My parents warned me of the dangers of living outside the coven. Without a coven there was no protection; nowhere safe to sleep and nowhere safe to eat. To lose the protection of the coven was the worst event that could ever befall a vampire. Michael’s hand slid into mine as we watched Skull’s pub go up in flames. We could not go back to our coven and Skull’s coven had been slaughtered. We had nowhere to go. Deep inside the pub I could hear the monsters screaming and I wondered how many others were out there waiting for us?

“We have to go now!” Keira urged supporting Skull.

Neither Michael nor I responded because we both knew there was nowhere else to go. In a few moments time the fire engines and the police would descend upon the site and we needed to be gone by the time they arrived. A few drunks were staggering towards the blaze as well as some neighbours. They stared at us suspiciously as Keira pleaded for us to go. Eventually Michael broke out into a run and dived into the back alley, he kept a firm grip on my hand as he sped through the back streets away from the blaze. Keira followed dragging Skull with her. We stopped a few minutes later in an empty street. Michael turned to Keira and said,

“Call the car to fetch you and Skull. Me and Lorna will find somewhere else to stay.”

Keira’s eyes widened, “Michael those things are running around out there hunting you down! You can’t go squatting around London unprotected!”

“We don’t have choice.” Michael said bluntly.

Keira pursed her lips, she wanted to make some credible suggestion which would solve our dilemma but her eyes glazed over as she realised there was no alternative. Her eyes fluttered to the floor and she said softly,

“Well at least let me swap clothes with Lorna- she can’t go wandering about in that t-shirt.”

Michael let go of my hand and Keira and I slipped behind a shop and swapped clothes.

“They should fit,” Keira said. Her voice sounded weak and strained, “They’ve got a bit of stretch to them.”

“Thanks.” I replied sliding into the pink velour tracksuit.

“I’m sorry we’re not the same size shoe.”

“Well I’m sure I can pick something up somewhere.”

“Lorna,” Keira said deparately “Please don’t let them get you. I don’t think I could stand another Emma again.”

I looked up at Keira and saw the tears in her eyes.  I never thought Keira was capable of crying, the girl who once was the ultimate bitch to me.  She flung her arms around me and hugged me tightly then shoved her phone and wallet into my hands.

“Take these. There is two hundred pounds in there,” She said. “And make sure you call Sheldon, he’s working his ass off trying to find new leads.”

“He’s already found one.” I replied.

“Good. If he finds anything else out Skull and I will pursue it.” Keira said.

Michael appeared from the street dragging Skull, “We need to split, they’ve got a police helicopter flying above and think the slayers are operating it.”

“How do you know?” Keira asked.

“I sense the other archangels. They are close by.” Michael admitted.

Keira nodded and one last time gave me a hug, “You stay alive,” she ordered then looked at Michael, “And you better keep her fucking alive!”

Michael saluted Keira and nodded. She rolled her eyes and grabbed Skull, “Come on baby, lets get out of here.” She said to him.

They ran off in the opposite direction and Michael pulled my arm and we ran off in a different direction. I didn’t bother to ask where we were going because I didn’t know London that well. I knew we were in Camden and I recognised Regent’s Park as we passed that but that was the limit of my geography. After that we passed through estates and industrial sites until we came to a massive graveyard.

I stopped abruptly digging my heels into the ground when I saw row upon row of toppled tombstones and shabby mausoleums.

“Why are we in a graveyard?” I asked.

“This is the best place to sleep. We can break into one of the mausoleums and rest there for the day.”

“Sleep with dead people?”

“I’ll be with you.”

“No.”

“Lorna, I don’t have time to argue we have to find somewhere to sleep before sunrise.”

“I understand that but why here?”

“I can’t think of anywhere safer.”

“But it’s a graveyard full of dead and decaying corpses!”

“Lorna I don’t have the time or the energy to argue with you. We’re going to find a mausoleum and finish this discussion tomorrow.” Michael’s temper was starting to fray.

I shook my head and took another step back. Michael took a deep breath in and raked his fingers through his hair. The idea of sleeping in a tomb full of corpses and spiders and bleh, made my skin crawl. I was terrified of spiders and I was certain those dark damp tombs were full of great big spiders waiting to scuttle over my face.

