Author’s Note: There's a spoiler warning on this one, but it's not major. So, here's another story! I've mixed MS and HtM together (okay, only three characters, but whatever). This has nothing to do with either story. Enjoy! (Warning for swearing!)

I walk down the street, hands shoved in the pockets of my coat. The air in front of me crystallizes as my warm breath hits it in small puffs.

I like winter. The other seasons are okay, I guess. I mean, summer has flowers, which smell nice, and fall has leaves, which are fun to jump in… I don’t really like spring, though. Too much water. Rain, floods, weird smell of decay…yeah, spring definitely isn’t one of my favourite things. But why is winter so great? Well, I like the cold, and the snow sparkles when the sun’s out, and it looks pretty at night…and being obsessed with shiny objects, it’s just kinda obvious that I’d like winter. Snow is very sparkly.

Anyway, it’s two days into winter break, and I have nothing to do. The twins are on vacation with their parents, and Alex has gone to visit his brother at university. Alas, I am alone. Sigh.

My boots making crunching sounds in the snow on the sidewalk, the only sound on the silent street. No one else is around. It’s weird. Then again, I am on the outskirts of town…

“Get away from me! Who the fuck are you?”

I jump at the sudden yell, spinning around. I don’t see anyone.

“Shut up,” hisses another voice.

BANG!

My dual-coloured eyes widen, face pale in shock. That was a gunshot. What the hell?!

Against my better judgment, I race towards the source of the noise, finding myself in a dark alley. Now, to go down the alley looking for a possible murderer, or pretend I wasn’t here, go home and give the police an anonymous call? Well, the first one sates my curiosity. The second…doesn’t.

…okay, alley it is.

I edge carefully and quietly along the wall, breath held and eyes wide for any movement. As I get further in, I frown. I don’t see anything…maybe I was just hearing things? Ugh, I should just go. I’m being an idiot.

I turn to leave, but suddenly find myself slammed against the icy alley wall, a gun pressed to my head. (It’s a good thing I took my meds, or I’d be transfixed by it.) A man not much taller than myself clad in jeans and a leather jacket peers at me from behind the weapon, blue eyes narrowed and a smirk on his feral face. His black hair is a mess around his face, making him look just that much more insane. I stare back, heart pounding in fear. Oh, holy shit. I’m gonna die. Why did I walk down here?! WHY?!

Curiosity killed the cat.

Shut up, brain!

“Who the hell are you?” growls the man, hand tightening around my neck.

I sneer, anger flooding me. Hey, I don’t like being grabbed my random men!

“That’s none of your fucking business,” I choke out, my own hands wrapping around his wrist.

He raises an eyebrow, amusement flooding his sapphire eyes.

“You’re not exactly in a position to say that, now, are you?” he drawls, tightening his fingers pointedly.

My lip curls as I glare at him defiantly. We’re gonna ignore the fact that I’m absolutely terrified and would be on the ground if he weren’t holding me up by my neck.

“So I’m gonna ask this again…” He leans in closer, suddenly looking pissed. “…who the hell are you?”

Okay, maybe answering him would be in my best interest. I value air, thank you very much.

“Maddy,” I grit out, nails digging into his pale skin. “Maddy Langley.”

“And what exactly are you doing down this alley, Maddy?” he purrs dangerously.

“Hey, you’re the one who just murdered someone!” I accuse, annoyed. “I was just coming to see what was going on!”

“Hm, not a very smart choice, eh?”

Yeah, yeah…jerk.

He suddenly releases his hold on me, and I collapse to my knees, coughing and rubbing my neck. Geez! I open my eyes to glare at him, but gasp when I find myself staring into the face of a very dead man. His green eyes are wide and blank, his mouth open with a trickle of blood running from the corner to stain the snow. Oh, holy shit. This is the guy who got shot. I’m the witness to a murder!

“You…you…” I struggle to form a sentence as I point accusingly at the man with the gun. He’s standing there, lighting a cigarette, and looking back at me with an ironic smile.

“Yeah, me. I killed him. What of it?”

“How could you just…kill him?” I hiss, horrified.

He shrugs, sticking his lighter in his pocket. “Easy. I used a gun.”

“But…but…why?”

Another shrug. “It’s my job.”

Oh, dear God. I’ve met my first assassin.

“So, kid, since you witnessed this…” The click of the gun. “…you have two choices. One: I kill you and hide your rotting corpse somewhere where you’ll never be found. Or two: you come with me.”

Oh, well, there’s a tough decision.

So, I take option three: run like hell.

