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Underworld: Spellbound

Prologue

Selene ran down the dark, wet streets of Budapest, a good distance ahead of the Death Dealers, her former teammates, all of them seeking revenge against their beloved Elder, Viktor, who had been slain by Selene's hand, with Viktor's own sword no less. She had fled those perilous sewers with Michael, and ran. Today, weeks later, they were still being chased. The Death Dealers, from both Great Covens and some of the lesser ones, had come to assist Marcus and Selene's former house in their quest for revenge against the traitor that killed their leader.

They had split her and Michael up. They had come at them from two sides and Michael took one street where she had taken another. As usual, it was raining in the dark city, causing a most of the bullets to go astray. She sped around a corner and turned just in time as the Death Dealers came around the corner as well. Her hands opened and the circular glaives sliced through the air and into the bodies of three of her former teammates. Even as their bodies crumpled to the ground, she fled, pulling out her pistols in the process. Selene ran and jumped up onto the roof of a car, spinning around as she jumped off, letting the bullets fly from her guns and embedding themselves into the vampires. She landed in a crouch and followed the momentum into a roll and was back on her feet in an instant, her long, dark coat billowing out behind her.

The former Death Dealer continued to run, trying to lose these new enemies she had made. Suddenly, a bullet ripped through her shoulder and she flew forward, the ground rushing up to meet her. She lie on the ground and let them come, knowing there was nothing she could do to defend herself. A dark, guttural growl sounded from behind her and a smile formed on her pale lips.

Michael ran through an alleyway, leaping over trashcans and dodging around dumpsters. A few bullets ripped into the brick wall her was running along and he immediately veered to the left, down another alley. He froze for the smallest of seconds but then continued to run. This was the same alley where he and Selene had fled from Lucian in her car.

Selene.

He needed to find Selene.

He needed to protect her.

So he ran. Trying to find Selene, the woman who had saved his life on four occasions in two days. He owed it to her. His hair was wet and whipped around his face in damp tangles as he sped around a corner, avoiding the discharge from the barrel of a shotgun. He hated not knowing what had happed to Selene after they had split up. For all he knew, they could have killed her by now. He could feel the anger rising in him at the mere thought of it. He could feel the change occurring, could feel his bones twisting and his organs sliding around to compensate. He felt his teeth lengthen and his nails grow jagged. The shirt on his back was now rags dangling from his shoulders, his pants torn as well. The shoes had had worn were lost back in the alley somewhere but that really didn't concern him.

Passing by a window, he saw his dark reflection out of the corner of his eye, black gray skin, black eyes, and black hair. He was a twisted imitation of the dark hellhound Cerberus that haunted the Greek legends.

The Death Dealers he had outrun ran out in front of him, apparently having taken some short cut, and aimed their weapons. Bullets tore through the air but Michael weaved in and out of the projectiles with wraith like speed. Two of the leeches fell by his talons, and the others were thrown aside.

There she was, the dark angel who had brought him back from the line that stood between life and death. Selene. He growled when she fell to the ground, clutching her shoulder, and when the Death Dealers surrounded her. His growl this time was so much louder and caused the vampires to falter.

Then he was upon them.

His talons ripped through leather, flesh, and bone with a horrible sound as he fought to protect her. Selene grabbed her gun from the ground and the former Death Dealer shot a vampire through the throat before he could fire upon her. She stood up, already feeling the wound starting to heal itself and shot another. Her brown eyes faded and blazed into hot, electric blue orbs that burned in the night. Together, she and Michael fought them off. Bullets may have punctured Michael's flesh but he didn't feel a thing. Whatever hurt a vampire or a lycan had no effect on him whatsoever. But no matter how many they took out, more seemed to come. The Hybrid doctor's claw shot out and opened a raw, gaping wound in the abdomen of one Death Dealer, his viscera hanging out of his body, taking him out of the fight and ensuring he would die.

Running out of bullets, Selene flung the guns aside and reached into her coat and with a sound like a bow being pulled across the strings of a violin, Viktor's sword flashed in her hand and fell upon a Death Dealer.

Christian. She could help but put names to the faces. Faces she had fought alongside for decades. She raised the blade again and a hand enclosed over her wrist. A powerful hand. She spun around, and the first thing she saw was a fist that flew at her face. The sword fell from her hand and Selene's frail body was launched across the street and into a parked car, turning it into a heap of twisted metal.

When Selene came out of the darkness, she heard Michael's roar. Her fiery blue eyes opened and she saw the last of the Elders.

Marcus.

He stood there, Viktor's sword in his hand, and his long, red and black coat billowing about him. His black hair was pulled back from his face to reveal the same eyes that burned within Selene's, and every other vampires' eye sockets. He was tall and lightly built, but had enough power in one punch to imitate the force of a train.

Weakly, Selene pulled herself from the wreckage and staggered forward. She knew she couldn't do anything, but she had to try. Before her, Michael and Marcus circled each other, sizing up their opponents weaknesses. Around them, the Death Dealers had formed a rough circle, making sure that Michael wouldn't escape. Apparently they had forgotten about her, which suited Selene quite perfectly. Marcus lunged and parried expertly with the silver blade but Michael was just as fast as the Elder and dodged.

The fight went on like this for a few minutes. Marcus feigned right with the blade but then brought his foot around to the left, and kicking Michael in the skull. He fell to his knees and seemed almost dazed. Marcus twirled the sword in his hand and brought it down, but Michael's hand shot out and wrapped around the Elder's wrist, halting the attack. The struggled like this, pushing the blade in opposite directions, but seemed evenly matched. The Death Dealers around them seemed uncertain and had their guns half raised, unsure if they should interfere or not.

Then Selene struck.

Now that she had her strength back she marched up to the nearest and quietly broke his neck, taking his guns and letting the bullets fly as his body fell. The other vampires didn't have time to react as their bodies were riddled with the small pieces of metal. Several bullets also punctured Marcus, causing him to loose some of his strength, and giving Michael the advantage he needed. With a burst of energy, he pushed Marcus backward and off of him. He was then on his feet and he and Selene ran, coming across one of the cars the Death Dealers had come in. Selene jumped into the driver's seat, Michael in the passenger, now reverting back into his human form. The dark vampiress turned the key in the ignition and the engine roared into life. Soon, they were speeding through the city, trying to find a safe place for Selene before the sun rose in a few hours.

After they were a good distance away, Selene relaxed slightly in her seat, letting a sigh escape her lips. That was her first encounter with Marcus, and she didn't care to meet him again. You see, she had been turned during Viktor's reign nearly two hundred years ago, a full decade after Marcus' last reign. Michael looked at her and she glanced back, turning around a corner. She didn't know how much longer they were going to last.