Hi and Happy New Year everyone!!

I begin this new year with a new chapter. I'm sorry this one is a bit darker, but there are answers to some of your questions. I really hope that you'll like it. Please share with me all your thoughts about this chapter, I love to read them! :)

I wish you all the best things for 2010!
Thank you again for reading my story!

Rated R- and betaed by the two great Ancholia and Moonjat!

The Past in Blood

The clouds surrounded the airplane, the horizon making a dark line in the west, stars shining above them. His eyes couldn't see the beauty of the world around him. His mind was locked on the sad image that had now followed him since he'd left his apartment. The salty smell of her tears, her eyes staring at her hands, his necklace tight around her fingers. He could feel how much she wanted him to stay. So don't leave me. Her words broke his heart. The only thing he wanted was to stay with her, feel her scent around him, her skin against his, her laugh in his ear, and see her beautiful smile. The only thing he could remember now was her face distorded by sadness and he was the reason for it. He squeezed his own fist, blood drops filling his hand. He had had no other choice than turn around and leave her alone on the roof where he had once showed her that he wanted her in his life. He was reassured when he met Du Plessis in the stairs. He didn't talk to him, nor looked at him. He just couldn't, Beth's cries in his ears. He left the apartment as fast as possible and was relieved to see the elevator waiting for him. He didn't face the door when it closed behind him, leaving the memories of his life with Beth. His eyes closed, he could hear her broken voice saying to Du Plessis, he left. He felt his own heart fell apart as slowly as the door of the elevator opened in a terrible agony. He turned around and faced the street where Josef's limo was waiting for him. He stopped a second, breathing the air. It didn't help him because he could only smell her. He walked outside and growled as deep and loud he could, hoping that his pain would leave his body for good. But it didn't.

He'd stepped in the limo and Josef looked at him, saying nothing. There was nothing to say. Both of them knew they were responsible for what was happening. They didn't have other choice than facing the battle.

Mick felt something move beside him. He blinked and inhaled deeply. The flight was silent. Henri, who was sitting behind him, was looking down, preparing himself to confront his own brothers. Josef just left the pilot's cabin. He stared at his friend and walked towards his own seat. Mick could feel the tension even with the cold air in the plane keeping their body in a state of rest. Three men sent by the Cleaner were laying still, their faces serene. Mick envied their calm; they were used to fighting, but this battle was too personal. Serenity was for not to be found. Mick watched his friend; Josef was nervous, he could tell. He knew what Lola had done to him and even if Josef always tried to hide his own feelings, this time Mick could see that Josef had reached a point where all his references were lost. He looked back at the horizon, that deep and endless line which reminded him of his love for Beth.

A cellphone rang. Josef answered and Mick recognized Logan's voice who told that Lola's flight had just arrived in France. A sudden tension filled Mick's body. Logan's call made it all real. He was going to fight the French bloodline. It was no longer only a thought; in a few hours they would land in this far country, the one that brought his ex-wife, his life as a vampire and now death, maybe even his own.

***

She was back in France. He couldn't stop smiling; she would soon show them Josef's head. All his dreams became true. All these years he'd waited for the perfect time to destroy the only bloodline which could be stronger than his.

Richelieu looked at his Bloodline drawned on an old parchment. All the lines connected great names of powerful vampires. Some of them were dead, others had betrayed their own family and now his own name would restore the greatness of his Bloodline. His own pride was followed by his Sire, the master of the blood which flood in all their veins. It had taken him hundreds of years to fulfill his purpose: create the purest Bloodline in the world. Richelieu was now proud to show his Sire that he was going to help him and make their Bloodline the most powerfull in the world.

The phone suddenly rang. He smiled as he answered. It was her, Lola, the only vampire insane enough to fight for another Bloodline. Lola's family had been once, a long time ago, among the strongest, but their vanity had slowly destroyed them. Her Sire had been killed, like many vampires, during the Reign of Terror. Lola had left soon enough but her Sire stayed and refused the help of Richelieu. Many vampires from that Bloodline didn't believe in the power of the Cure and thought that their blood was enough to stay alive. Lola was the last one. Her own vanity had almost cost her life, but somehow she had survived. Richelieu didn't care how; it was enough for him that she was ready to kill for him.

