Enola jerked upright from the bed that she had been put on. Mouth gasping for air her body no longer needed made everything logical cause the panic to increase tenfold. All of her senses heightened to the extreme as she sat there… still feeling her veins on fire. Her head jerked from side to side, trying to take in what happened and where she was. Immediately her hand flew to her neck to see if the nightmare was true. With the evidence at hand that she found the guards outside her door laughed devilishly as they heard her screaming, knowing that she was coming to grips with who she now was. Sitting there on the plush bed, her chest heaving at the pain and anger that filled her to the brim, every emotion rampaged through her. Putting her bare feet on the floor after flinging them over the edge, she stood and looked down over herself. A black crushed velvet dress that had long flared sleeves and a flowing skirt had been placed on her body while her hair had been renewed with her transformation as it was now brilliantly curly with a shade of beautiful hazelnut. Clutching her hands tightly into small fists Enola made her way to the door that separated her from that which she desired to have revenge on.

The two guards standing on the opposing side of the oversized oak door, laughing at a story that to some would consider sinister, when shards and splinters of the very thing they protected flew through the air. From the dust and debris came their prisoner with eyes as black as night. Cross bows aimed at her even as she ignored the bouts of warnings to return to her quarters. The look of pure hatred and evil that covered Enola’s face was one that scared them even more than death itself. With no involuntary breathing, Enola went after the guard on her left to grab the arrow from its holster. While holding the crossbow in the same hand her leg flew into a high-kick at the other guard’s weapon in an attempt to get it away from him. With the guard on her left, Enola whipped his arm above his head as she took her right arm and shoved his up at the elbow. The bones silently cracked at the antagonistic screaming of the guard. With the same swiftness, Enola jabbed the arrow through his side and straight into his heart. The other guard stood in such shock that by the time he realized to do anything, Enola’s right hand was firmly wrapped around his throat and lifting him from the ground. One simple word slipped through her lips while she held him in midair. His terror slithered from him as he gaped into those dark eyes that wanted to swallow him whole. When she got an answer from the tremulous guard more sounds of cracking bones filled the hall, followed by the dropping of a body. Enola stepped over both as their bodies turned to ash… her facial expression never changing… ending the fight within a matter of seconds.

It didn’t take Enola long to find the one she sought. His scent was foreboding in this place to only intensify the closer she got. Two floors up and a couple of guards later, she entered the training room that Michael resided in. By this time Enola’s hatred was consuming her. She stood in the doorway, unhesitating, while her enemy only stood and turned as calmly as a feather in the wind. It was a stand off as they watched each other… a smile sifting across his face.

“So, you’ve come to kill me have you?” he asked lightly as a small laugh exited him. He sighed then, knowing that she would give no answer to the question he already knew.

“Where are my friends, Michael? What have you done with my child?” she hissed in a voice not her own.

“All in good time, my dear. All in good time,” he smiled. Michael turned behind him and picked up two long swords and tossed one to her while he kept the other. Holding the hilt, he planted the tip of his in the floor, waiting for her to make her move.

The sword landed in her hand with ease as her eyes examined it momentarily. Cocking her head to the side, she gave him a look that said “I will have my answers.” She went for him as a mosquito to fresh blood, going for a lower cut and then to an upper, only have both blocked. Calmly, Michael went for the same dispute as Enola stepped to the side to block, their swords held as faces crept closer.

“If you only knew what was going on…” he whispered as they both pushed against each other, neither making any headway. When he went to swing at her, Enola threw her arm over his sword and jabbed him in the face with an elbow. They both flew away from the force that she gave. Michael stood there, wiping the blood from his face to only give a sinister laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Enola snarled.

“You were just a pawn in the grand design of evolution, Enola. Your daughter, Lillian… she is my child!” he hissed at her still laughing menacingly.

“You’re wrong! Sebastian is her father!” she screamed.

“The night you conceived her was the night that a faithful Incubus came to you and implanted my seed within you. Why did you think that we ever met, under circumstance? Hah! You were chosen to carry the child of a new race! When I had first told you that I was a Nosferatu, you didn’t believe me. Well, now you know the truth because only a Nosferatu vampire can breed as long as the woman is willing and believe you me, that Incubus made you very willing… at least in your dreams. Like I said, Enola… pawns!”

A shrill scream came at him in force as she went for him again; he carved her right bicep as she sliced him in the right leg while she kicked him in the face. Michael fell to the floor as they parted, giving Enola the chance to take the final strike. As her sword was brought over her head, pointing straight at his heart, he swiftly knocked it away. Enola stumbled back; startled that she had been taken by surprise as Michael sprang to his feet in one solid movement.

“You lie!” Enola cried.

“Why would I fib, Enola? You know just as well as I do that Sebastian was sterile. You were the perfect one to bring a new life to the world of vampires. Lillian took most of your human traits which is none of our weaknesses. She can bring us into the daylight. Enola, to Lillian you no longer exist. She is with her true family now,” he smiled at her again, watching the rage build again in his adversary as she kicked up her sword and went at him once more for the final time.

Their swords clashed together with sparks this time… both parties putting into this final fight everything they had. Upper and lower slashes were fed and blocked with one person limping and the other only having the use of one arm. Enola finally saw her opportunity when she blocked a lower cut and grabbing Michael’s sword by the hilt under her arm, she pulled her sword back and jabbed it straight through. Michael’s bewildered look brought an ominous grin to her face as she wrenched her sword from him as well as still having his sword under her arm. She watched as he looked down and covered his wound; Michael tumbling away. Taking a sword in each hand she closed the gap between them, listening to his hissing as fangs unsheathed.

