Kailin didn’t move for several hours, and finally her eyes flickered. Her head was throbbing, and she rubbed it constantly trying to retake control of her own mind. He was in there, whispering the sounds of death to her, and pleading her to leave the cathedral. It had all occurred as if it were a dream, but she knew by the blood stains on her clothes that it had been real.
  Mathias gave her a moment to collect herself. He waited patiently until she acknowledged him, but kept a close eye on her. Standing up, she walked over to the fountain in the center of the cathedral. Her eyes looked down at her own reflection in the water, and then up to Mathias.
  “How are you feeling?” He asked as he came to stand next to her.
  “He is whispering to me. I can barely hear him, but I understand what he wants.” Kailin looked back down at her reflection.
  Mathias understood that she meant Marekio, “Remain strong, Kailin.”
  “Is Gabrielle alright?” She asked, ignoring his words of encouragement.
  “Yes, she will be. Took a hard knock to the head, though.”
  “She has a hard head anyway.” She grinned, but it soon faded.
  “It wasn’t your fault, Kailin.” He told her, sensing the regret.
  She dipped the ends of her fingers into the water and then looked at the small droplets run down her hand. “Wasn’t what I was thinking about.”
  “What were you thinking about then?” He sat down on the edge of the fountain.
  “My sister.” She looked over at him, and then mimicked him by sitting on the edge of the fountain too.
  “What about her?” He crossed his arms.
  “I was just wondering had I not of given myself in place of my sister, would I of become a vampire anyway and created the Mephis. Had he killed her I would never of created the first Mephis even if I did become a vampire.”
  “Being a vampire gives you a lot of time to think about what ifs.”
  She nodded, “Gives you a lot of time to miss what you never appreciated.”
  “You mean Nathaniel?”
  Another nod was given, “My father, mother, brother, everyone that was once a part of my life.”
  “He was a good man, your husband.”
  She chuckled, “You must of saw a lot of things he did for me, when you were stalking me in the shadows.”
  “Yes, but I also knew first hand.”
  Kailin rose her eyebrow and she stared at him, “What do you mean?”
  “I think it’s time I told you what I have done. Come clean with you, so that you can start to truly see what you are up against.” He swallowed, “You may hate me after I tell you, but you should know.”
  “Hate you, what do you mean?”
  “You were created on purpose, you know that right? You were meant to make the Mephis and you were meant to destroy them.”
  “Why to make and destroy, what would that accomplish?”
  “That is something, I can not say, but that is not what I needed to confess either. Only something you should understand before I tell you the truth. After you ran away to the Americas, I had allowed you to leave. I chose not to follow you, because I didn’t want to be ordered to destroy you. It was just better to allow you to live on without the elders watching your every move.” He looked down at the stone floor, “However, I still felt obligated to help you, somehow. So, after you left I consoled Nathaniel for several years as his closest friend. Although, I asked to stay out of many of his other affairs and asked to keep our friendship quiet.”
  “You were friends with Nathaniel?”
  He nodded, “ Shortly after you left, I introduced myself. He was very depressed, and I felt I could help him.”
  She looked ashamed. “Why did he… why did he take his own life?”
  “Things were starting to look up, your sister was sick but there was word from you from the Americas saying that you were returning. Nathaniel planned to throw you a party and beg you not to leave him ever again. He told me once, that his only desire in this world would be to know you. He said that you never let him in, and you seemed so distant from him.”
  She stared at Mathias, hanging on his every word.
  His eyes shot down, “Kailin, there is something you don’t know. Something that you are never to know, and if I tell you, you must take happiness in knowing it and never pursue anything to do with it. Understand?”
  “Yes I understand.”
  He frowned, “I caught Nathaniel taking poison one night and when I asked him why, he told me he got a letter from you saying you did not love him and to never speak with you again. He also told me that it said you were never returning to England, and to just move on as you had.”
  “I never wrote such a thing!”
  He nodded, “I know you didn’t, I did.”
  “What?”
  “By order of the Elders. He told me to watch over his body and when he was dead to go for help, I agreed. As he laid on the ground, I looked into the face of a man who just couldn’t live without something he so deeply desired.” Mathias swallowed, “I know how that feels to want something that you can never truly have, I felt pity. I couldn’t watch him die.”
  Her eyes were fixed to his face unsure where he was going with this story.
  “So, I turned him.”
  “What did you say?”
  “I turned him into a vampire, then hung him so people would think he hung himself. Then he was buried.”
  Kailin’s eyes told her shock there was no need to read her mind. “Are you telling me that Nathaniel is still alive?”
  “I dug him up a couple days later, and took him to my home in Italy. There I trained him on how to block his mind from other vampires as well as how to stay alive, we chose a new name for him, so that no one would know I allowed his survival. He was meant to die, so you could complete your tasks. Had he been alive, you would of stayed with him.”
  “Who the hell decides my fate? Who the hell gave you or anyone the right to pick and choose who I am friends with or who I love? You tricked him into killing himself! How could you do such a thing?” She had thrown herself into a standing position.
  “Remain calm, Kailin. I know what I did was wrong, but I had no other options. The elders ordered his death, and had I not done it they would of sent someone else to take his life much more violently.” Mathias tried to grab her hands, but she yanked them away.
