 
## Cynthia D. Witherspoon

# The Lillian

### 
UUID: 4427d582-01c3-11e9-8e10-17532927e555

This ebook was created with StreetLib Write  
<http://write.streetlib.com>

## Table of contents

  * The Daughters of Bathory: Volume 1
  * Other Books by the Author
  * Prologue
  * Chapter One
  * Chapter Two
  * Chapter Three
  * Chapter Four
  * Chapter Five
  * Chapter Six
  * Chapter Seven
  * Chapter Eight
  * Chapter Nine
  * Chapter Ten
  * Chapter Eleven
  * Epilogue
  * About the Author

#  The Daughters of Bathory: Volume 1

##

**The Lillian**

Cynthia D. Witherspoon

Story ©copyright Cynthia D. Witherspoon 2015

Cover art:  Rayana   by Fillpe Rivelll; edited for cover use.

Creative Commons.

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this e-book. This work is the property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied, and/or distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to get their own copy at their ebook retailer, where they can also discover other works by

Cynthia D. Witherspoon. Thank you for your support.

_A note from the author:_

Thank you for reading this story. I'd appreciate it if you'd take a moment to write a review with your favorite retailer and share your thoughts on my work. Feedback is always appreciated, and I love hearing from my readers!

#  Other Books by the Author

##

_**The Oracle Series** _

_Volume One: The Sibyl is available for free through Google Play, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble.com!_

** The Oracle Series: The Sibyl **

Every Ghost Has A Story.

I was going to find that out the hard way. I should have known the second Apollo's sixth Sibyl tricked me into taking her place that my life was going to be hell after that.

It was easier to convince myself I'd gone crazy. Hell, I'd signed up to be on television. That was the first clue my head was screwed up. The second?

When I started seeing ghosts in the mirrors. Spirits who told me their horrible tales. Or like the one I faced on my first episode who slit my damn throat. Just as hers had been.

For better or worse, I was now a messenger of the dead thanks to a greek god I couldn't believe actually existed. I had two choices. Succeed or relinquish this crazy life to someone else.

And in the process, lose my own.

_Includes bonus anthology Grave Messages: Season One!_

#  Prologue

##

I knew what I wanted. I knew who I wanted to be. And by God, I had done everything that was expected of me. I excelled in my classes. I bought every magazine and study every hairstyle that was _the_ trend. But it wasn't enough.

Nothing I did was ever enough.

I clutched the book close to my chest. It was almost time. I would be good enough. I would fit in and be the type of girl I had idolized since I was ten. Thin. Pretty. Popular. You know. The basics that had been drilled into my head from the moment I laid my eyes on my first Barbie doll.

I dropped the book on the table I had knelt in front of to make sure I had all the ingredients required. White and pink candles for beauty. Cinnamon for success. A piece of parchment and a red pen. A mirror to see my own transformation. The words I needed to say to make my dreams come true.

Magick. Hope. These were two halves of a whole according to the book I'd found three days before. I brushed my hand over the cover with a smile. Someone had left it out on a table at the library downtown. I stumbled on it by accident.

Maybe. Or maybe it was fate. Perhaps this was the key to my happiness. Perhaps this would give me the strength to be who I wanted to be.

I heard the clock downstairs chime twice. It was time.

I was surprised to find my hands were shaking when I lifted the lighter to the candle closest to me. It took a while, but I finally got them lit. Five candles. Five flames. Five sparks to start my life over.

"Well, that's done." I took a breath. "Time to do some magick, Charlie."

No. Not Charlie. I hated that nickname with a passion. Charlotte. That's who I was. Glamorous. Gorgeous. Elegant. I jerked open the book to the page I needed. The black words seemed to glow beneath the candlelight as I traced my fingers over the letters. Another deep breath and I began to read.

"Goddess of old, hear my plea. Make me as beautiful as thee. Make me strong. Make me who I have been all along."

Ok. Reading the words out loud, they seemed cheesy. I frowned before I closed the book. Instead of reading the spell written by another, I decided right then and there that if I was talking to a goddess, she would hear my words. My plea.

"I don't know who you are. I don't even know if you really exist, but I need your help."

I rested my elbows in the center of the table before I folded my hands together.

"My name is Charlotte Kingston. I'm sixteen and hopeless. I'm awkward when I want to know grace. I'm weak when I need to be strong. My family is poor and I am made fun of because of it. The truth is, I want to fit in. Somewhere. I want to be the girl that everybody knows. Everybody fights for. I want to be the damsel who gets to live in a fairy tale of my own making."

I whipped around when I heard a knocking noise behind me. I felt like my heart was beating at a million miles a second, but there was nothing there. My folks had gone to bed hours ago. Despite the darkness behind me, I could make out my bed. The white armoire that served as my closet. Even the dolls I had collected every Christmas and birthday. I dropped my arms and turned back to my spell.

The next step was to write down my desire. I found that my hands were still shaking, but the more I wrote, the easier it became. I poured out my fears of not being good enough. I poured out my failures. My desire to change my life so that I could be like the other girls in my class. When I stopped, I read over my words. It was one thing to have these thoughts, but to see them in print?

It was heart wrenching. At some point, I had started to cry as I detailed the poverty I had been born to. I wiped my tears away with the back of my hand. No. No more sadness. The Charlotte I wanted to be fought back her tears. She didn't succumb to them.

I leaned down to write the last words as small as I could. There wasn't enough room on the page.

_So mote it be._

I nodded when I dropped the pen. I read the letter aloud to my empty room. I squinted my eyes to see in the flickering light as a heaviness filled my heart. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realized I was wrong. I shouldn't be doing this. I wasn't meant to do magick. I was meant to be a good girl who did what she was told.

To hell with that. I closed my eyes and pressed the letter to my chest. I would have what I wanted. I would be who I wanted. No matter what it took to get it.

I sat still for a while. Dreaming of the girl I wanted to be. The baby fat had melted away. I was thin. Tall. My boring brown hair long and dark. Shiny as I tried on clothes that cost more than what my parents made in a month. The girl in my mind laughed. Her bright eyes happy. It was then I realized that _this_ was what I wanted.

To be happy. To laugh. To not worry about money or looks or the life that surrounded me.

"Goddess of old," I whispered. "Bring her to life. Make me into that girl. The happy one."

I shook my head to chase the images away, but as I folded up the letter in my hand, the girl remained. Still smiling. Still laughing. I touched the corner of the paper to the flames closest to me with a whisper.

"May my words be heard in the heavens."

The paper caught too quick. I gasped when the letter erupted in my hand. I dropped it on the table on instinct then screamed when the flames spread across the tablecloth.

I jumped to my feet as the flames grew higher. The book I had set aside crackled when the fire consumed it. The spell I had spent the past two days trying to work up the nerve to do erupted the room around me.

"Mom!" I screamed again. "Dad!"

I whirled around to rush to my door but had to stop when I doubled over in a coughing fit. The smoke had gotten thicker. I dropped to my knees and crawled to my door. I smacked my hand against the wood and willed myself to rise up to my knees, but the smoke pushed me back down. I could hear my folks on the other side. My mom screaming. My dad pounding on the other side of the door to get to me.

"Hold on, Charlie!"

My dad yelled before he started coughing. The smoke was starting to surround me. Caress me. I barely heard him above the roar that was now behind me.

"Get out!" I managed. "Just go! This is my..."

Another round of coughing. I sank down until my face was pressed against the carpet. I started to close my eyes when a strange sense of exhaustion flowed over me. But before I could release myself to sleep, I heard a voice calling out from the flames behind me.

"It is not your time, Charlotte."

I forced myself to roll over. The dark figure of a woman stepped from the flames and reached out to me.

She was the last image I saw before my body gave out and the blessed peace of sleep swept over me. 

#  Chapter One

##  *** Two Years Later ***

I felt the need to pray.

I don't know why. I don't even know what I would have said, but the urge was so strong, I leaned my head against the bus window and closed my eyes. I should have been excited. The hell that had been my life was about to set me free. Instead, I felt nothing.

Well, that's not true. I felt sick. Anxious. I was on a greyhound bus determined to make it to Greenville, South Carolina as fast as possible. Maybe it was car sickness.

Yeah. That was it.

A simple explanation. I certainly wasn't nervous about going to college. I'd prepared myself for this day since the fire that destroyed the meager life I'd known in Tennessee.

"What are you doing on a bus?"

I jerked away from the window to stare at the girl standing by my seat. She was small with hair so blonde, it was almost white.

"Um," I started. "Do I know you?"

"Not yet."

The girl giggled before she plopped down in the empty seat to my left. She dropped her bag at her feet and reached out. "Magdalena. The girls call me Maggie."

"The girls?" I frowned at her hand. "I think you got the wrong passenger. I don't know you."

"Don't be stupid." My new companion rolled her eyes. "I just told you that I'm Maggie. And you're Charlotte."

"Charlie." I answered automatically. "Call me Charlie."

"Yeah, no. I'm not calling you that." Maggie snorted. "Anyway, I was supposed to meet you in Copperhill, but my flight got delayed. So I had to hunt you out."

"Whitman sent a welcoming committee?" I raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised. They didn't say anything about you in the acceptance letter."

The girl threw her head back to laugh at me. When she finished, she grinned.

"Whitman College is a great school, but no. They didn't send me. Chloe did."

"Chloe? Who's that?"

"Our headmistress." Maggie reached down to pull out a thin tablet from her bag. "You won't be staying in the dorm assigned to you by the school. You'll be staying with us."

"No offense, but you're speaking in half sentences." I huffed. "I still don't understand what you're talking about. If this is about school, then I've already been assigned..."

The girl passed me her tablet. When I flipped it around, I saw she had pulled up a copy of the article the _Copperhill Tribune_ had done on the fire two years before. I felt the blood drain out of my face when she leaned over my shoulder.

"She heard you. You paid the price. You're one of us, Charlotte. Now and forever."

I passed her tablet back to her before I could drop it. The girl clicked her tongue against the back of her teeth when she swiped a perfectly manicured finger across the screen.

"You've been trying to forget." She chided. "It's cute how you convinced yourself that you didn't see our Great Mother."

"I," I swallowed back the fear that was threatening to choke me. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"See? Cute." Maggie sighed. "Here's the deal. I've been assigned to you as a mentor. I'm in charge of seeing that you meet our standards before the final rites take place. But I can't tell you anything you need to know on a stupid bus."

I glanced around to see most of the seats were empty. When I turned back to the girl, she was back on her tablet.

"We're going to get you scheduled for a makeover tomorrow. Then you have to attend orientation. No way of getting around that."

"A makeover?" I shook my head. "Look, I get that you're really good at being creepy, knowing all these things about me and appearing out of nowhere, but I don't know you. I don't want you to be assigned to me. For anything."

"Too bad." She shrugged. "I don't go against the orders given to me. And if you know what's good for you, you won't either."

Maggie turned in her seat and took my hand in both of hers. For the first time, I noticed her eyes had shifted color. They were no longer brown, but a rich lavender that seemed to glow the more I stared at them.

"You need friends, Charlotte. You're going to a strange town with no money and no family. Let us help you. We'll work together. Make your wish come true."

"My wish?" I didn't recognize my own voice as the words came out hollow. "What do you know about my wishes?"

"I know that you sacrificed your family for them." Maggie released my hand to stroke my cheek. "Trust in us. Give your life to us. And you will be the girl you were meant to be."

I found myself nodding before I could stop myself. A strange sense of contentment filled my heart as she dropped her hand. Maggie gave me one last smile before her eyes shifted back to brown.

"There. Was that so hard?" She crossed her ankles as she perched on the edge of the seat. "Now, as I was saying. You've got a lot of work ahead of you. It's not all beauty appointments and elegance classes. You'll have to learn our history. Our ways. And when you are ready, we will fully adopt you in our fold."

"Ok." I shook my head. "I'll give you that I'm alone. I'm broke. But right now? You sound like you're trying to recruit me for a cult. And I'm not looking for Jesus. So thanks, but no thanks. I'll do just fine on my own."

"Chloe didn't mention how stubborn you are." Maggie frowned. "I tell you what. We're almost to Greenville. Come. See the house. Meet the girls. If you're still so damned against letting us help you, then you can go on about your way."

"Really?" I gave her a look of disbelief. "What happened to the whole 'now and forever' spill?"

Maggie smiled. "It's still there. Have no doubt about that. But I wasn't kidding when I said I can't talk to you here. In public. We need to get to the house. Then I'll explain everything."

***

When we arrived in Greenville an hour later, I should have run. If I was smart, I would have done just that. Instead, I grabbed the book bag that held all of my earthly possessions and followed Maggie to the nearest car rental place. She walked up to the counter as if she owned the place. The girl leaned forward and flashed the old man working there a dazzling smile.

"Hello." Maggie purred. "I need a car please."

"What sort of car?" The man looked away from his computer. "Truck? Sedan?"

"Convertible. It's nice out today." Maggie reached into her purse. "You take credit, right?"

"Of course. I just need some information from you." He handed her a small stack of papers. "And your driver's license."

"Is that really necessary?" She leaned closer and rested her hand over his. "I mean; I just need it for a little while. I'll have it back to you tonight."

I raised an eyebrow as I watched the man's face flush red. He started to stutter before Maggie tightened her grip.

"I need the keys, please."

I tore my eyes off the man to see Maggie's eyes had returned to the strange lavender shade she had hit me with on the bus.

"What are you doing?" I hissed. "Come on. We'll walk."

"The keys." Maggie ignored me. "Now please."

The moment she released his hand, the man reached beneath the counter to pull out a metal box. He pulled out a single car key and passed it over to her.

"Thank you." Maggie grinned. "Come on, Charlotte. We've got to go."

I turned on my heel and followed her, dumbstruck by what I had just witnessed. I didn't speak again until we were flying through the traffic on Woodruff Road.

"I'm going to jail." I swallowed. "I'm an accessory."

"To what?" The girl reached over to turn the radio down. "We didn't do anything."

"No, _we_ didn't." I frowned at her. " _You_ did. You just stole a car!"

"Correction. I borrowed the car. We'll take it back this afternoon." Maggie chuckled. "Besides, I thought it was a great introduction to your new lifestyle."

"As a criminal." I groaned. "I left the orphanage to go straight to jail. I didn't even get to pass go or collect two hundred dollars."

"So that's what happened to you after the fire." Maggie dug into her purse with one hand to pull out a pair of sunglasses. "I didn't think orphanages existed anymore."

I went silent. I was not about to get into the part of my life I was trying so desperately to forget.

"What did you do to that poor man back there?" I decided to change the subject before she did some mind trick to get me to start talking. "He seemed hypnotized or something."

"Or something." She agreed. "Control is one of the gifts granted to us as Lillian. It's the most useful attribute we have."

"Who -or what – is Lillian?" I narrowed my eyes at her. "Is that the name of your cult?"

"We aren't a cult." She smirked at me. "Our god is very, very real."

"That's what they all say." I muttered. "Fine. I'll play nice. What is this group you are so damned determined that I be a part of?"

"The Lillian is our official name." She hit the turn signal to exit off the interstate. "We are an elite group of women who follow the orders of Lilith."

"Who's Lilith? And what sort of orders does she give you?"

