Prologue

Part One of Three

AN: I will warn you, this is gonna go slow. Old stories don't run very fast, and due to Della C.'s persistent nagging, I wrote it. Happy? Okay, don't forget to review. The more reviews the faster I will type… Uh huh. Thanx!

The air was chilly that day. The clouds hung low in the sickly colored blue gray sky and the ground was still damp with the early morning rain. Still the children of the orphanage went out to play. They laughed as ran through the grounds of the orphanage, unaware and unconcerned of the little girl that sat at the stairs. No one even seemed to look in her direction, as if she was hidden from view.

She sat alone reading a book by J.R.R. Tolkiens. She looked about five years old yet the pages of the book turned every minute or so. Her small scrawny body was wrapped in an orphanage uniform with a small blue jacket. She didn't shiver in the cold considering the length of her skirt but sat unmoving, staring at the book. Occasionally you would see her bright lilac eyes look up in to the crowd of children or sweep her long dark brown hair behind her ear. But she never said a word. She didn't even smile when one of the new orphans smiled and waved at her. All she could do was sit and be alone.

A woman on the other side of the gate watched her. Watched as another child waved at the little girl. Watched the other children scold him. She looked at the little girl that sat alone on the stairs. Suddenly the hairs on her neck stood. There was something about this girl, something undeniable.

The girl looked up. She felt someone watching her, studying her. Her eyes swept over the crowd of children then to the outer grounds. The lilac eyes stopped moving when it came to the other side of the street. She saw the woman in black staring at her and felt her surprise.

How can she see me? The woman thought. The little girl's eyes seemed to pierce through her every being. Her own black eyes stared unblinking into the bright eyes of the child. Yet the girl stood unmoving. The woman was amazed once more. Surely no human child could gaze into the eyes of a creature like her and be unaffected. Then the thought came to her. She is no ordinary human child.

The orphanage bell rang. Startled by the sound, the little girl looked away from the black-eyed woman. The children started to pour into the orphanage for supper. They chattered and laughed as the walked around her. She looked back across the street when the last child had entered the building. The woman was gone but the feeling of remembrance still lingered.

She closed her book and stood. The light breeze ran through her hair as she looked beyond the gates of the orphanage. Soon her little feet began to walk up the orphanage stairs. On the last step, she turned her head slightly to look behind. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the same woman stand where she had seen her the last time. The girl walked up the last step and through the orphanage door leaving only one word behind.

"Ather…"

"How…?" that child just amazed her more and more. A small smile crept up on her dark colored lips. It was amazing how she came across so many unique children. It was as if they were fated to become hers.

"Yes, another child for me to raise and show how powerful my blood is…" Ather chuckled. She believed herself to be strong because she raised so many strong children. They may have come to separate from her but children were to have their way to understand their mistakes.

"I will make her one of my children, and she will be strong…"

"She is not to be your, Ather." She didn't even bother to look behind her to know who it was.

"Why can I not, Silver. You are not a master of me," Ather returned, "I am no longer a child."

Silver stepped into the light so that Ather could see him out of the corner of her eye. He wore attire similar to her own. He wore a tight shirt that showed his form and leather pants topped off with a black trench coat. Unlike hers, Silver's clothing had silver trimmings.

"You may not be a child in form, but you act much like a spoiled one," he replied as her swept his raven hair from his face. Ather now turned to him fully.

"I may do as I wish," she snapped at him, "it is not your place to tell me what I can and cannot do."

Ather glared into Silver's dark eyes. Silver stared back unflinching. In the end, it was Ather who looked away.

"She is not to be yours," Silver repeated once more. Ather looked up from her defeat with new reverence.

"And you still have not given me your reason of why she can not be mine," Ather menacingly spat out, "Maybe your only saying this because you see the power within her as well and wish to make her your own-"

"Silence!" Silver lashed his power out at her. Ather surprised at the action, stumbled and fell at the intensity of it. Silver was angry but did not show it on his face. Ather looked up at him. She did not say a word, in fear of being attack once more by the older vampire.

Silver bent down and stared at her. Then said in a whisper, "You cannot change her because she is already changed in mind, spirit and body. She is a child of a line older and stronger than my own, than any other is. Her line was and is the first and the last of the immortals."

Silver straightened and turned around. "I will allow you to care for Jannyia but nothing more," he looked back at her, "That understood?"

It was more of a statement than a question but Ather nodded anyway. At that he began to walk away. Then he just disappeared all together. Ather stood up and glance at were Silver had disappeared, and then looked back at the orphanage. Yes, she would nurture and care for the child. But she wanted the girl to be hers and she felt that no one, not even the oldest vampire of her line, could change that.

"I will have that girl as my own," Ather said out loud, "And nothing will stop me." Then she disappeared in to the cold afternoon.

A red haired man watched as the two vampires fought and left. He was amused to say the least. Silver knew exactly what his little Jannyia was, but Ather… She would be a problem in the end. If she was to care of the girl then she might show affection for the girl once Ather found out what was truly happening. But that was doubtful. Ather never cared for anyone but herself.

A small smile crept up upon the man's lips. He was going to have a better game than the last. Jannyia's mother knew what was coming and did not fight for her life. That had spoiled the game but now there were more contestants than he could remember.

"Jannyia, you have many friends," the man snickered, "You may live if you are not careful…"

The man walked away laughing.

AN: If you noticed I extended it. I didn't like how it ended the other time. Don't you think it's better? Well, Don't forget to review. I want to know what YOU think! (I sound like one of those weird Uncles Sam ads…)