Author’s Note: Hi everyone. Thanks to those who reviewed and to Sue for editing. I hope this chapter really explains everything to everyone. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 3

I shouted his name again but no one answered. My eyes scanned the street in both directions but he was no where. It had started to rain again while I was inside. As a steady downpour continued overhead, I ran into the empty street and looked to where the car was. I could tell from here that it was empty.

“Oh no. Where are you?” I mumbled to myself. “Izzy, did a tall guy with muscles come in, while I was here. Black hair, blue eyes. Izzy?” Izzy wasn’t behind the counter anymore, and the guy that had been at the bar was gone too. I scanned the room and couldn’t find anyone familiar. Something was wrong, very wrong. I could feel it. That same peculiar feeling came over me and I pulled out a switchblade from the inside pocket of Z’s jacket. My pocketknife was in my jeans pocket, so even if I was disarmed I still had a weapon on me. Both hands on the blade, I stood in a ready stance. My eyes searching for the danger I knew to be nearby.

Soundlessly, and without warning, a foot came out and kicked the blade from my hands. An arm circled my waist, and a hand held a knife to my throat. A baseball cap fell over my shoulder and landed at my feet. So, this is what it came down to. “Who are you?” I asked my voice surprisingly strong. I was quivering inside.

“Want to dance?”

I gasped in horror. “Blaze!” His grip on my waist tightened, but he put his knife away.

“You miss me?” he teased, whispering into my ear. “You know, you are a very hard girl to find. But, in the end, you were found.”

“Where’s Z?”

“Your little pal? Don’t worry, sweets, he’s safely in the hands of the six’s.”

“Don’t call me sweets, you filthy piece of--” He tsked at me and pulled me towards the exit. I struggled against him but his grip was unbreakable. Outside, he whistled loudly and a van sped down the street towards us. The door swung open and Blaze pushed me inside. I reached for the door handle at the other side of the car but Blaze lunged for me, pulling me back to him. I screamed, trying to elbow him. He swore as my elbow collided with his face, then he hit me in the side of the head. I slumped down in pain, suddenly feeling very fragile. My vision swam before my eyes as the pounding in my head increased. Then, I fainted.

I woke up in a dark room. I was laying on a bed, a blanket haphazardly thrown over me. The pounding in my head was almost gone. I pulled myself to my feet and stumbled to the door, still feeling light headed. As I reached for the knob, the door opened and Blaze stepped inside.

“Blaze,” I growled. I swung at him and lost my balance, falling against him. Suddenly, an image flashed in my mind. It was of Blaze in an old-fashioned suit. He was smiling at me and we were dancing. I looked down and instead of my filthy jeans I found myself wearing a dark blue dress. People were dancing around us in similar old-fashioned dresses and suits. Blaze was still smiling as he led me across the dance floor.

A sharp tug brought me back to the bedroom. Blaze was holding me up. My fingers gripped his shirt tightly as he steadied me. I saw a flicker of sympathy flash in his eyes before he was back to his old self.

“You did miss me. How sweet of you,” he stated, mockingly. I was still feeling a little disoriented. I couldn’t get the picture of us dancing out of my mind. I stared at him stupidly, searching his eyes for the happiness I had seen, but I found nothing. He rolled his eyes at me, and lifted me into his arms. He walked back to the bed, and gently put me on top of it.

I opened my mouth to say something but what came out surprised me. “Nicholas.” Blaze froze. He stared at me quizzically. I was just as surprised as him. Where had that come from? I shook my head trying to clear my thoughts. He turned to leave, but I stopped him. “What do you want with me? I heard your friends say that you wanted me. Why? I haven’t done anything to you.”

For a moment, I could see the sorrow in his eyes as he remembered a pain from long ago. “Yes, you did do something. You did it twice. You broke my heart.” My jaw dropped and Blaze vanished. I looked around but he was gone. You broke my heart? What the hell is he talking about? I sat dumbstruck, thinking for hours. When the hunger in my stomach became unbearable, I got up. I was no longer lightheaded, but I was still confused. I walked down the hallway leading away from the bedroom. At the end of the hall was a room. Cigarette buds and trash lay everywhere. The air was stale and my nose scrunched up in response to an awful smell coming from the corner.

A door was open to my left and I could see the street from where I stood. With the thought of freedom, I sprinted as fast as I could. Something moved in front of me and I collided with someone, falling backwards. I landed with a loud thud. Groaning I stood up, finding myself face to face with Spike. Just peachy.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

I smiled innocently. He turned his head to look behind him and I kicked out, getting him right where it hurts most. He crumpled to the ground in agony and I leaped over him. Shouts sounded from my right as I dashed down the street, looking for someplace to hide. An old church stood about a block away. Vaulting over the fence, I prayed that the door would be unlocked. When the door slammed open I let out a little cry of joy. The sound echoed off the walls and startled me. The church was beautiful. Stained glass windows of saints lined the walls, while old pews lined the floor. The altar was of marble, smooth and cool to the touch. Behind the altar hung a large, wooden cross. I genuflected, saying a quick prayer for the Black Angels’ safety.

“Nice, isn’t it?” I spun around to see Drew sitting in the front pew. I nodded, alert to my surroundings. “I’m not going to hurt you, Lena. I promise.”

