France, 1428

The pain was excruciating. I couldn't imagine anything worse. I couldn't move, I couldn't breath without sending searing pain down my chest, a leg rested at an odd angle, and so did part of one of my arms. I could only stare straight up, at the jagged cliff I had just thrown myself from, silhouetted against the night sky dotted with stars. I felt blood bubble at the corner of my mouth and then pop as I struggled to take a breath.

I just closed my eyes and waited for it all to end. Surely I would be dead soon.

Each breath was harder than the last, the pain increasing. Shouldn't death be taking away the pain. I opened my eyes only to find my vision perfectly clear. This was not dying as I had planned. This was worse. The agony was unbearable.

A shuffle of movement to the side made me want to turn my head, but I only whimpered at the pain the attempted movement caused. Then, into my line of vison walked the most beautiful man I had probably ever seen in my life. He was dressed in leathers and furs that looked to be brand new. His hair fell in ringlets that touched his shoulder, but the moon leached all color from his face, so it was impossible to determine the color. His face was lined with just enough wrinkles to make him look like a distinguished gentleman. As he gazed down at me, he looked saddened. Part of me wondered if I was finally dying and this was my guardian angle come to take me away. It would make more sense than a man wandering alone in the deep crevice of a ravine at night.

"Poor thing," he said, his voice as sweet as honey.

"Come on Drac," said another voice, coming form a person I could not see. This voice was harsher and sounded bored. "Leave her. She's beyond our aide."

I was inclined to believe the man with the harsh voice. They should just leave me here to die. I closed my eyes again.

"Nonsense, Sebastian," said the first voice. "You know we can save her, you just do not want to."

I could have sworn I heard an animalistic snarl come from the second man, Sebastian. "No, I must confess that I do not. You saw her throw herself off that cliff just as well I as. What kind of weak minded woman would want to end her life? We do not need some of her sort following us."

Now I was even more convinced that I was hallucinating wildly. Nothing either of these men were saying made any sense. Behind my closed eyelids, I began to feel dizzy. My body was finally shutting down, the pain was fading and I was dying. The two men continued to argue, but their voices sounded like they were at the end of a very long tunnel.

Finally, a jostle of movement jerked me back to my pin filled body. I cried out, my eyes flying open as I was jerked back to the present moment, pain slicing every inch of my body once again. Something was making small, whimpering noises, and it took a moment to realize that something was me. I was whimpering.

It was the first man who had picked me up halfway, leaning me against him. His face half in shadow, I could now see that his hair was the color of alabaster. He was truly very handsome as he smiled at me. "I'm going to help you out love," he said, picking up the arm that wasn't mangled and bringing it to his lips. His accent was impossible to place. "This will hurt, but it will be for the better.

My pain fogged mind didn't have time to register what he was saying or doing before bit the pulse point on my wrist. At first, I felt nothing. The pain in the rest of my body was far worse than his small bite. Then, all of a sudden, I felt like fire was racing though my veins, starting from his bite on my wrist. It felt like hot knives were stabbing at every nerve in my body. I was sure I was screaming and twisting against the hands holding me still, but I can't get past anything from the pain. Death would have been better. Death was preferable.

Then, like a large overgrown bat, a set of black wings descended on the scene, wiping away the images of my transition into a vampire and the pain I was experiencing. My body laid there in a void, whole and pain free. I heard Simone's voice echo from around me and the scene changes to something more soothing, a long stretch of beach with the setting sun. "Be calm, Belle. I am here. I will carry the darkness away." Simone's voice fades as I sat on the beach, arms wrapped around me legs, and I finally relaxed.

Present day, San Fransisco

I wasn't sure how much longer I had slept before I woke, phantom pains from my nightmare plaguing my body. Half of my bed was rumpled, indicating that Simone had slept next to me while she got rid of the nightmare I had been having. The tank top and shorts I wore as pajamas were damp, telling me I must have been sweating. I had probably been screaming too, as I had in my dream, alerting Simone to my plight. I was starting to get tired of my dreams. I didn't have them often, but the fact that I was having so many, so close together while I have a potential stalker from my past lurking about was not a good sign.

