Hello all!

Here is the next chapter in the Heirs of Darkness Journey, and I'm excited to present it to you all:) In this chapter we're taking a look at the next step in her new life, as well as learning a little more about what this Fatebond entails.

Enjoy!

Runaway

Mel was munching on the last piece of bread from her lunch as she went back to her room, doing her best to pretend the creepy paintings didn't exist. She had just learned that they had been painted by Te'ijal which somehow made them worse. If she had learned anything during her time here it was that Te'ijal was really weird.

Swallowing her mouthful Mel reached forward and pushed the door to her room open just as something inside went clank. Her movements paused and the door swung open, leaving Mel standing motionless as her eyes landed on a misty black and white blob that floated next to her bed with a blanket in it's arms.

"G-G-GHOST!"

At her shriek the ghost made a shrieky noise of it's own and abruptly turned neon orange, dropping the blanket and flattening against her wall before sliding along to a corner where it melted against the floor in a flat, square blobby mass. Moments later Galahad and Te'ijal were rushing towards her as Mel raised her arm and gestured wildly as the now wailing blob.

"THERE'S A GHOST IN MY ROOM!"

Galahad reached her side in minutes, crouching down next to her and placing a hand on her shoulder in a calming manner while Te'ijal entered the room and approached the ghost.

"Please relax Mel, the ghost won't hurt you. It's a friend."

Mel's jaw dropped.

"What?!"

Te'ijal shook her head and tisked as she reached down towards the orange blob.

"Oh stop screaming, it's perfectly friendly and you scared it." She said with a sigh as the blob wailed and waved it's arms around in her direction.

"I scared it?! Well what was it doing in my room in the first place!" Mel squawked, turning to stare at Galahad.

"It's been cleaning your room and changing the linens since you arrived. It's the household pet, it's name is Spook."

"It's just like the one that tried to eat me in the catacombs!"

"No, that was a spectre. There is a difference. Spectres are vindictive spirits who hunt and harm humans. Ghosts are neutral and act more like a playful or cuddly pet that can also double as a servant." Te'ijal said, peeling the blob out of the corner. "Now come say hello."

"No way!"

Galahad sighed and tried to nudge her forward.

"Mel, you're going to have to live with Spook so it's better to meet it now rather then later." He said coaxingly.

"I don't wanna." Mel said mulishly.

"Mel, come here now. I'd like to get introductions over with as soon as possible." Te'ijal sighed.

"Nooooo."

"If the whelp does not wish to meet the ghost then let her be. I have no interest in listening to her whine as you try and force her." A cool voice said.

They looked up to see Gyendal standing several feet away with his arms crossed over his chest.

"You agree with me?" Mel asked in surprise.

He snorted.

"Don't delude yourself, it has nothing to do with your petty fears. I simply do not wish to have to live with the chaos that you two could cause if you got along, having the ghost all by itself wandering the manor is aggravating enough." Was the distainful reply.

Her relief at what she believed to be support from the powerful vampire turned into aggravation and she made a face at him. His words had successfully ruled her up, she definitely did not like him.

So if meeting the ghost would make his life difficult then she would figure out a way to overcome her fear just to spite him.

Moving away from the wall Mel began to hesitantly approach, each step careful and worried. The ghost tremble and tried to melt into Te'ijal who's eyes flashed with annoyance.

"H-hello Spook." She mumbled, stopping a foot away.

The blob's colour faded into a muted orange and it seemed to be studying her. One of the arms that upon closer inspection were really nothing more then tentacle-like appendages reached out slowly towards her, running a tentacle over her arm. Mel shivered at the sensation, but didn't back away as the creature made a almost chirp noise.

"What was that? I though ghosts could only wail." She asked, startled.

"Spook can make a variety of different noises, not just wailing. It just can't speak like a human or a spectre. You'll learn how to for the most part understand what it's trying to say as you get to know Spook." Galahad said behind her, coming up to where she was looking at the blob to rub it's head.

The blob paused for a moment, then reached out it's tentacle again and rubbed the top of Mel's head. She let out a involuntary giggle, then patted the ghosts head herself. The ghost strangely enough felt a bit like the jelly desserts her mom used to make, wiggly and squishy. Mel's brows furrowed and she poked the creature experimentally only to find that her hand never went through, it was like it had a surface tension. Poking it again she let out a startled squeak when her hand actually went in, feeling as though it had just been surrounded by a layer of Spook's outside "skin" and Spook chirruped several times in rapid succession.

