When leaves have fallen and skies turn to gray
The night keeps on closing on the day
A nightingale sings his song of farewell
You'd better hide for her freezing Hell
This night was one of the very rare nights when it wasn't raining in downtown Budapest. A dim haze was floating around town, adding up to the cold and humid atmosphere.
Among the dense crowd was this strange young woman fully clad of leather from head to toes and wearing a long golden coat over her Celtic-medieval clothes. She was no ordinary woman. In fact, she wasn't a woman at all. A Vampire, she was; none other than the infamous Anyanka, another ruthless and merciless Death Dealer by reputation.
On cold wings she's coming
You'd better keep moving
For warmth you'll be longing
You'd betterbelieve
Ambling through the crowd and ice blue eyes fixing an invisible spot in front of her, she had wandered around town since sunset, and had been forced to stay in the sewers since her venture out of Ordoghaz, due to the rising sun.
Despite the fact that she hadn't fed since the night before, she had somehow managed to ignore the enticing scent of blood running in the veins of the mortals surrounding her. As far as she was concerned, what she witnessed hours ago had shocked her. For the first time in 196 years of immortal life, she had been shocked, yet traumatized.
Traumatized by the death of Viktor, her sire, her mentor, yet the only one who had ever cared for her. He who had somehow saved her from the hell she's been living, back in her so far away, so long ago human days. As far as Anya was concerned, she owed Viktor her entire life, and she was decided to completely devote herself to him, to avenge the Coven, and - most of all - to finally take away what she has always wanted: Selene's life.
Her hatred for the ex-Death Dealer has always been and always will be, and has surely grown stronger since only a few hours ago. And so she was decided to kill Selene herself, with her own bare hands, and watch her endure the same sufferance Anya had to live through. She frowned at the least thought of Selene, but smirked viciously at the least mental image of herself slaying her new foe.
When she embraces your heart turns to stone
She comes at night when you're all alone
Shaking her head, Anya decided to forget about her killing plans - for the moment - and get on to what mattered the most for now: return to the mansion without being seen by any other Death Dealer. If it was for Mason, Kahn, or any other to notice her and the fact that she had ventured out of Ordoghaz despite their strict prohibition, she would be seriously punished.
Punished by none other than Marcus, the very last Vampire Elder standing. Her eyes slightly watered in pain and sorrow and her immortal heart ached terribly at this thought. Viktor was dead and yet again, Anya was left all alone. A single tear ran down her pale cheek, but her pride took over her feelings and her cold, forbidding mask was back on her beautiful face as she continued walking head up high and in a speedy, unstoppable step.
When she arrived in front of a very dark and narrow street of the town, a very familiar scent caught her attention as she suddenly stopped walking. She wasn't the only Vampire, there. As she lightly and slowly stepped into the narrow street, her eyes became of a crystal blue - even more than before - and she hissed viciously, discovering sharp, white fangs.
And when she whispers
Your blood shall run cold
You'd better hide before she finds you
A very familiar figure was giving its back to her. She knew who it was. Another thing she knew was that she wasn't in danger. The - man - was all clad in what seemed to be black rags and had jet-black chin-length hair. He was slightly bent over something. Walking in the same slow, light step towards him, Anya could now see that the thing he was bent over was a garbage can.
Whenever she is raging
She takes all life away
Haven't you heard? Haven't you seen?
The man - whoever it was - hadn't realize her presence, until Anya tightly grabbed him by a shoulder and knocked him on the nearby wall of a building, holding him pressed against it. Merciless and full of hatred and wrath, Anya's cruel eyes glared into Kraven's pale face. It actually took Kraven a few seconds to recognize his harasser.
"What's your problem, you---" he suddenly figured out who it was. And that is not without anxiety. "Anya… what a pleasure to see you again," he said in an uncertain and fearful voice.
"Believe me, the pleasure is entirely yours," the Vampiress said with a cold British accent.
Even if Kraven was trembling like hell inside, he was decided not to let it show, having an ego as big as America. "So, you've finally decided to open your lovely eyes and to get to where you truly belong? With me?" he chucked nervously.
"Don't do any humour," Anya said sternly as her big eyes were fiercely glaring into Kraven's eyes. "I can assure you that from all the souls I've got to meet on this cursed planet, you're the very last for whom I truly have feelings."
"Viktor being first, huh?" Kraven mocked knowingly.
"Shut your face and spare me the useless time of slaying you, bloody fool," she showed off her fangs. Kraven could've easily continued his mockery, but the she sharp dagger Anya had brought to his throat was a warning of danger. "If it wasn't of the noble yet arrogant regent you have once been, I can assure you that you would've been dead by me more than a century ago."
