SUMMARY OF BOOK: The vampire Kasey doesn't like being a prisioner in her own body, and since her constant questions about the ritual of becoming a vampire (in particular the effects of the soul being removed from the body) remain unanswered, she only further craves freedom. But her father, Amos, having grown attached to his immortal daughter, refuses to allow her to travel. Frustrated, Kasey wanders the city and one night mets Jade Micholson, a mortal girl whose father has an uncontrollable drug addiction, and treats her badly, abusing her often. And having just suffered the loss of her mother, Jade craves death and freedom.

Feeling she understands Jade's twisted life, Kasey transforms her into a companion for herself, allowing her to live back home with her. But Amos is not pleased with his daughter's actions, and is not fond of Jade, who is not afraid to put him in his place.

Finally deciding that freedom is the key issue that holds the two to each other, Kasey and Jade escape and flee far from Amos' home, traveling the world in search of peace. But trouble follows them everywhere they go... Literally. Amos is right on their trail!

A/N: This is something new that I'm trying, and for those who read "Bloody Kisses", I'll update that soon (I hope). Please just bear with me, and please R&R. No flames, constructive criticism welcome. Thanks.(Also, to those who have not read my previous vampire works, I have my own original rituals for becoming a vampire and stuff like that, just so you're aware).

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"I've told you before, Kasey, I don't know!" I roared in frustration at the constant repetition of questions pressed to me by my immortal daughter.

The room was bathed in shallow lighting from the lamp that Keegan, my companion and roommate, had purchased earlier that week, a sort of "house warming" gift for us all. I was seated on our new black leather couch, which was propped against the crimson walls that we had hired a mortal to paint. And seeing as this was a reclining sofa, I was lying back with my feet up, bronzed strands of my thick hair scattered about and somewhat tossed into my face. And not two feet from me was Kasey, glaring at me through those fascinating hazel eyes, her dark blonde hair curled around her shoulders and her eyebrows slumped down and inward, a sign that she was clearly peeved. Out of the corner of my eye, sitting in the reclining chair was Keegan, reading one of Kasey's Anne Rice books, which she had ordered me to buy her years ago. He seemed almost as attached to the story lines as she was, but I myself had little patience for such a time consuming event such as reading.

"But there must be some clue as to what happens to our souls in death!" Kasey hissed stubbornly back at me, her hands planted on her hips like a mortal, the anger in her face like that of a young child.

I was unsure if her expression proved that she was a child trapped in a teenage body, or if this was merely a momentarily misleading gesture. Most of the time, Kasey seemed to be more of a woman in a child's body. But to be honest, I wasn't certain which was true of her. Perhaps both at once, in a way. My daughter was always so secretive and secluded, preferring to be alone and silent, observing the world rather than out on the town doing something, like me. Of course, this was rather upsetting to me, to see Kasey so different than I, but her questions were not ones that I could answer, and this only complicated matters between us. She was always thirsting for knowledge, wanting to learn more about everything, and in this instant in particular, the after effects of the soul after being absorbed.

Allow me to explain. In order to be successfully transformed into a vampire, you must be drained until death is summoning for you, then have your soul absorbed by another vampire so that it cannot escape for judgment of Heaven or Hell, and therefore death cannot claim you. But Kasey's questions on the subject were not as simple as this, as she wanted to know in detail what would happen to her if she herself died now, wondering if she would merely shut down, or if her soul would escape from me and thrive for judgment. She would inquire as to what would happen to her soul if I died, if because of the fact that I had her soul nestled beneath my layers of pale flesh, if she, too would black out. She always wanted to know if she took the soul of another mortal to make them a vampire as well, sired them into immortal existence, if this would mean that she technically bears a soul, or if the newly made vampire's life would depend now on her being. And though deep inside of me, I knew that these were indeed very good questions, I had no answers to them, even after hundreds of years. I, too wondered about them sometimes, although I had buried the curiosity away in my core, not wanting to show that inferior side of me.

"And I haven't the answers you seek!" I growled at her, loathing the fact that I constantly had to admit my ignorance to the truth.

Oh how I hated being wrong or uncertain of something! Of all the immortals in this household, I was definitely the one with the most experience, the most powerful and worldly educated. I had traveled more than all the others, seen the world and played it's games, triumphed it's sorrows and reined it's evils. So you can imagine how enraged I was to confess my clueless disposition to the act of becoming a vampire. And I do have to admit, I have always had a rather overpowering temper, and it was a rare thing for me to withhold it. But for Kasey, my daughter, mon chéri, I was willing to at least try.