I never wanted to relive that day again in my life.

But of course, life was never that easy.

After I showered and changed, I made my way downstairs. The clock in the hallway told me it was well past noon, which was odd for me. I certainly didn't need sleep, or food or air really, but living among humans had opened me up to the habits. Plus sleep was relaxing. Most of the time.

The back of my throat burned and my mouth felt dry as I walked. I needed to feed soon. It had been too long. Perhaps Simone would accompany me. So, I made my way down the stairs, but the only two people in the house were Devon and Lucas, sharing a bowl of popcorn on the couch and watching a movie. I leaned on the back of the couch between them.

"Where did Simone go?" I asked.

Devon barely glanced at me, keeping his eyes on the screen. "Not sure," he said around a mouthful of popcorn. "She just said she was going out."

I stifled a sigh. "And Noah?"

"School."

I knew better than to ask Devon to hunt with me. He wouldn't leave Lucas. Besides, with Luke as his mate and not a vampire, Devon had access to his blood 24/7 if he ever wanted to feed. So instead, I headed to the front door by myself.

The sun was already on the decline as I stepped outside, but that didn't bother me. What did bother me was the little slip of paper stuck to my door that fluttered in the wind as I opened it. There was only one line of text written in very loopy handwriting: "Meet me at Great Meadow Park at dusk".

With a low growl, I yanked the note off the door and stormed back inside, dropping it on Luke's lap. "Look at this."

He seemed baffled and Devon shot me a glare. As Luke moved to pick up the note and read it, I caught a glimpse of the bite mark on his shoulder, just under his shirt. Devon's Claiming mark.

"Is she here?" Luke handed the note back, his hand shaking slightly and his face pale.

"It would seem so," I said gently and he gasped at Devon. "I will meet her, but you don't have to see her if you don't want to."

Luke bobbed his head in understanding and I left Devon to console his boyfriend. Meeting at dusk didn't leave much time for a hunt, so instead I went to Simone's room and took a baggie of blood from the local hospital that she kept in her mini fridge. I hated cold blood, but it would have to do for now.

I had a few hours to kill, so I grabbed my camera and decided to go through yesterday's pictures and determine which ones I would send to be published in the magazine. Like always when you're dreading something, time seems to fly by. Half an hour before dusk, I left the townhouse and started making my way to Great Meadow Park. Neither Simone nor Noah had returned home yet.

The sun was low on the horizon when I arrived at the park. Usually, the park was still filled despite the late hour, but tonight, it was oddly empty. I knew that there's always more that meets the eye. Sure enough, like they blinked into existence, three figures began walking toward me. Actually, gliding was a more accurate description. The one in the middle was shorter than me by a head, but she held herself tall and regally. A crown of spikes adorned her auburn hair, almost as gaudy as the green and gold dress she was wearing. Her feet didn't touch the ground, instead, she hovered a few inches above it, held by gossamer, iridescent wings that beat almost too fast for the eyes to see. Traveling a step behind her were two more who hovered above the ground, one wearing black and the other wearing white. Both seemed very plain in comparison to their mistress, and both kept their heads bowed. I knew the park was filled with unseen guards as well, ready to defend of attack on commend.

"Lillianna, Queen of the Fairies," I said, careful to keep my voice neutral. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

The Fairy Queen gave me a small nod. "Isabelle, a pleasure as always." Her voice was sweet, but held no emotion. I hated dealing with dignitaries.

"I'm sure. What do you want?"

"I came to take my son home." The words were so flat I couldn't tell if she was being serious.

I quirked an eyebrow at her. "You renounced him. Taking him home is out of the question." She didn't move. "I'm surprised to see you care at all." Now I was mocking her, but I couldn't help myself.

However, Lillianna was a master at schooling her features. Nothing about her showed any emotion, so she wasn't rising to my bait. "Is it wrong for a mother to want her son to come home?"