I glanced down to see if the car door was unlocked in case I needed to jump out if this strange woman got any stranger. But to be honest, I knew I had put myself in this situation. I could have told her to leave me the hell alone when she approached me on the bus. I could have made a run for it after she stole the car.

Instead, I was still here. Still along for the ride.

"We go after the bad guys." She smiled. "We steal the souls of those destined for hell and make sure they get there."

I started laughing before I could stop myself. I doubled over until the tears sprang up out of my eyes. When I was finally able to control myself, I waved my hand in her direction.

"Are you serious right now? Do you really believe you can steal souls?"

"Chloe said you would laugh." Maggie sighed. "I hate it when she's right."

"The headmistress chick? How does she know me?"

"You don't listen very well at all." The girl scoffed at me as she turned into a private drive. "That's something we will have to work on."

I leaned forward until my chest was against the dash to get a look at the house we pulled up to. When she parked, I whipped my head around to stare at her.

"This cannot be real."

"Welcome home, Charlotte." Maggie flashed me a toothy grin. "Welcome home."

#  Chapter Two

##

Home.

This place could not possibly be classified as a 'home'. Mansion? Yes. Palace? Ok. That might be stretching it. But as I climbed out of the car, I couldn't take it all in at once. My mind couldn't process it.

The house itself was huge and white. It reminded me of the plantation houses that dotted the outside of Copperhill. But where those houses were testaments of what had been, this place was brimming with beauty. Flowers grew around the porch. Two girls lounged on the large porch swing. It was peaceful. Quiet.

The exact opposite of everything I'd ever known.

"I don't belong here." I whispered, surprised at how much that admission hurt. "I don't deserve to belong here."

"Says who?" Maggie frowned before she grabbed my hand. "Come on. You can gawk later. Chloe is waiting."

She pulled me up the front steps with a wave to the two girls who hid their laughter behind their hands. I didn't get the chance to say hello to them. I was too busy trying to keep up with my escort. We passed through several dark halls before she stopped in front of a large set of wooden doors.

Maggie dropped my hand, fixed her hair, and knocked. She leaned in with an explanation for her actions.

"Never keep Chloe waiting if you can help it. She hates it when we're late."

"But she has no problem with auto theft." I nodded. "Got it."

That earned me a frown before a voice filtered through the thick wood.

"About time you showed up."

I raised an eyebrow when the doors flew open. The girl on the other side was just as pretty as Maggie. She was shorter than me, but what she lacked in height, she made up for with high heels. I marveled at how she maneuvered in them without breaking her neck as she threw her arms around the girl next to me with a laugh. Both greeted each other with air kisses on either side of their faces.

Perhaps I being forced to join a sorority. That made more sense than the crap Maggie had fed me on the drive over.

"I finally got a hold of the new girl." Maggie groaned as she flounced past her friend to collapse onto an oversized couch. "Chloe, she was taking the bus! I'll never get the stench of exhaust out of my clothes."

"Hey," I frowned as I stepped into the room. "It's not like I had a choice. I had no other way to get here."

"No, I suppose not." The girl Maggie called Chloe extended a slender hand. "I'm Chloe Washington. Welcome to Bathory Manor, Charlotte."

"Charlie." I answered. "Call me Charlie."

"That's not what you told the Great Mother." Chloe gave me a smile. She wrapped her arm around my shoulder to lead me over to the couch then nudged me until I sat down next to Maggie. "Has Maggie caught you up to speed on everything?"

"I don't know a damn thing." I frowned. "Ok. That's not true. She told me that you are a group called the Lillian. And that you steal souls."

"Do you believe her?"

Chloe glanced over to Maggie before she turned back to me. I was sure some secret exchange had occurred without me having the slightest clue as to what was going on. But it didn't matter. None of this mattered. I'd gotten sidetracked. I had to get to Whitman. I had to get signed in. I had to get on with the life I was determined to lead for myself.

"Look, this has been fun and all," I picked at the frayed edges of my bag. "But I have to get to Whitman before five. Not to mention getting settled in before tomorrow."

"No, you don't." Chloe again. "Your room is upstairs and by the looks of things, it won't take you long to unpack."

She gave me a soft smile. "You've had a rough couple of years, Charlotte. We're going to make that better."

"How?" I snapped. "How could you possibly take away what I did?"

I grabbed my bag and stood up. But before I could make it to the door, Chloe called out behind me.

"You found the _Book of Assyria_ in Copperhill, did you not?"

"What?" I turned on my heel. "What are you talking about?"

"Joanna is careless." Chloe frowned. "She left the book behind by mistake when she went to the library there to carry out an assignment. A book that you found."

Images of the old book flashed behind my eyes. There had been no title on the cover. No author's name. I had picked it up out of curiosity. It wasn't until I came across the wishing spell that I decided to take the thing home with me.

"You did the initiation spell." Chloe tilted her head with a smile. "A mistake, surely. What were you after? Beauty? Wealth?"

"Acceptance." I whispered. "I wanted to fit in."

Chloe nodded. "Of course you did. Impoverished. Shunned. You found the book and did what you thought was right. But you were ignorant. You had no guidance in the ways of magick. Certainly not in our ways."

"Why are you telling me this?" I frowned. "I don't understand."

"Because once an oath is made to Lilith, it can never be undone." Chloe moved to stand behind a massive wooden desk. "The sacrifice of your parents sealed your fate to be one of us."

"Sacrifice?" I took a step forward. "I didn't sacrifice them! It was..."

"An accident?" Chloe raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow. "Sure it was. At just the right time too."

I shifted the weight of my bag on my shoulder and turned my face away from her. Could it be true? Had the spell I cast so long ago actually worked?

Had I become something that didn't exist?

"Not yet." Maggie answered as if I had spoken out loud. "You have to do the final rites first."

"Give us a month." Chloe dropped down in her desk chair. "Learn what you can about us. And if you still feel like it's a mistake, then you can go."

"That's what Maggie said, too."

Chloe smiled. "I give you my word. We'll treat you as if you are a true initiate. In one month's time, if you are still uncertain, then we will erase your memories of what happened here."

"So you're like a secret society?"

"Very secret." Chloe stuck out her hand. "Deal?"

I stared at her hand before I crossed the room to shake it. After all, I had nothing to lose. No one else to turn to.

"Deal."

***

Chloe was right. It didn't take long at all for me to unpack my bag. If you didn't count the twenty minutes I spent circling around my new room as if I were in a daydream. The furniture fit the house to perfection. Dark. Stately. With a bed big enough for three of me. I'll be honest. I was afraid to touch anything. I was so sure I would taint it somehow.

"Charlotte, you in here?"

Maggie peeked her head in through my door before she pushed it open. It took a second for me to realize she wasn't alone. A black girl with the face of an angel stepped around her.

"We are going to take the car back then hit the mall." Maggie glanced over the jeans and t-shirt I wore. "Definitely the mall. Your wardrobe is pathetic."

"Thanks." I kept my tone dry. "But no thanks. I don't have the money for new clothes, Maggie. And I sure as he'll don't want to add shoplifting to my new criminal record."

"I wasn't giving you the option." She giggled. "It'll be on us. Consider it a welcoming present."

I looked at the girl who had yet to introduce herself. "Is she for real?"

"Thankfully, yes." She gave me the same look of judgement that Maggie had a few minutes before. "You are going to ruin our reputation if you go out like that."

"And who are you again?" I crossed my arms over my chest. "I don't remember seeing you downstairs."

"Because you were whisked away by Miss Goody-Two-Shoes over here." She rolled her eyes. "Joanna Fieldman. I go by Jo."

"Wait," I let my eyes widen when I recognized her name. "You're the one who left the book."

She snorted. "I had trouble show up. By the time I got back to the table, you had already stolen it."

"Ladies," Maggie tapped the fancy watch on her wrist. "Haywood closes at 9. And we don't have much time."

"Fine." I moved over to my closet and grabbed my wallet. "What's Haywood?"

"The mall, stupid." Joanna narrowed her eyes at me. "How do you..."

"First day, Jo. Leave it alone." Maggie flipped her ponytail over her shoulder. "Let's go make you presentable."

***

To say I was exhausted was the understatement of the century. By the time Maggie let us leave the mall, my eyes were blurry, my arms hurt under the weight of the bags she made me carry, and I was starving. Since neither of them seemed at all concerned with dinner, I decided to speak up.

"Um," I shifted one of the bags hanging from my wrist. "Aren't you two the least bit hungry?"

"No." Jo kept walking. "We don't eat."

I stopped in the middle of the parking lot when I realized what she said. Maggie sighed before she slung her arm around my shoulder.

"Don't mind Jo. She can come off as a bitch, but she's loyal like no other."

"Oh. I thought it was just me." I started to move as I watched Jo ahead of us. "What's her deal, anyway?"

"Let's just say she got into a lot of trouble for leaving the book behind." Maggie dropped her arm to open the trunk. "She blames you for it."

"Because I took it before she could get it back." I nodded as I dropped the bags inside. "Ok. That explains that part, but what about..."

I didn't get to finish my sentence because Maggie held up her hand to stop me.

"What?" I frowned at her. "I have a valid..."

"Demons." She grabbed my arm. "Charlotte, get in the car. Jo, I need you."

"Did you just say..."

This time, a loud rumble of thunder cut me off. I glanced up at the night sky when a voice brought me back to the situation at hand.

"Looks like we found our fun, boys."

The man who stepped out of the shadows and into the streetlight was huge. Not like bodybuilder huge, but stocky. He stopped across from us as two other men joined him. I blinked then looked back at Maggie. She was studying her nails as if she were bored. Or maybe she was refusing to acknowledge the three in front of us. Either way, the one who threatened us threw a cold grin in our direction.

"Lilies from the valley." He purred as he took another step forward. "The famous Magdalena from London. Jo from New Orleans. But you..."

The man stopped in front of me. He reached out to twist a strand of my hair around his finger. "You I don't know. A new lamb in Lilith's stable."

I didn't think when I grabbed his hand. I ignored the sharp burning sensation that coursed through my palm as I shoved it away from me.

"Do not touch me." I hissed. "You do not have the right."

Maggie was studying me before she turned back to my attacker. "Best to be on your way, Lim. We would hate to send you back to hell in pieces."

The man snarled as he launched at the girl who had taken me under her wing. I felt Jo grab me. I felt myself being thrown into the back of her SUV before I heard a sickening crunch against the rear window. I looked up to see the body of the first man disappear into a haze of black smoke just before a second one flew past the window.

I strained up to see better. I didn't get to see much. Jo was right behind him. I saw her raise a weird looking axe before a mangled scream filled the air.

A flash of blonde caught my attention. I watched Maggie as she knocked our final opponent against the pavement just before a white sword appeared in her hand. She blew him a kiss as the sword swung downward.

I fell back against the seat when they climbed inside. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what I had just witnessed. I was still trying to cope with the fact that each man disappeared when Maggie turned around in the front seat to reach out to me.

"Your hand."

I didn't argue when she grabbed my wrist to pull my injured palm towards her. I ignored her dark look before she dropped it.

"You'll be fine. We'll have Chloe bandage you up when we get back to Bathory."

"What," I coughed as I found my voice. "What the hell just happened?"

"Nothing." Jo pressed her foot on the gas as we left the mall. "Nothing that you need to know about anyway."

"Give her a break, Jo." Maggie shook her head. "She did fine aside from getting herself burned."

Even in the darkness, I could see Maggie's eyes were glowing the strange lavender from earlier. She bounced in her seat before she focused on me again.

"You weren't afraid. You had no problems facing that demon."

Her words were not a question, but they were underlined with surprise. I snorted as I snapped my seatbelt in place.

"First off, I don't believe in demons. So no, I wasn't afraid. And two? They were bullies. You don't back down from a bully."

"Learned that at St. Mary's, did you?" Jo glanced at me through the rearview mirror. "I'm sure the orphanage had its fair share of bullies."

"No, life did." I tilted my head downward to stare at my injured palm. Better to change the subject than to face the fact that I'd been hurt just by touching the guy. "Why don't ya'll eat?"

"Because we're dead." Jo grinned at my shocked expression. "And the dead don't need to feed."

#  Chapter Three

##

"You're dead."

For the second time that day, I started laughing before I could stop myself. Really, this whole experience had been far too ridiculous for me. But I had gone along with it. I let them enchant me with the big house and new clothes when the truth was?

This was all a dream. It had to be.

I folded my fingers over my burnt palm and hissed when a shock of pain raced up my arm. Could you feel pain in a dream? I didn't think so. Yet, I couldn't accept the alternative. These people could not be real. These women could not be real.

"Jo." Maggie hissed the girl's name. "I really wish you would leave the big revelations to me."

"You're too slow. Charlie here needs to know exactly what she's signed up for. Don't cha, Charlie?" Jo was staring at me again. Her eyes were the same strange purple shade as Maggie's. "After all, you've only got one month to learn a millennia worth of secrets. It's better you tell her now before it's too late."

"Tell me what?" I glared at her. "That you're all insane? I figured that one out on my own, thank you. I don't need Maggie to tell me that."

"It's late and I'm sure you're starving. Jo, stop by a fast food joint. We'll get Charlotte some food. We will readdress this in the morning."

Suddenly, I wasn't very hungry. Maybe it was the fight. Or the fact that I'd been on my feet for over sixteen hours. Either way, I shook my head in the darkness.

"No, its fine. I'll grab something in the morning. Let's just...get back to the manor."

We rode the rest of the way in silence. I wasn't sure what the other two were thinking and to be honest? I didn't care. I was too busy trying to come up with a plan on how to get out of this mess I'd found myself in. I could go to the housing authority at Whitman. Apologize profusely for missing the dorm assignments. Surely I wasn't the first person to miss them. Maybe they had a room left.

I grabbed my bags from the back of the SUV when we stopped. I was heading up the stairs after Maggie when Jo called out my name. She was standing behind me at the bottom of the stairs with a glare so intense, I shuddered.

"You don't belong here, human. I don't care if you spoke the oath or not. And I will be sure to remind you of that fact every day until you leave."

She stormed past me and let the door bang behind her. There was no sharp retort in me. No quick wit to snap back at her. Instead, I went inside with a heavy weight in the base of my stomach. Jo was right. I didn't belong here.

I knew that. She knew that. But as I pulled out the clothes we'd bought, that weight turned into a strange sense of sadness. I'd never fit in anywhere before. Certainly not at St. Mary's where the kids had grown up together. What was so wrong with me that no one wanted me?

I dropped down on the bed and threw my arm over my eyes to keep my tears at bay. They wouldn't do me any good. They wouldn't take away the sting of Jo's hateful words. I tried to explain away my sadness as a product of my exhaustion. But the truth was, I wanted to fit in here. At Bathory. Maggie, Jo, Chloe – even the girls I'd seen earlier that day – each of them embodied the type of girl I wanted to be. Strong. Beautiful.

In control of their lives and their destinies.

Maybe if I stayed, I could learn how to do that. Maybe I would gain the strength I needed. The confidence that had always alluded me.

These were my thoughts as I began to slip into sleep. I wanted to be like them. I needed to be like them.

I wanted to be the girl I was meant to be.

***

"Rise and shine!"

I grunted as a bright beam of sunlight fell over my face. I refused to move as the voice began to chat about the day ahead. How busy I was going to be. How much I had to learn. It took a minute, but when I finally realized it was Maggie, I sat up to see the alarm clock by the bed reading 7 a.m.

