A/N Well, I'm back again. I apologize for the length of time it took me to update. Thank you all for your reviews! And I dedicate this chapter for those of you who reviewed again to encourage me to get this chapter finished(HyperCaz and Wind). Anyways, I hope you enjoy and please review.

Disclaimer: As I have previously stated I do not own any of these characters and make no profit from this.

Witch's Blood

A Past Exposed

Crane, If you want to see the little witch girl again, you'll come alone to 514 Central Park tomorrow night. My Mistress can't wait to meet you Crane, I would not keep her waiting otherwise she might have the little witch for dinner...

Elaine

"Katrina..." I felt myself grow faint and then collapsed down onto the ground with Masbath's cries echoing in my ears.

Darkness, there was darkness all around me. I could hardly see in the pitch black that surrounded me and began to stumble forward searching for anything that I could touch or feel. There must be something here, I thought, I cannot be alone in this darkness. Please let there be a light, I cannot bear this much longer!

No longer than I had thought it but a flash of white light erupted before my eyes blinding me. I felt a pair of arms embrace me and a comforting voice whispering in my ear.

"My dear boy, you are safe here. There is no need to fear."

I felt the person withdrawing from me and I squinted trying to make out their features as my eyes adjusted to the light. I gasped as I recognized the face before me.

"Mother, can it really be you?" I whispered brokenly staring into her loving brown eyes.

She smiled at me and drew me into her embrace again. "Yes, it is me Ichabod."

I felt myself tremble and tears gather in my eyes at her confirmation. I brought my arms around her and held her tight unable to believe that I had the chance to hold her in my arms again. The moment did not last nearly long enough for she pulled away again.

"Ichabod, oh how you have grown. So handsome and true. I wish I could be here with you now for this trouble you are in is my fault." She cupped my face with her hand as she spoke these words. Her eyes were full of remorse and sadness.

"Mother, what do you mean? How do you know of these vampires?" I questioned her wondering how any of this could be her fault. She smiled sadly at me and took my hand in hers. Slowly the white light we had been standing in turned into the wooded clearing I had dreamed so often of. She led me to the center and sat down pulling me with her. She held my hand tightly in hers and began speaking.

"A few years before you were born, I was living in England. My mother had been a woman of magic as had her mother before her. It is said that magic has long lived in the blood of my family passing on to the women and occasionally the men born into it. It is each parent's responsibility to teach their children of the magic they have and of the dangers the world truly possesses.

I never had the chance to show you all of this but my mother instructed me well into the arts of witchcraft and the creatures of the night that existed. I was working in the village where I had grown up when your father took notice of me. I was tempted by his offer of marriage for I was on hard times working to provide for myself. However, the fact that he was a man of God made me hesitate to accept right away.

All of this changed, however, once she came into the village. It was late one night and I was working in the village inn. It had been a slow season for travelers because it was the dead of winter. When a woman passed through our door of course the owner of the inn had all of us servants in a flurry to make her feel more than welcome.

Her name was Lady Amelia Donnell. She was a strange woman with an air of power I had never felt before. I was oddly drawn to her and I could not understand why. I stayed with her all of the rest of that night keeping her entertained. There was something about the way she spoke that entranced me and the fact that she was a Lady made me even more anxious to stay in her company. It wasn't until sunrise began to peek over the horizon that she finally retired to bed and I thought nothing of this strange habit even though it repeated as the days wore on that she stayed.

I grew more trusting of her as we spent more time together. I was oblivious to the absence of the other servants at the inn and continued about my duties with enthusiasm. I was pleased that a Lady wished to keep me as her company. One night when she offered to have me travel with her as her maid I was over joyed. She would pay me more than I would ever earn at my current position and I would not have to worry about marrying your father. It seemed like a dream come true.

However, It was not to be for later that very night I saw her and the stable boy, Joseph, speaking on the outskirts of the inn. I began to leave thinking she wanted to be left alone when I saw her attack Joseph. My heart stopped as I realized what the Lady I had agreed to serve truly was. At my realization the charm she had woven on me was broken and I could feel the darkness that lay within her.

I began to flee the area hoping to get to the protection of my cottage when she spotted me. I could not run quickly enough for she caught me not long after I started to run.

"Vampire!" I shouted at her.

"Yes, little witch. It took you long enough to figure it out. My charm worked more effectively on you than I had thought."

"Release me!" I shouted at her but it was to no avail. She merely tightened her hold on me and smiled. The dark hunger I saw expressed in her green eyes made me shudder to think I had spent so many nights alone with this monster.

"Oh, no Elizabeth. I can't do that. You see I have been searching so long for you." Lady Amelia whispered and she caressed the side of my face.

