Violet's mother had dragged her throughout their dimly lighted home as quietly as possible. The journey throughout the home, which usually would have taken a short amount of time, felt as though the two were travelling across the universe. Violet was frightened and out of breath as her mother's firm grip on her arm led the way as quickly and quietly as humanly possible.

When the two finally reached the outside grounds of the large estate, Lady Windsor began to pick up her pace. Violet thought that her mother was running about as fast as one of Lord Windsor's large dogs. The mother was moving far too quickly for the daughter to keep up, and when Lady Windsor realized this she did the unthinkable. She stopped, bent over her daughter and picked her up off of the ground.

Violet did not have time to protest or yelp with surprise, as her mother began to run once again towards the gates as fast as she could… which seemed faster than humanly possible. She hardly even seemed out of breathe. The only thing that signalled that the woman was even exhausting herself was the beads of sweat forming on her head in the warm summer night.

When they finally reached the gates, Violet could see a beautiful horse drawn carriage awaiting their arrival. She could see a dark-skinned man sitting atop the carriage, holding onto the reins of the horses and looking nervously at her. When her mother finally placed her down atop the ground again, Violet was very dizzy and grabbed onto her mother's sleeve like a young child would. Violet saw the door of the carriage open quickly, and then, faster than her eyes could see a man stepped out and was suddenly standing at the gate in front of them.

"Vivian," He smiled at Violet's mother lovingly. The man was as white as dove and seemed to glow in the moonlight. Violet was hesitant to go near him as he held his hands out in welcome, but her mother quickly opened the gate and ran into the man's arms as though they were long lost lovers.

As the two embraced, Violet stood back and was more confused than ever. She saw as the man looked over her mother's shoulder and smiled warmly at herself.

"Is this the young one?" The man spoke. Vivian was about to speak, and opened her mouth to introduce her daughter when the man lifted up a hand in protest. "Introductions later, there is only so much time."

"Yes," Vivian said, reaching a hand out to her daughter. Violet grabbed her mother's hand and walked forward.

"Now, you must invite me in so I can go fetch your belongings." He smiled, a sly smile that Violet felt she could not trust. And as most children do, she looked to her mother to see her reaction. Vivian was smiling at the man with… pride.

"Please sir, do come in." Vivian smiled at the man, gesturing for him to enter the gates. And he did so. He seemed to turn into vapour as he ran; he was even faster than Vivian had been whilst she was running earlier. Violet gasped in shock.

"Mother?" She said quickly, looking for answers.

"Get in the carriage." Vivian said, sweeping her daughter into the inside of the velvety carriage before entering it herself and sitting down beside Violet, who looked up at her mother searching for answers. The girl did not understand what was going on and her mother was not giving her any comforting and motherly reassurance.

Suddenly, there was a loud noise and the carriage shook, throwing Violet forward onto her mother and subsequently let out an ear piercing scream as the carriage door flew open and suddenly her mother's friend was in his carriage sitting beside Vivian.

"Young girl, did I frighten you?" The man smiled, and knocked on the carriage wall to signal for his driver to begin movement. As the carriage began to move, Violet sat on the floor starring up at the man with her mouth hanging open. She was unable to speak.

He turned to Vivian, "I thought you said she could talk?"

"Of course she can talk, she's almost a woman." Vivian laughed, smiling down at her daughter. "Get up Violet, introduce yourself to Tobias."

Violet, who was extremely frightened and confused, finally remembered herself. She had been raised to always keep her composure and manners were always used. The girl composed herself, well… as much as a girl who was in her nightgown could compose herself, and sat back up on the seat she had inhabited earlier.

"Sir, I am Lady Violet Howard. Pleasure to meet you." Violet said, as she lay out her hand for him to take.

"You can call me Tobias, young Lady Violet Howard." Tobias said in a very informal introduction of himself, whilst taking Violet's hand and kissing it very gently and then gasping. "She smells delightful."

"Tobias," Vivian's eyes grew wide at her lover.

"Calm yourself, woman." Tobias growled, almost animal like, and then spoke again. "I will not touch her… yet. I prefer my… wine… to mature a little." He laughed to himself and Vivian still wore a worried look. Violet, had thought it best to just sit back and keep her mouth closed as she observed the two. She hardly understood why he was laughing about his wine, she also liked her wine to be a little older.

