She wasn't quite sure what she'd expected. A castle, maybe a gothic mansion. Definitely not a utilitarian army barracks, and definitely not around the corner from her family home.

When the car stopped outside the disused military camp on the outskirts of the village, she had assumed something was wrong, or perhaps they were picking something up. She couldn't have been more surprised when the gates swung open. She'd been past the place hundreds of times in the years she lived in the village. Not once had she seen anyone go in or out. No signs of life at all, in fact.

The gates were silent as they opened, meaning they were in frequent use. At first glance, they looked rusted. Ivy had long since started to claim the chain-link fencing, and the tarmac on the driveway was crumbling. On closer inspection, however, she noticed that the hinges were new; shiny aluminium twinkled behind the greenery. The pillars and much of the building were covered in graffiti, but she also spotted the infrared lights of security cameras. The dilapidated look was well crafted and maintained, but she saw it then for what it was—a charade.

How long had they been here? Surely she would have noticed all this before.

The land rover circled the leaning flagpole and pulled up at the steps at the front entrance.

Before that Steele guy had even opened his door, two uniformed guards rushed out to greet them. Steele jumped down from the vehicle and opened the rear door to allow Asher out. Ria was pretty sure Asher was perfectly capable of getting out of a four-by-four by himself. The new arrivals saluted as soon as he stepped foot on the cracked concrete.

Their faces were an absolute picture when she followed him out of the vehicle. She caught her father raising an eyebrow at her dumbfounded looks before they recovered themselves enough to bow their heads at her. Without any real clue of what she was doing, she nodded back at them and followed them all into the building.

The inside was even more of a surprise. The building was so old, she'd pictured something out of Saving Private Ryan or Dad's Army.

Far from it. Her father and his band of cronies had surrounded themselves in bachelor-pad luxury. What she assumed was once the reception area was now a comfortable, open plan living and dining room. Oversized leather seating, hardwood tables, and plush, thick-pile rugs were complimented by angular, chrome lighting, a massive flat-screen TV, and slate-grey paint. There were even some modernist oils hanging on the walls.

Three more Fallen, who had been stretched out on the sofas, leapt to attention as Asher lead her through the room.

They passed down a long corridor, lined with doors which would have once lead to offices in the old barracks. She could only guess at their current use since they walked straight past all of them. At the end of the corridor they reached an elevator. She watched Steele use a swipe-card to summon the lift and the door opened with a swish. Where could they be going? The building was large, but it was only two stories high. A lift seemed a tad excessive.

Once inside, Asher pressed his thumb to one of the buttons and her question was answered. They were going down.

The journey seemed to take forever, and the deeper they went, the more nervous she became. The realisation that she may not be able to get out of there eclipsed her need to find out more about her mother's relationship with this man.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"You'll see," Asher replied.

That didn't exactly fill her with confidence.

When the lift finally stopped and they stepped out into yet another corridor, she realised she had no idea of exactly how many floors down they'd gone. "How deep are we?"

"Deep enough," Steele replied.

Deep enough for what?

"Here we are," Asher said, distracting her. He opened a door to the right of the lift and ushered her inside.

Her eyes widened as she took in the luxury suite that awaited her. Decorated in whites, creams and golds, the place rivalled any that would be found in the best hotels in the world.

Her feet sunk into the carpet as she stepped further inside. The place was massive—probably bigger than her entire flat. "What's this for?" she asked, turning back to the two men who hadn't moved from the doorway.

"It's for you," Asher told her.

Her brow knitted. "What do you mean, ‘for me’?"

"Since you'll be staying with us, I thought you should stay in comfort?"

"Wait. Stay? I didn't say anything about staying!"

The malevolent smile creeping across Steele's face made her stomach flip.

"The world is a dangerous place, Ria. You'll be safe here," Asher said.

"It's very kind of you, but there's no need," she replied with an edge of nervousness.

"It wasn't a request," Steele snapped.

