AN: Look! Look! Look! Chapter! Text! Story! Sorry I've been gone so long, NaNoWriMo, Christmas, and then Midterms, and other such excuses swallowed up the last four months. But I'm back, with my fabulous characters, and that's what matters.

"What do you mean, 'I honestly don't know'?" I demanded.

Ash smiled at me coyly, and stretched his long frame across his couch. "You are quite unaware of the resources within your grasp."

I raised one thin black eyebrow at him. "Please, tell me of these resources I am so obviously unaware of."

"Viola, you underestimate the strength of the Daybreak system. We have hundreds of thousands of members across the globe, who are all training to fight, gathering members and finding soulmates, as well as gathering intelligence. Everywhere you go, you will most likely find at least one Circle Daybreak member. You have also come to the wrong person. I am one of Circle Daybreak's best secret mission aides, but in no positions of true power. You dear Devin holds more power than I do."

"DEVIN!" I exclaimed. "The Bellboy?"

"Ha! Devin is no bellboy. He is one of Circle Daybreak's finest spies, and a heck of a fighter. It seems you hardly know your soulmate at all."

"But….I…." I stuttered.

"It's been nice seeing you too, Viola," Ash said, "but I have places to be, and you have answers to find." That said, he sprung up off the couch and opened the door. With as much dignity as I could muster, I exited his room and returned to the foyer.

When I re-entered the foyer, the same witch still painted her nails at the counter, and some of the same people were still socializing in the lounge area by the door. I marched up to the reception desk and said clearly, "Excuse me; what do I need to do to obtain an apartment here?"

The witch scowled at her nails, muttered smoothing that didn't sound polite, and set her nail polish aside. "I'll need to check to see if we have an opening first, then all it takes is proof of Circle Daybreak Membership and the proper sum of money." The keys on her keyboard clicked as she searched the facility's availability. She cursed me as her nail polish came off on the keyboard, and then said, "We have several openings, any preferences."

"I'd like the largest suite available."

A few minutes more and then the witch finally said, "you will be in the Golden Suite, the only rooms on floor 35. What method of payment will you be using?"

I handed her my gold card. She quickly processed the payment, and then droned on, "Payments are due on the first of each month. Late payments are subject to late fees. Here's your key card, you may move in immediately." She placed a royal blue plastic card with the image of a white lotus on it on the counter. I took the card, and then exited the foyer, sufficiently satisfied with the transaction.

When I returned to the herbal shop, which looked startlingly different during the day, I found Devin standing behind the counter at the register. I opened the transparent glass door, bells tied to the handle announcing my arrival. He looked up with a fake, cheerful expression plastered across his face, but I could tell he was not happy. He recognized me instantly, and let the false expression melt away, revealing confusion and sorrow. Without saying anything, I walked across the stored, and sat behind the counter, leaning against the wall. Devin glaze flicked back and fort between me and the counter for a moment in indecision, and then he left the counter and sat down beside me. "We are such a weird couple," I murmured, resting my head on his shoulder.

Devin's eyebrows came together in confusion, but he only said, "Did you get what you wanted from Ash?"

"He answered every question except the ones I asked. I guess I should have seen it coming, Ash will be Ash."

Devin snorted. "You got that right."

"I spilled my guts this morning, it's your turn."

He glanced around the store uncomfortably. "That isn't a conversation for our current location."

"Fine, I'll go pack, and then you can help me move into my new apartment as soon as your shift is over." I heaved myself up off the musty carpet, and headed towards the back of the store.

"The door's hidden in the right wall," Devin shouted helpfully from the counter. I found a narrow wooden door in the wall between shelves of precious and magical gemstones which opened into the familiar narrow staircase with creaky old stairs. When I returned to my room, I upended the contents of the drawers onto my bed and began methodically repacking my large designer suitcase. I retrieved my hair products form the bathroom, and then neatened the room as best as I could, inspecting every inch for stray personal belongings. When I was done, the room appeared as if no one had ever occupied it.

A few hours later, I returned to Exclusive Apartments with my key card in my pocket and Devin walking beside me, easily carrying my massive suitcase as if it weighed no more than a feather pillow, a large grin lighting up his face. Many of the Circle Daybreak members sitting in the lobby politely greeted Devin with familiarity. I ignored the jealousy I felt towards those who appeared to know my soulmate better than I did, and we proceeded to the desk, where a small brunette vampire—who had chocolate brown eyes and tiny, delicate features much like a porcelain doll's—had replaced the blond witch. "Good day, Melinda," Devin said cheerily.

I pulled my key card out of my pocket, hoping it had my room number on it, but I was disappointed. I went up to Melinda and said politely, "Excuse me, I just purchased an apartment earlier today, and I've forgotten the number of my room. Could you tell me what it is?"

Melinda looked at me with a suspicious frown, but only asked for my key card, to check the system. She began checking my customer file, and then said, "Daphne has no proof of Circle Daybreak membership on your customer file. Could you supply that, please?"

I assumed Daphne was the rude blonde witch who I had dealt with that morning, and was about to make an obnoxious remark when Devin said, "Viola's my soulmate, Mel. Is that proof enough?"

Melinda looked at Devin, and then me, and then Devin again. Then she smiled. "I couldn't have arranged a better match myself. Fate favors you Devin, it gave you a challenge."

Devin grinned smugly, and I rolled my eyes. "Why do you have to tell everyone I'm your soulmate?" I whined like a petulant child.

