Abigail opened her eyes wide in one fast moment she was awake from the deep sleep that seemed to have been dogging her for days. She tried to open her mouth and speak but couldn’t, her throat felt raw and like barbed wire had been wrapped around it inside.

She suddenly realised instead of the white ceiling of the nursery she was looking up at the star filled sky; she had no idea how she had gotten outside, lying on what felt the cold stone paving in the front of her house.

She wanted to call out for her nurse Anne, but what good would that do? Better call out for a gardener or one of the downstairs boys to help her, she moved to sit up but her limbs wouldn’t co-operate, they where heavy beyond belief and weighing her down to the ground; Abigail gave a little sob of furry that made her head pound.

“She’s awake” somebody near by whispered, Abigail tried to turn her head but finding she couldn’t concentrated upon talking.

“Who…are…you?” she demanded, every word a great struggle to get out of her mouth, she squeezed her eyes shut at the dwell pains in her head and throat exploded casing tears to role down her cheeks. Her words caused a good deal of whispering, finally somebody spoke to her.

“You should have stayed asleep” he said ruefully “but our master will enjoy your fear more”

her eyes darted about trying to find the voice that had spoken but all she could see where shadows.

“Your…master?” she gasped out, again the strange, hidden voice spoke.

“Our master…the vampire lord Hasad”

Abigail let out a low moan and her body twitched involuntarily, she remembered now why she was not in her room; the carriage taking her away from home and her nurse; taking her to Miss Madeline’s school for young lady’s to teach her to be a proper lady, the gun man yelling and the single shot before the driver fell down in the dust at the road side.

The drink that had been forced down her throat and then the blackness that had enveloped her and carried her, The drugged drink to make her the perfect sacrifice for the damned who served the vampires.

Crying Abigail began to fight against whatever was holding her down.

“don’t!” a voice, almost concerned told her “you’ll only hurt yourself”

the absurdity of that made Abigail want to laugh but she was to frightened to do anything but cry so she cried harder then before, the whispers where becoming more agitated and a hand reached out from the shadows to touch her cheek, as if to brush away the tears.

“Leave!” a steely voice commanded and the hand drew away quickly “I like it when they cry”

Abigail’s eyes widened as a man stepped into view, he was quite beautiful; his eyes a smoky grey and his hair a dusky blond, well built but not muscular he carried himself like a man of power but spoke as if he where her best friend, somebody who had known her all her life. The vampire traced one gloved finger over her cheek, collecting her tears before lifting the finger to his lips and sucking off any residue.

“What is your name child?” he asked, Abigail answered him user why.

“Abigail Rose”

“And your age my sweet?”

“16”

The vampire’s smile that fallowed this was disarming, once again he traced her face with his fingers and then cupped it between his hands, he bent close to her lips, she waited to feel his breath but none came, only the smell of grave dirt.

“so young, so fresh” the vampire whispered “I could offer you immortality….” Abigail trembled again daring to hope but then the dark, sadistic smile came back “But I am rather hungry”

Fangs sprouted from his mouth, elongated and sharp, the twin points jutting down to piece her unprotected neck; she was so frightened she couldn’t even scream.

“Just stay hungry!”

a cross, huge and silver came from no-where knocking the vampire away from her; he hissed and cowered as it burnt into his face leaving him with a long red burn across his cheek, hissing a spitting he rounded upon the woman hefting the large artefact.

“Rochelle” he snarled.

“Your highness” she mock-bowed before swigging the cross again, this time Hasad managed to dodge it and in the blink of an eye because a bat, snarling and squawking, flapping its miniature wings before flying away into the darkness.

The silence was deafening.

Abigail looked up at her saviour for the first time; her saviour looked down at her swore lightly under her breath, she knelt besides Abigail and because to whisper something the girl couldn’t make any sense of. The heaviness that seemed to have encased her limbs lifted and Abigail sat up quickly.

“Who are you?” she asked warily, the woman ran one hand through her hair and eyed Abigail just as curiously.

“Rochelle Mane, I am a vampire-hunter; may I enquire who you are?”

“Abigail Rose”

“Where abouts is your home Miss Rose? Its does not bode well for us to stay still to long, the Vampire and his servants may have fled but I’d rather not take chances” Rochelle said, taking something from her pocket a small tissue wrapped package which she pressed into Abigail’s hand “and I would feel safer if you’d wear this please”

Abigail unwrapped the package to find a small silver crucifix on a chain laying amongst the ruffles of tissue, Rochelle undid the clasp as Abigail lifted her hair and allowed the protection to be placed around her neck, Rochelle replaced the clasp and Abigail let her hair down, falling in auburn waves around her face.

“My home lies over in that direction” Abigail said vagly pointing in the south-west direction “I will know when we reach the road that leads to it”

“We should be going then” Rochelle said standing up and offering Abigail a hand to help her onto her feet “lead the way Miss Rose if you would be so kind”