Enter the Lioness

12.29.2006-1.9.2007

"Three... two... one... Happy New Year!" And then, everyone began to sing. "Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot, and sing of Auld Lang Syne? For Auld Lang Syne, my dear, for Auld Lang Syne..." People mumbled along, but no one honestly knew the rest of the verse, especially after a long evening filled with alcohol.

For the sake of my sanity, I was taking refuge out on the balcony where I could avoid having someone manhandle me when the clock struck twelve with the demise of the old year. The cool breeze blew against me, making its way through the open French doors as though more eager to be at this wretched party than I was. "The wind can have it," I murmured to myself, resting my chin on my hand as I leaned on the wooden railing that encircled the platform. I was as alone as I'd ever felt in my life, staring over the precipice into the darkness and wondering how it would feel to free myself and allow the breeze to carry me where it wished.

And then, in the blink of an eye, I was no longer alone. A man stood beside me, nearly mimicking my pose in his expensive Italian suit. He made the stance seem more natural and relaxed, obviously more at home in his own skin than I would ever be. His deep blue eyes were a spark of indigo in the darkness, his porcelain skin aglow in the moonlight as the same breeze which had left me for the party returned to ruffle his careless brunette curls and dance along his flawless features.

After a moment of silence between us, he was first to speak. "You needed to get away from all the excitement too, eh?" he asked with a sigh, seeming grateful to have some breathing room.

I nodded. "I absolutely loathe these upper-crust shindigs," I added. "Everyone's here to schmooze and see what monetary connections they can make. There isn't a soul here who really wants to make friends and get to know people. All the fake smiles and hugs make me sick."

He nodded, his beautiful face seeming suddenly sad. "Yes... The insincerity of this whole holiday season can be quite disheartening. However," he turned to me then, the full force of his oceanic gaze temporarily stunning me. "Do not lose faith entirely. There are a few genuine and caring people still present in this world." He smiled softly, a touch of a tremor in his voice as he added, "Enough good people left to allow us to cling to that spark of hope for humanity..."

I was completely enthralled by every aspect of him, swept away in the tide of his emotions that ebbed with his voice and roiled when my eyes met his. He stepped closer and took my hand in his, looking down at me slightly with a sudden intensity that made my heart skip a beat. His smile, a genuine expression that nearly made me melt, seemed to be for none other than me in that moment. "Here we are exchanging ideals like old friends, and I don't even know your name."

"Evelyn," I replied simply.

"Cain," was his response, his fingers cool and almost femininely smooth in mine.

"Your parents were mean too, hmm?" I teased with a little smirk.

Cain's only response was that enigmatic smile of his. After a moment of awkward silence while we stared at each other, his musical voice caressed my ears once more. "Evelyn... Do you think that, perhaps, you and I could..." He trailed off and seemed embarrassed, piquing my interest in both what he'd been about to say and what he could be thinking.

"You and I could, what, Cain? We did just meet and all."

He laughed suddenly, a bark of a laugh that made me jump slightly. "Oh, no. Nothing so serious as that." When his blue eyes met mine, they glittered with merriment. "I merely meant that I've had my eye on you all evening; this gorgeous, nameless vixen in a red dress who I didn't see with anyone all night." His voice became lower, darker, so intimate that it made me shiver. "I thought it would be a pity to begin the new year with those lovely lips of yours going untasted..."

I must have sampled the booze more than I'd originally thought. There was no way in hell that this beautiful - and most likely rich - young man had hunted me down all night to ask me for a kiss. I studied my feet very intensely, avoiding his gaze as I felt my cheeks burning. "I... I don't know what to say, Cain."

"Then don't say anything," he whispered, drawing me into his surprisingly strong arms. Cain kissed me then with such a passion that it felt as though he was trying to draw my soul up from my toes with his insistent lips. He cradled me in his arms, pressing me back against the railing that encircled the balcony. My body was pliant as clay, ready to be sculpted into something beautiful by his masterful hands.

Through my lust-induced fog, I thought I heard footsteps. A woman's footsteps, based on the distinctive click of heels against the deck. Cain growled a warning sound against my neck as though he were a predatory animal who wouldn't allow another predator to steal his prey. There was another click, much different and more ominous this time; it was the sound of a revolver being cocked.

The woman laughed and I dared to open my eyes and look fully at her. She seemed perfectly ordinary, around 5'6" and maybe one hundred and thirty-five pounds. Her hair was thick, short and a messy honey-dark mass that looked like it didn't know the meaning of the word "brush". The only odd thing about her was her faintly glowing blue eyes. She held the revolver in a steady two-handed pose that she probably could have kept forever.

"Give up the girl unless you want your unlife to end here, Father." she sneered the last as though it was derogatory rather than respectful.

Cain snarled and thrust me to the side, catching me off balance in my heels and toppling me onto my side on the deck. He dove at the other woman, roaring with a mouth full of wickedly sharp teeth and fingers that were now tipped with claws. My jaw dropped and I covered my ears, letting out an involuntary scream as the other woman fired six shots at point-blank range into Cain's body. Each bullet rocked his entire frame, but it only slowed him momentarily.

The two of them grappled and I was stunned. I'm no expert at ballistics or anatomy, but I'm pretty damned sure that a shot to the chest from less than a foot away should kill a man, not to mention five more bullets. But seeing Cain's now-twisted visage and savagery, I wondered at how I ever could have mistaken him for human.

No one inside had even heard the shots over the din of the party. As I glanced at the woman who had come to my rescue, I realized that I had to do something or she was going to lose. Her blood rain from too many wounds to count and she was quickly weakening from it.

I did the only thing I could think of: I pulled off both of my spike heels and dove for Cain's back, driving both of them deep into his soft flesh. He immediately dropped the other woman, throwing his head back and letting loose a high and keening screech that reminded me of the noise a cave full of agitated bats makes. He swung his arm at me suddenly, striking the side of my head that I went flying into the balcony railing, hitting my head again before sliding to the floor in a disoriented heap. The world swam and sparks filled the edges of my vision for a moment before everything cleared and the woman seemed to gain the upper hand.

Cain leapt into the air out of her reach, hovering there with my shoes still buried to the soles in his back. "This isn't over, Lioness." he growled. He stayed airborne and took off, almost like he was flying.

"That's what you fuckers always say!" the woman shouted after him.

I cradled my aching head, murmuring, "Must've gotten bonked harder than I thought..."

She sighed wearily, her cornflower blue dress torn and stained brown with blood. Her eyes no longer glowed as she came over and knelt before me, blood running in her eyes and matting her unruly hair down in places. "That was good thinking using your shoes like that," she said with a little smile. "You okay?"

I nodded slowly. "Now I'll have a headache from almost getting it knocked in instead of a hangover tomorrow. Can't decide which one's better." I winced.

She smirked and helped me to my feet. "My name's Leona. What's yours?"

"Evelyn."

"Let's go get cleaned up and back to the party then, Evelyn."

We helped each other to a nearby bathroom and washed up as best we could. I had a cut on my forehead, but easily concealed it behind my bangs. Leona was in much worse shape, but I couldn't thank her enough for saving me.

"No sweat," was her reply.

We rejoined the party and had a drink together before she excused herself and was lost in the sea of drunken revelers. It's been years and I haven't ever seen her, or anything similar to what Cain turned into, since then.

I keep wondering exactly what happened, but then I decide that I must have had a few drinks too many. No one else knew Leona or had even seen her; believe me, I asked around. I must have gotten drunk and slipped and banged my head, which is why I have this scar on my forehead. I really must have imagined the whole thing in an inebriated stupor. Who believes in vampires, anyway?