12 months earlier

The city of New Orleans didn't seem to sleep. Ever. It was kind of like New York in that way, The City That Never Sleeps. It was comforting; it reminded her of home. It was dark now, almost gone eleven, but it seemed that the party was just getting started. The streets were lined with people, both tourists and locals alike. The amalgamation of music that was coming from the many bars situated up and down the street made a pleasant sound. Not like one would expect; it wasn't at all jarring, almost as if they complimented each other. There was a sense of freedom here, not like New York where everybody knew her. Knew who she was; who her family were; who she'd dated and who she was friends with. She could be whoever she wanted to be here. She could start over and nobody could tell her otherwise.

She checked her watch. A quarter past 11. She hadn't meant to stay out so late. Although she would have liked to stay a while longer, she supposed she ought to head back. She had only ventured out into the city for some food. It had been hours and her new roommate would surely be wondering where she was. With a sigh she checked her pockets for her keys and her cell. Once she had determined that they were both there she began in the direction of the parking lot in which she had left her car. She took a left down an alleyway, leaving the promise of an unforgettable night behind her. There were no lights down here, nor music. The silence was omnipresent and a little creepy. She picked up her pace, no longer charmed by the magic of the city, eager to return to the safety of her car. Perhaps it was the sudden darkness or the overwhelming silence, but Thalia couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. She couldn't explain it, it was a gut feeling and she had long accepted that a gut feeling ought not to be reasoned with.

"Hey there, sweetheart." A voice cut across her thoughts. The voice itself gave her reason enough to be alarmed. It was sinister, almost predatory, and she suddenly felt very aware of the fact that she was alone. The owner of the voice stepped out in front of her, blocking her path. He was shrouded in the darkness that permeated the alley, so she couldn't see his face, but she could see that he was taller than her. A lot taller, and well built. She didn't stand a chance. "What's a pretty little thing like you doing out here all alone?" It was almost as if he'd read her thoughts.

"I was—" just heading home, was what she had intended to say, breaking off awkwardly when she realised what a foolish thing to tell him that was. "I'm just on my way to meet a friend." She lied, unconvincingly she thought. Her voice was timid and she was visibly nervous.

"At this time?" She couldn't see his face but she could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Er—yeah." Every cell in her body was screaming at her to put as much space between herself and this mystery man as possible but he was blocking her way forward, and she had a nasty feeling that if she turned and ran he would chase her. Awkwardly, she cleared her throat and attempted to move forward, hoping that he would move out of the way and let her pass. He didn't. As Thalia stepped forward, so did he, effectively placing himself directly within her personal space. "Could I just—"

"No."

Her heart sank as she realised that there was a very real possibility of something horrible happening to her. She could feel her heart pounding; she wondered if he could hear it, it beat that hard. "Please." She had meant it to sound assertive. Authorative, even. But it came out uneven and breathless, barely more than a whisper. She tried again, "let me go." It sounded like she was begging. Perhaps she was.

He didn't answer. Instead he moved (or, she assumed he moved. It was so fast she didn't see it) and she was slammed into the alley wall. The force of the impact was so that it winded her; she couldn't draw breath, couldn't have screamed even if she had wanted to. He dipped his head and inhaled deeply. Thalia, her face a mask of frozen terror, watched helplessly. He shouldn't have been that strong, or that fast. It was inhumane. Because, she realised with a start of terror, he wasn't human, was he? He wrapped his hand around her throat, his ice-cold hand with a grip that was iron clad, confirming her suspicion. He wasn't a man at all, she thought with a whimper, he was a vampire.

Oh, god. Oh, god. Oh, god, oh god, oh god. "No god will help you now." Thalia hadn't realised she had been talking aloud. She also hadn't realised that she was crying, but the sudden wetness on her cheeks indicated as much. If she could talk, she realised, she could also scream. It seemed unlikely that she would escape with her life, but it didn't hurt to try. What did she have to lose? She drew in a deep breath, screamed and prayed to god that somebody would hear and not mistake her screams for sounds of partying. The vampire, taken aback by the sudden noise, hissed and made to—what, exactly she never found out. One moment he was rearing up in front of her, the next he disappeared, pulled from her as if by a magnetic force. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust, but once they did she saw him crumpled against the opposite wall. A boy around her own age stood between them. The boy—no, vampire—was staring down at the other, contempt etched across his face. The other was on his feet again in a split second, he started towards the boy who didn't move an inch but raised an eyebrow.

"Are you challenging me?"

"I—"

"Are you challenging me?"

He glared at the boy and then at Thalia who was still backed up against the wall, legs turned to lead, unable to move. Glare turned back to the boy, he spat on the floor in disgust before racing off in a blur. Relief washed over and, if not for the wall propping her up, her legs might have given out beneath her.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" The boy turned to face her. He took a slow step towards her with a wary expression, as if he expected her to bolt. Like she could.

"No, I—" she pushed herself off of the wall and took an unsteady step in the wrong direction. She didn't care which direction she went in, as long as it took her out of the alleyway and away from the vampire. It didn't matter that he had saved her; he was still a vampire. "I'm fine," she tripped, and he put a hand out to steady her, which she shrugged away. "I'm fine," she said again, a little more forcefully this time. "I need to…go. I have to go." He didn't say anything to that, and Thalia took that as her permission to leave. Without as much as a backwards glance or a thank you she hurried off into the night.