Darkness (Book 1 of The Royals Trilogy)

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

ANA

Two years ago ...

"Mom, dad, I'm leaving. I'm going to the party! " I yelled as I Ran down the stairs, leaving the sound of my heels on the floor. I dressed myself enough for my best friend's Quinceañera. I Wore a black dress that reached my knees and my brown hair was in curls. I opened the door and I saw my boyfriend standing in his suit, "wow you look beautiful," he said looking at me from head to toe and I turned red.

"Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself, Carlos," I said smiling. Carlos was my neighbor/boyfriend and knew how to drive so he was taking us to the party. He took my hand and opened the door of his orange Camaro for me to get in. Once I was in the car, Carlos opened his door and got in. I didn't feel like talking so instead I looked out the window and Carlos didn't seem to mind, he didn't push me to talk. The stars were shinning brightly in the sky while the moon couldn't be seen since it was a new moon.

When we arrived at the party, I saw my friend in her blue dress and her chambelan, her boyfriend, Daniel, they were at the entrances greeting the people that arrived. When she saw us, she smiled at me and I ran to her with her gift. "You came! I thought you were going to leave me here alone," she said with a teasing tone, we both knew I'd never do that.

I laughed as I hugged her back, "I would never do that Mel, besides, it seems the whole school is here, you're not alone."

We both laughed a while and spent our time dancing like the night had no limits and talked briefly. But then Ricardo and his gang of rebels arrived and "brought everything to get the party started for real," he yelled when he arrived with a box with what I suspected, was beer. Knowing that something bad was about to happen, I got up and walked towards the exit but a pair of strong arms stopped me and were holding me by the waist. I turned and saw Ricardo there with a smug look on his face, "you look bored love, here," he offered me a bottle of beer. I rejected it, disgusted and I pushed him aside to walk out into the cold night. Suddenly, I realized that I had no way to get home, I went back inside and started looking for Carlos. I found him sitting at a table flirting with a blonde. I frown at the scene before me and I walk towards them.

Angrily, I reach them and I stood in front of him with my arms crossed, "Carlos, I want to leave, let's go."

He turned to look at me but instead of agreeing, he offered me a glass of soda, "Of course we will, but first drink this."

"What is it?" I asked, unsure if I should take it or not.

"Soda, you look tired and maybe a drink would help." Without thinking twice, I took it and immediately, I started to feel better and full of energy.

"Are you sure you want to go?" asked Carlos with a smile he knew I loved.

"No, let's stay a while longer," I said, feeling anxious to get back to the dance floor with my friends. Without thinking twice nor knowing what happened I went back to partying and I probably looked out of my mind, I always avoided being the center of attention so this behavior was foreign to me, but I didn't care, I just wanted to have fun. I even went back to Ricardo and accepted the beer he had offered me.

Time flew by and I wasn't sure of how much more we celebrated and I couldn't remember what exactly happened, I just remembered seeing the bright lights of the police and being dragged into one of their cars. Once the car started moving I started feeling sick and I threw up inside before the officers could stop the car.

....

After a medical check , I was at the waiting area of the police station where I waited for my parents. I felt ashamed and disgusted, what had gotten into me? My parents are going to kill me. The door opened and the environment instantly changed. My parents were there, and believe me, they did not look very happy.

My father was tense and you could feel how angry he was, my mother was standing behind him. Although you couldn't read her emotions, by the way she was standing it looked like she was at least as furious as my father. "Anastasia, in the car, now," said my father through gritted teeth and I gulped. I walked nervously to the car and the three of us silently got in.

The ride home was uncomfortable and tense but when we got home my mother was the first to explode. I was heading up the stairs to my room when my mother's voice stopped me. "Where do you think you're going Anastasia?" I slowly turned around and avoided meeting her eyes. "What were you thinking!? Getting high and drunk at a party like that! You are not like that, we raised you better, or I thought we did! What were you thinking?!" I could feel my mother's deathly glare on my head.

"I'm sorry it was a mistake," I said almost inaudible.

Then my dad exploded, "it was a serious mistake Anastasia! Do you realize what would have happened if they hadn't called the police!? Do you even care?! Or were you too drunk and high to bother?!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't want it to happen," I said, my voice cracked and my eyes began to fill with tears.

"Your apology doesn't solve anything," said my father angrily, "You will be grounded for two months. You won't be able to leave the house to go to parties or to see Carlos. You can only go to school. Understand?" Silence... "Go to your room." Obeying his orders I nodded and left rushing up the stairs with my heels in my hand.

