Sorry it is such a short chapter! Please R&R! If I get some reviews I promise I will make Chapter 2 twice as long(that is 1,200 words)! Thanks for reading!

Chapter 1
General POV

Amelie scrutinized the board in front of her. Chess was always a very complicated game,though not if you thought it out of course. If you saw the moves you needed to make,and the moves you needed to ensure your opponent made. It was all laid out,as someone would always win. Of course this was what Amelie was doing,laying out the moves in her head,but not the moves she needed to make on the board in front of her. No,it was the moves she needed to make against Bishop.She was creating a list of her upper-hands against him.

There were many tricks thrown out,but many remained waiting for their time to be drawn and played. Of course,one of these new tricks was a human girl who was about 14-a bit older,possibly a month or two. The girl was brave and foolish-she would speak her mind to a vampire,even if it got her in a fatal situation. A vampire! The girl was foolish indeed,but she was also very useful against Bishop.

Bishop didn't give mercy often,nor would he be easy to defeat. He was always ready,always prepared,always one little step ahead. But now Amelie had the upper-hand -or so it seemed. The girl made all the difference as she could steal,if needed,and she was definitely a brilliant liar,when called for-usually for her own pleasure.

Suddenly a voice cut into Amelie's thoughts,"Amelie,I did not expect to sit here all night while you contemplate." It was Oliver,and he was angry.

Amelie's mouth turned upward,just a bit,at the corners which gave her the smallest hint of a smile. Although lacking none of her usual demand for respect,she replied in a low voice,"I would not expect you to do so,Oliver." With that she moved her rook forward,making sure it was out of the path of any of Oliver's pieces. His irritated expression was replaced with a concentrating stare as he focused on the board. He eventually moved his pawn and took one of Amelie's own pawns. She studied the board,continuing the work of her list.

She knew she had two old,powerful vampires on her side:Myrnin and Oliver,along with all the other vampires. Plus,a lot of humans were mixed in as well;no oblivious college students,but Morganville natives. She did expect to lose a percentage of her followers-either to Bishop's side or the fighting. Lives were always forfeit in war. That's the way it always was and the way it always will be. After all,if you don't,it's not war.

Amelie made her move finally. She made sure to position her knight in just the perfect position. The game was almost over. She also knew she had left her own queen in the path of Oliver's rook. He studied the board for a moment,then slid his rook to Amelie's queen and placed it off to the side of the board.

Amelie swiftly shoved her bishop very gracefully down the board,taking out Oliver's queen whom guarded his king. All the pieces were in perfect position."Checkmate," a content Amelie declared. Oliver frowned,and after studying the board,flicked his king over,none too gently,with a heavy thud as the piece hit the marble board.

Both Amelie and Oliver snapped their heads up immediately after that,their reason being quite obvious:a laugh came from the stairs,along with the words "I thought you'd never finish."