Anger fired in her and she stalked towards them. "Now listen here—"

"No. You listen, girl—"

Asher raised his hand to silence his man. "Ria. It's really for your own good."

They retreated from the room and she flew after them. She managed to get her fingertips to the edge of the door before it closed, but it didn't do any good.

"Ow!" Someone hit her hand hard, and she snatched it away.

The door slammed closed. She grabbed the handle just as she heard a lock engage. She rattled the handle and pounded on the door. "You can't lock me in!"

There was no reply.

"Hello? I said you can't keep me here! You have to let me out!"

She pressed her ear to the dark wood. She couldn't hear anything.

Her mind automatically went in search of them, hunting for their thoughts. She could hear them both as they walked away, neither of them even remotely bothered by the idea of her being kept prisoner. Steele couldn't understand why she wasn't in the cells—a filthy half-breed like herself apparently shouldn't expect any more. Asher did at least believe he was keeping her safe, or at least she was being kept there for safety. Whose, she couldn't quite decipher. Asher knew she was powerful and that threatened him.

Furious at herself for being so bloody naive, she tried the door again. It didn't budge.

Tears pricked her eyes as she turned to face the room. What had she done?

* * *

"Easy, Guardian," Kaden said as they took cover in the trees near the Fallen stronghold.

Ryver itched to get going, but Kaden had already told him to wind his neck in a dozen times. Frustrated, he sighed. "All this skulking in the shadows is doing my tits in!"

"I know, kid," Kaden replied, placing his hand on Ryver's shoulder. "But there's no point in rushing in, all guns blazing, until we know she's in there.

Ryver couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He couldn't sense any mortal danger or anything like that, but a small kernel of panic had bloomed in the pit of his stomach and he couldn't ignore it. Nor could he explain with any logic whatsoever why he knew Ria was in that place. He hadn't been able to connect with her, and despite his protests, a gut feeling was not enough to convince the Keeper of the Watch to mount a full-scale attack.

Malandra sidled up to him. "Patience is not a virtue you and I possess, is it?"

"You got that right."

She nodded and turned to Kaden. "What exactly is it you're waiting for—an invitation?"

Ryver winced. They'd all been injured in the line of duty and just brushed it off. Returning to battle often happened immediately, and recovery was instantaneous thanks to their Fae genes. Kaden was the last man Ryver thought he'd ever see hesitate, but the Keeper had been gravely injured the last time he was in Friarsfield. Over a year on and his body hadn't completely recovered. Soraya was still giving him supplements and running tests to get to the bottom of what had happened to him too. Ryver knew that Kaden's caution was only rational. With the royal handfasting just a week away, the guy had a lot on his plate, and he definitely could not afford for anyone to get injured.

The injury he’d sustained probably didn't even factor into his thought process. Kaden was methodical, rational, logical, and above all, honourable—even in his darkest moments.

Ryver's heart wasn't listening to his head though.

His need to find Ria, to know she was safe, to have her by his side, was almost crippling in its intensity.

"Alright," Kaden finally replied. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and tapped the screen. Ryver heard Roarke answer the call as Kaden placed the phone to his ear. Kaden asked their new recruit to send schematics and hung up.

Ryver’s phone vibrated almost immediately. Malandra and Phoenix also pulled their phones out.

Roarke had done as requested and sent the blueprints for the building. Ryver had no idea how the guy did what he did, but Roarke had managed to decrypt a whole load of stuff they’d hacked from the Fallen servers last summer. Detailed schematics for their headquarters were evidently part of the information he'd managed to decipher.

Phoenix sucked in a breath then looked toward the barracks. "Jesus."

Frowning, Ryver opened his own message and brought up the plans up on screen. His eyes flew wide as he understood his brother's consternation. The place was fucking huge!

The original barracks were reasonably large—they had to be given their use—and was set out across a square, 1920s building. Ryver's gaze followed Phoenix's through the woods. That part of the blueprint matched exactly what he could see in front of him. Looking back at the plans he cursed. It was what they couldn't see that bothered him. The place was nine stories deep and about three times the size underground, like some rabbit warren carved into the earth.