"Speaking of wine," Tobias smiled slyly and best down to reach Vivian's neck and kissed it in a loving fashion. "I'm a little thirsty."

Though Vivian was smiling as though she was enjoying the attention, she said: "Not in front of Violet, at least not until we explain to her…" But Tobias had not stopped caressing Vivian's neck and Violet sat horrified.

"You are aware that she is married, aren't you?" Violet said, though she did not like her stepfather she still thought it inappropriate for her mother to be enjoying the attentions of another man.

Tobias let out a cruel laugh, and finally stopped groping Vivian. "You are feisty."

Violet just stared into the man's eyes and finally took in his appearance as he leaned forward to look at her. His eyes were rimmed with pink, as though he had not slept in days. His hair was slicked back in an unfashionable manor. He was very handsome and very white. But, the most unique thing of all about this man, Tobias, was that when he suddenly flashed his smile two fangs appeared within the flash of a few seconds, causing Violet's eye to widen in fear.

"What are you?" She gasped, and suddenly Tobias' hands were on her throat and she was pressed against the wall. Violet could hear her mother protesting in the background, but Vivian had not attempted to get Tobias off of her daughter.

"I am vampire." Tobias growled into Violet's ear, as the girl whimpered in fear. "The better question is… what are you?" Tobias said looking into Violet's eyes, that seemed to be popping out of her beautiful face. Her eyes were the color of her name, violet.

"Did you name the child for her eyes?" Tobias asked Vivian, who shook her head frantically in fear.

"No," she began. "Her father's eyes were that color. She was born with grey eyes, and one morning when she was just an infant, I saw that they had changed. It is just irony." Vivian said, looking fearful and confused at the investigation Tobias was conducting.

"That husband of yours, he did not have those eyes when I killed him." Tobias said, as though killing was as common amongst the noble as drinking.

"He is not her father. He is my second husband." Vivian said, her voice now shaking.

Violet, whose eyes were now filled with tears of fear, would have cried out if Tobias had not been squishing her airway. Her head was spinning, she did not understand what he meant by vampire. She had not heard the stories, and did not know the word. She was as oblivious to the situation as she had been before he had stated what he was.

"And the first husband, what happened to him?" Tobias said, finally unhanding the young girl. He sat back down beside Vivian, taking her hand and crossing one leg over the other.

"Killed in battle." Said Vivian, looking down at her hand intertwined with Tobias'.

"That makes you a widow twice over," Tobias spoke sullenly and his fangs retracted. "I broke your second husband's neck. I could not feed from him, he was ill."

"Ill?" Vivian asked.

"Plague. I suspect that it is returning to London." He said, undoing a button on his coat. "Be thankful I am taking you away from here."

"Where are we going?" Violet asked, finally speaking again. Her voice sounded dead, as if something had snapped inside of her, making her suddenly cold and accepting of her fate with her mother and this monster.

"Ah, you speak again." The monster noted, "We are going to a nest. There will be other vampires. I will protect you." At this, he gave a sick look at Violet, who looked more frightened.

"What are vampires?" Violet asked, looking directly into Tobias' cold black eyes, who smiled at the girl who he already thought very ignorant.

"You have never heard of them?" He said, smiling down at Violet.

"Never,"

"Your mother had." He said curiously, but then went on. "Vampires feed on humans. We are immortal."

"I do not believe in witches or trickery, sir." Violet said, rather rudely.

"I did not say witches. Nor is this trickery." Tobias said, once again flashing his white fangs at Violet, who shuddered. "I could prove it if you wish?"

"How so?" Violet asked, thinking surely that this man was mad, and her mother had made a huge mistake.

Tobias did not speak again. Instead, he leaned over to Vivian who craned her neck allowing her lover to gently kiss it again, when his fangs made an appearance and then sunk into the woman's skin. As blood trickled down Tobias' face, Violet was nearly sick all over the carriage… but settled for fainting.

I know it's kind of short and took a while to upload, but I was away from the computer for a few days, and then I was having some block. Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing. Please review!