- - - Chapter Two: The Hunted - - -

"You just got back yesterday, and they've already given you a new mission," a voice said from behind Anakin.

A large smile was on his face as he turned around. Standing in the door of his small private room stood a teenage girl.

"Ahsoka," he said warmly. "And what have you been up to?"

Ahsoka bounced into the room. Anakin's room was messy and cluttered, which was a constant thorn in the boarding master's side. He had various weapons scattered about. There were piles of books with notes shoved into them. Proper holy Jedi knights kept their rooms sparse and tidy. They might have a plant or a decorative vase. There would always be signs of God in the room, though which signs depended on which religion the knight followed.

The Holy Order was nondenominational. It was a collaboration of faiths. That was because it needed to be. Holy Christian symbols didn't work on all vampires, because some vampires were turned based on sin from other religions. There were Jewish and Islamic vampires, and so they needed Jewish and Islamic hunters. There was a majority of Christian vampires in Europe, so there were a lot of Christian hunters in the headquarters.

Ahsoka was one of the few exceptions. She was from India and was an observer of the Hindu faith. She was still young and in training, but Anakin figured she would be knighted soon. He had been her mentor on several missions over the last three years since she transferred to London. She had dark red tan skin and long brown hair that she liked to keep in two braids with white and blue ribbons woven in them. She was currently wearing clothing that a London boy would wear: trousers, a button-up shirt, vest, and a jacket.

"I got to work with Barris and Master Unduli on a mission," she said.

Anakin nodded. Those two were Islamic hunters.

"There is some talk about sending some people over to America," she said. "Lots of people going over there. Vampires, too. New York has reported an 'epidemic' of vampirism that the hunters there can't keep up with."

He stilled.

"You're thinking about going there," he said without looking at her.

A thick silence fell across them. "Yes . . ." she said finally. "They don't have a lot of Hindu hunters."

He slowly nodded his head.

"Rex is thinking about coming with me," she continued on. "Possibly a few more of the brothers as well." She continued talking, but all Anakin heard was a ringing in his ears.

Rex was one of the soldiers like Fives and Boil. One of the experiments. They called themselves brothers. Rex was Anakin's right-hand man. He was a captain in the Holy Order's army. If Anakin ever went out armed support, he went with Rex and his men. And now he and Ahsoka were leaving? To America? That was a whole ocean away . . .

There was a heavy sinking feeling inside of him that he didn't like.

A knock on his door silenced Ahsoka.

"Hello, Anakin. Ahsoka."

"Master Kenobi," Ahsoka said cheerfully and with a small bob of her head.

Anakin looked up to see Obi-Wan Kenobi standing at the door. He was dressed impeccably in traditional tan robes of the Order. Knights rarely dressed like that outside the Temple unless it was for some public appearance or talking with heads of state or church. On missions, they dressed like civilians.

"I do believe you have a class in healing prayers starting soon," Obi-Wan said.

Ahsoka groaned. "I'm no good at them. Even the Hindu ones. I don't think I'm meant to be a healer."

"Neither was I," Obi-Wan said. "Nor Anakin."

Ahsoka gave Anakin a questionable look, but he just stared at the others blankly.

"Hurry along. You don't want to worry your teacher," Obi-Wan said.

Ahsoka gave a quick goodbye and scurried from the room. Obi-Wan entered and glanced around the room.

"She told you about America," he said slowly.

Anakin sighed as he sat down on the edge of his unmade bed. He ran a hand through his long blond hair. Obi-Wan approached, put a hand on Anakin's shoulder and squeezed it.

"This might be God's path for her," he said softly.

Anakin scoffed. "She doesn't believe in God," he said bitterly.

"Doesn't mean God doesn't believe in her. He believes in us all. Including you, Anakin."

Typical Obi-Wan. The ever-faithful knight. He always had blind faith in God. Anakin wished he could be as devout as Obi-Wan. He did believe in God and His son. He did . . . but . . . He had his doubts too. But he wasn't about to voice them here in front of Obi-Wan.

"I came to talk about your mission," Obi-Wan said. "You seemed a bit irritable during your meeting with the council."

Anakin rolled his eyes and Obi-Wan just gave him was of his infamous looks.

"I understood it all," Anakin muttered. "Some fancy nobleman-"

"A viscount," Obi-Wan interrupted, but Anakin continued.

"- is going on vacation down in Spain. He's a suspected vampire. I'm to trail him and determine if he is a vampire. And if he is, I kill him. Pretty simple."

"Just be careful, Anakin. He is a rich and powerful man. If he is a vampire, no doubt he will have a small coven with him and will be prepared for any hunters. You're going into this alone. We don't have anyone else to spare right now."

