A/N: To the readers; if it weren't for you, this story wouldn't have lived on. (More notes at the end)
5: Bucharest Ahead (circa 1850)
It had been a little over six years since Selene had become an immortal.
She had turned into one of the best fighters in the manor. It had taken Kahn and his team centuries to learn all of their fighting techniques, but Selene had already learned everything they had to teach her.
And it wasn't only the art of war that Selene had mastered. With the help of Lilith, Selene was now one of the undead aristocrats. At every ball or gathering of foreign vampires, Selene would be Viktor's attendant. All of the vampires would whisper about her elegance and grace. Selene had turned everything that Viktor had known she would become.
Selene had grown a shocking amount over time. While she still had a childish moment on occasion (Lilith was sure that Selene would never grow out of it), Selene was now a much more mature woman than she had been. She was beginning to remind herself of her mother and sister, and that was one of the few things that could make her happy.
But Selene wasn't entirely thrilled. Despite her talents at battle, and growth as an immortal, she still hadn't been allowed on a lycan hunt. Viktor had insisted again and again that she wasn't ready, and so Selene spent the nights when there was a full moon in Lilith's chambers, reading classic works of literature or telling Lilith about her past.
One evening, two days prior to the full moon of October, Selene and Lilith were sitting in the southern courtyard of Ordoghaz. Lilith was staring up into the sky, but Selene was irritably staring at the wrought iron gate. "Do you know what they call a full moon in October?" Lilith asked.
Selene was trying to figure out if she could get away with sneaking out of Ordoghaz. She had never tried it before, but she was sure that Viktor wouldn't punish her. He would probably kill some of the guards for not watching over her. But what did that matter? Just a few guards that Selene wouldn't have to worry about anymore.
Then that little voice in her head, the one that belonged to the innocent girl she had once been, spoke up. You would be a horrid person if you caused their deaths. And you would regret it as well. You know that you would.
"Selene?"
"Hmm?" Selene tore her eyes away from the gate and looked at Lilith. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"
Lilith gestured up to the shining moon high above them. "I asked if you knew what the name of this month's full moon is."
Selene looked up. As she stared at the hazy orb above her, a shudder went through her body. Of course she new the name of this moon. It was the same moon that she had made an oath to over six years ago. "It's called a blood moon," she murmured, a pang in her chest.
"Indeed," Lilith said. "Do you know why?"
"It was originally called the 'hunter's moon,'" answered Selene. "It got its name from hunters who tracked and killed their prey by autumn moonlight. I read about it in your library."
"Very good, Selene, very good." Lilith smiled. "It is good to see that you haven't lost your sense of curiosity."
Selene stood up, her thin black gown ruffling. "I want to go out on a hunt." she said, looking at Lilith with fierce determination. "You must let me."
Lilith looked back at her with a slightly puzzled expression. "That is not my decision," she said carefully. "You would have to ask Viktor."
"We both know Viktor doesn't think I'm ready!" Selene spat. She kneeled in front of Lilith, grabbing her hands. "But I am ready, Lilith. I swear it! You know I am!"
Now Lilith stood, pushing Selene back gently. "I cannot make that choice!" She cupped Selene's face in her hands and flashed her matronly smile. "Why is this so important, now of all times?"
"This moon," Selene whispered. "This month's moon. The blood moon. I swore by it that I would avenge my family. Please, Lilith, I beg you! I must go with the other Death Dealers on this hunt!"
Lilith looked puzzled, but she was still smiling. "My dear girl, why haven't you fought like this before? Every October there is a blood moon. Why does this one have you so flustered?"
Selene's eyes fell to the ground. "I had forgotten my oath," she said, ashamed. Then she looked back into Lilith's face. "But now I remember. It's a sign from the Ancestors! From the Fates themselves!" Lilith watched Selene's pleading eyes for several seconds. Then she lowered her hands from the younger woman's face. With a sad look, she shook her head.
"I cannot, my dearest."
"Oh, to hell with you!" Selene snapped. She whipped around and stormed into Ordoghaz, her gown fluttering about her legs. Lilith rarely refused Selene, and the young vampiress took it hard when she didn't have her way. She took it especially hard when she couldn't make Viktor do as she wished. Selene reached up and touched her cheek tenderly, remembering the first time that Viktor had denied her the right to hunt.
It had been late January of Selene's first year as an immortal. She had entered the dojo just as a group of Death Dealers were receiving orders from Viktor and Kahn. They were clad in armor and wielding crossbows, their faces stern and battle-scarred.
Eagerly, Selene had run over to the group and asked if she, too, would be allowed to go. Viktor had merely looked at her. Kahn had lifted an eyebrow and told her that she wasn't ready. Selene had thrown a fit, screaming at the top of her lungs. She had dared to order Viktor to let her go with the Death Dealers.
