Not much to say only that I couldn't sleep so I decided to write the fifteenth chapter too. Well, NOW I'm tired, so enjoy!

Order 15: Hard Earned Lessons

The two nodded solemnly with those fake, plastered smiles on their pale faces. their red eyes gleamed like treasured rubies from the royal treasury. Skey can remember faintly her mother and father when she was about five years old. Though she was trying to put the past behind her, the rememberance of her real parents never left her mind. And now they stood before her, as parents but not as parents...they stood before how as the enemy. Malakai could only laugh. Skey had told him her whole life story, her grievances and losses. And the one thing he decided to do when he decided to go on this 'crusade' of his, was to find her parents and turn them to vampires. He thought this way, he could convince her to drop the Iscariot cape and cross then become his forever. And now, Skey looked half convinced, half persuaded to follow him into the pits of hell to gain control of humanity and its world.

" Skey, dear...Sir Malakai there offered us eternal life and a promise to be able to see you again. It's been so long. And look at you...whether or not you're the hunter of vampires, you seem to have made a good life out of yourself."

Tears swelled up in Skey's eyes. They were vampires true enough, but deep down they were still her parents! They had brought her into this world and given her life. Without them, she would have never breathed life's air. Her mother hugged her and then followed by her father. There was no move from them to go for Skey's throat. Malakai held that special right to do so. All he wanted of skey's parents was to aid in her comply to be with him. If they failed, then Malakai didn't care about disposing of them.

" Skey, join with me, love me...for it, you'll be with your parents once again. Isn't that something you've always wanted? To see them again? You see them now...and us three hope that maybe you will come with us. We'll be one, big, happy...family."

Skey felt her mother squeeze her tightly around the shoulders. Her mother leaned in, her lips to her own daughter's ear. With a shaky, and very scared voice, her mother whispered to her.

" Run...don't look back, Skey."

Malakai had read the mind of the mother and his lip turned up in anger. The sound of metal scraping against metal broke the peaceful air as Malakai unsheathed a large broadsword, the handle blackened from the firing and encrusted with blood red jewels. The shiny blade had the black metal of the handle creeping across the bottom, it looking like the skinny arms of demons holding the blade to its hilt. Just as he raised the sword to strike the mother down, Skey's father turned quickly and shoved Malakai with all his strength. Skey's mother pushed Skey to run and get away. Her mother cried tears of blood as she knew she would surely die for betraying Malakai, but she by God, didn't want Skey to become what they had. Skey was an Iscariot agent, she aided in the extermination of vampires. Skey's mother saw this as something honorable. And to perserve her daughter's life from the sure hell of being a vampire, she would gladly give her own life to save her own daughter's. Malakai smacked the man away and as Skey's mother turned to Malakai the blade had came down and severed her head from her body. The corpse turned to sand and blew away. The father cried out before running off and escaping. Malakai growled and knew he would have to find him later and kill him. He was a vampire and could easily get away but Skey, she was human. She had not the speed of a vampire so he sprinted off to find her.

Skey ran down block by block, finding her way back to the Vatican. Before she knew it, something had slammed into the side of her and sent her sprawling to the ground. When she looked up, she saw the dark figure standing there, his long hair flowing so easily like scarves of silk. His black gloved hands were relaxed. The black trench coat fluttered some in the wind, revealing under the black dress suit he wore. He now knelt down and got in her face, a smile gracing the lovely lips.

" Now, now...no running away. I am sorry for having to kill your mother, but she could have been a serious threat to us in the future. Mmm, my love...you look so lovely...I regret ever having not spoken about my attraction to you. It's really sad. I paid to only speak with you, to let you cry on my shoulder. I could have gotten much more, but I am gentleman after all."

Skey whimpered and tears fell down her cheeks. The vampires chuckled with what sounded like a warm hearted chuckle. he leaned down and licked up the tears with his tongue.

" Do not fret my little dove...I shall take care of you."

He propped her up with his arms around her and nuzzled her neck gently, his lips sliding down the smooth skin. It stopped at the white colar of her blue shirt. His lips then traveled back up and licked the warm, sensitive skin of her bare neck. Then out of nowhere, something flew at him and went through his neck! Malakai dropped Skey and stood up, the burning of the large blade in his throat driving him nuts. Malakai grabbed the handle and pulled it out quickly, dropping it to the ground. The metallic ringing stopped and the blade laid still. When Malakai looked at it, he growled lowly.

" A bayonet? A bless bayonet? What the HELL is this!"

Malakai looked up just in time to see a barrage of the damned blades flying at him. Malakai dodged them with ease and when they stopped he saw a man standing in the midde of the road. The black sihlouette showed a man of tall stature holding two large bayonet blades in each hand. The street light reflected off of the round lenses of his glasses. And Malakai could see clearly the rather enraged look within the man's green eyes. The wind blew his coat with the gentle, rolling breeze, and with it the necklace around his neck. The light reflected easily off it and showed it to be a rather large cross. Another Iscariot agent?

" GING AWAY FAE HER YA FREAK!"

Malakai's eyes went wide whe he was threatened. An Iscariot priest threatening an ancient vampire like him? He was merely a human and yet he looked to duel with Malakai himself. The man had a definite death wish. Malakai straightened his posture, ignored the burning from the wound in his throat and approached the furious priest.

