Hannah remained outside of the donation center with Aria and Xavier. The handsome vampire blended in with the shadows, his chocolate eyes scanned the gloom surrounding them. Though they didn't speak, she picked up on an unspoken understanding between Xavier and the queen as Xavier paced back and forth on the sidewalk before the stairs.

"Jack is a good man," Aria said from her position to the right of the front door.

"He is," she agreed as she forced herself to meet Aria's straightforward gaze.

A small smile curved Aria's mouth as her head tilted to the side. "I think he's been a little lost this past year, as has my brother, but it seems like Jack is beginning to find his way. Sometimes all that is needed is a helping hand to assist someone through their most dismal times."

Hannah was having difficulty finding her voice. "Do you mean me?" she managed to get out.

"I hope so."

Unexpected tears burned her eyes and she found herself unable to meet Aria's gaze anymore. "It's all so strange, he's a prince and I'm an Undesirable..."

"A what?" Aria interrupted as Xavier stopped in the middle of his patrol.

She'd forgotten that they didn't know, that Jack hadn't told them. Apprehension filled her, Jack had said they wouldn't reject her but he had no experience with the way others reacted to what she was. She did. However, Aria was a part of Jack's life and she hadn't grown up amongst the vampires that had rejected Hannah, her family, and friends. She couldn't think of any reason other than plain old fear not to share what she was, and she was tired of being afraid of rejection. Jack hadn't scorned her and that was all that mattered.

"Most of the vampires in this town have some defect or another. I'm unable to go out into the sun's rays without burning badly," she admitted.

Aria's eyes widened as Xavier said, "Interesting. That makes some sense when you study the legends of vampires and all of their supposed quirks. Anyone allergic to garlic?"

"No," Hannah assured him with a small chuckle.

"So most of the vampires here are like Council member Saul, but why do you consider yourself a... uh..."

"Undesirable," Hannah supplied when Aria forgot the word. "It's what we've always called ourselves as far as I know. The first Undesirables settled into this town centuries ago and created a place where they weren't persecuted by humans and other vampires alike. It's our home."

"I see," Aria said.

"I didn't realize there were so many like Saul. Though, if you were persecuted I can understand why you hid yourselves away. When was this town first established?" Xavier asked.

"Before the first human settlers came over. The original founders of the town passed away from one cause or another, but it is said that the first vampire settlers here fed on wildlife and established a home secure from the vampires that remained in Europe."

Xavier's eyes gleamed as he rubbed at his chin. "Fascinating, simply fascinating."

"He loves to hear about how other vampires and people have lived," Aria told her. "I've run out of forest stories so just be prepared for him to start bombarding you with questions as soon as he gets a chance. He has some good tales of his own though," Aria said with a wink at the man that was shaking his head at her.

Hannah's head bounced back and forth between them as she watched them in amazement. It seemed like such an odd pairing and yet she could sense the deep friendship between them. "I have amazing tales," he said to Aria before focusing on Hannah again. "There is no reason for the vampires within this town to remain hidden anymore."

Hannah shrugged. "Maybe not, but this is our home."

"Well I'm sure Jack wasn't bothered by the fact that you have to avoid the sun," Aria said happily.

"He isn't."

"I didn't think so." Aria walked over and stopped before her. The queen was smaller than she was by a good two or three inches, and though her appearance was youthful there was wisdom in her sapphire eyes that seemed far older than her years. "And I'm sure no one else would be, not anymore."

After all the years spent trying to keep what she was secret from the outside world, it was strange to be so open about it and to have others actually accept her, instead of shunning her.

She didn't know how to react to this open tolerance of what she was, but fortunately she was spared from having to respond by the front doors opening and the others reemerging. Relief filled her as Jack's eyes found her instantly.

"They haven't seen him since early yesterday morning," Braith said.

A chill ran down Hannah's spine, her gaze drifted down the road to Calvin's unlit house. Unlike Jack, she hadn't found it odd that his home was dark, it wasn't a normal occurrence but it had happened before. The fact that he hadn't been to the blood bank in over a day was unusual though. Calvin was one of the rare vampires that visited two sometimes three times a day.

"So what does that mean?" asked Aria.

"It means that we go check out his house now," Jack said.

Hannah couldn't tear her eyes away from the foreboding house as they made their way down the street. The hair on the nape of her neck stood on end as the crisp fall breeze drifted over her. She couldn't think of where Calvin might have gone, or why, but she didn't think he was in this town anymore. Braith stopped outside of the gate, Hannah started to warn him about the dogs but quickly realized that they were no longer behind the partially open gate.