  “Where is he now?”
  “You know I can not tell you that. You could jeopardize his life and your own.”
  “But he is alive right?”
  He nodded, “Yes, alive. He keeps close tabs on you and many times I had to fight him to not to speak with you, like the day on the street when you met Kristian.”
  “He was there? That day?”
  Mathias gave a nod, “You walked right past us.”
  Kailin sat back down, “How could he have been that close and I couldn’t see him?”
  “You thought it was Kristian and paid no attention.” He looked down again in shame, “I feel though I made a mistake in doing so. He often questions why I let him live, letting him see what he wants just out of reach. Nathaniel knows that he can never be apart of your life again, and so he hates me, but on the same token he is my friend still.”
  “So, he is in New York?”
  “That day, yes. When things started to go sour around here, I decided it was best for him to leave. I knew you would soon be suffering and I didn’t want him around, I can barely keep him at bay when you are content.” He looked at Kailin’s sad eyes, “Kailin, he died over two hundred years ago, just like you did. You have to remember that. His name has changed, his life has changed, but he still thinks he wants what his human life wanted. You can never approach him, and must forget that I even told you.”
  “I understand, though you shouldn’t of told me.”
  Mathias looked at the cathedral door and then back to her. “Probably not, but all this time you thought he killed himself over you. Already you have too many burdens, and I wanted to take one away.”
  Kailin shook her head gently, “No, he did kill himself over me. You just told me that he doesn’t exist anymore.” Grabbing her head Kailin moaned in pain.
  “Are you alright?”
  “No.” She took another moment as the sound of Marekio’s voice echoed throughout her mind. “Why did they do this to me?” Kailin asked, sliding down onto the stone floor, tears could be heard in her voice.
  “I wish I had an answer to that question, Kailin, I really do. You weren’t meant to wipe out the Mephis until you were an elder, and there are some ancient scrolls that tell of shortening the process, but it takes a couple hundred years. Tzion and the other thought they were strong enough to control you, we weren’t counting on Marekio.”
  “Who is Marekio?” She tried to cover her face from him, not wanting to show her pain.
  He closed his eyes and rubbed his face in his hands, before he spoke again, “As you know when a vampire is created their human soul is tossed from the body awaiting its aura within the Higher Being. Since vampires are evil and the human soul could not possibly do what a vampire does, a demon soul must take the place of the human soul. The aura of that person stays and suppresses the demon soul, after a long time the aura learns the powers of the demon soul and can control the demon.”
   Mathias paused for a moment, “Marekio is your demon. He was once so power hungry that the Ultimate Evil began to fear him, and so he tossed his soul into the body of a human or as we now have come to know the body of a vampire. It questions our beliefs now, because maybe the Ultimate Evil planned his soul to be delivered to you all along in hopes that you would lead the Mephis, maybe he even knew of the foolishness that Tzion and the rest of us would involve you in.”
  He looked down at Kailin, but she remain silent, and so he continued. “Unfortunately, by giving you elder blood so quickly your aura had no time to grow. I was against it for so long and then the second night you were with Tzion, he convinced me. Somehow he managed to persuade my stubborn mind to give in.”
  She held back the urge to cry, “How long before my aura catches up in strength?”
  His head shook slowly and his eyes showed of great sadness, “Another two hundred years at the least.”
  Dizzy, her head began to spin, and she felt sick. It had been a long time since she had felt this way. “Two hundred years.” she mumbled.
  He could hear the tears in her throat as she laid her head against his leg, “I have been alive more then two thousand years, it’ll pass within the blink of an eye.”
  “For you maybe, it took me two hundred years to get where I am and now I have to spend another here in this room until my aura is ready. And it might, only might I say catch up in two hundred years it might take longer.”
  Sliding to the ground next to her, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, “I will be your companion, I won’t leave here until you can leave her.”
  Kailin looked up at him and he back down at her, “You would?”
  “Not much of a shadow if I left you now.”
  Several tears fell down her cheeks, and Mathias held her tighter. She shoved her face into his shirt and began to cry, softly at first then it became louder. Mathias knew it had been far to long since she had last cried, his last memory was when she was a child. So, he held her quietly, just stroking her hair and allowing his shirt to soak up two hundred years of pain, confusion, and torment.

  Walking through the mansion gates, Mathias headed towards the cathedral. He hadn’t kept his promise like he wanted, but needed to return to his home to gather some items he would need. Many questions still lingered in his mind. He didn’t know how he would be able to live in the same city for the next two hundred years without drawing attention to himself. Both Tzion and he would have to be especially careful and close themselves off from much of the world.
  He sighed, this would of never of happened had Tzion controlled himself. He had been a fool to think it was possible to control an soul like Kailin’s, one he was certain Tzion knew was fairly strong. It was too late to save her, after talking with Tzion he knew this. She had fed from them and it wasn’t possible to remove the blood from her now, such a thing had to be done immediately after the transfer. All they could do now was wait, and make certain that the Mephis never knew she was not in control. They would certainly attack knowing their mother would not be able to stop them.
  Several footsteps were heard ahead of him, and Mathias looked up to watch several peon vampires run from the mansion to the cathedral. Soon there after Tzion and Akela headed out towards the cathedral as well. Something was wrong, and he dropped his luggage and ran to Kailin.