Viktor's eyes had changed to a bright, cobalt blue in half a second. His face filled with anger, he had shot his hand out and slapped Selene across the face. The blow was enough to knock Selene to the floor, gasping for breath. After a second, the young vampiress had realized that Viktor's attack had sliced her cheek open and blood was pouring freely from it.
Viktor had, of course, instantly regretted his violent reaction and bent to lift Selene to her feet, apologizing again and again. It was then that he calmly explained to her that she was not ready for the hunt, despite her growing fighting ability. So Selene had watched the other Death Dealers leave Ordoghaz, then retreated to her bedroom to sulk for the rest of the night.
Every year since, Selene had asked Viktor countless times if she could join the Death Dealers and fight the lycans. And every time, Viktor had refused.
But tonight will be different, Selene assured herself as she walked down the halls of Ordoghaz. She walked the familiar route to Viktor's room, taking deep breaths. She wanted to remain calm, so as not to anger her dark father, but at the same time she wanted Viktor to realize how badly she needed this.
Selene swallowed as she stood before the grand doors leading to Viktor's room. She felt herself begin to shake, then frowned in disgust. Calm down, girl. He has to allow you this time. He has to. With a reassuring nod, Selene knocked on the heavy door.
"Enter," came Viktor's voice. It sent a worried shudder through Selene's body. She reached up and pushed one of the doors open, keeping her head lowered as she stepped inside.
"My Lord?" she asked.
"Ah, Selene," Viktor said. Selene didn't have to see her master's face to know that he was smiling. "Come in, my child. What is the matter?"
Selene finally looked up. Viktor was staring out of his large bay window at the moon. Two more days and it would be full. Two more days and the Death Dealers would be after the lycans. Selene shut the door behind her and walked up to Viktor, trying to think of how to word her request.
"Viktor--"
"We've talked about this before, Selene."
Selene took in a sharp breath. Was he going to deny her before she could even ask?
"From now on, you must refer to me as 'Lord' at all times." Viktor said. "It is, as Beauregard pointed out, de rigueur."
"Oh!" Selene replied. She always forgot this new restriction placed upon her. It hadn't been enforced until a French vampiric lord, Gautier Beauregard, had thought it strange that Selene did not act like Viktor was her one and only sovereign.
"My Lord," Selene corrected herself, "I have been asking to be allowed on the lycan hunts since you first turned me. I must have asked over a thousand times by now, wouldn't you agree?"
"Yes, I would," Viktor replied, not looking away from the window.
Selene took a deep breath. "My Lord, do you know what the full moon in October is called?"
"No, I do not."
"It is called the 'blood moon.' It is the very same moon that hung over my home the night you turned me. I could see it from the window in my nieces' room. Do you remember?"
Viktor closed his eyes, as if trying to retrieve a long-forgotten memory. "Yes. I do."
"When I saw that moon, I swore that I would avenge my family," Selene said, trying hard not to sound desperate. "You promised that I would one day have that chance. You have told me again and again that I am not ready for the hunt, but I beg of you, you must let me join the Death Dealers! Please, Viktor!"
Viktor didn't say anything. Selene's heart pounded in her chest. Would he do as she wished? "Please, my Lord, please!" Seconds ticked by, but to Selene they seemed like hours. She began to think of all the things she would say if Viktor would not allow her to hunt.
She would shun him, swear that she hated him, even threaten to kill herself, if necessary. She remained quiet, waiting impatiently for his reply. Fates, please sway him in my favor! she thought, biting her lip.
Finally Viktor turned. Selene held her breath. Viktor stepped toward the vampiress, his face stoic. He reached out and placed his hands on Selene's shoulders and gripped them gently. "Do you believe that you are ready, my child?"
Selene's face broke into a smile. "Yes."
"Then I give you my permission," Viktor said. He kissed Selene's forehead. Selene let out a girlish squeal and threw her arms around Viktor's shoulders.
"Oh, thank you, thank you, Viktor! You will not regret your choice, I swear it!"
"Go to the dojo and find Kahn. Tell him to get you fitted for Death Dealer garb." Viktor said with pride. Selene nodded excitedly and rushed to the door. "And Selene," Viktor added darkly. She turned to look at him. With a fatherly glare, he said, "Do not let me down."
"I won't," Selene smiled. "I swear I won't!" Then she dashed through the door, knowing that her immortal life would never be the same again.
"I feel ridiculous," Selene complained.
"Well, that's what you get for deciding to join us just a few hours before we leave," Kahn grumbled.
The Death Dealers wore heavy, ugly leather armor and a bit of chain mail to protect themselves from the vicious claws and teeth of the lycans. Usually, the armor could fit the Death Dealer rather well. But Selene had been given parts of old suits that nobody was wearing. She grimaced, thinking that she would probably trip and die if she had to run from a werewolf.
