I wanted to get this chapter up before I start placement tomorrow, when updates will go back to the normal once a week. I just had some inspiration in the evil vamp land of things and wrote this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own…but maybe for my next birthday?

To all who have reviewed, it is you who makes writing worth while. Your praise spurs me on.

*A*A*A*

Chapter 29

"Master!" her voice rang out in the cave, echoing off the walls, insulting her acute vampire hearing.

She awoke in the cool cave, shook from her disturbing dreams, from the memories she ran so desperately from.

Now conscious, she tried to shut them out, but how could one shut out something that had been burned so perfectly into her immortal memory?

She had been little more than a fledgling when it had happened, in her final two months, the pride of her sire's eyes. She had known so little of the world then, been so naïve. Her world began and ended on her sire's word…such was the nature of the old courts and the old ways.

If only she had known, perhaps…..grief stung as the memories washed over her mind afresh.

"Child hurry" a voice rang out in the dark. She adjusted her vision and saw the face of her master vampire, her sire.

Immediately, she was on her knees, her head bowed, awaiting his instructions. He reached forward and instead of the usual indulgent tracing of her blonde curls, he wrenched her up by the arm, his movements spelling the need for haste.

The air crackled with tension and try as she might not to, she felt afraid. Much had been going on lately but her master had waved her away, not a thing for a fledgling to know she had been told.

Now it seemed the time for asking for knowledge was too late, it seemed determined to fling itself at her.

Pulled towards the lower quarters by her sire, she hurried along after him, both of them moving swiftly and soundlessly through the dark. They had almost reached the servant's quarters when he stopped.

Listening she heard a noise. It hurtled towards them, like the wind that blows before a storm, filled with the threat of darkness and destruction. She quaked as it got closer still, closing in on them.

What could cause such an awful sound?

Her sire thrust her into an alcove within the corridor and bid her be quiet. Turning, he stepped a few meters from her, waiting to face the looming threat.

It arrived. Coated in golden armor, its eyes silvered and teeth bared. Its scent made her want to wretch; it smelt of death, the lives of so many lost on the whim of its blade. A whimper escaped her and she pressed herself back against the walls of the alcove.

Surely, her noble and powerful sire could handle this?

"Giulano" it spoke "it has been a while"

"Indeed" her sire returned "I remember you when you're fangs were still very much attached to your sire's wrist. Today now, you come to take my life?"

The voice returned softly "I have my orders. What you did was wrong. The Italian bloodline brought this upon itself."

Giulano snorted "we brought this vampire apolocapse upon us? You are destroying an entire bloodline here today…and I know exactly who your orders come from!"

With that he leapt at the other vampire, his superior age allowing him a great deal of power in battle. However the other creature was skilled, evading her sire's movements before striking back.

They clawed at each other, biting and snarling, rolling around the floor, neither gaining the upper hand.

She watched silently until a second golden uniform appeared around the corner. On seeing the struggle, the second warrior approached, raising its blade, preparing to strike.

Horror filled her. Her sire did not see!

"Master, watch out!" she squealed, revealing herself from her hiding place. Her sire turned to look at her, giving the second warrior the perfect opportunity to strike, splicing off the head of her sire with one mighty swing.

"Master?" she choked out, her body no longer in control, she trembled violently. Tears fell uncontrolled down her cheeks; her eyes could not avert themselves from the lifeless glass pupils of his staring back at her. The pain of his death swam through her, attacking every piece of her being like a thousand tiny knives.

Unable to stand the site before her, she turned and ran. The two warriors came thundering after her. "Stop in the name of the council!" one of them cried.

But that was something she was not about to do. Dashing down into the servants quarters, she leapt from the nearest window into the moat below. The two warriors looked poised to follow her when a huge explosion resounded in another part of the castle. They immediately turned tail and headed towards it, no doubt going to see how many more lives they could take.

She swam to shore and made to take shelter in the nearby forest. She sat there the rest of the night, her thin tunic stuck to her body, shaking from the shock and pain of what she had witnessed, wailing and lamenting the death of her creator.

The memories still shook her, the pain still blinding, even all this time later.

It gave her the thirst for revenge; time allowing her mind to grow dark and twisted. She hated those who had taken her sire from her, the warriors of the high and mighty vampire council, eager to please the more powerful bloodlines; they had slain the weaker at their whim.

And she hated herself for being the reason her sire died; he had stopped and fought to save her, she had distracted him during the fight, giving the warrior the opportunity to take his head.