"Because of America?"

Obi-Wan sighed. "Yes, because of America."

"When are they sailing out?"

"Soon. Right after you leave," Obi-Wan said softly.

So he had better say his goodbyes before he left. When he came back, they would be gone.

"Got it," Anakin said. "I'm tired. Going to go to bed."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Have a good night. May the Force and God be with you."

"And also with you," Anakin repeated the other half of the mantra.

Obi-Wan left and closed the door. Anakin waited in his room for about twenty minutes before he grabbed his coat and left his room.

"What's wrong?" Padmé asked as she wove her fingers through his hair.

The two laid together in her bed with the covers pulled up. His head rested on the pillow next to hers. Their legs were woven together. His arm rested lazily on her hip.

"I've been given a new mission," Anakin said after a moment's pause.

"Already? How soon do you leave?"

"In two days."

Her lips pulled down into a pout. "So soon," she whispered. "To where?"

"Spain."

"So far."

"Not the farthest," he said.

"It doesn't matter. If you aren't here, it's too far. Even the Temple is too far for me sometimes."

He understood. He had spent last night in the Temple. He had barely slept. He tossed and turned all night. Nothing compared to the rest he got when he was with her.

"But I don't think that's it," she said. "You coming and going is nothing new. What is really bothering you?"

He sighed. "There's an increase in vampire activity in America. The American branch is requesting help. Ahsoka and Rex . . . they volunteered to go."

"Anakin . . ." Padmé said.

"They'll leave while I'm gone," he muttered.

She leaned over and kissed his cheek. He tightened his hold on her. She wrapped her arms around him and the two held each other. He buried his face into her soft hair. She was always so soft and smooth. Like a cooling touch to the fire that seemed to burn within him. It soothed him. Settled him.

"You don't have to continue like this," Padmé murmured. He felt her lips against the skin of his cheeks. Her soft breath brushed lightly across his skin. "Have you given any thought to my proposal? Marry me, Anakin. Come live with me. You don't have to live like this. Constantly going out by yourself. Always alone."

"I'm not always alone," he grumbled.

He pulled his head back so he could stare into her warm brown eyes. She smiled at him, and he couldn't help but smile back. His cheeks started to grow warm. He leaned in and gently pressed his lips against hers. She came in hard and fast, almost catching him off guard. He gasped at her bold approach and was rewarded with her tongue. Her hands slid up and down his back while his slid down to her lovely little bottom and gave it a squeeze. She let out a muffled giggled.

His hand slid around her hips and down between her legs. His fingers slid up into her folds finding them already wet and warm. She moaned and tilted her back in pleasure as he stroked her.

"No fair," she gasped.

"It's plenty fair," he said as he kissed her neck.

Her hands, which had been tightly grabbing his back, slid around to his front. She grabbed his manhood causing him to jump.

"Now it's fair," she said in a low lusty voice as she started to stroke him.

Their hand play continued a while longer. Both were writhing under the other's touch. It was almost a game to see who would come first. But then Anakin took his hands out.

"Awww," Padmé pouted. "I was getting close too."

"I know," he said as he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her onto her back. He positioned himself on top of her, making sure to spread her legs out wide. He leaned down and kissed her on the lips as he lined himself up. "I love you," he said breathlessly against her lips.

Then he thrusted inside her. Her arms wrapped around him. Her hands clawed at his back.

"Anakin!" she moaned.

It didn't take much more to have them both come at the same time.

Two days later, Padmé sat at her desk in her drawing room writing a letter. It read:

Skywalker leaves for Spain today. All is going according to your plan.
- Amidala

She placed it in an envelope, dripped bright red wax on it, and pressed the seal into warm wax. As she pulled the seal away, the crest of the house of Naberrie was printed boldly in the wax. She turned the envelope over and looked at the name and address neatly written on the front. It was addressed to Duke Palpatine.

Anakin was miserable. Spain was horrible. He had been here for two and a half God forsaken months spying on the blasted nobleman. He had yet to get any solid proof on the fool, but there was something off about him. Off enough that Anakin did suspect the man was a vampire, but he still needed proof. He could not just burst into a villa with his holy sword blazing, throwing holy water everywhere, and shouting prayers. He was very tempted though. Alas, the Order needed the nobility on their side. They need the money, resources, and connections the nobility brought them. Blindly attacking someone powerful who was not a vampire did not go over well. It was a lesson Anakin had learned the hard way.

So Anakin stalked his mark. He climbed onto roofs to watch as the viscount went to fancy dinners. He bought tickets so he could attend the same concerts or ballets as the man. He tailed him through busy marketplaces as he sampled fresh goods and fine wine. If he was a vampire, he was good, really good at hiding it.