I watched with anger gleaming in my eyes, raging through my entire system as Kasey gave me a cold stare, loathing and disrespectful. I knew she was losing her faith in me, was just as irritated at my lack of answers as I was of her constant questions. What a pair, she and I. Both of us two stubborn beings that refused to back down, allowed the hot rage to envelop us. I sometimes wonder if she got that trait from me, though her mortal father was quite similar. But she has never looked up to him, and so I assume she must have somewhat "inherited" it from me after her transformation.

"So you know nothing?" she remarked coldly. "You are just as clueless to our history as I?"

"Yes!" I barked in such explicit rage that caused Keegan to actually sink back further into the chair.

Kasey's eyes grew blank and emotionless, something that she did quite often, and it never ceased to fascinate me. How she was able to do it, I shall probably never know, but it seemed that all emotion was lost in those two deep hazel circles leading into the dark abyss, bottomless and empty, so hollow, so lost. But the muscles in her face remained tense and angered, and she let off a vibe of frustration as she looked me directly in the eye, my rage still reflecting in my pupils.

"So you are to say that my staying here is only holding me back? Living here with you is only wasting my time?" she asked calmly, and her harsh words penetrated my heart like a dagger of death.

"Oh, so now I'm just a waste of your precious time, am I?" I sneered, concealing the damage that she had caused by stating that previous comment. "Well let me tell you something, cher. Without me, you wouldn't even be alive anymore! I made you what you are!"

Folding her arms before her, Kasey replied, "So it's your fault that I'm a miserable, loathing vampire? It's good that you told me that, I was just starting to blame myself. But if it's you who did this to me, then I have no need for that!"

"Don't get smart with me," I warned her.

"Oh, would you rather I were dumb?" she asked sarcastically. But then she added hastily, "A little more like you?"

"You dare to mock me?!" I shrieked, rising abruptly from the sofa to my feet. "You wouldn't be anything without me! Nothing! If it weren't for me you'd never have become what you are, and would have died a pitiful mortal fool!"

My words were striking and harsh, but her eyes showed still no reflection of any thought or emotion. And she stood there with that eerie stillness that no mortal could possibly convey, immediately reminding me of Keegan, who very often used his undeniable talent of paralyzed motion. This trait I suppose she obtained from Keegan, whether she realized it or not, though I'm certain it was none of his concern. His eyes were still glued to the page before him, acting as though he were in a parallel universe, oblivious to Kasey and I, and the argument we were now enthralled in.

"I hate you!" she spat, then turned and passed through the kitchen, most likely heading upstairs to her room.

Though I did not hear so much as a single dainty footstep from her, I did shudder slightly as I heard the door slam on it's hinges. She was angry with me again, and I honestly could not bear it! Although I, too was now in an impulsive mood, I did love Kasey with all my immortal heart, and like a poor mortal fool that believes he has fallen in love, I was hurt when the two of us engaged in an oral battle. Sighing, I collapsed onto the couch again, my head in my hands, shaking my head in dismay.

"She gets it from me, doesn't she?" I asked Keegan, secretly enjoying my conversations with him, able to relieve my stress as we exchanged words.

Keegan chuckled only slightly, proving that his laughter was not meant as mockery, and stated gently, "Well she doesn't get it from me."

I leaned back and stared at the blank white ceiling, sighing again.

"We never used to quibble this way before," I mentioned, though I'm not certain if I had been speaking directly to Keegan, or more so myself.

Keegan put his book aside on the end table to his right and nodded in agreement. His flaming red hair stirred slightly as he did so, and I tried not to seem too eager as he leaned back all the way in the recliner, relaxing his muscles. He clasped his hands over his stomach and rolled his head sideways to look at my face, to watch my every move.

"She is growing up, my friend," Keegan said simply. "Before she sought love, now she seeks answers. You remember when I was the same way?"

I smiled weakly as I recalled the past, the way Keegan and I used to be. We weren't always so close, and often we still managed to debate over the simplest matters. Truth be told, our personalities clashed, we were complete opposites. I was the kind to speak my mind and allow anger to vibe off of me in large amounts, while Keegan was the quiet thinker who seldom spoke without first heavily considering his words. And my attitude sparked rage in his calm disposition, which disturbed his overall balance. This often lead us to long arguments.

"Yes, yes," I agreed. "You always had to know more than what I told you."

Keegan nodded and added, "And now Kasey only carries the same sense of completion and pride as I was seeking out. All we can do is try to accept her differences and support her."