I scramble to my feet and make a mad dash for the opening of the alleyway. I actually manage to nearly reach it before I’m tackled from behind. I yelp as my chin bashes against the ground, biting my tongue. Blood drips onto the snow as my arms are twisted behind me and held by one of the man’s hands. I’m hauled to my feet and slammed against the wall again, a knee digging into the small of my back to keep me pinned while his remaining hands twists itself in my hair and presses my face against the cold stone.

Well. There goes that plan.

The cigarette is still firmly gripped between his strangely sharp teeth, and my nose crinkles at the smoke wisping around my face.

“Nice try, kid, but running wasn’t one of your choices.” His dark voice is faintly amused, and a lot annoyed. Hm, maybe annoying the assassin isn’t such a great idea… “Now, let’s try again: do you want me to shoot you now, or are you gonna come with me?”

Death, going with the psycho, death, going with the psycho, death…

I sigh, defeated. “I’ll go with you.”

He releases me and I grimace, rubbing my arms. Jesus, that guy has a grip of steel.

“Let’s go.”

He walks toward the back of the alley, sticking his gun back in its holster. I raise an eyebrow.

“You’re just gonna leave the body there?” I ask, bemused. “You realize that a dead body lying in the middle of an alley isn’t exactly a common thing around here.”

He looks back at me, smirk on his sharp face.

“What, you’re tryin’ to help me?”

I flush. “No! I just…oh, whatever.” I scowl and trudge over to him, looking at the solid wall in front of us with crossed arms. “So. How are we getting over this, exactly?”

He shrugs. “Easy.”

He grabs my arm and before I know what’s going on, my arm is wrenched, there’s a rush of air, and we’re on the other side, the man still standing and me on my ass in the snow. I stare at him, eyes wide and mouth open. It takes a minute for me to get words out.

“What. The. Hell.” My trembling voice rises as I scoot backwards, away from the creepy guy in front of me. “What the hell are you?!”

He grins, bending towards me, expression dangerous. I flinch as his fingers swipe across my chin, coming away crimson.

“What am I, you ask?” His tongue licks the blood from his fingers, like a cat would cream. I watch in horror.

Oh, holy hell, I’ve been nabbed by a psychotic assassin with a blood fetish. Noooooo…

…ew! He drank my blood! That means we have some kinda weird tie now, doesn’t it? That’s how it always works in books.

He stares at me flatly.

“You haven’t figured it out, have you.” Statement, not question.

I scowl. “Yes, I have, you sick bastard! You stay away from my blood! I will not be part of your fetish!”

He rolls his dark blue eyes, grabbing hold of my coat and dragging me to my feet.

“Of all the kids in this town, I wind up with the stupid one. Great.”

I fight his hold on me, suddenly really not wanting to go with him. He’s probably gonna cut me up or something and drain my blood so he can drink it!

There’s something else that drinks blood other than a psycho with a fetish…

I pause, staring at him with disbelief.

“Wait…are you…a vam…pire?” It feels weird to even suggest that, but hey, I haven’t been having the most normal day!

He widens his eyes and nods slowly at me, acting like I’m an idiot. “Good job, Maddy, you figured it out!”

My jaw drops. “No way. There is no fucking way you’re a vampire.”

He sighs, pushing his other hand through his jet-black hair, but instead of saying anything, he drags me along with him away from the wall. Apparently he’s not gonna answer me. Jerk.

I stumble along behind him, tripping over drifted snow and skidding along patches of ice. The man doesn’t slow down or look back as he pulls me through a maze of alleys, so confusing I could never find my way back. Gah.

I’m looking down when he suddenly stops, and so end up slamming into his back. I look up in confusion.

“What1—?”

“Get in.”

Eyebrow raised, I peer around the assassin. My eyes widen. Now that is a pretty car. All sleek and shiny and black…

A shove startles me out of my admiration, and I stumble forward, catching myself on the side of the car. I shoot a glare back at the man, annoyed. Jesus, he’s a bit grabby, isn’t he?

“Get in,” he repeats in a growl. “I’m not telling you again.”

Grumbling to myself, I yank open the door and clamber into the dark interior, flinching as the door is slammed behind me. Hm. I wonder if this counts as kidnapping, now? Guess I’m a hostage, then. Goody.

“Uh, hello. Who are you…?”

I jump at the voice, peering around. Who the hell was that?! Why is it so dark in here? I think the windows in the back are blacked out…

A sudden light blinds me, and I blink rapidly to clear my vision of the spots. Gaaaaah!

“Sorry.” I hear movement and then a pale face is suddenly in front of me, grinning brightly. “Hi! I’m Aeryk.”

“Uhh…hi?” Isn’t Aeryk…a guy’s name?

A door slams in front and the man appears, dropping down in the driver’s seat. He starts the car, making me jump. Aeryk turns to him, glaring.

“Sorrel! Did you kidnap this boy?”

