Lucy and Nettie stayed with us, but I don't think my words had any effect on them. They were just there out of convience, they were alone and we offered them protection.

As time went on the battles didn't cease. We fought almost nightly, nomads and small covens attacking us to no avail. Our numbers dwindled yet we replenished them quickly. Only this time in making new borns, Maria didn't do it with very much care. She just picked people at random, not caring about strength or intelligence or any of that, she merely wanted someone to be between her and her enemies.

I thought about what Nettie and Lucy had said but not often enough that it changed my views toward Maria. Evil or not, Power hungry or otherwise, she was my creator, and I at least owed her my loyalty.

One night when I was able to have some freedom from the house, I wandered into town.

I walked along the streets in silence, glancing into the windows of the homes I passed. Something suddenly struck me, a thought that had never dawned on me since my birth into darkness.

I saw a family sitting in their home beside their hearth, all of their heads glimmering with sleek blonde hair.

I thought of my own family, only vaguely seeing their faces in my mind. Were they still alive? My siblings and my parents?

I had no concept of time as we did not measure our lives based off of hours, days or weeks, but rather battles we survived. But would they still be living? I stopped in my tracks, leaning against the wall with my hand hanging on my chin. I had never really thought much of them at all, and my memories did not serve as a good reference as they were blurry.

I only had a second to think about it before a painful spike of rage pierced me. I looked around swiftly, unable to find the source. I started running, scanning everything around me until it brought me to the gate of the house. There I froze, my eyes wide with fear as I knew the source.

I threw myself over the walls, landing on the grass just as Lucy and Nettie broke from the trees. They had not yet sensed me, but I knew what they meant to do.

I sprinted toward the house, throwing myself through the doors and up the stairs into our bedroom.

Maria looked at me quickly, her eyes searching my face as I pulled her behind me. Like two devils draped in crimson gowns, Lucy and Nettie flew over the balcony into the room.

"It's about time". Maria said arrogantly, looking over their faces.

"This has gone on long enough Maria, I will not subject myself to your will a second longer." Nettie hissed as Maria shrugged.

"Then leave if you like. I have no need for you". Maria's arm wrapped around my waist as she leaned her chin into my arm.

"You will rob this boy of his life! You don't care about him or anyone but yourself! Speak the truth for once in your life and free this child"! Lucy screamed as Maria let out a growl.

"He is mine"! She said through clenched teeth, tightening her grip on me. Her hands pressed into my stomach as she pulled me tighter against her.

"He is a pawn admit it! You have him begging to do your will just as you had once wanted of us! But he sees through your lies and if you don't release him it is only a matter of time till he kills you"! Lucy growled as Maria shook her head.

"You are wrong. Unlike you, he knows his place. He knows his purpose in the world and he dare not go against God by disobeying me"!

Nettie laughed darkly, her head tilting backward. "You're a fool as you've always been Maria. God has nothing to do with you, it's quite the opposite. He is indifferent to you and he will sooner send the Volturi against you then bless your crusade for power."

"Then why has he blessed me thus far? The Volturi have not yet come and I am living. You two are fools to have gone against me and you will suffer the fate that you have delivered onto so many". Maria snickered as her nails dug into my shirt.

A second later, without even a verbal command, five newborns were behind Nettie and Lucy, wrestling them to the ground. Despite their tenacity they were nothing compared to the freshly made vampires. They were taken over the railing, and led, kicking and screaming to the funeral pyre. Maria took my hand tightly, swiftly pulling me out to the balcony to watch their destruction.

I watched horrified as they were torn apart, their limbs tossed carelessly into the flames. I had burned many vampires, and seen many die, but none was more heart wrenching than seeing them burn. My sisters. The only companions I had known apart from Maria, gone in an instant.

Again I felt weak, and leaned against the railing as the fire crackled below. It was like reliving my first kill all over again, the pain of the act and the emotions that threatened to tear me apart. I fell to my knees, leaning my head into the wood as their screams faded away. Maria was against me, her arms wrapped around my shoulders as she whispered into my neck. Her words meant nothing, I heard nothing my their voices in my mind.

Why? Why did they have to die? They could have escaped? Maria could have freed them? Why did they have to come here and seek out a fight? Had they even thought that this would be their fate? I stiflied a whimper, closing my eyes tightly as Maria stroked my chest.

Everything I'd known in this life was thrown into question.

It was long after the fire had died away and their bones were discarded did I rise from the ground. Weakly I turned to Maria, burying my face into her neck as she embraced me tightly.