Into the Fire

by The Angels Will Always Cry

'"Em." Malik said, peering over her shoulder. The Nightmaster had to be here somewhere. "Where's the Nightmaster?" he asked. His little sister stood on tiptoe to whisper in his ear, the corner of her lip curling. "Give me the ring, brother." Emarni said.' SEQUEL TO INTO THE DARK Ingrid/Malik, OC/Chloe, Bertrand/OC. [CHAPTER NINE UP]

7. Chapter Seven

Quite a lot occurred after Emarni left the party, according to a breather newspaper that she found wedged in a bin- that was judging by the picture,of the house being burnt to the ground. She was sitting in a breather cafe, playing with a slice of chocolate cake and wondering why breathers would eat such muck. Her other hand rested on the newspaper, which she was struggling to decipher. She was waiting for somebody to walk past so that she could ask them to read it to her. Luckily for her, a waitress came over to see her, probably because it was eleven at night and Emarni was the only person in there.
"It's awful, isn't it?" the woman said and she must have seen the confused expression on Emarni's face, "The fire at the Count house?"
"I struggle with English." Emarni said, making sure to pronounce the soft i's incorrectly and use her accent. Now, she didn't sound like a stupid girl who could not read. She just sounded like a foreigner.
"Ah, I see." The woman smiled softly and slid into the seat opposite her. Watching the pulse throb in the woman's neck, Emarni grinned down at her hands. She was thirsty, now that she thought about it. It had been weeks since her last drink.
"Last night, there was a fire at Count house." The woman said helpfully, "Killed seven people. There was a party there or something. Nobody would speak to the newspapers." Seven people killed. Seven people. How excellent. Emarni resisted the urge to cheer and grinned further.
"The bodies were burnt to ashes." The woman said, "So, what brings you here?" Emarni just gave her a shrug and returned to poking at her cake with a fork, breaking it up into small pieces.
"Not running away from home, are we?" The waitress checked.
"You could say that." Emarni said. She didn't break her gaze away from the woman, until the poor waitress began to look unnerved.
"So, are you an immigrant?" The waitress asked.
"Excuse me." Emarni snapped suddenly, "But my parents moved to this country long ago before you English people started being racist towards us." She slammed her hand down on the table and her eyes slowly dissolved into a yellower shade of green. She stared deeply into the woman's eyes.
"Might I have your wrist, young lady?" Emarni asked politely and the hypnotised woman offered up her vein. Forgetting to check that nobody was watching, Emarni sunk her fangs into the woman's wrist and the sour blood of an alcoholic splashed over her tongue. It ran over her tongue and down her throat, warming her throat quickly.
"You should really have checked if there was anyone else in here." came a smug voice. Licking the rest of blood from the woman's wrist, Emarni looked into her eyes.
"Remember nothing." Then, she snapped her fingers and the woman fainted promptly. She turned slowly, nothing left to lose and saw a werewolf girl sitting on the counter. An annoying werewolf in a striped t-shirt with dark hair and muddy eyes. A werewolf that Emarni had forgotten to contact since the night before.
"Carolyn." Emarni hissed, "What the hell?" With a shrug, Carolyn leant over and flicked the switch. The lights flickered off, plunging the room into darkness. It took less than a second for Emarni's to adjust to the darkness.
"What the hell?" she repeated.
"I assumed you didn't really want me taking the girl home." Carolyn said, her eyes glowing red in the darkness. Emarni thought that werewolf eyes glowing in the dark was a myth that her mother had invented, (Emarni's mother had always been telling her scary things about the outside world to keep her inside, more and more as she got older), but apparently not.
"What the hell, Carolyn?" Emarni said for the third time, walking over to where the girl sat on the counter. The werewolf girl leapt down from the counter and gestured for the girl to follow her from the room. And so the vampire followed the werewolf into the back room.
"Why the hell are you here?" Emarni demanded, crossing her arms as she walked after the other girl. Had Carolyn followed her? Had anyone else? Self consciously, Emarni glanced behind her and was happy to find nobody behind her.
"I work here, Emsy-Wemsy." Carolyn snapped, mockingly, pointing to the badge that was stuck to her chest, (it read: Caroline, which Emarni probably would've found amusing if she knew what it said). Why would Carolyn have to work at a breather establishment? Emarni didn't know anybody that worked at breather establishments or anyone that worked at all.
"My name is not 'Emsy-Wemsy'." Emarni hissed at her, aiming a kick at the girl's shin. The werewolf dodged and shot her a smirk.
"Might I ask why you drained my colleague?" Carolyn asked.
"I was thirsty and she had a pulse?" Emarni shrugged her shoulders.
"You've still got contacts in." Carolyn told the girl, turning to look at the girl. Carefully, Emarni began to remove her colour contacts, popping them out one at a time. Her eyes melted back into their usual cat green.
"So... The girl? The child?" Carolyn returned to the subject. Removing her left lens, Emarni waited for her to continue. In answer, Carolyn flung open a cupboard door and a body collapsed on the floor. It was the body of a small unconscious girl with dark hair falling messily from her usually neat plaits. Her frilly dress was covered in mud and rainwater. The girl lay on the floor, her limbs sprawled at an angle.
"Anna." Emarni said and the girl winced in recognition. She was coming around.
"Oh, that's her name?" Carolyn said, "I thought she might be Princess Seraphina." Her hand going to her pocket, Emarni frowned at the unconscious girl on the floor. Her fingers brushed over the golden locket.
"Father..." Anna murmured faintly.
"Get up, Little Brat!" Emarni instructed, kicking the girl's body. Weakly, Anna knelt up and looked in fear at the pair standing over her. Her dark eyes flicked between the werewolf standing with her hands on her hips and the abusive vampire with her arms crossed.
"Where is Father? I thought you loved him." Anna frowned up at her. That irritated the vampire.
"I detest your father. He betrayed me!" Emarni snarled, her fingers wriggling their way into her pocket. Whilst the girl looked up at her, expecting to be hit, Emarni's fingers brushed against the golden chain of her locket. She pulled it from her pocket and held it up for the girl, as evidence of Bertrand's betrayal.
"That's my locket!" Anna cried, "Where did you get it? Did Nia give it to you?" Nia? Oh, that evil little Egyptian girl! She betrayed Emarni as well. Emarni was right to cut off all personal bonds with all of them.
"No, it is my locket!" Emarni said, "It has pictures of my parents inside!" She held out the broken locket for the girl to see.
"But... My locket doesn't open. You broke it!" Anna shouted, "My father gave that to me and you broke it!" She tried to punch the vampire but Emarni grabbed the small girl's arm.
"I did not break it!" Emarni snapped, "Why would I break my locket?"
"It's my locket!"
"Then, why does it have my mother and father inside?"
"Both of you, shut up!" Carolyn screamed at them, then she added in a whisper, "Do you hear that? Princess SeraphAnna? Emsy-Wemsy?" From that point on, they were stuck with nicknames. Both Emarni and Anna tried to speak but were shushed. That was when they heard it; the crashing in the main room of the cafe.
"Should we go see?" Anna whispered. Silently, Carolyn gave her a nod and began to crawl towards the door. Anna close behind and Emarni following hesitantly; she was not keen on getting killed before she could ask Carolyn more about the murders. She hoped her brother had been killed- it would save her the trouble.