Melinda giggled, and Devin hugged me to him with the arm that wasn't weighed down by my monstrous suitcase, saying, "It's a compliment, Viola," and kissing me on the lips. I reacted, wrapping my arms around him and drawing him to me, enjoying the taste of him.

"Get a room," someone in the lobby shouted at us, and I detached myself from Devin.

"Not fair," I told him. Melinda giggled. She handed me back my key card, on which she had written Golden Suite, floor 35 in neat cursive with sharpie. I gave her my thanks, and led Devin to the elevator.

The Golden Suite was better than I had hoped for. The elevator opened to reveal a cherry maple door, neatly labeled "floor 35" on a brass plaque. I immediately slid my key card into the slot and the door swung inward, revealing the interior. The front room was a massive area larger than most people's houses and colored in many hues of yellow, orange and gold. The walls were a pale creamy yellow color and the floor was covered in wide planks of golden finished oak. On the sides of the building through which Vegas could be viewed, a wall of windows was accented with golden draperies. The large area held a kitchenette, dining area, and living space, with at least four large flat-screen TVs. The area was completely open, sections only distinguished by the furnishings they held.

Directly opposite from the elevator was a neat, white door which I assumed led to the bathroom and bedroom. I heard a soft thump to my right, and I glanced over at Devin. He had let my massive suitcase fall to the floor, and he was gawking at the luxurious room. "Isn't it wonderful?" I said with a silly grin on my face.

"How can you afford this?" he sputtered.

I grinned wickedly, "Oh, I'm not paying for it, Hunter Redfern is."

Devin sobered immediately, wiping away the bliss of the moment. "Oh. I forgot about that."

"You FORGOT!"

"I was more worried about you being locked up in Thierry's deep dark dungeons."

"Is there really such a place?"

Devin's expression grew darker. I could see memories of horrors flash through his thoughts. "Unfortunately," he said after a long pause.

"I know far too little about you," I said seriously. "Now tell me while you help me unpack."

I picked up my bag from where Devin had dropped it near the door and headed towards the small white door which led to the rest of the suite. Devin followed behind solemnly, scarcely making a sound. A heavy silence hung between us as Devin thought about what to say. I quietly swung the white door open and entered and expansive bedroom.

A large, four-poster bed made of a golden birch wood stood in the far right corner of the large room. Thick, golden curtains surrounded a massive feather bed with a cream comforter. The floor was covered by a lush carpet of a thick orange color. The walls were painted a soft yellow-orange, and white trim detail lined where the carpeting met the walls. The majority of the right wall was taken up by a cherry maple bureau, and a set of white oak double doors were swung open to reveal an expansive walk-in closet with at least three floor length mirrors inside. The wall next to the bed contained 3 wide double hung windows, and in the left wall stood a massive flat-screen TV and a discreet oak door.

I walked to the center of the room, where I placed my bag on the floor, and I began pulling out its contents and sorting them into piles. I was acutely aware of Devin standing still in the doorway, both overwhelmed by his surroundings and distressed by the task I had asked of him. I could feel that he didn't want to tell me his story. That much, I was sure of.

Devin took in a nervous breath through his teeth, and was about to begin, when my cell phone went off. There had never been I time when I was less pleased to hear Amy Lee serenade sorrow than that instant. I fished the cell phone out of my pocket and glance at the caller ID. The name I saw there made me look again. Hunter Redfern. I took in a jagged nervous breath, and then, slowly, let out a cold calm one. "Yes, Hunter?" I said with a cold edge to my voice that I hadn't realized I had lost until that moment. Devin was making me soft, and I was unsure of whether that was good or bad.

"Have you found Circle Daybreak yet?" Hunter Redfern's baritone crackled from the other end of the line.

I glanced at Devin. He had frozen where he stood in the doorway, and a look of shock was spreading across his face. "Yes," I told Hunter wild a cold confidence, "It was truly far too easy. All I had to do was force one of the humans to claim I was their soulmate, and Thierry put me on some sort of membership probation." Devin's mouth was now hanging open in some insane fascination, but his eyes were still glazed over with fear.

"Have you found anything useful yet?" Hunter Redfern asked impatiently.

I rolled my eyes. "Puh-leez, Hunter! I haven't even been here 24 hours yet! It simply isn't possible to find information that fast."

Hunter grunted. "Call me as soon as you do," he commanded, but the strength of the command was lost as his voice crackled through my phone.

"Where ARE you?" I asked. "This connection is awful. Are you still wandering around those dark mountains looking for your long lost son?"

"That's none of your business," Hunter said sharply.

I snickered. "Yes, yes you are."

Hunter grunted, but made no comment.

"If I find anything, I'll call, but if anything real juicy comes up, I should probably just drive up to see you. Cell phones can be hacked and spied on."

"Sure, whatever," Hunter muttered. "Just find something FAST!"

"Alright, Bye," I said with fake charm. Then I hung up. I slid my cell phone back into my pocket and turned to face Devin again. The look on his face had gone from fear and amazement to shock and concern. "What?" I asked cruelly. "Looks like I spilled my guts to you and you still don't know me. Well that evens up the scores a bit. I don't know a thing about you." I turned my back to him a silently returned to the task of unpacking my bag. Devin stood in my doorway silently for a very long time.

AN: This is my longest chapter EVER! 2226 words of quality writing. I'm very proud of myself. Comments and questions, and even flames are welcome, so please review!