F I F T Y-T H R E E

Iris widened his eyes and ran over to the wall along with Sage. They peered down, anxious, confused, and a little startled. Iris wanted answers, no, he needed them, but his focus was trained on Kai, whose brawl with Hyde started turning angry.

He and Sage both glanced at Zoe when they heard her shoes click on the ground. Sage instinctively laid a hand on Iris's shoulder and narrowed her eyes protectively.

Zoe cleared her throat as she rubbed her neck. Kai didn't hurt her as badly as he would have to a normal vampire, but he did scare her. She looked up with ocean eyes dulled like mist over a lake. At first glance her eyes bluntly looked dead, emotionless, and not fearful or filled with something apologetic. When she slowly climbed to her feet, her eyebrows furrowed when Sage pulled Iris back with him.

"I'm not going to hurt you," she said softly with raspy voice.

A part of Iris wanted to believe her, but a bigger part of him felt betrayed and in all honesty, slightly spooked. He backed up with Sage, and Zoe dropped her head with a sigh.

She glanced at Iris one more time before running over to the wall.

"Meet us down." Was all she said before putting her hands on the top and leaping over. That was all Iris had to see to confirm this madness. He looked at Sage who nodded and held his hand; they'd travel faster with her.

Down below, Kai and Hyde's clothes were gathering loose grass and leaves as they rolled around the ground, hardly being able to stay on their feet long enough without being tackled down.

Kai grunted as he was once again pinned down by Hyde, his nails dug into his skin and his fangs snarled as he hissed. Kai pushed him up enough to bend his knees and kick Hyde in the stomach, sending him flying off towards the wall.

His back slammed against it with a crack, but with one roll of his shoulders the rabid look in his eyes returned. He pushed off but was suddenly slammed back when a hand slapped against his chest.

Hyde widened his eyes at Zoe while Kai glared. He stayed laying on his back observing and predicting what she planned to do, but he couldn't imagine apologizing would be first on her to-do list.

She turned her body to face Kai, her hand still pressing against Hyde, and she lowered her head.

"I am truly sorry for the disturbance I have caused. This wasn't what I wanted, neither was hurting your prince. I simply wanted his–" Zoe's words were cut short when Iris and Sage appeared in the scene just as he mentioned him. Though they weren't alone.

Iris stumbled a little when Sage let go of him, due to her speed being rougher than Kai's, and she apologized with a smile. He shook his head and immediately went to Kai's side.

"Wait, what's–" Zoe tensed when unfamiliar faces came into view.

At least seven first class guards surrounded them. Three pushed Hyde onto the ground and the other three held Zoe's hands behind her back. Hyde struggled but his energy was used up in fighting Kai. And like Kai predicted, Zoe didn't attempt to break free.

"Are you okay?" Iris aided Kai as he sat up. He was glad he didn't look too injured. Kai only had a cut on his lip and Hyde had one above his eyebrow. Though their fight didn't leave marks, their bones and muscles ached.

Kai looked over with a comforting smile. "I've fought worse."

When they looked towards Hyde they noticed he was glaring at Kai, his mocking comment didn't ease his anger.

"I made a small detour before coming here," Sage piped in. She talked while Iris helped Kai stand. "Just until dinner we'll take them to the cells, find out what he can."

The sentence alone made Zoe jerk in the guards' hold but she still didn't attempt to free herself.

"I can explain everything here. Please, this doesn't have to be violent."

"Exactly why we're locking you up," Cyrus muttered.

Zoe made a noise of frustration. Her eyes returned to normal and their were no fangs in her mouth as she connected her gaze with the prince.

"Iris–" Her voice was pooling with desperation. "You said you'd help a vampire in need, did you not?" While she tried to talk to him, the vampires were pulling her away. "Iris, you said you'd help! Please, help me."

There was no mistaking the ping of worry Iris's heart sensed as he watched them drag her away. He clutched Kai's arm and looked away, finding it too hard to keep watching. He didn't know what to think anymore. All this was suddenly thrown onto him and he was overwhelmed. Iris was back to wondering why he cared about her, why he worried about Zoe, who was not a human nor the trustworthy princess he thought he started to befriend.

But above all, he started wondering if his dad knew who she really was.

††

When dinner came around, Iris was tense and his thoughts remained disoriented. He stared at his plate while his dad talked to Zoe, who sat right beside him. The Queen was silent most the time and only spoke when Iris tried to, which alone wasn't often either.

Finally Arlo gave Zoe a break and engaged in a conversation with Amilea, leaving a brewing tension between her and Iris.

Iris's fork accidentally scraped against the plate and he noticed Zoe flinch. He glanced over and impulsively apologized, but then seemed to notice who he aas talking to and quickly diverted his eyes.

Zoe sighed beside him. She couldn't speak as freely as she wished because two of the guards were standing by the door watching her. Normally there weren't any guards present while they ate, but the excuse they uses was passed by Arlo.