"That doesn't bode well," William muttered.

"We can't just walk in there, can we?" Timber inquired.

"Normally I would say no," Braith said. "But the gate is open, Calvin is nowhere to be seen, and from what the others have told us there is at least enough of a reason for me to speak with him."

The gate creaked as Braith pushed it the rest of the way open and stepped into the courtyard. The other day was the first time Hannah had ever been inside this house and she had never expected to return. Jack used his arm to push her behind him as they climbed the stairs. Aria had been forced in between Braith and Xavier, a position she didn't look at all pleased to be in, but she didn't complain.

Jack exchanged a look with Braith who nodded for him to go ahead. "Stay here," Jack said to her before stepping forward to grab hold of the door handle. William's broad shoulders filled her vision as he stepped in front of her. She found it a little strange to have a human trying to protect her, but then again he was the one holding the mean looking crossbow in his hand and he had another long bow on his back.

Jack shoved the door open to reveal the darkened hallway. "Calvin!" he called into the massive structure. "Calvin, we're coming in!"

Panic filled her as Jack stepped through the doorway and disappeared. She almost shoved William out of her way, but he was already stepping aside to let her by. Jack was waiting for her, his arm out to keep her behind him. Someone large stepped in behind her and she turned her head to find that the king was the one pressing against her back.

The house appeared empty as they all moved into the shadowed foyer. The distant tick of a clock sounded like the tolling of their deaths in the abnormally quiet house, even their footsteps were muffled on the thick carpet. Though nothing in the house seemed overly foreboding, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something sinister going on within these walls. That they held secrets she didn't want to know.

Hannah's gaze skimmed over the walls as they stepped into the room where Calvin kept all of his mail clad statues. She eyed the unmoving soldiers warily, half expecting them to come to life and attack them with their assorted weapons of spears, lances, and swords. All the soldiers wore helmets, but even still she couldn't shake the feeling that there were eyes behind the helmets that followed them across the room.

"It doesn't seem like anyone is here," Timber said.

"We're still going to search the whole place. I have a feeling there's more going on here than what meets the eye," Braith replied. "Xavier, William, Daniel and Timber go upstairs. We'll continue to search down here."

Hannah watched the others split off toward the set of stairs that branched from the main foyer to the second floor. Aria pulled the bow from her back and removed an arrow from her quiver. The click of the arrow against the wooden bow was the only sound other than the ticking clock inside the house. Braith and Jack led the way out of the room with all of the soldiers and into another narrow hall.

Hannah's eyes were picking up more detail than she was used to, and it took her a moment to realize that it was due to Jack's blood flowing through her veins. Distinct particles of dust danced through the air even though little illumination infiltrated this windowless area of the home. Tapestries lined the hall and judging by the smell of dust and mildew wafting off of them, they were far older than their colorful and intact thread would indicate. It took all she had not to run her fingers over the beautiful cloths, but she was terrified that she would ruin one of them if she did.

The hall ended in a set of massive metal doors that were barred with a piece of wood that could have doubled as a small oak tree. Hannah didn't understand why anyone would need such thick doors in their house and though she sniffed at the seams and cracks, she couldn't detect any strange scents coming from the other side. Braith and Jack each grabbed an end of the heavy wooden crossbar and heaved it off as if it weighed no more than a twig. Hannah wished for a weapon as Aria lifted her bow and aimed it at the door. But then, there had never been a reason for her to learn how to use a weapon and she definitely wouldn't have liked to use one that could kill her.

Braith grabbed hold of Aria's shoulder and nudged her toward the door. "You and Hannah are going to open it," he told her.

Though disappointment filtered over her features, Aria didn't argue as she threw her bow over her shoulder and grabbed hold of one of the handles. Hannah stepped to the other side. Her gaze found Jack's as he gave her a brief nod. The door was heavier than she had expected it to be, but even still she was able to pull it open with more ease than she would have exhibited yesterday.

Although she had fully been expecting something monstrous to burst out of the room beyond, nothing stirred within. She poked her head around the door. Though some light filtered into the room, she wasn't entirely sure what she was looking at. With the doors open, a strange odor emanated from within that caused her nose to wrinkle and her eyes to water.

"That can't be good," Jack said as he stepped forward.