"Do I have to wear all of this?" she asked hopefully.
"Yes," Kahn said. Selene groaned quietly. Kahn jerked on the pull strings of Selene's jacket, making her cough.
"You did that on purpose," Selene accused.
"That I did," Kahn smirked, "so quit your whining. There. All set!" He stood up and took a few steps back, looking over Selene. He tried hard not to grin. She looked like a little girl dressing up in her father's clothing. It was all much too big for her.
"I look horrid, don't I?" Selene asked. "And don't you lie to me."
"All right, fine, you look horrid," Kahn turned and began to walk towards the wall of arsenal where the group of Death Dealers was waiting. "But this isn't about looks. It's about skill. And if Viktor finally thinks you have what it takes---"
"I've had what it takes from the day I arrived!" Selene argued, following Kahn as best she could in her baggy armor.
"Right," Kahn smirked. "Everybody, listen up. This latest pack of dogs are rabid or something; they're bloody wicked. Even when they aren't transformed, they've been attacking everything around them. This isn't a mission for showing off." He shot Selene a glare, and she looked blankly back at him. "We go in, kill the beasts, and we leave. We're traveling by train to Bucharest. A special car has been arranged so that we will reach our destination as soon as possible. Understood?"
The other Death Dealers nodded, loading their pistols and ammunition into their ugly overcoats. There were seven of them in all, including Kahn and Selene. Vann and Nathaniel were among them, and there were two other males and one female that Selene knew only by name. Anton was a large vampire with scraggly hair and broad shoulders, Milek had a small frame but large muscles and a shaved head, and Raisa, the female, was quite beautiful and very quick on her feet.
"Let's move." Kahn said.
"We're leaving now?" Selene asked, surprised.
"Of course. Hurry up."
Selene followed, feeling nervous and excited. Vann and Nathaniel waited behind for her, then began to walk alongside her. Nathaniel grinned at her and poked at her armor. "You look hideous," he said.
"I am perfectly fine with breaking your nose a fourth time, Nathaniel," Selene replied.
"Are you worried about your first hunt, big sister?" Vann smirked. He and Nathaniel had picked that nickname since Selene had argued over and over that she wasn't a baby. This name was just as annoying, but Selene had dealt with it the past six years. It kind of made her feel at home. Of course, she would never let Vann and Nathaniel know that.
"You should be worried, Vann, not me," Selene said.
Vann looked confused. "Worried about what?"
"Worried that I'll kill all those dogs before you get a chance." Vann and Nathaniel laughed at that, and Selene felt slightly less nervous.
Selene was amazed at the influence of Viktor's clan. All Kahn had to do at the train station was show off an amulet with Viktor's symbol on it, and the group of Death Dealers was led to an extravagant train car with no windows. The seats were comfortable, there was a large metal keg full of blood, and there were several books and even a chess set. It was beautifully decorated to match the foyer of Ordoghaz.
The other Death Dealers sat where they wished. Vann and Nathaniel sat near the chess set and began to double-check their weapons. Milek was polishing his pistol with a grim look on his face. Anton had grabbed a thick book and was flipping through the pages, looking bored. Raisa was sitting near the back of the car, smoking a cigarette. Kahn was the only one not sitting.
Kahn stood near the car's door, his arms crossed. He had already checked his weapons at least ten times. Selene knew that he would check them several more times before the train even left the station. She moved and sat beside Vann and Nathaniel, then pulled out the pistol Kahn had given her and inspected it like everyone else was doing.
Everything appeared to be in working order. It was an automatic pistol, at least thirty years ahead of its time. All of the technology the vampires had was much more advanced that that of mortals, and it was constantly becoming better. Selene knew that in six months, the gun she held in her hand would be obsolete. Viktor demanded nothing less than the best, and as long as he was in charge, the vampires' arsenal would constantly be changing.
A few hours went by. The train wasn't scheduled to leave the station until about seven in the morning, and it was only three o'clock now. Vann and Nathaniel had actually begun to play chess. They were on their third game, which had been going on for the better part of two hours. Selene tried to watch them, but her attention kept waning, thanks to her anxiety and her sheer boredom. She wished that the train had windows that she could look out of.
"What is Romania like?" asked Raisa, breaking the silence with her Russian accent. "I have never been there."
"Since it's nearing winter," answered Kahn, "there will be a lot of snow. And it'll be foggy as hell. We suspect the lycans are hiding out in some of the wooded areas. But when the moon turns full…well, hopefully we'll be in Bucharest before then."
"What happens if we aren't?" Selene asked.
Kahn looked grim. "Then what happened to your family will happen to a lot more people."
