The Blue Bloods seriesis not my property. It is Melissa de la Cruz's.

Chapter 1

***Some time after The Van Alen Legacy***

Months passed as Jack and Schuyler continued to hide in France with the European coven thanks to the Countess, Isabelle, known back then in Rome as Drusilla. They stayed at her villa in St. Tropez, making every moment count. Who knows if the Countess turns them in, God forbid?

It was a sunny morning that day. From outside the window, you could see the beautiful Mediterranean. It was simply breathe-taking. Jack showered Schuyler, his beloved Schuyler, with kisses to wake her up. She smiled sleepily and kissed him back.

"Morning, sunshine," Jack greeted Schuyler with a smile. He was handsome as ever. He recently got a haircut which made him even more attractive.

"Hey, tiger," She replied as she got up from bed. Their room was amazing. It was a big room with a king-sized bed. The pillows were probably the softest things Schuyler ever felt. The closet, desk and everything else made from wood was made from the finest. And the food was just as amazing.

Jack and Schuyler took a bath together, something they usually---always, actually---do together. It was hard to separate them, which just amused the elderly but beautiful Countess. After that, they got dressed and went down to the dining hall which looked more like a palace's than a normal villa's.

The Red Blood chef, Antoine, was an amazing chef. "Why don't you go work at a restaurant?" Schuyler asked the French chef after a meal. Antoine just smiled and said in his thick accent, "I'm glad just doing what I do now: serving the Countess."

Jack completely admired the man.

When they sat down, the Countess was there with a newspaper as usual. She looked up and smiled. "Bonjour," She said. "Please, sit."

Jack and Schuyler did so and waited for the food. They could easily smell the food all the way from their seats. And today's meal seemed so familiar. The maids walked in with all the food. Everyday was like a feast at the countess's.

The couple was surprised by the meal: eggs, bacon, steak (medium-rare), cheeseburgers, and more. It was all so….American. Isabelle could see that they were rather surprised and couldn't help smiling. "Bon appetite," She told them, "Don't you miss your native food?"

Jack and Schuyler exchanged glances. "Well," Schuyler answered sheepishly, "yeah, but the food here is great!"

"And I thought you hated America," Jack added.

The countess sighed deeply. "I hate the New York coven, but I never said I loathed your country, Benjamin."

The Countess never addressed Jack as 'Jack'; she always used his real name, 'Benjamin'. Jack blushed. "Sorry about that."

The Countess smiled. "No problem, Benjamin. Now, let us eat for I'm in quite a hurry today. Being a Countess really is bothersome."

They ate everything on the table. The best would probably be Antoine's cheeseburger, but his steak was just so juicy and delicious. And so were his eggs. And so were his bacons. Everything was just too good, really.

"Why are you in a hurry?" Schuyler asked Isabelle after she stuffed bacon in her mouth. Over the past months, she grew to think of Isabelle as a second-mother or more like Cordelia. She learned to respect the woman and when and what to do and what she didn't and did like.

The Countess gave a sigh again. "I've a meeting with one of the coven members, a young one to be exact. So, Schuyler, have you heard from your friends lately?"

Schuyler thought about it. "No. Not from Bliss, especially. I've been calling her but she never seems to answer her phone. I guess she's busy."

She missed Bliss, her sister, way too much. After the incident at the bonding of the Forces, after Bliss had stabbed herself, she couldn't help thinking about her so much. She received a call from Oliver saying that she was miraculously alive but he didn't know how she managed to live. Something like that could certainly kill her. But Schuyler was glad, nonetheless.

Isabelle nodded. "And have you heard from Hazard-Perry?" She always addressed him by his last name.

Schuyler shook her head sadly. She missed him and Bliss so much. But the way she missed her mother was another matter. It was too great. "No. I guess he's probably busy with college and stuff. Good for him, right Jack?"

Jack nodded.

Isabelle decided to not ask Schuyler about Allegra Van Alen, Gabrielle, The Uncorrupted. It would hurt the dear child way too much.

"Who are you supposed to meet, Isabelle?" Jack asked. The good thing about Isabelle was that she never forced people to address her as 'Countess Isabelle of Orleans' for it was too long a name.

"Nicolae Sofia Van Huisen," Isabelle answered as she took a sip of tea. Whenever she spoke of someone, she would always mention their complete name no matter how long or difficult or how long and difficult it was.

Schuyler liked the name of the person. "So this Nicolae is French?"

"She is Roman, actually. But she is very fluent with French, Chinese, Portuguese, English, Spanish and so many more. Quite a bright child, I must admit. The only problem is the fact that she is too cocky and impulsive and very impatient. Also, she takes pleasure in watching a person get irritated---especially if it is she who is annoying the person."

"What…is her name? I mean like which angel is she?"

Now, the Countess smiled proudly. "Ah, she is one of the seven archangels! She has been silent all these years, and I am glad she has decided to come out of silence."

"I thought that only Allegra and Charles volunteered to go to earth alongside the other angels."

"You must tell her that and she'll brief you on things. As she would always say, 'Everything in this damned world is a damned conspiracy. Our very existence is one.'"

"So, who is she?"

"I do not want to spoil things for you, so you must wait until you have met her. She will tell you everything herself."

"How old is Nicolae?"

"She is just of seventeen years."

"She's just seventeen?" Jack and Schuyler asked incredulously.

"Yes. Incredible, is it not? A teenager like her is one of the most powerful aside from Allegra and Charles." Isabelle continued to smile proudly. "She is the pride of the European coven, as Benjamin and Madeleine are."

