A/N: I'm reposting this chapter. The author's note below is the original, which I thought I'd keep. I didn't change a lot, but a fair amount. If you don't want to reread the whole thing, then refer to the author's note at the end, it details the specifics of what I changed. This new version is dedicated to Kesaria, because she gave me the ideas for this new version. You are a genius!!! Please review! Thanks!

A/N: I just want you all to know that this is one of my not-so-good chapters. There's a lot of stuff in here that fall under the category of, "my goodness, that's convenient" and several things that are ridiculous. My muse and editor was not fond of it. I just thought I'd let you all know that this one will not be one of the best chapters. I was really stressed when I wrote it, and every time I try and rewrite it, it comes out even worse. I think I'm loosing it. Also, I am sincerely considering not writing this story anymore because I'm not getting the feedback I got with Far from Over. I don't know if it's because Far From Over is better, or what the deal is. But I only got six reviews for chapter seven. Now, according to , I am on the watch list of 32 people. I have never gotten a review from more than half of you. Now, if you put me on your list during Far from Over, and don't like Assassin as much, please tell me. I want to know exactly what you guys think of this story, good or bad, because you guys' opinions are going to determine whether I post chapter nine or not. Now, without further ado, Chapter Eight!

Disclaimer: Ravyn and Chris are mine....Kraven's not.

Chapter Eight: Captured!

Ravyn shut the door to her apartment, feeling inexplicably exhausted. She had felt fine when she'd left Chris a few minutes ago, but after climbing the three sets of stairs up to her apartment, she felt as though she'd just run a marathon.

Why am I so tired? she wondered as she kicked off her shoes and fell backward onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Did Kraven do something to me?

It was the only explanation she could think of, but it didn't seem likely. She hadn't seen anything in his mind indicating that he had, but then, she hadn't been looking. Nothing has been given to her directly, but it was always possible that he had injected it or something.

Without my noticing? she scoffed at herself. She pulled her tired body higher up onto the bed and fell asleep quickly, not noticing the slightly greasy spot on her arm.

Chris was worried about Ravyn. She had been acting very oddly lately, starting to say things, then stopping in the middle to say something completely different. It seemed as though she was keeping something from him. he wondered what it was. He didn't think it could be that bad. After all, they had committed what was generally regarded as one of the worst crimes—murder—together.

He'd always known there was something about Ravyn that she'd kept secret from him. He'd always thought it had something minor she'd done in her past that she didn't want him to know about. But now he was beginning to wonder.

He thought it might have something to do with Kraven. Her strange behavior had started around the time that they'd found out who they were supposed to kill.

Well, if it had anything to do with their assignment, she would have to tell him. He picked up the phone and dialed her number.

She didn't pick up. After several rings, he heard the annoying automated voice that served as her answering machine.

Avoiding me, maybe? he wondered and dialed again.

Again, the annoying automated voice answered the phone. He hung up on it and dialed again quickly, almost throwing the phone across the room when the automated voice began to speak.

He put the phone down and grabbed his keys. He left his apartment and locked the door behind him. He ran the block over to Ravyn's apartment and knocked on the door. There was no response.

"Ravyn?" he called. She didn't answer. "Ravyn, are you in there?" He knocked again, and waited, but heard no footsteps, or voices.

"Ravyn, is everything all right?"

Silence.

Frowning in confusion, Chris tested the door, and found that it was unlocked. He pushed it open.

Something's wrong, he thought. She never leaves her door unlocked!

The apartment was dark and silent. If he hadn't seen her go into the building, he would have thought she wasn't home. But Ravyn always locked her door. Something funny was going on. He stepped over her shoes as he walked through her hallway.

His heart sped. Something was definitely wrong. Images flashed through his mind, making him even more panicky. He tried to think logically, but he couldn't think, couldn't focus. All he could think of was finding Ravyn, and making sure she was okay.

He made his way quickly through her apartment, examining each room carefully. He didn't see anything until he got to her bedroom. He hesitated before going in. He had never been in her room before, and he wasn't sure it was the best idea to go in there without her permission.

But what if something's happened to her? he couldn't help but wonder. Mind made up, he opened the door and walked in.

She was lying on the bed, sleeping peacefully. Her long black hair was spread out like a halo around her, contrasting sharply with her pale skin. He sighed with relief. She was okay. She still wore her clothes, which seemed odd to Chris. He walked closer to the bed, wondering if he should wake her and demand answers or let her sleep.

A loud bang resounded in the apartment.

"What the..." Chris walked quickly towards the door and looked out, and he saw figures moving in the entrance to the apartment. He looked back towards Ravyn, shocked to see that she was still asleep. He crossed the room to her and touched her shoulder, saying her name.