"What are you doing?" I croaked. "It's too early for me to move, much less take in your chattering."

"Early?" Maggie frowned. "The sun's been out for fifteen minutes. You're the one who's late."

"Let me guess." I fell back on the bed. "You people don't sleep either."

"Nope." She reached down to shake my knee. "Alice went to the bagel place downtown. You still hungry?"

"Is there coffee?" I opened one eye. "I'm not moving if there's not coffee."

Maggie giggled. "Of course there's coffee. I adore the stuff."

"But you don't eat." I sat up again to brush out the wrinkles in my shirt. "Right? How do you like coffee?"

"Just because we don't have to eat doesn't mean we can't." She sniffed. "Maybe you should take a shower first. You still smell like the bus."

"Thanks." I grumbled. I stood and stretched. "You gonna be here when I get back?"

"Yeah." She pulled out a thin cell phone. "So hurry up. I still need to show you around the manor before your first lesson starts."

"I thought I was doing the makeover first." I snagged a new pair of jeans from the closet. "Then I have orientation at three."

"Right." Maggie dropped her phone. "We'll get around to that."

I rolled my eyes at her as I headed into the bathroom. I turned on the water then stopped to stare at myself in the mirror. I was slender thanks to the diet at St. Mary's. My long dark hair flew in all different directions thanks to the bedhead I'd suffered from passing out. I was pale except for the dark circle beneath my green eyes.

"There's no hope for me." I whispered to the image that stared back. "No hope whatsoever."

I shook my head as the sadness from the night before rushed back. I didn't have time to mope. Not with the taskmaster waiting for me on the other side of the door. So I focused on taking a quick shower, but damn, that was hard. I felt the tension in my shoulders relax beneath the hot water. I felt the fears I'd had the day before fall away as I considered everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.

I'd left St. Mary's. Struck out on my own. Fell into the arms of a strange cult of girls who claimed to steal the souls of the dead.

Yeah. Right.

I shut off the water when it got cold, snatched the towel off the rack beside me, and frowned as I started to get dressed. I'd been taken around Greenville the day before, but not once did Maggie or Jo take me by Whitman. You'd think that was the first place they'd take me so that I would know where I was going. Instead, we went to the car rental place and the mall.

I pulled on my new clothes, threw my hair into a soppy bun on top of my head, and opened the door.

"Maggie, how do I get to Whitman?"

"What?" She glanced up from her phone. "Does that matter right now? I thought you wanted coffee."

"I do." I leaned against the door frame. "I'm just curious. Why didn't we go by there yesterday?"

Maggie jumped up from the bed to head out of my room. "Caffeine first. Then I'll answer all of your questions. Deal?"

"Ya'll say that word a lot around here." I pushed myself upright to follow her. "And why wait? I'm awake."

She didn't respond as she took me through a series of hallways that led back to the main foyer. We headed to the back of the house until she opened the door to the dining room. Maggie stepped aside with her arms outstretched.

"Food!" She giggled. "Alice, you went overboard."

The woman who was setting the table glanced up with a grin. She was by far the oldest person in the entire house. I gave her a small wave when Maggie introduced us.

"Charlotte, Alice. Alice, Charlotte." Maggie plopped down at the head of the table. "Alice helps out a few times a week. Or when we hold special events."

"I'm starting to think this is a sorority." I dropped down in the chair next to her to snatch a bagel out of the basket in front of me. "Except there is nothing Greek about it."

"Cute." Maggie closed her eyes as she sipped from the Starbucks cup in front of her. When she pulled back, she gave a sigh of contentment. "Heaven."

I couldn't help but agree with her as I started to work on my breakfast. I hadn't eaten much over the past two years, so I couldn't do as much damage as I wanted to. But once I'd had my fill, I slouched back to point my green straw at her.

"Time to answer some questions for me, Mags."

"Mags?" She raised an eyebrow at me. "You're giving me a new nickname."

"Might as well." I grinned. "Now spill it."

"Where do you want me to start?" She clutched her hands around her cup. "History? Or answering your questions?"

"History." I stuck my straw back in its spot. "I need to know everything so that I can make an informed decision."

"May I remind you we have a month?"

"You're talking, but I'm not learning anything new." I scrunched up my nose at her. "What's the big deal? What's so secret about this place that you don't want me to know?"

"It's not the place." Maggie sighed. "Alright. But once I get started, don't interrupt me. Its rude. You can ask questions afterward."

"Fine. I'll behave. I'll keep my mouth shut. Promise."

#  Chapter Four

##

"Do you know the story of Lilith?" Maggie curled her legs beneath her. She studied me for a moment until I shook my head. "I'm not surprised. Not many recognize her contributions."

She shifted in the chair and leaned her head back before she spoke again.

"Lilith was the first wife of Adam. You know him from the origins story in Genesis. But the later interpretations of the Bible left her out completely. See, Lilith was made from the earth, just as Adam was."

"Wait," I forgot about my promise not to interrupt as I leaned forward. "What about Eve? I thought she was Adam's wife."

"Eve was his second wife." She stressed her words. "A lesser creature made from a part of Adam. But not Lilith. She ruled the Garden of Eden alongside her husband. Poets would later call her hair the first gold on earth. Her beauty was shadowed only by the magnificent earth around her. And the two of them were happy. How could they not be? The world was their playground. The most beautiful garden? Their home."

She stopped long enough to take a sip of her coffee.

"Well, in the beginning at least. As the years passed by, Lilith began to resent her position as Adam's second-in-command. She wanted to be considered an equal. She wanted to have a voice in his decisions. When she brought her concerns to Adam, he laughed. God had told them that man was made in His image, not woman."

"Ok. That part I know." I started before I waved my hand. "Sorry."

"Anyway, Lilith first approached God. She begged him to release her as Adam's wife. She felt as if she were nothing more than a servant. A slave to be used, not loved. God refused. Woman had been made with that purpose in mind, and there was no changing it. The longer she stayed beneath Adam's thumb, the more her anger grew. She no longer saw the beauty in the world around her. She no longer enjoyed the fruits of the garden. Lilith let her anger turn into bitterness then hatred for the life she had been created for."

Maggie crossed her arms over her chest. She kept her eyes trained on me as she continued.

"One morning, Adam had ordered Lilith to go into the heart of the garden to pick fruit for them. She started to follow his command until she heard a sound she was unfamiliar with. The woman walked past the orchard to see the world extended. She began to run towards the sound as fast as she could, more determined than ever to free herself."

I leaned forward to rest my chin on my hands. Say what you will about Maggie, but she was one hell of a storyteller. I was enthralled.

"She stopped only when she reached a river. Lilith could still hear the sound, but there were no birds. No animals whatsoever close by. She knelt down by the water to see herself. Yet, instead of her reflection, the water rippled as a snake exposed himself."

"A snake? Like in the Adam and Eve story?"

"The very same." Maggie nodded. "He swore to give her an everlasting life far away from the Garden of Eden. But more importantly, he promised Lilith her freedom from Adam if she swore her heart to him. Well. There was no further discussion. The woman repeated after the snake. She swore her very soul for the freedom she craved so badly."

Maggie smiled. "The snake, surprised by his success, wrapped himself around her arm. He pulled her down into the water before he sank his teeth into her neck. His poison rushed through her veins within seconds."

"What happened when Adam found out?" I dropped my hand to rest it on the table. My coffee long forgotten. "What happened when God found out?"

"Both were furious. When Lilith didn't return from the orchard, Adam went out to search for her. He found her unconscious and bleeding from the wound to her neck. In his anger, he banished his wife from the garden. He called God forth and demanded a divorce. It was granted immediately."

"So Adam had a temper. Typical."

Maggie glowered at me. "Interrupting..."

"Fine. Sorry."

"Lilith live on the lands outside the garden. While the snake had promised her freedom, he failed to mention anything about security. He would approach her only when he needed something. Or when the winters grew cold and he wanted shelter. After each encounter, the snake would bite her again to refresh the poison in her veins. And Lilith began to change."

"How?" I let the word come out slowly. Not because I was afraid of Maggie's retribution, but because I was starting to put the pieces together. "Tell me how she changed."

"She began to adopt the attributes of the snake." Maggie tapped against the side of her cup. "Her teeth became fangs. Her blood? Cold. She turned pale. Her eyesight suffered. The woman could not stand the beauty of the sun. She began to hunt at night."

"Hunt?"

"Yes, but it wasn't for meat." Maggie stared at me. "She craved blood. The very same food as the snake who had transformed her."

"Vampire." I whispered the word. "Are you telling me that I am in a house of vampires?"

"Can I finish please?" Maggie rolled her eyes. "You're so dramatic, Charlotte."

Ok. I forced myself to breath. I was wrong. I had to be wrong. There was no such thing as vampires. Or ghosts. Or the boogeyman. Those were folk tales. Stories that sold books and movie tickets.

"Well, Lilith began to run rampant through the lands. No animal was safe. She did such damage that the animals began to scatter. They began to flee the Garden of Eden in droves."

"Which meant that Adam had nothing to eat." I pointed out. "Right?"

"Right. He began to plea to God to forgive Lilith. Or destroy her. He was immortal, but he could still feel. And starvation is a very painful process."

"Don't I know it." I grumbled. I drank my coffee to hide my words. "Go on."

"God realized that something had to be done about the abomination before she destroyed his creation. He called out to her one night. Demanded that she cease her actions. But the Lilith that had been was too far gone. Too wild. God then appeared before her. He forced her to remember what she had been. He forced her to recall the ease of her life with Adam. When her humanity had been restored, she fell to her knees and sobbed. Lilith begged God for his forgiveness."

"The God of old didn't seem too forgiving in the stories." I frowned. "What's so special about Lilith?"

"She was one of his first creations." Maggie gave me a soft smile. "He forgave her out of love. But He knew she could never return to the Garden of Eden. He provided her with land. He protected her from the snake. He gave her the freedom she had asked for in the beginning."

"Ok. That's sweet. But what does that have to do with you?" I pointed at her. "The Lillian? I'm assuming there is a connection."

"Yes. I'm getting to that." Maggie nodded. "You see, as mankind began to populate the earth, God decided to give those who failed to acknowledge him to the snake who had tricked Lilith. That snake was Lucifer, the first fallen angel. And in the early days, it was simple. God would cast them down below before they reached the gates of Heaven. But soon, there were too many. He appeared before Lilith to enlist her help. She still had the attributes of the snake, but the Lord strengthened her. He provided her with a staff made from the apple tree in Adam's orchard. It would repel any wicked soul to the bowels of hell where it belonged."

"That's why you carry a sword." I stared at the girl as if she had grown a second head. "That's what you meant about sending souls to hell. You're a daughter of Lilith."

"Yes." She nodded. "The world continued to grow. Lilith began to recruit women to aid her in her task. There were too many souls. Too many demons to cast below. During the Dark Ages, we were given a formal name by the Church. The Lillian."

"So where do I fit into this little equation?"

"The _Book of Assyria_ , of course. Joanna had been sent to Copperhill on a recruiting mission. There was a girl there who's heart was broken. Her desire for change was so strong, God heard her pleas in heaven. Jo was told to meet the girl in the local library. Her orders were to speak with her. Get her interested in the book."

"But I got in the way." I interjected. "That's why Joanna hates me."

"She believes you did. I don't." Maggie clasped her hand over mine. For the first time, I realized how cold her skin felt against mine. "If you weren't the girl God was searching for, then you wouldn't have been able to read the oath. You wouldn't have been drawn to this life."

I slowly removed my hand from hers. "That's how you knew who I was when you found me on the bus."

"Yes." She nodded. "The Great Mother had given us your information. Google provided the rest."

I can't explain how I felt. A little numb. Vastly overwhelmed. I knew I would have to process the story Maggie had told me. But I needed more information.

No, that wasn't right. I _wanted_ more information. I had questions, but I was sure she would answer them without even realizing it.

"How many Lillian are there?"

"I can't answer that. We are spread across the globe." Maggie stood and gestured for me to follow her. "Remember, please, that there are 7.3 billion people on the planet. But here at Bathory, there are nine of us."

"Do you just cover Greenville?" I followed her to the kitchen. "Or the entire state?"

"The entire state." Maggie tossed her now empty cup in the trash. "Each state in the U.S. has their own branch. We're lucky since we're close enough to Georgia that we can get help if we need it."

"When would you need help?"

"Natural disasters. Terrorist attacks. Any event where a large mass of souls is released."

"Ok. So how do you know which soul has been deemed to go to hell?" I moved to the sink to wash my hands. "And why on earth would you want to live this sort of life?"

"When a person is born, their souls are clear. Iridescent. Yet, as they turn farther away from God, those souls darken. They literally change color as the evil rots their lives away. When that soul reaches the color of black, there is no redemption in God's eyes. And we are sent in to carry them away."

"That doesn't explain why you would want to do this." I turned on the tap and grabbed the soap. "You don't strike me as very religious, Maggie."

"I shouldn't strike you as anything. We have to lay low. We are not allowed to leave a trace of our existence for fear that the records will expose our immortality."

"That's why you stole the car yesterday." I washed my hands. "You couldn't fill out the paperwork."

"Borrowed." She stressed the word. "That's why I borrowed the car yesterday."

"So why?"

"Beauty." Maggie gave me a sad smile. "I lived my human life in the slums of London during the Black Plague. I am still haunted by the memories of the ugliness I saw. I called out to God just as you did. And he heard me. He saved me."

#  Chapter Five

##

The rest of my morning flew by before I realized it was gone. Maggie took me on a tour of the impressive house. She took me to some fancy salon downtown that was shaded by the thick trees that lined the sidewalk. I was in the process of getting my hair washed when she slid up beside me.

"You should go blonde." Maggie lifted up a limp strand of my dark hair. "We have too many gothic beauties as is."

"I wouldn't classify myself as a 'beauty'." I saw the woman who was working on me reach for a bottle. "No. No blonde."

"Highlights then." Maggie nodded. "Chestnut should do wonders to lighten your face."

I couldn't help it. I smiled up at her. Despite the horrible story she had told me this morning, I was having more fun than I had in ages. And for the first time in two years, I didn't dream about the horrible fire that had taken my family away from me. That thought alone was enough for my smile to falter.

"Maggie, can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?" She had picked up a fashion magazine and was flipping through it. "What?"

I waited until the woman wrapped my hair in a towel and left us to let it dry. When I was satisfied we wouldn't be overheard, I spoke.

"Why did Chloe say my parents had been sacrificed? If God wanted me to be happy, why did I have to lose them?"

Maggie kept her eyes on the magazine when she responded.

"It is part of the oath. Lilith sacrificed herself and her world for freedom. It is only right that we do the same for the power she provides us."

"Power." I closed my eyes to hide the tears threatening to spill over. "What sort of power?"

"You are granted immortality, for one. Our beauty is second. It is enhanced after the final rites. And we can disappear at whim. It's how I'm always able to keep up with you when you decide to hide out on me." Maggie shook her head. "But each of us is different. Our special abilities are based on our talents, so no Lillian is the same."

"What's your ability? The mind control thing?"

"Yes." She nodded. "Chloe can speed up time. Jo? She likes to play with the wind."

"I think I saw that." I frowned. "When those men attacked us."

"Not men, dear girl." Maggie tossed the magazine aside to cross her arms over her chest. "Demons. They come after us from time to time."

