Prologue- England, 1690

The candles flickered, spurts of illumination danced upon the walls of the prison cell. It was rank, smelling vaguely like the many rats that inhibited it. Four slits on the wall allowed Lenore to glance outside at the full moon. She shivered, her arms clasping around herself tightly. The thin cotton dress did her no good, they may as well have stripped her bare. Nobody bothered to get close enough to shave her head, so her thick red locks hung limply around her shoulders. Tomorrow at dawn she was scheduled to die. She wasn't frightened; no she was more nervous about what was to come. Her ending would only be the beginning.

She turned her head and looked into the eyes of the priest who stood there. Her facial expression didn't change, she remained as cold as ice. He ran a hand through his blonde hair and let out a sorrowful sigh. He understood what she did, he knew how she helped rid the world of the evil that walked upon it. Yet for all the good she had done, they were going to repay her by killing her. She knew he felt sorry for her; she hated people's pity. " Do you have any last rites? Anything you want to confess? Be forgiven for?" He asked her quietly. She laughed, her voice sounding so sweet. She stood from the thin cot on the floor of the cell and walked towards the steel bars. She wrapped her fingers firmly around the bars and inspected the priest for a few moments.

" You know what I am Father. Tell me, would confessing anything do me any good?" She asked him, her eyebrow arched.

" But you have done no evil my child!" He exclaimed. She laughed again; she couldn't believe how innocent this young priest was. In reality he was older than herself, but she was wise. Far wiser than anyone who'd seen twenty one moons should be.

" I have done evil," she clarified softly, " In order to destroy evil. It is a vicious cycle Father. One you know nothing of. Now please, leave me to my rest. I have but six short hours left." He shook his head and carefully placed a warm hand on her fingers.

" I shall pray for you."

" There is nothing you can do for me Father," she argued. Why was he wasting his time? He didn't even know her! He smiled softly and removed his fingers from her own.

" I shall pray for you." He repeated, then he turned and walked away. She watched the last piece of his black robe disappear and then she slid to the cold cement ground. She watched with indifference as a roach scuttled across the floor. She could get out of this prison easily; oh yes, it would be simple indeed. But she couldn't. She was meant to die, and she was not one to tempt fate. There was nothing anyone could do for her now. She pulled her knees to her chest and lowered her head. How was she to prepare herself for her death? Was such a thing even possible?

-&-

The fire in the hearth danced merrily upon the walls of the library. Amery fastened his eyes to the portrait above the mantle. He stood from the royal blue chair he'd been sitting in and took a quick step towards it. The flames warmed his cool skin briefly; the warmth never lasted. His hand hesitantly touched the painting. He ran his fingers over Lenore's mouth. He had read the books over and over; by now he knew most of them by memory. Each time he read, he came to the same conclusion. This couldn't be prevented. Lenore had to die to restore balance in the world. 'Balance,' he scoffed in his mind. 'It's as if the heavens want the monsters to rule.' He took a small sip of the red liquid in his glass and sat back down in his chair. His mind began to wonder, his fingers tracing the top of his glass slowly. How had it come to this? He wanted so much to defy her wishes, but he couldn't. He respected her too much to do that. He flinched when a hand rested on his shoulder suddenly. He turned to Gwyneth's small smile.

" Get some rest Amery." She told him. He shook his head and directed his attention back to the portrait.

" I can't. I need to think. There has to be something! Something we're missing." He replied, slamming his cup onto a nearby table.

" Amery, you have looked over these books for the past three days. There's nothing in them that can help Lenore."

" There has to be!" He shouted, his fists clenched. Everything was silent in the room, except for the sweet blood coursing through her veins. He felt his canines descend, poking at his lip. Cursing, he walked out of the room. He made his way through the main hallway and stepped outside. It was a beautiful night; stars shined brightly beside the full moon. A slight breeze rustled the surrounding trees, perfuming the air with the scent of oncoming rain. Amery leaned against the house, the brick rough against his back. ' There has to be something. Anything,' he thought. He wouldn't just sit back and give up. He thought of her, all alone in the cell. He just wanted to wrap his arms around her, let her know she wasn't alone in this. " Lenore," he whispered, his words floating away with the breeze.

