How could I’ve been so careless?
     Gabriel outwardly held himself in a calm manner, while internally he began to shatter. He hated running. But it was his fault. If he had taken extra precautions… He underestimated Alex. His drive to find his daughter sent all of his resources into overdrive. This was now a personal mission for him. Not knowing the real outcome at Derek’s house was also a cause for concern. But SEVEN wouldn’t kill humans. If they were in their custody, the cruelest of actions delivered upon them would be the denial of food. Then a simple, mental game would follow.
     The drive south was long and uneventful. Gabriel stayed clear of the popular streets. He wasn’t taking anymore chances. He didn’t have the strength to fight against SEVEN once more. Not that he was physically tired, but that he was tired of being hunted. Home was the only safe haven he had left.
     The familiar gate came into view. Evonne, a little happy to see this place, felt a surge of apprehension well up within her. Unlike the previous two times she looked upon this place, the gate was mysteriously left open. She didn’t question the sight. But as the Jeep pulled into the large driveway before the haven, she knew something was wrong. Once housing at least five cars or more, the lot was vacant. Even the building shown no signs of life.
     “This doesn’t look good,” she whispered. “Why are we here anyway?”
     Gabriel turned off the engine. “Just letting someone know where I’m going.”
     “Are you sure he’s here?” Evonne asked, getting out of the Jeep.
     He replied, making his way to the haven’s front door, “Elders are not allowed to leave their posts.” He took her hand and led her into the dark foyer.
     Evonne remembered when this place was filled with humans and vampires. But on this night, the abandoned haven looked more like haunted hotel. Even her young vampire eyes had difficulty in picking up any light to see. She gripped Gabriel’s hand tighter.
     “Where is everyone?” she asked.
     “Be on guard,” he replied, leading her down the stairs.
     As they stepped onto the lowest level, Gabriel stopped. Something was hiding itself from him. Each time he tried to sense it completely, a new veil was draped between them as it disappeared once more. He slowly moved into the hallway. This thing followed them. No, not one entity, but many, all swarming around them, moving from stairs and rooms.
     Gabriel backed up, keeping Evonne between him and the wall. She could sense them, too. Twenty or more vampires closed in on them, each one carrying great strength and speed. Evonne buried her head into Gabriel’s back, her hands gripping his coat. This was a trap. They shouldn’t have come here.
     The vampires descended upon them, ripping Gabriel from Evonne. All around, Evonne felt strong hands grab hold of her, throwing her body forward then back, slamming into the wall. The hands then grabbed onto her hair, forcing her off balance. Evonne wanted to scream but found her lungs silent. The hands pulled, dragging her down the hall and away from Gabriel.
     “Stop!” a voice demanded in the darkness.
     The hands holding Evonne withdrew. The lights in the hall came on, dimly showing the scene. Four vampires stood, two by Gabriel and two by Evonne. A single vampire stood at the end of the hall, his hand at the dial to the lights.
     Demetrius stared at the four. Obediently, the vampires retreated to their posts. The light faded back into darkness.
     Evonne felt Gabriel helping her up, then once again guiding her down the hall. She was in too much shock to even question what happened. Gabriel, as well, was stunned by the attack. He had no idea he could be fooled in such a way. Then again, he expected no less from haven guardians.
     The warm light came to Evonne’s eyes as they entered a large room. Looking more like master bedroom of a 1900s mansion, this was the private chambers belonging to Demetrius. Gabriel made no attempt to knock as they entered. Demetrius stood off to the side of the room, ripping out the pages from book and tossing them into a lit fireplace. Other books remained stacked at his feet, their fate the same as the one in his hand. Gabriel recognized the books right away and the look of worry shown on his face.
     “What are you doing?” he asked, letting go of Evonne’s hand to approach him.
     “I see no need to keep these any longer,” Demetrius replied. He ripped out the last of the pages and threw them into the fire. He then tossed the book’s empty shell into another pile. It came to rest by several other striped books.
     “Those aren’t for you to destroy.”
     “Don’t lecture me about the rules. Anarchy has touched every fabric of this place. This haven isn’t alone in its death.”
     Evonne took a seat on a nearby chair, her arms folded tightly at her waist.
     Demetrius picked up another book and began to rip out its pages. Gabriel grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop.
     “What is going on?” he asked. He made no attempt to hide his concern, and he was certain that Demetrius could sense more questioning underneath.
     His sire looked from the hand holding him, and then to his face. He pulled free from his grip. “They have turned their backs on me and now I’m doing the same.” He went back to the book, feverously ripping out the pages this time.