"Why? The whole God connection thing?"

"Yes, but it's more than that." She frowned. "Demons have the ability to change us."

"Change you?" I sat up and started drying my hair. "What are you talking about?"

"If they bite us, we will revert back to the abomination that Lilith was when she was first transformed."

"You mean; they can turn you into a vampire?" I chuckled. "Do you get all shiny?"

"I'm being serious, Charlotte. Vampires have been glorified since the Victorian Age, but they are beasts. Twisted beings that prey on the weak."

"Wait." I pulled my hair free and held the towel in my lap. "The vampires I know about are all men. But if vampires were once Lillian, and the Lillian are all women..."

"Ever noticed how every vampire movie emphasizes the coven's queen?" Maggie tapped her finger to her chin. "There is a reason for that. True vampires are women. But they can choose to have followers. Those followers are transformed through a single bite to the neck."

"Like the snake did to Lilith."

"You're catching on quick." She gave me a dazzling smile. "But let's talk about something different. I don't want to overwhelm you on your first day."

"I'm not overwhelmed. I'm stunned. I don't know what to believe. But I'm not overwhelmed." I admitted. "I hate to say this, but I'm intrigued."

"Intrigued enough to keep your oath?"

"Yes." I raised my eyebrows at her. "If all this is real."

"If you believe it, then it is real." She waved the stylist back over to us. "This life takes an extraordinary amount of faith. If you have that, you will do just fine."

***

When we left the salon, Maggie insisted we stop by her favorite coffee shop three doors down. I will admit, I felt different as we sat down at a wrought iron table on the sidewalk. Lighter. It was as if the tragedy that had haunted me had happened to someone else. I smiled. I laughed. It was the strangest thing I'd ever experienced.

She was chatting with me about the magic of downtown Greenville when I realized the one thing I shouldn't have forgotten. I felt the blood drain from my face.

"Maggie," I interrupted. "What time is it?"

"Just past four." She dropped her wrist when she told me the time. "Oh."

"Oh, my god." I jumped up to grab my bag. "Orientation! I've got to go. You've got to get me to Whitman."

"Charlotte," She started. "No. Sit down."

"What do you mean, no?" I snapped. "Fine. I'll take the bus."

"Charlotte." Her voice held such a quiet authority, I froze. "Sit. Down."

"Maggie, seriously, I have got to go. The whole reason I am in Greenville..."

"Is the Lillian." She looked me right in the eye. "There is no Whitman College."

"Wait. What?" I dropped my bag to the sidewalk. "What do you mean, there is no Whitman College? Their representative met me at St. Mary's. I spent weeks making sure the application was perfect. Hell, I won a full scholarship to study there."

"Charlotte, we had to get you to Greenville." Maggie pressed herself forward. "We knew that if we came in and told you about the Lillian right away, you would have run as far away from us as you possibly could."

I felt my mouth drop open. It actually dropped open like an actor in a bad play. When I found my voice, I was surprised at how steady it sounded.

"So what you are telling me is that there was no college for me. No future."

" _We_ are your future. You will learn everything you need to know from us about your role in our ranks."

I slumped down in the chair and closed my eyes. I felt as if someone had kicked me in the stomach. I couldn't breathe as I felt my hopes slip away.

"I wasn't kidding when I said God heard you." Her voice was as smooth as silk. "He knew the course you were meant to take. It is what led you to us."

"Why not tell me when I got here?" I pushed myself away from the table to distance myself from her. "Why let me go on about Whitman? Were you trying to make a fool out of me?"

"Not at all." She shook her head. "Your access to the other girls has been limited. And you haven't been in Greenville a full twenty-four hours yet. I didn't think you needed to be hit with the truth until you had learned our story. But you're going to have to decide your path sooner rather than later. Know that Chloe won't wait forever."

I grabbed the strap of my bag and stood. When she started to join me, I held out my hand to stop her.

"Maggie, I need to think. I need time alone."

"Where are you going to go?" She frowned. "You know nothing about this town. Let me come with you."

"No. Please. I'm going to go for a walk. Clear my head."

I walked away from her before she could protest any further. I held my head high as I passed through the crowds of families milling around the storefronts but I couldn't contain my tears of disappointment. I had been so sure that Whitman would be my way out. I was so sure that I had finally found a way to escape the poverty of my existence.

I was wrong. The whole thing was a lie. An elaborate joke meant to get me here.

As I walked, I ran my conversations with Maggie around in my mind. I considered the history she described to me. The role she played in the way the world worked. I tried to understand how God could put me on such a cruel path.

I couldn't do it.

Yet, what choice did I have? Maggie had been right to say I knew nothing about Greenville. I had no money. No place to stay. Only the belongings I had in my possession right now. And the Lillian offered so much. They offered companionship. Wealth. Comfort.

Acceptance. Wasn't that what I wanted? Isn't that the single, solitary reason why my parents had died horrible deaths in a fire that should have killed me as well?

I dropped down on a bench to bury my head in my hands. What would my life had been like if I hadn't found that stupid book? Would I be starting my first week of classes at the University of Tennessee? Or the local community college?

I would be guilt-free; I knew that much. I wouldn't have been responsible for such a horrible, horrible thing.

"Maggie told you the truth, didn't she?"

I snapped my head up to see Jo standing in front of me. She had her hands stuffed in the pockets of her leather jacket as she studied me.

"Yeah." I let my hands fall to my lap. "I'm an idiot."

"I won't argue with that." She sat down next to me. "So what are you going to do? Leave?"

"Yes." I answered automatically before I sighed. "No. I don't know. It's not like I have a choice, right?"

"There are always choices." Jo shrugged. "I mean; you can sleep out on the streets all you want. Or you can stay with us. Either way, your decision must be made soon. We do not tolerate uncertainty in our ranks."

"Ok." I turned to stare at her. "Why are you being so nice all of a sudden? Didn't you tell me last night that I would never be one of you?"

"You ever been homeless before? You know what to do if somebody attacks you? Where to go? No." Jo stood with a huff. "Besides, you got no idea what you're throwing away. It pisses me off."

I watched for a moment as she started to walk away. If I let her go, that was it. Everything I had experienced over the past twenty-four hours would be done. Over. I would have to claw myself up from nothing. But if I stayed. If I joined them, I could become something great. Someone with purpose.

Someone who would be accepted. Loved.

Not to mention, Jo was right. I had no idea how to handle myself in a strange town. So within a split second, I made my decision. I grabbed my bag and took off after her.

"Jo! Wait." I slowed down when I caught up to her. "I want to do this. I want to be a part of Lillian."

She didn't respond when we reached her SUV, but she didn't kick me out either after I had climbed inside. I sunk back against the seat and clutched my bag to my chest.

"So what's your reason? What made you decide to join them?"

I broke the silence between us when she reached the interstate. If I'm honest, I didn't expect her to answer. I wasn't sure why Jo had come after me. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know why. But I owed it to her to at least try and be polite. I started to tell her to forget it when she didn't answer me, but Jo surprised me. She kept her eyes on the road when she began to speak.

"I had to find a way out of my life in New Orleans. Chloe offered me that chance."

"How?" I watched the buildings pass by us as we headed towards the manor. "What was so wrong with your life that you needed to escape?"

"I was a slave, Charlotte." She grimaced. "My human life began around 1838. I'm not sure of the date since our owners didn't keep records on us. Do you know anything about slavery?"

"Only what the movies have taught me." I admitted. "And that it was a horrible practice."

"It was. I wasn't pretty enough to work in the house, so I was delegated to the fields at the age of seven. My hands still bore scars from the plants I pulled."

"Were you tortured?" I whispered at the mention of her scars. "That's what they taught us in school anyway."

"No, praise God. Excessive cruelty was against the law." She glanced over at me. "You truly do not know any of this?"

I shook my head. "History has never been my thing, Jo. I studied literature."

"Figures." She snorted. "You seem like a dreamer."

"So what happened? How did Chloe find you?"

"I began to pray to God to save me from the exhaustion of my life. From the harsh conditions I was forced to endure. But He did nothing."

She tapped her long fingers against the steering wheel. "I ran away at the age of seventeen. I couldn't stand the thought of spending my existence hunched over a bunch of stupid plants for someone else's gain. But in doing so, I learned that life on the plantation was still better than life on the streets. I had to scrounge for food. I committed acts of thievery. I did what I had to do to survive."

I let her words sink in. Jo had experienced destitution far greater than I had. At least I had been sent to St. Mary's. It sucked, but I got fed. I had a roof over my head. I snapped my attention back to her as she continued.

"I had been raised in the Catholic tradition. It was the law, after all. So I continued to pray to God. I would steal enough coins to buy candles to light in His honor. I pleaded with him to make me a warrior for Him. This is how Chloe found me."

I raised an eyebrow but stayed silent. It wasn't long before she continued.

"Back in those days, the Lillian went from state to state. They received room and board from the local churches." Jo came to a stop in front of the manor. "Chloe was staying at St. Augustine as guest of the nuns. She approached me at the alter one morning and we began to talk."

"About what? Demons?" I frowned. "The Lillian?"

"No. Faith." My companion shook her head. "It took an extraordinary amount of faith to do what I had done. She was impressed with my resolve."

She opened the door to slip out. When I joined her, I knew that I had learned all that I was going to about Jo's history. I stopped at the foot of the stairs to stare at the impressive doors. I considered everything that had occurred to lead me to this place. This tangled web of mystery.

Death. Suffering. Lies. Deceit. And all in God's name.

#  Chapter Six

##

"The dark forces are amassing faster than we expected."

I blinked as I followed Jo inside to see a group of men standing in the foyer. The tallest one studied me before he turned back to Chloe. I hadn't seen much of her since I'd first gotten to Bathory. She stared at me for a moment before she turned back to her guests.

"Let me get the girls together. It will be better to discuss this with everyone at once."

She nodded to Jo, who snagged my arm to lead me into the living room. I sat down on the couch just before Maggie bounded into the room. She threw her arms around my neck and squeezed.

"You came back! I was so afraid. I thought we had chased you away."

"You almost did." I detangled myself from her when the others joined us. Eight girls, most I had never met, filed into the room. The first thing I noticed?

Maggie was right. She was the only blonde in this sea of dark beauty.

When Maggie lowered herself next to me, I leaned in and raised my hand over my mouth.

"What's going on? Should I even be here?"

"If you have decided to stay, then yes. You have every right to be here." Her eyes flashed. "As for what's going on, well. It's something that has been going on for eternity. The war between darkness and light, dear girl."

"What?" I didn't bother to lower my voice this time. "What war?"

I didn't get my answer from Maggie. She was interrupted when Chloe led the men into the room with us. There were five of them. Nine of us. I was suddenly thankful that I wasn't claustrophobic as the air in the room became stifled. Hot.

Overwhelming.

"Girls, you are all familiar with Michael." Chloe lowered herself down on an armchair to gesture to the man I had first noticed in the foyer. "He has come with a request."

"Not a request." The man folded his arms over his chest. "A demand. It is unfortunate that we need your assistance, but we do as we must."

"Assistance?" The girl closest to Chloe rested her head against her hand. "What for?"

"The dark forces are gathering in strength." Michael gave her a look that clearly said she should have known this already. "We have received word that they are planning an attack in one week's time."

"An attack?" The girl scoffed. "Please. The Lims couldn't kill themselves without screwing it up somehow."

"Lims?" I whispered to Maggie. "Where have I heard that term before?"

"Do you have something to say?"

I pulled back to see the man glaring at me. I considered playing it nice, but decided that snarky was the way to go.

"Yeah. I have no clue what's going on here. New girl and all that. If you don't care to elaborate, then I'm going to be talking through your whole spill."

"Is this the creature you found to replace Jeanette?" Our speaker turned to Cloe with a sneer. "I am disappointed in you, my dear. Your tastes in sisters is declining."

"Hey." I shook my head. "I'm just saying that I need more information. Lims...forces of darkness.... I feel like I have fallen into a really bad movie."

He ignored me as he continued to address our leader. "Will she be ready?"

Cloe glanced at me then nodded.

"We have one week." He held up his hand. "Sunday, to be exact, before they strike. Our sources say the Wretched are preparing to expose themselves through a series of attacks in three cities. San Francisco, Atlanta, and Charlotte."

"The Wretched Ones?" Me again. "Are they demons or something?"

"Vampires."

Michael's companion with hair as golden as Maggie had leaned down to whisper in my ear. He winked at me before nudging his chin back towards his leader, who hadn't slowed down in his story.

"Every creature will strike," Michael ran his hand through his red hair. "But not in the shadows. They plan on hunting out in the open. Attacking mortals with no regard to who sees them."

"A dangerous move." The girl I knew to be Jessica spoke up. "It would expose their most guarded secret."

"That is the point, my dear." Michael glanced over to the man behind me. "They will wreak havoc amongst the humans. Fickle creatures who will either perish or join their ranks."

"Which means more of them to fight." Chloe nodded. "Have you spoken with the other covens?"

"Yes." Michael nodded. "Each has pledged to fight alongside us. I expect you to do the same."

"Of course." Chloe stood. "And our reinforcements?"

"Are standing in this room. I expect you to provide them with room and board during the week ahead. Once the threat has been eliminated, they will depart."

"Very well. Tamar?" Chloe gestured to the girl sitting across from me. "Show them to their rooms."

I sat up straight when Michael disappeared in a flash of fire, but I didn't have time to process what I'd seen. Chloe was in front of me within a second.

"I need your decision." She crossed her arms over her chest. "If you are going to leave, then I will erase your memories of the past twenty-four hours. Maggie will take you to the nearest hospital until your mind recovers. But if you have decided to stay, then I need to know. We will do your final rites tonight."

"I," I swallowed. "I thought I had a month."

"That was before. The Wretched Ones are dangerous to us. They will prove to the humans that our kind exists. We cannot let that happen." She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Your presence will strengthen our numbers, but we need time to prepare you."

"Starting tonight." I stood up. "What exactly is the final rites you keep talking about? What happens?"

"Your death." She gave me a small smile. "For only through death can you truly be transformed."

I looked over to Maggie. I studied the faces of the women around me. Each one waiting to see if I was going to run or if I was going to join them. It didn't take me long to respond.

"Since I'm not up to being on the table for the vampire banquet, I'm in."

"Really?" Maggie squealed. "You mean it?"

Chloe held up her hand and Maggie fell silent. "You are certain of this?"

I nodded. "Yeah. What choice do I have? I have no family. No foundation to build my future on. You and Mags and Jo. You have offered me the first glimmer of hope I've had in over two years. You need me, I'll be there."

"Very well." Chloe turned to the girls she commanded. "Jessica, Ivy – go make the preparations. Alice, take Jo. Make sure Luci is ready."

"Luci?" I watched the others rush to follow her orders. "Who is Luci?"

She ignored me. "Maggie, help Charlotte get ready. Tell her what she is to do. Nothing more."

I felt my stomach as it began to sink. What exactly had I agreed to? Why wouldn't Chloe tell me what I was about to embark on.

"I will get Tamar. The rest of you, do your duty then get ready yourselves. We must do this and do it quickly."

Chloe grabbed my hand and squeezed. "The time has come to initiate another sister into our midst. May the Lord be praised."