"Spook! Let go of her! You can play later, once she's used to you!" Galahad reprimanded. Spook made a harrumphing noise before Mel's hand was returned to her and the surface of the blobby ghost returned to normal.

"Spook likes to do that a lot, Te'ijal unfortunately taught it how to do that when it was a brand new ghost and now we just can't break that habit." Was the explanation she was given.

Spook bounced and muttered boo, making Mel laugh again.

"Okay, the ghost might not be that bad after all." She said after some consideration.

Then Mel turned away from the ghost that was now turning a soft grey as it began to rub it's tentacles all over Mel's hair curiously and looked up at Gyendal triumphantly.

"I like the ghost, I look forward to exploring the manor with it." She announced, sticking her tongue out at the vampire who's eyelid twitched as he turned with a switch of his cloak and vanished down the hall.

Once he was gone Mel turned back to the blob, petting it as it investigated her hair. Maybe she wouldn't be entirely by herself with this around. She could play with the creature during the day.

At least, she could play with it until she finally figured how to escape this place.

Mel looked nervously around as she entered the empty main room of the massive manor. Galahad was busy in his and Te'ijal's room, he was working on some sort of little wood sculpture and hadn't even noticed her carefully slipping away.

Te'ijal had gone out and Gyendal was who knew where which gave Mel the opportunity she had been waiting for all along.

The chance to run away.

Heart beating hard in her chest Mel approached the door, reaching for the handle with nervousness and excitement.

"Mwooooo?!"

Mel paused, looking to her left to see Spook floating in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Spook, I gotta go."

"Squirk? Cheep?"

"Shhh." She cautioned, looking back to the halls leading deeper into the manor. "Look, I really don't want to leave you. But I can't live down here like this, I can't even leave the building and my own bond would rather I was dead or gone and I feel the same about him, he's mean. Now I have the chance to go back, I'll abandon Harburg and go through to another bigger city where no one knows me and I can hide. I'm sorry about this, but I'm leaving."

"Woooooohhh..." Spook drooped and turned blue, making Mel's face fall.

She really liked the little ghost, she would miss being around it. She would really miss Galahad too, but she needed to leave before they got rid of her themselves.

"Bye." She muttered before taking a breath and opening the door.

The sight that met her eyes had her blood running cold.

Vampires. Everywhere.

"Oh goddess." She whimpered.

Behind her she heard Galahad call something and realizing that she was out of time she flung the door closed behind her and began to run down the path, fear coursing through her system. She nearly ran directly into a vampire walking in the opposite direction of the one she was taking who grabbed her arm and sniffed.

"Oh how tasty, how I wish I could snack on you..." He sighed, Mel letting out a strangled gasp and ripping free.

The vampire laughed as Mel stumbled away and down the path. She had no idea what she was doing or where she was going, but with each vampire she passed her panic grew. They spoke of her blood smelling delightful, and her neck perfectly biteable and how delicious she would be.

"I can't- no I gotta go." She muttered to herself as she tripped down the stairs and towards where a town sign said was the entrance and exit of this place.

She managed to get through the gates of the city without another incident and she let out a relieved laugh as she entered the quiet forest.

"I did it, I got out. I can do this."

Her pace had slowed to a walk as she walked along the well trodden path through the ashy purple trees. It was eery, the silence in the woods. No birds, no bugs, to whistling wind, just rustling of dry trees and shifting of creatures hidden in the dark depths.

Mel's shoulders hunched as she wandered, taking random turn after random turn in hopes she would find the exit. She turned down another path and continued to the end, then stopped and sighed. It was a dead end. She was just turning back to o the way she had come when she saw movement in the trees to her left. Her head whipped in that direction, eyes wide as she studied the shrubbery.

Nothing.

"Ookay then." She breathed to herself.

Mel took one step forward, and with that single action a chuckle filtered out of the trees in front of her. Her hands clenched into fists and she opened her mouth to call out, but the words died before ever reaching her lips as three figures melted out from the trees.

"Well would you look at that, we don't even have to step foot out of the underworld and our prey is already right there for the taking."

Her eyes flitted to the woman that had spoken, a dark green haired vampiress who smirked at her one male companion next to her. The brown haired vampire snickered, leering down at her.

"All of us can have enough of a snack out of this to satisfy until we reach the overworld. How nice."

The two of them laughed while the third one looked over with a critical eye before seeming to realize something.

"Guys, this isn't just any human. This is the human that belongs to the Lord of Twilight and his sister, we eat her and we're dead. Something about magic and bonds."