Hannah almost grabbed hold of his arm to stop him from entering the room. Even though nothing had immediately happened when they opened the doors, she knew that death lay within as she finally placed the scent that was wafting out. She'd only been around one decomposing body in her life, a woman that had passed away in her sleep. The woman hadn't been found for a couple of days. Hannah had been in the street with Lucas when they had taken the woman's body by.

The last thing she wanted to do was locate the source of that smell but still she stepped into the enormous room behind Jack. She had been expecting to find bodies sprawled throughout, but the blood colored marble floor was pristine and empty. Stained-glass windows lined three of the four walls. Unlike many of the beautiful stained-glass windows she had seen before, these windows didn't depict wild animals, soaring doves or an image of Christ. These were pictures of bloody massacres with people being drawn and quartered, beheaded, hung, and many other horrific depictions of torture. Despite the chill in the room her skin was coated with a thin layer of sweat that was making her dress stick to her.

Aria had stopped looking at the windows, her head had tilted back and the color had vanished from her face. Hannah knew she shouldn't look up but she felt compelled to as she turned to the rafters overhead. Hooks, carved and lethal, dangled from the ceiling. At first she thought it was the light coming through the mostly red stained glass windows that caused the hooks to look a rusted red in color, but it finally sank in that it wasn't light at all, it was in fact blood.

Nausea swelled through her stomach, she took a step back as horror shot through her. Jack grabbed hold of her shoulder and pulled her against his side as he attempted to steady her. "I think we're about to find the proof we've been looking for," Braith said. "We have to locate the source of that smell, but first let's find the others."

"Wait," Jack said as they turned to leave the room. Hannah was brought up short against his chest as he focused on something on the floor. "Stay here," he told her before giving her a brief kiss on the head and walking away.

Braith fell into step beside him as they took a few steps into the middle of the room. They stopped before some sort of indentation in the floorboards; Jack knelt down and began to prod around the edges of it, his hands went about four feet in each direction. He pushed down on something that Hannah couldn't see, even with her enhanced vision. A piece of the floor began to rise upward. Hannah took a curious step forward before the smell of what was under the floor hit her.

Her hand flew to her nose as a stench the likes of which she'd never encountered assaulted her senses. Aria made a strangled sound; her eyes were red as she strode forward with her shoulders squared and her jaw clenched. Hannah was still trying to assimilate the smell with every scent she had ever known but the correlation eluded her as she walked toward where the others now stood. There was death down there, she was certain of that much, but there was more than that emanating from the room below.

"What's down there?" she asked as she kept her hand over her nose in an effort to block the scent.

"A dungeon," Jack answered in a constricted voice.

That was the rest of what she smelled, she realized. Human body odor and waste mingled with the overwhelming scent of fear. It clogged her nostrils with its potent scent and even though she tried to block it with her hand, it still permeated through to her.

Braith's gaze was focused on Aria as she stared into the gloomy hole beneath the ground. She took hold of his hand when he reached for her. "Perhaps you should stay up here," he suggested.

Aria shook her head. "No, I can do this."

Hannah continued to stare into the fetid smelling room beneath the floor. The square floorboard that had been covering the hole crashed against the floor behind them when Jack tossed it back. His steely eyes met hers as he focused upon her. "You should probably stay here."

He was probably right, she was almost completely positive she did not want to see what was down there, but she didn't want him down there on his own either. She feared going below, but she feared even more that something would happen to him and she wouldn't be there to possibly stop it. Aria and Braith would be with him but that didn't matter, not to her.

"I'll be fine," she told him.

His nostrils flared as his attention turned back to the bleak recesses below them. Before she could even blink, he leapt into the pit. "Jack," she breathed as she lurched forward.

Braith held her back. "He's fine."

Taking hold of her hand, he pointed to the steps Jack had bypassed. He held onto her hand as he helped her onto the steps. The stench of the dungeon only grew stronger as she descended deeper into its shadowy depths. She was halfway down when Jack grabbed hold of the railings of the stairs on either side of her. She froze as his chest brushed against her back; his mouth was against her ear when he spoke. "Hannah go back, you shouldn't see this."

"Jack..."

"There are some things that can never be unseen, never be forgotten. There are things men can do..."

His words were broken off as Braith dropped into the darkness behind him. Hannah turned in his arms before he could force her to return up the stairs. She wished immediately that she had listened to him as she was confronted with the atrocity that lay within the room before her.