"How the fuck are we going to find her in there?" Phoenix said.

Good fucking question!

"Can Mercury access the cameras?" Malandra asked.

"What are you thinking?" Kaden replied.

Malandra moved over to the Keeper. "If we can access the security, Mercury can guide us from his end. We take the building in sections. Clear as we go."

Kaden nodded, already picking up his phone again and placing the call to Mercury. After a few exchanges with their Quartermaster, he hung up again and told them, "It'll take some time, but he reckons he can get us in."

"We don't have time," Ryver growled.

"It's the only way. We can't go in blind. I won't risk it."

"Ryver."

His head snapped up as he finally heard her. "Ria? Can you hear me?" He could hear her, but he couldn't locate her. His mind rushed through the schematics, looking for her unique signature.

"What's going on?" he heard Kaden ask.

He ignored him. "Focus, Ria. Tell me where you are."

"Ryver?" The shock in her voice was palpable.

"It's me. I'm here."

"How is this even possible? Where are you?"

"I don't know, but I'm glad I found you. I'm outside the Fallen barracks."

He heard her suck in a surprised breath. "How did you know?"

"Call it a hunch. Listen, you have to tell me where you are. I'm coming to get you."

Her voice cracked a little. "I don't know! Oh God, Ryver, I'm so sorry. I've been so bloody stupid. I should have realised."

He swallowed down the lump forming in his throat. "None of that matters now."

"They've locked me in. I can't get out."

Fury exploded in him. Regardless of whether Asher knew Ria was his daughter or not, how dare he imprison her? "I'm coming to get you. Just hold on."

"I won't ask you again, Guardian." Kaden's voice cut through the connection with Ria.

Spinning around he glared at his boss. "She's inside."

Kaden stared at him for a second, assessing the truth in his words. Clearly satisfied, he nodded and placed another call on his phone. "Time's up, Mercury."

* * *

Ria paced, biting the nails on her right hand. For a few, brief moments, she'd felt safe. Ryver's voice still echoed in her mind; he'd said he was coming to get her, and she believed every word he said. Then she'd lost the connection with him and the panic had started to creep back in.

What if she'd imagined it? What if, in her fear and horror at being locked in her room, her mind had started playing tricks on her?

Even before she'd made contact with him, Ryver had been on her mind. Thoughts of him crept in all the time, but she'd been doing her best not to think about him. He'd lied to her, and that hurt. But he was always there, like an indelible stamp she felt with her body, mind and soul.

She plonked herself down on the huge four-poster bed, tears threatening to overspill her lashes. The more she thought about it, the more she realised she may have overreacted...just a little bit.

If she'd been in the same position, would she have told him? She was still human when they'd met. Would she have believed him even if he had told her? Vampires were the stuff of myth and legend. She'd known deep down there was something very different about Ryver, but even so, she probably wouldn't have accepted it if he'd told her what he was. Especially from a guy she'd just met. In a goth club.

She screamed at the empty room, furious at her own stupidity. Lying by omission to protect an entire race from exposure, to keep everyone safe, wasn't the same as not telling the truth. The tears finally fell as she faced the very real truth that her current predicament was her own fault.

He'd tried to talk to her in Hyde Park, but she refused to listen. She'd run off into the night and landed herself in a whole different level of trouble.

Outside the door, she caught Steele's unique thought pattern. Holding her breath, she stared at the door as the locks disengaged. Quickly wiping the tears from her face, she pulled herself off the bed. She crossed her arms and did her best to look as composed as possible as the door swung open.

She couldn't help but feel his utter contempt as he sauntered in. His lip curled as he appraised her, and it took everything she had not to shiver under his attention.

"Dinner is served," he said.

"I'm not hungry."

He cocked an eyebrow. "We all hunger, half-breed."

