
# Curse of the Asuune

Written By: Steve Sterup Jr.

Copyright 2017 Steve Sterup Jr.

Legal Disclaimer - This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Special thanks to Tammy Sterup for her help with editing.

Deception of the Asuune, the conclusion to this series is now available.
Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Acknowledgments

# Chapter 1

Lyndsee Elisman knelt down in the damp, cold grass. The decorative row of bushes in front of her obscured her vision but provided her with cover. It was a little after midnight with no moon, so unless someone looked very closely, they would not see the five foot six inch brunette hiding across the street from the run-down church. This was exactly what Lyndsee wanted. She wore a black tee-shirt, blue jeans, and a leather jacket. The grey pantsuit she normally wore for her job at the FBI would have been too conspicuous for hiding in the bushes after midnight. Tonight she had tied her hair up in a ponytail to keep it out of her way. Normally, she liked having her long, wavy hair to the middle of her back, but in a situation like this, long hair would be a hindrance.

Although Lyndsee was only an analyst, and not a real field agent, this case was different. She had told no one she was tracking Mark Albet, the man who killed her mother almost eight years ago when she was only seventeen. When this man had escaped, all those years ago, Lyndsee was forced to change her name and go into hiding. As soon as she turned nineteen, she signed up for college, got a four-year degree in criminal justice, then immediately signed up for the FBI training program. After her acceptance as an analyst, she began tracking Albet in secret, it had nearly been a year now, and she was sure she had finally found him. She had taken a leave of absence and driven nearly two days to get here, she just hoped it was really him this time.

Lyndsee crouched down, someone was walking up to the church doors across the street. She thrust her hand nervously into her purse to check her revolver one more time. It was still there and still cold. She suddenly realized how cold she was. Her knees were going numb from the cold, damp grass. It wasn't quite freezing, but Lyndsee guessed it had to be close. She should have worn warmer clothes, probably gloves, but realizing this now mattered little.

Lyndsee watched a man in a black trench coat with his hood up walk slowly across the parking lot. The man walked almost to the door of the church, then kept going. This was not Albet. She couldn't tell if she was shaking from the cold or if it was nerves, but she was almost glad it wasn't him. She wanted to find him and confront him, but she dreaded what would happen when she did.

A few minutes later, another man walked out of the shadows of the dimly lit parking lot in front of the church. He wore a fleece jacket and jeans. He acted very casually as he walked toward the door. This couldn't be Albet. Wouldn't a wanted fugitive be more careful?

The man rummaged through his pockets and soon found the keys to the door. As the man turned the lock, he pushed the hood of his jacket back, and Lyndsee could see his face. His hair was shaved, and he had a goatee now, but it looked like Albet. The nose, the shape of his face, it looked just like him.

Lyndsee waited a minute or two after the man went inside, then got up from her hiding spot and attempted to calmly cross the street to the old church. Her stomach swayed, and she felt like she was going to vomit. This might be it; it might finally be over. She only had to go in the church and shoot the man, kill Albet in cold blood, like he had done to Lyndsee's mother. No one would ever find out, she had bought the gun at a shady street vendor, the serial numbers were filed off and she brought a small bottle of bleach along with a few rags to clean up any DNA or fingerprints she left behind. She had prepared for this day long before she joined the FBI. She had been planning this since she was seventeen, living in a stranger's house, and tonight it might finally all be over.

Lyndsee tried to calm herself as she reached for the door handle, but her hands wouldn't quit shaking. She was sure it was the nerves now, she barely felt the cold anymore. The door didn't make a sound, and she silently slipped inside, then shut the door just as silently.

The lights in the church were all off except for a small lamp at the entrance and a faint light coming from a door to the left of the pulpit. It must be the preacher's office, and that meant it was definitely Albet.

Mark Albet had been hiding as a preacher in this small church under the name Sean Coates. He had apparently been pretending to be a preacher for the last four years with no one even suspecting him. Lyndsee had only found him because of a small piece in the local paper. Albet had been caught on camera behind a traffic accident that happened on the street in front of his church. Strange as it seemed, Albet was the first to arrive on the scene and gave the poor woman CPR until the ambulance arrived. She and the drunk man that hit her both died on the way to the hospital, but the cameraman who took pictures caught Albet standing next to one of the paramedics. Now that she recalled the picture, she wondered if the hooded man in the trench coat had been the same one in the background of the photo.

Lyndsee started tracking this man, like she had over twenty other men that looked like Albet, but this one had paid off. She was almost certain it was him. This Sean Coates had no pictures on file, had no birth certificate, no social security number, nothing. He was a ghost in the system, which meant one of two things. He was either an illegal immigrant or he was a fugitive. Looking at his face, she doubted he was an immigrant, and his likeness to Mark Albet was uncanny.

Lyndsee slowly walked down the row of pews. The old wooden floor creaked about half way down, and Lyndsee stopped dead in her tracks. She looked around, hoping Albet was too busy with whatever he was doing to notice. After a few seconds she heard papers rustling in the preacher's office, and she started again.

"No need to sneak around, Katie," the preacher said loudly from his office.

How did he know she was there and more importantly, how did he know it was her? Before she was sent to live in a foster home, her name had been Kathrine, Katie for short. How could Albet possibly know she was the one sneaking around in his church?

There was no use sneaking now, so she yelled back loudly. "Come out of the office with your hands up!" She had no intention of arresting him, but she also had no intention of walking into his office, where he had the advantage.

Although she was just an analyst, she had taken many classes on how to use a gun and many self-defense courses. She had also continued her studies after becoming an analyst, in the hopes of one day becoming a profiler for the FBI. Even though she had never been out in the field, she had studied every aspect of it.

"Alright, sweetie, I'm coming," Albet said calmly.

"I'm not your sweetie!" Lyndsee snapped.

Mark walked out of the office with his hands up, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I knew this day would come, but I didn't think it would be this soon. I apparently haven't done a very good job of hiding. You just became an FBI agent," Mark said, turning his gaze to Lyndsee. His eyes didn't look evil, they looked kind and caring, and the look on his face was not angry, more disappointed.

"I know what you are!" Lyndsee shouted, trying to change the subject. It was disturbing that this man, the man who killed her mother, had been watching her.

"Katie, I don't think you do. Now please put down the gun. I don't want you hurting yourself," Mark said, lowering his hands.

"I have oak bullets with silver tips, and I know you are a vampire," Lyndsee's voice got quieter, she almost didn't believe what she was saying.

Mark didn't react the way she had assumed. He didn't seem alarmed, nor was he even upset.

"I'm not a vampire," Mark replied with a laugh.

"I don't believe you! This is for my mother!" Lyndsee shouted as she fired off all six rounds.

The shots were spread out all over the place, and only one of them hit his chest. This gun had way more kick than the ones she had practiced with, so even at about twenty feet she couldn't hit the same spot twice. It wasn't that she couldn't handle a gun, her nerves mixed with the unexpected kick of this gun, just threw off her aim.

Mark stood in front of Lyndsee and looked down at his bloody white shirt. Mark laughed as the hole in his chest stained his shirt with blood, not an evil laugh, more in disbelief that Lyndsee had actually shot him. He didn't take a step toward Lyndsee. Instead of getting angry, he calmly crossed his arms and spoke.

"Now I'm going to need a new shirt. And those bullets wouldn't work on a vampire either," Mark said jokingly.

"But...but...how?" was all that Lyndsee could say.

"Katie, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into. Vampires aren't like the ones from movies and books. You need to be smarter," Mark spoke softly, not condescendingly.

"Quit calling me Katie!" Lyndsee screamed at him. The futility of her situation left her with little else to say. She couldn't kill him and probably wouldn't escape. This was wrong, her careful planning had gone horribly wrong.

"You're right; you're a little old for Katie. How about Kate?" Mark asked, kindly.

"My name is Lyndsee," Lyndsee said through gritted teeth as she slowly walked backwards. Maybe if she could distract him, she could make it to the door, find someone else, maybe a crowd. He wouldn't want too many witnesses.