I stared at Keegan, so relaxed and undisturbed by any of Kasey's outbursts. Sometimes I secretly felt jealous of him, seeing how much better he understood my own daughter than I did. It was as though he should have been her father, not I, and such a thought angered me, though I tried not to show my envy. But each time that I saw Kasey possess yet another trait that Keegan demonstrated himself, whether either of them realized their common acts or not, I was hurt and peeved, unnerved that she could possibly take more after Keegan than she could after me. I was her immortal father, after all! It was I who had cared for her, I who had made her, and I who wanted to be her only hero.

"I suppose you're somewhat right," I muttered, not wanting to show too much approval to Keegan's parenting skills. "Perhaps I should go talk to her now."

As I stood up and headed for the kitchen, Keegan's voice called after me, "Do you think that's wise, Amos?"

I halted at the door's frame and spun around to look Keegan in the eye, his brown irises surrounding his pupils softly. He seemed so human at the moment, so filled with mortal admiration and easiness, thinking logically through a living mind. I gave him a sideways glance, not wishing to admit defeat.

"Why wouldn't it be?" I asked hesitantly, standing my ground nonetheless.

Keegan shrugged innocently, then stated, "Well, you know how Kasey can be. I would give her some time to wind down before rushing up there and adding fuel to the fire, so to speak."

Damn Keegan and his sleek parenting advice! But what else could I do but agree with his comment? He was, to my dismay, right, after all. Kasey had a temper so similar to mine, one to consume all in it's path like great masses of fire. It appeared that these days, Keegan understood Kasey much more thoroughly than I, and such a notion was unthinkable, improper.

"Yes, I suppose I should wait," I grumbled in irritation, returning to the leather sofa.

I sat back and allowed the reclining side to lay all the way back, moaning slightly as I cupped a hand to my forehead and closed my eyes. I was beginning to fear that Kasey would soon grow weary of life here with me, and give in to her obvious cravings to leave me. And such a thought seemed to drain me dearly, having lost so much in my life already. In some ways, Kasey was much like Qitarah, and to lose both of them would be unbearable.

Qitarah had been my wife in the past, far before Kasey's existence. She and Kasey had never met, but the two were so similar that I could almost mistaken them for one another, the split personalities they carried with them, the everlasting beauty upon them, the strength of their minds. Of course, Qitarah had once been my world, and to have had death's grimy hands snatch her away had nearly drawn me into madness. But now I had Kasey, and the thought of losing her was stabbing at me viciously. Without her, I could never be, and yet some foolish sense of pride held me back from rushing up to her now and apologizing for my cruelty.

"The game's on," Keegan announced from the chair, a slightly concerned expression shimmering in his eyes.

I sighed, then grunted, "Oh fine, pass me the remote."

Keegan pivoted and reached over onto the end table, snatching up the remote from beside his book. He leaned back again and made a motion to get up.

"Don't bother," I mumbled. "Just toss it over here."

I made a small target for him to aim at with me hands, and Keegan hesitated, obviously not wanting to throw the remote control to the television at me. But in the end he swallowed his pride and gently tossed it directly into my open palms, and I pressed the red button at the top corner to switch the television to on. We both leaned back as we observed mortal football players dashing about after some pigskin ball, tackling each other.

Keegan sighed and muttered, "Such a violent game."

I laughed at his comment, then said, "Keegan, you are too much."

The thought of his murmured words were actually rather entertaining, seeing as we were of course vampires, thriving upon the blood of the living for survival. It was humorous to hear him convey such strain and woe towards the actions made by these grown mortal men, but ignore the death and agony he caused probably millions of people by now, killing them and leaving behind anyone that they cared about to mourn for them. Oh Keegan, what a funny guy!

But he didn't seem to think so, frowning as he gazed at the screen and observed the mortals pouncing all over one another. He sighed heavily as a whistle sounded and the play stopped. To be honest, neither of us had watched much football before now, seeing as we were raised in a different century completely, and had been overall oblivious to the game at all. But now we did not want to seem so mysterious, and were attempting to fit in with the mortal crowds more thoroughly. And we were starting by making the interior of our house more modern, and our habits somewhat more human.

"I suppose that most of these men are fathers to young children who would be very disappointed if their dads were injured by demonstrating such nonsense," Keegan sighed.

"And speaking of which," I stated firmly, my tone utterly serious, almost angered, "I would appreciate if from now on you did not tell me how to raise my daughter."

Keegan nodded sullenly, then mumbled, "I've never even tried to do that."

"Well, you have, whether you've tired to do it or not," I replied seriously, folding my arms before me as I turned my face back to the television, signifying that the conversation had come to a close.

And Keegan seemed to respect that fact, not saying another word for the rest of the game.