The obvious way to catch a vampire was to catch them in the middle of one of their meals. There was no denying someone was a vampire when their fangs were stabbing into the neck of an innocent victim. Annoyingly, the nobleman didn't go out hunting. This only meant he had underlings to do it for him. There was definitely a lot of staff coming and going that could easily bring in a meal. Anakin had debated following a few of the sketchier looking ones, but he didn't want to take his eyes off the nobleman. Instead, he hoped to catch the nobleman in the act of eating even if it was at his residence. Anakin spent a lot of time just watching the man through a spyglass from nearby roofs or apartments. Once or twice he had even climbed a tree.

But there was still nothing. So Anakin continued to watch the man. The noble never went out in direct sunlight. He was most active in the late afternoons and at night, but also went out in the early mornings. Sometimes he went out during the day, but he was always in well-shaded areas. He attended church, though not regularly. But a powerful vampire could get away with bluffing their way through service. The blasted man always sat upfront, so Anakin couldn't watch to see if he was actually saying any of the prayers.

He was tempted to finally write to the Order and say he was coming back. This mission was a bust. The best they could do now was just keep tabs on the man. But then he learned the nobleman would be attending a grand ball in a month. Vampires loved a good nighttime social event, especially large ones with lots of music and alcohol. It was the perfect environment for easy hunting.

That meant Anakin had a month to kill. He still kept a close eye on the noble but decided not to be so diligent. He was now in Barcelona, the city where the ball would take place. He needed to find an outfit to get into the ball, so he headed into the city on a bright day.

He generally wasn't one for such things, especially since he had to leave his sword behind as it would bring too much attention to himself. However, he was finding it a bit refreshing to be out and stretching his legs. He was nibbling on a fresh bun he had bought from a baker as he walked along a street filled with shops. He stopped in front of one labeled Bagues Masriera. It was a jewelry shop.

He stepped up to the window and looked at a display of a stunning necklace. It looked like a necklace of flowers. Gold lined everything from the green leaves and vines to the bright red flowers. Each of the four flowers had a dark red garnet in the middle. The edges of the petals of each flower were lined in small diamonds. In the center was a large flower with a large diamond in the center surrounded by gold, diamond, and garnet petals.

At once he thought of Padmé. This necklace would look stunning on her. He missed her terribly. He thought of her often. He was tempted to write her a letter just to get his thoughts out to her. During his long stakeouts, he had gone over each word he would write over and over again in his mind. He would tell her how much he missed her, how much he loved her, and how wonderful she was in great detail. The letter would be pages long. But he never wrote it. It was against the code of the Order.

Holy Jedi knights were hunted just as much as the vampires. Rumoredly, Darth Sidious offered grand bounties for killing off any knights. There were vampires whose sole occupation was hunting down knights. Vampires such as Grievous, one of the most feared and successful hunters of all. Letters could be intercepted. A knight could be jeopardized.

He sighed. Padmé was right. He was all alone. He had visited the branch temple in the city to get funds for an outfit and help in securing an invitation to the ball. But he wasn't familiar with any of the Spanish knights though many seemed to know of him. The called him the Hero With No Fear, a nickname Anakin didn't really like.

He looked at the other jewelry in the window. He glanced at the rings as he thought about Padmé's proposal. God, he wanted to marry her. He wanted to use all the money the Order had given him and buy her the most spectacular ring in the store. He would ride up to her townhouse on fancy steed and walk up to the front door. No sneaking in through the garden . . .

He turned and walked away from the store. His shoulders hung low as he looked for a good tailor.

The music from the small orchestra filled the large ballroom. Couples danced in rhythm to the music. The women all wore beautiful and brightly colored dresses. Necklaces of gold and jewels and pearls hung on their throats and wrists. The men all wore black, and so did Anakin. It was a shame, he thought, that women got to wear all the bright and fun clothing. Why were men the ones designated to all wear the same boring thing?

Regardless, he was dressed in his new fine black suit. His hair was slicked back. As he made his way through the ball he debated on keeping the suit. What if the next time he went to Padmé's he showed up in this? What would she think? And how fast would it take for her to get it off of him? He smiled at that thought.

He spotted his prey through the crowd. The nobleman was only a few years older than Anakin, reportedly. His brown hair was slicked back. He was . . . decent looking. Anakin didn't like him. He had this haughty arrogant flair about him, but the ladies seemed to like his square chin and defined cheeks.

Anakin moved closer to the circle of people the nobleman was talking with.

"Y se fue sin usar guantes y su ropa está arrugada," one woman was saying. The others in the circle were smiling and nodding.