"You're right; Kate doesn't quite fit either. But, your name is not Lyndsee, its Kathrine," Mark rebutted, still quite calm.

Mark started walking toward Lyndsee, and she turned to run. The agile man caught up with her quickly and grabbed her shoulders. His grip was strong, far too strong for a human.

"If you're not a vampire, then what the hell are you?" Lyndsee struggled to escape his grasp but it was no use.

"What I am is complicated. I can tell you that I'm called Asuune, but that word means nothing to you. So you will need to listen to my story," Mark said calmly as he picked up Lyndsee and sat her in a pew.

"Why did you kill my mom?" Lyndsee was now crying. She had given up trying to escape, but maybe she could get some answers before he killed her.

"That's also complicated, again you will need to listen to my story," Mark said as he sat down next to her in the pew.

"I don't want to listen to a story; I want you dead!" Lyndsee screamed as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Kathrine please," Mark said as he tried to wipe the tears from her face, but Lyndsee quickly pulled away.

"Don't touch me!" Lyndsee yelled, but slightly quieter. The reality of the situation was beginning to sink in. She couldn't do anything unless he allowed it, but she needed some sense of control.

"Ok, I'm sorry," Mark said, sliding a few inches away to give Lyndsee some room. "Let me tell you my story, and then you can decide."

"Decide what?" Lyndsee asked quietly.

"Decide if you want to join me or..."

Lyndsee interrupted. "Or you kill me, right!?" The volume in Lyndsee's voice came back.

"Now, why would I kill you? I've spent the last seven years doing everything I can to protect you. You can decide whether to join me or forget about me. Forget everything I tell you and quit looking for me. I will leave and never see you again. I hadn't realized how living so close to you was actually putting you in more danger. But, once you know the truth, you will be able to protect yourself. If you choose to leave you will at least know what to look out for. I will even leave you with a name, someone who can find me, in case you are ever in a situation where you need me." Mark paused and gave Lyndsee time to think this over.

"Fine, I will listen, but I will never forgive you," Lyndsee spat back. She hated this man with everything she had. He had taken her mother from her, and he needed to pay.

"I don't need your forgiveness; I didn't kill your mother. I have come to terms with you hating me, and that's fine, whatever it takes to keep you safe. But I didn't let you find me because I want forgiveness. I let you find me because you were getting too close to the truth. A very dangerous truth." Mark looked at his hands, trying to figure out how to say what was on his mind.

"You didn't kill mom? Then why let me believe it was you?" Lyndsee asked, confused.

"You see, there are events in a person's life. Things that change you so completely that you become another person. I've been lucky enough to have several good ones along with the bad. Something most people don't get, or simply don't appreciate. The first was when I met your mother. She changed my life so much that I wasn't the same person anymore. I was happy for the first time in my life. But, little did I know that it was nothing compared to the event that came next. The day you were born. That single event changed my life so much more than any event before or since. I can barely describe the feeling of suddenly being more concerned for someone else's life. And when your mother died, your safety became more important than you liking me." Mark stopped. He had held this in for far too long. Finally, his daughter would know the truth about him.

"Dad?" Tears ran down Lyndsee's face. She had no idea what to say. Lyndsee believed him immediately, though she had no reason to. Every piece of evidence, every witness account, everything said that her dad had killed her mom. But hearing him say he didn't do it? That all of this was to keep her safe? What else could she believe? He was her dad.

"Now, I'm not a vampire, but I am something. Something you might find hard to believe." Mark paused. "I'm half angel," Mark stated. He knew how it sounded, but he needed Katie to hear it. It would make his story easier to understand if she knew.

"Half angel? You're a Nephilim?" Lyndsee asked in disbelief.

"No, you're a Nephilim, I'm something called Asuune," Mark said matter-of-factly.

"Haven't you ever wondered why you are physically stronger and faster than everyone else? Have you ever even gotten a cold?" Mark asked then waited patiently for the answer.

"No, I don't think I've ever been sick," Lyndsee replied absentmindedly as she went over her life. Strangely this made sense. She had always known there was something different about her. In track, she could beat anyone without trying. She always put on the same weights as everyone else in the weight room because she didn't want to be noticed. As a teenager, the worst thing you can be is different. Her foster parents were kind and gentle people, but she could never tell them either. She didn't want them to change their mind about keeping her. It was hard enough to take in a teenager, she didn't want to give them any reason to send her away.

"So what is an Asuune?" Lyndsee asked.

"That, like most things in my life, is more complicated than I can explain in one sentence," Mark replied with a sigh.

"So tell me your story," Lyndsee said. She was now ready to listen. Her urgency to run away or kill him had left. This was so much better than revenge, her dad was innocent.

Mark readied himself and then began. "I suppose I should start with the day your mother died..."

# Chapter 2

Mark Albet sat quietly at his desk, staring at his monitor. Occasionally he would use the scroll wheel on his mouse to scroll down a page or two, carefully searching the source code. Mark was the project manager for Sandleton Technologies, a provider of database solutions for large companies. He was in charge of fifteen other programmers, and today they were all trying to find a serious flaw in one of their largest client's code. They had spent nearly a full day trying to figure out why credit card information was being stored without encryption for certain customers of this client.

Mark was clean shaven with neatly trimmed sandy brown hair. He was in his mid-forties and fairly thin. Every day he wore a long sleeved, white shirt and black or brown pants to work. On days when he expected to meet with someone he wore a tie, but today he didn't have one. He always kept a spare in his desk drawer for unexpected company, but he really hated wearing one, so the employees under him were never required to wear one either. He always told them to keep a spare on hand in case they were also required to meet with clients. This was for the male employees, the female employees were just instructed to dress tastefully. Since he had no idea what was considered tasteful for a woman, he left that up to the women to decide.

Sarah came rushing up to Mark's desk with an excited look on her face. "Mark! I found it! It's not even our fault!" Sarah exclaimed loudly.

Sarah was Mark's assistant, technically second in command. Whenever Mark was away, meeting with clients or just taking a day off, Sarah was in charge. Everyone in the office knew that Sarah was probably the most intelligent and gifted programmer in the whole office. Mark was only in charge because he was a better leader, he had a way of not only getting people to do their job efficiently, but he could convince them to enjoy doing it.

Sarah was a short woman, five foot four, with long, somewhat curly, red hair which she always kept in a ponytail at work. Her green eyes were a sharp contrast to her hair and light complexion. Sarah was an athletic looking woman who looked like she could probably hold her own in a fight. She also happened to be quite beautiful. She liked to flirt with everyone, male and female alike; it was just the way she was. This, coupled with her stunning good looks, was very distracting to Mark but as he always told everyone 'He was very married', meaning he was still in love with his wife of twenty years, Jennifer.

Today Sarah wore a particularly bright, red dress that went to her knees. It was very tasteful in Marks opinion, except for the fact that Sarah had left the top two buttons undone. This meant that every time she bent over to speak to someone or if someone was standing above her, they would be unable to miss her ample cleavage. However, Sarah was allowed more latitude than anyone else in Mark's office. Partly because she was Mark's friend, but mostly because everyone knew they would be lost without her.

Despite his attraction to Sarah, she was Mark's best friend, both at work and outside of it. Sarah had been to Mark's house several times for family get-togethers with whomever she was with at the time. Jennifer and Sarah actually got along very well, though Jennifer didn't quite have the same friendship as Mark had with her, Jennifer considered Sarah one of her closest friends. Both of the women knew that Mark would never cheat on Jennifer, especially not with Sarah. They would often joke about it, leaving Sarah's current date feeling left out and uncomfortable.

"What did you find?" Mark asked calmly. It was never a good idea to act as excited as Sarah, it would only cause her to get louder.

"It wasn't us!" Sarah exclaimed again with far more enthusiasm than most people had for source code, but Mark was used to it. His friend was very excitable. This was one of the many things that made them such good friends. Mark had a hard time being in a bad mood whenever she was around.

"Hurry up, cutie! They need this by the end of the day!" Sarah looked at Mark with a silly smile, raised one eyebrow, and then rushed back to her office. Reluctantly Mark followed Sarah to her office. It wasn't that he didn't believe her, nor did he object to going to her office. He just knew that Sarah was going to make a big deal out of it and he would come out feeling like a fool for not seeing it as easily as she did.

