A/N: Sorry that it took me so long. I got preoccupied with a bunch of other stuff, mainly watching lots of tv, going on Facebook, and doing homework. I also had writer's block for a week and decided not to do a crappy chapter just because I felt that I had to. So, hopefully this chapter is alright. Review please! :)

Bella's POV

Odessa stretched out beneath me. I wrapped my hand around the tallest spire of the Church of St. Panteleymon. My prey was strolling the streets below. To him there was nothing that could harm him. He felt like top dog with the protection of the Countess punctured into his thick, sun-tanned neck. I almost felt bad about crushing that feeling of security. Nothing is safe, I thought to myself. If only you had realized that. The brand you believe that protects you only makes you a more suitable target.

Somewhere in the black I could hear the waves of the Black Sea crash against the shore. The night air held a chill even though it was late spring. I had waited for the snow to melt before coming into the country and now I was perfectly camouflaged by the night.

I dropped down to one of the window ledges that stuck out. I imagined a sleepy caretaker or priest being startled from their daydreams by the person falling from the sky. I took a quick glance in the window to see if my fantasy held some truth. Empty.

Sighing I refocused on the man again. His feet swayed with the wind and he almost lost his balance multiple times. There was no mistaking the scent of alcohol coming off of him in waves and my nose automatically wrinkled in distaste. Still, I was here to prove a point so, like it or not, I would suck his blood that night.

I was a shadow under the moonlight that lit up the night. My form flitted across the sidewalk, soundless as my feet barely touched the pavement. I was close to him. The air rushed into my face bringing thefresh smells of the city with it. Salt, sweat, and smog mixed with the intoxicating scents of the trees and flowers that swung in the direction of the wind. As good as it was, I was soon overcome with something else. It was the aroma that kept me up until the sun had its way. It was the essence of the divine. It was... blood!

He didn't know what hit him. One moment he was bobbing along the road feeling like he owned the world, and the next! My teeth grazed his flesh but didn't pierce. Something held me back and as much as I strove to reach his throbbing vein, I couldn't. Cursing, my eyes scanned the area. The street lights were weakly reflected by the asphalt. The windows of stores and apartments were blank and dark except for the occasional late-night goers. No one was on this street or any other in the surrounding area. My senses picked up nothing and that was when I saw it.

Two vermilion eyes stared at me from above. They circled around and were soon joined by others. I could barely distinguish their forms by looking at where their ebony wings covered up the stars. Beneath my arms I felt the human fidget but he stopped once I gave him a tight squeeze.

Some of the birds continued to hover but most swooped down to land on the electricity wires. The man began to struggle again but I was surprised to find that he wasn't trying to run away from me. Instead he was trying to push his neck the extra centimeters to my fangs. I gasped as I saw that he wanted me to bite him. I struggled to let him go but my arms wouldn't let go. At that point I wasn't even sure whether it was Seiren or the blood lust holding him to me. Either way he was getting closer. Closer. Just a bit.

I could taste his perspiration on the tip of my tongue and his fragrance pushed itself into my nose. His skin brushed against my top lip and then I was in. My teeth sunk into his jugular and the warm liquid flooded my mouth. Ecstacy spread through my frame. The others I had taken had all been dirty bloods and criminals. This man was an innocent. True he had been under Seiren's influence but he hadn't done anything serious. His blood was fresh and well nourished. It fell into my mouth like a waterfall of pleasure and both of us moaned in elation.

My heart beat and his reached a fast paced rhythm and I knew that his breathes would be numbered. I tried to let go but couldn't. His heart slowed and his blissful expression turned into one of confusion and then horror. In vain he beat against me. In vain his screams for help were lost from beneath my hands. His Countess couldn't save him now. I knew that she probably never planned on it anyway. From their perches, the hideous black feathered creatures watched with bloody eyes. His heart was reduced to a whisper as it sputtered and shuddered its finally throbs.

All was quiet for a moment. The blood was gone. The man was dead. I lay back on the ground and listened to the waves again. They seemed so distant even though they weren't even a mile away. I was exhausted and enraged that the birds had done nothing. Why hadn't she helped him? He was her human wasn't he? Did they mean nothing to her? Just something that could easily be thrown away on a whim?

"Why didn't you help him?" I cried up to the red eyes that gazed at me. "Why?"

"You could have left him alone," a cool and familiar voice came from beside me. I scrambled to my feet and saw a larger bird than the others. It seemed to be a raven. Two long scratches ran down from its left eye like white tears.

"Animals can't talk so I won't talk to you. If she wants to taunt me, let her do it herself," I grumbled and curled into a ball with my back to the raven.

"But it is me. I project my soul into another object. Making this raven have my voice was a bit challenging but worth it in the end. Don't you think?" it laughed. "Maybe if you close your eyes and take a swing, you could kill it and pretend it was me."

"It wouldn't be the same. I want to feel your flesh crumbling under my hands, not some poor creature that you can easily throw away."

"Just like this boy right?" it whispered in her ear.

"Why didn't you save him?" I asked again in a trembling voice. I wouldn't let her see the tears swelling in my eyes. Never would she see me weak like she had when Edward had died.

"I didn't need him and you looked hungry," it replied. "You are much more precious so I will allow you to kill as many servants as you want in order to appease your hunger. If killing the things that belong to me will keep your flames of rage going, then so be it."

"You are so cold!" I screamed and threw a punch at the raven. With a crunch of bones it's skull was shattered into peaces. No blood fell out of the wound and I knew that it had been dead from the very beginning.

"But he wasn't," a crow swooped down and landed on her shoulder. "He was alive and well. But you just had to prove that you could hurt me."

"Shut up!" I cried and snapped its neck.

"And what has it gotten you?" another flew down. My hands tore it's wings apart and a flurry of black plumage flew around me in the sea breeze.

"In trying to hurt me, you only hurt yourself," another came to sit on my hand. It's small body was reduced to dust and feathers under my iron grip.

"Death, blood, tears," they all came swirling around me repeating those words.

I yelled for help but my screams never came. My arms flailed around breaking head, snapping wings and necks, plucking black feathers from their bodies. They all fell to the ground and I was alone once more. No blood covered my hands. Black feathers fluttered around in the air, rising with the draft, falling when the wind ceased, slowly disappearing into the night.

The man's body was gone with them but I could still see his silhouette in my mind. I could see all of the people I had killed. It had felt good hadn't it? Their lives slipping away to feed mine.

"No," I screamed. No, my mind yelled with my voice. No, No, NO, NO, NOOOOOO!

I ran toward the beach, I needed the water to clear my head. I needed the waves to discard my feelings. Blood! No, there were other things than blood. There had to be. There were. I could vaguely remember them but they were there.

My head sank under the cool liquid. It was smoother than blood and less thick. The salt tasted different as well. It was stronger and burned the taste of plasma off of my tongue. I gulped it down and my body threw it back out. I swallowed it until my throat was raw and my whole body shook with coughing spasms.

My head burst through the water and I drew in a cleansing breath. On the shore I saw a white shape lying on the sand. Dragging myself out onto the beach I recognized the wolf. It growled as I approached and snapped its jaws when I tried to pet it.

"Fine then," I cried in dispair and walked the opposite direction.

A small letter blew toward me on a burst of air. Catching it I recognized the elegant writing. Turning it around I tore through the seal and opened it to reveal an invitation. Kulya Hertsohynya Kiev. The Ball of the Duchess of Kiev.

"How many god damn titles does she have," I mumbled and threw the letter into the ocean.

"I guess that means that she is finally calling for me," a smile flickered on my lips. "Well, how can I refuse?"