F O U R T E E N

"Wow, you broke the shovel." Iris mused as he tried to balance on a small concrete platform to refrain from falling in a muddy puddle.

The weather was iffy since the storm passed. The air itself wasn't cold but there would be five minutes of drizzle then the sun would peek around a cloud for ten. Other than the three inch puddles hoarding the walk space on the ground, the weather was generous to Iris and Kai.

"What did you expect me to do? Ask it to let me out?"

Iris crossed his arms and glared at his bodyguard. "Very funny. Why did we come back here? I thought we're-"

"Supposed to be checking out the auction, I know. But I want to make sure that vampire is dead, also, maybe there's something still here." While Kai explained, he held out his hand so he could guide Iris away from any puddles jeopardizing his spotless clothes. It was like guiding a princess out of her carriage, except Iris would definitely throw fists if he found out he was being compared to such a person. However, as he did so the prince would give foul glances at the murky floor, where Kai walked on unfazed.

He shivered. "Gross."

"It's called nature, sir."

"Yeah but-it's so dirty."

Kai closed his eyes to roll them in peace before stopping and turning towards Iris. "Don't give me more than one reason to push you." He watched the prince suddenly perk like he offended him.

"More than one? What's your first?"

Kai shrugged, "To see what type of face you'd make. Seems like a valid reason to me."

"You..of course it does."

Kai smiled innocently and turned back around to walk ahead where the beaten down cabin stood, secrets dark that were once loving swarmed the inside, pooling into the cracks on the walls.

Kai waited for Iris to catch up before he opened the door. The scent of burnt flesh, now that they knew, had vanished and replaced with wet asphalt.

They stopped in front of the hole in the stairs and while Iris frowned at the disturbance, Kai looked up to find a way to get up stairs. He shrugged the bag off and it made a thud sound as it hit the floor. Iris looked at him as he started walking towards the steps.

"I'll be right back. You should look around down here." Kai said as he turned around so his back faced the hole and he was gazing up where the second story floor seemed reachable.

"What am I looking..for.." His words trailed off when the vampire suddenly jumped, his hands gripping onto the more sturdy railing, and he pulled himself up. The structure of the stairs were made so as you got onto the second floor, there was an opening where you can look off at the stairs, almost like a miniature balcony. That area gave Kai the easy route to the floor.

Iris slapped his hands on side of his thighs and sighed. He walked in the direction where the footsteps above him didn't go.

He found a small living room with dusty books scattered on the ripped and poorly sewed couches. Their floral patterns were dirty as well. Iris walked around with eyes pealed for details. It was a genetic commoner sitting area. Nothing expensive or worth value, however he did pick up a book that looked interesting. It was a blue hard cover book with tarnished edges. The title was in gold letters, sparkling and eye catching.

Smirched Love.

The author wasn't on the front cover, nor the two pages after, which providing publishing information. He turned the book over, nothing on the back, either. Then, when Iris opened to a random page it wasn't what he read that surprised him. It was what he didn't. As the pages flipped, something fell from the book. Something tucked between another two frail pages.

Iris looked down to see a folded white paper resting on his shoes. He laid the book back on to the small coffee table and bent down to pick the paper up. He unfolded it, two words gazing back at him. "Genevene Mc.Gail."

Iris frowned at the name. Those were the only words on the paper, front and back. He put the paper on the couch and picked up the blue cover book again. He turned the novel upside down, shaking it to make another white folded paper slip out. His actions were the same.

Pick up the paper and read the words, and as he did he read them out loud.

"Dear Ms.Mc.Gail, we have crucial news to share about the program you're sending your daughter to. It is vital that you do not share the whereabouts of the program with your daughter nor shall you speak about your generous trade with bystanders. The organization is to prepare your daughter, as you were told by the warden during the meeting, but you must not know the procedures. We apologize for the lack of information regarding your child's safety but the less you know the safer you are as well as us. If you have any further questions please contact the warden-"

"Jonah Black."

Iris flinched and whipped around when Kai finished his sentence. He glanced at the vampire's hand which held identical papers.

"That's the wardens name, human." Kai sounded frustrated as he threw the papers on the coffee table and leaned against a shelf with crossed arms and one leg bent. "April sent Genevene to the auction but she didn't know that's what it was at the time. She did contact the man in charge with the same questions, but he gave the same answers. So she was fed up and when they came to take Genevene, April refused."

Iris slowly lowered himself onto the arm rest of the couch as he listened.