" Look, Mr. Maniacal Priest. Skey is really mine to have. I don't know if she ever told you, but her and I knew each other back in her darker days. Since then, I have fallen deeply in love with her and I just want to share with her, my life and experiences. Is it so bad for a vampire to find the love of his life? As much as you Catholic demons don't like to believe, we vampires DO have hearts. We can love and be tender. But you Catholics, you priest especially...you denounce the idea of love and passion of two souls desring to be together. to you, a woman is not an object to be loved, but only an object to continue on your infected existence of humanity. You should learn to give women respect, Priest."

" Ah hae the utmost respect for Skey, freak! Boot look at ye! Chasing her doon like some kaind O' animal! Ah expect ye would 'love' her boot tha' would mean tae put her up like ae display! Yer a' the same VAMPIRE!"

Anderson had seen enough when he saw Skey running then that vampire knock into her like some kind of loose cannonball. The vampire only gave a flicker of a smirk before he drew the large, hellish broad sword. He meant to challenge Anderson to a duel. And who was Anderson to refuse such a challenge? Both became locked in battle, the clashing of their blades reverberating off the walls of buildings. Skey pulle dherself together and stood up with shaky legs, watching the fight. She had watched Anderson before when he fought, but he never 'danced' like how he did now. He was so fast, and every time Malakai struck, Anderson would always have a backup plan for a counter attack. But then so would Malakai. And while they fought she noticed both of the were smiling! Malakai swung down with incredible speed but Anderson only spun in a half turn and threw a bayonet blade into Malakai's stomach. Malakai gasped and stumbled back but when Anderson came in to swing two bayonets straight down, Malakai retaliated by swinging his broad sword right through the bayonets! They shattered and the metal pieces rained over the street, but it didn't stop Anderson. He easily pulled out more and continued fighting. This time, Malakai got a good hit on him, slashing Anderson across the side. Anderson only bellowed before throwing a barrade of over a hundred small bayonets, a few stabbing into Malakai's knees and thighs. Malakai growled in pain and stepped away once he heard sirens coming.

" We'll meet again, priest! Next time I will kill you! I guarantee it!"

Anderson only stood there, catching his breath. Skey stood where she was, afraid he would turn his wrath upon her. The tears still flowed as she watche dAnderson simply stand there, sirens coming to the location. Policemen came out of their cars and started questioning ather Anderson about what happened. He of course, gave them the reason for being there then made his way towards Skey. The police started their survey of the area. Skey ignored them when they tried speaking to her. She fell to her knees and kept her head down. All she could think about was the deep shit she was in now. Surely she wouldn't just hear it from Maxwell, but also Anderson. Skey heard him stop right in front of her and when she looked up, there was that mad and disappointed face.

" Ye hae ae lot O' explaining tae dae, Skey. Get up. We're gaun."

There were no other words as he turned around and headed back for the Vatican. Skey sniffled and pulle dherself together then followed him back. She stayed behind him a bit. She failed so miserably. And now she felt she even lost Anderson's respect. Maybe she really wasn't cut out for this at all...

Maxwell's Office. 5:00 A.M.

" SKEY SERYC! Why didn't you tell us about the vampire! Do you REALIZE that the vampire is the one leading this WHOLE epidemic? How long have you known about this!"

Skey fidgeted in the chair before Maxwell's desk. He had his hands firmly panted on the table, his body leaning over the desk with his green eyes wild with fury. Anderson stood behind Skey's chair not saying a word. This time he couldn't defend Skey. Didn't Maxwell see the tears in her eyes still? Maxwell continued his ranting of Skey's infidelity and poor decisions to keep such important secrets. Then Maxwell calmed, sat down in the leather desk chair and glared at Skey angrily. The room fell silent. Mornings birds chirped distantly in the Vatican's Garden. The sun was peeking over the horizon now and giving a medium blue of sky. with a calm voice, Maxwell asked now one of the questions that Anderson knew no one should have asked.

" Skey. This vampire is a part of your past, isn't it? Well, tell me. Tell me everything about you."

Ske stood up, and then turned her eyes on Maxwell like a wolf. She snarled as she gave him her pissed off look, but Maxwell didn't heed. They faced off, both of them staring at one another as if they had an intention to leap over the desk and kill each other. Skey had finally snapped. She had had it with Maxwell and his boasting sense of superiority. How dare he even demand Skey to tell him her whole life story!

" I rather stick a dagger through my stomach than to tell you anything about my life! You have no authority to demand such personal things from anyone!"

" I have every right if I have a suspicion of one of my agents!"

" you do not OWN us, Maxwell! To hell with your idea that you have everyone under your control! I should kill you and end everyone's suffering!"

" 'Thou shalt not kill' ! You should know that! That is if a whore like you would even reasd the Bible!"

Skey sobered up her rage, but her eyes remained that icy, December blue. She turned her back to Maxwell and folded her arms tightly over her chest.

" As part of Iscariot, which I am, I am to kill vampires and heathens. What's the DIFFERENCE if I killed you?"

Skey stormed out of the office, slamming the doors on her way out. Maxwell stood there stunned and at a loss of words. Anderson only hid his smile. Even he wasn't hot headed enough to mouth off like that to Maxwell but Skey...he knew she loved breaking all the rules without a meditated thought about what the consenquences may be. Someone challenged her, she took it up like a man. But it was finally about time someone put Maxwell in his place. Anderson just walked out of the office himself to leave Maxwell to his thoughts about what just happened to him. Guid job, Skey. Aboot time someone put tha' man in his place.