“There’s no way, can’t we sneak back into the hotel.” I asked despeatly.

“Well darn, why didn’t I just think of that- oh wait because that is what the slayers are expecting you to do.”

“Michael don’t you dare get sarcastic with me.”

“Sorry Lorna I didn’t mean to come across as insensitive but this is your fault. You broke into the boat and you led those monsters back to the pub.”

“That’s not fair I didn’t know Micah had sent those things to follow me.”

“How could you not know!”

“I didn’t think Micah would do that! He said he wasn’t interested in me.”

“God you are so stupid!”

“Michael,” my voice broke and tears were beginning to fog up my vision. I blinked rapidly trying to keep myself under control. “Micah was my best friend as well as my ex. I’m sorry I got the old Micah mixed up with the new Micah. It’s hard to forget that the old Micah is gone.”

“Tell that to the burnt corpses of Skull’s gang.” Michael said flatly turning away from me.

The words were like a slap to the face. I had never meant to hrt anyone, I never thought Micah was capable of hurting anyone, I just made a mistake that ended up in the death of Skull’s coven. I couldn’t breathe, the air was stuck in my lungs clogging up my throat. Michael was now walking away from me along a dark path between the gravestones. He blamed me for their deaths. He blamed me for our current circumstance. I don’t know why but I turned to run. I got a few rows down when Michael threw himself ontop of me pinning me to the ground. I struggled but he quickly immobilized me by slamming both my wrists against the path.

“Stop it!” He ordered.

“No, let me go!” I cried.

“I’m tired of your shit, I’m taking you to the mausoleum with me!”

“No!” I screamed.

Michael covered his hand over my mouth muffling my scream.

“Sorry Lorna.” He apologized and grabbed a large broken fragment of tombstone from the side and raising it above my head. “You’ve left me with no choice baby.”

“You bastard! That is the last time I am ever sleeping with you! When I wake up I will run away from you.”

“That’s not going to happen.” Michael shrugged.

He moved to strike and instinctively I closed my eyes. Cool air brushed over my face and I heard a distant crack. Opening my eyes I looked up to see a young teenage boy standing over me. Michael had completely disappeared. I sat up and looked around,

“What happened?” I asked confused.

“I saved you.” The boy replied.

I blinked, I recognised him from somewhere.

“Who are you?” I asked.

I recognised him from somewhere before. I stuggled for a few moments then remembered I had seen him in the hotel elevator. He had mistaken my blue eyes for contacts. This boy who kind of resembled Zac Efron was one of the world’s oldest vampires from the noble Siberian blood lineage; he was also my Great Grandfather.

“Leandro.” I mummered remembering his identity.

He stopped in his tracks and turned to face me. Leandro was Magda’s Grandfather, he had exiled her when she had come out as Lesbian. Both Magda and Francesca suffered a long time discrimination from both covens until Francesca’s brother Duncan reconciled with them both. Leandro however refused to speak to them and subsequently I had always vowed never to acknowledge this man. He walked back to me and offered his hand out to help me up. I hesitated for a moment, should I accept it? Should I even be talking to this guy? Leandro made an irritable sigh and pulled me to my feet.

“Why are you here?” I asked.

“Magdalena contacted me after all these years begging me to help you.” He replied.

“Oh, well I don’t usually need rescuing from Michael.” I said.

“She explained to me what kind of trouble you were in and as your blood elder I feel it is only right that you are to be taken into my care until it is safe for you to return to your mother.”

“Wait, why are you doing this? You hate my parents.”

“Blood is blood whatever the circumstances. Magdalena is still my blood despite the decades of acrimony between us. You are still my blood despite all the events prior to your vampire birth. I only have two surviving heirs left and I will not lose one to either monsters or bureaucrats.”

“I’ll admit I need a place to stay but I don’t need a baby sitter.” I replied.

“The maturity of human is no way comparable with the maturity of a fully fledged vampire. As much as I would love to entertain your idea of adulthood I must be blunt.”

I didn’t know what to say. I felt I should refuse on principal to go with my Great Grandfather considering he didn’t approve of my parents relationship but on the other hand it was Magda that begged him to look after me. Glancing around the cemetery I realised I didn’t want to be napping with the dead and reluctantly agreed.