***

"I need you to stand still, Charlotte." Maggie pouted as she piled my hair on top of my head. "We have to be downstairs in less than twenty minutes, and you're killing me right now."

"I thought you were an immortal." I glanced up to watch her through the mirror I was sitting in front of. "It's not my fault that you're impatient."

"True." She jabbed my head with a hair pin. "There. I think I've got all of it. You have more hair than a mammoth."

"Thanks." I grumbled. "You're the best."

"I know." She giggled before she threw her arms around my neck from behind. "I really meant what I said. I'm glad you made the right decision. I knew there was something special about you the moment I found you on that stupid bus."

"Yeah?" I patted her arm. "Mags, what am I supposed to do?"

"What do you mean?" She loosened her grip. "With us?"

"No." I turned to face her. "During the ritual. What's it like? Will I really die?"

Maggie was quiet as she dropped down on my bed. She studied her hands for a second before she responded.

"The final rites...well. Remember how I told you Lilith was transformed? We go through the same process. Except we aren't turned into the Wretched Ones. The ritual ensures that we push past our vampiric urges to become warriors of God."

"But will I die?" I stressed that point since it was the one I was the most afraid of. "What guarantee do I have that you will bring me back?"

"Your faith in us." Maggie clapped her knees. "Normally, an initiate has an idea of what they are facing. They make their decision before they take the oath from the _Book_ _of Assyria_. They come to us to be trained in history. Fighting. They shadow us to learn how to defeat our enemies long before their final rites take place. You won't have that luxury. Not with the threat so close."

"Ok. So what will I have to do?" I stood up. "Isn't that what we're supposed to be talking about right now?"

"Yeah." She giggled. "Though I'm much more interested in the look that Michael was giving Chloe. Do you know they had a fling a few centuries ago? He's never gotten over it."

"Later." I chuckled. "Tell me what to say."

"It's simple, really. You're going to repeat everything Chloe says. Meet Luci. Then leave the rest to us. We'll give you a day to recover, then it's go time."

"Recover?" I narrowed my eyes. "From the whole being dead thing?"

"Something like that." She headed towards the door. "Come on. It is time to meet your destiny, dear Charlotte. We mustn't keep it waiting."

#  Chapter Seven

##

Maggie didn't take me back to the living room. She led me to a small door in the kitchen and when she opened it, I knew at once where we were going.

The basement. I shuddered as we descended into a damp darkness. I ignored the fact that my hand was brushing through a mass of spider webs that covered the walls as I kept from falling headfirst down the stairs. I had the sudden desire to run. Fight my way out of that the dank basement in the hills of Greenville and go to the police. To hell with being accepted. I'd become a nun. A hermit. One of those crazy ladies with cats who lived under a bridge.

But I couldn't go to the police. They'd never believe me. No one would. I'd be just another disabled kid too doped up to know reality from the fantasy. One who would be sent back home to nowhere and returning as a nobody. One who could be tracked down. Discarded. Forgotten about after she died.

With that final thought, I tampered down my fears. I had given my word and I would be damned if I went back on it.

When we reached the bottom, Maggie took my hand to lead me into an open room that had been lit by candles. Here I could see the walls were stone. The floor? Red clay that looked like rust beneath my feet. A single table of stone was placed in the center of the room.

Maggie turned to me to pull the hood of the cloak I wore over my hair. She leaned in to kiss me on either cheek before she whispered.

"May God be with you."

"And with you."

My response was automatic thanks to my time at St. Mary's. Maggie smiled until Chloe joined us.

"Is she ready?"

When Maggie nodded, Chloe took my hand to lead me over to the table. She turned me to face her before she began to speak.

"Charlotte Kingston. You spoke the Assyrian Oath during your sixteenth year of life. Do you still hold those words close to your heart?"

"Yes." I whispered. "I still hold the desire within me."

"Have you been instructed into our history? Do you know the story of Lilith and what we represent?"

"I do."

I clutched two handfuls of the cloak in either hand to keep from shaking. It wasn't working. I was nervous. Scared. Petrified of what was to come.

"Then repeat after me. I, Charlotte Kingston, pledge my soul to God through the service of the Lillian."

I cleared my throat and repeated the words. They were the easiest ones I had ever spoken.

"I will dedicate myself to the principles of Lilith. I will destroy her enemies. I will aide her in sending souls of darkness into Hell."

I got halfway through the saying when my throat began to close. I swallowed back my fear twice more before I could finish.

"And with the blood I spill tonight, I am transformed into a warrior. A servant. A Blessed One."

I whispered the final line with my eyes closed. I expected the room to begin shaking. I expected to hear the voice of God resound through my thoughts. Instead, there was nothing but silence.

"Climb onto the table, Charlotte." Chloe grabbed my shoulders to turn me towards it. "Lay back and follow my instructions."

I was proud of myself. I did what she told me to do, but I shuddered when the chill of the stone crept through my clothes to my bones. I watched as Jo and Maggie approached the table on either side of me. I clinched my hands into fists as they secured my arms down with ties I hadn't noticed until that moment.

Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I was claustrophobic. A sense of panic filled my entire being. I shouldn't do this. I had no place here. I would never belong.

But as I laid there, I realized that this was exactly what I wanted. Wasn't it? To be special. To be one of _them_. Thin and gorgeous. Adored and envied for all the wrong reasons. Yeah. Of course I did. No girl in her right mind would have turned down the single, simple invitation that had gotten me so far. Much less want to run and hide now that the time had come for my official transformation from a classic nobody into an irreversibly special somebody.

I shoved the doubts aside. It was far too late for me to question my decision now. It was one I made years ago when nothing could be done to make me beautiful ever again. No creams. No makeup. Not even surgery could change the ugliness of my heart. Of my soul.

But they could. The Lillian could give me hope. I had to hold onto that.

"Hush." Chloe whispered as she leaned over me. "Quiet your fears. Luci can sense them."

Luci. Who the hell was Luci? I couldn't shake the question from my mind as I struggled to calm myself. This was it. This was what I wanted.

It was far too late to change my mind now.

I saw the girl Chloe had called Ivy approach the table with a box in her hands. Her large brown eyes gleamed as she sat the box down by my feet. She opened the lid then stepped back into the circle the eight women had formed around me. I turned my head to see they had clasped hands before they began to chant in unison with each other. Their tones blended in perfection with one another. But it wasn't soothing to me. Instead I found myself surrounded by a siren's song I couldn't understand; sung in a language long dead to those of us who lived in the modern world. I kept reminding myself that this was just what I wanted. What I needed if I was going to have my wish granted. Loved. Accepted.

No longer alone. Fighting against a world that had shunned me from the very beginning because of who I was. Because of what I _didn't_ have.

The unmistakable hiss of a snake broke through their chanting. I jerked up to see a thick body gleaming from candlelight sliding up by my side. It circled itself around my arm. My breath began to come out in a ragged panting. I had never been afraid of snakes before, but here, in this place, I was petrified.

The creature didn't give me a chance to shake it off. It raised up. Slithered across my chest. I felt my body being lifted up as it wrapped itself around my neck seconds before it's fangs sank into the side of my throat.

At long last, I lost my fight with my panic.

I screamed. Fought against the binds as the snake latched itself onto me. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think as my very blood turned to fire. I watched the world around me shift into brilliant color. Even the soft candlelight hurt my eyes. My throat closed in on itself as the flash of color began to fade into darkness.

"Tamar, grab Luci. Maggie, the chalice."

Chloe had approached the table. I could hear her, but as my sight faded, there was no way I could see her.

I was dying. I knew it. I felt something snap inside of me and I wondered if it was my soul. I struggled to breathe as she brushed my hair away from my face.

"Hurry, child. Drink this."

Drink? How the hell did she expect me to drink anything?

I had no strength to fight her as she lifted up my head. Chloe pressed my lips against something cold. Someone else pulled on my chin to open my mouth. The liquid they poured inside my mouth was warm. Thick. I'd never tasted anything richer.

Blood. It was blood.

I tried to spit it out. I tried to twist my head so that they couldn't force anymore of it down my throat. It was a battle I lost. Chloe sat the cup aside as she stepped back.

"Sisters, join me."

They resumed their chanting as the fire rushing through my veins grew hotter. Yet, when I was sure I couldn't take any more of the pain, I began to understand the words they had resumed chanting. Somehow, I knew it was Assyrian. I knew it to be the language of the angels. Of demons.

Of Heaven.

The shadows that had been held at bay when Chloe forced her drink on me began to swim in front of my eyes. I heard their chanting cease. I relaxed my body against the stone as exhaustion hit me so hard, I struggled to keep my eyes open. Yet, as I begin to fall asleep, each girl approached the table to kiss me on either cheek. Only Maggie spoke when she rose up from her task.

"Welcome home, sister. Welcome home."

#  Chapter Eight

##

"Maggie, dammit." I snarled. "Give me a minute. I've never been in a fight before. Much less a sparring match."

My new sister sighed as she leaned against the ring we were in. I pressed my palms against my eyes as I willed myself to calm down. When I spoke again, it was through my fingers.

"When did you say these rages will go away?"

"In a month or so." She watched me with concern. "Listen, Charlotte. We need to train, that is true. But if you still need time..."

"No." I snapped. "No. The one thing we don't have is time."

That much was true. When I had woken up after the final rite, two days had passed. Which meant the week we had been granted was quickly coming to a close. I didn't have the words to describe how I felt. My emotions were all over the place. But the fear was gone. The self-doubt.

I was ready to take on the world and everyone in it.

"How about this." Maggie pulled away from the rope. "Let's go see Jessica. We need to get you set up anyway."

Jessica. I racked my brain to figure out which one she was. Most of the girls I now called sisters were strangers to me. After a minute, I gave up.

"Which one is she again?"

"Our weapons expert." Maggie gestured for me to follow her out of the ring. "Her birth name was Yiska, but she changed it during the eighteenth century during her Shakespeare phase."

"Yiska?" I raised my eyebrow as we left the training room. "That doesn't sound anything like Jessica."

"Ah, but the meaning is the same." Maggie waved to Tamar and Alice as we passed by them. "Did you know that Jessica was a Nordic shield maiden?"

"I don't know much about any of you." I admitted. "I know Jo was a slave. I know that you survived the Black Plague. I just assumed the rest of you were walking history lessons waiting to be unleashed."

"Funny." She scowled at me. "That means she is a damned good fighter. If we survive the Wretched Ones, you'll be spending a lot of time with her learning how to defeat our enemies."

"If we survive." I stopped next to her when we reached a door not far from the training room. "Why would we not survive? I thought I just died in order to be immortal."

"Oh, your body will survive." Maggie admitted. "But remember what I told you, Charlotte. If we are bitten, we will resort back to the beast Lilith was when she was first transformed. We lose our sense of humanity then. And I don't know about you, but I'm kinda fond of how I live my life right now. I don't want to spend it in the shadows, stalking stupid humans to feed on."

That shut me up. I didn't like the picture she had painted of the Wretched Ones. And I certainly didn't want to go through another transformation. Not after I had made it through the first one.

Maggie must have seen my resolve cracking because she nodded then knocked on the door in front of us. Jessica jerked it open in less than two seconds.

"You finally brought the rookie to see me." Jessica studied Maggie before she turned her ice blue gaze onto me. "Come inside. I need to take a look at you."

"Ok."

I breathed the word as I did what I was told. The room I had entered was the largest I'd seen in the manor so far. And for good reason. The walls were lined with racks of weapons. Swords. Axes. Stick things with blades on the end. I moved around the room to examine each piece when I heard Maggie clear her throat behind me.

"Jessica needs to assess your body type." She explained. "To see which weapon will fit you best."

"Assess..."

I started to ask when the Nord took hold of my shoulders. She planted me in the very center of the room then started walking around me. I let her lift up my arms. She put her hands on my waist. She even knelt down to examine my legs at one point. I was about to ask her how this helped when she stood.

"Staff." Jessica went over to one of the stands I had been examining earlier to pull out a long thin pole. "She's made for a Staff."

"What's a lance?" I shrugged. "Sorry. I just have no idea what you're talking about."

Jessica returned to my side with the pole. She swung it around until she was balancing it in both hands.

"The staff is an ancient tool." The girl bounced the thing in her hands. "It can be used to block, stab, and knock the crap out of anyone who comes close to you. Try it."

"Um," I took a step back as if she were threatening me with the damned thing instead of offering it to me. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Well, you're going to have to get acquainted with it before Sunday." She frowned. "May as well be in here where I can show you a few things."

I didn't argue with that point. I took the weapon in my hands as she had done. It was made of gold, but it was light. I sat it upright then swung the bottom of it.

"Ok. That's not so bad."

Jessica laughed. "Let me show you how to block."

She picked up a matching staff like mine. I watched as she planted her legs to the ground to hold the weapon across her body. I mirrored her movement. When she nodded, I knew I had done it right.

"Practice that until it becomes second nature."

Jessica spent the new three hours with me, demonstrating the correct techniques and postures to use when in a fight. She even struck out at me a few times, but I was able to block her moves.

"Very good." She grinned. "You are a natural fighter, Charlotte."

"Huh." I lowered the stick to a resting position. "I guess you really do learn something new every day."

"I will work with you again later today. We need to have you as proficient as possible before Sunday."

"So am I supposed to rub this thing down with garlic or something?" I frowned. "I mean, if we're fighting vampires and all..."

Jessica and Maggie both stared at me before they busted out laughing. Maggie stepped forward to clap her hand on my shoulder.

"Dear lord, no. I think it's time to teach you about our fallen brethren." She was still chuckling. "Have a seat."

I glanced around the room devoid of furniture. Finally, I dropped down on the hardwood floor. "There. Happy?"

"Not quite." She took the staff from my hands. "Now. I won't be afraid of you smacking me with this thing when I'm talking."

"Would I smack you?" I grinned when I realized she was teasing me. "Don't answer that."

Maggie rolled her eyes at me. "Anyway, you know that vampires are born from the bite of a fallen Lillian, right?"

"Yeah. You covered that part already." I ticked off my knowledge with my fingers. "I know they suck blood. I know that we can be changed into them if we're bitten by either a vampire or a demon. And I know what they taught me in the movies."

"Ok. The movies? Don't believe any of that crap." She fell to the floor and crossed her legs. "Vampires don't have a weakness to the sun or to garlic. Or the cross for that matter."

"But they are immortal."

Jessica joined us in the floor. She was the one who answered me.

"Yes. They retain that particular trait thanks to the blood we possess. The blood that is transferred to them when a fallen one bites them."

"So how do we beat them? I don't think my stick," I sighed when Jessica glared at me. "Sorry, staff, is going to do much against them."

"Oh, don't get me wrong. The Wretched Ones are fallible." Maggie rested her arms on her knees. "They are destroyed when they come in contact with anything considered holy. Our weapons are blessed with holy water. The second you hit one of them, they will be transported straight to Hell."

"Is that why the demons you fought at the mall disappeared?" I bit my lip. "Does that rule apply to them too?"

"Yes and yes." Maggie nodded. "You gotta understand, Charlotte. Fighting monsters and demons are part of our job. But it's not what we do. Our main focus is on transporting darkened souls. Your weapon will be instrumental in doing that as well."

"Because of the holy water?" I scrunched up my nose. "It's not the same stuff you can buy in the catholic stores, is it?"