Now her thirst for revenge and her hatred festered from every pore of her body, until she unleashed it unabashedly on the world, until all the good and potential her sire had once seen was all but trampled out. She stole children from their beds to feed her bloodlust, she took the head of any vampire that crossed her, and she made it her business to seek revenge on the council every single day.

And, she thought, as she stretched, she found a new game to show the world her pain. She took fledglings and put them in pain, in danger. So every sire out there would feel the pain she had felt and know that they, unlike her sire, were failures which could not protect those they had sworn to protect.

This game would be her finest yet.

She would show them in no uncertain terms her hatred, her vindication against them.

She would destroy them.

She left the cave; she was in need of food. And she was sure there was a child in the village with her name of it….

*A*A*A*

The luggage loaded, the foursome climbed into the car and began the final part of their journey.

"What is Hueilen's house like?" Beth inquired, her eyes firmly fixed out the window, taking in the sites.

"Big" Elaina laughed "there are enough bedrooms for every vampire in the family to have their own room if we were all to visit at the same time…plus the freshie quarters and the few servants she keeps…it's a pretty big household. You'll see it tonight"

"Tonight?" Mick asked puzzled "are we not staying there?"

"No" Elaina confirmed "I talked Serafina into letting us use one of her houses. Hueilen's will be boisterous to say the least, it is something you'll be glad to be able to get a break from. And Serafina has a house two minutes away by vampire speed. Its one of my favorites and she doesn't really use it, so it's kind of perfect"

About 45 minutes later, they pulled into the garage of the house. Cases unloaded, they were greeted by Serafina herself.

"Freshies have been installed into the wing-call them as you need, and the rooms all have extensive supplies of bottled blood" she instructed, handing Elaina the keys " rooms have been prepared and Hueilen asked me to remind you that you're all expected at midnight dinner. I will see you then"

With final words of parting, she left them to settle in. Elaina and Josef were in the eastern wing while Beth and Mick took the western.

Dumping their suitcases in the main bedroom, Mick and Beth went to explore their quarters. The area was open and cool with grey-blue walls and pretty white curtains. There was a balcony and a terrace with a hot tub.

"I promise we'll make use of that later" Mick breathed suggestively in her ear, causing Beth to giggle.

"I like the way you think Mister St John" she smiled up at him.

"Excellent" he grinned like a school boy, his love and desire for her unmasked "well, we have two hours until we are expected at dinner. Perhaps I can continue to think along the lines you like and tempt you into doing something along the lines of what I like?"

"And what kind of things do you like?" she purred seductively, her hands running over his shirt, eyes bleeding to their vampiric silver.

"I can think of a few things I could show you. I am after all your sire. It's my job to teach and show you things" he returned, placing tiny teasing kisses on her forehead, nose and cheeks.

She broke away, sashaying towards the door to the room before turning back towards him. She held out her hand, a smile playing of her lips "I'm intrigued. Come demonstrate for me"

The words had no sooner left her mouth than he was upon her, his mouth of hers, his hands in her hair. He backed them into the room, ridding their clothes as they went, still joined at the mouth. They fell onto the bed, the space between them closing until it was no more.

*A*A*A*

Josef watched her bite her lip as she tied his bowtie.

Elaina did it when she was concentrating without even realizing it; the gesture made her somewhere between endearing and the worst poker player in the world.

As she finished, he took her hands in his, bringing them to his lips and kissing them "how do you feel?"

She paused a moment, considering her words "a bit better, I reckon I can tell blood apart and that kind of thing…I talked to Henri on the phone just before we left and in between scolding me, he said the senses will come back quicker this time around if I rest"

Josef let go of her hands and raised his hand to her cheek, cupping it and allowing his thumb to skim her cheek bone. "That's good, you remember your promise?"

Elaina sighed contently, leaning into the touch "I promise Josef, I won't run myself ragged, I'll get enough rest for my senses to come back"

Seemingly satisfied, Josef allowed the cupped hand to draw her close and bring their lips together softly. They stayed like that a few long moments, reveling in the softness of the other's lips till Elaina reluctantly pulled away.

"I better get into my dress for dinner. It won't be taken very kindly if were late".

*A*A*A*

So that is it for this chapter. Next chapter we will meet the brothers and from there, things can only get interesting.

Thank you for reading so far. I hope you will continue to enjoy and please do review.