To this sentence, Kraven lost all smile and glared at her, as her words hit him like a thousand swords transplanting his ageless heart.
"How dare you tell me off like that, you blood-sucking rogue," Kraven said with disgust and disdain. "If it wasn't of me, you'd still be a mortal… in fact, you'd be dead. If I wasn't there when Viktor first turned you, I can guarantee you that he would have---"
"Be quiet! I don't need your bluffing and brainwashing," she cut him off, raising her voice. "I won't fall in your trap like Selene did." A sudden smirk appeared on her face and she let out a slight snigger. "Poor her. I almost felt pity for her. Almost. How pathetic."
Unlike every other Vampire - with the exception of Kraven - Anya was perfectly aware of what Viktor had done to Selene's family. And she proved absolutely no concern regarding this.
"At lest she had more judgement than you," Kraven showed off his fangs as he smiled wickedly, letting out a brief laugh.
"I told you to shut up if you don't want to die. Anyways, your days in this world are counted," she hissed as she frowned. She looked into Kraven's face with disgust. "Traitor. You have betrayed us. Viktor is dead because of you," she said disbelievingly as her heart ached again.
The only thing that prevented Kraven to smile at these words was the fact that there was a dagger right under his chin and that it could now be used at any split second. Although there was already less danger for him now that Viktor was dead, Kraven knew that Anya wasn't going to be easy on him, being the most committed and truthful of Viktor's Death Dealers. Yet, he somehow knew that this… thing Lucian had the intension to create had played an important part in his former Master's death. He didn't know that it was Selene, who had finally come to believe him concerning her family's death and that she herself killed Viktor.
"Changing subject," Kraven said lightly. "Will it be too much of me asking what is a lovely lady doing all alone - without the comrade Death Dealers of hers - in the dark and filthy streets of Budapest?"
"If your last will before dying is to know that, I'll tell you that I was on my way to find Selene and to dispatch her, but now that I've come to meet you, there could be a slight change of plans," she said with a vicious smirk.
"Find Selene and dispatch her, huh?" Kraven said, staring at her with astonishment. "I've got to admit that I've never seen you that pissed of at her…"
His face darkened, as he understood why. If Anya was that angry with Selene at the point of killing her, it was certainly because Selene had done something unforgiving to her… or perhaps not directly to her. Kraven's face lit up as another smirk appeared on his face. Yet he didn't want Anya to know what he knew now, for fear of dying right on the spot.
"Don't waste my precious time, understood?" Anya hissed. "It's not like I had nothing else to do. I haven't fed since last night and if I stay here arguing uselessly with you, we'll be here until the sun rises." She lowed her eyes and glanced around the place, noticing the many garbage cans turned upside down. "I see that you've got a whole feast, here," she said mockingly.
Kraven smiled viciously, "Care to join?"
"Absolutely not, I prefer human flesh," she smirked, "that's always delicious."
Kraven raised a surprised eyebrow and thought, "Bloody Hell, Viktor has really tainted her." And he said, "I'll pass, I'm not really into fast food. You know, I really see after whom you take," he chuckled.
She smiled at the thought. "Yes, I know," she said pleasingly.
Kraven looked at her weirdly. "That wasn't… a compliment, you know."
Anya glared deadly at him as her dagger went further into his upper throat. "That's enough, you're coming with me or I kill you right here, right now."
"Wait! Take it easy, sweetheart, I just thought of something that might please you greatly," he smiled weakly as his face lit up. "We both want one thing: revenge. So what about teaming up to find Selene and her hybrid friend, and then you could kill her for dispatching Viktor, as I could kill this Michael for stealing her from me."
Anya's big bright eyes widened when she heard the word 'hybrid'. She remembered Viktor referring to something as an 'abomination' so many times in the past. A creature that could be the blending of a Vampire and of a Lycan, but stronger and faster than the two species. And then she remembered this thing against what Viktor was fighting in her 'memories' - Viktor's memories -, when she was in the sewers. Yet Viktor was on the verge of killing it, but all failed because of Selene. And it was certainly also because of her that the abomination has been created. Everything was going so bad now.
On cold wings she's coming
You'd better keep moving
For warmth you'll be longing
"So, what do you think?" Kraven asked hopefully as interrupting Anya's thought. "Come with me and I guarantee that you won't regret it," he smirked evilly.
Anya glared at him from head to toes and said, "I don't care about Selene, you know. The only thing I care about is to avenge Viktor as well as our Coven." She laughed, "And you're certainly a fool if you think that I'll team up with a coward like you. Oh, and sorry if I just tripped over your king-sized ego," she mocked.