"I want you to know I have no intentions on hurting you, Iris. I came here for your help."

"But my dad picked you."

Zoe made a noise in the back of her throat. "That's another topic," she said.

Iris looked at her before laying his fork down and sighing.

"Will you please listen to what I have to say?" Zoe's eyes were desperate as they gazed up at the prince. They were large and pleading and every time she gave him that look he had to roam his eyes elsewhere; because he knew he'd give in to them.

Like Kai's own eyes, hers were dangerously alluring.

When he didn't answer, silent swept over them for a few minutes. Zoe repeatedly poked her food and Iris ate his like a robot.

"Are they hurting you?" Iris eventually put a voice in the silence as he was taking a drink of his water.

Zoe, almost timidly, glanced at him with his eyes.

"What they're doing doesn't hurt me."

That made Iris pause from taking another sip. He eyed the guards before leaning over.

"They're hurting you?" he asked again more assertively.

"It's okay," she said with a small smile. She pointed at her hair. "I'm not tender headed."

Iris leaned back with another sigh. Pulling her hair was better than the other pains they could inflict, he supposed.

As they finished and the maids gathered their plates, Iris was stopped from leaving the room when Zoe grabbed his arm. He saw from the corner of his eye, the guards start walking towards them.

"Iris, I beg you, please come listen to me. I'll tell you everything."_

"Come on now." One of the guards gripped her shoulders. "We must escort you back to your room." The guard pulled her away from Iris and the last thing he saw was her pleading blue eyes. In the dining room light, they looked like a deep shade of ice on a frozen lake, a cold blue that sparkled in the sun.

When Iris returned to his room he closed his door and leaned against it. He stared emptily at the floor as he rubbed his arms. Usually when he itched to talk about something, Iris had Kai's ear to annoy. But he wasn't here, and Iris was crumbling under the weight of the confusion he felt, under all the unanswered questions and the mystery of it all. It seemed that the more he tried to understand the more lost he became.

Iris spent an hour sitting and leaning against his door with his face in his hands just thinking. He let his mind run free, which for him was risky, but in that hour he summarized what he knew, gathered what he needed to know, and eventually put a pin on his emotions; so in the end he found himself wandering down to the basement.

The mansion had already fallen asleep, so he quiet on his feet. Iris wasn't sure the guards would let him talk with Zoe, but he wasn't worried about them. He was worried about Kai.

Iris took a deep breath before walking around a corner where the cells were. As he thought, he saw Kai and another guard talking by a certain door. He had already slipped passed a few before arriving, and he still didn't figure out what to say to Kai.

That guard he was talking slowed down his words as his eyes skipped over to Iris, and Kai turned around with narrowed eyes. They instantly softened when he realized who it was.

Kai held his hand up at the guard to pause their conversation and he walked over to Iris.

"Iris, what are you doing here?" Kai stopped himself from reaching out and laying his hands on Iris's shoulder and greeting him with any physical contact. He put his hands behind his back and Iris's lips twitched up when he noticed.

"I have to talk to you. Alone." He eyed the other guard and Kai beckoned at him with his head.

"I can keep watch alone, Gage, why don't you join the others in patrol."

The guard nodded his head and took his leave. Once they were alone, Iris reached out first and took Kai's hands in his.

"Kai, I know you want to protect me, but I need to talk to Zoe." He wasn't going to waste time.

Like a switch or a lever was pulled, Kai's blue eyes shaded to navy in seconds.

"No," he said without thought.

"She won't hurt me–"

"She could, she's not cuffed up."

"Kai, listen to me." Iris let go of Kai's hands and cupped his face instead. His skin was cold against his palms. "She said she doesn't want to hurt me and I believe her. If I'm the one she wants then maybe she'll tell me her plans."

Kai shook his head and curled his fingers gently around Iris's wrists.

"I won't let you get hurt."

"I know, but I promise it'll be fine. I need to talk to her. We have to figure this out, Kai. Please, let me talk to her; let me listen to what she has to say."

It was vivid in Kai's eyes that he was struggling on an answer. He closed his eyes and exhaled quietly before letting go of Iris's wrists.

"Fine."

Iris smiled when Kai backed away and started pulling a key from his pant pocket. Iris met him at the door and before Kai opened it, Iris put his hand on his arm.

"Alone, Kai."

"Iris–"

"I'll be fine. I can protect myself if anything happens." Iris reassured Kai for what he felt like was the hundredth time before Kai opened the heavy door and watched Iris step into the room.

The light was dim, walls were dirty, and it seemed so odd to see something beautiful in a room so ugly. Zoe looked up from picking at her dress when Iris cleared his throat. She widened her eyes and hope brought color to her face.

Iris crossed his arms and attempted to look as uninterested as he could.

"Alright," he said, "let's talk."