     Evonne spoke up. “It’s all my fault. I leaked Watchtower to the masses.”
     Demetrius stopped to look at her, as though seeing her for the first time. He carelessly dropped the book and crossed the room to where she sat. He took her hand and knelt before her, glancing at Gabriel.
     “When?” he asked, his eyes returning to Evonne.
     “A little over a week ago,” Gabriel replied.
     Demetrius placed his hand to the side of her face. “And you played along with Saros’ game.” He stood up, still holding her hand. “I warned you about her.”
     Gabriel crossed his arms. “I know.”
     Looking at him, Demetrius saw more than those two words. “Yet you are thankful that she now belongs to you.”
     He diverted his eyes from Demetrius and Evonne. “We’re leaving for England. I wanted to inform you before I left. Have you seen or heard from Keelan?”
     Demetrius released Evonne’s hand and returned to the fireplace, picking up the book and continuing to remove its pages. “I have not seen him. He wouldn’t be staying at a haven anyway. Not right now at least. Almost all the havens on SEVEN’s list have been abandoned.”
     “I’m sorry about that,” Evonne said.
     He glanced at her. “This isn’t your fault. Mass hysteria, I believe it is called. A haven’s security rests in its numbers. They were safe here. And now scattered about, they are left to rely on the extent of their skills. SEVEN can have them. I’m finished with it all.”
     Gabriel narrowed his eyes at him, not sure if he heard the words correctly. “You can’t be serious.”
     He threw the empty book down and grabbed another. “I am through with being a caretaker to these children. It was they who abandoned me. I am relinquishing my title as elder.”
     “This sounds nothing like you. You freely chose the path of an elder and accepted all it entails. To walk away from that…”
     For one of the few times since Gabriel could recall, Demetrius no longer wished to talk.
     “I have made my decision.”
     Gabriel shook his head. “And you once called me reckless.”
     With her curiosity taking over, Evonne crossed the room to pick up one of the untouched books. She flipped through its pages.
     “What are these?”
     “Journals,” Demetrius informed her, “each detailing the haven’s activity, beginning well over a hundred years ago when I first took command of this place.” He grabbed another journal from the stack and handed it to Gabriel. “Help me.”
     Gabriel opened the book to see the first page: 1930-1935. “Why destroy these?”
     “They were a part of my work here. I see no purpose in handing them over to some new régime. The history of this place will be washed clean.”
     Evonne read through some of the writing. The penmanship, though as elegant as it could be, was difficult for her to read. “But all of this history, that’s a lot to dismiss.”
     “They are merely books. Real history remains alive in memory.” He looked up at her. “Tear out the pages. It’s not difficult to do.”
     Sitting on the floor, Evonne began to remove the pages and toss them into the fire.
     Gabriel shook his head again and stepped closer to the fireplace. He stared at the writing within the journal once more before ripping out the pages. He couldn’t believe he was doing this. The journals were more than something privately written by an elder—they chronicled the lives of the vampires living within the haven’s walls and even the humans. Everything was recorded, including Evonne’s first meeting with Demetrius, and even his personal thoughts about Gabriel’s unspoken involvement with her. That journal, however, was the first to be burned.
     Reaching for the last book, Demetrius ran his hand over its cover. This one sat on the bottom of the stack and was the first journal he kept in this place. He opened it to the first page. 1878-1880. Only two years he kept this journal active. The aged pages stared back at him, mockingly.
     “Lord Demetrius,” said a male’s voice from doorway. It was one of the vampires from earlier. He looked over the scene with confusion. “You know that I have to inform Lady Gysai about your actions here.”
     Demetrius held the book tightly to his chest. In this one moment, Evonne caught a glimpse of a frightened boy. His face then dropped into an emotionless stare.
     “Of course you will,” he said. He then looked at Gabriel and added, “I’m going with you to England. But I will need to stop in France first.” His eyes returned to the other vampire. “You are relieved of your post here. There’s nothing left to guard.”
     “Our orders come from Gysai, not you,” he informed.
     Demetrius shown disgust at his words. His hands dropped to his sides, still holding onto the journal. “Then stay here and protect this corpse.”
     Gabriel took Evonne’s hand as he followed Demetrius out of the room and upstairs. Before reaching the foyer, the other two vampires stood before them. They looked annoyed upon seeing the Elder.
     “You are not permitted to leave,” one of them said, stepping forward. He placed a hand to Demetrius’ chest, stopping him. “Only by Gysai’s order are you allowed to leave your haven. A disbandment does not validate your actions.”
