Seb watched her go to the room, feeling helpless, and as she shut the door behind her his eyes fell on the bottle of red wine and he groaned. Instead of caving he opened a pack of cigs, something else he'd almost stopped, and went to the window to smoke. He stood there for sometime when he heard Serena calling. He dropped the cig into a glass of water and turned to see her bleeding, hunger from not feeding struck him hard before he shoved it down and grabbed a shirt. He tore it in two and made a type of tourniquet, his heart racing as he used the other half to bind the wounds. "Sweet Vlad... Serena..."

He picked up his phone and called for the nurse and when she came she surprised him by handing her a spirit blessed ring. He slid it onto Serena's finger, then realized his hands were bloody. He grimaced and the nurse, who was now tending to Serena frowned. "You need to go eat, I'll keep an eye on the lady..." She held her hand over Serena's arm and the wounds slowly began to heal. It was rare to find another moroi with the spirit ability but it wasn't as surprising to find that she was working as a nurse... "I'll call for someone... I'm not leaving her."

He went to the sink and washed his hands before bringing Serena a glass of the wine he'd been eyeballing earlier, "Drink this, it'll dull down what the ring doesn't help..."

He'd always been so careful... so careful to make sure she didn't take too much darkness. He'd always been so sure he'd keep her from this... but her it was... happening anyway... because of him. He took a breath and swallowed the guilt, she didn't need those emotions right now so instead he tried to focus on support and love.

"You haven't even taken anything from me... I don't understand how..." He took a breath and the nurse shot him a look, he nodded and moved to the phone. Within moments there was a feeder and he took her to the bathroom. It wasn't long before he came back out and took a seat by Serena's side where the nurse had moved her to the couch.

~*~

Anna moved through the tunnels. The four Strigoi were waiting but it took little time to dispatch them and Jace informed them as they got closer to the larger group that was obviously planning to ambush them. After killing about six they came to a four way split in the caves and Anna frowned. "Stay between us Jace..." No sooner than she said it were they attacked by ten strigoi. The problem was the caves were nearly pitch black and the pen lights they wore didn't show nearly enough. Anna ducked an oncoming blow and swung her leg under her attacker, knocking him from his feet before she blocked another blow and lashed out with a kick to the strigoi's knee that broke it and put him down temporarily. She staked him then turned and staked another strigoi who was running up on her. She tried to keep herself between them and Jace as the other Guardians were doing but it was becoming increasingly more difficult. 

It took two Dhampirs to take down a single strigoi at times and this was one of those times. Anna felt her hair grabbed and her head yanked to the side, she brought an elbow back into her attacker's ribs and stomped her toe. She was released and helped a struggling Guardian stake the Strigoi he was restraining. The Elites were called what they were for a reason, down went six of the ten strigoi and the four remaining were obviously the older and stronger of them. However, everyone was beginning to tire and Jace was shouting that there were more coming. How many Abigail had recruited was unknown but obviously it had been more than the twelve she'd allowed to be seen when the Commune was attacked... a smart move on her part, only showing part of her hand...