Chapter One:
Kathryn and I were walking down the street, chatting and giggling like we usually did. I was finally sixteen, and the two of us were going to throw a huge bash at Kathryn's. We had planned this for months. Since school had let out a month ago, we'd had plenty of time to get everything ready. Nearly every decent junk food known to man will be making an appearance; from cheese doodles to chocolate pretzels to syrupy Pepsi and old-fashioned Coke—yay! Kathryn and I had gone dress shopping recently, the last item on our party to-do list; we wanted to look nice for the entire (junior/senior) classes that were invited. Kathryn's parents had even been cool enough to hire a DJ for us. I absolutely couldn't wait.
"So Serenity," Kathryn said, "What did your 'parents' get you?" She put air-quotes around 'parents.' We both hated my foster dad—the **—but my foster mom Jennifer could be pretty cool.
"Well," I replied, "Jennifer got me a new iPod. You know, cause mine broke?"
She laughed. "Yeah, 'broke'." More air-quotes. "Define 'broke.'"
I glared for a sec before I continued. " Broke, was dropped into a bucket of water, whatever. The point is, she got me a Touch! Can you believe it?" We paused our walking for a moment to squeal like the girls we were, which I would be so grateful for later. But for the moment, I was happy. At least, I was until we started walking again.
I felt the waves of power and darkness a second before I saw the source. Even if I hadn't noticed the aura the man produced, I would never have missed the Mark. The sapphire blue crescent moon was situated in the exact center of his forehead. Intricate knots of blue ink creeped along the area around his Mark and eyes, forming a sinister yet oddly beautiful work of art.
He wasn't a man after all… he was a vampyre. And not just any vampyre. He was a Tracker.
The vampyre pointed a single, pale finger at me. The traditional words that fell from his lips would change my life.
"Serenity Carson! Night has chosen thee; thy death will be thy birth. Night calls to thee; hearken to Her sweet voice. Your destiny awaits you at the House of Night!"
Fire erupted in my head followed by the burning pain that concentrated on my forehead. I vaguely remembered hearing Kathryn's blood-curdling scream. The concrete rush up to meet me. Then the whole world went black.