The trembling in my joints didn't cease even as we left for the room that housed my Lucian imprisoned away from the world. I didn't pause to spare the other occupants of this house that appeared along the way.

I was escorted to Lucian with just Vanessa and Damon but a group of originals whom I had seen only once before and that was at Lucian's wedding. They were Vanessa's relatives. I wondered fleetingly what they thought of Vanessa's murdering her own father and their previous leader. I didn't imagine they were all too happy with that outcome. Vanessa'father unlike David Pall waz admired and well liked. His daughter was his opposite in every way that mattered. I didn't think she was the sort ro inspire loyalty in followers but then again the lot of vamps she had sent my way only moments earlier proved that fact wrong. There simply must be people out there with poor tastes enough to overlook Vanessa of all her obvious flaws and do her bidding regardless.

Then again the draw of her blood would be enough to inspire loyalty from mere vamps but not so with other originals.

Vanessa didn't inspire loyalty but Damon did.

I looked up then to assess the bland faces of our many escorts and sure enough their eyes were on Damon. It was him they followed. Even Vanessa's family.

My guess was that the only reason Vanessa still stood at all was because she held the trump in holding Lucian hostage. It made me only want to get to him sooner. But I was struggling to keep up as it were. The originals were incredibly fast even for vampire me.

The door in front was guarded. But they moved aside to allow us entrance. Only the three of us entered leaving the rest looking in.

Then Vanessa and Damon moved aside and my anxious eyes fell on the silent and strung up figure of my Lucian.

If I had thought before that I have seen it all on my trip here as far as violence went then I was sadly wrong. He was ripped apart. Flesh torn away to bleed him dry. The urge to wretch up the contents of my belly was high but I held back that instinct knowing that it was the contents of my belly that would get us out of this mess at all.

I moved past Vanessa and Damon. My eyes blurry with anguish over Lucian's pain. But I closed the distance between us unseeingly. My hands settled on his pale face cupping him between them. I called out to him," Lucian?"

Then silently in my head, "Lucian? "

I received no answer in return but my senses picked up an awareness to his body. He knew I was there. And that was enough for me. I placed my trembling lips over his and did the only thing I could that would give him instant relief swiftly enough to take it from here.

I took a leaf out of his book and sent my canine tearing into my own tongue then he latched on with a feeding frenzy that did the rest. But I knew that would not be enough for even as the thought struck I felt Vanessa there pulling on me trying to get me away.

I may no longer be human. But I still had blood coursing through my veins and more importantly a fresh supply that were not yet in my veins.

I heaved the contents of my filled belly right into Lucian's.

Then we were wrenched apart. I clamoured out one last thought from my mind to Lucian's before Vanessa's fist slammed into my face blacking me out.

"Use me. Use me like I did you!"