Soul-mates

A Vampire Fan Fiction

Based on the Vampire Books, Night World Series

Chapter 1

When Dreaming

"They say", Jennifer Elizabeth, thought sleepily, "all stories truly begin when you are dreaming"… Jennifer stretched out lazily on her beg, pulling the cream colored duvet snugly around her lean body, her shoulder length brunette hair twisted around her head on her pillow, she squeezed her eyes shut wishing she could fall asleep and dream …It was the middle of the summer, Jennifer's room felt like a sauna, her window was all the way open and even though there was a slight breeze she felt no relief from the heat. Tossing and turning Jennifer finally drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

The first thing Jennifer was aware of was the room was no longer hot, in fact she felt almost chilly. She pulled the duvet around her, but nothing seemed to make her warmer. She frowned, and suddenly realized she could hear things around her in ways that should have been impossible. The wind was blowing wildly outside the window, which by the sound of it was closed, this fact deepened her frown- she knew she had left her window open last night. Sitting up she opened her eyes, and found she was no longer in her small sweaty room that she shared with her sister, but she was in the middle of a large white room, with a queen size four poster bed, and just across from her a huge window with floor to ceiling burgundy drapes. She looked around at the uniqueness of the room, the antique wooden furniture, and found herself mumbling, "Where am I?"

From down the hallway foot steps sounded, and not only that, but something that was beating like a drum. Jennifer frowned, and closed her eyes, the beating was something familiar sounding, that was what her mind was telling her, but she couldn't place it. She suddenly had a feeling she should lie back down and pretend to be asleep, she lay her head on the pillow and pulled the blankets up, as the door handle at the entrance to the room, squeaked and turned, the door opened, and the foot steps continued into the room, along with the soft beating noise.

That's when Jennifer remembered what the beating noise must be- it was a heart! She could smell it now, sweet and- her eyes flew open, she wanted to throw her hands over her mouth in shock, she could feel her canine teeth extending in her mouth slowly, becoming sharp points like those of a feline, and the thirst that came with it … Her head was pounding, this was impossible… she couldn't be a- a, Vampire… Peeking over the edge of her blanket Jennifer saw an old woman move slowly to the drapes, and peek out, she was dressed how you would have thought an old fashioned maid should be dressed, complete with the black dress and frilly apron. The old woman turned and looked at Jennifer, her old face cracking into a smile. As Jennifer watched her walk slowly over, she had a feeling that she knew this woman but could not place her name, or how she knew her.

"Ah, I see you are awake, my Elizabeth." The old woman crooned, "Today is a special day." She blinked back tears, and patted Jennifer on her arm. Jennifer's mind was s swirling mass of confusion, since when had she gone by her middle name? Elizabeth? It was Jennifer Elizabeth … "Naomi has looked after Elizabeth Redfern since she was a baby, and her mother before her, and now you are all grown up, and leaving the Island." In the back of her mind Jennifer knew everything Naomi was telling her was true, but it still made no sense. "Promise your old nana that you will visit her." Naomi begged her, grasping her arm with a fierceness Jennifer was amazed the old woman had. Jennifer nodded, and smiled patting the old woman's hand. Naomi grunted, and patting her on the face, said "Your breakfast is over on the table, it is too bright out yet to open the curtains, when you are done eating your father, Hunter will be waiting for you in the entrance way." Taking one tearful last look at Jennifer, the old woman, Naomi stood and slowly made her way from the room.

Once Jennifer was sure the old woman had gone, she stood and stretched, then decided to look around the room. She pulled open the drawers on the dressers, and found stockings, and petticoats, yanked open the wardrobe and found medieval looking dresses and gowns. She frowned, what time period was it? Turning away from the open wardrobe she found herself standing face to face with a Stanger staring out at her from a free standing mirror. She jumped, and so did the girl in the mirror, that's when she knew that the girl standing there had to be her. "So I really am Elizabeth." She muttered softy.

The girl in the mirror was still short, and thin, but she had pale white skin, waist length brown hair, and amethyst colored eyes, which glinted sliver when she blinked. It almost hurt her to look at the girl in the mirror; she had always wanted to look like this … was it possible she now truly did? She was distracted when the door flew open and a girl who looked very much like herself waltzed into the room, wearing a medieval green dress which accentuated her curvatious form. "Lizzy dear!" she cried and flew across the room, and hugged Elizabeth tightly, then backed away and waved a finger at her, "I told father you would be roaming your room for the last time, but he didn't even listen." She rolled her eyes, and cast a glance at the cup on the table with a look of semi disgust. "You haven't even had breakfast yet?"

Dragging Elizabeth to the table, she pushed her down into the chair, and put the glass into her hand. "Do you know what father would say if I let you go down without eating breakfast?" she waved her hands in the air like they were quotation marks, and lowering her voice said in a mock imitation, "Lilly Redfern, how could you let your sister leave the Island without her final, healthy, meal." Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh at her sister's antics, her laughter sounded like tinkling bells. "But seriously," Lilly continued, "I can't believe he is sending you off to live with some Lamia who are living with the humans" Lilly made a disgusted face. "It's too bad we can't have one last hunt, fresh blood is always better then bottled." She patted Elizabeth's arm, and muttered, "Oh, well, drink up." Then she fluttered back to the door way, and looking over her shoulder said, "I'll tell father you are on your way down." Then Lilly disappeared through the door, leaving Elizabeth alone once more.