  The cathedral was surrounded by several mutilated bodies, and he could smell the burn of other vampires. There had been some candles placed near the alter, and it would have been easy to kill any Hallowed. He knew, Kailin wasn’t here anymore. Walking inside he looked around, there had been a slaughter. Human minions were scattered in bloody messes around the room, and even some fresh vampires had been torn to shreds.
  Mathias looked at Tzion who was standing with his back to him in the center of the cathedral. Akela had walked up to the alter and tried to find any survivors.
  “We underestimated Marekio.” Tzion said as Mathias came to stand behind him.
  “It wasn’t the first time.” Mathias snapped, but tried to remain calm.
  Tzion turned around his cloak flowing around him, “It was ordered that she should never be left alone, I blame you for this escape, Mathias.”
  He crossed his arms, “Me? These are your minions, your peons, and all around your fault!”
  The loud thuds of Khaldun’s footsteps were heard as he ran into the cathedral, he searched the room. “Is she…?”
  Tzion gave a nod, “She has escaped.”
  Gabrielle was standing at the doorway, she had followed Khaldun out. Knowing she could not enter without a great deal of pain, she waited.
  “We must find her, there is no telling what kind of destruction she would bring upon us or the humans.” Tzion ordered.
  “Find her and do what? I doubt Marekio would make the same mistake twice.” Akela told him.
  “If need be… kill her.”
  “You can’t kill her!” Gabrielle yelled, but Mathias rose his hand to her ordering her to be quiet.
  “If we kill her then there is no hope for humanity! She is the only one who can stop them.” Mathias snapped.
  Tzion shook his head, “It’s not Kailin, it’s her aura and soul. She will be reborn again, we will just have to keep her death a secret until the rebirth.”
  Mathias shook his head, “It would take centuries for her to be reborn, you can’t keep something like that silent.”
  Tzion turned his eyes to Akela, “You are in charge, do not fail me.”
  She gave a nod, and watched Tzion leave the cathedral. Her eyes went to Khaldun and Mathias, “Let’s try to bring her back safely.”
  “I didn’t know you cared.” Mathias said sarcastically.
  She grinned, “Not for her, but I do have a preferred lifestyle and I would not like the Mephis to take that from me.”
  Mathias shook his head as Akela walked past him and out of the cathedral. His eyes then went to Khaldun who immediately looked down at the floor, still ashamed.
  “I’m sorry, Mathias.” Khaldun mumbled.
  “It is no time to worry about the past, we have more important tasks at hand.”

  Walking through the sewer the sounds of dripping water and hollow air echoed throughout the area. Following his senses, Marekio had discovered the location of his precious gem. The scent of the undead beasts filled his nostrils, and he had hopes that they would be holding his item. He had to complete this mission quickly, the aura was growing stronger faster then he had anticipated. Only when she had fallen asleep had he been able to take control in the cathedral. The pain of leaving had almost made him give up the mind.
  A bridge appeared ahead of him, his eyes went to the pipes above him. Several Mephis sat upon them staring down to the unknown figure. Either they knew that the body was that of their mother or feared the power that surrounded Marekio. Crossing the bridge, he was greeted by a Mephis that pointed down the left pipe.
  His voice was raspy and could be barely understood, “He waits for you.”
  Marekio have a nod and headed down the pipe, and onto a grate. In the center of the room was two thrones, one sitting Anthony and the other with Samuel. Walking up to the thrones he stood several feet away, as he sensed the peons that were hiding in the shadows.
  “I didn’t expect your presence down here for some time, Kailin. I am surprised to see you have…” He grinned, “gathered yourself together so quickly.”
  “Give me what is mine.” Marekio’s demonic voice ordered.
  Anthony laughed, “Oh forgive me, Marekio. I didn’t expect you to make an appearance for some time either.”
  Marekio held out his hand.
  “And for what is yours, we shall receive our desire?” Anthony asked holding the red amulet around his neck.
  Marekio gave a nod, “I will have no need for this body, take all that you wish.”
  “We need the vampire to stay alive, without a soul it will be impossible to follow the prophecy.”
  “You will receive her alive with a new weaker soul., she shall be easier to control. Until the rebirth that is.”
  “Very well.” he smiled, “One more thing before I hand over the amulet..”
  Marekio stared at him.
  Anthony smiled, “A new soul won’t be the only thing that will help me control her. If the soul is weaker then…”
  “It can not be taken, only hidden.” Marekio replied.
  “I understand.”
  “Now, my amulet.” He held out his hand, and Anthony removed the gold charm from his neck and toss it at him.
  Anthony grinned as the demon held up the amulet and spoke in his demonic tongue, a portal swirled of red and black began to appeared in the air in front of him. It continued to grow as Marekio spoke. Kailin’s body began to lift off the ground, and the amulet was dropped to the floor. Her arms flailed backwards, and the blood stains on her shirt began to grow wet again. Eight long red fingers with black nails poked through her chest, and then opened her rib cage. The sound of bones breaking caused Samuel to flinch.
  The head of a demon with long black horns and glowing red eyes came from her wound. The large body of the beast was given birth, and dropped to the ground below. His tail flipped around behind him and he continued to speak to the portal in his tongue. His form was huge nearly tripled Anthony’s size. Marekio turned to look at Anthony, and the Mephis’ eyes widened.