"Nope. Comes straight from St. Peter's Basilica." She chuckled at my shocked expression. "I don't know why that surprises you. We're warriors of God. We get our strength through His resources."

"Like Michael." I looked between the two of them. "I'm not the brightest bulb in the door, but I'm catching on quick enough. The angel?"

"The very same." Jessica spoke up. "Saint Michael the Archangel. He is the lead commander of God's armies."

"And a hard ass." I nodded. "I caught onto that too."

"You have to understand, Charlotte. Michael is the greatest protector of the heavens besides God himself." Maggie began to pick at a string on her yoga pants. "He wouldn't come to us if he didn't have to."

"Why not?" I frowned. "Are we not good enough to fight alongside the angels?"

"Oh, we are." She chuckled. "But it hurts his pride to ask for assistance. Which is why he claimed he was here with a demand instead of a request."

"What about the other three?" I tapped my fingertips against my chin. "Wasn't there three other men with him?"

"There were. Each of them angels of the highest order." She nodded. "Gabriel, the blonde? He's God's divine messenger and Michael's right hand. Raphael is more quiet. He is best described as an assassin. He is responsible for doing the dirty work behind the scenes. And of course, Zadkiel. I'm sure he's here to clean up the mess we are about to make."

"Are they all archangels?"

Jessica scoffed. "I thought you spent two years in a Catholic orphanage. How do you not know who the archangels are?"

"Yeah, well. My mind was elsewhere." I glowered at her. "And I am going to take that as a 'yes'."

"Yes, they are all archangels." Maggie finally dropped the loose string on her pants. "The archangels are the first seven angels ever created by God. Each with a unique purpose. Michael, Gabriel, Zadkiel, Raphael, Uriel, Jophiel, and Lucifer."

"Lucifer? As in Satan?"

"The very same." Maggie nodded. "It is truly the greatest betrayal story of all time. Lucifer was God's brightest angel. So much so, the meaning of his name is 'Morning Star'. The strongest of the seven. He could have done such good for humanity if he hadn't been eaten away by his pride."

"Ah," I reached up to tighten my ponytail. "I think I know that story. He challenged God for the throne of Heaven, right? That's why he was cast into Hell."

"And he has been trying to return to Heaven ever sense." Jessica smiled. "That's the basis of the war between light and darkness. A series of battles created by a fallen angel who wants to rule over mankind."

"I'm not good with politics." I responded. "So you'll have to forgive me. But what is the point of sending the vampires out? How does that serve Satan's purpose?"

"Anytime he can create havoc on earth, Lucifer will take it." Maggie shifted her weight until her legs were folded beneath her. "Think about it, Charlotte. When your parents died, did you not question God?"

"Of course I did." I scoffed. "How could I not?"

"My point exactly." Maggie moved to stand. "When humans begin to question God's actions, they begin to question their faith. And without faith? They lose the light of God. Their souls begin to darken. Then, when their days on earth are through, we sweep in to take them to the Hell that awaits them."

#  Chapter Nine

##

Why the hell did Maggie have to bring up how I had questioned God?

This was the main thought that circled around in my head as I sat out on the back patio. She and Jessica had disappeared on Chloe's orders to help prepare the others for the battle that was only days away. I understood her rationale behind it. After all, if I had been tasked with taking care of this mess, I'd be a nervous wreck. I'd be commanding everyone and everything that would listen to me.

But I wasn't. I was sitting outside in the mid-September sun. And doing my damnedest to forget.

After the fire, I had been sent to St. Mary's simply because there was no family to take me in. My parents had both been only children. My grandparents had all died off before I was even born. So there was no one willing to take in a sixteen-year-old girl who was so damaged by her experience, she woke up in screams of terror every night.

So I became a ward of the state of Tennessee. Another name and number forgotten about once I entered the system. I crossed my arms over my chest to hold myself. The first days had been horrible. No, that's not right. The first year had been horrible. I was one of the oldest kids in the place. The smaller children stayed away from me for fear that I would harm them. The nuns, afraid they had an arsonist in their midst, stayed away from me as much as possible.

It was there that I lost myself in books. Don't get me wrong. I'd always been a reader. That's how I found the _Book of Assyria_. But when I was left on my own, I became obsessed. I would read anything I could lose myself in. I needed the escape that only fiction could provide.

Granted, it would have been more helpful if I had spent more time on the Bible. It would have been more useful to me now. In this place.

"Training going well?"

I jerked up to see Gabriel standing behind me. I frowned when he lowered himself down beside me.

"Well enough." I admitted. "Jessica gave me a fancy stick and told me to hit things with it."

He laughed and I couldn't help but notice how clear his grey eyes were. They reminded me of smoke.

_Don't go there, Charlie_.

"I suppose that will come in handy." He gave me an easy smile. "And your new life? Are you getting adjusted?"

"I guess." I shrugged. "As well as I could be. I have to be honest though, I had no idea that any of this actually existed."

"Not many do." He folded his hands together in his lap. "Those who claim to have faith are often the first to question it."

There was that whole 'questioning' thing again. I was starting to wonder if that was the theme for the day.

"Of course they question it." I shot back. "How can they not when they get in over their head?"

"Because God told us not to." He sighed. "Because that is the whole purpose of faith."

"You sound like a meme on Facebook." I pouted. "Tell me, do you have any other little inspirational quotes to share with me?"

"A few psalms, maybe." He gave me that grin again. "Have the girls informed you about the battle ahead?"

"Yes." I turned my gaze away from his strange eyes. "They told me about you and Michael, too."

"And what exactly did they say?"

"Just that you are one of the original angels created by God. Which reminds me," I shifted in my seat. "Where's your wings? And aren't you supposed to have a halo and a white robe?"

He blinked before he threw his head back to laugh at me. When he could speak, I heard the mirth that underlined his words.

"We aren't allowed to wear white robes after Labor Day. The wings are only useful if I need to get somewhere fast. Otherwise, it's a pain to try to sit down without ruffling my feathers. As for the halo, well. I didn't think it went with this outfit."

It took a minute for me to realize he was teasing me. I started laughing before I could stop myself.

"Ok. Point taken." I grinned. "The halo might be a little too fancy for your jeans and polo ensemble."

"I thought the very same thing." He tilted his head to watch me. "You seem happy here, Charlotte."

I sobered quickly. After the horror of my transformation, my happiness was the last thing on my mind. I'd been too focused on learning how to fight I had forgotten the whole reason why I had agreed to become a Lillian in the first place.

"Yeah. I think I am." I answered him carefully. "Maggie makes it damned hard to resist her, you know? And here, I finally feel like I belong somewhere."

"Even though they deceived you?"

Ouch. So he had heard about the whole Whitman debacle, huh? Fine. Since I was being honest, I would tell him about that too.

"Don't get me wrong. I was hurt. Angry. Confused. I walked around downtown for hours going over my options." I admitted. "But then Jo showed up. Told me what a great opportunity I was throwing away simply because it wasn't the one I was expecting. It really hit home with me."

"And the fact that you had nowhere else to go had nothing to do with it?"

"What's up with the twenty questions?" I narrowed my eyes at him. "Shouldn't you be playing a harp or doing something angelic somewhere else?"

"Fair enough." He chuckled. "And for the record, I'm not musically inclined. So I have no harp recitals on my calendar."

I huffed then turned away from him. When I fell silent, I was hoping he would get the hint and go away. No such luck. Gabriel spoke up again a few minutes later.

"I have always been fascinated by the women who choose this life." He ran his fingers through his curls. "To give themselves over to vampirism only to spend the rest of their existence resisting the urge to return to their demonic roots. It takes incredible strength."

"From what I've been told, we aren't really vampires." I broke my self-imposed silence. "We're warriors."

"You are that. It is one of the main reasons why I am here." He stood up. "Want to take a walk with me? I get restless when I sit in one spot too long."

I looked at the hand he offered me then took hold of it. I let him lift me to my feet and I wondered just what the hell I was doing. When we headed towards the front of the house, I started giggling.

"What?" He stuffed his hands in his pocket. "Is something amusing?"

"Oh, nothing." I brushed a stray strand of hair away from my eyes. "It's just, if you had told me a month ago I'd be going on a stroll with the archangel Gabriel, I would have run away from you as fast as I could. Hell, if you had told me this last week, I would have run."

"Did you ever consider running? Away from the Lillian, I mean?"

"I almost did when I found out about Whitman." I waved to Maggie, who had come out of the house, but I didn't stop as we headed towards the sidewalk in front of the manor. "Then again during my final rites. I'd never been more scared of anything in my entire life."

"This coming from a girl who lost both parents and thrown into the world at such a young age." He glanced down at me. "One would think you aren't scared of anything, Charlotte."

"Yeah, well, I'm not." I lifted my chin in defiance. "I'm afraid of a lot of things. Mainly snakes now. But I'm afraid of failure. I'm afraid I'm not good enough. I'm convinced that I'm going to be the weakest link on Sunday."

"Perhaps you will be the strongest." Gabriel was watching me. I could feel his eyes on me. "One never knows how they will react when they are thrown into the fire."

Thrown into the fire. Wasn't that what Maggie said?

I didn't give myself time to think about it. I shrugged before I responded.

"We'll see. I might end up as a vampire after all."

"I doubt that." He stopped to extend his hand. "I tell you what, Charlotte. You watch my back during the fight and I'll watch yours. I vow here and now we will walk out of this fight victorious. Together."

I took his hand for the second time in less than ten minutes and shook it. This time, I found myself studying his handsome features. The warmth of his skin against mine. How soothing his voice was.

I dropped my hand as soon as I could without seeming rude. Those were _not_ the type of thoughts I needed to be having.

"Together." I agreed as we resumed our walk. "You seem quite confident though. I don't think you need to have anyone look after you."

"We all need someone, darling girl." He threw a crooked grin in my direction. "But there are other factors which play into my confidence."

"Like what?"

"My faith in God mostly." He studied the tree-lined street we were walking down. "But this is not my first fight against the wicked. I am sure it won't be the last. We have always been victorious. There is no reason why we won't be this time."

"Michael seemed quite insistent on the danger we faced." I pointed out. "He said we were in the midst of a great danger."

"We are always in danger. And you must forgive Michael. He takes his role as our commander quite seriously."

"As he should, I suppose. Chloe is as well. She has had everyone in a tizzy over Sunday. That's why you found me out back alone. Any other time, Maggie would be hanging on me like a shadow."

"Magdalena has been assigned to you as your mentor?" Gabriel asked as we reached the cul-de-sac. "Chloe did well in choosing her for you. The others do not seem as open to newcomers."

"That's because they are so guarded." I found myself on the defensive as I stared at him. "After all, they have to keep everything else about their existence a secret. Why should they accept me with open arms?"

"Because you took their sacred oath? Because they opened their home to you?" He shook his head. "My apologies if I have upset you, Charlotte. That was not my intention."

"No." I shook my head. "There is no need for that. It's just...I've dedicated my existence to them. I suppose I'm a little defensive of my new sisters."

"As you should be. Loyalty is the most valuable trait we can possess."

"Ah," I gave him a small smile. "But I thought that was faith."

"Faith breeds loyalty." He offered me his arm this time, so I placed my hand in the crook of his elbow. "So you really can't have one without the other."

"True." I admitted as we headed back towards the house. "So...friends?"

"Us?" He raised his eyebrows at me. "I thought we already were."

"Not after you questioned my sisters." I punched him lightly on the arm I was holding. "But I think I can overlook that."

"That's a good thing, then." He chuckled. "What is your schedule like over the next few days?"

"Crammed." I scrunched up my nose. "The girls are supposed to teach me everything I need to know in less than three days. I don't know if I am going to be able to process it all."

"If you would like, I can help train you in fighting." He offered. "Perhaps Jessica and Maggie will let you spar against someone else."

"I'm not so sure about that." I cut my eyes over at him. "What if you get mad and smite me?"

"I will do all I can to refrain from smiting you. Just don't push your luck."

I could see his laughter in his eyes when he responded. I awarded him with another small smile before we went silent. The rest of our walk was peaceful. We talked about the beautiful fall weather. The flowers that refused to believe summer was over. Finally, when we reached the house, a strange sense of sadness filled me.

I didn't want our time together to end. Despite our conversations about the battle and the Lillian, I'd actually enjoyed myself in Gabriel's presence.

Gabriel placed his hand at the base of my back as he led me inside. When we reached the foyer, he bowed his head in my direction.

"Thank you for your time, Charlotte. I have enjoyed your company immensely."

"Me, too." I grinned. "It was fun. Remember that if you do decide to smite me later."

"I will."

He mirrored my grin as he waved. I watched him head up the stairs before I felt someone latch onto my arm to jerk me into the dining room. I blinked back my surprise when I realized my assailant was none other than Jo. She scowled at me when she shut the door.

"What in God's name do you think you are doing?"

"Um, coming inside?" I narrowed my eyes at her. "I think the better question is what in the hell are _you_ doing, grabbing me like that."

"Charlotte, I want you to listen to me. If you don't learn anything else from me, learn this." Jo brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "Do not get involved with Gabriel. Do not get involved with any being out of love, got it?"

"First off, I was just walking with him." I put my hands on my hips. "And second, I'm not looking to be swept off my feet. I'm not the romantic type, Jo. I don't need a man to tell me how great I am."

"You sure about that?" Jo pressed her lips together. "Fraternization between the archangels and Lillian is strictly forbidden. I'm surprised Maggie didn't warn you about that."

"If what you mean by 'fraternization' is dating, then I'm on board." I dropped my hands. "But I don't see any harm in being friends with him. I might learn something."

"Doubtful." She snorted. "The archangels tend to keep to themselves. They don't offer tips to the likes of us."

"Gabriel offered to spar with me during my training session with Jessica tomorrow." I shrugged. "I took him up on it. I need all the help I can get, Jo. But you have nothing to worry about. I'm not looking for a hookup. Or a man. Or rather, an angel to sweep down from the sky to save me. I just need guidance."

With my last words, she relaxed. "Fine. But be careful. You are too new. Your transformation is too fresh. It would be very easy for you to be manipulated right now."

"You're a sweetheart." I teased. "Underneath all that gruff and pompous attitude is a real big softie. I get you, Jo. You don't have to pretend with me."

She stared at me for a minute then turned on her heel. I couldn't help but laugh as I heard her grumbling all the way to the door. One thing was certain. I was happier here.

More so than I had ever been in my entire life. It felt right.

It felt like home.

***

I was sitting in front of my dressing mirror, staring at the dark purple shade my eyes had turned to after my transformation when Maggie burst through the door without knocking.

"Oh, my god." She exclaimed as she threw herself down on my bed. "Oh, my god. I just heard!"

"Heard what?" I swiveled around. "And don't use the Lord's name in vain. You should know better."

"About Gabriel." She threw her arm over her forehead then turned her head towards me. "Am I not your mentor? Your best friend in the house? How could you not tell me?"

"Best friend, huh?" I smirked. "I don't think best friends let their best friends go through a weird ceremony to become one of the undead, do you?"

"We're not vampires and you are changing the subject." She snagged a pillow and threw it at me. "Now spill it, girlie."

"One, you must have been talking to Jo and two, there's nothing to tell." I swiveled back around and grabbed my hair brush. "He introduced himself when I was outside. We went for a walk. That was it."