“Where is my child, Michael? This is your last chance,” Enola said calmly. Michael watched as her eyes finally went back to their bright jade, telling him she was telling the truth with every word.

“You wouldn’t kill the messenger, would you?” Michael chuckled. Enola looked at him quizzically with this comment. He finally answered that he was only the rook in this game… getting all of the pieces where they needed to be… This meant that there was someone else pulling the strings.

Not wanting to hear anymore, she turned from him briefly to let her thoughts try and make right of what he had said to be true, but when she turned back to seal his definite fate, small wisps of a robe filtered behind a section of wall that led to a hidden passageway. Dropping the swords Enola flew to the spot where she once again lost an opportunity, banging her fits against the thick stubborn wall.

Leaving the room, she only turned briefly in hopes that maybe he came back when she wasn’t looking. Part of her felt relieved that he fled, but the other part confused that the battle that she had fought so hard to win was far from over.

Two Years Later

A loud crash filled the street air from a man that flew through a Great Harvest café window. Enola and her comrades emerged from the area through the shattered window with a look of satisfaction on their faces; her silk pants still adorned her body joined with her leather top. Kaley held the same complexion, but was actually getting the chance to do some field work for the first time in their long mission, still wearing her bright colored clothing that she always did. This time wore her sleeping attire of a white spaghetti strap top with a pair of velvet light blue pants that had “I love sleeping” written everywhere on them in navy. They were rolled at the waist to show off more of her flat belly that she had worked so hard at getting. Loren stood to the other side of Enola, arms crossed over his long duster coat chest that lay over a white t-shirt and black leather pants. Each held a weapon of sorts in their hand or hands. The leader of the group carried her short swords that she never went anywhere without while Kaley bore two silver sais that she periodically twirled in her hands and Loren braced his crossbow, aiming it at the man’s heart.

Over the last couple of years the trio had made their way back to the states where they tracked down one of the people they had sought with the idea in mind that Michael would be with them. When Enola had left the room where her fight ended prematurely, she had brutally slaughtered every last person who stood in her way as she went to her friends… except one… at least not until she got the information she was seeking. There had been a woman who had always been loyal to Michael… Eva. Even when Enola and Michael had dated, Eva was in the background watching with sinister eyes of daggers for the woman who seemed to be the center of every plan Michael was setting into place.

The huntress found Eva with little exertion for she contained the most fear out of any other creature. When her location was found, cowered in a closet… covering her ears from the screaming. She herself let out an ear piercing shriek when the large doors flew open and a hand reached in to chuck her like an animal. Enola didn’t hesitate to grab the terrified woman by her throat to slam Eva against a wall… nearly knocking the inexistent air from her lungs.

“Who is this person Michael speaks of that has my daughter?” Enola demanded; her hot and hunger-filled breath inches away from Eva’s. Stuttering, she denied knowing such information. At the time she finished her sentence, Enola loosened the grip for a brief moment before bringing her knee to connect with the vampire’s stomach.

“Do not speak such lies. I can smell the fear and deceit dripping from your skin. If you don’t tell me, I will rip every single body part from you until you’re nothing but a pathetic torso.”

When Eva denied once more of knowing anything, Eva picked up the knife resting on the vanity table and started cutting. Only the silken garments and top layer of skin were severed before Eva broke and told her everything she wanted to know.

“Her name is Jatarisa. You’ll find her in Utah… one of the last places anyone would ever find her. Michael said that she liked secluded areas… in the mountains where she could perform her rituals without interruption. There, I gave you the information. Now hold up your end,” Eva pleaded. She only wished that the wall could absorb her for the evil grin that Enola bared.

“I never said I would let you live, Eva,” Enola purred as she brought the knife into her captive’s chest and snapped the frail neck in one fluid motion.

Wiping her hands clean of the dust, she left to gather Loren and Kaley to leave. Never once had she told them of the horrible person she had become from releasing her anger. When she finally released them, she warned them not to go near her until she had a chance to suffice the hunger that pounded through her veins.

Now they stood on 25th Street in Ogden watching the man writhe and hiss at them. People passing by just stared at them in horror as they ran to their destinations to watch. That’s one thing Enola had learned about humans. Whenever anything happened out of the ordinary, they swarmed to watch the action… only at a distance.

“Where’s Jatarisa?” Loren growled, only to have the vampire spit at him.

Dropping to her knees, Enola grabbed the man’s arm and pulled up the fabric to reveal the tattoo she knew he would have… a snake coiled around half a moon. Her eyes met with the man’s and they changed to a vibrant black as she unsheathed her fangs, knowing then who she was from the tales that spread quick from her last rage, his gut endured a dropping sensation.

“I know you are one of her men from the tattoo on your arm. Do you really want to anger me?” She soothed calmly to get him speaking. They knew that they were growing closer with the amount of vampires they found with the mark. Enola could tell that this woman liked to brand her territory… a feeling of power.

“She is up in the Ogden canyon, way back in the mountains past Eden.”

“I know where this is,” she whispered as she stood. This state was where her mission all began. The area he spoke of was one she knew all too well for it was the place that her and Sebastian had gone camping when he was still alive. Waving her hand to Loren, she began walking away, hearing the man groan in pain when the arrow struck true.

“What’s going on, Enola?” Kaley asked as she ran to her friend, Loren trailing behind.

“We’ll head out tomorrow afternoon. I’ll direct you where to go, considering I won’t be able to drive. Right now I need to feed,” Enola had the look on her face of deep thought.

Being back where it all began was proving harder than she expected. Even though she still slept with Loren every night, he didn’t compare to the memories of Sebastian this place held that were fighting to reach the surface with her very presence. Getting into her car, they headed back to a city called Layton, where her parents resided.