  “I always keep my promises.” Marekio told him.
  With those words a man sized demon was sucked out of the portal. There was barely enough time to see the little gray demon before he was forced into Kailin’s chest.
  “The deed is done.” Marekio told them, as Kailin’s chest began to close.
  Marekio turned to the portal and jumped through, and with his absence in the mortal plane, the portal shut as quickly as it had opened. Kailin fell to the ground with a thud, she remained unconscious.
  Samuel stood and walked over to Kailin’s body, keeping his deep frown. He shook her shoulder gently. She moaned slightly but did not awake.
  “Alive?” Anthony asked, and Samuel gave a quick nod.
  “Good, wouldn’t want her to miss the birth.”

  The haze that covered her eyes slowly cleared with each blink, she could feel her hands above her. Looking up she found herself attached to a cross, tied above her with her waist bound in the center. Dangling beneath her was her own feet, she tried to move them but found them not responsive. She could barely see the bone that had protruded from her right leg. It took that much to realize that she was in agonizing pain, and her body was not healing. She was also nude, except for a pair of blood soaked white underwear. Her abdomen and legs had been cut into and blood seeped from the wounds, and onto the ground below.
  She was only five feet from the ground, and could make out every drop of blood that fell from her toes to the puddle below. The slurping sounds echoed in her ears as seven Mephis minions licked the blood from the ground beneath her. They had no intent on killing her and so they could freely drink her blood, yet not receive any strength because it was not given to them.
  Kailin pulled on her left arm to free herself from the ropes, pain jarred throughout her body causing her to whimper. Her shoulder was dislocated, and there was a sharp pain in her chest. Looking up, she first noticed the large fire pit in the center of the room. Ancient writing was placed in three circles around the pit, and though they seemed familiar to her, she couldn’t read them. The fire burned ferociously and she swallowed afraid of what it would be used for.
  Pipes lined the walls, and there was a large doorway across the room to her right. Following the wall to her left, she could make out two thrones and several Sups standing guard of them.
  “Hey!” Kailin yelled, “Hey!” The Sups paid her no attention.
  The slurping sound from below became louder and she looked down to see one of the minions licking the wooden pole she was attached to. With her left leg she kicked out and the minion flew backwards, it hissed at her, but immediately returned to the blood pool beneath her.
  She heard a chuckle from across the room, and looked across to the doorway. Anthony grinned, while Samuel walked to his throne to await whatever deed his master would be performing.
  They were both dressed in black robes, and both had their long hair in pony tails. Anthony walked over to stand in front of her and ran his index finger down her bloody mid-section. He sucked the bloody finger for a moment and then ran his hand across her sweat covered face.
  “I apologize for having to break you while you were unable to protect yourself, but it was better this way. I can’t have you running off before we are finished.” He looked up at her, but she only stared down at him with heated anger in her eyes. “Broken bones and lack of blood have made you physically weaker, but at least you are once again in control of your own mind.”
  The look of anger vanished and was replaced by that of realization. She was in control of herself, and there were no whispers.
  “Don’t worry about Marekio, he went home and left you with something you could handle.” He continued to pet her cheek.
  Something was missing, and it wasn’t just Marekio either. She felt strange and cold, as if all that she was had been hidden from her. Yet, she was here, alive and awake, able to think and do as she pleased. She didn’t understand why there was such a vacant spot within.
  Anthony flicked his other hand and with several hisses the minions left the blood beneath her alone. It soon began to run into the ancient writings around the pit, and slowly filled them.
  “Strange how I can drink all that I want from the floor, and steal as much from you as long as I have no wish to kill you and I shall live on. Yet, there will be no power in it for me, though it is sweet and life giving.” He sniffed her bloodied abdomen.
  “You are disgusting.” Kailin tried to kick him, but he caught her leg in his hand.
  Stepping closer to her, he squeezed her mid-section and more blood oozed from her wounds. “We are so lucky that Marekio feed you so well before bringing you to us. Or else we would have had to force it upon you.” He continued to crush her with his hands.
  Kailin cried out in pain, causing Anthony to look up and smile.
  “Did Leila cry when you beheaded her? Feel betrayed by her own sister?”
  Kailin clutched her teeth together, “You know damn well that Leila didn’t want to live life as a cold blooded killer! She wanted it to end!”
  Anthony brought his hand up and slapped her as hard as he could. He cupped her face with his hands immediately afterwards, “I’m sorry, mother. Sorry, so sorry.”
  Kailin’s eyes widened, he was insane. After all this time, she thought he was just evil, but he was demented. She looked around the room at the other Mephis. Was it possible that they were all disturbed?
  Her eyes went back down when she felt Anthony’s soft tongue lick from the blood from around her navel.
  “Sweet nectar. She will be pleased.” He looked back up at her, blood had covered his chin. “Let us begin.”
  Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a clear vile. There was a gray ashy matter inside that he held up for Kailin to see. “Know what this is, mother? It’s your sister’s remains, I found them after you buried her.” He opened the vile and let her blood drip into it. “Now, her creator’s blood must be used to summon her to return.”