They reached the door and Carolyn pulled it open a crack, peering around it carefully.
"What is it?" Anna hissed.
"Shut up, Little Brat." Emarni hissed back at her. The door slid open and the three of them fell into the cafe. Looking around warily, Emarni was the first back on her feet. She didn't see anything irregular the first time. The second time, she noticed something. The body of the waitress was gone from the table. There was a deafening roar and the roof was ripped off the building.
"What the hell?" Carolyn screamed, as a demon towered over them. It was coloured purple with slime dripping from it's mouth.
"I am the great Okalala!" The demon roared, "I have come for Princess Seraphina, the weapon!" It drooled and purple slime dripped down, nearly hitting the vampire. It melted the floor of the building and the table on it, like acid. Emarni screamed in fear.
"We do not have the Princess!" Carolyn yelled, "Only a small annoying child called Anna!"
"I smell shapeshifter!" Okalala peered down at them, kneeling down to get a little closer. He looked over Carolyn without so much as a second glance, then he paused at Emarni.
"You're the Dracula. Be grateful that The Master brought you back!" Okalala roared at her, his foul breath hitting the girls in the face. All of them actively winced and Carolyn faked gagging- or perhaps really gagged.
"I am grateful!" Emarni responded, "And I have never been grateful before in my whole unlife!" Thinking about it, Emarni remembered that The Master was the demon's name for Julian, the slayer boy who had given up his body for the demon. He was the first one that she saw when she woke up.