"Well I don't. Why don't you just go away and leave me alone."

He stalked across the room, invading her personal space until he stood toe-to-toe with her. His beady, black eyes narrowed as he stared down his long nose at her. "Nothing would give me greater pleasure, I assure you, but I have orders to follow."

"What does that mean?"

"Orders. Dinner wasn't a suggestion."

She raised her chin, determined to look defiant.

"Oh please. Make my day and resist." The look in his eyes turned distinctly malevolent.

Just play their stupid game til Ryver gets here. That's all she had to do.

She pushed past him. "Fine."

Out in the corridor, Steele swiped his card across the reader by the elevator. The doors opened almost immediately. She watched closely as he pressed the button for their destination. She had hoped they'd go right to the top, to the open-plan dining area she'd seen when she arrived, but as he pressed the "-5" button, she realised they weren't going that far. She checked for a display panel that would tell her what floor they started on, but she was disappointed. They didn't seem to be in the lift for very long before the doors opened again, and she hadn't felt that stomach-flipping motion that high-speed elevators often produced. She guessed they'd only travelled two floors at most, which meant her luxury cell was on the seventh floor.

As they stepped out, she did her best to take everything in, but honestly, she could have been back outside the suite and she wouldn't have known. It looked exactly the same. Shit. They did travel further down this hall, but every door was identical. Steele stopped outside the third door on the right and gestured for her to enter.

She worked really hard on looking nonplussed, but her eyes widened at the scene that greeted her. The Interview With A Vampire dining room was exactly what she'd expected from a Fallen hideout. Asher wasn't quite wearing a powdered wig, but everything else fit. He rose from his seat at the head of a huge, highly polished, mahogany table and furnished her with a bow, the lace at his cuff dancing as he circled his hand. "A pleasure to see you again, daughter mine."

"I wish I could say the same." The words fell from her mouth before she could stop them. Seeing him again, she realised just how furious she was.

She caught the angry flex of his jaw, but he didn't retaliate. Instead he forced a smile and told her to sit. The only other chair was the one to his right so she plonked herself down.

"I told your cronie I wasn't hungry."

Asher barked a laugh. "You hear that, Lieutenant? She called you a cronie."

Steele had been hovering by the door, but made no move to join them. He narrowed his eyes at her. "I heard her, Sir."

Asher poured a goblet—yes, goblet—of red wine for each of them, still chuckling to himself. "I will have to remember that," he said.

Ria really wasn't a wine drinker so she made no attempt to drink it despite being absolutely parched. She took the opportunity to study more of her surroundings. The table was probably big enough to seat thirty, but there were only two place settings. Although Asher had the same beautiful, gold inlaid china plate in front of him, laying on what she suspected was a solid gold salver, his plate was empty. On the other hand, a shining silver cloche covered her plate. As soon as her brain registered there was actually food on offer, her stomach rumbled.

"Please," Asher said as he removed the cloche to reveal filet steak, buttered new potatoes and green beans. "Tuck in."

God, she was tempted. The smell was wonderful, and for a moment, she thought she might be drooling. She hadn't realised how hungry she was, and her stomach was screaming for satisfaction, but something made her wary. She laced her fingers on her lap to prevent her from grabbing the gold cutlery and devouring the lot.

"Aren't you hungry?" Asher asked.

"Why aren't you eating?" Ria stared at his empty plate.

The sigh that escaped his lips sounded almost wistful. "It has been centuries since I've been able to digest anything." He stared longingly at her meal. "It's a symptom of our, ah, condition."

"Your condition?"

He sipped his wine. "Mmm. We take our nourishment elsewhere."

Her knuckles whitened as she dug her nails into her palms. She was determined not to let her face show her disgust.

"Please, Ria," he gestured to her untouched food.

"I'm not hungry," she lied.

"Won't you have some wine then?" He picked up her goblet and passed it to her.