She didn't stir on inch, not even when he shook her gently.

Did Kraven drug her? he wondered, and looked at her more carefully. He saw a spot on her arm that was slightly shiny. He bent over to look at it closely, not realizing that one of the darkly-clad figures had entered the room and was close behind him.

Pain exploded in the back of his head and he fell forward with a cry of pain as darkness consumed him and he knew no more.

When Chris woke, he was in a sitting position. His head throbbed with pain and something was wrong with his arms. When he tried to move them, they wouldn't budge. He realized he had been tied up. At the same time, he realized he couldn't see. At first, he thought that it was because the room he was in was really dark. Then he realized that his eyes were closed.

He opened his eyes, and he could see a little better, but not much. The only light in the room was the little beams of moonlight that came through the small window high above them. He looked around, trying to figure out what was going on.

He was tied to some sort of pole and there was someone on the other side. He could feel the soft fabric of the person's shirt against his hands, and their hands were pressing into his back. The room appeared to be part of an unfinished basement. There was a window in the ceiling, looking up at the sky. The moon was just below the window. An hour or so, and it would be visible through the dirty glass, and he would be able to see better.

His head felt horrible. He wondered what he had been hit with. It felt like he had been hit with an anvil or something.

He tried to focus on the person behind him. Who could it be? From the texture of the shirt, he thought it might be a woman.

The person groaned. Ravyn! he realized. What was she doing here?

She groaned again, trying to move herself.

"Ravyn?" he asked, concerned. "Are you alright?"

"Chris?" she said groggily. "What are you doing in my apartment?"

"We're not in your apartment, Ravyn. Look around."

There was a pause, then, "Where are we then?"

"Search me."

She groaned again and closed her eyes, trying to go back to sleep and pretend that this was all a very bad dream. But when she opened them again, she was still in a dingy unfinished basement. She felt tired, but not in a normal way. It felt as though she'd just woken from a drug-induced sleep. She tried to stand, but found that her arms wouldn't move to support her.

She had been tied up. But by who? And why?

Somewhere above them, a door opened and light poured through, illuminating a set of stairs. A figure appeared in the doorway and started down the stairs. It stopped halfway down, then called up to someone.

"Yo, boss! They're awake!"

"Then put them back to sleep," a familiar voice called back. It was Kraven. Ravyn desperately tried to get her mind to work, but the figure was advancing quickly. He had something in his hand. What was it? It didn't look like a gun, but she couldn't tell through the darkness.

He walked up to her and said, "Night-night, Kitten," before he pressed something against her arm. A spasm of pain flashed through her, and she collapsed forward into unconsciousness.

When Ravyn woke again, she was surrounded by silence. Her mind seemed to have cleared of the drug fog, and she was at last able to think. She thought back over everything she remembered to see if she could figure out what had happened.

Kraven had drugged her somehow, that much she was certain. Then he had captured her and brought her to his—what? His house? His lair? She still didn't know where they were, and until she did, she couldn't do anything to get them out.

She tried to twist and see if she could see what she was bound with, but couldn't pull herself far enough away from the pole she was bound to.

Damn.

The movement made her arm hurt. She looked at it and saw blood.

What did that bastard do to me?

And what about Chris? She had no way of knowing what had happened to him after she had been knocked unconscious. She could still feel his hands against her back, but that didn't mean anything. He's probably unconscious too, she tried to reassure herself. Or dead.

"Chris?" she asked, suddenly frantic. "Are you okay?"

He groaned.

Not dead then, she thought relieved.

"Chris? Answer me."

"I'm okay," he said, but he didn't sound okay. "Head hurts like a son of a bitch, though. Do you know where we are?"

"We're with Kraven."

Chris groaned. "Figures."

"I could try to do a mind-read on someone upstairs. Figure out exactly where we are and how to get out."

"Okay, but be careful. Don't let them catch you."

"I'm always careful," she retorted. "Besides, very few humans can tell when I'm reading their minds."

"It's those few I'm worried about," Chris muttered.

"Hush. It's hard enough to read minds through doors without you talking."

Chris was silent, and Ravyn sighed and shut her eyes. She calmed her mind, taking deep breaths, then released her walls.

White hot pain seared through her mind, spreading through her body, and she screamed.

"Ravyn?" Chris asked, desperately trying to turn and see what was happening to her.

Her body writhed with pain and she couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't feel anything but the pain.

What's happening to me? she thought, trying to figure out where the pain was coming from. Slowly, she found that it had concentrated itself in two places: her mind and her wrists.