"The descendant of a long line of powerful witches and sorcerers. Your blood is the key to my having ultimate power. With the magic inside of you I shall be unstoppable. The whole world will tremble at my feet. And you will be there with me to see it. I will keep my promise to have you as my servant and you will live throughout the ages with me."

She seized my neck and pressed me up against the outside of the inn wall.

"I had wanted to wait closer to the new year before I drank from you. The power I received then would have been at its utmost. Oh well, I shall have to be a little hasty."

I screamed when she pierced my skin with her fangs. There was nothing I could do as I felt my life draining from me. All I could see was a curtain of red hair in my face when a hand seized it and pulled the vampire off of me. I fell to the ground my hand clutching my neck and saw my savior becoming the focus of Lady Amelia's fury.

It was Joseph who had come to my rescue. He was still alive but my eyes widened in horror at how he was being torn apart by the vampire's hands. He shouted one final word to me before he died. "Run!" And I did as he said.

I ran stumbling and falteringly but I gradually increased my pace barely making it to the safety of my small cottage. Once I entered, I knew Lady Amelia would not be able to. I had protected my home from such demons. That did not prevent her from taunting me from outside the door.

"Elizabeth you cannot escape me now that I have tasted your blood. I shall find you wherever you go. I will be able to hunt you and those of your bloodline until the end of time. You will not be able to run from me for long Elizabeth."

It wasn't until the sun rose that I finally felt safe. In order to escape her I knew I had to flee from my home village. That very day I went to the home of your father and accepted his offer of marriage. He was so pleased that he agreed to leave at once to travel and inform the rest of his family. I cast various spells to mask my presence from the vampire. Hoping that it would buy us enough time until my new husband was ready to leave for the colonies.

I was able to use my power to elude Lady Amelia until we left England and felt great relief knowing she would have trouble crossing the waters to try and find me. When you were born, I cast so many charms of concealment on you to protect you from her. This also unfortunately hid your magic from you. I had planned on being with you to fend off the vampire if she ever discovered us again, but I did not suspect your father would ever..."

My mother paused here and I could see tears escaping from her wonderful brown eyes. I brushed them away from her cheeks and drew her close in a hug.

"I am sorry mother." I spoke to her softly.

"There was nothing you could have done to prevent it my son." She whispered in my ear.

Drawing back she held my shoulders and spoke to me seriously. "Ichabod you have to leave. I cannot risk these vampires capturing you in your untrained state."

"But mother, I cannot. One of the vampires has...has taken my wife, Katrina. I love her more than anything on this earth. I could never abandon her mother."

"Ichabod, if you go against these vampires I shall not be able to protect you. My power has long since left the earth. Being able to speak to you here is one of the last things I am can barely do. The only thing I can offer is advice. Vampires abhor sunlight it sets fire to their tainted blood and burns their bodies to ash. Religious objects such as your father valued have no effect on them. Vampires existed long before the time of Christ. The only ways you will be able to physically defeat these demons are by either staking it through their heart or decapitating them. Your magic is unfocused so it could either help or hinder you in your untrained state. Be wary my son in your quest. And know that if Lady Amelia succeeds in taking your blood then a period of darkness and despair shall come over the world."

I trembled at her words. I had not felt so hopeless since I faced the Hessian Horseman.

"Take courage Ichabod. You have already faced horrible odds and won out over the supernatural. I watched over how you were able to stop the ghost in Sleepy Hollow. You have triumphed over one undead being and now I believe you can do so again."

I closed my eyes as I felt her kiss my forehead. Then there was a flash of light and a voice calling in my ear I recognized very well.

"Sir, wake up! Wake up Mr. Ichabod! Please, sir you must get up!"

"Masbath?" I questioned squinting up at his concerned face.

"Yes, sir. You fainted Mr. Ichabod." Slowly I sat up from the hard floor with Masbath's help.

"So I did again. How long have I been out?" I said rubbing my head where it was sore from its collision with the floor.

"It is nearly sunrise, sir." Masbath answered quickly helping me to stand.

"The whole night?" I cried and Masbath shook his head nodding at me in affirmation. I looked out the window in the parlor and saw that the sun was indeed rising shedding its bright rays over the tops of the buildings of New York.

"Well, young Masbath we have a lot to prepare if we are to save Katrina. And we have already lost so much time."

My mind was already planning what would be the best method to confront the vampires in order for all of us to survive. I was emboldened by my mother's final words to me. Indeed if I had faced the Headless Horseman and survived the encounter than I could do the same with a pair of vampires.

"Come Masbath, we have much work to do."

To be continued...