I scoffed. "For you, yes. You all but kicked Luke out. You wanted nothing to do with him. You cast him out, of your court, of your life, all because he was more human than fairy, a thought you couldn't live with even though you're the one who slept with a human." I spat at her. "Excuse me for giving him a home."

Still, her regal mask didn't crack, but she did dip her head, almost seeming apologetic. I knew better. "I have seen the error of my ways, and I would like for Lucas to come home now."

"Even if I was inclined to believe you, which I'm not, it's out of my hands. He's been Claimed by Devon." I folded my arms across my chest as if that settled the matter. "I will not go against the laws of my own species to appease you. Once a mate is Claimed, nothing but death can separate them, not me, not you. Besides, in all the centuries me and Devon have been together, this is the happiest I've seen him. Do not ask me to ruin my brother's happiness because I will not. Especially not when the reason is that you want Luke back at your side."

"The world is changing. I want my son protected from harm." Her voice now had a hard edge to it. It almost seemed like she actually cared.

"He's perfectly safe with me and my coven. Devon would die before letting any harm come to him."

"I understand that, but I don't think Devon could protect him from what is stirring in Europe."

My body ran cold at that. "What trouble?"

Lillianna twitched her hand, gesturing to me. "Walk with me."

Repressing a sigh in frustration,  I fell into step beside her. We walked in silence for a moment, well I walked, she glided, her maids following soundlessly behind us. The guards still remained invisible, protected by their own brand of magic that I couldn't penetrate. We passed trees and shrubberies and beds of colorful flowers before we reached the edge of the park, looking out into the San Francisco Bay. The sun was now touching the horizon, a bright yellow orb that painted the sky in orange and purple. Alcatraz Island sat as a tiny silhouette of black against the sun.

I was beginning to loose my patience with the Queen. Silently, I brushed my mind against her, only to find her mind guarded by a solid black wall that wasn't worth trying to break. She cut a sideways look at me, but didn't rebuke me for trying to evade her mind.

The sun sank lower before she finally spoke. "He is looking for you."

I knew who she meant so I didn't ask. "He's been looking for me for five centuries now. That's nothing new."

"Yes, but this time he has sent a skilled hunter to bring you to him, dead or alive." My quizzical expression was enough for her to go on. "Like your sire before you, he has created a protégée, someone to lead when he is indisposed. I do not know who this new vampire is, but he is said to be as cunning and ruthless as his master, some even call him worse. I would not dismiss him so lightly."

I worked my jaw, chewing on the words. "Have you heard any unsettling stories about a strange vampire in this area?"

"My residence is New York, not San Francisco," the Queen replied flatly. "All I know is that this new vampire has come across the sea and he's hunting you." She finally turned to gave me, her blue eyes were exactly like Luke's but that's where the similarities between them ended. "But judging from your question, I would assume that you know he's already close. In fact, I would guess that he's here in the city at this very moment."

The urge to strike her down was almost overwhelming, but her guards would be on me faster than even I could move. "How do I know your information is reliable?" I asked instead through gritted teeth.

Her answering grin was as sharp as a knife. "I would not lie to you, even if I could." I opened my mouth to protest, but she cut me off gracefully. "No, let me finish. Firstly, despite our disagreements, you took in my son and gave him sanctuary. I will forever be grateful. Secondly, even after all I have said, I have faith in you. I have never doubted your abilities. You are the only one strong enough to stop him and I believe that you will. You were born a leader, no crown or throne needed, and many of your own recognize that as they cry for your ascension. I recognize that. You would make a wonderful queen once you take up the mantel."

"And what if I don't want to be queen?" My voice came out much weaker than I had intended and I hated myself for it, but she seemed to soften.

"None of us who are just rulers truly wish to rule, and it is for that reason that we treat the title with such care, and do not Lord it over our subjects as other might."

I shook my head in denial. "It doesn't matter, there is no weapon that can stop him."

