Thanks for the reviews again guys! They keep me writing when I feel like giving up on the story. I've had horrible writers block and spent the last week writing out this chapter. It's not long but I made the effort lol. Please read and review! Sweet dreams of Karl Urban! Mmmmm...Black Hat.

Save your twisted enemy,
So you might earn forgiveness.
And now your whole world is waiting,
So why can't you speak?

I feel it coming over me.
I'm still a slave to these dreams.
Is this the end of everything?
Or just a new way to bleed?

…Evanescence ~New Way To Bleed~

Chapter 8

James ground his teeth together trying to gather every ounce of energy to hold to Priest Michael's hand. The muscles in his arm caught fire as the vampires swarmed at his feet in their tug of war for their newly acquired food. James felt a sharp pain in his calf, the smell of blood permeated through the tunnel. His eyes met Michael's for a brief moment just as his strength wavered and his hand was pulled forcefully from his brothers. He heard Michael's scream echo through the hive and the image of the Priest still reaching for him while the Priestess Mary pulled him back to the entrance of the cave. Then..Darkness. The ability to breathe left him as he was dragged down into the tunnel. Every grain of dry earth dug into his skin like shards of glass, the smell of fresh blood causing more vampires to appear from their nesting spots. He would have screamed, had the blood erupting from his throat not hindered him. The first of the vampires now sunk it's fangs into his raw open flesh. The creatures surrounded his body, fighting over the human like wild animals. James stared up at the tiny bit of light through a hole in the top of the hive, praying to god to take him soon and end the pain. Through his agony, he could see the image of Eve. Her green eyes shining through the darkness and her black hair blowing wildly in the wind. He thought about never kissing her soft lips again or feeling her skin bare against his. He would never hear her voice or the sound of her laughter. More importantly, he would have to break his promise to her. He wouldn't be able to take her away from the eyes of the city and have the chance to make her happy everyday for the rest of their lives. He felt his body shutting down and his vision begin to grow hazy.

I'm sorry Evelyn. I love you.

Just then he felt the pain mildly subside and the noise from the vampires fade off into the distance.

Am I dead? He pondered, before the ache in his limbs as he tried to move answered his question. He could hear the sound of dirt crunching loudly under heavy footsteps. The Priests came back to finish me.

A black form came into view, blocking out the light above him. The face wasn't human, but it wasn't vampire either. No vampire he had ever seen at least. It stared down at him curiously but there was also a glimmer of sympathy in it's eyes. Holding out an arm above him, a long fingernail glided down a vein on the opposite arm. Brown syrupy liquid poured slowly from the wound trailing droplets across James' face, before falling onto his lips and into his mouth, mixing with his own blood. Almost instantly, he felt fire shoot through his body and razor blades run through his veins. The pain of the vampires feeding on him paled in comparison to this new torture he was enduring. His body shook violently while his fingers tried desperately to grab a hold of something to keep him stable. He could feel everything in his body shifting and changing. And then, the pain stopped. This time completely. His body relaxed back onto the ground.

"Stand before your Queen Priest." An icy female voice echoed in his head.

James obeyed, sitting up quickly to find his savior. He could already notice the change in his person. The dark emptiness around him felt more welcoming and calming. He brought a hand up in front of him, opening and closing his palm and watched the new muscles in his arm flex and relax. He felt stronger. Like there was electricity coursing through his body.

"I said stand before your Queen my son."

James stood up, his head whipping around every direction in the now empty cavern. His eyes landed upon the large creature that anyone else would have screamed at in fright, but James looked at with affection. A new sense of protectiveness towards his angel of mercy.

"You brought me back to life" He said, kneeling down in front of her.

"No child. I gave you back your soul. I've made you special."

James tilted his head to the side "Am I a familiar?"

The queen giggled, a very human sounding feminine giggle. "No you're something never seen before. Your blood still runs in your veins but now my blood courses through your very being. You are vampire AND human."

James looked back down at his hands in shock. In all his years of training, no one had ever spoken of such things.

"Why me?" He questioned "Why did you let me live."

"We needed someone who not only understood humans, but understood the Priests. These Monsters who slaughter my children. They call us unholy demons for doing what is in our nature. When they would be surprised we to have emotions. We feel. We love. We bear children and have mates and we mourn when we lose those dearest to us. Do you think those humans will mourn you?" She gestured in the direction of the tunnel he had been pulled from "They didn't make an effort to come back for you."

"They would have been killed" James said defensively.

"Death is an inevitable part of life child!" She said, raising her voice. "The ultimate act of love is sacrificing ones life for another. My children would die for one another. They understand the meaning of true brotherhood."

James considered the queens words. She was right. They were taught to sacrifice themselves for the people they were saving. But who was there to rescue them?

