I was kept busy - in fact it seemed I was scheduled 24 hours a day. Up at eight, , training with Andy from 8:30 till 12, lunch, then studying with Moreau till four. I didn't have the time to feel homesick or worried even. I just did what I was told.

I had been living at the Illumiertai HQ for 3 weeks when Mr Johnson presented me with a laptop. It was already connected to the internet so I could e-mail my mom and chat to my friends. We had to give the illusion that everything was normal, although I found the idea laughable.

Jaimie had asked a girl called Hannah to the dance, and it was scheduled for the next night. I was so pleased for him, but I felt the tiniest pang of jealousy because while Jaimie was at the dance, I'd probably be reading up on beheading techniques or something equally gory. My mom was already talking about when I could go home. I didn't tell her, but I had a funny feeling I was never going home.

I confided my fears to Gabriel when he came to visit me in my room that night.

"Everything I planned, college and a career and kids, is all gone. I'm never going to have a normal life Gabriel," I sobbed, rather ashamed of myself for crying. He handed me a tissue.

"I don't know what to say, because you're right. You'll never have a normal life. But most people spend their lives looking for a purpose - you're lucky, you have one."

I looked at him, tears blinding me. He was right and I knew it. But the little girl in me was desperate to argue - I didn't want to be tied down to a duty, I was too young and too pretty for duty!

"I want to go home," I muttered, sounding like a lost kid. Gabriel sighed.

"Can't I convince you to stay?" He asked.

"No."

Gabriel took me to meet Mr Johnson first thing the next morning, but his blue eyes were distant, his silence almost unbearable. Mr Johnson was not pleased with what I had to say.

"Don't you want to fulfil your duty?" He asked impatiently.

"No! I want to go to high school dances, and sleep in history class and try out for the cheerleading squad. I want to go home." I folded my arms stubbornly and glared at him.

"It's too dangerous Cecily."

"It's my decision to make," I argued.

Eventually he gave in, but not before telling me how disappointed he was. He sent me upstairs with orders to pack my bags. I wanted Gabriel to come upstairs with me, I wanted to talk to him and make him understand, so I could say a proper goodbye.

But he just shook his head and sat in the chair opposite Mr Johnson. He turned his back on me in more ways than one.

The room seemed smaller with just the two of them in it. Gabriel sat in silence, the anguish in his eyes clearly visible. Mr Johnson spoke, breaking the silence.

"She's really knocked you for six, hasn't she?"

"Yes sir," Gabriel replied quietly, his cheeks burning.

"She's a beautiful girl, selfish, but beautiful."

"Selfish?" Gabriel repeated, looking up.

"Yes Gabriel, selfish. She is unwilling to give up her life for the lives of countless others. The demon will find her and kill her soon enough. And then the line will be ended and the world will be at its mercy, centuries of work down the drain," Mr Johnson's voice shook with bitterness.

"It's her choice."

"Gabriel, don't you understand? Your ancestors, your father lived and died to protect the Warrior. If she leaves now, all their deaths will have been for nothing. Your father would have been taken from you for nothing."

That struck a chord with Gabriel. Tears filled his crystal eyes as he thought of his poor father. It was a dirty trick for Mr Johnson to pull, but it was working.

"We can't let the line end," Gabriel muttered, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"No, we can't," Mr Johnson said softly, his tone soothing.

"So what can we do?" Gabriel asked.

"Does Cecily like you as much as you like her?"

"I think so," Gabriel shrugged, although he wasn't really sure if Cecily liked him at all.

"Well, why don't you play that to your advantage?" Mr Johnson raised his eyebrows suggestively. Gabriel could feel himself blushing, and he didn't like it.

"You mean…" He sputtered.

"You're a handsome young man Gabriel, I'm sure you could charm Cecily into bed," Mr Johnson grinned and Gabriel could feel his stomach knotting in disgust.

"What if she says no?"

Mr Johnson's eyes hardened as he regarded the nervous young man sitting in front of him. He didn't have the guts of his father, or the courage. In a word, Gabriel was weak. Gabriel was no more than a device to Mr Johnson, who had lost his own teenage compassion for fellow man a long time ago.

"That's not an option. You will get Cecily pregnant," He hissed.

"What if I don't want to?" Gabriel's eyes flashed angrily - Mr Johnson was suggesting he rape Cecily. He would never do that.

"You owe it to your father to do this," Mr Johnson sneered as he stood up to leave. "I know you'll make the right decision."

Gabriel avoided me for the rest of the day. I wanted to see him before I left and was just about to go looking for him when there was a timid knock on my bedroom door.

He was standing in the doorway, wearing black pinstriped trousers and a black blazer. He handed me a single red rose with a gentle smile.

"I have a surprise for you," He told me as I kissed his cheek.

Gabriel led me down to the gym where I usually practiced with Andy. The gym was different - lilies lay in glass vases around the room and fairy lights twinkled on the ceiling. A banner was stretched across one wall proclaiming "Spring Fling 2005".

"Wow Gabriel this is so sweet!" I exclaimed, flinging my arms around him.

"Well I just wanna give you a proper goodbye," He said as he took me in his arms. Part of me ached to stay with him, to spend forever dancing with him at our very own Spring Fling. I had never met a boy quite like him; he seemed to be everything I could want - gorgeous, sweet, intelligent, gentle.

"I'll miss you," I told him, pulling him closer.

"I'll miss you too."

We stopped dancing and sat in a candlelit corner and made out for a while. I couldn't believe it was the last time I was going to kiss him. I swear, I felt like my heart was breaking, but I wanted to go home.

"I love you," Gabriel breathed, lowering his lips to my neck. I placed a kiss on his chestnut ringlets.

"I love you," I replied, genuinely meaning it. I tried to pull away to give him a hug but he was holding me so close I couldn't.

"Gabriel, let me go!" I gasped, but he wouldn't. I struggled lightly against his grip, not wanting to hurt him.

But he wouldn't let me go. A horrid word echoed in my head: rape. When I realised that Gabriel wasn't going to stop, my fears of hurting him vanished. I twisted violently, breaking his grip. Without hesitation, I punched him right on the nose.

He was sent sprawling across the room, and collapsed in a heap on the floor. I ran to the weapons cabinet, and pulled out my sword.

I was actually trembling from a combination of terror and disbelief. Gabriel, my sweet perfect Gabriel had tried to rape me. I pressed the blade to his throat, but I caught a glimpse of the fire in his eyes and stopped.

He was going to kill me.