"Miss Vaccaria, how do you feel?" Julian had smiled eerily at her. His face was much too close to hers and she became suddenly aware that her arms were strapped to a chair. As were her legs, she realised when she tried to wriggle free.
"You killed me." she gasped for breath. Death had been a sudden darkness, just a lot of nothingness followed by an incredibly bright light. And now she was here, in the dungeon of her old castle.
"But we brought you back." Julian argued, still smiling at her.
"I saw a light." Emarni said, trying to wriggle free of the argentalium chains and failing, "It was beautiful."

"Seraphina!" Okalala picked up the small child and looked at her. Anna screamed in utter terror, kicking her legs furiously. Her eyes widened.
"Can we not just let him have her?" Emarni asked and earned an amused look from the werewolf girl.
"I'm not Seraphina! I'm Anna De Fortunesa!" Anna shrieked, "Put me down."
"I smell shapeshifter on you!" Okalala insisted, sniffing her, "It's delicious." Carolyn looked at Emarni desperately and the vampire gave a sigh. She unlaced her black converse shoe and tugged it from her foot. Not even trying to aim, Emarni tossed the shoe at the demon.
"What the hell?" Carolyn exclaimed. The shoe slammed into the demon's side and bounced off, not even leaving a dent. Quickly, Emarni unlaced her other shoe- might as well lose them both- and tossed it. It smacked the demon hard in the eye and he dropped Anna. She screamed as she fell through the sky.
"Seraphina!" Okalala yelled as the girl fell away from him.
"Little Brat!" Emarni shouted with a mix of delight and fear.
"HELP ME!" Anna screamed. Maybe, Emarni thought, maybe I could save her. Find out about the locket, find out why she smelt of shapeshifter- after all, she was Bertrand's daughter. There was so much to learn. Emarni supposed she owed it to Bertrand.
"MISS EMARNI!" Anna cried. The girl crashed into Emarni's arms and Emarni set the girl down on the ground.
"RUN!" Carolyn ordered, grabbing Anna by the hand.

THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY - THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY

Much to her irritation, Emarni's feet kept slipping as they tore down the road. She wished that she hadn't thrown her shoes at Okalala. She kept stepping on pieces of broken glass and cigarette butts, dirt clinging to her feet. She was really going to need to wash her feet at some point.
"We'll get you new shoes, Emsy, just stop moaning!" Carolyn snapped at her, purposely throwing a cigarette where Emarni was about to step. With a yelp, the cigarette burnt a small hole in Emarni's foot and she growled. According to Carolyn, none of Emarni's family had been killed- pity- but there had been some injuries. Malik was seriously injured, George was bleeding on the ground, her face burnt and Vlad wasn't moving when Carolyn last saw him.
"And my Father?" Anna cried. Though, Emarni wouldn't admit it, she was curious too. Both vampires stared at the werewolf.
"I don't know. I was busy, trying not to get burnt alive." Carolyn snapped at them.