-&-

Her blood pumped through her body, strong and rich. ' That's the one." Caine though, licking his lips hungrily. His black hair was in a low ponytail, tossed behind his shoulder. His skin was creamy and pale, his eyes a light gray. He knew she wouldn't be able to resist him, they never could. She was a fine specimen indeed, easily the most beautiful one in the bar. Her dark hair was in ringlets around her face, her skin fair and seemingly delectable. Her dress was dark blue; her corset was tight round her, making her silky white breasts peek out of her dress. Caine smiled and stepped towards her. It would almost be a shame to kill her. Almost. Soon, every night would be like this. He wouldn't have to worry about that bitch of a slayer anymore. The thought of her burning widened his smile into a grin. He would be one of the many to see her perish at dawn. But, none of that would bother him now. He was hungry and needed to quench his thirst. He approached the woman and bent his head slightly.

" Could I interest you in a drink?" He asked her politely, lifting his head back up. She smiled, her green eyes devouring him. She seemed

quite pleased.

" You could interest me into more than a drink sir." She replied smoothly, coming closer to him. The men that had been around her slowly left, frowns on their faces. She was a whore, nothing more than that.

" For a price, I'm sure." She smiled and leaned forward, putting her lips to his ear. Her hand brushed the front of him lightly, hardening him with her touch. Arousal sparked strongly in Caine.

" Ay, but I can give you a’ hell of a good time," she told him. He took her hand in his, leading her out of the bar. She laughed from behind him. " And where will this happen kind sir?" She asked. Caine slammed her into the cement wall of the alley beside the bar. They were covered in darkness, only a shroud of moonlight streaming by them.

" Right here," he replied, putting his hands on her waist. Her neck was exposed, the blood singing to him from beneath the skin. But he had other things to do first. She smiled and put her hand around his neck. He could feel her free hand begin to fumble with the front of his pants. No other words needed to be said. His right hand was supporting him against the wall while his left swiftly lifted her many skirts. Moments later he plunged inside her. She let out a tiny gasp and he saw her eyes cloud over with pleasure. Caine smiled and slapped his hips against hers. The woman let out a low moan and hooked her legs around his waist, allowing him to go even deeper. He listened to her pleasure induced sounds while he felt himself come to a peak. As soon as he came, his hunger rose. He could feel his two teeth shifting, becoming slightly longer. Becoming fangs.

The woman let out a loud yell and then stopped her moving altogether. Sweat lined her forehead and her breathing was heavy. Caine could hear her blood rushing through the veins. He lowered his lips to her neck, kissing the skin softly. She let out a tiny laugh and unwrapped her legs from him. Caine could feel her smoothen her skirts down, but he wasn't going to let her leave. His tongue flicked over her skin, causing her to shudder. Her hand was still on the back of his neck, her fingers worked through his hair. " Ay, usually I don't do it more than once with a cust'mer, but you damn well showed me a bloody good time." She breathed. " For double the pay, we could 'ave another go." Caine smiled into her skin and nipped the flesh slightly with his teeth. She pulled back instantly; her eyes opened in surprise and her hand flew to her neck. Blood dribbled down her flesh, clouding all of Caine's senses with his blood lust. He ran his tongue over his teeth and grinned. Now fear shone brightly in her eyes. She opened her mouth to scream, but his hand was covering her lips before she could.

" Now, now. We mustn’t have that." He said to her. With his hand still over her mouth, he put his lips to her neck once more. He lapped up the dripping blood like a cat. She struggled against him; not knowing how much he enjoyed it. Finally, he bit down. Her blood gushed into his mouth like a stream. It was sweet, gliding down his throat like a good glass of brandy. Her struggling become weaker the more he drank. Soon, all the blood that had sustained her was gone; her heartbeat slowed and then stopped. He tossed the lifeless body aside and wiped the remaining blood from his mouth. Then he dug around in his pant pocket, closing his fingers on two coins. Caine threw them beside the body; he'd paid his whore. " Thanks for the bloody good time." He laughed, walking away into the night.

-&-

It was time. The crimson rays from the rising sun shone on the floor of Lenore's cell. She stood from the freezing cement and watched two prison guards make their way towards her. The barred door groaned with age as they opened it. She stepped forward, her face blank as a stone. One of the guards shoved her into the wall roughly. " Get moving witch," he mumbled as they made their way though the building. As soon as they pushed the door open, Lenore laid her eyes on the crowd of people waiting to see her death.