She took it from his bony hand and had every intention of just putting it down, but something happened as the goblet passed under her nose. Ria froze as the aroma of dark cherries with undertones of iron enveloped her. Raging thirst exploded within her so that all other thoughts left her mind. Her hand shook as deep-seated need conflicted with some inner knowledge that she shouldn't drink it.

"Just a sip, Ria," Asher's voice reverberated through her.

The call was so strong. The temptation too great. She raised the goblet to her lips and drank. Drank deep.

* * *

"I'm not waiting any longer, Kaden," Ryver said through gritted teeth.

The Keeper of the Watch had given orders, and no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't ignore them. They were not to go off alone. They were not to go rushing in. They were not to deviate from the plan. Right then he felt as though he couldn't even take a piss without the fucking Keeper's say so.

Kaden nodded. "I know, son." He looked down at the schematics on his phone again. "You get a sense of where she is?"

Ryver didn't have the same tracking ability as his boss. Kaden could see everyone with whom he shared a blood bond, wherever they were, as if he was in the room with them. If Ria and Ryver were blood bonded, Ryver would be able to sense where she was. By default of his bond with Ryver, Kaden would know exactly where she was. As it was, Ryver only knew she was in a suite, underground. He said so, again, and Kaden rechecked the blueprints.

"From what I can tell, there are four possibles for what you describe. Mercury and Roarke agree. There are two on each side of the building, two floors apart, on levels five and seven."

"What's the plan then?" Malandra was jumpy, almost as impatient as Ryver.

"You're with me, Sentinel. We'll take the west wing. Phoenix, you and Ryver will take the east."

Phoenix nodded. "Entry point?"

They all gathered around Kaden as he pointed to the ventilation system—a central duct that ran next to an elevator shaft and branched out across each floor that, as far as Mercury could tell, had no cameras.

"Gonna be a tight fit," Kaden said. He was right. It wasn't ideal given the size of the men in the party, but it was the least risky option they had.

"For some of you." Malandra grinned.

"Who knew it could pay to be pint-sized," Kaden replied.

"Very funny."

"Can we dispense with the jokes and get on with this?" Ryver pleaded. He was almost shaking so deep was his need to have Ria safe and by his side.

Kaden looked at each of them in turn. Everyone was ready. "Go."

Ryver didn't need to be told twice. They'd be on radio silence from there on in, which meant he was finally free of Kaden's restrictive orders.

Dematerialising inside any building was always fraught with danger. Just a millimetre out and you could materialise inside a wall and suffocate to death before your molecules had time to put themselves back together again. Attempting to get inside an unfamiliar building could be seen as madness, suicide even. But Ryver wasn't in the mood for second guessing what he was about to do. He took a deep breath, nodded to Malandra, and he was off.

"Jesus fucking Christ," he muttered as he found form again inside the ventilation duct. Tight fit was right! He was lucky he had enough room to breathe, let alone move. At least Malandra would be alright, tiny as she was.

His brow knitted.

He couldn't sense her nearby. He couldn't exactly turn around and look for her, but he sent his mind in search of her. She wasn't where she was supposed to be. Where the hell are you, Pixie?

Kaden was clearly right when he said he didn't wholly trust her, though he was surprised given her apparent enthusiasm for finding her friend.

Kaden. Phoenix. They weren't there either. He was sure he'd hear them given the small space they'd chosen. Granted, Vampires could be as silent as the dead when needed, but he would know. He would feel them. What in Goddess's name was going on?

Casting his mind further, much further than he had expected, he found them. Kaden reeled, so distracted that he'd forgotten to protect his thoughts with his constant repetition of quadratic equations. They were still in the forest, all three of them. What the fuck?

Now would have been a really good time for one of them to develop telepathy so he could communicate with them. As it was, they couldn't hear him, and in the small confines of the ventilation duct, he had no hope of reaching his phone. He could hear Kaden ripping Mercury a new one, demanding to know how he hadn't noticed the Osmium lining the walls.