Mel's eyes were nearly triple in size and she grabbed her dagger hanging from her belt, holding it in front of her protectively. They ignored her and the female waved away her other companions words.

"Please. All they want is to fatten her up for the kill, there's no real reason for her being down here. I don't care if the council leader "Lord of Twilight" is planning to eat her, she left their manor and that makes her fair game now. He won't miss this skinny little thing I'm sure."

They began to advance and Mel let out a strangled noise, backing away from them. She had gotten mere inches when her foot caught on a root and she fell backwards, letting out a cry as she hit the ground and the three vampires closed in on her.

The dagger was forgotten as Mel scrambled backwards with surprising speed, knowing despite her actions that it was pointless now. Her retreat was useless and it only made the vampires laugh as they got closer. Her eyes filled and her lips trembled as she stared up at her impending death, it was lights out for her now. She knew she couldn't get out of this one.

"I wonder what she'll taste like, you think her blood at least will be fatty?"

The leader was just starting to lean over her when there was a blast and a flash of white momentarily blinded her. She shouted and covered her eyes, rolling sideways instinctively as the vampire screamed above her. Utter fury swamps her mind and Mel battled to block it out, hating these confusing emotions. Keeping her eyes closed Mel crawled towards where she knew the woods were, her last ditch attempt as escape to hide among the bushes. Then a hand closed around the back of her green vest and she was lifted to her feet, Mel turning and looking up fearfully only to see one face she was sure she'd never see again staring back at her.

"Gyendal?!"

He snarled and shoved her behind him, Mel nearly falling but catching herself and grabbing onto his red cloak as she cowered behind him. In front of them facing Gyendal with horrified expressions were the three vampires that had almost eaten her and the black lightning that crackled around the clearing made their hair stand straight up.

"Lord Gyendal!"

"Please don't! We weren't going to kill her! Just snack a bit-"

He swiped a hand and the female speaking let out a scream as her head snapped back and magic danced over the vampires skin.

"I made it abundantly clear that this human was off limits, that she was my property. And yet you still dare to not only touch her, but feed off her? You might be strong among the young ones of our kind, but you haven't a hope of standing against me. You will pay dearly for your actions." Gyendal said, his voice terrifyingly quiet.

The vampires shuddered and she felt the air in the clearing become heavy. Her eyes closed and she buried her face in the red fabric of his cloak, knowing that whatever came next she did not wish to see.

"MEL!"

The heaviness in the air vanished and Mel spun to see Galahad running towards them with Te'ijal a step behind. A hand grabbed her vest once again, lifting her high into the air and then flinging her towards Galahad and Te'ijal. Mel let out a shout, arms windmilling wildly until Galahad grabbed her and pulled her to him.

"Take her back, I need to deal with this." Gyendal growled.

Galahad nodded and turned without comment, easily starting off back the way he had come with Mel in his grip. She huddled down in his grasp easily, arms wrapping around his neck for security and she pressed her face into the dark knights shoulder. Her breathing was ragged and her whole body shook.

They reached the manor in a matter of minutes, Galahad carrying her to the couch and sitting down with her next to him. She curled into a ball, arms around her legs and face pressed into her knees as she mumbled to herself that she was alive.

"Chirrrup?!"

"Hi Spook." She mumbled through her legs, a soft blanket weight settling over her followed by tentacles patting her and combing through her hair.

She was scared out of her wits, hopelessly confused, and dreading what kind of angry lecture she might face.

"Mel, are you alright?! Did they hurt you? Sit up for a moment please, I need to check for injuries." Galahad's worried voice cut through her whirlwind in her mind and Mel felt his hand settle on her shoulder.

She lifted her head, glancing first at Spook who had interestingly enough was a dark purple and was floating up and down, then at Galahad who's blue eyes were filled with concern.

"I'm okay." Was her shaking answer.

He gently pulled her into a sitting position, ignoring her quiet protest and pulled away her blanket so he could study her with a critical eye.

"How a-"

"Why do you care?"

Galahad paused, blinking for a moment.

"What?"

Mel gritted her teeth, arms crossing tightly.

"I don't get it! I'm worthless to a bunch of vampires other then as food, I'm just a street rat that has fantastically awful luck. I have to eat food, and sleep and you have been having to take care of me instead of living your life. Why would you care if I died?!"

Galahad's eyes widened before his face fell, sadness and almost pity filling it.

"Why do you look so sad, I was the one that nearly died! I should be the one looking like someone just murdered my puppy!" Mel squawked, glaring between Galahad and Te'ijal.

