<Nether World>

I grabbed the baby. "How fast can you travel?" I asked as i calculated the way out. The vamps were not happy, but as long as we got out of sight we would be okay. The sun was just starting to peak over the horizon.

I glanced at him. "You'll end up in the same place as me?" I asked. Despite myself I was worried about him. I knew it was stupid, in this world you don't attach to easily. But something told me I could trust him. For now anyways.

I nodded slowly. Then stepped through the portal. and out into a place I hadn't been in a very long time. My old home, before my family decided to move to the city. I was in my old room. I looked around at the dusty posters, and old cloths, everything was just as I left it. My bed unmade. I was interrupted from my thoughts by the baby crying. Oh boy. Time to see what I could find.

I glanced up from the baby. He was asleep now. I had found some food outside, and fed him. He had calmed almost instantly. He was so tiny... Like my own brother had been. Before-Before things had gone wrong. I shook my head to clear away old memories. My name. Should I give my real name? Names had power... But, he had given me his. He hadn't stopped and come up with another fake name. My father had raised me to give what I received. "It's Reana." I said. "As for preparing, we are miles from the vamps at the moment, but you are right, can't hurt. Got anything in mind?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Well, there was someone trying to hire me to kill the vamps, or rather their queen. I am almost tempted to accept at the moment. I suppose that would make me a vampire hunter then. For now at least." I thought over the situation. A few hours ago I had been alone in a tree. One lonely girl, who hired herself out to do other peoples dirt work. in a few hours, I had ended up infuriating one of the most powerful vamps I had every seen, picked up a kid, and a guy with strong magical powers. "Hold him." I said thrusting the kid into Vinriks arms. Then I went around searching through everything. My parents had left ward charms and the like when they left, just in case. If I could find them then we might be able to make the situation work a little better in our favor.

I heard the kid stir and start to whimper. "Calm him down..." I said slowly, not really paying attention. Then I stopped. "You are good with magic, Could you sense the ward charms I am looking for? They will be a little drained after all this time, but my parents payed good money for them, so they should still be pretty good."

I snapped my fingers. How could I have forgotten the vault?! I gave the baby back to Vinrik, despite his apparent discomfort with having to hold him. I ran into the kitchen, and searched the floor for a moment. Where was it? Ah! The seam caught the corner of my eye. I knelt by the trapdoor, and rapped it smartly three times with my knuckles. I heard the latch click and the door pooped up from the floor with a slight groan. I lifted the door and scurried down. I walked over to the imposing wooden door set in the wall across the room, weaving around old baskets and provisions. I whispered the password and the door creaked open. I breathed a sigh of relief. and walked into the other room.

"They are organized. See? Each has it's own shelf." There were a lot of shelves, but my parents had marked them all. Thank goodness. I was glad we didn't have to go searching through piles of these things.

I nodded. I took the baby, and took him upstairs to my room. I took a small protection charm off of my wrist, and put it on his. It was in the shape of a small silver wrist band, and it adjusted its size to fit whoever was wearing it. I put it on the babies wrist, and then tucked him into my bed. He would be safe while we worked. I needed a name for him.. I couldn't just call him 'the kid' all the time. I bit my lip. Coryn. I would call him Coryn, until I found out his real name. I went back down to the cellar. "So where do you want to start?"

((my girls all away from the action my own fault i guess))
My Queen's servants ushered the vampire spectators from the ceremony hall to the main castle. My fiance and I were left behind. The Queen turned to us, " That is the enemy, they take from us, they steal, they whine and cry like dogs." Her voice never lost its emotionless tone. My eyes filled with tears, they dripped from my face, blood red. I bowed my head in shame. The vampires looked at me as a failure. Unable to complete the ritual to bind the vampires to the human kingdom.

"Sounds good." I said, getting to work. I started gathering up the charms we would need. we worked in silence for a while. Making sure everything was set. Finally I decided to break the silence with a question. "So what were you doing near the vamps anyway?"

the Queen turned to me, "Because you did not complete your parents contract, you are banished."
"My queen!" I said, my new voice had a high flutter that was never there before, "I swear I will complete I won't drink any others blood until I find the child and consume his blood myself!!, I beg you, give me another chance! Please! I would give anything to correct this mistake!"
The queen pondered this, then nodded. "Go then, you have thirteen nights to complete this task, if you fail again the agreement between our two countries will be void". She pointed to the opening the intruders had come through. " leave, and until you are whole do not return." I nodded and twisted my hand out of my fiances grip. I looked into his glistening eyes, compared to the others here he was still so young. So human. I ran towards the hole, swift as my feet were, my new pale vampire skin flashing in the white moonlight. [i]