Stacey Skylark knew the laws of the Night World. For the 16 years of her life as a vampire, she had abided by these laws and intended to keep them. She was lamia, she had been born a vampire. A vampire that would age until she chose to stop. Her family were all vampires too, and a family that didn't like contact with humans. To the Skylarks, humans were vermin, a way of feeding and that was all.

Meeting Ray Flinch may have been the worse thing to ever happen to Stacey. He was a human. Funny, cute, sweet and everything Stacey loved. She could still see his lopsided smile in her head, even after desperatly trying to block it out. Ray was 19 and seemed to be as intrigued by Stacey as she was about him.
"Iv always had a thing for blondes," He would tease, his dark eyes made Stacey feel like she was falling. It had been a mistake. All of it.

A year later, Stacey realized she had broken the law. She was in love with Ray. Her parents and elder brother knew nothing of him and She didn't intend on telling them. They were very aware of the law and would disown Stacey if they found out, kill her even, for their own reputation.

One person she had confinded in however was her cousin, Robbie Skylark. He was more of a brother to her that her real brother Connor. He played the protective role that Connor didn't and took it apon himself to check out This Ray that his cousin had fallen for. Robbie was more of a best friend to her than family and he wasn't so proud as her parents and Connor.

"Do you think I should tell Joey?" Stacey had asked him and Robbie hadn't known the answer.
"If you think he can take it," He said simply and Stacey knew that she would have to break another rule and tell him about the Night World.

That was where it all went wrong. Ray didn't take the news well. He didn't belive it for a moment but when she proved it, it only scared him more. He began to throw things at her, telling her to stay away. Ray Flinch was not the person she thought he was. After he threatened to expose them, to tell the police about the Night World, Stacey knew she had to tell someone. And so Robbie encouraged her to tell her parents. He said that whatever happened, he would stay with her. And that's what he did.

Staceys parents called her a disgrace. A criminal, being punished for falling in love. Connor went out on their orders and caught up with Ray, before he could get to the others and expose them. And then, he killed him.

It felt like Staceys heart had been shattered into a million pieces. No matter how much Ray had hurt her, she loved him and now he was gone. But now it wasn't just Ray who needed to be dealt with and Connor was prepared to kill his own sister to keep up his own reputation.

So Robbie talked his cousin into going on the run with him. He knew that Stacey wouldn't stand much chance if she stayed. She was still broken and hurt and felt like there was no point in life, but Robbie wouldn't give up on her.

And that's where she was now. In hiding from her brother and parents with Robbie. She was now 18 and after moving around for a while, the cousins had decided to go and find the most remote area possible. It was a place that was too small to be significant and so far, Stacey hadn't come across any other Night people. This was the plan to stay alive, isolate themselfs and go somewhere Connor would never find them.

But there was one thing Stacey had promised herself. She would never fall in love again. All it brought was pain and she wouldn't let herself get close to anyone. For a while she had been trying to block Ray out of her memory. But she knew he would never be completly forgotten. She had loved him, and he had betrayed her. And now he was dead. She could only depend on herself and Robbie. No one else mattered.

Stacey was laid out across the old sofa, one hand supporting her head and the other gently stroking the head of the tiny grey kitten that was curled up beside her. The kitten looked up at her with her tiny yellow eyes and let out a quiet meow before standing up and streching out her paws in front of her.

"Whats wrong Tilly?" Stacey asked as she watched her, sitting up a little as she brushed her hand over her silky coat.
"Maybe she's hungry," A voice came from the next room and Stacey looked up as Robbie moved into the main room of their small flat. He gave her a weak smile as he looked back at the kitten, before shaking his head a little as leaning back against the wall.

"Maybe," Stacey said as she relunctantly got up and lifted the petite creature into her arms and putting her down beside the bowl. Quickly, she put some dry food into the bowl and Tilly rubbed her head against her leg before moving to the food.

Stacey stood up straight and grinned a little as she looked over at Robbie. "For someone who doesn't like cats, you seem to know what Tilly wants," She said with a slight shrug, "Its like you two have some kind of connection," Stacey smirked.

"Me and that furball? I don't this so S," Robbie said with an eyeroll as he folded his arms in front of him and grinned a little. Stacey simply shook her head as she watched him before letting out a quiet sigh. She was in a better mood today than she had been in ages and Robbie was glad. He was beginning to get worried that she would never be the same after Ray. Her mode of depression and sadness had dragged on for so long, but slowly Stacey was getting over it. She still had an edge of coldness though, something that wasn't there before.

"Maybe you should go out for a bit Stace?" Robbie said as he looked back at her, "You can't just stay moping around here all day." Stacey glanced around the small cabin in which they stayed and shrugged her shoulders a little. She didn't really feel like going out just yet, but she didn't want Robbie on her case either.

"Okay," Reluctantly, Stacey moved to the door and headed out into the fresh air, feeling the wind against her face. As she moved forward through the deserted place, she began to walk across the main town which was quiet a while away. It was a long walk, but she was used to it. Being out in the desterted countryside had it's down, mostly that there was nothing to do.

Stacey glanced down at her thin wrist and examined the tattoo she had gotten when she was first born. It was also a mark that she was a Skylark. They all had the same tattoo on their left wrists; a black Iris, the Iris signalling she was Lamia. This is another thing she didn't like, a connection to the family who considered her a disgrace and would rather she was dead.