Cold iron! she realized dimly before lapsing into unconsciousness.

Kraven sat in the kitchen, drinking gratefully from his goblet of blood. It had been a while since he'd fed properly. The thick warmth of the blood tasted good as it washed down his throat, doing away with the last lingering taste of beer.

A scream pierced the stillness of the house, causing Kraven to jump and slosh his blood onto the counter.

"Shit!" he said, shaking the spilled blood off his hands.

Then he smiled. The girl must have tried to use her magic. It seemed she was not immune to cold iron after all. He'd had his doubts, after what she'd said in the club, but had decided to try it anyway. It seemed he had been right.

She came to a few minutes later, to the sound of Chris's voice. At first she couldn't make out what he was saying, because the pain was still fogging her mind, but it was no longer as powerful as it had been.

"Ravyn! Answer me, dammit!" He sounded almost scared.

"I'm alright," she said softly. It hurt to talk; her throat was raw from her scream. "Won't be doing that again, though."

"What happened?"

"Cold iron," she said simply. It was becoming difficult to stay conscious. She fought against the darkness trying to consume her.

Chris started to say something, but was interrupted by Kraven's voice.

"Awake, I see." He stood in the doorway, bathed in a golden light. He reached out and touched something on the wall, and Ravyn winced as light attacked her eyes. Kraven smiled and began to descend the stairs. He smelled of blood and, unable to help herself, Ravyn's eyes turned blue and her canines elongated into fangs. She realized she had not fed in a week, and the scent of blood was arousing her hunger.

"And hungry. I have some more upstairs, if you'd like." Two bulky men carrying guns followed him down the stairs.

Ravyn licked her lips. She'd like far better to dig her teeth into Kraven's neck, but she'd settle for cloned blood. Her hunger was overcoming her pain, and she could think clearly again, though there was still a constant ache in her mind and her wrists.

"What do you want, Kraven?" she asked, trying to force back her bloodlust.

"A number of things. My place in the Coven, for one. Selene as my consort, for another. Lucian and that filthy human dead. An address of a woman named Evelyn for a friend of mine. And maybe, to top it all off, your death."

"And what makes you think I'm going to give any of that to you?"

"I have something you want."

"What could you have that I could possibly want?"

Kraven didn't answer, but motioned to the two heavies behind him. They moved forward and jerked Ravyn and Chris to their feet. Then they untied Chris and brought him to Kraven. He struggled, but they held him tightly. Ravyn heart dropped into her stomach. She knew what Kraven would do if she didn't give him what he wanted.

But how could she? Endanger the life of her mother and father? Evelyn? Adara and Amarice, who had been like sisters to her? And if Kraven was back in power, there was no telling how many innocents he would kill! How could she give him what he wanted?

Kraven's lips took on a cruel smile. "You know," he said conversationally to her as he began to circle the struggling Chris. "I haven't had real blood in quite some time. Human blood is the most delicious of delicacies, wouldn't you agree? I've sampled it several times, and I never grow tire of its taste."

Chris was very pale, she could see. Kraven grinned, baring his sharp canines to them. His eyes were a brilliant blue. Chris had gone very still and stiff. His back was to her, so she couldn't see his face, but she could imagine his expression. The back of his neck was very pale.

On the other hand, how could she not?

She closed her eyes and sighed. "All right. Just...let him go. Please."

"You know," Kraven said, "I haven't read the actual Covenant itself, but I'm pretty sure it forbids other unions besides vampire and lycan."

"No one cares about the Covenant any more!" Ravyn spat back. "Not since Viktor's death."

"As you say," Kraven replied with a sigh. He gestured to the heavies again and one of them hit Chris on the head with his gun. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

"Chris!" Ravyn cried, unable to stop herself from calling out to him.

"He'll be fine. He may have a concussion, but he'll live." Kraven smirked at her. "Now then, let's start with Evelyn's address, shall we?"

When she woke, she felt groggy and disoriented.

What happened? she thought. She thought back. She remembered telling Kraven everything he wanted to know, looking down at Chris, lying unconscious on the floor with blood coming from a wound where the gun had struck him. She remembered one of Kraven's thugs coming over to her, a needle in his hand, injecting a yellowish fluid into her neck. She had struggled against him, and all she had to show was a headache and a bruise on her cheek.

Chris was still unconscious. She struggled against her bonds. If she could just go to him...

Kraven had bound Ravyn with some sort of chain, which she thought must be the cold iron, and a rope. The rope would be easy to get off, once she got rid of the cold iron. But first she had to find the clasp to the stupid chain.