"Do you have him?"

The silence on the other side of the line worried him.

"Did you kill him? Is he finally dead?"

"No, not yet."

"Then why did you come back?"

Richelieu's pride suddenly melted into fear and anger. If Kostan was not dead, then there was a big chance that he knew who was behind the murders and that meant that he would take revenge.

"Our plans have changed. I came back with someone, a human. I'll bring Kostan exactly where I want him to go. Don't worry I'll destroy him."

The French vampire slowly realized that all his plans escaped him. She did what she wanted to do; it was her revenge and not longer his decision to kill him.

"Where are you going?"

"Send me Lance and your other sons. I'll need them for the other vampires with Kostan, he won't come alone."

She hung up and Richelieu was alone with the old paper in front of him. He felt like the old names were all judging him, he couldn't fail, he could not. He closed his eyes and called Lance with ultra sonic sounds. A few seconds later Lance appeared in the office.

"Is he dead?"

Richelieu didn't answer.

"Father? Is Kostan dead?"

A cold voice behind Richelieu answered.

"No, she failed but I know she won't this time."

Richelieu turned suddenly around and noticed his Sire behind his chair.

"She is taking him where his worst nightmare is waiting for him."

Richelieu hoped that his Sire's words were telling the truth, but his faith was slowly leaving him. Until now he hadn't even imagined another possibility than Kostan dead. Kostan was going to fight back and he wouldn't be alone. Richelieu looked at Lance with dark eyes.

"She is waiting for you and your brothers. Josef Kostan is following her and he's not alone."

Lance smiled.

"He's stupid enough to come with his friends."

Francois, the eldest brother, suddenly appeared in the door frame.

"Is Kostan still alive?"

Lance seemed annoyed by his brother's voice.

"Yes, we have new plans. We are going to fight him on our lands."

Francois was surprised and looked at his Sire Richelieu.

"Father, I don't think it's a good idea. We can't trust her."

"Oh for god's sake Francois, can't you just do as we tell you?"

"Lance, Kostan is a powerfull vampire and I don't think we should follow her."

Francois stared at his Sire and felt that he believed the same.

"Why did she suddenly leave L.A?"

Richelieu saw worry in his son's eyes. Francois was the opposite of Lance. Francois always followed the reason while Lance was impulsive.

"She took a hostage, a human. I think she took someone that Kostan cares about."

"Yes, he's like his stupid friend Mick St John. They respect humans while they should use them." said Lance with disgust.

"Father, we can't help her, it will be a big mistake."

The dark shadow that stood silent in a corner, listening carefully to his sons, reappeared in the light.

"You and your brothers will go exactly where she wants you to. She knows Kostan, she knows his deepest secrets and she knows how to disturb him. He'll be scared and a long way from his territory. Kostan will fail easily."

Francois said nothing. The old Sire was too powerful to be contradicted. He nodded silently and smelled Lance's excitement to his own disbelief. He could feel they were all making a big mistake and could only hope that his Sire will finally listen to reason.

***

Her breath made a cold fog in the freezer while her cheeks were covered with icy tears. She'd lain all day without rest. She pictured over again Mick turning away from her, walking towards the door, leaving her alone on the roof until she heard his growl in the air. The pain in her heart was still there, deep. She spent all the time since she'd left his apartment thinking of what she would do. Beth already knew the answer. She couldn't only stay in LA waiting for him to come back or die. She had to go and help them. Somehow she felt that the answer was in her visions, that Coraline was giving her the key to destroy the French bloodline.

She finally stood up and got dressed. Beth had made her decision and now she had to tell Du Plessis.

As she walked downstairs, she smelled his scent in the livingroom with a freshie. Her eyes instantly turned into their translucid blue color. She stopped and inhaled deeply. She had forgotten the strong sensation of hunger and human's fresh blood. All her body tensed and her senses were fixed on the human heartbeat. Beth was desperately hungry.

She opened her eyes and remembered Josef's advices. She slowly walked towards the livingroom and saw the freshie leaving the room. Du Plessis stood up and smiled.

"You're hungry my dear. Here for you."