" Go on witch," the other guard spat at her. She made her way up to the platform; the stake looming above her. She swallowed down her fears and stood still as they tied her to the post. She stood tall and proud, her dress billowing in the breeze. Her back stood stiffly against the wood. The wind blew through her deep red hair as the storm brewed about her head. She looked into the crowd, all of them waiting for the witch to burn. Her cross laid gently against her neck. She could see Amery in the crowd; a black cloak over him. Hiding those beautiful locks of brown hair underneath; oh how she wanted to run her fingers through it just one more time.

His eyes burned into hers, with a passion she'd only felt with him. She didn't want to leave him, but she knew she had to, in order to complete the prophecy she had to die. The preacher stepped forward and held up a hand to the crowd, silencing them. She could feel the evil in the crowd, waiting to see her go up in flames. " We have gathered her today to witness the death of this demon!" The preacher shouted. The crowd let out a cry of joy. " She shall be an example for all the other abominations living amongst us. We shall not tolerate their evil ways any longer!" Another cry rang out from the crowd. A clap of thunder sounded above their heads.

" You all are fools!" She yelled out. They stopped and looked at her, their faces curious and fearful. " The deaths of you and your family members now hang on your head!"

" She's cursing us!" A villager exclaimed. The preacher grabbed a lit torch and stepped towards her. Amery started to come forward but she stopped him with her gaze. Pain was etched deeply on his face; she knew it was killing him to hold back. ' I'll come back for you.' She thought as the fire came closer. Then she started to chant the spell, Latin flowed out of her mouth quietly.

" Burn the witch!" Another farmer shouted. She opened her eyes and glanced at Amery.

" I love you," she whispered. Pain hit her, strong and hard. The flames slowly crept up her body, devouring her. She bit back a scream and tried to ignore the smells of burning flesh-her flesh. Smoke billowed around her and she lifted her head to the sky. It had to be done. " As ashes are ashes and dust is dust, I shall die. But I will rise again!" She cried out, completing the spell with her last breath.

-&-

Amery took a step back and lowered his head. He resisted the urge to kill each and every villager in the square watching his beloved burn. She never cried out in pain, she'd held it back. The smell of her burning flesh lingered over to him and he felt his stomach revolt. The fire consumed her until he couldn't even see her anymore. Beside him a man chuckled. Amery inhaled and knew it was a vampire. He growled and tightened his hands into fists. He studied him, inspected the vampire's cold gray eyes. The man smiled and bent his head, then he left, making his way through the square.

Rage and pain flowed through his veins as he walked home. He'd sat back and done nothing as she burned to death. 'Tis what she wanted.' He thought bitterly. ' You couldn't have stopped her.' The storm finally gave way and rain began to fall all around him. He looked back and saw the smoke still rising to the sky in the center of town. Her house laid on the outskirts of town, in the country. The Victorian mansion loomed into his view; it'd be so empty now that she was gone. He swung the door open and shook his hair, droplets of water hit the floor with a splash. The crowd that was seated in the dining area stood. He looked into each of their faces and shook his head. Gwyneth put a hand to her mouth and gasped.

" Lenore-" She began quietly, a tear sliding down her cheek.

" Tis gone." Amery finished for her. He threw his cloak aside and grabbed a glass of blood from on top of the table and sat down beside his friends.

" Then it has begun. . ." Marco whispered. Amery nodded his head and sat.

" Her death is only the beginning," he said aloud. " Now the dark shall reign until her return."

" When will she return?" Gwyneth asked fearfully. She knew what horror was to befall the world without Lenore there. She was, after all, the best hunter anyone had ever seen. She was queen of the light. She was the light's top warrior; and now she was gone.

" I don't know." Amery replied. " I truly don't." He looked at the fire that was burning in the fireplace, and for the briefest of seconds saw the face of his love in the flames. Then she disappeared. His heart already ached for her. But he knew he had a long wait in store for him, it was a good thing he could wait forever for her return. And he would.

A/N: Okay, this is the story that is taking " The Assassin's Kiss" ' s place. I hope you enjoy it. I certainly love writing it. I already have the first 3 chapters written, so they'll be posted according to however many reviews I get :) I know, I'm a review whore, it's true. The truth is, I love hearing from people who read my stories. I want to know how I'm doing, seeing as how this is what I want to be, a writer. So, tell me if you love it, hate it, or if you're indifferent. I'd love to hear from you all the same. Thanks for reading, and stick around. It only gets better ;)

Until next time,

Faith