She shifted her hands, trying to make the chain move. Each time she did, the rope cut into her hands, but the chain shifted a little. It took her twenty minutes to get the chain rotated to where the clasp was. Her hands were slippery with blood, making it difficult for her fingers to work the clasp. The smell was driving her insane.

A door opened, and a beam of light spilled into the basement, as well as Kraven's voice.

"I have a lot to do tonight, Al," Kraven was saying. "I need you to watch the girl while I'm gone. She may try something stupid."

"What about that Evelyn woman?" the voice Ravyn presumed belonged to Al carried down the stairs to her.

"She's last on my list. I'll be back before sun rise." Footsteps sounded and a door slammed. The light in the doorway darkened, and Ravyn hurriedly shut her eyes. If he thought she was still out, she would be safe. She worked harder on the chain as quietly as she could.

The thug, Al, was wandering around the basement, holding his gun absently in his arm. She watched him through cracked eyelids, working her hands quietly behind her back. Blood dripped from her wrists, and she could barely focus because of the smell. It had been days since she'd last fed.

At last, the chain came free. Unable to prevent herself, she let loose a little sigh when the chain came free. The thug spun around, pointing his gun into the air above her head. She watched him wave the gun around nervously, gripping the rope and chain tightly in her hands. The thug stepped forward slowly and cautiously, looking around for the source of the sound.

Three...two... she thought, one!

She leapt up, surprising the thug with her speed. She was a little surprised herself. Her head was still pounding from the effects of the cold iron, and her reactions were slower as a result, but she still managed to get behind him and loop the rope and chain around his neck.

He struggled, dropping his gun and trying to pull the rope away. He wasn't completely incompetent, she had to admit. If he leaned over any farther, she'd flip right off his back. He strained against the rope, leaning farther and farther forward.

Just a little longer, she told herself. No luck. She flipped forward, loosing her grip on the rope and falling to the ground. She tucked herself into a ball, rolling away. He had one hand to his neck and was gasping for breath. She stood, looking at him, and her eyes were drawn to the visibly pulsing jugular in his neck.

Her eyes became electric blue and her vampyric fangs emerged. He looked up at her and saw her transformation. Fear formed in his eyes. She lunged, catching hold of him and sinking her fangs deeply into his neck.

Hot, tangy blood flowed into her mouth from the wound, and she drank it eagerly, sating her hunger.

Chris moaned softly. His head hurt horribly. The scent of blood hit him and he looked around, trying to find the source. He saw Ravyn, her long black hair loose and flowing down her back, her mouth fixed on the neck of a guard.

What is she doing he thought. She drew back for a moment and took a deep breath before replacing her mouth on the man's neck. In that moment, he saw fangs stained with blood, and a large bloody smear on the man's neck.

This cannot be happening, he thought, just before he fainted.

Ravyn licked her lips, removing the last traces of blood from her mouth. She dropped the now bloodless body of the guard. She hadn't had a good feed in days, maybe weeks. She looked around, thinking about what she should do next. Her eyes fell on the unconscious body of Chris.

She hurried over to him. His thick brown hair was matted with blood.

Oh God, Ravyn thought.

She pulled his head into her lap, running her fingers through his hair, trying to find the source of the blood. She found two cuts, one above his right ear, and the other near the crown of his head. She wished she had Evelyn's healing powers.

They needed to get out of here. If she could get him back to her apartment, she could do something for him. But here, in the dingy basement of Kraven's house, there was nothing. She needed to wake him up and get him out.

It seemed to take forever to wake him up, but it really didn't take more than a minute.

"Ravyn? How did you...?"

"Never mind that," she said quietly. "We've got to get out of here. Come on." She helped him to his feet and led him up the stairs. She hoped they wouldn't meet any more guards. While she felt much stronger for her feed, she wasn't sure she was up to another fight.

They were lucky. The house was deserted. Ravyn went to the back door and opened it, stepping outside into the crisp night air. She shivered.

They were on the south side of Chicago, she realized. Well, a half unconscious man will be less suspicious, I guess. Don't know if that's a good thing.

She made her way towards the street, practically dragging Chris after her. He wasn't fully conscious yet. Every few steps, she spoke to him in a whisper, trying to keep him awake. She was sure he had a concussion, and a bad one. If he went to sleep, there was no telling what would happen.

She hailed a cab and climbed in.

"You need help lady?" the cabbie asked, seeing Chris's inert state.

"No, I can handle him, thank you," she replied in a terse voice. "Take Route fourteen to Oak Road. That's as far as I need to go."

"That's going to be expensive, lady. It's almost ten miles outside the city!"

"Yes, I am perfectly aware of that. Will you do it or not? I have the money."