Sarah's office was right next to Mark's, though you would not be able to tell whose office you were walking into without the name tags. All the offices on this floor were positioned along a long hallway with each office laid out identically. Once inside, it became clear that this was Sarah's office. Unlike Mark's bare, businesslike office, Sarah had many tiny figures on shelves as well as a TV with a gaming system hooked up to it. Everyone in the office knew that Sarah was what most people would consider a geek. She loved her sci-fi books, movies, and games almost as much as she loved her job. This was endearing to most of the other programmers in the office, they felt comfortable with her, more so than with Mark. Mark didn't need them to feel comfortable with him, he was the boss. He needed them to respect him and trust him, and for the most part, everyone did. If their office was a family, he would be like the father and Sarah the cool, older sister.

Sarah plopped down in her chair and spun it quickly toward the monitor. She slapped her hands down on the desk on either side of the keyboard to stop herself and then pointed to a window on the screen. "Look at this!"

"Wait, this isn't ours," Mark said curiously as he leaned toward the monitor.

Sarah had a session opened to the client's computer and on the screen was what would look like garbage to most people. The window contained scrolling text that flew by quickly. Mostly, it was a bunch of names and numbers, but Mark saw the pattern right away.

"Someone is intercepting the customer's credit card information and saving it unencrypted, after our software closes the customer's order," Mark said slightly more excited.

"Exactly! They have a credit card logger on their system. But the people who wrote it messed up. They shouldn't have saved it in our database; they should have created their own. Maybe it would have taken me another day or so to find it if they had, but nope, not these jokers. They just didn't take the time. Honestly, they might have gotten away with some numbers." Sarah sat back in her chair after clicking another window. Then with way too much flourish, she raised her right hand, and with her index finger hit the enter key, and the scrolling stopped. "Aaaaaaand...They're GONE!"

"Oh Sarah, sometimes I think you have more fun stopping hackers than creating the programs." Mark shook his head with a smile, then put his hand on Sarah's shoulder. "I'm glad I have you, no telling how long it would have taken me to find it."

Sarah looked up at Mark and batted her eyelashes. "So, you owe me a prize?" Sarah asked.

"Fine, I owe you dinner. I'll tell Jen. Is it just you or do you have another _friend_?" Mark asked, feigning indignance.

"Actually, I'm dating this waitress I met last week, Melissa, do you mind?" Sarah wasn't really asking, Mark had never refused Sarah bringing her current lover. Sarah asking was more of a courtesy to let Mark know he had to set another plate.

"And what kind of food does Melissa like?" Mark asked, making a silly face. He loved to tease Sarah about her constant string of lovers.

"Umm...actually I have no idea, so how about you grill steak. Everyone loves steak," Sarah said coyly.

"No, you love steak...And what happened to Daniel? Dave? What was his name?" Mark felt a little embarrassed that he couldn't remember Sarah's lover from a month ago, but only a little, it was hard to keep up with Sarah's love life.

"Dan. Oh, he had a _cat thing_ ," Sarah proclaimed, as if that said everything Mark needed to know.

"A _cat thing_?" Mark asked, matching Sarah's phrasing. He was not sure he really wanted to know the answer. "He hated cats?"

"No, no, no, he wanted me to dress up as a cat." Sarah shuttered.

"You mean in bed?" Mark just couldn't stop asking questions, and each time he did, he regretted that he couldn't shut up.

"Yes, in bed, and that's not the worst part. The things he said while we were fucking..."

"Stop! That's enough! And you know I hate it when you call it that." Mark didn't want to hear any more.

"Fine, when we had sex. Happy? You know, not everyone _makes love_." Sarah made a kissy face. "Not all of us can find our Jen."

"You know I hate it when you call it that too." Mark crossed his arms and looked like a father who was disappointed with his child.

"I know, that's why I said it, cutie." Sarah stuck her tongue out at him and stood up. "You know you love me," Sarah said as she held out her arms widely, waiting for a hug.

"You know I'm not really a hugger," Mark replied.

"I know you _say_ you're not, but you owe me, buddy," Sarah said looking pouty.

Mark uncrossed his arms and feigned reluctance as he bent over to hug her. Before it became awkward, he let go and started to walk out. "Nice work," he said as he headed for the door.

"You have that thing with Jen today?" Sarah asked.

"Yep," Mark said as he stopped at the door and turned to face her again.

"Mind if I catch a ride? The house you're looking at is in my direction, and I kinda forgot that Lisa has to pick up her kids from soccer today. And I kinda forgot I have a date with Melissa tonight so going to pick up Lisa's kids would make me late." Sarah clasped her hands in front of her and acted like a small child asking for another piece of candy. "Please!"

"Ok, you are _kinda_ on the way to the house." Mark then turned and walked out the door. After a few seconds, he leaned in the doorway once more. "Oh, shit, it's nearly four thirty. You need to call Jerome and tell him that you fixed it, then we need to get going."

"Alright, got it, you go let everyone else know they can stop looking for the bug," Sarah said as she sat down and picked up the phone on her desk. Despite Sarah's silly attitude and playfulness, she was very good at her job.

Forty minutes later, Mark and Sarah were at Sarah's loft apartment. Sarah had asked Mark to come up quickly to give her an opinion about what she was wearing on her date with Melissa. Mark attempted to refuse, stating that he had no idea about woman's fashion, but Sarah insisted. It became clear to Mark that arguing with Sarah was only going to make him later. He never could win an argument with Sarah nor Jennifer. It was one of the many things that made them so alike.

Upon entering Sarah's loft, he noticed that she had rearranged all the furniture in the wide open space since the last time he had been there. She had also removed the wall that separated the kitchen from the rest of the loft, and her bed was in the opposite corner. Sarah wasn't what Mark would consider a slob, but she was messy. There was no garbage or leftover food lying around, but it did look like her clothes had a party while she was at work.

"What do you think? I rearranged everything last week." Sarah asked as she unbuttoned her dress, and it fell to the floor.

Before he realized it, Mark got an eyeful. True, it was from behind, but he now knew Sarah had not worn a bra that day. He also got a nice view of her bright pink, lacy panties as she walked away, and that was not an image he would soon forget.

"Shit Sarah, warn a guy!" Mark exclaimed as he covered his eyes and quickly turned around.

"You've seen it before." Sarah continued toward her bedroom, not caring that anyone with a telescope could see her through the multitude of windows.

"You don't even own curtains, do you?" Mark asked as he stared at the front door trying to think of anything but the half-naked woman behind him.

"Nope, if someone wants a peep show, why do I care?" Sarah asked rhetorically. "Not like it hurts me any. I'm quite happy with the way I look."

Mark silently agreed. There was absolutely no reason for Sarah to be embarrassed by the way she looked, clothed or otherwise.

"And that was one time! I thought it was just Jen in the hot tub. How did I know you had come over for some _girl talk_?" Mark's face turned red with embarrassment as he recounted the event.

He remembered walking naked into the hot tub room only to find that his wife and his best friend were just getting out. It was one of the most embarrassing moments he could think of. He was in full salute, expecting to surprise his wife before their daughter got home. As bad as it was, the most embarrassing part about it was what Sarah had said, something he would never forget. 'My, aren't we a big boy? I would have never guessed it from looking at you.' Then Sarah smacked him on the ass before grabbing her towel and giggling with Jennifer on their way out. For a minute or two, Mark just sat there not really sure if it had actually happened, then when he had gotten dressed and found Sarah and Jen giggling over a glass of wine, he could barely look them in the face. It took him a solid week before he could look at Sarah while he spoke to her, but eventually, the embarrassment wore off, and things returned to normal. He would never forget seeing her naked. She was right to be happy with how she looked, her body was perfect, at least in Mark's opinion.

"I can practically hear your face turning red!" Sarah exclaimed then quietly giggled afterward.

"I can't help it." Mark smiled and looked at his feet.

