Chapter 1: Eva and Baldwin

Eva Jaeger paced nervously in her office. Contacting Baldwin had been difficult, but her daughter's safety came first.

Annika now 28 years old did not realize the danger, and Eva had taken responsibility for that Serbian girl the day she had signed for her custody, now 18 years earlier.

The tragedy associated with her transformation into a vampire still brought her pain and that was why she had never wanted to create vampire children.

Baldwin had been her family, and now Annika represented all that mattered to her.

She had taken her in as a foster child when she was just 10 years old. Her friend Elena had convinced her to give herself a chance as a mother and, after some hesitation, she had succeeded.

Annika was a fire witch, or so everyone thought. Only Eva and a few trusted friends knew that when she got angry she was irrepressible.

It didn't happen often, but when it did it reminded her of the outbursts of Baldwin's brother Matthew.

No coven had gone out of their way to get her adopted, and, after the Yugoslav wars, the other children in the foster home had already been placed with other families.

Only her dance teacher Madame Elena cared about that wary, determined little witch.

It had been a wonderfully peaceful 18 years for Eva between Germany and the United States, where Annika had moved to attend MIT and remained there for work. Eva, who felt the distance weighing like a boulder, had shortly thereafter earned a full professor position at Yale to be closer to her.

Then threats had come. To Annika they were nothing to worry about, while Eva did not see it the same way.

Baldwin de Clermont had been surprised by Eva's call. After his rude conduct many years before, they had not spoken again, so her alarmed call had worried him.

Eva had not lost herself in formalities and immediately told him what distressed her.

Her daughter had been threatened, she had received letters telling her that they knew who she really was, that she was not a real witch, that she had to disappear...

For Annika it was just a series of unfortunate coincidences. For Eva it wasn't.

And that was not all. Her daughter was a witch, perhaps...

Baldwin listened to the recap of her last 18 years. He had not expected this maternal turn from the very woman who had never wanted to create even one more vampire with him.

He had reassured her and asked for some time to gather information and confront the Knights of St. Lazarus.

Eva had asked him only one thing: not to say anything to Annika until she had spoken to them.

Eva was waiting for her daughter for dinner at her favorite restaurant. Of course, Annika was late. Work emergency she said.

And it was true. In recent years she had thrown herself headlong into her studies and work, deriving great satisfaction from it.

When she was little, she believed that she would pursue a career as a ballet dancer, although her height of about 5 feet 8 inches was not on her side. Elena was very insistent that she continue dancing in a company.

But Annika who did not appreciate Elena's authoritarian ways had turned her passion for dancing into a hobby that allowed her to relieve stress.

Eva immediately took the floor, "Annika I need to talk to you..."

Within a week Baldwin had gathered the most trusted knights to figure out how to move.

Eva had thanked Matthew, Marcus, and Gallowglass for their help.

By now the only stumbling block remained Annika, who had not taken Eva's choice well and responded to her in monosyllables.

That Saturday afternoon Eva had invited Baldwin, Marcus and his fiancée Phoebe, Matthew, Diana, Sarah, Gallowglass, and Miriam, who had been joined by Ysabeau who was looking forward to seeing Eva and Baldwin in the same room again.

He had also invited Annika to make up, without telling her that the Knights of St. Lazarus would also be there.

Annika had arrived breathless. She had slept badly, she was restless, her past stirring inside her.

She had hastily slipped into jeans, top and sneakers to go to Eva's.

She thought they would make up and eventually take her shopping, Eva's great passion.

As soon as she had crossed the threshold she realized that she had not done her calculations right.

She had found herself in a room full of strangers peering at her with interest.

Instinctively, she zapped her mother with her gaze.

"Is there a party?" she said sarcastically

"I wanted to introduce you to some people" Eva wanted to put her daughter at ease, but she realized she was unnerving her.

"If you were busy you could have done without calling me…"

"Annika don't be like that...we need to talk".

"Annika" Baldwin intervened, "we're just asking for a moment of your time."

The girl in front of him was anything but willing to listen quietly.

She looked like a caged animal, anger mounting inside her and clashing with her angelic appearance from her long blond hair and slim figure.

"Look, I don't have time to waste and I don't want to waste your time either. I'm a witch, I already know what you want to tell me and I don't care. Eva gets scared for nothing"

"They've threatened your life, I wouldn't say I get scared for nothing".

Gallowglass had been silent the whole time, he could not take his eyes off that stubborn girl who stood up to his uncle.

"Are you hungry..." he said suddenly realizing from her scent that the girl was hungry.

Annika glowered at him with her big black eyes, but after a second she smiled at him.

That's right, she was hungry. Eva laughed instantly "don't be fooled by her figure, she's always eating, she's a bottomless pit. Never invite her to dinner."

The guests laughed and Annika immediately felt at ease.

Perhaps, she could give that audience of people a chance.