Elizabeth looked down into the cup, knowing in her mind what she would see but it still shocked her. The blood swirled thick and dark in the cup; she swallowed her shock, and then let herself smell it. It smelt like thick swirling chocolate, without a thought to what she was doing she tipped the cup to her mouth, feeling her teeth grow, and let herself drain the liquid. She was surprised to find she enjoyed the taste of it in her mouth on her tongue … she frowned, and stood. Lilly had told Hunter Redfern she would be right down and her father or not, Hunter was not a man to leave waiting. She looked around the room and found that a pair of jeans, black stiletto boots, and a purple top had been laid out for her on the foot of the bed. She pulled the clothes on, aware of how uncomfortable they made her feel, of how foreign they felt on her body. She suddenly realized she would probably be more comfortable in the medieval gown, she let out a sigh and left the room, it was time to face her father.

On her way to the Entrance Hall, Elizabeth passed several servants, all dressed as Naomi had been, and all very much human. Frowning she tried to remember something she should have been aware of, but it kept slipping away from her at the last second. Just ahead of her Elizabeth could hear her sister Lilly laughing at something, and a man speaking, it must be Hunter, she thought. Taking a deep breath Elizabeth walked head held high, into the Entrance hall. Lilly stood to one side of the door, keeled over in laughter from some joke Elizabeth had just missed, and Hunter stood there looking every bit as impressive as one could, he was after all one of the eldest Lamia left. He stood, his red hair gleaming, his beard curled slightly, and his solid frame intimidating, but when he saw Elizabeth, his silver eyes softened and he opened his arms, hugging her tightly. He grasped Elizabeth's shoulder with one hand and Lilly's with the other.

"Ah, my two gorgeous daughters." He mumbled. "The millennium of the world is almost upon us, and soon we will change this world for the better." He grinned then, his eyes narrowing, Lilly nodded, but Elizabeth just stared up blankly at her father. "Soon the Lamia, and the Night World will no longer be forced to live in the shadows and in secret. We will find the wild powers, and with them on our side, nothing will stop us." He paused, and nodded to Lilly, "Merry Meet and Merry Part, and Merry Meet Again." She nodded solemnly, "May you be blessed on your mission my daughter." Hunter leaned and kissed her forehead, "Now go." Lilly hugged Elizabeth, and turned from the door, disappearing from view quickly as she turned into a running blur of movement. Hunter turned and looked at Elizabeth one last time, "Merry Meet and Merry Part, and Merry Meet again." He whispered stroking her cheek, "Take care my daughter, the world outside this Island is not as welcoming and accepting as this one is, that is why I want to change it." His eyes hardened and he ushered her out of the house, which when Elizabeth looked back, saw that it really was a castle, and into a waiting horse drawn carriage.

Hunter growled some undecipherable words at the man seated in the driver's seat, words that sounded like a threat, and then waved at Elizabeth, "Goodbye my little Lizzy." He whispered, and the carriage started forward, Hunter turned and went back into the castle, disappearing from view. Elizabeth let out s sigh, she didn't know where she was headed, nor why she had to leave, only that she was. Leaning out the window of the carriage she asked the man driving the carriage where she was going. "Off the island." He replied in an emotionless voice. Realizing she wasn't going to get the answers she wanted from him, she leaned back in her seat, and closed her eyes.

She knew that she had been asleep for several hours because when Elizabeth opened her eyes, the forest around her was dark, and the horses were walking slower then they had when they had started. "Why are we going so slowly." She whined, not really talking to anyone. "Because" then man at the front replied, "Your father thought it would be safer this way. He didn't want you to go by your self, it would have taken only an hour if we had run the distance." Elizabeth bit her lip and frowned, remembering how quickly her sister had taken off into the forest on foot. "Why?" she couldn't help but ask. "Because you have never left the Island since the day you were born, he didn't want you to accidently lead the slaves to the high pass." Elizabeth frowned, but how did that make any sense? If they were running the humans could never have followed, but if they moved at this slow a pace, then surely they could have been followed… she would have said this, but at that moment they came to the edge of the forest and bright lights gleamed ahead.

With her sensitive hearing Elizabeth could sense at least 5 people moving around on the ground ahead of them, she could also hear water crashing against the shore. Her stomach churned, she had always been afraid of the water. She didn't know why that was, perhaps it was an inborn fear that her father had planted in her when she was a child because he didn't want her to leave the Island or perhaps it was her fear of the unknown and if they unknown could hurt her. She shook her head, what was she thinking about? She was a Lamia, she couldn't drown or be harmed by water …

Ahead of them loomed a flat landing which turned out to be a dock. As they got closer Elizabeth could see a small motorboat shifting in the water, attached to the Wharf. Her insides screamed at her, and she looked back over her shoulder out the window at the forest- at the only home she had ever known. Then calmly left the carriage as the driver opened the door and walking slowly head held high, she followed him closer to the boat. Five Lamia came out to meet them, they bowed when she came into view, and then straightened, "My Lady" the one in the middle of the group intoned, "Your sister has already passed by hours ago." She nodded though she didn't know why, and then he continued, "We await your bidding." She nodded again. She was a princess in the World of Night, she knew that somewhere in her brain, but only now did she realize how important it was. "Why am I leaving?" She asked sure that these men would answer her truthfully.

"The Island is to be emptied of Lamia, My lady." A man to the right of her answered. "Why?" she snapped, the noise of the waves putting her on edge. "The millennium is coming, we are moving to the mainland to await its arrival, for soon, this secrecy will no longer be necessary." Something in her brain remembered something of long ago, a prophecy that was older then she- a prophecy about the end of the world from the Blind Maiden, she frowned and wished her sister was there to remind her of what it was. "I see." She muttered. "Shall we be off, my Lady?" the man in the center asked again. Elizabeth nodded and allowed herself to be led down the wharf to the boat. She looked back over her shoulder one last time, and whispered, "Merry Meet and Merry Part," she swallowed, "And Merry Meet again." She sure hoped she would see it again, this Island that had been her home for 17 years. Then she was off, the boat speeding off into the night, taking her to a place she had never known, the world of the Outsiders.