"Where are we going?" Anna asked, clinging to Carolyn's back. The werewolf was being incredibly gallant to put up with the annoying child on her back. Emarni wouldn't be able to carry Anna for five minutes without ditching her in a gutter.
"I can buy a new house." Emarni said. Not for either of the girls though. Just herself this time.
"No point." Carolyn said, "The demons have got our scent." Their scent? What did they smell of collectively- wet dog, fresh blood and whatever the hell shapeshifter smelt like? Emarni sniffed her wrist and discovered that she smelt like something that had been left to burn. The trio had slowed to a stop.
"Where do you suggest we go?" Emarni asked, looking to Carolyn for answers. The werewolf shrugged.
"Maybe we could stay with my pack...?" Carolyn trailed off when she saw the expression on Emarni's face.
"Anna." Emarni turned to the small girl and glared fiercely, "Who is your mother?" The small child was gasping for breath, double over and struggling for breath. Which was ironic because she was the only person that hadn't actually run- Carolyn had just put her down. Anna looked up at Emarni for just a second and said:
"I don't know." Then, she returned to struggling for breath.
"COME BACK, SERAPHINA!" Okalala roared in the distance, smashing cars up angrily. It was rather like watching a child throwing a tantrum because they had not got what they wanted.
"How can you not know?" Emarni growled.
"She left before I was born." Anna said. Then, the demon spotted them and gave a roar.
"SHAPESHIFTERS!" Okalala pulled a face that looked almost like a grin.
"Shapeshifters?" Carolyn raised an eyebrow and looked at Emarni suspiciously.
"Probably means you." Emarni said, though now she was worried. Because now that she thought about it: Seraphina was a shapeshifter because the gene had been passed down from Elisabetta. But Emarni was even closer related to Elisabetta than Seraphina was so... What she had the shapeshifter gene too? And Malik? Though, now she remembered, Seraphina had medicine to increase her powers so... Emarni was confused.
"I mean..." Carolyn said, "Are you sure you're not Seraphina?" She looked down at Anna, who shook her head. Tears came to her eyes as she became desperate.
"I'm really not!" And Anna, the small girl who had never cried before, burst into tears, "I'm really, really, really not. I'm normal."
"Where did you get the locket?" Emarni shook the girl by the shoulders.
"It was my aunt's!" Anna sobbed.
"If you were Seraphina." Emarni said, with interest, "I would be your aunt." Anna stopped crying and looked at the girl with wide eyes. Then, they had to run before the demon could crush them.

Carolyn's house wasn't a house; it was a small apartment in a run down block of flats, five floors off the ground. And after all the running, it was amusing for Emarni to watch Anna and Carolyn struggle up the five flights of stairs. They only made it up four flights before they were stopped. A young boy stood in front of them, blocking their path and frowned at them.
"Carolyn, are you okay?" the boy asked. Ruffling the boy's hair, Carolyn gave him a sad look.
"I'm sorry, Wolfie, but no." Carolyn said.
"Wolfie?" Emarni frowned. She could have sworn she had heard the name somewhere before and couldn't place where.
"Who are you?" Wolfie said, then he turned to Anna, "And you? Are you my new friend?" He smiled hopefully.
"I'm Anna De Fortunesa." the small girl said.
"And my name is Emarni Vaccaria." the older girl said. The boy stared back at Emarni with the exact same expression; as if he knew her from somewhere but wasn't sure where. At the exact same time, the pair realised where they knew each other.
"You must be that werewolf boy who is related to Vladimir." Emarni said.
"And you must be that Absolutuus-Mortuus girl who is related to Malik." Wolfie said, "Patrick warned me about you." Then, he returned to Anna, "You must be Princess Seraphina."
"No!" Anna screamed, "I'm Anna De Fortunesa!" Looking taken aback, Wolfie edged away and went back inside.
"Wolfie, who is it?" came Patrick's growl.
"Nobody." Wolfie said and closed the door in their faces.
"How do you know him?" Emarni asked, as they carried on up the stairs. She raced up the rest of the stairs and waited at the top for the other two to join. Obviously, she was immensely enjoying being the fittest out of the three of them; she would probably be the only one to survive if it came to another chase.
"He's in my pack." Carolyn said, "His father, Patrick, turned me."

THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY - THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY

Whilst the apartment was just as run down on the inside as it was on the outside, Emarni resisted the strong urge to make snide remarks. She knew that was her father's influence and she didn't want to be like him. Emarni knew that her father was an old coffin lodger and soon he would die! He had lived long enough. Anyway, Emarni did not intend to stay long. She showered quickly, using Carolyn's cheap shampoo and shower gel. Then, she was forced into cheap clothing- cheap jeans, a black t-shirt and converse sneakers. Carolyn's clothing was too big for her skinny frame. And slowly, bit by bit, Emarni began to realise how much she had. She had so many different outfits and she had barely ever worn the same thing twice.
"How do you have so little clothes?" Emarni said, receiving a slap across the face.
"I'm not a rich little mummy's girl, Precious Little Emsy-Wemsy!" Carolyn growled, claws sprouting from her fingernails.
"I am not a rich little mummy's girl!" Emarni said, "My mother is dead and I have barely any money!" But she did have all her mother's money as well as her own, now stored in a bank account gathering interest, and a debit card. Admittedly, it had taken her a while to understand modern money or debit cards but she had adjusted. She was now more modern than most vampires of her age.
"I'm sorry." Carolyn said, looking a little guilty, "About your mother."
"Do not bother apologising. I did not care for my mother. She was a cruel woman." Emarni said, her hand going to where her golden locket sat in her pocket. It was ice against her skin. It was carefully stuck together using superglue that Emarni had found in Carolyn's kitchen- what was Carolyn using superglue... Actually, she did not want to know.
"I am going to need some new clothes." Emarni sighed, "And some new shoes." She brushed a strand of her now pale brown hair- the semi permanent dye was beginning to wash out- behind her ear. After Emarni and Carolyn were changed, they turned to Anna. The small girl had mud flecked through her hair and purple slime smeared across her upper body. There was a cut on her lower neck where the demon's claw had dug into her skin.
"You get to bath Princess SeraphAnna." Carolyn decided, "I'm going out." She didn't say where.

Much to her distaste, Emarni had no choice but to bath the girl. She went into the living room and found Anna knelt before the television, watching it in awe. Maybe it was the first time she had seen one. When she had first seen a television, Emarni had been utterly taken aback.
"Anna, get up." Emarni instructed, grabbing the girl by the arm. She tugged the girl to her feet and the girl looked at her in surprise.
"Where are we going?" Anna asked, as she was lead out of the room and into the bathroom.
"You are covered in dirt and slime, so you are having a bath." Emarni said, "No arguments, Little Brat!" But she didn't raise her hand to hit her. Instead, she knelt beside the bath and turned the taps on. She began to pour bubble bath in and didn't stop because she liked the way it swirled around in the water. It looked pretty. She used up all the bubble bath.
"Why did you leave my father?" Anna asked, "Did he upset you?"
"No."
"Did you upset him?"
"No."
"Then, why?"
"Because I do not like people and he is a person." Emarni said, "Must you talk to me all the time?" So, Anna just stood silently, staring hard at Emarni. As the girl stared, Emarni began to grow uneasy. What was she looking at? Emarni did not look any different from usual, aside from the fact that she was wearing Carolyn's clothes. Her hair was slightly damp and obviously not blonde currently- in fact, it was worryingly close to her siblings' varying shades of hair. Her locket was around her neck, was Anna staring at that?
"What are you looking at, you Little Brat?" Emarni snarled, her eyes darkening a little. She bared her fangs and the girl just shrugged at her.
"I was just thinking how beautiful you are." Anna said, "I want to look like you when I grow up." Emarni scoffed. Maybe she could drown the girl in the bathtub.
"I would not want to be like me." Emarni said, dipping her hand in the bath water. It was just hot enough that the girl would get scalded and just deep enough so that the girl might drown. She turned the taps off.
"Come on, SeraphAnna." Emarni said, and the girl edged nervously towards her. She helped the girl pull her dress off over her head and pulled the girl's equally lacy socks. The girl made her look away while she pulled her underwear off and climbed into the bath.
"Miss Emarni." Anna blurted out suddenly, as if she could not contain it anymore, "I'm a shapeshifter." She gave Emarni such a shock that the Vaccaria girl freaked out and shoved the other girl's head underwater. Gargling under the water, Anna protested. Emarni waited for a few moments before lifting the girl's head up again.
"Agh- agh!" Anna choked, coughing up water.
"What did you say?" Emarni demanded, her eyes flashing red.
"I said- I'm a- a shape- shapeshifter." Anna said. All she got in return was her head being forced back underwater. Water filled her nose and throat, choking her slowly. Then, she was back above water and struggling for breath.
"You are Seraphina." Emarni said in surprise, backing away from the girl quickly. She only stopped backing away when her body hit the wall.
"You're my niece." Emarni said, "And you are worth millions." She paused, "Get out, get dressed. We are going out."
"I'm not Seraphina." Anna protested weakly.

THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY - THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY

What Emarni didn't quite realise was that Anna had swallowed quite a sufficient amount of water earlier on and it had been churning around in the girl's stomach ever since. As they walked through the darkness, Anna (or should she say Seraphina?) gripped her aunt's hand tighter. Every time Emarni glanced at the child, she felt even more stupid. How could she not have recognised the girl? She had the brown hair that Malik had and that Ingrid used to have. She had the hazel coloured eyes that Malik had. Her face was rather angular and distinguished, pointed chin and ears- genetic Vaccaria looks. She was tall too.
"Miss Emarni." Seraphina tugged on her aunt's hand, "Tell me about our family." She looked up at Emarni with her beautiful dark eyes and Emarni couldn't stop the words spilling from her mouth.
"Me and Malik- your father- we grew up in Romania. In a castle. Mother- your grandmother- was crazy. She spent all her time with Malik and barely spoke to me. Malik and I were kept apart all our lives so that Mother could marry us and have two Vaccarias on the throne. Malik was such a disappointment to Mother that she had me genetically engineered to be perfect." Emarni said, "Your great grandparents were Caedryn and Hylla. They were killed by Mother who was experimenting with Shadow Warriors, (they are a type of demon)." She managed to stop herself from talking when she ran out of things to say. The girl frowned, as if she had not expected so many bad things.
"And on my Mother's side?" Seraphina asked, bracing herself for the answers.
"Ingrid is horrible. She is always planning to kill everyone and flirting with everyone. You were conceived quite by accident." Emarni said, "Your grandfather, The Count, is a sexist idiot. He wanted you to be a boy so that he could have an heir. I have never met your grandmother on the other side but I have heard that she is even worse than Ingrid." The small child was paling, her face tinged a little green. She gripped at Emarni's hand tighter.
"Where are we going?" Seraphina said, taking deep breaths. The truth was: Emarni wasn't sure. She was just following the trail of purple slime that Okalala had left. Looking back, she should've sent a note to The Council. Or they could just ask the Prophecy Sisters.
"Just keep quiet, Little Brat!" Emarni hissed. They walked a little longer until Seraphina stopped suddenly. Her fingers wriggled free of Emarni's grip and she was violently sick in the gutter. That was when Emarni noticed the amount of water that Seraphina had swallowed and felt a little guilty. This was her brother's daughter after all, (and her sister's but she didn't want to think about that). Besides she wanted the girl in good condition for the demons. For a few moments the old Emarni made a reappearance.
"Draga mea." she comforted, rubbing the girl between the shoulder blades, "O sa fii bine. You will be okay." Seraphina quivered, tears rushing down her pale face. She had never been sick before. When she was done, she pulled back and clung to Emarni, whimpering. Seraphina rubbed her mouth on the back of her hand.
"Oh, Seraphina." her aunt said, wrapping an arm around the small girl.
"Miss Emarni." Seraphina sobbed, hugging the girl tightly.
"It is okay, Seraphina." Emarni sighed and for a moment, she regretted what she was going to do.

THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY - THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY

The Prophecy Sisters resided in a cave in the mountains of Scotland and were currently the only chance that Emarni had of finding the Council Of Elders. She explained this to Seraphina, who nodded and tried not to think about the consequences. She knew that Emarni was going to give her to the Council in exchange for a Demon Ring. There were four Demon Rings: only one had been found and the Council of Elders supposedly had it. Emarni wanted it. They were supposedly the best weapons on earth and besides, the Draculas were already half way towards finding one of the other rings. Emarni wanted to end up on top. What she would do when she reached the top, Seraphina wasn't sure.
"Wouldn't it be easier to swap me for the map that the Draculas have?" Seraphina asked. Her aunt Emarni was a very beautiful woman with good taste in clothes. She looked like one of those women that Anna used to cut out of fashion magazines; worryingly skinny and well dressed. Currently, Emarni was sitting cross legged in the back of a taxi with her hands resting upon her knees.
"No point. I intend to murder the Draculas soon." Emarni shrugged.
"Oh." was all Seraphina said in response. But inside, she felt a lot more. The mad girl was going to kill Anna's, uh, Seraphina's family, her parents! And she hadn't been met them yet. It was hard for her to refer to herself as Seraphina- she wasn't Princess Seraphina; she was Anna De Fortunesa not Seraphina Dracula.
"I want to meet my Mother and Father, at least once." Seraphina said, "Please, Auntie Emarni." It slipped out of her mouth before Seraphina could stop it. She slapped both hands over her mouth and looked at her aunt in fear. Her aunt was sure to slap her now.
"Do you know what your middle name is?" Emarni said, folding her hands in her lap. That surprised the small girl who was sitting beside her. She shook her head and looked up at the older girl.
"Emarni. Seraphina Emarni Vaccaria Dracula." Emarni's lip twitched, a small smile playing on her lips, "Malik played around with your name a bit; Seffy, Seffy Em. He always called me Em." The girl sighed and Seraphina got the idea that her aunt was feeling troubled. Seraphina leaned against her aunt, daring to even wriggle onto the girl's lap. To her surprise, she was not shoved off. Instead, Emarni wrapped an arm around the girl and held her there.
"You are lucky that you will never meet your family." was all she said.

They were forced to take a train from London to Scotland, there was no other way to get there. On the train, nobody spoke but everybody stared. Emarni didn't exactly try to blend in, wearing an odd mix of pitch black and baby pink. She liked buying new clothes, Seraphina could tell. The small girl sat beside Emarni, her feet not even touching the ground. Every now and then, she would glance at her aunt. To make sure that she was still there. From the look on Emarni's face, Seraphina could tell that her aunt was faraway, thinking of something awful. Perhaps the Council or her mad shape shifting mother or Carolyn or the amount of people that were out to kill her and take Seraphina. It must have been the last one because Emarni's hand moved to rest on her niece's shoulder. She pressed down her hand a little hard so that it hurt the girl. Seraphina winced and her aunt smiled.

There was a watch strapped to her aunt Emarni's left wrist and Seraphina found herself watching as the minutes ticked by slowly. It was nearly ten at night and they hadn't moved for about three hours. Seraphina wished that somebody would say something to her. She was in so much danger now and the longer she thought about it, the more scared that she was. She wanted reassurance. The train screeched to a sudden stop. A man from across the row looked up from his newspaper.
"This isn't a station." he said aloud to everyone in the carriage. It was silent. In the carriage, there were seven humans as well as Emarni and Seraphina. Both the vampire and the shapeshifter looked at each other. Then, Emarni stood up and walked over to the door, Seraphina hot on her heels.
"What are you doing, lady?" another man warned, "If the train starts and that door's open-"
"Oh, shut up." Emarni rolled her eyes and wrenched the door open. She yanked it off it's hinges and threw it aside. She peered out.
"She's a psychopath." a woman whispered. The train sat in silence, everyone waiting expectantly. Then, the train lurched forward and everybody screamed. Everyone except Emarni: she laughed.
"Little Brat, take my hand." Emarni instructed and Seraphina did as she asked. The pair stood by the door, watching as the world sped past. It made Seraphina feel dizzy. There was a large thump.
"SHAPESHIFTER!" something roared and a giant hand swiped inside the carriage. Again, everyone but Emarni screamed.
"Seffy?" Emarni said, "When I say jump..." That was all she had to say. Seraphina nodded. A hand swiped at them again and they ducked. It occurred to Seraphina that her aunt had called her Seffy but she had no time to dwell on it.
"JUMP!" Emarni yelled, as the train was going over a bridge. Before she could think about it, Seraphina leapt and gripped her aunt's hand. Then, they were falling into darkness.

THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY - THE ANGELS WILL ALWAYS CRY