"Mark, you have nothing to be embarrassed about you know? I mean I've had some guys, well a lot of guys, and not many of them can _stand_ up to you. If you know what I mean." Sarah enjoyed teasing Mark, though she would never take it too far. As much fun as it was to tease Mark, she would stop if he made it clear that it was getting too real.

"Yes, I know what you mean, can we please change the subject?" Mark really didn't want to talk about it.

In many ways, Mark thought that Sarah was better looking than Jennifer, but every time he looked at Jennifer, he knew exactly why he was with her. It had nothing to do with looks, it had to do with her. She made him feel something that he could never express.

"Ok, you can turn around, I'm dressed," Sarah said as she straightened out her white silk shirt which she wore with blue jeans and no shoes.

"Nice. Where you ladies heading to tonight?" Mark asked.

"Actually, she's coming over here, and I'm cooking," Sarah said with a grin.

"Riiiggghhtt," Mark said unconvinced.

"I can cook...a little," Sarah pouted.

"There's a reason you come over to our house for dinners when you want to impress your new lovers." Mark smirked and raised one eyebrow.

"Fine, we're going to cook together. I'm really hoping she's a much better cook than me or our date may end with a stomach pump." Sarah relented.

"And I'll be getting a call to come pick you up," Mark said dejectedly.

"You know it, cutie," Sarah responded.

"Ok, you have fun, I'm off to meet Jen and look at this new house," Mark said as he turned back to the door.

"Give Katie a kiss for me," Sarah said as she turned toward the bedroom and lifted her shirt over her head. "Maybe a darker color, don't wanna ruin this one," Sarah mumbled to herself.

"I will," Mark replied. He had learned to ignore Sarah's mumbling, she did it often, and it rarely involved anyone but herself. So Mark headed out the door and down to his car, then set out to meet Jennifer.

# Chapter 3

Mark drove his silver, four-door sedan down the quiet suburban street, searching for the house number his wife had given him. All the houses looked the same, and as he came up on the intersection for what must have been the fifth time, he realized he was on the wrong street. He put his car into park at the stop sign and pulled his city map out of the glove compartment. Jen would get a laugh out of this, they had a newer car with a GPS system installed, and her programmer husband couldn't figure out how to make the damn thing work. Mark looked up from the map for a second and smiled. Jen was everything he had ever wanted in a partner, but what if fate had never put them in the same professional writing class in college? Would he have met someone else? Maybe Sarah?

Sarah was just his type, physically, whereas Jen was not, and her personality was almost perfect. Many times he thought that Sarah and Jen got along so well because they were almost the same person, personality wise. The main difference was Sarah's flirty attitude towards people; Jen was always quiet and shy. As Mark thought about this, he wondered if Sarah's claim that she had just not met the right person yet was true. Sarah had a different lover every month, and her main argument for being so promiscuous was that she had yet to meet her 'Jen'. If he had ended up with Sarah instead, would she have settled down and gotten married, had kids? This type of thinking plagued him a lot, mostly when he was heading home from spending the day with Sarah at work. It wasn't that he regretted being with Jen, he loved her and would never do anything that might hurt her. It was just that Sarah's pull on him was very strong, nearly as strong as his love for Jen.

Then Mark thought of Jen, her long straight blond hair, and tall thin body. Jen was almost five foot ten, only two inches shorter than himself, and she liked to wear heels. She always said it was so she didn't have to look up when she kissed him, and he accepted this as fact. Jen didn't have a big chest, with her thin body, it would look awkward for her to have big breasts, but they weren't small, and Mark liked them the way they were.

If it hadn't been for that one class in college, he would have never spoken to Jen, never even noticed her. He disliked women who were _too thin_ as he put it. Fate, however, had a different idea. Jen often sat next to Mark in their writing class and would make silly jokes about the teacher not knowing what it was like in the real world. Mark found Jen's sense of humor intoxicating, and eventually, they started talking. Within a few weeks they went on their first date. Mark had been on dates before, but they always went badly. With Jen, he found that he wasn't nervous. He had much he wanted to talk about with her, and it just felt _right_. In a few short months, they were engaged, five years later they had Kathrine. Mark again compared Jen and Sarah. Sarah might have been perfect for him physically, but so was Jen, just in a different way. Mark thought the both of them were absolutely beautiful. If anyone had asked Mark to choose who was prettier, Jen or Sarah, Mark would have said Jen, but deep inside, he knew it was too close to call.

A car honked its horn behind Mark, and he quickly snapped out of his daydream then turned right. He had been one block over this whole time. He must have passed the street he needed at least five times, but Jen knew he had trouble with city streets, even in the suburbs, so she would not be too upset that he was late.

Mark finally saw the house, though it looked very similar to all the other houses on the block, this one had a For Sale sign in the yard. He also noticed Jen's car in the driveway with another car, he didn't recognize, parked behind it. Mark eased his car up in front of the house and parked on the street then got out and walked up the sidewalk to the front door. Was it necessary to ring the doorbell when your wife was already inside? It wasn't like someone lived there, they were meeting the real estate agent for a walkthrough. Truthfully, the walkthrough was just a formality, and Mark knew it, Jen had made up her mind that they were taking this house and he never refused Jen anything she wanted. Mark decided to err on the side of good taste and rang the doorbell, but no one answered.

After a few seconds, Mark rang the doorbell again and still no one answered. Mark started to get nervous, maybe he had the wrong house? Maybe someone had a car that looked just like Jen's? Slowly Mark walked toward the car that looked like Jen's and put his hand up to his eyebrows to look inside. It looked like Jen's, clean, the same interior, coffee in the cup holder but maybe someone else also liked coffee and a clean car.

On the front driver's side were important looking files with patient names and numbers on them. It had to be Jen's car. She was a hospital administrator and often took home files to work on while they sat and watched TV shows. Mark could never understand how she could work and actually pay attention to the show, but somehow, she always knew what was going on. Many times he had assumed she was engrossed in her work, only to have her yell things like "Oh, come on! Why the hell would an obviously intelligent woman walk into that dark cave and not realize the monster is in there?!" or "That guy would kick the other dude's ass! How can the people casting this show not see that?! I mean, he'd snap that dudes neck in a heartbeat. Special powers, my ass!" True, Jen was crude when they were alone, but this was one of the many things that made her perfect for him. What was even funnier was when Sarah and Jen got together. Mark had to sacrifice understanding anything about the show, but the conversations those two had were more interesting than the show was. Sometimes he thought they must be sisters.

Then Mark noticed it, the headphones attached to the cellphone in the back seat. Nervously, he opened the back door, hoping this wasn't someone else's car and picked up the cell phone. He swiped the screen, and it popped on. It said 'Kathrine Albet's phone. Don't Touch!' across the screen and he knew it was Jen's car for sure. Mark put Katie's phone back on the seat and shut the door. He did not want to let Katie know he had touched her phone. As much as he loved his little sweetheart, she was a teenager, the rules had changed. Everything that was hers was off limits. Even looking at the screen could be grounds for an hour-long argument about how they didn't trust her. Mark felt bad that the distance between them seemed to be growing, but found comfort in the fact that Sarah was part spy and part aunt to Katie, the cool aunt, the one you can talk about sex with, the one who would never tell your parents any of your secrets. At least he knew that if anything serious came up, Sarah would tell them, everything else was not their business.

Mark started to worry and quickly walked back up to the door and rang the bell again. A few seconds more went by, so he knocked loudly, but still no answer. Etiquette be damned, he opened the door and shouted. "Hello?! Jen?!"

The house was empty, and the echo seemed incredibly loud, but there was no one in the front room. Mark slowly opened the door wider and walked inside. "Helloooo?!" he yelled again, but still no answer. As Mark's eyes grew accustomed to the light, he noticed Jen's purse on the pass-through leading to the kitchen. She was here, maybe just in one of the bedrooms, talking. With the echo it might be hard to hear, Mark rationalized.

Mark walked down the hall to the bedrooms. This was a larger house, and much nicer than the one they lived in. He could see why Jen was so set on having it. The yard was even big enough to have their hot tub and still leave room for guests to come over for barbeques. Jen sure had good taste. Mark admired his wife daily for little things that were seemingly unimportant, but these were the reasons why he always said he was 'very married', he loved her with everything he had.

