A big thanks to my editor and to you, the reader.
*
From where I was I could hear the chaos that was erupting above me. Grandfather was screaming the place down as was Leo.
"Check the basement!" Leo yelled.
"Shit" I thought. I turned and ran through the darkness. There were stairs behind me and I ran down them. At the bottom there was a small circular room. It looked like I was trapped!
"Feel around the wall," the voice said.
I just shrugged my shoulders and felt round the wall. There was a small crack in the wall I pushed against it and it opened for me. I slid inside and closed it just in time as Leo, grandfather, and a few other men had appeared.
"Where the hell is she?" grandfather shouted.
Leo said, "My lord, we must consider the possibility that she was taken as we have searched the entire palace and she's no where to be seen."
Grandfather cooled slightly "I'm afraid that you might be right Leo."
"My lord, your son has arrived. Shall I send him down here?" a guard said.
"Yes send him down." grandfather said.
I could hear everything from where I was.
Leo and granddad stayed and were looking around the basement for any signs of me. I just hoped that they didn't know about the hidden door that covered where I was. There were some footsteps and then James spoke.
"Why on earth are you down here?"
It was grandfather who replied. "James I don't know how to tell you this but we found Sara."
"You found her? Where is she?" James said.
Grandfather said, "Well, she was in the palace. I spoke with her. A while later, when I went to talk to her, she was gone and now we cant find her."
James asked, "But what do you mean she was in the palace?"
Leo said, "One of the perimeter guards was on duty a few days ago when a young woman came up to him saying that she had been kidnapped by the vampires. She also told him that the vampires had threatened her family. We took her in, gave her a place to sleep, and work to do. She was sent to wait on your father in the great hall. Your father recognised her. I honestly didn't know it was her James."
"Its okay Leo. You have never seen her so you wouldn't recognise her. So what has happened then?" James asked.
They explained that they thought that I had been kidnapped again.
Growling, James said, "I'm going to kill those dammed vampires!"
Grandfather asked ,"So what happened to you?"
James replied, "I met up with the vampires new princess. She's extremely powerful. We need that book!"
"Why are you so hell bent on getting that book? It won't do you any good you know." grandfather said.
"Do you know what is in that book?" James asked.
No one answered.
James continued, "It contains all of the spells that the sisters used. They are in that book! It also it tells you how to kill a vampire or a werewolf permanently. If they get the book they can wipe us off the face of this earth. There is only one person on either side who can read it! Do you want to guess who that is?"
"Sara?" grandfather asked.
"Yes, exactly. That's why we need to find her. The council will be starting soon I expect you both to be there." James said as he left.
Leo and grandfather left with him. I breathed a sigh of relief. From where I was I could here water falling. I decided to follow the sound. It was getting louder. I still couldn't see anything so I conjured a fire causing it to sit in the palm of my hand.
I could see a little bit. There was a large pipe over a deep river. The pipe was just about big enough to walk over. The only problem was that the water was flowing over the pipe making it very slippery. I walked to the pipe. I had only gone a few steps when I slipped.
I clung onto the pipe and then I slid my self along the pipe since it was way too slippery to walk on it.
Eventually I got to the other side of the river and stood up. I was now drenched as the water had poured down on me as I crawled over the pipe. I didn't really know where I was going but I decided to trust my instinct.
Looking ahead I could see a distant light at the end of a long passage way. I moved towards the light. The passage way opened up to the biggest room I had ever seen. Down the centre of this room there was a long stone walkway flanked on either side by what looked like water that was on fire.
The walkway lead up to an altar. "This is it!" I thought to my self. I ran toward the altar but before I got there I was stopped by an armed man. At first I thought it was James, but a second look told me differently.
"What business do you have here?" he asked me.
"I might ask you the same thing." I said.
"I am the protector of the 'Book of Shadows'! It was entrusted to me by Alana herself. My orders are to guard and protect the location of the 'Book of Shadows'." he said.
I looked at him "What do you mean the location. The book should be here." I said
"No the book is not here and I alone know how to find the first clue as to where it is." he said.
"Please you have to tell me where it is. I am Alana's decedent. If you don't help me get it, the werewolves will find it."
He looked at me. "If you're Alana's decedent then where is your mark?"
I pulled my night dress to the side to expose my pentagram. He withdrew his sword and placed it in its scabbard.
"My apologies your highness. Please come this way." he said.
He walked off towards the altar and then right past it. I looked at the altar. On it was a stand large enough for a very big book.
"The book used to be here before the palace was taken over by the werewolves. We couldn't risk it being found." the guard said.
I looked at him. "What's your name?" I asked.
He looked at me. "I am Daniel and who might you be?" he asked.
"Sara" I said.
"Very well, follow me Sara. You look very tired. You need to rest before you take the difficult path that awaits you. I will provide you with a safe place to sleep and eat before you move on with your quest."
He led me to a small door that led under the altar. Below the altar was a small cosy room with two beds. He pointed to one of them and told me to sleep. I fell asleep quickly.
