Note: I want to give a thank all who had reviewed (-cough b-in-b-), but also those who read and are just too lazy/unmodivated to review. You make my sun come in the morning, you do. -big grin- Please don't flame my poor attempts to have Daniel speak in an English dialect. I'm an American and got everything from a guide found in a google search written by a young Englishman with no life. And watching Zero Punctuation videos.

Chapter 2 – The Icy Eyes

I hummed cheerily while taking a brush from my night stand. A smile came to my lips as I looked at myself in the mirror in my room. I was pleased with what I saw today; though I was sure I looked the same as always even if I was dressed in an elegant white nightgown. I pulled all of my hair over my left shoulder and let it fall over my chest and began to run the brush gently through the unique colored strands. Oddly overjoyed, I turned my head and fully exposed the right side of my neck, but in the corner of my sapphire eyes, I spotted a male form that was not in the mirror's reflection and should have been. I gasped and dropped the brush and before it could hit the ground the man behind me with no reflection pulled on my body by my arms into his. His skin was pale, and fair shimmering locks curled only around his eyes. These eyes, that stared directly into mine, were the lightest shade of blue but the most intense eyes I had ever been locked with. I had no time to react, in fear, in panic, before those eyes rolled up into their sockets and a venomous hissing came from his opening mouth, the most grotesque pair of fangs finding way to my neck...

I jumped awake in a cold sweat. My chest heaved as I breathed shallow breaths of air into my quivering body. I sat in the darkness of my room, the moonlight outside of my window making silhouettes of everything inside. There was no pair of ice-blue eyes in the shadows, there was nothing but me and my developing insanity.

I kicked the covers off my body without glancing at the clock in my bedroom; I knew it was too early. I ignored the mirror as well and tramped to the bathroom where I desperately chugged down a glass of water with a thirst as if I hadn't drank in days. I paused after this, watching my chest rise and fall rapidly in my bathroom reflection. I studied myself; the bags under my eyes and how they were almost bloodshot with the impact of my dream, the way my hair clung loosely in it's tie with little strands sticking to the tiny sweat droplets running down my cheeks, and then my skin was pale but slowly regained color the more I calmed. I craned my neck to look on both sides; no marks, punctures, wounds.

With a stressful sigh I set my head on the counter and closed my eyes. I had to be overreacting. All I had done was come in contact with a vampire. People did that all the time, right? Wrong, the other side of my mind said to me. It told that by crossing the border humans should not cross and coming face to face with a real-deal vamp, I had ruined everything. All of the researching and trying to find my mother's killer and about the Lockett curse. Vampires knew who I was now, they knew my true name and that I knew about their existence just by the thoughts in my head!

And for all I knew, I had looked right into the face of my mother's killer!

But wait, I reasoned with myself. Coming in contact with a vampire and not getting killed, isn't that what we've searched for all along, a vampire in the city? This is a true break in the mystery. It might have just been luck or the impossible idea of fate could have drawn me to that single vampire. I didn't have a name for him, but he did seem familiar now that my thoughts were settled enough to think straight. There had to be others, there had to be a coven within the city right under the publics nose!

Quickly I ran from the bathroom into the living room and looked through piles of scattered papers until I found something to write on. I began recording everything I could recall and all of my suspicions in a worn out notebook with several other notes I had taken; possible places for them to live, where they might be involved with society... I pulled out a large map of the city and drew a circle on the address of the mansion in red ink.

"One step closer to all of my answers, I'm sure." I muttered to myself with a grin. Perhaps I could go back there and ask a few questions...You'd be asking for suicide, my mind told me. The sound of a ticking clock came to my ears as I shoved all of the papers into a messy pile on my coffee table. I wasn't the most organized person, especially (when glancing at the clock) 5:37 in the morning. Good thing it was my day off today and I could catch up on sleep, but I still had a party I had to show up for...

Without another scare from the dream that included icy blue eyes, I fell over on the couch and was asleep before another thought could race through my head.

Perhaps too soon, I awoke to a loud knocking coming from my front door. Startled by the noise, I rolled off of the couch and hit my head on the floor. Groaning, I sat up and slowly remembered why I was on the couch to begin with, all while that repetitive knocking kept emitting from the door. "Come on, Ally! Open up," a very cute and familiar voice called out.