“I didn’t kidnap him. He had the choice to get shot. He chose this.”

“Oh, I wonder why.” He (I’ve decided it’s a he) turns back to me, rolling his jade eyes. “Sorry about him. He’s an asshole. He wouldn’t have actually shot you.”

“Yes, I would’ve.” The car starts moving.

“No, you wouldn’t have.”

…okay, I’m feeling the strong urge to jump out the window, moving car or not. I mean, there is something seriously wrong with these people.

“So, what’s you name?” Aeryk’s peering at me again, eyes wide in question.

“Maddy.” Y’know, on second thought, maybe I shouldn’t be telling my kidnappers my name…

“What’s that short for?”

Why does everyone assume that’s short for something?!

“Madeleine,” snickers Sorrel from the front.

I gape. “How did you know that?!”

“Sorrel, stop reading people’s minds without permission!” scolds Aeryk, exasperated.

“I didn’t read his mind. I stole his ID.” I can see his smirk in the rearview mirror. “I know his middle name, too, if you want that.”

“Don’t you dare.” I will inflict so much pain on his ass…

He sends me a cheeky grin as he says, “It’s Abigail.”

“Gah!” I lunge forward, hands out to strangle him, but before I can get close, I find myself pinned to the seat, Aeryk’s hands latched onto my arms.

“Calm down, Maddy,” he soothes.

“How can I calm down?!” I demand, teeth bared in anger. “I saw him1—” my finger jabs at Sorrel “1—murder someone, I got kidnapped, my kidnapper tried to convince me he’s a vampire, and now I’m trapped in a strange car, pinned to the seat by a guy that, frankly, I’m not fully convinced is a guy while Sorrel, or whatever his name is, spills my embarrassing secrets!” By this point I’m out of breath and panting, my face red with the exertion of my yelling.

Aeryk stares at me, and then starts laughing. I glower.

“What are you laughing at?!”

“I’m sorry,” he gasps, trying to stifle his chortling. “It’s just…your reaction…most people would be balled in a corner right now, but you’re…” He collapses into another fit of laughter.

I glare at him. “Yeah, well, I’m not most people. Now, if you’re done laughing, maybe you could tell me why kidnapping me is a good idea?”

“Eh, maybe we can ransom you or something,” says Sorrel, shrugging.

I raise an eyebrow. Okay, sure, I’m by no means a poor person (kinda obvious from the neighbourhood I live in), but ransom? Really?

“Aw, can’t we keep him?”

I stare at Aeryk in horror, which sets him off giggling again.

“I am not staying with a murderer and a complete psycho,” I exclaim, trying to scoot away.

“Hm, I guess I’m the murderer,” muses Sorrel. He grins. “And that, Aeryk, makes you the psycho.”

“Eh, I’ve been called worse.” His demeanour suddenly changes. “So, how did the hit go?” Jade eyes are trained on the dark-haired man up front.

He shrugs nonchalantly “Got him.”

“Oh, good. He was a bitch to find. We’ve been tracking him down for, what, eight months?” Aeryk leans back in his seat with a sigh, pushing his thin hand through his platinum blond hair.

“Yeah, something like that.”

“So, who was he, anyway?” I ask, looking between the two. Even if I am being kidnapped, I’m still curious.

Aeryk let out a dry laugh. “You don’t want the details. Just know that he was a bad guy and a demon.”

“Oh.” Then it clicks. “Wait, what? Demon? You are fucking kidding me!”

“There he goes again,” grumbles Sorrel. “Seriously, kid, just cuz you’ve lived a cozy life among humans doesn’t mean there aren’t strange things out there.”

“There’s no such thing as vampires!” I exclaim, hands flailing. “Or demons! You’re bonkers!”

“You told him you’re a vampire?” asks Aeryk, somewhat incredulously. Oh, good, someone sane! “You know people don’t handle the truth well.” …or not.

“Not you, too,” I groan, dropping my head back against my seat. “He’s not a vampire!”

“Oh, right, I’m a ‘psychotic assassin with a blood fetish’,” drawls Sorrel dryly.

I stare at him. “I never said that out loud.”

“Nope.”

“Then how did…?”

“Psychic. And how did I jump over that wall, pulling you with me? Vampire. Just accept it and move on.”

A whimper escapes me as I sink lower in my seat. I’m starting to believe him…

“He’s not lying,” says Aeryk, gently, seeming to sense my fragile state of mind as I stand perilously close to the edge of crazy. “He is a vampire. I am, too. It’s our job to hunt down bad guys and kill them.” He shoots me a twisted smile. “I guess that’s how you met Sorrel, huh?”

I stare back and nod numbly, feeling out of my depth. Oh, dear God.

What have I gotten myself into…?