Anton faded into the air and I wanted to cry. Gone was our morning alone, the flight back and lazy afternoon of love before the nightmare of tomorrow. Now the nightmare had been brought into the now.

I looked at my bathroom door and knew what lay beyond it. A child that was dying, distraught parents and I didn't know what to do.

Start with what Anton asked of you.

I pushed the door open and saw them sitting on the floor, looking tired and upset.

"Oh good."

They'd followed his instructions.

"Anton is going to be here real soon. Said he had to get something and couldn't take me with him. Why don't you two go and have something to eat?"

"It's okay, we will stay."

I looked back out to the apartment, wondering when Anton was going to return.

"Anton requested that you are not present for it because he is going to wake your son and make him really hungry. He said that Castian's going to get really hungry and if you are in here then he will try and drink your blood."

"We are demons, we cannot be killed."

"But you can be drained of your blood."

I jumped as I turned to Anton's voice as he walked into the tiny bathroom.

"And in doing so create another problem for me when I do not need one. A drained demon needs to be dealt with promptly and if I've got a crazed and hungry vampire child to deal with then I won't have time for the drained demon, will I?"

As Nick helped Rowan to her feet, I took one fleeting glimpse of the nearly frozen child in my bathtub and fretted for him. Anton would save him, I had no doubts but the poor thing was so tiny. I hated to see children suffer. Whoever did this was such a cruel person, I hoped Anton found whoever it is and made them suffer a terrible fate. He talks of this pit, the lava lake, I hope he sends the person there. They deserve it.

I walked out of the bathroom and stopped in my tracks, staring at the people who were standing in my entry. They were slouched and dirty, chains hung from the clamps around their necks, wrists, and ankles. There was six men and women chained together, looking rather docile and incoherent.

I looked at Nicolas who had just emerged from the bathroom with Rowan. Bloodshot eyes, the skin below their eyes were a darkened purple and though I didn't think it was possible, they seemed paler than before.

I felt sorry for them, they were helpless in this situation. My eyes darted back to the six chained humans, I knew what they were for and I had to say, I didn't like it. I wasn't going to say a thing, I knew why and I accepted it but it seemed so wrong.

"They are the damned Sarah."

I looked back at Nick, seeing the despair in his face. Like he thought that he had to reason with me, justifying their death to save his son. As much as I didn't like what they were about to be used for, I couldn't say anything untoward about it. Castian was a cute kid, he didn't deserve to die.

"I have worked in the pit, I have seen their kind before. They might appear to be with us but their minds are gone. There will be no suffering, they have already suffered the worst of hell. If their mind was still intact then this would be a treat and I know that it does not seem possible but it is."

They moved and I jumped, gasping. That was a little freaky. Then they started to move towards the bathroom. I'd seen a vampire movie once, that's all it took to put me off them forever. I couldn't handle the thought of it, I had to find something to keep my mind from thinking about what was going on in there.

The door slammed shut, shuddering through the walls.

"I uh... I have to."

Keep occupied, do not think of the movie or what's happening. The freezer!

"I have to defrost the freezer."

I walked straight into the kitchen and pulled open the door, looking at the perfectly clean freezer. Well, that's just perfect. Of course it's clean.

I shut the door and stared at the day planner on the front. Something else, keep occupied. No vampires, no blood, no death.

You just walked dirty shoes on the floor Sarah.

I turned to the cupboard with the cleaning products and scrambled through the bottles, sending them everywhere.

"Sarah, is everything okay?" Rowan asked as I scrubbed the floor with a little brush.

"Yes. It's great. Except the floor is dirty. I have to clean it. I won't be long."

"Okay then."

This is so filthy, imagine the germs that are breeding here. Gross.

"They are already dead."

"I know that." I returned.

After that they left me alone, cleaning the small space that didn't really need to be cleaned because I'd only done it last week.

The smell of bleach hung heavily in the air, so I opened the windows which weren't the greatest but there wasn't much else I could do. Nick and Rowan didn't look impressed but considering that six people were dying in my bathroom to keep their kid alive, I'd say they'd have to suck it up.

Anton walked out looking tired or rather, drained. He placed Castian onto the bed and offered a smile when he stood upright.

"All is well again. He fed with ease and is now sleeping off his overfeed."

As soon as his arms opened for me, everything caved.

"Do not cry for them Sarah, they are at peace now. No more pain, no more suffering."

He lifted me to look at him, his face filled with so much compassion as he wiped my tears.

"I know you feel empathy for them but you shouldn't. If they knew what their life was before today they would have gladly taken a quick death at the hands of a vampire."

We sat on the edge of the bed, his hands keeping hold of mine. I was so weary of this day already and it wasn't even noon.

"I have had to be careful, even bringing the damned here was a risk. There are so many spies that watch my land with a careful eye, easily bought for the right price. I went via many places to avoid being detected or tracked but I fear with a little research we may be found. Tomorrow is our meeting, regardless of where Sarah lived it is likely that we would have to meet with the council in their New York chambers."

"Whoever it is could be waiting for us."

Anton nodded, grimly looking at Nick and Rowan. This wasn't good. I barely knew what was going on and I'd figured that much out.