He extended her a glass of fresh blood that she grabbed and emptied without even realizing what she was doing. Du Plessis filled the empty glass and gave it back to her. They both sat on the couch in silence.

Beth felt the warm fresh blood running through her veins, filling all the parts of her cold body. The sensation reminded her of the time she bit Mick during love making, his blood full of his feelings for her. Suddenly her whole body ached for him, she needed to hear his voice and smell his scent that always made her feel safe. Her guardian angel was now gone and she had to find him and help him.

She lifted her eyes from the glass and meet Du Plessis'. He was studying her with that look which had scared her the first time she'd met him.

"I can't stay here."

"I know Beth."

Beth looked at him surprised.

"I already knew it when we both left the apartment."

Beth finally managed to ask "How?"

"I think we both know that your visions are sending us to France."

Beth nodded. She had thought many times that maybe she wasn't supposed to leave but her strong desire to help Mick was like all those times where she just couldn't stay in the car. But suddenly Du Plessis' words made her realize that their journey could be dangerous.

"Come with me Beth."

They both stood up and went to one of his office. The room was different from the rest of the modern house. This office strangely reminded her of the room in her vision where Coraline discovered the secret document of her Bloodline.

"Please sit down my dear."

She sat in the leather armchair behind the dark old desk. Du Plessis stood beside a large chair in black wood.

"Do you remember your last vision, Beth?"

She nodded.

"Coraline discovered that night something very important in the story of our Bloodline."

Du Plessis opened a drawer with a little golden key and took an old parchment. He walked around the desk and stood beside Beth, his back against the desk. He held the paper and studied her as she looked at it.

Beth couldn't believe what she had between her hands. It was the same document as in her vision: the red lines, the old names and the blood types. She finally looked at Du Plessis who nodded.

"It's the same. Coraline gave it to me when she left France after Lady Dubois' death. But there is another one that my brother is keeping." He paused and stared at her shocked face. Beth felt like her own visions were becoming real. A strange feeling grabbed her, a mixture of fear and excitement. Du Plessis smiled.

"Do you know what this document means, Beth?"

She looked back at the old paper. Coraline and she had the same bloodtype, just like the first name on the list. Suddenly she realized that the Bloodline had stopped with Coraline's and her brothers' names. Of course Mick's name wasn't on it because she had stolen it a long time before she had even met Mick, but it also meant that the French Sire's hadn't fledged other vampires. Mick and she were two humans Coraline had turned in L.A., maybe other names were missing.

As if Du Plessis had read her thoughts he answered.

"No other humans have been turned since the Reign of Terror."

"Only Mick and me?"

"Yes, I think so because Coraline was supposed to be the last vampire to fulfill his quest."

Beth instantly pictured the cold white eyes she'd seen in her last vision.

"Why?"

Du Plessis smiled.

"Because of her bloodtype."

"I don't understand."

"Your bloodtype is very rare and my Sire, the man you saw in your vision, could only choose someone with a pure bloodtype to secure a pure and strong Bloodline."

He paused and looked at her.

"There is only one way to explain the whole plan of my Sire but I'm not sure you're ready for this Beth."

Beth was now curious and wanted to try anything to finally know the truth.

"I am ready. I want to know, I need to know."

Du Plessis studied her inner thoughts. He could feel her curiosity and realized that it was the only way to show her everything. He kneeled in front of her and took her hands in his.

"Listen carefully Beth. I am going to give you some of my blood. The sensation will be stronger than in your dreams, but you have to keep in mind that I'm staying with you. You have to remember that everything you are going to see is only my past and there are going to be like a puzzle that we will resolve after. Do you understand?"

Beth was now nervous. She hadn't even thought of drinking his blood. When she had tasted Mick's blood she hadn't got visions of his past, only the strong sensations of his feelings for her. Already in the desert she had felt a strong connection with him, but she hadn't been scared. This time she knew she was going to see things just like in her dreams and she didn't know if she was ready to face this past again.

Du Plessis felt her hesitation.

"Breath deeply."

Beth closed her eyes, inhaled slowly and concentrated on the silence around her. She smelled a strong scent of blood and her fangs extended in her mouth. She felt cold skin against her lips with the soft touch of sweet blood. She licked instantly the liquid and her mouth closed around the wounds, her tongues sucking deep mouthful of blood.