The cabbie grumbled, but agreed. The pair was obviously in trouble. There was blood all over the man's shirt and the woman's wrists. He hoped he wasn't helping a pair of criminals escape.

When they arrived at the intersection Ravyn had named, the cabbie let them out and Ravyn paid him. He drove off, and she pulled Chris to his feet. She slung his arm around her shoulders and they started walking. It was probably a ten minute walk to Evelyn's house, but she was the only one who could help them.

What if Kraven had us followed? she thought. I'll lead them straight to her!

The cold iron hadn't lost its effect yet; she couldn't tell if anyone was near. She sniffed the air. She would have to rely on her hybrid senses to smell anyone following them.

"Come on," she said to Chris, jostling him slightly to keep him awake.

"Where are we going?"

"A friend's house," she replied shortly.

"Where are we?"

"Trust me; I know where I'm going."

"Good, 'cause I sure as hell don't."

She didn't answer him.

"What just happened?"

"Hush."

They were in a neighborhood now. Ravyn looked around, trying to get her bearings.

"Ah, there it is, Saddle Ridge. Come on." She pulled him after her to a large white house. It was the only one on the street. Behind it were extensive fields and a stable. She walked around to a sliding glass door in the back and opened it.

She walked inside the kitchen, forced Chris to sit in a chair. He looked at, started to say something, then passed out. She felt his forehead. He had a raging fever. She needed to find Evelyn. She started up the stairs to the second floor when she met Amarice. Reece let out a little shriek of surprise and threw a stunning spell at her. Ravyn's body froze when the spell hit her.

"Ravyn?" Amarice asked incredulously. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm in trouble. I need a place to stay."

"Sure. Your room's still open, if you want it." She gave Ravyn an odd look, taking in her dirty and bloody party clothes, bare feet, and tangled hair.

Ravyn couldn't answer. Her vision was fading in and out. She could dimly hear Amarice calling her name, but she couldn't answer. She felt Amarice release the spell holding her body immobile, and wished she hadn't. She started to sway. She felt dizzy and drunk.

"Chris," she whispered, just before she passed out.

A/N: Here's the rundown on what got changed: I took out the whole bit about the ladder and the window. I replaced with a fight scene and something else. That scene is the one scene that is crucial to the next chapter. I highly suggest you read it, because if you don't, there are some things in the next chapter which won't make a lot of sense. I changed the ending up slightly. Basically, from the fight scene on, it's mostly new stuff. What do you guys think? Let me know, because this story depends on it! Even if it's bad, I want to know!! But thanks to those who DID review:

Irish-Chick13: Thank you for your review! I'm glad you liked Far From Over and the integration of some of its characters into this one. I do try to make my sequels actual sequels with similar characters and such. I hope you like this story enough to become a regular reviewer, because, believe me, they are greatly appreciated and loved by me. Thanks!

Kesaria: So glad to have you back! I've been wondering where you'd gotten to. Hope college is going well for you. Take your time with reading. I can imagine how time consuming college is, seeing as high school takes up most if not all of my time. Thanks for dropping in and letting me know you're liking it. I know this chapter is in serious need of a rewrite, but my editor is not being much help in that department, so feel free to suggest!

Angry Tolkein Purist: Glad you like it!

Moi: Glad your enjoying this story, and glad you liked Far From Over. Hopefully, this one will turn out as well! Please keep reading and reviewing!

Khayla: I'm feeling the love. Thanks for reviewing even though you'd already read it. I hope you liked this chapter, even though it wasn't up to par. Thanks for all your support!

Moose: even though you weren't much help with rewriting this chapter, I still love you. Chapter nine will hopefully satisfy you better. Please don't kick me out of your bubble! Thanks for all your love and support. I couldn't do this without you. Tell Mildred and Rupert I said hi.

And to those who reviewed the first posting of this chapter:

Alexa.G: Not soon enough, I promise you.

Jordy: I'm glad you liked it. I hope you like this new chapter and the one following it, because those two are, in my opinion, the best.

Psychotic Demetia: Orange redwood sticks? Isn't that a contradiction in terms?

Cheifhow: Chris is hot! I'm glad you like it.

Kesaria: As I said in my email: OMG YOU ARE A GENIUS!!!!! Thank you sooo much for this. I am eternally grateful. THANK YOU!!!!!

Rune: Glad you're enjoying it and thanks for the review!

Christine Marquez: With my new ending, I hope this fixes your question. She didn't tell Amarice before because...well...I didn't think of that. Now, it's because she passes out. Much better reason, don't you think?

Moose: Does this fix all your issues?