Lucedale, Mississppi

March, 1987


"Happy Birthday dear Raven! Happy birthday to you!"

Victoria and Uncle Laurent sang loudly, making the young girl blush. Every year they made it a point to sing obnoxiously.

"Blow out the candles and make a wish. I heard that when little girls turn ten their wish is sure to be granted," Laurent whispered conspiratorially.

"I'm not little anymore, I'm ten. And blowing out candles doesn't make wishes come true."

Raven rose a small, bushy eyebrow at him in a way that only Victoria could have taught her. Laurent chuckled, knowing full well his little niece was far from naive. It didn't hurt to try and keep her youth alive.

"Even if it doesn't come true, it's worth a try," Victoria said in a soothing voice, looking at her spirited human lovingly.

Raven conceded, leaning forward to carefully blow out her candles.

Her eyes lifted momentarily and caught the eyes of her least favorite person. James leaned against the wall stiffly, making sure to be as far away from them as possible. He stared back at her with cold, black eyes. A shiver went down her spine and she knew exactly what she wished for.

What she wanted most was to never see him again.

The smoke from the candles burned her eyes, but Raven didn't care. She hoped that her wish would come true eventually.


The next day, Victoria decided she wanted to give Raven her second present. The weather had been horrible on her birthday and she refused to take her out in it. The child had been anxiously waiting all day and she was excited to give Raven what she had wanted for so long.

Victoria hoisted the girl on her back and began her journey from their small house to her destination. A smile tugged at her lips as Raven laughed hysterically. The speed at which she ran made her stomach feel ticklish.

That smile dropped as her mind began running rampant.

The past few months, she had been thinking about the future.

Her little human was growing too quickly and soon she would not be small anymore. Raven had gone from only reaching her waist, to nearly reaching her chin and she was only ten years old. Not to mention, she was intelligent beyond her years.

Victoria knew she had done well for the past three years. She only fed Raven the best human food, foregoing processed junk. She tutored Raven extensively in all subjects, even though she had to disguise herself to go into stores and buy books. She kept her clean and bought her toys to keep her happy. She gave Raven the affection she needed after the horrible childhood she endured.

Raven was a healthy, happy child that would soon morph into an adult in the blink of an eye. The years were passing too quickly. Soon Raven would want to go into the world on her own. The dangers out there were vast and unseen.

However, Victoria knew that she was already in danger and there was not much she could do about it. If she wanted Raven to see a long life, with or without her, she had to do something.

The once deadly vampire was worried.

Victoria would forever be grateful to James for what he had done. His actions allowed her to have Raven in her life and to take care of her. He had given up a lot so that Victoria could give Raven a semi stable existence. Their nomadic ways had slowed down by far.

In spite of this, Raven was still his singer.

If she knew him at all, she knew that James could forgo a hunt for a long time, but he would never leave his prey alone.

Victoria could see the hunger in his eyes around Raven. She could hear the way he inhaled her human's scent reverently. Most of all, she felt and saw the fear in Raven's entire being when she was around him.

Victoria had saved Raven, for a time.

She had also, inadvertently, brought her closer to the man who wanted to kill her more than he wanted anything else. It was only a matter of time before he struck.

The situation was even further complicated by their relationship

At one time, Victoria had believed they were true mates. They hunted to together, killed together, made love together. They held so much history and buried deep down inside her, she still had love for him somewhere. Despite this, looking at him made her want to rip him to shreds.

Sadly, she could not stop acting as if she loved him. She couldn't stop talking to him or having sex with him. James would be able to tell if she began acting differently and figure out that she wanted to escape.

Victoria had to choose between James, the man she had known and loved for over a century, and Raven, the little girl who brought her true happiness and joy without ever trying.

If she was honest, there was no decision to make.

Though Victoria had become more tame over the past three years, she was still a protective, possessive predator when it came to Raven. In her feral mind, James wanted what was her's. He wanted to drain the life from her beautiful eyes and turn her cold.

The beast inside Victoria rattled in it's cage to kill him. Every fiber in her being raged against the thought of Raven coming to harm. She had made a vow to the young girl that harm would never come to her again and she would not break that vow if her life depended on it.

Victoria knew what she had to do, but it would not be easy.


The smell of the ocean reached Raven's nose before she saw it. Although, she did not recognize the fragrance.

The moment they burst through the trees, Victoria stopped and allowed her to hop down. Raven stepped forward slowly, taking in the majesty of what lie before her. She had always wanted to see the ocean.

The sun reflected against the sloshing, light blue water. Small waves crashed gently against the white sand. The water went on for as far as the eye could see. The beauty was otherworldly.

"This is the ocean," she muttered, unable to take her eyes away. It was beyond her imagination.

Victoria smiled softly. "Yes, this is the Atlantic Ocean. Do you want to get in?"

Before Victoria could offer her hand for support, Raven clumsily took off across the white sand. She watched with warmth in her cold heart that she had only ever felt for Raven. With a smile that nearly split her face, she followed.

The water glistened and sparkled as Victoria carefully taught Raven how to swim. At first, she didn't understand the physics of it, but soon she was swimming like a natural. Victoria watched her carefully, looking out for sharks and other threats in the water.