“I know.” Oddly enough, I did know that he wouldn’t hurt me. “So, Blaze is your brother?” I decided to keep him talking while I came up with a plan.

“In a way,” he shrugged. “He took me in, gave me a home, a family. I owe him my life. He started calling me little brother as a way of reminding me that,” said Drew, his eyes never leaving mine. I stared at him, taking in his dark looks that seemed so familiar. Too familiar to belong to a boy I recently met.

“Is Blaze insane?”

“Huh? Blaze? No way. He is the sanest person I have ever met. He’s also the smartest. Nothing gets past him.”

“Sounds like you look up to him,” I said disgusted.

“I do. He may seem evil to you, but he’s been through a lot. More than most people. Sometimes I want to be him, but then I also decide that I wouldn’t want the life he leads.”

“Where’s my family? Where are Mark, and George, and Z, and Cherry, and Lyda?” My voice cracked. “I need them.” Hot tears began to trail down my cheeks as I thought of them. I wanted Mark. I wanted to feel the safety of having my brother next to me.

“Please don’t cry,” said Drew trying to soothe me. It only made me cry harder. Drew came over to me, wiping my face with his thumbs. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into him. Again I suddenly found myself in another time. Drew was holding me to him as I cried into his shoulder. His sleeve was soaked through. We were in a room where an old woman lay in her bed. My heart stopped as I realized she was dead. Once again, another name came from my mouth. May. With a tug I was jolted back to the church.

Throwing myself away from Drew, I became swarmed with memories that weren’t mine: memories of me and Drew; memories of me and Blaze; memories of me and the woman who lay dead. I screamed, my hands flying to my face as I wished the thoughts away. I was overwhelmed by the images of another lifetime. So overwhelmed that I fell to my knees, folding into myself. I prayed for God to make the pain stop. As if my prayer was granted, the images vanished. The mental images faded and I found myself lying on the floor of the church. My body was covered in sweat yet I shivered even though the church was quite warm.

“Lena!” shouted Drew. He was bending over me, unsure of what to do. Shaking his head, he hauled me up into his arms, and carried me from the church, shouting for someone to help him. Then Blaze was there. Drew put me on the ground and I screamed, pushing myself to my feet. Like a madwoman, I sprinted away. I was terrified of the memories and I wanted nothing more than to get away.

“Stop! We can help you!” shouted Blaze behind me. Then, he was in front of me. His arms grabbed me and I found myself incapable of movement.

“What do you want from me!” I screamed, nearly hysterical. Then, Blaze put his hand to my forehead. A flood of memories overpowered me. I saw life as if it was a movie on fast-forward. It was of a girl, identical to me. I watched her life unfold, getting glimpses of images and memories: a funeral, a tombstone, a friend, an old woman, a small boy, a nameless shadow, then Drew, Blaze, and lastly, a room. This time, the image slowed. I watched as the girl shouted to Drew and the little boy who disappeared up a staircase and out of sight. The girl turned around with determination in her eyes. She faced a crowd of people coming after her. No, not people. Vampires. She dove into the crowd, one against twenty. Then she was killed.

“What was that?” I gasped coming back to the present.

“Those were the memories from your past life. You were once a girl named Selena Moonstone. You were a vampire hunter. You--”

“No, the end,” I interrupted. “Wait.” I froze. Past life? Those memories were mine? Then oddly, I remembered everything. The memories were no longer a stranger’s. They were mine. I could remember every touch, taste, smell, emotion. Everything about them was familiar; the happiness and the joy, but mostly the pain and loneliness. I looked at Drew and in my mind he was Andrew, a boy who I learned to trust, a boy I had learned to love. I saw Blaze and he became Nicholas. He became the betrayer of my heart as it beat its last beat. As I died.

“Blaze?” I asked, my voice faltering. “No, Nicholas. Your name is Nicholas. You—you’re a—I can’t even say it. Drew—I don’t know anything anymore. What’s happening to me?” I cried out. Drew crouched down beside me, his hands on my shoulders.

“The same happened to me. When Blaze found me, the memories came rushing back to me too. I could remember everything. I could remember you, and Barrett and my life after that night you died. At first, it hurt. The pain wouldn’t go away. But it eventually died down. Then, I saw you that day at the park and I knew. I knew it was you, and I knew you felt it too when you clung to me the evening we came to have you join the six’s.”

“No.” I whipped out my pocketknife, thrusting myself away from Drew. “You killed me. You fucking killed me!” The anger that Blaze had been holding now came forth.

“Yes, I killed you. How could I not? You didn’t want me. You killed Carni! You killed my brother! Then…then you turned on me and went for Andrew. You fell in love with him. That was when I realized that even a vampire has a heart. You ripped it out. I gave you a chance, and you said no. So, I killed you. It’s that simple. And now, after I’m through with your pathetic little gang, I’ll kill you again! It has been three hundred years since you died. Three hundred years I have suffered,” Blaze spat.

“Three hundred years you have been living a lie. It’s your nature to kill, and just like I once set out to kill you, I will again. You will die at the hands of Lena Mose Stoonen, reincarnated from Selena Moonstone, vampire hunter. You will face your maker Nicholas!” I lunged forward, the tip of my knife grazing Nicholas’s shoulder, before he threw me to the side.

“Where’s my family, Nicholas?” I taunted. He vanished, but I stood my ground. “Where’s my family!”