"You humans are slaves to your beliefs. Taught that all your wants and desires are wrong. Why? Wouldn't you rather embrace all life has to offer? To embellish everything that makes you happy? To devour every moment till there's nothing left? Surely there are things that you want. A Priest can't be completely numb to all human wishes." She finished.

James lowered his head. There was a feeling of guilt at the fact he would say the name out loud to another and admit the truth.

"Eve" He said softly.

"Ahh.." The queen said interested, Perching herself on top of a rock "A mate?"

"My lover" He admitted, looking up at her.

"See, I knew I made the right choice. Faithful to your cause, but not to your unconventional vows. You're just what we've been waiting for."

"What's that?" He asked hesitantly

"A savior. I need someone to lead my vampires. To protect them when I can't. The humans took our land. Now, we will get it back. I need you to build me an army. And in return, I will get you everything you've ever desired but had been denied, starting with your human lover."

James didn't even take a moment to think it over. Something inside him made it impossible to refuse anything his queen asked of him.

"When do we begin?" he asked.

The queen smiled "Soon child. First, you must feed."

The queen glanced past him to a familiar pushing a man into the center of the hive. The man was wearing a dusty purple button down shirt, black pants, a long leather jacket and black cowboy style hat. He was scratched up and bleeding, dirt mixing with the open wounds. He stared straight ahead at the queen trying to keep a straight face though James could tell he had been crying. His usual compassion was forced aside for a new desire to feed. He stood before the man, putting both hands on his shoulders. He turned to the queen, who gave him a reassuring look. He brought his attention back to the other man whose eyes were now tracing the cross on James' forehead.

"Y..You're a Priest." the man said, his voice shaking uncontrollably "You ha..have to help me!"

James looked the man over one more time before reaching up and snatching the mans hat from his head and placed it on his own. He lowered it just enough to make the Cross on his forehead almost invisible.

"I am a Priest no more. Call me…Black Hat." He smiled, before tearing into the man's throat.

XXXXXXXXXX

Eve woke up screaming. Her body wouldn't move. Her arms fought violently against the force holding her back.

"Eve…EVE….EVELYN!"

She could hear James' voice boom loudly over the volume of her scream. Her green eyes opened slowly and were met by concerned yellow ones. James stared down at her, holding tightly to her wrists.

"Eve, you were having a dream." He soothed.

She sat up and looked around the room. The door still lay in shambles on the floor, along with their clothes. It was still dark outside probably not to long before dawn. She pressed a cheek to his bare chest and he laid back onto the pillow, bringing her naked form closer to his. He placed a soft kiss to the top of her head.

"What's the matter Eve? What did you dream?"

She looked up at him "It wasn't a dream James. It was you. I saw you change. I saw your first victim, I saw the queen."

"Shh. I'm here. Nothing will hurt you. I won't hurt you." He lowered his lips down to hers and kissed her gently.

"I know you won't" She yawned and nuzzled deeper into his arm.

"Sleep darlin"

He rubbed her head till her eyes finally closed and her body relaxed. He sat staring at the fire still burning on the opposite side of the room. Looking down at the beautiful woman sleeping contently on his chest, he let out a bated breath. He hated lying to her.

XXXXXXX

Michael stood staring at the burnt out shell of what used to be the city of Leone. They had once again been to late. The vampires were becoming more and more difficult to hunt. Even now, there were no tracks. There was no form of transportation into the city other then the massive front gate. The video from the security cameras showed nothing other than the swift overthrow of the city. The Priest kicked a piece of burnt wood in frustration.

"Does that help you think clearer?" A voice said behind him.

Priestess Mary walked up next to him, surveying the same scene.

"There's nothing" he said sharply "Not a single clue to how they're doing this. Two cities taken without so much as a drop of blood."

Mary put a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him.

"We'll figure it out."

"How?" he interrupted "Vampires are smart, but not this smart."

"Do you think there were more like James?" She questioned.

The name made Michael flinch even now. A friend. A brother he had watched die not once, but twice. And the guilt still weighed heavily on him.

"We saw him die in the fire. What about Eve's apartment?" he said, changing the subject.

"Nothing. No sign of anyone anywhere."

"It' s Ironic" he said "She shared the same fate as James and once again I couldn't save her either."

Mary put both hands on his face and looked him in the eyes.

"James was not your fault. His was a soul that could not be saved. And as for Eve…"

Just then, they heard a noise behind them causing both to reach for a weapon. A cloaked figure turned the corner of the abandoned building in front of them.

"Who are you?!" Priestess Mary shouted.

The figure stumbled closer, making Michael remove his cross blade from it's holster.

"Don't move familiar or I will slit you open!" He yelled.

"Whoa..Whoa!" came a female voice. Small hands came up defensively "I'm not a familiar"

"Who are you?" Mary asked again.

The female moved closer, pulling the hood down from her robes to reveal bright red hair.

"My name is Maggie" she said "And I think I can help you."