"What are you talking about Lord Enrique?" My Mistress asked as she stepped in beside me.

"That scar... where did you get it?" Enrique asked a dark look coming over his eyes.

"I received it when my parents were murdered when I was younger." I answered unsure about what was happening."

"That's impossible... something like that isn't possible..." Enrique muttered this time definitely to himself. He went quiet until he suddenly started laughing like a maniac.

"Enrique!" Mistress shouted obviously as on edge as I was by this mans laughter.

"Sorry sorry!" He apologised while trying to stifle his laughter without succeeding. "I just didn't realise the child survived that night."

"What?" I asked both confused and horrified.

Enrique grinned at me as slowly a bloody red filtered over his bright blue eyes. "I didn't realise when I killed your parents that you survived when I basically ripped your throat out."

What...?

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