Thinking there was something wrong or this must be high priority importance, I went to the door without trying to hide all of my suspicious vampire research spread out all over my living area. "What's wrong, Lucy?" I asked very groggy-like, opening the door and wiping sleep from my eyes all at once. When I focused them on her, she had a huge platinum grin spread across her face as she walked inside.

Lucy or Daniel had never been inside my apartment before. Part of that entire trying-to-keep-personal-life-a-secret-from-everyone-else issue I had. Her coming here was not something I needed right now. "Nothing, silly. I came to help you pick out something nice to wear for your party tonight. And by "nice," I mean sexy." she explained. I noticed the suitcase she was carting around, probably full of clothes for her to dress me up in.

"Why didn't you call and let me know you were coming? My place is a mess." I said, quickly showing her to the kitchen. Motioning for her to stay, I jumped over to the living room and stacked away every book, paper and notebook with vampires as subjects. Honestly I could care less if she saw my messy home; but she couldn't see all of this private information no one should be sticking their nose in, including me.

"I did call. Ten times before I decided to just come over. I see now you were asleep, sorry to wake you." she replied innocently from the kitchen.

I cursed myself mentally; the cell phone was in my bedroom, where I wasn't asleep in. I shoved the last bit of paper behind my couch when she walked into the room. "No, no. It's fine. Sorry you have to see this mess..." My tone didn't match my words.

"God, Ally. Mess is an understatement!" Lucy exclaimed, setting her suitcase down on my coffee table as she looked around my tiny home and the endless piles of papers and trash laying everywhere. "You get three times as much yearly as I do and you live in an apartment three times wise than mine? I don't think you understand how numbers add up there." I blushed at the comparison, but quickly pointed at her suitcase before she could pry.

"What do you have for me?" I asked insistingly. A tone I did not usually have when Lucy knew I wasn't up for something. Normally when she wanted to come over or take me shopping or dress me up I was trying to avoid the event at all costs. Her eyebrow raised as she opened the case.

"Just a few things I know you'll hate because they'll show off your great body..."

"Great. You get them out, I'll try them on, and then you'll leave. I'm sure you have more important things to do than to be in my messy apartment..." I began walking around the table, acting strangely while Lucy pulled out clothes and looked at me.

"Hey..." she stood up and took hold on my arms. Instantly I stopped moving and speaking, and felt a little odd. "Is everything alright?" she asked straight-forward.

I looked up at her face with my deep blue eyes through my hair. I wanted so much to tell her what was going on, to let anyone know everything so they could help. Talking always made one feel better, they always said, but what could I say? "No, I'm not fine. I'm a runaway heir with an obsession of vampires because they're the only lead I have in the solving of my family curse, which my husband will most likely die from when I get around to finding one and popping out a baby. Did I forget to mention I came face to face with a vampire just yesterday?"

"Yes, I'm fine." I told her simply and broke away from her grasp. "Honestly. I'm fine. It's just really early and I'm so grateful that you and Daniel put this party together for me. Really; it'll be the first time I've celebrated my birthday in two years. I'm excited and I'm going to let you and him do whatever you want, even if that means dressing me in some slutty outfit." All the words I said were true, but it was shocking to actually say them aloud.

Whatever I said must have pleased her, because her platinum grin returned and she began throwing an assortment of clothing at me. "Okay then, try this dress on!"

Nine o'clock came faster than I anticipated. All day I'd been trying to push the events of yesterday to the back of my head so I could enjoy one night, but that was easier said than done.

I arrived in front of the club in a cab, save myself from walking around town in the outfit Lucy managed to get me to wear. Don't get me wrong, I never complained (much) when I got to dress up for special events like tonight. But if parties were all about looking gorgeous and outshining every other lady in the house, Lucy had made me the goddess of all parties. Surprisingly I secretly loved the outfit; it was a simple sapphire blue dress that match my eyes and hugged all of my curves comfortably, was short enough to show off my legs but not too short for anyone to mistake me as a corner hoe; the top was very low cut and clung to my breasts, but there were silky straps that held the dress onto my shoulders. In regular jeans-and-tee without beauty products, I had a pretty face. But with the facial products, make-up and the classy dress; let's just say, when I looked in the mirror, I was a different person altogether.