  “Summon her?” Kailin asked as he turned around and tossed the vile into the fire pit behind him.
  Immediately the flames turned red, and began to raise and lower. Within the center of the pit a fiery human form began to grow. The flames swirled inward to the human form, until the skin started to solidify. Kailin’s heart dropped when Leila’s face began to take shape. Eyes that she had never expected to see again were now staring back at her, as she was reborn from the flames.
  Long dark blonde, curly hair flowed behind her, and her angelic face gave no expression. Underneath her the fire formed a floor, and Leila walked towards Anthony and her sister. The Mephis in the room all fell to their knees, including Anthony. When she arrived in front of Kailin, she looked up with a wide grin on her face.
  “Caitlyn, I have been waiting for you. I knew you would call me forth again someday.” She looked up at Kailin, who said nothing to her. “I need more, Caitlyn.” She licked the blood from the pole. “Please, permit me…”
  Kailin kicked her away, and Leila stumbled back almost falling into the pit. Anthony had jumped up and caught her, he snatched a robe from a minion’s hands and offered it to Leila.
  “I see, this wasn’t your doing.” Leila said as she took the robe from Anthony.
  “I fear not, my love.” Anthony answered, “The Hallowed Elders have meddled in our affairs, and you are quite a few centuries early.”
  “Then there is much that needs to be explained to me.” Leila was still glaring at her sister.
  “Come I have some humans awaiting to fill your hunger. We shall leave mother to her thoughts.”
  Leila agreed and followed behind him and Samuel. Even the minions left the room, and Kailin was left dangling upon the wooden pole.
  She knew that being was not her sister, that was not Leila. Whatever that thing was had the look of evil in it’s eyes. Leila had never carried that look within her, and though Kailin felt her heart fill with joy for a moment, she knew the truth. This creature was nothing more then a demon inside a shell that looked like Leila. The true person that was her sister remained with her aura in the grasp of the Higher Being. Perhaps that was the plan all along. Kailin shook her head, no it wasn’t possible that Leila had planned this. She hated the Mephis, but Leila was different, she truly didn’t want to be evil.
  Taking a moment to calm herself, she looked up at her ropes. Pulling on them had done nothing for her, she felt weak and her mind blurred as she tried to think of an escape. The sound of footsteps could be heard from the hall behind the doorway, and Samuel walked into the room. A knife in his hand, he continued towards her.
  She wasn’t afraid of the knife, after all, it couldn’t kill her. Watching him carefully, he came to stand in front of her. He looked up and gave a half grin, before cutting away at the ropes above her and around her waist. She dropped to the ground, Samuel didn’t try to catch her.
  “Head down the hall to the left, you will come to a ladder. Climb it and it will take you up to an alley. I left some clothing there for you, but after that you are on your own. Understand?”
  Kailin nodded.
  Samuel turned to leave the room, but she grabbed his foot.
  “Why are you helping me?”
  Yanking his foot away from her, he shook his head. “I’m not.” He said and dropped the knife to the floor for her to take as a weapon.
  With that, he left her in the room alone. Blood was still pouring from her abdomen wounds and she knew she wouldn’t be able to make it to Tzion’s house. She would have to go to her apartment, she hoped that would be closer. Before leaving the room, she placed her lips on the blood that filled the ancient writing grooves and began to drink.
  When she was finished she crawled to the wall near the doorway, picking up the knife along the way. Her right leg was broken in several places, and pained her to stand up. She didn’t understand why she wasn’t healing, these wounds should have been no match for Mathias’ healing ability.
  Using the wall and the pipes that lined it, she pulled herself into a standing position. No weight could be placed on her right leg, so she began to hop bringing herself closer to the doorway. Halfway there, she changed her mind and fell to the ground. Though she would be in a vulnerable position, it would be much quicker to crawl out then to hop out.
  Samuel hadn’t lied to her, she found the ladder directly to the left of the doorway. She turned to sit on her rear, and looked at her left shoulder. It still wasn’t in place, and in order to climb it, she would either have to play a game of chance or force it back into it’s socket. Normally it wouldn’t bother her to force it, but her sensory for pain seemed to have increased to that of when she was human. She looked up the ladder, and wiped a tear from her cheek.
  With her right hand, she began to pull herself to a standing position. She pulled herself onto the ladder and used her left leg to balance herself out. When she had to take her hand off to reach for another bar, she would use her chin to hold on. After what seemed to be an eternity, she pushed the man hole opened and pulled herself out. There was a brown slip-on dress and overcoat waiting for her, and Kailin quickly put them on. Taking a moment, she looked around before deciding her apartment would be the best place to go.
  “You are just going to let her leave?” Leila asked Anthony as they watched her last leg leave the sewer.
  “The rebirth can not begin until she has died. It would serve us better if her allies bared witness to the event, as we would be free of their scorn for a time.” He grinned, “At least another two hundred years, while they waited for her to be born again.”
  “It will be too late by then, they will have all fallen and we shall conquer all races of man.” Leila turned her back to him and headed down the hall.

  Baring the pain, Kailin made it to the elevator of her building. She had tried to make it look like she wasn’t injured, but knew the pain was all to visible to anyone that looked. Her shaking hand reached out and pressed the up button, as someone stepped into the elevator with her. Kailin stepped back and placed her arm upon the wall, then rested her head upon it. The sweat from her forehead moistened her arm through the jacket.