Osmium? It was the strongest metal on earth and it was the only thing impervious to all Fae powers. Iron worked on most, but given that Vampires took nourishment from blood, which in itself was iron rich, Osmium was the only thing known to stop them. Ryver had penetrated Osmium with his telepathic power once before, when Lena and Thorn had been stuck in a safe room at House Bowman. They all, Soraya included, agreed that because thoughts weren't sentient beings, they weren't bound by the rules that governed such things. It stood to reason that Ryver would be able to hear things on the other side.

He'd never dematerialised through the damned stuff though. No one ever had.

Stunned, for a moment he forgot what he was about. That was until he heard a sinister laugh echo through his mind.

Ria!

* * *

"That's it! Again!" Thorn bellowed as he and Skylar put their two new Prospects through their paces in the training room.

Stone and Colt, from Houses Beech and Hillden respectively, were good choices. It still flew in the face of everything the Order used to stand for to have to ask for recruits, but that was where they found themselves. Neither of the Prospects came from Warrior stock, but they were honourable and Beech and Hillden were noble Houses with long histories. Thorn and Skylar had been sparring with them, and though they were a little green, they showed great promise.

Skylar attacked Colt with his longsword. No training blades. The clash of metal was deafening and sparks flew as Colt parried shot after shot. Skylar was not taking it easy on the lad, nor should he.

Stone watched on, wincing as his friend showed no signs of besting his opponent.

"Don't worry, lad. He'll not kill him," Thorn said with a laugh.

"Are you sure, My Lord?"

"Well, not today at least!"

Stone gave a nervous laugh as Thorn grinned at him.

The smile slipped from his face, and Thorn’s brow knitted as a feeling of uneasiness settled within him. At the same time, Skylar dropped his sword and a great crash reverberated through the room. Colt stopped immediately, his expression of triumph quickly wavering.

Skylar spun around, his green eyes almost emerald in their intensity. The feeling of uneasiness in Thorn turned to dread as a fear unlike any other wound its way through him. He saw Skylar rubbing his chest and knew he felt it too. Without thinking, his soul went in search of his mate, tugging hard on their mating bond. He found her, knew she was safe. She responded in kind, though he could sense the distress in her too, but he didn't understand where it was coming from.

"My Lord, is everything alright?" Stone whispered, his wide eyes wary.

He honestly didn't know. He'd never felt anything like this.

Blood bonded as he was to all the Guardians in the Order, he would know instantly if one of his brothers was injured, or, Goddess forbid, dead. He would feel their pain as if it was his own, and he would feel it most acutely. This... This was different. He felt an emptiness, a nothingness. "Sky?" he said with a croak as he looked at his brother.

"Ryver," was his only reply.

Thorn looked at his bonds again. Skylar was right. Ryver just wasn't there. "What the hell?"

The Guardian seemed to shake off some of the despair. "I forget you didn't feel it last time."

The two recruits shared a confused glance.

"Last time? What the hell are you talking about? Where the fuck is Ryver?"

Skylar swallowed hard. "That I cannot say, but I think I know why we can't feel him."

"Yes?"

"Osmium."

Thorn closed his eyes. Of course. His sister had never let him forget it and made him promise never to disappear like that again without warning her. He and Lena had visited House Bowman when they were in search of the truth surrounding the disappearance of Eden Greenshire. Thorn had made a last-minute decision to demand entry to a hidden safe room. Encased in an Osmium room, underground, they'd disappeared from the hearts of their family. Albeit for only twelve or so hours, until the time-locks released them at sundown.

Osmium was a very precious metal, in short supply, which meant it was expensive. Few Houses had the resources for any great quantities of the stuff. What little they had was used to protect doorways and windows. It was very, very rare to have an entire room built from it. House Bowman, and of course, House Blackwood were the ones he knew of, but Ryver had gone to the Fallen headquarters.

Thorn pulled his phone from his pocket and swiped the screen. Kaden answered immediately. "What the fuck happened?"