Or Daniel's reaction once he saw me when I walked into the club, "Blimey Ally! You're bloody drop-dead gorgeous! If you weren't my friend I'd be going home with you tonight and we'd shag." he stated bluntly, followed by a smack in the head on Lucy's part. The blonde walked away to continue greeting the crowds arriving, which I was nervous about because I recognized over half of the faces. I hadn't realized I knew so many people before they were all gathered in one place.

"Most of the crowd is from the agency. Models, make-up artists and fellow photographers. Then maybe some people Lucy and I know and you don't. But they're applicable." Daniel told me, running his fingers through the curls in his hair.

I hardly looked at him, I was suddenly very overwhelmed with the amount of people here all excepting something from me. I suppose I shouldn't have been skiddish, considering if I'd been on the throne I was supposed to be on at the moment, this overwhelming feeling would be a daily routine for me. "Everyone is so pretty..." I said absentmindedly, looking around at the amount of models, both female and male, that were gathered over the area; clusters of people were drinking, dancing or just standing around talking.

Lucy returned as I stared in admiration at everyone else. "Oh Ally, stop being so modest. Enjoy yourself tonight! Danny, get her to the bar so she'll loosen up." she ordered.

I let myself be swept away by Daniel over to the bar. "One scotch for the birthday lass, and something strong for me." he ordered, slapping his palm on the marble counter top. I rolled my eyes.

"You know that alcohol goes right through me." He ignored me and handed me the drink, made a quick toast to many years to come, than chugged the drink. I sipped mine a little more gracefully; didn't want to get anything on the dress. "Fine. Ignore me all you want, but this isn't just my night. Lucy will need a little supervision, maybe from someone like a friend...making sure she doesn't go home with the wrong kind of guy. Catch my drift?"

He choked on his drink. "Any perverted bloody wanker touches her-" I set my hand over his mouth, raising a brow to his profanity.

"Go sweep her off her feet. I promise I'll get crazy drunk and enjoy myself while you both aren't looking."My smile was sincere and he seemed to be pleased with me, because he marched off with a certain confidence he hadn't had earlier. Again, I rolled my eyes, but began to survey the crowd again. If I was going to enjoy myself, had to find someone I could start a conversation with...

I glanced over a certain area several times because I kept seeing something that was out of place. Every person seemed to be dancing about, chatting and being merry in movement, but my sight had caught somebody who was standing perfectly statuette. Leaned over a rail that overlooked the dance floor was a man with ice blue eyes. For just a moment our eyes met and my heart skipped a beat, but once I blinked, the man was gone. I wasn't quite sure then if my mind was playing tricks on me or if I had really saw what I did.

I closed my eyes and centered my thoughts just as I had been trying all day long. You are freaked out from yesterday's encounter. Relax and enjoy your party. It was amazing what mind over matter could do for a person, because after I opened my eyes, I suddenly saw the room in a whole new light. The overwhelmed feeling washed away and a more social side came out of me.

Somehow I managed to strike a few good conversations with a few models I had photographed more than once, including Felicia and her date from just yesterday at the agency. Throughout the jumping of conversations, I swear I kept seeing one distinct color: Icy Blue. A couple times they had been somebody's shirt, but the image of the eyes is what I could not scratch from my mind, no matter how much mental punishment I gave myself. Slowly but surely, I was driving myself up a wall.

"You look radiant tonight."

I turned around instantly, looking up at who had tapped me on the shoulder and sent a flattering compliment a little more appealing than 'Damn you're hot!' I almost sighed in relief when it was only the model Felicia and her date. "A friend of mine, who's a male model, wanted me to ask if you'd be interested in doing a shoot with he and Calvin Klein's newest bunch of girls next week."

I tried to relax my stature, but failed as I put a nervous hand on my neck and looked at her. "And who would this friend be?" Who in their right mind would want to discuss business at a birthday party?

"That would be me." A mesmeric voice from behind me was enough to send a shiver up my spine, but when a strong and rather cold hand touched my own hand on my neck, I nearly fell over in shock. Quickly the hand took hold of mine and spun me around so I could face the captivator.

Icy blue in his eyes was the only color I could see in that moment, and in the next my voice failed me in my thought to scream.

"Happy birthday, Allison."