I made my way into the dark recesses of our dungeon to carry out a task that was asked of me: to question Meredith Wrenley on the details of her attack on Raven's Keep. As I got closer to her cell, I felt her look defiantly in my direction, but I could also sense the feeling of defeat she must've felt being one of the remaining survivors of a failed attack. When I reached her cell, I grabbed a hold of the window bars and peered within. Seeing the commander of Reginald's army beaten and broken, it felt good.

"It's been an interesting couple of weeks," Meredith said suddenly, which startled me slightly. "We've come a long way since Canada's Wonderland. But I see you've come for a nice fireside chat."

"How does it feel to lose to us 'lowly' humans? You led Reginald's army, and lost. They're all dead. Except for you and Ashella."

"I don't feel anything at all," Meredith replied.

"Well, you have to feel something. This must be a big defeat for you," I said. "Oh, and if I didn't already make it clear, you look ridiculous, dressed in clothing from the 1980s. Like some reject from The Breakfast Club. I can't stress that enough."

From the end of the cell, I could swear I heard Meredith cough out a dry laugh of some sort. She rose from the ground and walked towards the barred window of the cell door. When she finally got to the bars, I came face-to-face with Meredith Wrenley. She had a blank look on her face, with her lips crooked up into a smirk. It was a smile without feeling. Was she trying to play me?

"You act like if I cared," Meredith said. "I should ask you why you feel so triumphant after one small victory. From what I remember, your side took losses too. The only difference is that the number of attackers we can send to Raven's Keep is essentially infinite. We can bleed you dry to the last person standing."

"More attackers?" My voice cracked slightly. I really hope the surprise didn't show in the tone of my voice. The battle we just won was a really tough encounter. Could we really survive multiple waves of attacks? No, she's trying to put me off balance. "I know you're lying," I countered. "Much of Reginald's army lies dead in the warzones of southern Mexico, along with those of Druzillia, Staunton, and Braggen.

Meredith shaked her head. The expression on her face didn't seem to change. "I'm sure you saw Reginald's broadcast on television. It was ostensibly for the masses, but specifically aimed at you people. He's given me a week to take Raven's Keep. One week to take the keep and round up any survivors for extraction to the blood camps."

"And we defeated you in two days."

"A hollow victory!" screamed Ashella from the neighbouring cell.

I moved over to Ashella's cell and struck my forearm onto the bars, causing a loud clang to be heard throughout the echoey dungeons. Ashella appeared to flinch, but only slightly.

"Quiet, Ashella," said Meredith in a threatening tone. "Let me do the talking. And don't you ever speak up like that again. Not without my permission."

"Oh, you expect to make a deal?" I replied, turning my attention back to Meredith. "We have you as a hostage. From what I know, you're a pretty high ranking member of House Wrenley. They even put you in charge of junior members of House Drakon in the attack - despite House Wrenley being a vassal of House Drakon. What makes you so important, Meredith? Will Reginald be willing to attack us with you in our hands?"

"I'm merely the Commander of New Toronto's army. If I fall, another one will take my place," Meredith said. "If I succeed, the prince will take all the credit. And if I fail, my head is the one that is on the line." She smiled wryly, the first time in this conversation she even appeared to be remotely amused. "I have no intention of returning to Prince Reginald. That palladium rapier he carries around isn't just for show. It's for torturing fellow vampires - vampires that have displeased him."

"And you're afraid of what will happen when you return to Old Rege," I added. I couldn't help but be somewhat amused myself. Meredith was never afraid of me, or us. She was afraid of the consequences of failing - the exact outcome that transpired.

"So you finally realized the dilemma I face," Meredith replied. "You will not be able to bargain me as a hostage to prevent a future attack. Prince Reginald does not care for hostages. I also have no intention of escaping and going back to face the Prince's 'justice'. The next attack will come, and it will be painful. You're all going to die, myself included."

'We can't die,' I thought to myself. Not if I could help it. There must be another way.

"Yes!" screeched Ashella as she grabbed a hold of the bars of the cell door and began shaking it violently. "A hollow victory! You will all die beneath the might of the Prince of all Vampires, Reginald Drakon!"

A nearby dungeon guard aimed his crossbow at Ashella, the palladium tipped bolt ready to fire. "Step away from the bars, prisoner."

"Do as he says, Ashella," said Meredith calmly. "It's best not to antagonize our generous hosts. And did I not tell you not to speak up? Don't make me repeat myself again."

Her attitude annoyed me. Who does she think she is? She's the captive! "And what makes you think I'll - we'll show you mercy? You're our enemy," I said in response. "You are one of them, the vampires that have scorched the earth and reduced us to slaves, to a food source for you! For you!"

"I'm sorry about what happened to your father, Audrey. I mean it. It was very cruel. To murder a parent in front of his daughter. If it was up to me, I would never have done it."

"Don't act like you care!" I shouted, banging my fist on the solid metal of the cell door. It hurt my fist to do that, but the anger I currently felt seemed to numb the pain just slightly.

"Are you alright, Audrey?" asked one of the dungeon guards.

"I'm fine," I replied as I stormed away.