Lillianna gripped my arm, her strength surprising me. "You don't need a weapon, you are a weapon. You are the only one strong enough to stop him. If you fail, your whole species would descend into chaos, and with it, they will bring down the rest of the world and life as we know it."

I met her steady gaze. If it wasn't for the inability for fairies to lie, I wouldn't believe her at all. She was right about me being born to be queen. It was the reason I had been turned, so that I may take the throne when my sire was ready to step down, but the crown had been stolen from me before I got the chance. At first, I was furious, but Simone had bid me to wait for the right time to strike, so we stayed one step ahead, always running. After a century, I began to think I wasn't meant to be Queen and I decided I didn't want the role. That didn't stop me from being hunted because I was always a threat. Lillianna was right, I was the only one strong enough to stop him, but still, I did not want the crown. But if what she was was true, then the King was forming a plan that would bring down our entire species, now I was meant to save them. I couldn't let them down. I could not doom the very people I was meant to protect. I had already run away once. It was time to face my destiny.

The Fairy Queen let me settle my thoughts in private, staring out over the water. Finally, she said, "May I at least see my son? I will bargain you for it."

That pulled a snort out of me. Pushing away thoughts of having to fight for a crown I don't particularly want, I turned to her. "Fairy bargains are a very serious matter. What do you have to offer me that I could want?"

The Queen gestured behind her and the maid wearing the black dress pulled something seemingly out of nowhere and pressed it into her Queen's hand. I could smell it before she held it out to me. In her hand was a small bottle of thick red liquid. Blood. My mouth watered at the scent.

"I offer you a small amount of my blood, freshly drawn only an hour ago, in exchange for the chance to see my son." For a small second, true grief cracked her mask of perfection. For that second, she truly looked like mother grieving after her son, and I hate to admit it, but my heart went out to her for it.

I licked my lips. Fairy blood was the most desirable thing for a vampire. Even Luke with his blood half Fairy was enticing, too bad he was Claimed by Devon already. And here the Queen was, offering me her blood.

"I accept this bargain," I said, closing my hand around the small glass. It was still warm. "I accept with the understanding that I will invite you to my home to see him, but it is Luke's choice whether he sees you or not."

The queen nodded and relinquished her hold on her blood.

The sun has now fully set now, leaving us in the dark, but it wasn't a problem for either of us as we walked by to my house. When I opened the door, Luke and Devon were standing in the hall, Devon with his arm around the latter, who was looking at the floor.

"Luke," I said gently. "Your mother would like to speak with you, but remember what I said this morning."

He didn't say anything and Lillianna stepped farther into the hall towards him.

"Hello mother," he said dully, still not looking at her.

"Devon," I said, an order in my tone. He didn't look like he wanted to, but he followed my silent order and went upstairs with me, leaving them to each other. When I looked over my shoulder on the stairs, Lillian was embracing her son and Luke was hugging her back.

We piled into my bedroom and I closed the door behind me. Already, the Queen was using her own brand of magic to block her words from our advanced hearing, but I wasn't worried. With quick movements, I unscrewed the cap of the queen's bottle and tipped the blood down my throat. Her blood electrified me. Every nerve in my body seemed to tingle in response. Immediately, the cravings my bloodlust had stirred where ebbing away, leaving me feeling much better, making my senses sharper and my reflexes quicker.

"I'm going out tonight," I told Devon, who was sitting on my bed. He looked strangely lonely without Luke beside him. I had already become so accustomed to the sight of seeing them together that seeing them apart was alarming, even though it had only been five years since they got together.

"Where?" He asked in a sulky voice, but I knew he didn't care, so I didn't bother to tell him.

"Just out," I said and began to gather clothes. Devon didn't ask anymore questions, instead staring blankly out my window and into the street. On the steps leading to the door where two of the Queen's guards, their glamour removed, making them visible. They were wearing pitch black armor and didn't move a muscle. Once the Queen left, I would make my way into town.

It was time to go hunting for some vampires.