  The person in the elevator didn’t make a move towards the elevator controls, as the door slid closed. She didn’t have the energy to care for who was sharing her space, all she could focus on was the agony that engulfed her body. The ding sounded and Kailin began her wobble down the hall to her apartment. Stopping at the door, she gently twisted the knob, but it was locked. She sighed, she would have to break the knob. Placing her hand on it, she tried to pull it from the door, but there was no strength.
  “Not feeling well, Kailin?” The familiar voice of an old enemy spoke from the shadow beside her.
  “Not today, Damon. Leave me alone.” Kailin placed her head on the door.
  A movement caught her eye, and Kailin looked down at Damon’s hand. There was a key laying on his palm, which she took.
  “Manager doesn’t guard those too well.” Damon told her.
  “And I am guessing that you don’t want any witnesses.” She began to unlock the door.
  “I have to admit that I am a little disappointed about your current condition. I always dreamt of this day, but I was the one who caused the damage.” Damon said looking at the puddle of blood forming under the vampire.
  The door opened and Kailin stepped inside with Damon close behind her. Leaning against the back of the couch, she looked into the old man’s face. He shut the door, watching her as closely as possible. It wasn’t clear to him why she would allow herself to remain in such pain, he knew she had healing abilities that could of cared for at least some of the damage.
  “Silver?” He asked pointing to the blood that was staining her dress.
  “Just fists.” She answered and then looked down at her broken leg. “I am in no mood for polite chat, Damon. Either kill me or get out.”
  Damon pulled a dagger from his belt and walked to stand over her. He grabbed her hair with his other hand and pulled her head back, placing the dagger at her throat. It wouldn’t kill her, but it would make him feel better. Burning down her apartment after she laid dying on the floor would do the killing for him.
  There was nothing that Kailin could do, she was too weak to fight him and she knew it. She had barely made it into her apartment, there would be no way she could escape.
  Slowly Damon began to pull the dagger across her neck, when he made an inch long incision, he stopped. Letting go of her hair, he took a step back and shook his head. “No, you heal up and then we will meet again. I’m not letting someone else do the job for me.”
  “Dead is dead.” She didn’t know why she said that, she didn’t want him to kill her.
  “I know. But after all you have done to my family and my life, I’m not going to let you get off this easy.”
  “You think this pain is easy?”
  He chuckled, “Don’t try to convince me. You know I’ll regret this until my dying day, and that’s what your after. Allow your memory to haunt my dreams like it does now. No, when I kill you, it’ll be a battle to remember.”
  Kailin grinned, “You’ve always been too proud to take advantages when they are given.”
  Damon turned around to grab the door knob after he placed the dagger on his belt. Twisting the handle, he let go and turned to her. “Since we are being civil, there is always one thing I wanted to know.”
  “What’s that?”
  “Why did you let me live?”
  She rose an eyebrow, “Let you live?”
  “Yes, when you killed my father. I attacked you when he had died, but you only grabbed my weapon and threw it to the ground.”
  “Do you remember what I said?”
  Damon nodded, “They die, he died because he was blinded by his own hate.”
  “There is your answer.”
  He didn’t say anything, just looked at Kailin’s broken body for a moment. Giving a nod, he turned back to the door. “Next time we meet, one of us isn’t walking away.”
  “Until next time.”
  When the door shut and Damon’s foot steps could no longer be heard, Kailin slid down to the ground. She took a moment to gather herself. Seeing Damon standing there had sent terror throughout her body, she wasn’t even able to feel the pain through it. She caught herself from crying, and then crawled over to the phone. Picking it up, she dialed the numbers that she hoped would lead the help and answers. Something was very wrong, she didn’t feel like a vampire anymore, but more importantly she didn’t feel like Kailin either.

  Opening the door, Lucas looked at Kailin laying on the ground. Gabrielle was close behind him and fell to her knees as soon as she was near her friend. Placing her hands on Kailin’s shoulders, she shook her gently.
  “Kailin?” Gabrielle cried.
  Lucas looked at the blood that had pooled beneath her. Pulling up her dress, he checked the wounds on her stomach. They had been the only two at the mansion when Kailin called, besides Kristian. He had gone to find the others who were still looking for her within the city. Tzion was also at the mansion, but had chosen to stay in case anything else came up.
  “What’s wrong with her? Why isn’t she healing?” Gabrielle asked him with tears in her eyes, she knew on the phone that something was severely wrong. Kailin’s voice had shook when she heard her asking for help.
   “We should get her to Tzion.” Lucas told Gabrielle.
  “How? We can’t exactly take a body in front of all those people.”
  “The hell we can’t. Do you have a comforter or any type of thick blanket?”
  Gabrielle nodded and ran into her bedroom, pulling her comforter from her bed and brining it to him.
  “We need to wrap her up in it, make sure they can’t see any blood. If anyone asks, she is sick and we are taking her to the hospital.”
  “That doesn’t make any sense. Why wouldn’t we call an ambulance?”
  Lucas sighed, “Just do it, Gabby. We don’t have time for this.”
  “They’ll call the police.”
  He shrugged, “Let them. Now help me wrap her up.”