But I really wasn't.

***

Everyone that held any importance was gathered at the command centre. Maddox, Patel, Dr. James, Lauren, Jennifer, Cailey, and Brendan were all there. The survivors of Raven's Keep called them "The Leadership". A sort of loose collective that kept things going after the clear leader of Raven's Keep, Rebecca was murdered by Reginald. They were all gathered there to discuss the next steps after our victory over Meredith Wrenley's invasion force.

Maddox noticing me enter said, "Hey, it's Audrey. How'd the interview with the vampire go?" Everyone except for Brendan and Cailey gave a chuckle, no doubt an old pop culture reference that only the older generation would understand.

"Was I suppose to find out anything from Meredith Wrenley?"

"Yes," Brendan said with a slight frown. "We need all the information we can get. We have to know what Reginald knows about his attempted invasion. It's been three days, and no one has reported back to him. He must be getting antsy as he was expecting an easy victory."

"Meredith said Reginald gave her a week to take the keep. Maybe there's a buffer period before he starts to suspect something?"

"We can possibly buy some time. But not with complete radio silence. We have to be able to mislead him somehow."

"Can we not force Meredith to make a fake radio report to Reginald? It'll buy us time to plan our next move, and to contact the Western Ontario Resistance, the Peterborough Underground, and even the rebels in Toronto," chimed Cailey. "It'll be something."

"I like your chain of thought, Cailey," said Maddox. "We have to convince Meredith Wrenley to help us."

"What!?" I shouted in surprise. "Questioning her to get more information about our enemies is one thing. But getting her to help us? She won't do it. We can't trust her!"

"She just might. After all, you spared her life. She owes you."

Maddox was right. I had spared Meredith when I could have easily killed her, like I did with Flavia Drakon. When she pleaded with me to spare her, she had the same eyes when she looked at me that night in Canada's Wonderland. Those sympathetic, honest eyes. I am not a monster. I couldn't have killed her. But most people would do the same in my position right?

"I'll go talk to her," I replied. "But we have to be prepared for all outcomes."

***

The next day I paid a visit to Meredith's dungeon cell. I walked up to her cell door, and gave it a hard knock. "Meredith, I need a word with you," I said as I peered into the cell. The cell was dark, but I could see a shadow stir, and began walking closer to the door. Moments later, the shadow was close enough to the door that the light from the dungeon hallway illuminated its face. It was Meredith Wrenley, just as I expected. But seeing her face up close, closer than I've ever seen before. She looked...beautiful even. Pale, smooth white skin, and model like facial features. Like a cover girl from those teen fashion magazines I read to pass the time back in Algonquin Park. If it wasn't for those yellow, vampire eyes, I would be completely enraptured by her beauty.

"I'm here," said Meredith. "What do you want?"

I waved a walkie talkie in front of the cell door window. It was just one of the many walkie talkie units we had seized from the dead invaders. "I want you to do us a favour. You know, for sparing you. We want you to radio back to Reginald, and let him know that you've won."

Meredith let out a short dry laugh. "You want me to radio back to Reginald, and let him know that I won."

"You don't have to repeat what I said. It was pretty clear. Let him know that you've won. Put his mind at ease. Didn't you say you didn't want to face the Prince's 'justice'?"

"He's going to be expecting results. I can't just say I defeated Raven's Keep and then...nothing. He will send scouts to investigate."

"We're aware of that. Just buy us some time."

I held the walkie talkie in my hand, my thumb just resting on the talk button. "If you try anything, Meredith, I won't hesitate to kill you."

Meredith smiled, and seemed to pause in thought for a second. She was clearly considering the situation she was in. Would she comply with our request? If she didn't, I would be forced to kill her. There were so many ways this could go wrong.

"Do it," she said.

I nodded and pressed the talk button.

"Force 1 to Loma Prime. Force 1 to Loma Prime," said Meredith.

I let go of the talk button. Silence. I hope this was going to work.

"This is Loma Prime. Identify yourself," replied the male radio operator.

It looked like this might actually work. Just a routine call in. Nothing special.

"Meredith Wrenley, Force 1 Commander. Verification code 2993711."

"Good to hear from you, Commander Wrenley. Status update?"

"I have captured Raven's Keep, but have taken heavy losses. There are still paladin insurgents in the surrounding areas, but we have to move carefully. We will require an additional two weeks to completely stamp them out. Expect us to return to New Toronto after that time. Please report this update to Prince Reginald."

"Copy that, Force 1. Good work with crushing the paladin scum. We will relay the message to His Highness immediately. Anything else?"

"No, that will be all. Force 1 out."

Radio silence. Was that it? Just like that Meredith Wrenley had bought us a couple of weeks.

"Just a couple of weeks," I said. "That's not a lot of time."

"It wouldn't be realistic to ask for more. If I required more time, that would logically mean I don't have the situation under control. Why wouldn't I ask for reinforcements or additional support? That would be too suspicious," replied Meredith.

"I guess I should thank you. For buying us time."

Meredith only smiled in response, turning around and disappearing back into the deeper recesses of the dungeon cell.