Eventually, Raven became tired, but did not wish to leave the ocean. Victoria held the girl in her arms and allowed her to float on top of the water. The sun shone on her deep, caramel skin, causing it to glisten and glimmer in the sun.

Victoria's pale skin looked like diamonds, making Raven stare in awe. It never failed to amaze her how shiny she was. She was certain her vampire was the most beautiful. Victoria rolled her eyes and allowed Raven to try to "pick a diamond off of her".

"I wish we could stay here forever. Just you and me, floating across the ocean," Raven chuckled, smoothing down Victoria's wet mane of hair.

Raven's words made her think. She understood what wasn't being said.

No James.

"What do you think about a little vacation? Me and you can go somewhere sunny and warm. You can have as much lactose free ice cream as you want and we can spend more time together doing things like this," Victoria asked carefully with a furrowed brow. It was hard not to simply take her away at that moment.

"Can uncle come with us? I want him to finish teaching me French."

Victoria laughed. "Of course. Uncle Laurent is welcome to join us."

Raven suddenly stood up in the water and threw her arms around her. Victoria welcomed the hug, but wondered what was on the girl's mind.

"Thank you for taking care of me and giving me presents and showing me the ocean," she muttered, with all of the grace of a ten year old. Her cheeks blushed with embarrassment.

"I wouldn't be happy doing anything else, little bird."

Victoria pinched her cheeks, causing Raven to run away from her. She chased after her and picked her up. She spun her around, making her giggle uncontrollably.

It was times like these when Victoria could forget about everything.

For a time, at least.


The sound of a door slamming woke Raven from a deep slumber. She sat up in the bed, looking around at the dark room groggily. Her heart thumped loudly as the sound of hard footsteps reached her ears.

"Vic," Raven called sleepily.

When there was no response, she slowly climbed out of her bed. Her stomach tightened as she struggled to find her slippers. The darkness had always scared her since she was locked in that room in her parent's house.

Raven slightly opened her door and peeked through the crack. She squinted, unable to see anything but shadowy outlines. In the kitchen, she could just make out the outline of a person.

"Vic, will you come lay with me? I'm scared," Raven said in a shaky voice.

The shadow moved too quickly for her to see, and suddenly it was towering over her. Raven backed away clumsily, falling on her bottom. She instantly regretted getting out of bed.

"Vic isn't here, little morsel. She's out killing humans as she should be. How does that make you feel," James sneered, looking down at her with disgust.

Raven remained silent, unable to speak due to her all encompassing fear. She was shaking like a leaf under his ice cold glare. She called her vampire's name like a mantra in her mind, hoping she would appear.

"I see, you only talk to Victoria and Laurent. Am I not good enough for you?"

"Y-you are good enough," she stuttered, trying to placate him.

James smirked and leaned forward to inhale her scent. Raven closed her eyes tightly, so sure that he would bite her.

"I hate what you did to her. You made her save you. That's why she stole you from me," James muttered to himself. He gulped back venom hard, feeling his control slipping.

"She took something from me, but I'll take even more from her."

Raven gave him a pleading look and whimpered as a growl reached her ears. She felt like this was the end. She would never get to grow bigger. She would never get to see her vampire again. Her eyes watered uncontrollably at the thought.

Just as James reached out to grab her roughly, his hands hit a barrier. He growled in confusion. He couldn't see anything, but there was something around the girl keeping him from grabbing her. He was certain his plan had worked until now.

The sound of feet descending upon the small shack made him grind his teeth. There was no time to get away. He hadn't been quick enough and now he would have to go back to square one. He quickly closed the child's door and sat down on the couch.

Victoria burst through the door with Laurent right behind her. Livid was not a strong enough word for what she was feeling.

James had basically forced her to go hunt with them. As soon as Laurent and herself were thoroughly enjoying their meals, he had slipped away from them. She knew for a fact that he was up to something. She could hear Raven's heart beating extremely fast.

"You look cozy," Victoria sneered at him, eyes narrowed into slits. She stared him down as if he were prey.

"What's with the third degree," James said innocently. Laurent looked at him suspiciously.

"Don't give me that shit. Why'd you leave so quickly?"

"What are you trying to say, Tori," James asked in a deadly calm voice. His eyes were pitch black even though he had just fed.

She stared him down, before giving up on confronting him. Instead, she decided to check on Raven. She could still hear her heart beating rapidly.

When Victoria entered her room, she was sitting on her bed with her arms wrapped around her knees. Tears were running down her face profusely and the sight physically pained her.

Within seconds, Victoria had Raven in her arms. The little one buried her face in her vampire's neck and cried. She was relieved to have her back and never wanted to be away from her again.

Bad things happened when she wasn't there.

"What's happened, Ray? You can tell me," Victoria said in a calm voice as to not alarm her.

Raven did not say a word. Instead, she simply clung to her even tighter.

This did not sit well with her at all. Usually, she was quick to talk to Victoria. She gritted her teeth as the desire to light James on fire burned inside her. She could feel it in her bones that he was the cause for this. He would pay.

"That's alright, love. You don't have to talk about it right now. Everything is going to be just fine. I promise," Victoria soothed her as the girl sobbed quietly into her neck.

In that moment, she decided that there was no time for procrastinating any longer. James was becoming more bold. Her Raven was in alot of trouble.

The time had come to run.