     Demetrius looked down at the hand, and then its owner. “Stand down, Talvos.”
     “I am in command here,” he sneered, “and you will not be lea—”
     Demetrius’ hand shot to the vampire’s throat. He lifted him and squeezed, his nails digging in deep. “You will not order me around like some lowly prisoner.” His eyes went to the other vampire, the grip in his hand increasing. Some of the bones began to crack under the pressure. “It is you who will stand down. I am in no mood to play by your rules. And to force me to stay… the journals will not be the last thing I burn in this place.” He released the vampire, dropping him to the floor. He then stepped over his crippled body. Gabriel and Evonne followed him outside.
     In the Jeep, Evonne sat in the back as Demetrius took her seat in the front. He still held the journal in his hands, protecting it as though it were the only thing he had left. And perhaps it was. For over one hundred years, his life had been in that place. He walked away from it with only the clothes on his back and an old book in his hands.

The drive to the small airport was spent in silence. It was odd to see Demetrius like this. During the first time they spoke, Evonne always imagined him to follow the rules without question. But now, without the setting of a haven, the whole mysterious aura surrounding him vanished. And this made him even more unpredictable. The only rules he had left to follow were his own.
     Gabriel pulled the Jeep into an open hanger. Inside, the place looked more like an office building and garage fused together. A human sat at a desk, his feet propped up and attention on the TV. He looked away to see the Jeep. Immediately, he jumped into action and walked over to greet his guests.
     The man’s name was Jack—long time friend and business partner to Demetrius and Gabriel. It was Demetrius who had known him longer. He used his services in the past to help out others, but it was Gabriel who employed his services the most.
     “What brings you all out here this early in the morning?” he asked, watching the three exit the vehicle. He crossed his arms and waited for an answer.
     “I need to commandeer you for a few days,” Gabriel informed. “I will pay you double.”
     Jack ran his fingers through his light brown hair. He debated for a millisecond. “When do you want to leave?”
     “Now, if you can.”
     “Now?” he almost stammered. “Now? Right now?”
     Demetrius stepped forward. “I have no money to offer you, but when I return, I will make arrangements for a gift: any airplane of your choosing, and it will be yours.”
     The offer nearly floored Jack. He had to take a moment to catch his breath. “S-seriously? Any airplane of my choosing.”
     “Nothing larger than a bus,” Demetrius amended.
     “Wow. Okay. Tonight?” He stopped to think fast as he scratched the side of his cheek. “Let me make a few calls. I’ll have Danny watch the place for me, and I’ll see if Rick wants to come along. Give me two hours to get everything squared away.”
     The human hurried off to his office in the back.

Evonne had only flown once in her life, and she was twelve at the time. The flight took her to California on one of her father’s business trips. She didn’t remember much from the trip. The idea of flying now frightened her. And during the day? How were the going to manage this, especially on such a long flight?
     Inside the plane, the seating was arranged for six people. The seats were more comfortable than Evonne first thought. In the front by the cockpit sat a long seat along the wall, roughly the size of a love seat. She designated this as her bed for the trip. Her body, already tired from the encroaching sun and lack of blood, begged for sleep. As she lay on the seat, she watched as Gabriel moved about the cabin, closing the shades on the windows. He and Demetrius then sat in the back. Evonne tried to remain awake for the takeoff, but as she lay there, resting her eyes, the rising sun was too much for her.
     Gabriel sat in the reclined seat and attempted to sleep, as well. Beside him sat Demetrius, looking through journal’s pages without reading them. The cabin’s design was remodeled with Jack’s special kind of clients in mind. He had four planes in his small fleet, yet this one was his personal favorite. The Learjet was actually given to him by his father. A commercial pilot for years, his father shared his love of flying with his son, and was more than happy to help him out with his private business. Four other pilots worked for him, all knowing well about Jack’s special cliental. And these clients paid handsomely. Demetrius’ promise of any airplane sent a constant drool to Jack’s mouth. Visions of a Gulfstream danced in his head, its interior the finest money could buy. Oh, how his daddy would salivate, too.
     Demetrius closed the journal and looked up at Evonne.
     “Does her father know?” he asked, his voice almost lost among the light sound of the engines.
     Gabriel kept his eyes closed as he answered, “I’m not sure.”
     “Does he know about you?”
     “He knows that it was I who took her.”
     Demetrius’ eyes went back to the journal as he ran his fingers over the edge of its cover. “Much has changed with you in one year than in the last one hundred.” His eyes lifted to Gabriel. “You will need to remain more vigilant over her than with any other child. To many out there, she is still the enemy. Keelan, when did you last see him?”