Selene frowned and stared at the floor. The memory of her family was still painful. She figured that it would always bee painful. But she had managed to control her emotions enough, so now she didn't start to bawl every time she thought of her family. If we don't destroy those monsters, dozens of innocents will be murdered, Selene thought. Just like Dawn.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She refused to let that happen. Maybe she couldn't change the past, no matter how much she wanted to, but she could create her own future. And, if all went as planned, she would be able to save the futures of the people of Bucharest.
"Are you all right?" Vann asked, bringing Selene out of her thoughts.
She blinked and looked at him. "Yes," she said quietly. "I was just thinking."
"Bad sign," Nathaniel smirked. Selene reached across and punched him hard on the shoulder.
"Quit playing around!" Kahn snapped. He was becoming grouchy since the train hadn't left yet. Obviously, he was as anxious as Selene about the hunt. Nathaniel and Vann went back to playing chess. Selene leaned back in her seat, her eyes closed. She couldn't wait to see the look on Viktor's face when she told him about her first kill. He would be so pleased with her. Selene grinned to herself. She wanted nothing more than for her father to be proud of his favorite little girl.
The train's brakes screeched loudly, making Selene jump. She had been trying to sleep, but the shaking of the train car had prevented that. She wiped at her eyes and turned to look out of a window. Then she remembered that this car had no windows.
The inside of the car was pitch black. Had Selene still been human, she wouldn't have been able to make out a thing. Luckily, her vampiric eyes allowed her to see. Vann and Nathaniel were both snoozing in their seats. Anton and Milek were conversing quietly in a language Selene didn't understand. Raisa and Kahn were pacing impatiently, checking their pistols again and again.
Selene let out a sigh. They had been on the train for hours. This was the longest she'd ever been cooped up in such a small space, and it was beginning to get to her. She shuffled uncomfortably in her seat and glanced at Kahn. "How much longer?" she asked.
Kahn pulled a pocket watch from his coat and glanced at it. "Another few hours," he said. "Try to get some sleep, if you can. We should arrive in Bucharest by nightfall."
"The night before the blood moon," Selene whispered. She tried to remember what she had done on the night before her blood moon, before she had been turned. Wasn't there a fight in her family? Selene and her father? Or had it been Dawn?
Selene's chest tightened at the realization that she couldn't recall. This had happened to her once or twice before, and each time it was simply heartbreaking. Would she one day forget her family entirely? By the gods, I hope not, Selene thought. She quickly went over the names of her family members. My mother was Helena, my father was William, my sister was Dawn, my nieces were Adrienne and Elaine. Dawn's husband was Alexander.
Selene blinked. Alexander. Her sister's husband. She hadn't thought about him at all since the night of her turning. Selene tried to remember him. It was as if he was floating on the very edge of her mind, so close and yet so far away. Selene shut her eyes tightly, willing herself to remember.
Then it was gone. All she could remember was his name. With an irritated frown, she attempted to get another few hours of sleep. A faded image of her family lingered in her mind, and the smiles on their faces helped lull Selene into unconsciousness.
Once there was a time when Selene could remember dreaming almost every night. But now it wasn't so. She only dreamed now and again. The nights she didn't dream, it was as if all she did was blink, and the world around her had changed from morning to night. But on the train, Selene dreamed.
She dreamed of her family. It was made up of mixed images in no particular order. There was no sound in the dream, only moving pictures. Selene saw herself on her sister's wedding day, then it changed into years before, when she and Dawn were only children playing near the stables. She saw herself at her debutante ball. Then she was at Dawn's debutante ball four years earlier, and she was terribly jealous. Then it was the twins' sixth birthday. The twins were being born. Her grandfather died. She met a young man from France named Armand. Dawn met Alexander. Her father was sent into battle and came home with only one leg.
The images flashed through her mind, almost too quickly for Selene to identify. So many years of memories flashing out of sequence. It passed by in what seemed like less than ten seconds. One instant, Selene was reveling in the idea that she could see her family again, and then she opened her eyes.
"We're here," Kahn was saying.
"What?" Selene said groggily.
"It is time to wake up, big sister," Nathaniel said with a grin. "Are you ready to kill a couple of rabid dogs?"
Selene looked up at him for a second, then down at her Death Dealer outfit. She thought of her dream, which was quickly fading into nothing, then she stood up.
"I've been ready."
A/N: I apologise a million times over for my lateness with this chapter. And then I went and put up the Lilith's Promise chapter and screwed all you guys up by taking it away. (If you didn't read it, don't worry. I removed it because it royally sucked.) So here is this chapter instead, much better. I believe a chapter like this is what you guys deserve, not the horrid, pointless chapter from before...okay.
I wanted to thank everybody who's been reading. I promise that I will update more often from now on. If you are interested in contacting me (either to say "Hey, great story!" or "Hey! Update, you ho!") then you can send me an instant message at CHSBattleSlinky on AIM or stonrmonkee on Yahoo. Much love!! SaraMichelle