"No hay duda de que la mujer francesa ayudó con eso," a man said.

The group laughed and sipped their wine from the glasses they all held.

Someone bumped into Anakin from behind. He stumbled forward and bumped into one of the women of the circle.

"Lo siento. Disculpe señora," he said backing away at once. His cheeks were turning red.

"Is that an English accent I hear?"

Anakin looked up. It was the nobleman.

"Yes," Anakin said.

"It's always good to see a fellow countryman," the nobleman said as he made his way over to Anakin. "I am Viscount Rush Clovis." He extended his hand.

"George," Anakin said using a fake name. "George Luckason." He grasped Rush's hand and shook it.

"Well met, George," Rush said. "What brings here you to fine Barcelona?"

Anakin put on a smooth smile and glanced over at some of the ladies, who giggled when they noticed his attention.

"The sights," he said turning back to Rush. "I've always heard Spain has the most wonderful sights."

Rush nodded knowingly. "Indeed," he said. Then he sighed. "Though I myself still prefer the English variety."

"Understandable," Anakin said.

Rush clapped Anakin on the back. "Come have a drink with me," he said. "It's been a while since I've had a good conversation in English."

Anakin allowed himself to be led from the ballroom to a side room where drinks were being served. He ordered a whiskey, while Rush ordered a fresh glass of wine. The two walked through the large estate both sipping their drinks. It was nothing but small talk about the weather and English politics. Anakin wished Obi-Wan was here. He was able to charm his way into any situation.

"I'll be heading back home soon," Rush was saying. "I have a few matters to attend to in person."

Anakin nodded absentmindedly. Rush stopped and turned to face Anakin.

"You know, I am quite curious," he said. But then his voice changed into a hiss. "How is it that a scum Jedi knight such as yourself is sneaking into Marchioness Naberrie's bedroom at night."

Rush's eyes were no longer the soft brown they had been all night, but a sickly yellow ringed in red. Anakin threw his glass to the side.

"Knew it," he grumbled.

Rush brought his hand up. His nails had grown into long sharp claws. He smiled, showing off two long pointed fangs.

"I am going to take great pleasure in killing you, Hero With No Fear."

"What bounty does Sidious have on my head?"

"A great one!"

Rush lashed his hand forward and Anakin dodged. He didn't have his sword on him, but that didn't mean it wasn't unarmed. He pulled on a sleek silver dagger that had been blessed and doused in holy water. A prayer was etched on the blade. He slashed out Rush's arm, but only managed to slice through the sleeve.

The vampire ran at him with his supernatural speed. Rush kneed Anakin square in the chest and clawed him down the side of his left arm. Anakin slammed his leg up and got a solid kick into Rush's side. He swung his dagger arm out. This time the blade slid across Rush's skin on his shoulder. The vampire hissed and took a step back. He narrowed his eyes on Anakin.

"Done playing?" Anakin purred.

Rush let out an inhuman screech as he came at Anakin again. Why had no one else heard that? Anakin realized he had been lured into some secluded hallway. No matter. He could handle Rush. Their fight continued. It was a close-quarters one with Rush's claws and Anakin's blade. They traded punches and kicks and slashes of claws and jabs of the knife.

Both were becoming sliced up and bruised and bloodied. Anakin managed to get out a bottle of holy water, but the water missed as Rush dodged it. His right hand swung at Anakin's face, but Anakin threw his head back. He felt the claws just barely slide by him. He swung his arm up to stab him and then he gasped.

Everything suddenly stopped.

He glanced down to see Rush's hand buried into his chest. Anakin was instantly losing strength. Rush pulled his hand out and kicked Anakin. He fell down with a heavy thud. He could barely breathe. Barely think. Rush slammed his foot down on Anakin. Rush's hair hung in loose sweaty clumps as he leaned over and looked down at Anakin. He grabbed Anakin's right arm and ripped it up. Anakin screamed as he felt it come out of its socket.

"I'm going to take you apart piece by piece," Rush said.

Then with his free hand, he slashed at Anakin's arm. He sliced right through the forearm below the elbow. Rush brought the severed arm up to his mouth. He opened wide as he drank the blood coming out of the arm. He licked his lips as he threw the arm to the side.

"Perhaps now Darth Sidious will finally grant me Lady Amidala's hand in marriage," he said.

Anakin was losing consciousness. His eyesight was blurry. He could see the white, clawed hands coming for him. This was it. This was the end. He was going to die alone. Then suddenly Rush was gone. He heard voices. He heard his name. He swore he recognized the voices. One almost sounded like Obi-Wan. But then he finally he could hold on no longer and he passed out.