  “Oh god.” Gabrielle squeaked when she went to grab Kailin’s leg. “Her bone…” She covered her mouth and pointed at it.
  “Aren’t you a blood sucking vampire? I think you’ve seen worse. We have to hurry.”
  Gabrielle grabbed her friend’s legs and lifted her up onto the blanket, where Lucas began to roll her up. Lifting Kailin up in his arms, they headed down the elevator and into the car that they had driven.

  Lucas parked the car in front of the mansion, it belonged to Tzion, but from the dust that had covered it, he knew it didn’t have much use. Gabrielle immediately jumped from the car and opened the back seat door, pulling her friend out and taking the blanket from around her off. Lucas tried to help her carry Kailin, but Gabrielle already had her in her arms and was up the stairs by the time he got around to her side. He followed behind her and opened the door for her. The guard outside already knew them and didn’t bother to question their reason for entry.
  Taking her to Tzion’s room, Gabrielle sat with her, while Lucas went to locate the elders. Looking at her beaten friend, she didn’t understand. The wounds were superficial to the likes of a Hallowed, and Kailin shouldn’t of gone unconscious. None of this made sense, but Gabrielle felt it. There was a weakness that she had never known to be within Kailin before, no not weakness but a void. A dark bottomless emptiness that was eating Kailin from the inside out.
  “Goodness.” Tzion’s voice said in shock. He was standing in the doorway in his black suit, his eyes showing more emotion then usual.
  He came to stand over her, looking down at the accumulated wounds. Gabrielle noticed that Lucas was not with him, and she felt strangely out of place in front of the elder.
  “What has happened?”
  Gabrielle shook her head and took Kailin’s hand in her own. “I don’t know, we went to the apartment after she called.”
  “She did not say?”
  Again she shook her head, “I think she’s dying. Can you feel it?” Gabrielle looked up into the elder’s eyes. “I can’t sense her and yet here she is right in front of me.”
  Tzion had felt it, he had sensed both Lucas and Gabrielle and wondered what had happened with Kailin. Her aura gave no tell tale sign that she was on his property. Lycorisa was looking around the city for Kailin, and therefore it couldn’t of been her power.
  Within the next few hours, nine elders stood around Kailin’s bedside. All were uncertain as to what had occurred, Akela had attempt to enter her mind to find the truth but had been blocked out. They were finally left to force her to heal, and each elder began to feed her a small sample of their blood. Her wounds did not change and only bleed the very liquid they were giving her.
  Lucas arrived once the triplets did, and came to stand next to Gabrielle. She took his hand as she waited for Kailin to show some sign of returning to them. “It’s not working.” She whispered into his ears and he agreed by nodding his head.
  Kailin’s body had gotten pale as the blood continued to pour from her wounds. Her lips were dry, cracked, and were also starting to bleed. Even her hair had been stained with the blood that was meant to keep her alive.
  “Her body has stopped accepting our blood as a healing agent. She is to powerful now, there is nothing we can do.” Akela was the first to speak in what seemed to be an eternity.
  “There has to be something that we can do.” Mathias was standing on the other side of the bed. He tried to hide it from the others, but occasionally he would reach down and squeeze Kailin’s hand.
  Her head shook, “It’s up to her whether she wants to live or die, she has the blood needed to heal herself. Before our blood would of cured her instantly with or without her support, now it’s no better then the human’s blood.” She pointed at Lucas.
  “No, you can’t just let her die!” Gabrielle cried out, but Lucas held her back from jumping forward to confront her.
  Akela shook her head, “There is nothing else we can do, I’m sorry.”
  “Sorry?” Tzion snapped, “That won’t stop the Mephis from consuming the world. Try to enter her mind again, Akela! This time don’t play games, the very fate of our future relies on this woman.”
  She folded her arms, “I have not played games, and have done all that I can.” Her frown deepened, “We all said this was an ill-advised plan, and it would never work. You convinced us, all we had to do was wait another eight hundred years and everything would of went according to the prophecy. She could of taken our blood without injury, but you are impatient and everything must be done now. Thanks to you we may have lost our only chance!”
  Tzion huffed, “Something had to be done, the Mephis were up to something and we had to stop them or else…”
  “They would of never made a move until she was strong enough, and I have an eerie feeling that this is because of them.” Akela bowed her head, “Perhaps, not all is lost. After all the Ancients did see variations of the enemy that the Evil promised. Even if she does fall, we might be able to stall them long enough…”
  “The Ancients they see nothing, they do nothing, they leave everything to me. I am the prophet and they…”
  “Do not speak ill of the Ancients, Tzion! They are the only reason we are here, they are the only reason we are still alive.”
  “Enough!” Khaldun yelled.
  “I agree.” Mathias added, “Bickering about this irrelevant topic will not help Kailin. We do not have time to await for another guardian, it has to be Kailin.”
  “Kailin isn’t stronger then the Ancients, is she?” Lucas asked.
  Akela shook her head and chuckled, “No, one could only dream to be as powerful and wise as…” Her eyes went to Tzion, “We should inform them immediately, perhaps their blood...”
  “If the Ancients knew what we have done they would destroy us all, including Kailin.” Tzion folded his arms and scowled down at her.