This house had three large bedrooms and two bathrooms. He opened the first bedroom and was impressed with how big it was, this would be Katie's room. Mark continued along the hall until he came on the first bathroom. This would be Katie's bathroom, Jen even talked about adding a doorway to connect it to Katie's room to give her some privacy. Mark was not the _handy_ type, __ and Jen knew this. The additions and changes would require a professional carpenter, he would only mess things up.

Next was the second bedroom, a little smaller than the first but it would be perfect for the new baby that Jen had talked about having. Jen was at a point in her career where she felt she had to choose, family or work, and she had decided that family should come first. She had arranged for someone to take over her work at the hospital as on-site administrator, and she would oversee everything using her home computer. She would only have to go into work once a week for a short meeting. At first, the hospital board had flat out refused, but in the end, Jen held her ground, and they agreed to her terms rather than lose her completely.

Mark was becoming more nervous by the second. Surely they were in the master bedroom. Jen was probably discussing how she would decorate it and boring the real estate agent. The poor man was probably afraid to lose the sale if he didn't listen to every word. Mark laughed to himself. Jen could be pushy, a trait that Katie had picked up from her mother. Again Mark admired his wife, her pushiness had been a big part in him proposing to her. She knew what she wanted, and she was going to have it her way. He often wondered if he would have had the courage to ask her to marry him if she had not brought the subject up herself. Mark always thought that Jen was way out of his league. Why would a woman like Jen want to marry a man like him?

Mark opened the door and was stunned by what he saw. Jen and the man, he assumed was the real estate agent, were both tied to chairs. The man was younger than Mark had pictured, maybe in his late thirties and somewhat athletic in appearance. Truthfully, he looked more like a tennis coach than a real estate agent. The man's throat had been cut, and the blood had soaked his shirt before pooling on the floor. Jen seemed unharmed but maybe unconscious; she wasn't moving. She did look very pale, but Mark wasn't sure why.

"Jen!" Mark yelled as he rushed over to her, then everything went black.

Mark woke in a hospital bed, both hands cuffed to the rails and his feet in shackles. He felt strange, his head was foggy, and he couldn't see straight. He also had a strange ringing in his ears, making everything he heard sound muffled. Soon the ringing stopped, and he could make out what he assumed was a nurse and a police officer standing outside his door.

"You can't move him to the prison until he wakes up. If you do, you risk killing him. He has a major concussion," the nurse was explaining.

"I don't think you understand, this man brutally killed his wife and her lover. And it looked like he tortured them first. Drained the wife's blood while the boyfriend watched, then let the boyfriend bleed out slowly." The police officers tone was one of hatred.

"Oh, please, have you looked at the man. How could he overpower his wife and her boyfriend?" The nurse's condescending tone didn't sway the officer.

"We think he had help, whoever knocked him out and stabbed him must have decided they wanted to leave a patsy. Maybe this was for money? The couple was very well off, and the real estate guy did pretty well for himself. Maybe this was blackmail gone wrong. Maybe the partner got greedy and took off with the cash? We don't know much at this point, but this guy was definitely in on it." Mark could hear the disdain in the officer's voice. The officer was certain that Mark had killed them.

Mark wondered how he could hear them so clearly, then he realized he could hear many people talking. Some of these people had to be farther down the hall. He heard a nurse pick up a phone and clearly heard the person on the other end call for a crash team in room twelve. Mark looked up at the door, and his eyes began to focus. The number three was on his door. Mark felt a sharp pain in his left arm and tried to move it, but it was no use, so he glanced down and saw what looked like two injection marks right on his veins. Who had drugged him? Why twice? Who had knocked him out? Someone set him up! Someone had been there waiting for him, but why?!

Mark was startled as the nurse from the hall opened the door. The creak of the door was so loud that he wanted to cover his ears but couldn't.

The nurse noticed Mark wincing and shut the door as quietly as she could. "Head hurt?" the nurse asked kindly.

"You have no idea. I've never felt pain like this before." Mark winced again; even his own speech hurt his head.

"Then you've obviously never given birth," the nurse joked as she filled a syringe with a clear liquid.

"No, can't say that I have," Mark joked back, then his smile sunk. He suddenly realized what the officer had said. Jen was dead! The love of his life, his partner in everything, was dead! And they thought he was the one who did it!

"This will help you sleep and help with the pain," the nurse said as she inserted the needle in his right arm.

"Wait! Where is my wife?! How did she die?!" Mark yelled, but the nurse didn't answer.

Quickly the medication overwhelmed Mark, and everything got blurry again until he passed out.

# Chapter 4

Mark woke in a strange bed, staring at the ceiling. He was afraid to look around because by the look of the ceiling, he was in jail. The stiffness of the bed under him suggested the same thing. Mark struggled for an explanation of what had happened to his life. Yesterday, at least he thought it was yesterday, his biggest concern was that he might get caught touching his daughter's cell phone. Today his wife was dead, and he was in jail for her murder. How had this happened? Who would want to hurt Jen and blame him for it? And why did they think the real estate agent was Jen's boyfriend? Jen would never cheat on him, not that she didn't have men interested in her, she was gorgeous. It was just that she was as _very married_ as he was, at least that's what he thought yesterday. What's more, this house was so she could have a second child, be the stay at home mother that she dreamed of being, spend time with Katie before she went off to college. Why would Jen cheat on him and then invite him to the house? No, this didn't make sense at all. Someone must have set this up.

Mark reluctantly sat up and looked around the cell, yep he was in jail. Across from him was a rather rough looking man with a scraggly beard and a bald head. The man must have been three hundred pounds and six foot five by Mark's estimate, and he did not look kind.

Mark heard the officers at the desk whispering.

"He killed his wife and her lover? That scrawny dude? You've got to be kidding," one officer said.

Good, at least there was doubt in someone. Surely, no one would believe this idiotic tale. What's more, he could get people to testify that they were very much in love, and Jen wasn't cheating. Mark felt better, people would surely believe him when the facts started coming out. Then he heard the other officer.

"He had an accomplice. We think he or she drugged them so that this Mark guy could torture them. We're looking into this guy's friend Sarah, no last name on file; we think she might have helped him plan it out. Might have even been the one that drugged them, either that or they hired someone to do it." The second officer was sure that Mark had done it, and Sarah was somehow involved as well.

Mark's stomach sank. Sarah had nothing to do with this, and what about Katie. Mark and Jen had papers written up, leaving Katie in Sarah's custody if anything ever happened to them. If they thought that Sarah had helped kill Jen, then what would happen to Katie?

"Damnit!" Mark yelled. He was getting angry now, this all seemed like some sick joke. Whoever planned this out must be laughing their ass off about now.

The large man across from Mark sat up and stared uncaringly at him.

"So you're alive, good. Don't want another dead body across from me. Now shut the hell up so I can get some sleep! And don't touch nothin," the large man snarled before laying back down.

"Sorry," Mark replied quietly. Then he realized, he hadn't made his phone call. Who could he call? If they were investigating Sarah, a call from him might make her look more guilty. A lawyer! He needed a lawyer!

"Officer!" Mark shouted as he walked to the bars of his cell. "I'm ready for my phone call!"

"I said, SHUT THE HELL UP!" the large man shouted, sitting up again.

"Sorry again, but I need to get a lawyer," Mark apologized.

The large man stood up and towered over Mark. The man reached out his hand and grabbed Mark's arm, spinning him around. Then the enormous man grabbed Mark's other arm and lifted him a few inches off the ground.

"When I say shut the hell up, I mean, don't even breathe loudly. I don't care about your old lady, don't care about your lawyer. I killed my old lady and don't give a shit about your whiney ass." The man tossed Mark back on top of his bed and laughed.

Mark lost it, this was one thing too many. Mark stood up, he didn't care if this man would snap his neck. Maybe if this man killed him, then they would leave Sarah alone, and Katie could go live with her. At least the pain of losing Jen would be gone.