"You really don't know how this whole 'sister' thing works, do you?" She sat up. "You're supposed to tell me everything. Every word. Every little detail. Not some glossed over version."

"Look, there really _is_ nothing to tell." I took down my ponytail and began to work out the knots made throughout the day. "We had a couple of laughs. He is going to help me during my sparring session tomorrow. Oh. And he sorta promised not to smite me."

"Smite you..." Maggie let the words fade off. She was quiet for only a second before she spoke again. "You know only God can do that, right?"

"No." I met her eyes through the mirror. "They didn't teach me about the vengeful God in my Sunday School."

I could tell Maggie was getting aggravated with me. The air seemed to get heavy. Thick. So I sighed, put down the brush, and turned back around.

"Fine. I'll tell you everything. But do not use that mind control thing you do to get information out of me, got it? That has to break some sort of rule."

"I will do whatever is necessary to get what I want."

So I told her everything. Every word, every joke. Even how Gabriel had promised to have my back during the fight. When I finished, she squealed. Maggie actually squealed.

"Ok. So if you two meet up again, then we are going online to find compatibility quizzes to take." She grinned. "We will make a night of it."

"What are you, twelve?" I scowled at her. "There is nothing between us. There never will be. And besides, Jo told me about the whole 'no fraternizing thing. I couldn't explore it if I wanted to."

Maggie dismissed my words with a wave. She started to chime in, but I interrupted her.

"Mags, I need to ask you something. About the final rites."

"What? It's a little too late for you to be concerned with that."

"I was forced to drink blood." I kept my tone dry. "I think I have the right to know why."

"Oh. That's an easy one." She hopped off my bed. "To stave off the vampire in you until we could administer the holy water."

"Wait. You mean to tell me that we are vampires first?" I stood up with her. "So why don't I have the desire to drink blood and hunt in the night?"

"Blood to calm the monster. Holy water to cleanse your soul." Maggie patted my cheek. "Don't worry. We have been doing this for a very long time. Your transformation is done. You have nothing to worry about."

#  Chapter Ten

##

When I hit the floor for the fifth time during my training session with Jessica, I realized that Maggie had been wrong.

I had a lot to worry about.

"You alright?" Jessica extended her hand towards me. "You must learn to balance yourself. Otherwise, an opponent will finish you off within seconds."

"Fine." I muttered to her under my breath. "I am fine."

"Then on your feet." She removed the before offered hand. "There is still much for you to learn."

"Thank you, Ms. Obvious."

I was still grumbling when I used the stick to brace myself and stand. Even though I had been subject to her torture session for most of the morning, I wasn't sore. I could still move without every muscle in my body screaming. And that was a good thing. Stamina was a trait I would need if I planned on surviving tomorrow.

We went through the moves again. Trust me when I say they were all basic. How to jab. Hoe to block. How to dodge. But by the time she knocked me on my but again, I was ready to scream in frustration. I tossed my weapon aside in anger and ignored the resounding thud it made.

"Jessica, I can't do this." I looked at the staff instead of her. I didn't want to see her disappointment. "I am going to be a liability tomorrow and I know it."

"Perhaps not."

I jerked my head up to see that Gabriel had joined us. I had been too preoccupied with not getting my head bashed in to notice. He gestured to Jessica.

"Mind if I give it a try?"

I rolled over, grabbed my staff, and made it back onto my feet. I grimaced when Jessica left the room and Gabriel took her place. After the spill Jo had given me yesterday, I wasn't sure if I would have been left alone with him again. But Jessica seemed to have no problem with it.

So I resumed the basic stance that my trainer had taught me, ready to launch forward when he gave me the go ahead.

"Ok. Here's what you're going to do."

He surprised me. There was no attack. No falling on my ass. Instead, he would call out a move, then correct my balance. Or the placement of my hands. Anything to help me maintain control over my weapon. I wasn't sure how long he worked with me, but by the time it was over, I felt better. More confident in my actions.

I even managed to sweep him off his feet. Literally. I laughed when he collapsed to the floor.

"No wonder Jessica kept doing that to me. It feels great!"

"Yeah, well." Gabriel sat up with a smirk. "I'm glad to see that you are doing better. Confidence will do wonders for your techniques, Charlotte."

"Not sure how I'm going to gain that confidence by tomorrow." I admitted as I dropped down beside him. "I still feel like I am being thrown into the fire. Literally."

"Perhaps." He nudged my shoulder with his own. "Or perhaps, you will surprise yourself. David did when he defeated the giant."

"True." I sighed. "I'm just don't want to be in the way. Especially on my first fight out."

"It will be the first of many." He looked over at me. "If I remember correctly, you are supposed to watch my back. I am going to need you to stay safe to do that."

"Yeah." I gave him a sad smile. "I guess you're right. I will do what I can."

"And that is all you can do." He stood up, dusted off his hands, then lifted me to my feet. "Will you be attending the strategy meeting tonight?"

I nodded. We'd been told earlier that morning our presence was required in the living room to discuss the fight tomorrow. I refused to call it a battle like the others simply because I couldn't bring myself to face the fact that it was actually going to happen. I'd never been exposed to violence, save the fire and the brief fight I witnessed at the mall.

"Yeah. I'll be there." I moved towards the door but before I reached it, I stopped and turned to him. "I need you to explain something to me. I don't think I am being told the whole truth."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow. "Deceit amongst the sisters? I am surprised."

"Sarcasm aside, why did Michael call for us? Chloe told me how every state has their own coven of Lillian. Why are we so special?"

He studied me before he spoke. I think he was considering how much I should know.

"The Lillian coven in North Carolina is weak. Many of them are, actually. The sisters often fight amongst themselves. Their petty arguments have led to innocents being killed. Demons to escape their grasps. And souls marked for Hell to linger amongst them."

"So we're going in as reinforcements to them?"

"No, dear girl." Gabriel smiled. "The coven was disbanded after a fight where two of the sisters set up their leader in an attempted mutiny. It has yet to be reestablished."

"So there is no protection in North Carolina."

"None, save Chloe's coven. Thanks to her guidance, your coven flourished. She has only had one traitor in the past two hundred years."

"Isn't there always a traitor." I crossed my arms over my chest. "Is that the Jeanette that Michael mentioned? He said I replaced someone."

Gabriel glanced at the door as if he were afraid Chloe or Maggie were going to walk in at any second.

"I'm not sure if this is a story you should hear from me, Charlotte. Perhaps it would be better to speak with Chloe herself."

"I don't know if I should." I followed his gaze to the door. "If it hadn't been for Michael, I would never have known of her existence."

"That is a decision only you can make." Gabriel shook his head. "But in truth, what good would knowing the past do for you? Perhaps it would be better if you focused on your future."

He patted my arm as he walked around me. "See you tonight."

"See you."

I muttered when he disappeared. As I left Jessica's armory, I couldn't shake the feeling that the story of Jeanette would serve as a warning to me. Maybe that's why nobody mentioned her. After all, Maggie said herself that she was afraid of overwhelming me.

But I was convinced there was more to it than a simple warning. After all, if she were immortal, where was she now? Why did she have to be replaced? Why wasn't she here with us?

"You're chasing imaginary dragons, Charlie." I grumbled to myself. "I'm sure it will come out. All in good time. All in good time."

***

I searched the entire manor for a familiar face before I gave it up to go back to my room. We weren't supposed to meet until six o'clock, and I had a good two hours to kill. I considered going back to the armory to practice what Gabriel had taught me, but decided against it. I had been fighting all day and if the threat tomorrow was real, then I would be trying to fight then.

Enemies who had no problems striking me down. Ones who would want to see me fall so soon after my transformation.

When I reached my room, I peeked inside to make sure Maggie wasn't waiting on me. She had the worst habit of appearing in places at the worst time. I should have figured that out when she appeared out of nowhere on the Greyhound bus. But it was what it was.

There was no Maggie, but I did see an object lying in the center of my bed. I clicked my tongue against the back of my teeth when I realized it was an envelope.

"Nice. A farewell letter. Has to be."

I lifted it up to examine the paper. It was white. Gleaming in the late afternoon sun. I found that my hands were shaking when I tried to open it. I scoffed at myself, hooked my nail through the thick flap, and ripped it open.

A series of rigid letters greeted me. I didn't read them at first, though. Instead, I flipped over the document to see if it was signed. It was.

Gabriel.

"Ok." I smirked. "Let's see what this is about, shall we?"

I spoke to no one other than myself. A horrible habit I'd picked up as a child when friendships alluded me.

_Charlotte –_

_I will not waste your time. Nor will I mince my words. If I offend you, I am sorry. But this is a story you need to hear._

_Words that no one else will dare to tell you._

_Jeanette Dickinson joined the ranks of Chloe's coven during the sixteenth century. She was called 'The Most Loyal' since there was nothing she wouldn't do for her new leader. The creature saved her mistress time and time again in battles or struggles against the darkened souls. And she was rewarded for her actions._

_It is an amazing thing; how quickly alliances can change. Chloe was cruel to her charges. Your leader would often send out the Lillian who displeased her on missions that were far too advanced for their skill set. Just to see them burn. Or as punishment for disagreeing with her. I had heard of her deal with you. She was going to allow you a month to make your decision. Yet, the first week had barely begun before she forced you onto the altar._

_I fear that you will be angry with me when I hope only for friendship. But as a friend, I feel you should know the truth. When Jeanette began to question Chloe's cruelty, she became an object of ridicule. The others began to shun her for fear of Chloe's retribution. Rightfully so, since Chloe had sent many of her own creations to their demise._

_Four years ago, Jeanette and Chloe were attacked while doing their duty to god by the Wretched Ones. They fought bravely, of course. But in the end, Jeanette was bitten. As she began to shift into one of the beasts, she begged Chloe to save her. She recalled her loyalty. Her actions which had helped strengthen Chloe's hold over her modern day coven._

_Chloe abandoned her sister to the Wretched Ones. We have questioned your leader extensively over her actions since she is solely responsible for these warriors of God. She swore her innocence. She claimed that by the time she was able to reach Jeanette's side, the Lillian had already succumbed to her base nature._

_I tell you this as a warning. Do not trust your leader, dear Charlotte. She has been known to betray her own and throw them to the wolves if necessary. Chloe Washington will do anything to secure her power._

_Even if it means going against the commands of God._

_~ Gabriel_

I plopped down on the bed without a word as I re-read the letter until I had it memorized. The whole scenario seemed too much like fiction to be true. Then again, I had survived a vampire ritual to become a soul collector. There wasn't much I wouldn't believe at this point.

I dropped the letter into my lap as I considered my brief interactions with Chloe. I hadn't gotten close to her as I had Maggie. Even Jo, who had seemed hell-bent on running me out the door, had been friendlier. My mind drifted back to when I had first arrived at Bathory Manor. Maggie had rushed me inside and told me how much Chloe hated for us to be late. At the time, I had taken her words as a bit of information I needed. But had there been fear in her tone? Was she afraid of Chloe?

I searched the letter for the part where Gabriel said Chloe had been known for her cruelty. If so, why was she allowed to stay in her position? Why had she not been disposed of?

It was entirely possible that Gabriel had written me this letter as a warning. But at the same time, this could have been an attempt to separate me from my new sisters. Women who had taken me in. Clothed me. Offered me an existence that didn't revolve around my horrible past. They understood what I wanted. What I needed.

And Chloe had been the first to embrace me in her fold.

I closed my eyes as I tried to remember who I had been last week. Last month. Hell, last year. There wasn't much I wanted to recall. I had been so lost. So unsure of myself and where I was going. I remembered being afraid of going to college. Yet I was relieved to finally be leaving Copperhill behind me. I had convinced myself that if I had gotten onto that bus, then I would be alright. I would be able to forget.

And I had after the Lillian embraced me. They made me feel welcomed. They helped me. They supported me.

I crumpled the letter up into a ball as my anger flared. I had made my decision the moment Jo walked away from me. I was part of something great. And I would be damned if I let anything harm those who had been so good to me. I was taken back, though, when the smell of smoke hit my nostrils.

My palms felt hot. The burn I had suffered from the demons Maggie and Jo had fought was healed when I woke up from the final rites, so I knew that wasn't it. I frowned as I opened up my hands to see a tiny flame burning on the edge of Gabriel's letter.

I threw it to the ground with a cry. I began to stomp on it with my boot as I was hit with a sense of panic so strong, I felt sick. Memories of the fire. My dad's voice as he promised to save me. The woman who appeared in front of me.

It all rushed back. It always rushed back.

I fell to my knees and began to sob. What had I done? Why had I been so determined to forget them? Forget my mistake? I should have been punished. I should have been locked away until my crime had been forgotten. Instead, I'd convinced myself that I belonged to this magnificent family. I'd wanted to be a part of the group so badly; I'd shoved aside the one thought that should have kept me grounded in Copperhill.

I didn't deserve this. I didn't deserve immortality. Beauty. I didn't deserve a second chance when my parents had spent the past two years rotting in their graves.

When I finally calmed down, I realized it was almost time to head downstairs. I studied the small pile of ash by my right knee. I should have found a way to clean it up. I didn't want anything to mar the beauty of this room.

Not even me.

I turned my focus to my hands as I tried to figure out just where the fire had come from. I hadn't been holding a match. There was no lighter within reach of me. I thought back to the conversation I'd had with Maggie before my transformation. I considered what she had said about each Lillian being granted a particular ability. Hers was mind control. Jo's was controlling the winds.

I felt my breath catch in my throat as a small flame erupted in the center of my palm. I should have been afraid. I should have screamed bloody murder. But the fire didn't hurt me. Despite my history, I wasn't afraid of it.

I watched it flare up then fade away when I closed my fingers over my palm. How ironic that my ability would be fire. The one element that caused my initiation into the Lillian in the first place.

In the end, I swept the pile of ashes under the bed with my hand as I recalled the story Gabriel had spelled out on its page. It didn't matter. None of it. The lies. The cruelty. The betrayals. These were stories that involved other beings. Dear creatures who had traded their lives to become monsters under God's control.

I would fight with my sister's tomorrow. I would pay for the sins I had committed so long ago.

Of that, I was certain.

#  Chapter Eleven

##

"Charlotte, are you alright?" Maggie turned to look at me. "You're awfully quiet."

"Fine." I refused to look at her. I was afraid that she would be able to see right through me. "Really, Mags. I'm just nervous."

That much was true. We had arrived in Charlotte just after two in the morning. The strategy meeting had revealed to us that the Wretched Ones had found refuge in the ruins of an old textile mill on the outskirts of the city. Since Michael had decided to put his focus on San Francisco, Gabriel was left to lead our charge. I shuddered as I remembered his words about our enemies. They were a group of fifty vampires, though it would have only taken one to wreak the havoc their leaders hoped to sow. Spies for the archangels had determined the beasts would strike at noon.

Yet, Gabriel hoped to eliminate them much sooner than that. His plan was to trap them in the warehouse where we could pick them off one by one. It was safe. Solid. And as I stared down at the ruins below us, I knew that it would work. The old mill had been constructed of solid brick. Its windows barred with iron to protect it from looters and thieves. There was only one way out of the building and that was the front door that hung on its hinges.

I watched as several men stumbled towards the door. They were laughing. Their cussing broke through the peaceful morning as they screamed at one another. I glanced over to Maggie, who rolled her eyes.

"Lims. Drunk ones at that."