"I'm assuming they desperately wanted Genevene so-"

"They promised they wouldn't hurt April, convincing Genevene to go with them."

"Yes. And April had no choice but to let her go."

"Why, exactly?"

Kai shuffled his weight from his left leg to his right and pointed at the papers. "To enter the program, the guardian has to sign but the consent for them to take the child, was up to the child."

Iris leaned forward and brought the papers Kai found into his lap. "I don't understand why April would trust these guys."

"Well," Kai sighed like what's to come is worst than what he's already said. "Genevene was one of the new generations."

Iris stopped turning a paper over and looked up. "What?"

"I know, I was surprised too. It seems like all the turned vampires at that auction were part of the new generations. This "program" they lied parents into thinking was made to make it easier to find them."

"But Genevene was a normal vampire. This-these new vampires aren't normal, Kai, I've been face to face with one. They have two sets of fangs, and their eyes don't darken they go foggy, like they're becoming even more dead than they already are."

Kai looked at Iris with shock pooling out of his ocean eyes, like something clicked within him. "Extractable fangs?"

Iris scoffed. "That's impossible," Then he contemplated, "is it?"

"I honestly don't know what to think anymore, Iris. I do know this situation requires far more than just our curiosity."

The prince looked down at the papers consisting of unimaginable data and he didn't have a clue as to what do with all the knowledge. So he capitulated to Kai's words, didn't argue, and gathered their findings.

††

Two days away from home was more than enough for Iris. Though he did enjoy being distant from the rules and regulations, there were some things he'd just miss too much to be gone for some long.

Sage, surprisingly, was one of the things.

As soon as they got home within half a day, the prince was crushed in a welcoming hug by the female vampire.

"I suppose saying I missed you too, would be polite." Iris joked when Sage released him and he patted down his coat. For her age she still had a teenager's strength. Sage was at least a couple hundred years older than Kai; she was much more older than she appeared.

"If that's the case then you'd never say it back. But, welcome back, your highness. Kai."

"Sage."

"Iris!"

"Oh.."

Happiness was too much of a blessing to have for more than five minutes, as their small reunion was split into half, almost literally, as Rose pushed past Kai and Sage to throw herself onto Iris.

"Oh, how I missed you! I was so lonely during the party!" The princess sobbed into Iris's chest, who tried not to groan from the pressure she was putting on his bruises.

"Rose-" Iris finally breathed properly when the girl was removed thankfully by Kai. Rose whipped around with lowered eyebrows.

"My apologies, Miss, but the prince has undergone a few challenges that has affected him physically. I can't allow you to aggravate the injuries."

Rose, instead of being expectedly angry at the vampire, gasped and turned towards Iris. "You were hurt!? Why, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Rose. But Kai is right, I need space to heal."

"Oh dear..I should inform Amelia or-"

"No."

Sage and Rose raised their eyebrows at Iris's and Kai's synced protest.

"I mean I will share the news with her myself, thank you, Rose." Iris straightened his coat out and moved past the stunned princess. "The parties are over, yes?" He asked Sage as he stopped next to her.

"Yes, sir. Everyone returned home late last night."

"Okay. So, Rose, why have you stayed?"

"Oh, my father and yours discussed something during the dinners and they still haven't finished. I should be leaving soon."

"I see. Well I'll be in my room for the rest of the night so this goodbye."

"O-oh alright! Get better my prince!" Rose called after Iris as he already started trudging up the stairs with a rattling headache and pulsing memories of pain going through his body, as Rose awakened the bruise's tenderness after touch.

"Sir, are you going to tell your mother what happened?"

As they walked through the stretching and spotless hallways, Kai spoke quietly to Iris while most of the maids greeted them with smiles.

"I know we're going to tell your father, but-"

"I won't tell her. She has no right to know."

Kai nodded as he opened Iris's door and let him in first before following and shutting it. It was expected of the prince but it made the guard smile anyway as he watched him jump face first onto his bed with a heavy sigh and a small 'ow'.

"Never thought I'd say it but nothing beats home."

"I think what you want to say is nothing beats the mattresses here."

Iris rolled over and sat up, "Yes! But when you say it like that it sounds harsh."

The vampire shook his head and Iris chuckled.

"I'm kidding."

"No you aren't," Kai tossed the bag he had at the foot of Iris's bed and found his door to his room. He turned in the doorway when the prince called him.

"You can go ahead and check in, I'm just going to take a bath. I don't need anything else."

"Alright."

But they both knew he'd subconsciously check on him anyways.