Mark was not an experienced fighter, in fact, he had never gotten in a fight before. Using what little he had gleaned from watching TV, he pulled his fist back and thrust it forward at the man's chest. The large man stood there with a smile on his face and watched Mark's feeble attempt at a punch, until it hit him. The sound of cracking bones was unmistakable, and the large man fell backward on his bunk, holding his chest.

"Fuck! What the hell are you! I think my ribs are broke! Guards! Medic! Someone! Get this freak away from me!" the large man screamed.

Just then, Mark realized what he had done. He had given them evidence against him. If he could beat up this man, twice his size, he could have easily subdued Jen and the real estate agent.

The officers came rushing to the cell door and fumbled with the keys trying to open it.

"What the fuck!" one officer yelled. "Call the doctor!"

The large man continued to yell and hold his chest.

"Against the wall!" the other officer yelled at him, and Mark put his hands against the opposite wall.

"I want my phone call, I have the right to an attorney," Mark said forcefully as he stood against the wall. Just then, Mark looked at his arm as it stretched out before him. He had muscles on his forearms. He looked down his outstretched arm until he saw his biceps and there were muscles there too. What was going on? His new muscles were not large like a bodybuilder, more like a professional athlete, a fighter maybe, muscles that were trained for strength.

"You'll get your phone call, just don't move until we get Claud to the medic," the officer said with his Taser pointed at Marks back.

"Yes, sir. It was an accident. I didn't mean to hurt him," Mark said then immediately regretted it. An accident was even worse than trying to break someone's ribs. An accident meant that he was more dangerous than they originally thought. Mark was digging himself in deeper by the second.

"You keep your _accidents_ against that wall, or I'll taze you," the officer said nervously.

"Yes, sir," Mark said, then stood in silence against the wall.

While Mark waited for the officers to try and move Claud, he looked again at his arms and noticed the two puncture marks were gone. How could they have healed so quickly without leaving a mark? They must have been at least an eighth of an inch in diameter, very large needles, where did the marks go? What was more, his headache was gone as well. He seemed to have recovered from his wounds in what could have only been hours. What was going on? He felt like he was in the best shape of his life.

A few minutes later, the officers came back and grabbed Mark, cuffing his hands roughly behind his back. What they intended was to scare him, show him who was in charge but secretly Mark was amused at how it didn't even hurt. If he had wanted to, he could have made it very difficult for them, but he had done enough damage to his case. Assaulting an officer would only make it worse. Mark let them push him around and even faked discomfort to make the officers think he was learning his lesson.

"Your lawyer is already here, smartass, no need for that phone call," one officer said.

The two officers walked him down the row of cells and to a locked room with sturdy walls and one window. There were doors leading to the room from either side. The window looked very thick and was reinforced with bars. This must be where he was to meet his lawyer.

The officers sat him roughly in a wooden chair in front of a metal table that appeared to be bolted to the floor. On the other side of the table was an older man who seemed to be decently healthy. He looked thin and physically fit for a man in his late forties maybe early fifties. At least that was the age Mark guessed him to be. The man wore an important looking black suit with a red tie. In front of him was an equally expensive looking briefcase that was open. The lawyer was rummaging through the briefcase, possibly looking for Mark's file, but all Mark could think was. 'Who is this guy? Why is he here? And what was that horrible smell?'

Something in this room wreaked so badly that Mark could barely keep his lunch down. He had never smelled anything this bad. Maybe one of the guards had left their lunch in the room for weeks, or maybe a small rodent had died in there?

"The cuffs, please." the lawyer said impatiently to one of the officers.

"I don't think that's a good idea, he just assault..."

"I'm sure it was an accident," the lawyer said and gave a knowing look to Mark. "Now, the cuffs please!"

"Don't blame the county for your injuries. We warned you," the officer said and removed Mark's cuffs then left the room. The loud click of the door lock hurt Mark's ears, and he winced.

"You'll get used to it," the lawyer said. "It gets easier to deal with."

"What?" Mark asked. How did the lawyer know about his sensitivity to sounds?

"The noise, you get used to it. You will also learn to control your strength better in time. I'm quite certain you didn't mean to hurt that man," the lawyer said with a fiendish grin.

"What? Who are you?" Mark asked impatiently.

"Sorry, Mr. Albet. My name is Alexander Gregor, with Gregor Legal Services. Please call me Alex." Alex held out his hand.

Mark stuck his hand out and shook Alex's hand. Alex gripped Mark's hand tightly, but Alex was much stronger, and soon it became painful.

"You see, I'm like you. My employers wish for you not to rot in jail until you finally kill someone. That would expose our kind so, I'm here to get you out." Alex then stood up and shut his briefcase.

"But what about my defense? Don't you want to hear my side of the story?" Mark asked, confused.

"Nope, don't care. I'll get you out on bail then we will have a discussion about what to do next. Good day." Alex turned and knocked on the door to the other side of the room to get the officer's attention.

"What do you mean you're like me? What am I?" Mark pleaded.

"Shh," Alex said with his finger to his lips. "A discussion for after you are released. I'll be in touch. And try not to hurt anyone else. It will be hard enough to get them to release you, don't make things worse."

Alex got up and walked to the door opposite from the one Mark came through and knocked to let the officer know he was ready. The officer let Alex out of the room, and then the two officers from before came in and forcefully cuffed Mark. He made the same fake sounds to let them know they were hurting him, even though they weren't. This would make things go easier, he thought. He needed time to think, frustrating the officers would only make this take longer.

Mark sat in the cell alone. This was the first time he had been alone since it happened. He went over every detail in his head. Then it hit him like a boot to the chest. Jen was dead. He would never see her smiling face. He would never again hold her as they fell asleep. He would never kiss her. He would never hear her voice, the voice that still gave him butterflies in his stomach. He would never see her again! He didn't care what the officers thought, he didn't care what anyone thought. The love of his life was dead. Mark started to cry.

Within an hour, Mark was free to go. As he sat outside the police station, he realized he had no way to get home. They had given him back his wallet and credit cards but nothing else, so Mark found himself walking down the street toward his office. It was actually only five blocks away, so it was the logical choice, his home was another five miles.

Mark felt strange as he walked to his office. Walking had never been a problem for him, neither had been running, but this felt different. He didn't feel tired at all. In high school, he tried out for the basketball team and was quite good at it, but he was quickly distracted by the new school computer. After that he lost interest in sports but even now, at his age, he still felt athletic. He was never sick, never lacked for energy but walking five blocks? He should at least be out of breath, especially at the pace he was walking.

Along the way, Mark noticed things he never even knew about the area around his office. There was a restaurant only one block from his office that smelled amazing. He wasn't sure what nationality the food was, but he clearly smelled pork, chicken, some sweet peppers, and fried potatoes. Suddenly he realized he hadn't eaten, and he was starving, so he headed toward the restaurant.

Why had he never noticed this place before? It was well hidden, but the smell traveled for blocks and it smelled better than anything else he had ever eaten. As he got closer to the restaurant he smelled something else. It was the most horrid thing he had ever experienced. It was worse than in the police station with Alex. It smelled like shit mixed with sour milk, topped with rotting meat. He was no longer hungry, but he needed to know where the smell was coming from. Moments later, a garbage truck whizzed by, and he realized that this must be where the odor was coming from. How did he smell it from blocks away?

Mark turned back toward the office, his appetite gone. He needed to talk to Sarah, tell her about Jen, and convince her that he had nothing to do with it. He only had two friends in his life, Jen and Sarah. The other people from his office were more like acquaintances than friends.

Soon Mark walked up the three flights of stairs and arrived at his office. Again he was amazed at how little effort it took. The stairs were a good work out normally, but now it didn't even raise his heart rate. His breath was still as calm and steady as if he was standing still. As he reached the top, he could hear his coworkers talking.

"Do you think he did it?" a male voice said.

"Probably Todd?" Mark thought to himself. "Todd never really liked me." Also, the voice sounded like Todd, the man who thought he should be in charge instead of Mark.

"No, he loved Jennifer. He was always talking about her," a female voice said.