"You never told me what those are." I tucked a strand of hair back behind my ear. "Just that they were demons."

"Low level demons." She corrected me. "These creatures are used as the fodder of Lucifer's army. They feel empowered only because they rank above the souls being tortured below. But anyone with a blessed weapon could defeat them. Even you."

"Nice." I muttered. "Thanks for the confidence booster."

"Oh, I didn't mean anything bad by it." She stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets. "You'll have an eternity of practice to get better. And once your natural ability kicks in, there's no telling how powerful you will be."

My natural ability. I glanced down to where my hands were clutching a wrought iron railing. I hadn't mentioned to her that I'd discovered that little tidbit about myself. I was still determined that my only fight with the Lillian would be my last. No matter what I had done or what I had said, I would not allow myself to weaken them.

"Why are they here?" I changed the subject in an attempt to stop myself from thinking too much. "I thought we were here to eliminate the vampires. Not demons."

"The two go hand in hand." She watched the men as they disappeared inside. "But they are the easy ones, dear Charlotte. I know that Gabriel made you promise to stay by him, but if you need me, you holler. I'll protect you."

I felt my heart swell up in my chest at her words. Of course she would. Maggie had been in my corner from day one. And I would protect her too. Somehow.

"Charlotte, may I speak with you for a moment?"

I twisted my head around until I caught sight of Gabriel standing just off to the left. He offered me his arm, but I ignored him when I approached.

"What?" I frowned. "What could you possibly want to see me about?"

"Ah," He nodded. "You have read my letter then."

"I have and I burned it." I scowled up at him. "You will find that I am fiercely loyal to those I call friends, Gabriel. I won't stand to hear anything bad about the Lillian. Not even from you."

"Then you should have taken my words as those of concern. From a friend." He stressed the last word. "I only hoped to warn you. I knew you were too wrapped up in their web when I first met you. In fact, I hesitated sending you the letter at all."

"Then why did you?"

"I wanted to answer your question about Jeanette. I felt you had every right to know what sort of circle you find yourself immersed in." He narrowed his eyes at me. "Your leader is known for her cruelty. Her charges have suffered from her actions. Her words. I did not want you to experience the same fate."

"My fate is my own." I took a step back from him. "A fate that will come to light much sooner than later."

"Tis a funny thing." He smirked. "Fate. Humans wish to control it. Monsters wish to manipulate it. But what of you, Charlotte? What do you wish to do with your fate?"

"Make it my own." I repeated. "I will not let anyone dictate me. No matter what their rank in this insane existence is."

"Good girl." Gabriel nodded. "You are finally beginning to uncover your strength. Your worth. Your confidence. May these traits all serve you well."

I didn't respond when I was hit by a sadness I didn't understand. It was upsetting to realize that my time with Gabriel would soon be over. If not by my fall in the fight, then by his duties to God and the archangels. I reached out, took his hand into my own, and squeezed.

"I am happy to have met you, Gabriel." I gave him a soft smile. "You have taught me so much about myself. About fighting. About faith."

"So one walk around the block and a fighting lesson later, I've taught you about yourself?"

"Yes." I nodded. "More than you could have ever imagined."

I wanted to tell him that it wasn't the walk or even the fighting lesson that had changed me. It had been a simple correspondence which had shaken me out of the enchanted bubble I had wrapped around myself. His words had reminded me of who I was. A lonely girl who's desire to fit in had destroyed the lives of her family. A girl who was grown up enough now to take responsibility. To accept her punishment despite the ornate beauty that surrounded her.

In the end, I said nothing. I released his hand and watched him join his brothers. Chloe called out from her spot on the ledge behind me.

"The last one is in. Girls, it is time to move."

I watched as the four archangels lifted themselves up in the air. I experienced a thrill in my soul as my sisters leapt off the ledge and into the dawn that surrounded us. I unlatched my staff from my back with a prayer for guidance. Protection.

I took off towards the ledge and jumped with the faith that God was with me. I caught my breath as I landed in a crouch on the sidewalk below. I'd expected to be afraid. I was sure that I would find the strength to run before the battle began. If I was smart, I would have done just that. But instead, I focused on my fate. My punishment.

My redemption.

I heard the girls around me cry out in Assyrian as we rushed the ruins. I stayed silent when the old wooden door cracked beneath the weight of Jo's axe. I watched in awe as a series of arrows flew past my head seconds before Tamar ran up to my side with a grin.

"That should wake them up."

"Wake them?"

I didn't have the chance to hear her response. Chloe rushed through the door with a slender green dagger by her side. Jessica followed close behind with her shield and mace at the ready. Tamar loaded up another arrow and fired when a thin shadow appeared in front of her.

"Ugly bastard." She laughed. "Go on, Charlotte. Get in there!"

I rushed forward with a grin on my face. I knew I was going to get my butt kicked. I knew I was going to pay for this in the end. But right now?

I was more excited than I had been in ages. I pushed past Maggie to get my first good look at the enemies I had heard so much about.

Most had been men once, but there were a few women in the mix too. Even in the pale light of the dawn, I could see the grey pallor of their skin. The pitch black of their eyes. I resisted the urge to clamp my hands down over my ears as the horrifying creatures began to screech.

Maggie went to shove me back as a man launched himself in my direction, but I dodged her arm. I brought the spear around as he clawed at my throat. The second my weapon made contact, he disappeared.

"Oh, my god!" Maggie exclaimed. "You got one!"

I grinned as I pushed further into the crowd. Despite the training sessions with Jessica or the single lesson I had experienced with Gabriel, this was the best way to learn. The more I fought, the more I learned to use the weapon as an extension of my arm. I learned to embrace the fear of someone behind me. I found a rhythm to my strikes. My timing. I dodged the hits that came at me. I laughed each time my enemy was defeated. It was a horrifying thing. An exhausting experience.

But in the end, it was glorious.

I had gotten close enough to the center of the room to see a woman standing next to a large gas pipe that ran up the back wall. She was watching us with a disinterest that I found more unsettling than the monsters which surrounded us. When I caught her eye, her lips curled into a cold smile and she nodded her head once in my direction.

I don't know how I knew it, but I recognized her. Jeanette. The Lillian who had been abandoned to the Wretched Ones by our leader. I felt a sharp pain rush through my head before I stumbled back into Jo.

"Charlotte, what the ever-lovin' hell?" She snarled at me while cleaving her axe into a woman determined to scratch out her eyes. "Watch where you are going."

"Jeanette. She's here." I rasped. "It was her. All her."

Jo's head snapped up to search the room. When she spotted her former sister, she screamed. "Chloe! To the right!"

Our leader snarled as she launched herself upward. I wondered for a moment if her natural ability was flight, but lost the ability to care when another wave of vampires rushed us.

"Where are the angels?" I cried out. I held my staff across my body before shoving back a set of claws. "What are they doing up there?"

"Keeping the demons from joining us." Tamar called out. She was using her bow much like I was the staff. She slammed the weapon across the jaws of three vampires before she spoke again. "We're already overwhelmed. If Jeanette had Lims coming in, then she could gain more forces."

I felt Maggie press up against me. I felt Jo's shoulders shake as she swung again and again. I could see Jessica and Alice on the other side of us, struggling to keep the creatures off of them. The girl called Ivy, who had brought forth the snake that had forever changed me, was beginning to lose control of her taber. Within a second, my memories of the past week flashed before my eyes.

How I had doubted them. How I had been accepted by them. How Chloe and Maggie and Jo had deceived me. How I had been so sure that I would sacrifice myself to keep them safe.

I cried out as my moment of reflection cost me. One of the beasts had gotten past my staff to claw at my left eye. As I bowed my head, I gritted my teeth together in prayer once more.

_God, be with us. Protect my sisters in this hour of need. Give me the strength to save them._

I opened my good eye to see the filthy wooden floors beneath my feet. They were practically black with the dirt that had collected on them over the years. But it wasn't the grime I was looking at. It was the cracks.

"Jo! Mags!" I called out. "I've got an idea!"

"Really?" Jo snapped. "Cause now would be a great time to share it."

"I need ya'll to run. Get through this mob. Grab Chloe."

"We aren't going to leave you behind." Maggie this time. She had resorted to using both hands to keep her sword steady. "And we don't run. Ever."

"Mags, do you trust me?" I waited for a moment before I asked her the question again. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes." She grunted. "Does that matter?"

"Then go. Grab Chloe. Do that creepy disappearing act you said ya'll can do. And trust me to do the right thing."

I watched as Maggie gave the order to the others. Each of them nodded before they disappeared into thin air. She stayed by my side when Jo ran through the mob to grab our leader. I watched as the two of them struggled before my sister wrapped her arm around Chloe's neck and they disappeared.

"What's the big plan?" Maggie glared at me. "You gonna do something heroic, Kingston?"

"Go." I didn't say another word as the mob began to descend upon me. Maggie faded into nothingness. I whirled around to see the one I had replaced look around in confusion. She focused her black eyes on me and I knew it was time.

I willed the fire in my blood to rush forward. I threw my staff to the side and slammed my hands down onto the floor. The fire erupted in an instant. I watched it travel along the cracks of the wood. I watched as the flames spread amongst the vampires.

I grinned when their screeches were replaced by screams as they became caught up in my secret weapon. The fire spread across the old floor like a spider web and I knew in an instant that I had been right.

The floors had once been treated with kerosene. A fuel that would have soaked into the wood over time and stayed there. I rose up to see Jeanette's expression was one of pure hatred. Anger. I gave her a tiny wave before I turned on my heel and ran through the weapon of my own creation.

"Charlotte!"

I heard Gabriel yell for me over the roar that filled this space. I ignored him as I reached the object I had spotted the second I had entered the old ruins.

A gas line. I slammed my hand against the metal and prayed that there was still enough left to lay this place to waste.

The fire that erupted shook the entire building. I was knocked flat on my back by the force of the explosion. I felt the familiar sting of flames as they licked at my arms. My clothes. But it wasn't the flames I was worried about.

I did the only thing I knew to do. I wrapped my head up in my arms, closed my eyes, and listened to the rumble of the building as it fell in around me. I breathed in the old dust. I winced as each broken piece slammed against my body. At long last, a sharp pain filled the back of my head and my vision blurred.

"I've got you, Charlie."

I heard a familiar voice echo through the darkness. I wanted to fight him. Tell Gabriel to leave me the hell alone and let me suffer as my parents had done. It was only fair. Only right that I share their fate. But I had no voice. No way to speak before I was lifted up and away from the flames of my own creation. I was two seconds away from passing out when Gabriel spoke again. His words echoing through the darkness as I slipped into it.

"I've got you."

#  Epilogue

##

"You are the stupidest girl in existence. I can't believe..." Maggie was pacing a hole into the rug at the end of my bed as she chastised me. "Why would you do such a thing?"

"I don't know if I should answer that." I began to tug at the strings that had freed themselves from my quilt. "Seriously, Mags. I don't think you want to know."

"Ugh!" She threw her hands up in frustration. "Well, I'll have you know that Chloe is furious right now. There's no telling what she might do..."

Maggie must have caught my wince because she stopped talking and pressed her fingers against her eyes. When she spoke again, her angry tone was gone.

"You have to understand that we are a team. You can't run off and do your own thing and not expect repercussions."

"But my plan worked." I countered. "The vampires were destroyed. Sent back to hell and all that."

"Yes, but you should have cleared it with Chloe first. She had Jeanette right there in front of her! Do you know how long she has wanted the chance to finish her off?"

"Why is that, Mags?" I whispered, but I knew she heard me. "What happened between the two of them that I had to become her replacement."

Maggie took a deep breath and lowered herself down on the bed beside me. When she began to speak, the passion in her words was gone. She seemed numb. Tired.

"You shouldn't have recognized Jeanette. Hell, you shouldn't have known about her existence. We had all been ordered to keep our mouths shut about the past to you before I went to Copperhill to pick you up. So while you were out, Chloe grilled all of us. She wanted to know who told you about our fallen sister."

I kept quiet. There was no way I was answering that question.

"I'm still not supposed to tell you this, but it's a moot point now. You've probably figured it out already." She kept staring at the wall, so I kept staring at her. "Jeanette was the best. Better than Chloe. She had power over the earth and would use it whenever necessary. Plants grew at her command. The world cracked open when she snapped her fingers. But Jeanette had her faults. She was obsessed with the occult. Obsessed with our enemies and the darkened souls we harvest. Over the centuries, she collected an entire library of books on Heaven, Hell, and monsters."

Maggie's shoulders slumped as she continued.

"Over time, Jeanette began to question our role in God's plan. She questioned Chloe about our strengths. She became convinced that if we reverted back to Lilith's vampiric state, then we would have no problems in conquering the demons. Jeanette claimed that we could control an army of vampires and send them out to collect the souls for us."

"Which would have unleashed the vampires on the world." I interrupted. "Right?"

"Yes, but it's so much more than that." Maggie finally turned to look at me. "If it came to light that vampires existed, then the humans would have no choice but to dig into their background. They would learn of Lilith's involvement. They would learn of us. It is believed that mankind would make the leap that we are all vampires. We are all threats instead of allies."

She began to tap her fingers on her knee. "Not to mention that our whole purpose is to take their souls to Hell. Do you think they would hesitate to rise up against us? No. And thus, our legacy...the legacy of Lilith that we have tried so hard to maintain...would be destroyed."

"Ok." I nodded. "I got that part. But what about Jeanette?"

"She walked into a vampire's nest one night in downtown Nashville. Chloe had caught wind of her plan to join them, but by the time she reached her, it was far too late."

"Jeanette had been bitten."

"Multiple times. Her soul had already turned to dust. When Chloe arrived, our sister was nothing as she had been. She was wild. Filled with rage. Uncontrollable. Chloe had no choice but to leave her behind."

"Is there any help for us if we are turned? Like, in a fight?"

"No." Maggie shook her head. "Once you are turned, you can never be who you were again. There is no spell, no healing, for that."

"I think she disappeared during the fire." I closed my eyes as I tried to remember. "The fire never reached her. Jeanette was gone when Gabriel pulled me out."

"Is he the one who told you about Jeanette?" Maggie pushed herself up straighter. "Because if he did..."

"Stop. Gabriel was a good friend to me. He helped me." I stressed the word 'help'. "Mags, I had no intention of coming out of that fire in one piece. I wanted to suffered. I needed to suffer."

"Why?" She demanded again. "Why would you do that to yourself, Charlotte?"

I considered my response. In fact, I waited so long that Maggie had stood up and was heading towards the door. But I couldn't let her leave. Not like this. Not without knowing why she was so angry at me in the first place.

"Because I don't deserve to be here. Because I don't deserve to be a part of this. Is that what you want to hear?" I shifted underneath the covers. "I was looking for redemption, Maggie. And I believe, at long last, I have found it."

She turned on her heel before she stormed up to my bed for a final time. Maggie – sweet, bubbly Maggie – thrust her finger at my nose as she made her point crystal clear.

"You are one of us. A Lillian. That is your redemption. Your fate. And don't you ever forget it."

#  About the Author

##

 Cynthia D. Witherspoon   is an award winning writer of Southern Gothic, Paranormal Romance, and Urban Fantasy. She currently resides in South Carolina, but spent three years in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Always an avid reader, she began writing short stories in college. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in History from Converse College, and earned a Masters in Forensic Science at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences.