I went inside my room and dropped myself on the bed. I began to cry involuntarily and I tried hard not to be too loud. It probably hadn't worked because I heard soft footsteps walk towards my bed a few minutes later. I felt her gentle hand rubbing my back soothingly. "Shh Ana, it's alright," I heard her say and, instantly, I stopped crying to look at my older sister.

"You heard me?" I croaked out before sniffing and Emma nodded.

"Yes Ana, I'm right next door remember?" she smiled warmly at me and I nodded. My sister helped me get into bed. "I will always be here for you sis," she whispered in my ear before placing a soft kiss on my temple. I heard her retreating footsteps before she closed the door and she was gone.

...

For two months I hadn't been able to go out, unless it was to go to school. I couldn't see my friends nor my boyfriend which was a bummer but I deserved it. After that party, people began to treat me different, I was no longer the shy girl who always did what was told and got good grades. They started to believe I'd somehow changed and they began to invite me to parties to which I declined, I couldn't go and I didn't want to go either.

In those two months is when I realized other things...

...FLASHBACK ....

After another boring day of school I was going home . 25-5 -turn- 16 *click* my locker opened. Tired and stressed of my punishment, I flung my notebooks in and closed it quickly. When I turned the corner of the hallway I was not expecting what I saw. Oh no, but it still happened. There he was, my boyfriend, Carlos, and apparently he was too busy kissing the blonde from the party to notice me.

As if sensing my gaze, he opened his eyes and looked at me. His eyes widened slightly and I could read his expression, guilt, shame, but what surprised me was his last expression of relief and happiness. "Ana let me explain," said his voice that had been once music to my ears.

"Don't say anything! You're a pig and a cheating jerk! If you think I will forgive you you're dead wrong. We're over!" I yelled, the blonde left while I was yelling at my ex. Smart girl. But he, he just stood there looking at me like I was crazy. I could not stand it anymore, I ran out of the school and into the cold and wet weather outside, he didn't try to follow me. That was the last time I talked to him. I would see him around with the blonde and my friend would try to change the subject but the wound he left in me was too deep and I was permanently scarred. I had trusted him, loved him but to him I was just another girl.

...END OF FLASHBACK...

But that was two months ago, now, Finally My punishment was over! I was free. That day was the last day of school. Excited, I got up quickly and put on a strapless pink t-shirt with a black skirt. I let my hair hang loose and didn't put any make-up, it wasn't something I enjoyed but I still did once in a while.

At school I was standing by my locker when I spotted Mel waiting for me with her white sundress with red flowers. "I finally feel like myself again," I said happily as I walked towards her and she laughed.

"So that means that today we can hang out?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I won't be here," I said with a frown.

"Where are you going?" she asked confused.

"No clue," I said as the two of us walked to class together.

The rest of the day flew by but it didn't matter, since summer vacation had just started. When I got out of school I saw my parents in the car waiting for me. I said goodbye to Mel and walked over to the car. "Ready?" my mom asked me while turning around to look at me, and I replied with a yes.

"Where are we going?" I asked, curious, after about an hour on the road.

"To Orlando, Florida with your aunt," my father replied sternly without looking at me. He had forgiven me but he had made it clear it had become hard to trust me again. Emma gave me a look trying to sooth me but I looked away quietly and I pulled out my phone. 18 hours in a car. I WOULDN'T SURVIVE.

Like I mentioned earlier, it was torture. We only stopped for lunch and when we got to Orlando I got excited. I was happy to be at the beach, in the ocean with the sand, getting a tan and especially, cute guys. I spoke too soon, THEY took all of that from me. One minute we were in the car at night moving on the road and then... the car was spinning.

After what felt like an eternity, the car stropped. I opened my eyes and saw my parents bleeding but before I could react the doors were torn opened and they disappeared from sight. Hurting, I got up and tried to get out of the car but stopped when I saw two shadows holding my parents over the ground.

I limped towards them and saw that they were sucking their blood. I screamed like a mad woman. Vampires! Those were myths, weren't they?! One turned to me and smiled at me coldly, blood covering his fangs. "What do we do with this one?" He asked his companion. His partner saw me and something happened. His blue eyes drew me to him. I could not turn away. Those blue eyes seemed to see everything about me.

"Devion, let her live, she won't say anything," responded the blue-eyed creature and his partner, Devion, said nothing but his eyes then noticed something, or should I say, someone behind me. "Ana?" Said the thin voice of my sister. I turned to look at her, she had a deep gash on her forehead, her light-brown hair had blood on it and her right leg looked out of place.

It was the last thing I saw before, with their vampire speed, they took her. "No! " I shouted but it wasn't enough, they were gone. Emma was gone and I was alone. I looked from where my sister once was to where my parents' lifeless bodies laid. I fell on my knees, I felt numb and I was alone.