"Marcy, definitely Marcy," Mark thought to himself again. Marcy was a kind woman with two kids. Mark would often swap kid stories with Marcy as they got their morning coffee.

"But did she love him the same way? We don't know. And someone that much in love, finding out that it's not reciprocated might just snap," Todd surmised. "I mean, look at Mark and then look at Jennifer."

"Not everything is about looks. Jennifer loved him too." Marcy replied. Marcy didn't really know Jen, but they had met a few times at company picnics and get-togethers.

Mark thought about this for a second as he stood at the door. Would everyone see it that way? What was a woman like Jen doing with a man like Mark? He didn't think he was unattractive, but she was seriously out of his league, and apparently other people could see it too. The more he thought about it the more he realized that Jen was the only one who didn't see it that way. She did love him as much as he loved her. This almost made Mark start crying again, but he straightened himself and reached for the door.

Mark opened the door and saw Todd and Marcy standing at the far end of the hall. They looked at him then headed back to their offices with their heads down. Mark walked along the hall leading to Sarah's office and noticed that his shirt had blood stains on it. Whose blood was this? His, Jen's or that agent? Nothing he could do about it now. He needed to find Sarah.

When Mark got to Sarah's office, it was empty. Then he heard voices coming through the wall, she was in his office, talking to a man he didn't recognize at first. He casually left Sarah's office and headed to his. When he arrived in the doorway, he realized who the man was. His boss, the owner of the company, Roger. Roger was sitting in Mark's chair, talking to Sarah until he saw Mark.

"You shouldn't be here right now, Mark," Roger said sternly.

"Mr. Sandleton, I can explain. I had nothing to do with this; I was a victim. This was all just a misunderstanding," Mark pleaded.

"Well, which is it? A misunderstanding, or are you a victim?" Roger asked condescendingly.

"Both. It was a misunderstanding with the police. They think I had something to do with Jen's death, but I was a victim as well. I'm not sure why the killers let me live," Mark explained.

"Mhmm," Roger said unconvinced as he played with his beard. "Either way, you need not worry about coming in to work until your legal matters are dealt with. In the meantime, Sarah will take over your duties, and when it's all over we'll have this conversation again." Roger waved his hand and expected Mark to just leave. Roger was a rich businessman who had many companies all over the country. He was used to people doing whatever he said the second he gave them an order, especially employees.

"But...", Mark started, but Sarah hurried over to him and boosted him out the door.

"Let it go, Mark, it's not worth your time. After this is all sorted out, you will find another job, probably a better job. Heck, when it's all over, I'll probably join you if you can find me a spot _under_ you." Sarah winked, apparently trying to cheer him up with flirtation but now was not the time. "Sorry, bad timing. I really can't control it sometimes."

Mark understood and didn't think badly of Sarah, this was how she always dealt with stress or feeling uncomfortable.

"You know I didn't kill Jen, right?" Mark hoped that at least Sarah believed him.

"Bah, if I ever thought you had it in you, I would have snapped your neck. You would never hurt Jen. Thought never crossed my mind." Sarah looked almost serious. Maybe Sarah would have snapped his neck before, but now Mark doubted she would even give him a bruise.

"What do I do?! Jen's gone! Everyone thinks I did it!" Mark almost started crying again, then a thought hit him. "Where's Katie?!"

"Don't worry, I took her over to my place, and she can use my bed til your situation is resolved. She needs a woman right now to help her with her mom's death. There will be a lot of crying and going through scrapbooks, you don't wanna be there, dude." Sarah smiled and patted him on the back.

"As long as she's ok. Tell her I love her and I will see her as soon as I can get this figured out," Mark said, relieved that he could at least count on one person.

"Don't worry, she knows you didn't do it. And now I can tell her you got beat up too. I'm sure this will get figured out quickly. Now go home, get a bottle of something, and mourn your wife. If you need ANYTHING, just call me." The look on Sarah's face was pity. She didn't know what else she could do except help with Katie, but if Mark asked she would do whatever she could.

"Thank you," Mark said, then turned and gave Sarah a hug, careful not to hurt her with his new strength. Afterward, he turned and started down the steps. As soon as he was halfway down Sarah shut the door.

While walking down the steps Mark realized how wonderful Sarah smelled. He had never realized it before, but she even smelled beautiful.

# Chapter 5

When Mark got home, he was amused at his new stamina yet again. He had walked all five miles and still wasn't tired. He was in a daze thinking about Jen, about the scene that was at the new house and trying to figure out who could possibly have done this. He barely remembered deciding that a walk was what he needed, but as he threw his jacket on the couch, he remembered that there was no one here. He had decided to walk because he was in no hurry to come home to an empty house with reminders of his dead wife everywhere. Slowly Mark sank to the floor with his hands over his face. How could this be real? How could Jen just be gone?!

A knock on the door startled Mark, and he quickly got up and wiped the tears from his face. He had only made it a few feet in the door, so he could see the outline of a tall, slender man on the other side.

"Who is it?" Mark struggled to ask.

"Alex Gregor," the figure on the other side of the door replied.

Mark cautiously opened the door and saw Alex standing there with papers in one hand and a briefcase in the other. A horrible smell wafted into his house, the same smell from the police station. It was Alex! He smelled like rotting meat, sour milk, and decay. Mark didn't react as badly this time, but he still thought he might throw up.

"Sorry, please come in. I wasn't expecting you so soon." Mark led the way to the kitchen slash dining room. There was at least a table in that room for Alex to spread out his papers.

"We have many things to discuss, and you have decisions to make." Alex spread out a few documents with pictures of the crime scene in all its gory details.

"Like what," Mark asked, distracted by the horror as he looked at the photos of his dead wife.

"First of all, you are a vampire now," Alex said, then paused for the expected disbelief.

"A what? How the hell am I a vampire?" Mark's reaction was entirely expected, and Alex didn't even miss a beat. Mark got the impression that Alex had done this countless times before.

"A vampire killed your wife, killed that other man, and then bit you. You are now a vampire. A very young vampire, probably not even completely aware of your powers yet, but they will come." Alex's indifference told Mark that this was not the first time he had given this speech.

"Why me?" Mark couldn't believe that there were vampires, but this question was far more pressing in his mind.

"We don't know why you were chosen and your wife killed. There is usually no rhyme or reason to the choice. Maybe you smelled less delicious, maybe the vampire who did this just has a very morbid sense of humor. Kill the wife, turn the husband. We don't really know." Alex paused to let this information sink in.

After a few moments, Mark was ready with more questions.

"What about Katie! They think a friend of mine, Sarah, had something to do with it. Katie is with Sarah. What if they put Sarah in jail too? Where will Katie go?" Mark sounded like he was at the end of his rope.

"They won't be looking into it any further," Alex said calmly. There was more to this, and Mark needed to know everything.

"What? Why would they just drop it?" Mark was now curious. How had this man been able to convince them to just drop the whole thing?

"Because I told them you would be pleading involuntary manslaughter," Alex replied just as calmly.

"WHAT?!" Mark was livid. Why would he ever plead involuntary manslaughter? He hadn't done anything besides getting hit on the head.

"It was the best way to get you out of there quickly. This will never go to trial." The calmness in Alex's voice was now beginning to sound like indifference. He didn't care what happened to Mark in the slightest.

"We can fix this! I am not guilty of anything! We can fix this!" Mark was grasping at straws.

"We don't _fix_ this. You run. You pack your things, and we'll find you somewhere secluded to wait a year or two. Then you will join one of our other houses in a different state, maybe another country. But we don't fix this." Alex was stern and sure of himself. Alex's indifference was turning to annoyance, but Mark didn't care.

"But we can prove that I loved my wife. That she didn't cheat on me. There must be proof. We can win this." In the back of Mark's mind he realized that there was no proof. There was more proof that he had done this. The vampire who had done this was very careful and very precise.