Kraven glared at her for a moment, but then a sudden and unexpected smirk appeared on his features and his eyes became of a piercing ice blue, which Anya didn't seem to understand. Kraven showed off his fangs and uttered this so famous phrase of his, "So be it."
Anya felt a strange pressure on her abdomen. When she lowered her eyes, she saw that a gun was pointed at her. She stared into Kraven's eyes disbelievingly and dumbfounded, as the other still had this smug expression on his face.
"Ever heard of UV bullets?" Kraven said sarcastically. Of course she has. Her biggest fear, as all other Vampires.
"You wouldn't dare," she hissed, showing off her pointy fangs.
"Watch me," Kraven started, the same old smirk on his face.
"No, wait! Please, don't…" Anya almost begged. This was one of the very rare situations when she had no other choice than begging for mercy. She couldn't die, not now, not when Viktor had just died and when the Covens were in a major danger. "Kraven, you can't---"
"Is that begging that I'm hearing?" His grin widened.
"Not even in your dreams," Anya hissed. "Listen, you wanted some cooperation, here is some."
"You're right, it would be a shame for everyone if it was to lose a stunning and beautiful creature as you." Kraven's smile dissipated. "I'll spare your life, only if you let me go."
"This doesn't mean that I'm going to help you," Anya had the nerve to say, despite that Kraven still had the gun pointed at her.
"Don't worry, sweetheart," Kraven smirked again, "I can manage without your help. I'll get what I want alone," he said. "Perhaps not completely alone," he thought. "Now be good and put this down."
Anya had no choice. Her Vampire eyes glaring deadly into Kraven's, she threw her dagger before her feet and vowed, "You'll pay. For this and for all that happened because of you. Across my dead body, you will."
To this, Kraven's smug changed into a sadistic grin as his ice blue Vampire eyes were glinting with ecstasy. "Yes, that's right," he whispered harshly. "Now don't move an inch until I find myself out of your sight and reach." An amusing, yet sadistic guffaw escaped his throat as he began to step backwards, his UV bullets filled gun still aimed at the female Death Dealer.
Anyanka remained silent, glaring at the traitor dead in the eyes, her face and mind speaking for her. No need to risk death by arguing uselessly with that jerk. "Bloody treacherous coward," she accused silently. "I wish you to die before my very eyes. Whether killed by myself or by anyone else, I wish you to live through the awful pain and sufferance I once had to endure… and which I will be forced to endure once again, only this time forever."
She covers the Earth
With a breathtaking cloak
The sun awakes and melts it away
This thought invaded her mind and ached her terribly. Loneliness being her most secret fear, it had already tortured her, so far away, so long ago. Until Viktor had come to grant her of the immortal life she's been living for almost two centuries. And that's when she found where she truly belonged: among the Vampires and with Viktor himself, by his side, where she had been living faithfully and for always grateful to her sire, as well as to everything he expected from her. But all of this past was over now, and never was it going to be as it was.
The world now opens its eyes and sees
The dawning of a new day
Anya remembered the atrocious scene she had 'witnessed' in the sewers. If it wasn't of Kraven standing before her, she couldn't have prevented betraying tears from making their way down her cheeks.
Whenever she is raging
She takes all life away
Haven't you heard? Haven't you seen?
Kraven was now standing at the other end of the narrow street, yet had his deadly gun always pointed at the Vampress. Yet his mischievous smile had vanished, finally.
Although he showed no evidence of it, Kraven had somehow identified the distress, pain, and sorrow in Anya's eyes. He knew how she felt. Not that he had ever felt the way she was feeling, but Kraven knew that losing the only one who really loved her and who she loved was enough for Anya to kill herself. Only this thought was enough to bring back this so annoying smile of his. The same smile he had on his face when informing Selene about Viktor and the role he had played in the death of her family and his own.
Kraven laughed again, "You know, Anya, I have always overestimated your logic and judgement, in the past." His face darkened. "Only now I see that I had been wrong. Thanks for your so understanding cooperation, honey, but I have to go. I hope we'll have the chance to meet again," he said ironically.
Taking a last glimpse at her, he ran away for his life, bloody coward, engaging himself into the main and crowded street of the town.
Not willing to let the traitor escape, Anya rushed after him, but only to see, now standing before the main street, an awfully huge amount of people casually walking everywhere, but no Kraven in sight.
"By the Elders' names," she silently vowed, "I'll have his head on a plate."
Whenever she is raging
She takes all life away
She returned to pick up her dagger, heartbroken and enraged. The sun was going to rise very soon, and was a threat to her immortal life, even though she had no doubt that life wasn't worth living anymore. She headed for Ordoghaz.
Haven't you heard? Haven't you seen?
The Enchantress of the night