  “You are wrong, they have protected Kailin since the dawn of her birth. She was their chosen one, she was the hero of their dreams with every evil monster that ever entered their minds.” Akela’s face held her anger.
  “They only speak with the triplets anymore, and have not been seen by any but their eyes in hundreds of years. It would be pointless.” Tzion argued.
  “Yes, but the triplets can tell them.” Akela looked at the three elders, who stood in the corner of the room.
  They were pale beings who wore white robes and their hair in long braids behind them. Ramanan, the male of the group, was extremely large, even taller then Khaldun. His hair had lost all pigment in his years, just like his two sisters. Penina and Sidonia still appeared young, but one could see the agelessness in their eyes. Both stood barely to Ramanan’s chest, their eyes a light blue. As strange as they appeared, no vampire or human alike could deny their beauty.
  “Please, speak with Eva.” Akela asked them, they nodded then left the room.
  It was a mere moment later that Ramanan returned, lifting Kailin’s broken body into his arms. He vanished suddenly with Kailin, and no words spoken.
  “Tzion take the Pyrrhonian, Mathis take the human.” Akela ordered.
  Before Lucas or Gabrielle could understand what was occurring, they had the arms of the Hallowed around them and were blinded by the flash of a bright light.
  It took a moment for their eyes to clear, but when they did they found themselves in a large dark temple. There were no candles or lit bulbs to light it, instead strange glowing white orbs encircled the area above them. Marble pillars lined the light blue rug path that led up the long stairs.
  Ramanan was at the end of the temple, he walked up the long stair way to the alter above them. Laying Kailin’s body down, he journeyed back down the stairs and to stand with his comrades. Once he was with them, a small pale woman came to stand behind the alter. Her eyes were colorless as was her hair, she wore a long white dress that dragged along the ground behind her. Reaching out she touched Kailin’s arm with her long, slender fingers. Everyone had fallen to their knees when she came into sight, even Lucas and Gabrielle. They didn’t need anyone to explain the power and greatness of the woman before them. The air was thick in her presence, as if warning them of her strength. Suddenly a feeling of sadness came over all in the temple, and all understood that their heart and minds belonged to the woman before them for a time.
  A sense of failure touched their hearts, followed by more sadness and despair. In their minds they heard the angelic, calming voice of a woman and there was no doubt that it belonged to the pale woman in front of them.
  “The guardian is no longer within this physical form. Nothing is left that is worth saving, what was needed as been abandoned. Another shall be born, we must pray to the Higher Being that the rebirth be delivered quickly.”
  “No!” Gabrielle cried out and ran up the stairs, she looked the Ancient in her colorless, expressionless eyes. “Whatever is in there is my friend, you can’t just let her die. Not after all that she has suffered at the hands of your followers.” She meant Tzion.
  Lucas stood from his kneeling position, but did not follow Gabrielle up the stairs. “She is our friend, and you can do something I know you can. Whether the chosen one is inside her or not.”
  Tzion began to speak, upset by how the human and Pyrrhonian were acting. “Milady Eva, please forgive these ignorant fools.”
  “Hush, Tzion!” Eva rose her pale hand, “The only fool here is you!” Her voice was loud inside his mind, but calm in the minds of the others. “I warned you not to convert the Higher Being’s plans to fit your own agenda. Now, look what you have done! You shall be punished, as will all who has offered their blood in this service.”
  “Forgive me, milady.” Tzion bowed his head.
  Eva turned her eyes back to Gabrielle, the anger that was once filling their heart left and was filled with regret and sympathy. Her hand reached out and brushed Gabrielle’s face gently. “I am sorry, sweet Gabrielle. Whatever I revive will not be the being that you knew. What was her is gone, what would of killed the Mephis has vanished. Do you want her to be revived and not be able to do anything that once came so naturally to her? Her aura is gone and nothing but a confused demon soul remains. A soul that does not belong here.”
  Lucas came to stand next to Gabrielle, realizing it was alright to stand so close to the Ancient. However, the closer he got the stronger Eva’s emotions were inside of him. As soon as he was near Gabrielle, she plunged her face into his chest.
  Gabrielle finally spoke after a moment, her words full of the tears she was trying not to cry. “I don’t know how, but I know you can fix everything. If you say you can, then I know that Kailin would rather go down fighting then laying on your altar waiting for her last drop of blood to leave her.”
   “You have chosen incorrectly, but I shall bring back what I can. I fear, however, that you will regret this decision and may eventually have to end her life.”
  Eva raised her hands, but nothing happened. She tried yet again, and still nothing. Her face shot to Ramanan, and the feeling of horror engulfed the room.
  “She can not call back her being. The Higher Being won’t allow it, Kailin has gone to far to be recalled.” Eva’s soft voice said.
  Lucas felt Gabrielle’s legs give way and he held her up and she pushed herself closer to the ground. He whispered in her ear, “Kailin wouldn’t want this, stand up and be strong.”
  They watched as Kailin’s body turned to ash, all sense of hope vanished from their hearts. The hopeless was even stronger in the presence of Eva as she too felt the pain. Their savior was nothing but gray ash now, and with her disintegration came that of their own dreams.

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Book Cover is done by a great artist Luis Royo. He didn't do this work for me, and it's his copywritted material.

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