     Gabriel finally opened his eyes. He looked at Evonne before replying, “That night. Saros ordered him not to contact us for one year.”
     “I saw him a week before that night,” Demetrius admitted, turning in his seat to face him. “He harbors anger for Saros. He showed me her ploy. Keelan wanted Evonne to live as a human. Any change in that, it was to be her own choice.”
     “There wasn’t any choice for anyone that night.”
     Tilting his head, Demetrius saw more within the words. “Yet your anger for Saros is absent.” He paused to read the subtle changes in Gabriel. “You were glad to finally have Evonne for yourself.”
     This was the truth that he ran from. “Am I wrong to feel like this?” he finally said.
     “Wrong?” replied Demetrius, shocked by the other words saw but did not hear. “There is nothing wrong about how you feel. She belongs to you and you are grateful for that. Saros was right to choose you over Keelan. Do you honestly believe he could protect her they way you have? Keelan allows himself to remain weak, and therefore vulnerable to any attacks.” He paused before adding, “She feels safe with you, something she wouldn’t have with Keelan.”
     “Should I have left her with her father?”
     “Saros’ game called for no leniency. She would have killed her herself. She wasn’t bluffing.” He sighed. “There is only one thing you need to know about those Six; their games are all they have. We are all pawns to them.” Looking away, he settled back into his seat. “I am already tired of their games. But if you are concerned about Evonne’s true feelings, just remember that night. She freely left her father, just as she freely entered that room with you. She could have fought them and sought a more permanent death, but she didn’t. Though she still harbors resentment towards you now, she’s taking to her new life far better than you ever did.” He handed the journal to Gabriel. “These confused feelings you have, I am familiar with them.”
     He took the journal and looked at him, confused. “How so?”
     “Laurel.”
     Gabriel shook his head. “It’s not like this. There was nothing like that with Lori.”
     “Not with you. You know I have forgiven the past. It was what I said to you that night. Have you forgotten?”
     “What does this have to do with Lori?”
     “I was my involvement that sent them to seal her away. Then it was my obsession to find her. It pained me to realize that my searching may never end. So many emotions, so much confusion, all centered around her—never the same, always changing. If Jharell and Gysai hadn’t called for our marriage, then those feelings would never have found me… But your feelings, as confusing as they may be, Evonne shares them with you.”
     “And Lori? She’s never been one to express anything outside that of selfishness.”
     Demetrius looked away as he spoke. “She remains a child in many ways. And that is how she protects herself. You caught a glimpse of her true self once. All that was once her is now locked away with Dianthia. She is as vulnerable as and I have ever known. The pain I felt when she was taken away was eclipsed by her own pain. I learned how to suppress my emotions, while she had to relearn hers. She is still sorting through the mess they bestowed upon her over two thousand years ago. So you see, your question has no simple answer.”
     “Why doesn’t she return to you?”
     “There was a new would she wished to see. The child in her resurfaced and she craved adventure. But you know this, as well. I, on the other hand, had responsibilities I couldn’t escape. She understood and allowed me to leave. Yes, it was she who permitted me to leave her side.”
     Gabriel glanced down at the journal. The date of the book marked the time in which they spoke. “Where is she now?”
     “Somewhere on the west coast of the United States, I believe. I haven’t been able to sense her for the past ten years. But she is still alive.” He motioned to the journal. “Once we land, keep that aboard the plane. We will not be staying long.”
     Gabriel nodded as he opened the book. He began to read.
     Settling back further into his seat, Demetrius closed his eyes. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about Laurel. For a creature as old as he, ten years felt like ten thousand. Attempting to sense her out ran the risk of destroying what link remained between them. It would require all of his strength to even glimpse her. Debating the risk, he focused his mind on one simple thought: Laurel.
     No amount of distance could hinder his attempt, only the fading tether muffled what he saw. There was no clear image, just a brief thought and sensation. She was, as he said, on the west coast, resting in a strange room as dawn approached. With his mind and hers touching for that one moment, he felt her happiness, then sadness. So much she wanted to tell him, but the weakened link buckled under the strain. Her presence faded.
     Demetrius quietly sat, his mind numb from the exertion, and formulated a new plan. After he returned from Europe, free from his pesky title, he would search for her. Over one hundred years had past since he’d last seen her. It was the same night he left her with Gabriel, the same night in which they spoke of earlier. There were no games on this side of the coin. Only truth.