"You're an amusing child." Te'ijal said with a smirk. "My husband has a disgustingly soft heart, he's simply distressed by your apparent lack of self worth. He went after you because you're a child, now part of the disaster we call the Ravenfoot manor household and it seems that he has grown attached to the only non-supernatural creature living in this place."

Mel gaped at the dark knight who was at the moment prodding her legs and checking for any visible injury.

"But I'm-..." She cut herself off before she could reveal anything more.

They might not mind having her around now, but she was sure that even vampires would be afraid of the Darkthrop curse. She might only be only ten, but she was smart enough to recognize when a topic would only bring trouble.

Te'ijal raised her brow at Mel's abrupt silence and smirked slightly, Mel tensing in anticipation of her questions. Then outside there were several shouts, the voices shocked. Mel looked over in surprise, pulling her legs away and crossed the room to a window where she peered out through the curtains. Outside the manor on the other side of the path stood an old stone fountain. At first Mel couldn't see what was causing the disturbance, but then one of the vampires moved and she was given full view of the fountain.

Sitting on the wide stone lip were three piles of ash, and above in the air was a glowing sign that hung above the ashes.

"THE LAST THREE VAMPIRES THAT TOUCHED THE RAVENFOOT WARD"

"Oh look, Gyendal did kill those fools that tried to eat you. I wondered how he would deal with this, that's as obvious a warning as any." Te'ijal drawled from where she was standing behind Mel.

Mel's jaw nearly hit the floor, her eyes nearly triple their usual size.

"He killed them?!"

"You're our ward now, that means you're under the Ravenfoot name protection. Any attempt on your safety is a direct insult and challenge to me of course, but my brother especially since it's already been revealed that you are a Ravenfoot fatebond." The vampiress behind her explained. "They tried to eat you, they ignored the warning and threat that my brother had already extended and to prevent that from happening again he gave a simple demonstration of the fates of those who try anything."

Mel didn't respond, she was to busy staring at the ash piles on the fountain.

Te'ijal murmured something to Galahad that Mel didn't catch and the two vampires slipped through the door into the dining room, leaving Mel alone in the main living space. She watched vampires mill around the piles of ash and the sign below for several minutes before backing away and dropping down heavily on the couch.

They killed for her.

Ever since her parents died people hadn't even smiled for her.

But now she had a fatebond to a vampire with anger issues, seemed to amuse Te'ijal enough that the vampiress was interested in keeping her around, and Galahad seemed to actually care about her safety. Plus there was Spook who was adorable and cuddly and blobby and liked to pet her head for some weird reason.

She just didn't understand. Vampires were called the monsters, but they had saved her life and were willing to show kindness. The people in Harburg had just wanted her dead and gone.

The front door opened and closed, Mel looking up to see Gyendal stride into the manor.

"You saved my life."

Her statement echoed through the room and he turned to her, one black brow raised as if to question the point of her statement.

"You hate being bonded to me, I'm a human. Why did you save me?"

He snorted.

"Not by choice, that much I can assure you. But I'd rather not die simply because my helpless human bond is killed."

"Wait, what? How can you be killed because of my death?" Mel questioned, taken aback.

His face darkened at her question and Mel felt the temperature drop slightly, frustration and tiredness rolling over her mind. She grimaced and brushed a hand against her temple before refocusing as Gyendal began to speak.

"So Te'ijal never told you. The answer is a simple one, when someone has a fatebond their lifelines are tied together. If you die, that means that within a short period of time I will follow you into death and vice verses. I'm sure even a human like you can understand why I'm less then pleased with that." Was the cold reply.

"You need me?!" Men concluded, shocked by that knowledge.

"I do not need you!" Gyendal snarled. "At this very moment I am searching out a solution to this, a way to sever the fatebond without harming or killing me. I loathe having a weakling human tied to me and I will do anything in my efforts to erase this bond. Do not get comfortable here girl, you won't be residing in my home for long."

With that he stormed off, leaving Mel to stare after him open mouthed. She was needed. Well...sorta.

Mel looked around her at the massive living room area, really taking in the furniture and realizing what a beautiful manor this actually was. Now that her family was dead she had been living in dirty alleyways and the closest thing to a donation she had ever received from the people of Harburg was the abuse heaped upon her. But here she was being offered rich meals, a playmate, someone who cared enough to check for injuries, a nice room and toys... she was being offered a new life.

A life that she was just might be willing to take up.

So what did you think? Reviews are welcome! Flames shall be laughed at, posted for others to laugh at, and ignored as I continue the story.