The warm liquid filled her body, followed the long trail of her veins to her heart which send it forward to her arms, legs and her brain. Suddenly a white veil covered her eyes and her heart beat faster.

Beth collapsed on the couch.

The night surrounds me… a long corridor with candles on the walls show me the way… I see a door… my hand on the doorknob… I slowly turn it... I see my twin brother with a man… his face seems burned from this inside, like a desease slowly eating his skin… He shows me a chair… I can't stop my heart beating… this man is scaring but somehow intriguing… My brother smiles… he knows something that I don't… he has a plan for us, for our noble family… the man speaks to us... he promises me eternal life… I hear his words, they are sweet promises to my ears… this might help our family, our village… I imagine all the good things I could do for my people… the man sit in silence studying my reactions… I don't know what to say… my brother looks at me… I can see he has made his decision… I finally manage to speak…

Darkness

I lay in the cold room… I open my eyes… I feel fangs in my mouth… I need blood… I stand up and walk down the corridor… I smell a human's scent… fresh blood… I walk faster and suddenly stop as I hear my Sire's voice speaking to my twin brother… the strong smell from the dead human body hides my scent… I concentrate on their voice… my Sire "you need to find the perfect blood"… my brother "how will I find it?"… "you will easily smell it then you'll turn the human for me"… "my Lord why me?"… "Look at my face my son… this skin was burned by the perfect blood of my first fledgling… my blood is rare and I can't turn a human filled with the same blood as mine… that is why you will do it for me"… someone is coming… I walk back to my room…

Darkness

The city is plunged in the dark night… my steps echo in the cold street… the air is fresh, I feel the snow is going to soon fall and recover the dirt with its white and pure coat… I wander in silence… I'm upset by something but I don't know what it is… my brother is hiding something from me… tonight should be the celebration of our turning but I'm not in the mood… it has been sixty years since that night where I chose eternal life… I look forward and I see a white figure… snow begins to fall… the woman in front of me seems to be an illusion… she turns towards me… I can smell her sweethuman scent… she's nervous… I can tell she's running away from someone… I come closer… I distinguish her face… her skin is milky, her cheeks and lips reddened by the cold air and bright blue eyes… she's beautiful… she notices me and makes a step in my direction… she speaks and her voice is a sweet song to my ears… I stand just in front of her… she has noticed that I'm a noble… her eyes show that life hasn't been easy for her… she gives me her name… Lady Dubois… and ask me something… I nod to her… we walk together in the street… beggars are sleeping and slowly disappear under a thick cover of snow…

Darkness

I sit in my armchair… Lady Dubois stands in front of me… her beautiful face is grave… she made a difficult decision… she felt I betrayed her… my fledgling is leaving me for my brother… he is becoming a powerful man just like my Sire wishes… he is the Cardinal de Richelieu… my country is under his power… my fledgling is charmed by power… I knew that when I turned her… my Sire and my brother will use her… she has her own power that will help them… I nod and watch her leave my office…

Darkness

I watch the land… the French coast is slowly disappearing as the boat is taking me far away… I hold tight the letter in my hand… Lady Dubois has written that my brother has finally found the perfect blood… he will soon turn her… Lady Dubois thinks she will do great things for our Bloodline… my Sire is thrilled… he is reaching what he wanted… I feel something dangerous is going to happen... that's why I'm leaving… the New World is hope…

Darkness

Her body was heavy, her head fuzzy. She opened her eyes and the soft light from the old lamp lightened the room. Du Plessis was sitting next to her, holding tight her hand. She noticed him in the corner of her eyes and tried to stand up. The strong emotions from her visions made her weak and her body couldn't support her.

Du Plessis sat her carefully on the couch and studied her.

"Do you feel better?"

"I don't know. My head hurts a little."

"Here."

He handed her a glass with fresh blood. As she drank, Du Plessis still looked at her with worry.

When she drank the last drop of blood, she gave him back the glass and smiled.

"I feel better."

Du Plessis nodded.

"My flight is waiting for us. We are leaving in the early morning."

Beth's heart suddenly sank in her stomach and realized that she didn't know what was expecting them and if she was ready to face a battle.