"Except she is a million times more powerful than we," Jack said humbly. He couldn't wait to meet Nicolae Van Huisen---an archangel that is of seventeen years of age. It was amazing. He wondered how she managed all her powers.

"So when can we meet Nicolae?" Schuyler asked.

"To be honest," Isabelle told them, her eyes glued to the newspaper, "I'm not sure. I will be busy for I know she only ever speaks with any of the other vampires when something important has come up. And this might be one of those times. Especially since you, Benjamin, and you, Schuyler, are involved."

"It's about our eloping, isn't it?" Jack asked, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

Isabelle shrugged. "Who knows? After all, Schuyler, you are the daughter of Gabrielle, so she might want to meet you or she might even want to help you."

"She and my mother were good friends?" Schuyler asked.

Isabelle laughed. "Well, no. They rarely got along. As I have told, she enjoys annoying people with her shenanigans. And your mother was one of the easiest to annoy. Nicolae often spoke about your mother getting really mad at her."

Then Schuyler remembered something she completely forgot the whole time she was here, at France. "Isabelle, my sister….do you know why she nearly killed me? And why was she the Silver Blood? How'd Allegra and Lucifer..well, you know what I mean."

Of course I do, Isabelle thought. With all her experience, she made sure Schuyler couldn't use telepathy to hear her thoughts. I can block my mind. "Sadly, I don't know. Perhaps Nicolae would. She always catches up with things."

"Perhaps you are right," Jack said.

Isabelle smiled as she got up. "Well, I will see you two lovebirds later. I must now go off and meet Nicolae. She's impatient, after all. Oh, I forgot to mention that she loved to annoy Charles as well."

Jack and Schuyler smiled despite themselves. Nicolae, a fellow archangel, actually dared to annoy Michael, Pure of Heart.

'Well maybe it isn't so pure after all', Isabelle sent through telepathy to the couple. "It's one of her sayings as well."

After that she left, leaving the two alone.

***At a private room in the villa***

Nicolae Sofia Van Huisen was patiently waiting for Isabelle to come. She looked at her absurdly expensive watch. Isabelle was running late. This was an important meeting. It was too important to miss.

She had jet black hair, blue eyes, ivory skin and was absurdly tall---she was six-feet-three. Throughout all her life---or past lives to be exact---this life time was particularly her favorite. It was more exciting than her other lives.

Isabelle came in the room and looked at Nicolae apologetically. "Sorry for this. I had to entertain my guests."

Nicolae nodded blankly. "Yes, yes. I know you did," She told Isabelle in her Roman accent.

Isabelle sat down on a couch across Nicolae. "Tell me, why have you asked to meet me? Is it concerning Gabrielle's child?"

"I'm here for her children, actually."

Isabelle nodded understandingly. "So I suppose you have already heard about Schuyler's eloping with Benjamin here, no?"

"Yes, yes. But that's not my only concern. It's about the other child, Bliss Llewellyn. Allegra has turned her to a human, for chrissake!"

"But how is that any of your concerns, Uriel?" Isabelle addressed Nicolae by her angel name.

"Of course it's my concern! She has sent her child to go find the Hounds of Hell and tame them! But that isn't an easy task, Isabelle. She may die because this is too great a task for a mere human." Nicolae was deeply concerned. "I understand that she was the one harboring Lucifer, I do. But stripping her of her vampire abilities and letting her do that is pure madness! I've no idea on what ahs gotten into that woman's mind!"

Isabelle sighed. "Uriel, listen to me. Gabrielle knows what she is doing. Trust me…trust her. And have you forgotten, Uriel"---Isabelle smirked---"Bliss and Schuyler are sisters. And their mother is the great Gabrielle. Put some faith in the woman."

Nicolae had to admit that she was right. "I still cannot believe that she is sending her daughter to her own funeral."

"Don't speak so harshly, Uriel. I am very sure that Allegra has made the right decision for her child. It's not like you're the mother."

"Even if I weren't I still wouldn't risk it. Think about it: The children of Gabrielle could be the answer to our problems. Of course, I cannot be so sure about that. But they could be powerful additions to our army when the battle against the Silver Bloods occurs."

Isabelle frowned. "We are only certain about what Schuyler can do. She, like her mother, can do the Blood Trial. As for her sister, we don't know."

Nicolae smiled. "Well, why don't we find out? Besides, her mother 'renamed' her as Lupus Theliel, her Wolfsbane. I'm sure that with that name she can do something special."

Isabelle sensed that Nicolae was up to no good again. "Uriel, what are you planning?"

"Ah, that's for me to know and for you to find out."

Isabelle didn't need to wait to know what she was planning. She frowned deeply. "Nicolae Sofia Van Huisen, you will not do what you're thinking!"

Just as she said that, the door of the private room flung open. Two figures fell on the marble floor. "Ouch!" Schuyler said as she got up and helped Jack. When they stood up, they looked at the two people in the room.

"Oh God," Schuyler said. "I…I'm sorry!"

Jack knew who the dark haired girl was. She must be Nicolae, the archangel, Jack thought. She really is just a teenager! But she's really tall.

Nicolae turned around to look at Jack and Schuyler then she smiled a smile that made her look so devastatingly beautiful. "Well, well, well. She really is Allegra's daughter! What a pleasant---I mean that---surprise this is!"

Schuyler couldn't help it anymore. "You're the archangel?"