A sudden knock on the door jerked me from the lulling relaxation of the hot bath. Glancing down I realized that I had been in here long enough that I was pruning. Climbing out of the tub and wrapping a towel around myself, I moved to the door and opened it.

Standing on the other side was a young woman, who looked no older than seventeen. She was holding some clothing draped across one arm and a tray of food in the other.

“Miss. Levi thought someone should bring you some clothing to wear and something to eat. If you are feeling up to it, I would be happy to take you to Levi. We understand how confusing everything can be but once you speak with him more, everything should be clear. “Her voice was soft and gentle. It felt like she knew me..

Nodding my head, I went towards the bath but she advised me that she would take care of that and for me to just dress and eat and let her know when I was ready. She handed me the items and went and busied herself in the bathroom while I changed.

I was quick with my actions because I wanted out of this room and to learn more about what was going on. When the young woman came back into the main bedroom she asked if I was ready and I responded and then followed her out. I did not feel like a prisoner but I also knew that I would not able to leave on my own. I would get lost if I did.

Letting my eyes take in the area around me my brain felt like it was trying to process something. I knew this area, or at least that is what it was trying to tell me. I knew where I was going so why did I need a guide? An ache started in my head as I kept trying to filter through the memories.

When we suddenly stopped I almost crashed into the young woman in front of me because I was not paying attention. She knocked on a door and it quickly opened. Standing there was Levi. I got a good look at the man that seemed so familiar to me and almost gasped as I realized it was the same Levi from the memory and from my dreams. He was my personal bodyguard, the man sworn to protect me with his life. He had tried to rescue me that night but I thought he was dead.

Ushering me into the room he bid the servant goodbye and motioned for me to take a seat. For a moment, I was frozen. So much of what I thought was a dream land was becoming real and I wanted to know why. Why did someone take me away?

“It’s good to see you again Princess. Though I wish I could have come to you in this form rather than the other. Welcome to my home away from home, the Blackthorn Library. You can usually find either Elias or myself in here most days, if not both of us. There is so much history within these walls and so much more than that. Your family history is here, as is Elias’ and mine. You are welcome in here any time you want.’

I stared for a moment at the man. He seemed so relaxed and yet the memory I had of him showed him to look the same. I had to admit, I had forgotten everything there was to know about the supernatural races that lived here. Growing up, they were a myth. Things people told stories about because humans did not want to feel like they were the only species in the world. Yet here she was, quite sure that she had met a werewolf and a vampire. There were other species around this island and her brain was throbbing like it was being stabbed with a needle at the thought.

“I thought you were dead.” I blink a moment as the words come out of my mouth. Fear and pain clear within the words and yet I knew he would understand. How could he not? He had seen me leave as a child and he had been chasing after me to rescue me back I was more than sure now.

"No dear child. I was weakened but not dead. Wolfsbane dipped arrows, while they may kill most werewolves in massive quantities they only knock me out. You forget, I am the alpha, and I have been for one thousand years. Unfortunately, it was enough to prevent me to get to you. Elias was very displeased that I failed in that task but he could not come for you as he was trying to save the rest of the people on the island.”

I could hear the sadness and pain in Levi’s voice and I wanted to comfort him. Why I moved from my seat and placed my hand on his shoulder I do not know. It seemed almost like instinct.

“I do not remember much of that time. What I do remember has happened more since I returned to this place. The more I try to remember that time the more my head hurts. What I need to know is why I was taken, and why I am back now. How did I get here? I remember going to sleep in my apartment, after an argument with the people that raised me and then I woke up here.” My voice came out hurried and ragged. There was a true sense of frustration and desperation that even I could detect.

Levi smiled at me. It was a smile that triggered a memory in my mind, one from my early childhood. It was the look he would give me when I had an outburst and he understood I needed to act like this but he was going to say something that would probably either upset me more, or calm me down.

“Princess. There are hundreds of thousands of books in this library. Any of them will tell you where you are and answer your questions as to who else is here. If Eli had known where you were sooner he would have brought you back. In fact, it was him risking his life that we believe pulled you out of whatever spell it was that held you. Why don’t we start from the beginning?”

I did not want to start from the beginning. I wanted answers and then to go think about everything but I also knew that without starting at the beginning none of us would be able to move on. Eli was hoping I would remember him, the man that was supposed to be my husband. Levi, I could not quite figure out what he wanted but his words were enough that I moved back to one of the oversized chairs in the room and took a seat. Tucking my feet up underneath me I allowed myself to take a breath and closed my eyes for a moment.

I was trying to center myself, to find the moment of calm that I would need to understand. My eyes snapped open when a book was placed in my lap. Looking down at the text I could tell it was leather bound and very old. Opening it I noticed that it was a historical text. Well the title should have told me that. I was staring at a book that called itself, The King of Blood, a history of Summermarsh. My fingers itched to dig into the pages and not stop until it was completely read.

“This should get you started. You need to understand the history that was taught to you as a child before you can even begin to understand the present and the future. This book was written by the one person that knows the history. The oldest of any of the inhabitants of this island. I won’t bore you with the details now but please read it. As a child you used to love this story more than the others. Said it helped you understand your people even before you knew what your duty was.”