"I have better things to do than sit here and argue with a pathetic new vampire. I have been a lawyer longer than you have been alive. You can't prove love in a court of law. And we can't prove that your wife didn't cheat on you. We could throw up some facts about the alleged boyfriend, maybe some eyewitnesses that confirm parts of your version, but we can't prove anything. In the end, it was determined that it is too risky for you to fight this. The general consensus is that you have an extremely high chance of going to jail. We can't have a vampire in jail. Eventually, the bloodlust would take hold, and you would expose us." Alex slowly collected all the papers he had laid about the table and put them in his briefcase. His brief anger faded, and the indifference to Mark's plight returned.

"So that's it? I get no choice in the matter? What about my daughter?" Mark was enraged. Who were these people to tell him what he had to do?

Alex shut his briefcase, and calmly walked to Mark's side of the table. With one hand, Alex grabbed Mark by the throat, lifted Mark out of his seat and into the air.

"You don't have a choice! The decision was made, and you will either abide by it, or we will remove you and everyone that knew you!" Afterward, Alex set Mark back down on his seat and straightened out his expensive suit. "You have two days to collect your things, say your goodbyes and then someone will be by to take you to your new home."

Alex grabbed his briefcase and headed toward the door. As he was about to grab the handle, he remembered something. "Someone will be by tomorrow with your supply of blood. You may not want it now, you're still in transition, but you will want it eventually. No need to have any more bodies attributed to you. We wouldn't want a nationwide manhunt. If that were to happen, you and your daughter might be deemed too risky. And we don't want that." With a fake smile, Alex opened the door and left.

Mark's head was spinning. A vampire? How had his life fallen apart so quickly? He felt like he was living in a horror movie. And how dare they threaten his daughter! When he was strong enough, he would hurt them! They would regret making him leave and threatening Katie!

Mark decided he needed to calm down. Getting angry wasn't helping anything, and he needed more information. True, that most information on the internet about vampires was probably the stuff of movies and novels, but if they were real, then something must be true. He only needed to figure out which was fantasy and which was about actual vampires.

With that in mind, Mark headed to his home computer and sat down. He then moved the mouse to wake it up. As soon as he did, he realized that Katie must have been the last one to use it because her messenger app was still loaded.

"Damnit Katie, how many times have I told you? You can't accuse me of spying if you leave your shit loaded when you're done." Mark wasn't really angry at Katie, it was just a long-standing difference of opinion between the two. He often let her use his computer as long as she closed out everything when she was done. He really didn't want to find porn or nasty love notes from one of her boyfriends. Mark knew she had boyfriends and knew that she was interested in sex. What teenager wasn't? He also didn't want to see it.

Mark clicked on the messenger and opened it. He was trying to find the log out button when he noticed one of the messages on it was for him.

"Mark, please respond when you get home. And don't believe whatever Alex says. You are not a vampire. You have other options. Most importantly, DON'T DRINK ANY BLOOD!"

Mark looked at the username, but it meant nothing to him. Asuune030. Was this someone's name? And how did this person know so much? They knew to leave a message on Katie's messaging app and knew about Alex. Who was this person? Mark right clicked the username and looked at the profile, but it was no more helpful than the name.

"14th daughter, 30th child of Samael and Lilith."

Who were Samael and Lilith? And who would have thirty children? This had to be some kind of code. Mark couldn't take the suspense any longer. He needed answers, and this Asuune030 person apparently had them.

"I'm home, Alex just left. What are my options?" Mark replied, but after what seemed like hours, he grew impatient.

"Where the hell are you Assune030?! This is my life we're talking about?!" Mark shouted at the computer screen.

After a few more seconds, a reply appeared on the screen.

"Try to remain calm. Getting upset or angry will only make this worse. I know you are an intelligent man, they underestimate you greatly, outthink them." Assune030 replied.

Mark didn't know what to say. How could this person know so much about him? Then without thinking, he replied. "Who are you? How do you know all this?"

Soon Assune030 replied. "It's not safe to use my name, it would put you in more danger. I will meet you tomorrow night, just after midnight, at twelve fifteen. I will explain everything. Meet at the first place you took Jen out to dinner, around the back. And remember, do not drink the blood, under any circumstances. If they try to force you, pretend it makes you sick. This is a common condition for the newly turned and they will buy it. Until tomorrow, stay strong for Katie."

Who the hell was this person? As far as Mark knew, there was not one single person who knew the restaurant that he had taken Jen to for their first date, not Katie or even Sarah knew that. This person must have been watching him for years, or was very good at collecting obscure information. Either way, this person had answers, and Mark needed answers. This was all so frustrating, he could do nothing until tomorrow. Mark walked over to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of wine, and poured himself a large glass. Sarah was probably right, a bottle of something was just what he needed right now. It was getting late, and he needed sleep for tomorrow. He just couldn't quit thinking about everything.

Why had someone killed Jen? How could he go on without her? Jen had been everything to him for the last twenty years. How could he live without her? Mark started crying again, then he remembered the words from Asuune030 'Stay strong for Katie". He needed to stay strong for her. He would have time to grieve after Katie was safe. Katie's safety was his main concern now.

After another hour or so, and a few more glasses of wine, Mark finally quit thinking about everything. He drifted off to sleep on the couch, holding a picture of Jen, himself and Katie as a baby.

# Chapter 6

The next morning Mark woke to the sound of pounding on his front door. It had been years since he had slept this late, it must have been almost noon. Suddenly everything came rushing back to him. Jen was dead, Katie was with Sarah, and he was now a vampire or about to become one. This Asuune030 had said he wasn't a vampire, then what was he? At least sleeping in meant he didn't have to wait as long to meet this mysterious person.

The pounding on the door grew louder and more impatient. Mark jumped up from the couch and spilled the half-empty glass of wine which he had left at his feet. Quickly Mark rushed to the front door, whoever was at the door sounded like they were going to knock it in soon. When he opened the door, the man on the other side was not quite what he expected. He had pictured a drug-dealer type with a small cooler filled with blood, but this man looked like another lawyer.

"Your delivery, Mr. Albet," the man said as he handed him a plainly wrapped box.

"Do I need to sign something?" Mark asked, more out of habit than anything.

"No, Mr. Albet, Mr. Gregor has taken care of everything. Mind if I come in?" the man asked without missing a beat.

"Umm, sure?" Mark replied, but it sounded more like a question than a response.

The man stepped inside and removed his sunglasses. He had on a plain black suit with a white shirt and black tie. His hair was cut short, and to Mark, he seemed more like some sort of government agent than a lawyer now.

This man also smelled horrible, just like Alex. Maybe it was a vampire thing? Maybe all vampires smelled like decaying flesh?

"I am to oversee your first dose, just to make sure there are no...complications," the man stated then he proceeded to stare at Mark.

Mark nervously unwrapped the box and inside was another box, this one made of plastic. This box had a lid, so Mark carefully removed the lid and set it on the table beside him. Inside the plastic box, surrounded by ice, was what Mark assumed was a bag of blood.

"So...how do I do this?" Mark asked.

"The first time is always daunting. Just grab yourself a glass and pour some. Savor it, like a good wine," the man replied with a smile.

Mark walked over to the kitchen table and sat the box down. He grabbed a glass and then sat it beside the box. Mark was stalling, he was told not to drink the blood, but this man was watching his every move. What would he do if Mark didn't drink the blood?

Mark remembered his conversation with Asuune030 as he poured the blood into the glass. He just had to pretend to be sick from the smell of it. This might not be so hard, the man beside him stunk like rotten food, he could use that.

Mark held the glass up and put it under his nose. The smell was wonderful. It smelled like a combination of candy, steak, and something else that he couldn't quite put his finger on. And it was amazing. He quickly set the glass down and made a sickened face. When the glass hit the table, it sloshed around, and a drop spilled over the side and trickled down. Mark was startled as the man watching him went from utterly motionless to looking like a drug addict needing a fix. The man couldn't quit staring at the glass, and he was shaking.

"You mustn't spill a drop! This stuff is more precious than gold!" the man said as he reached forward with both hands. Mark wasn't sure if the man was going to take the glass or if he was just making sure it wasn't tipping over.

"I can't drink it, it smells horrible. I think I'm going to be sick," Mark said as he put his hand over his mouth and moved over to the sink. This was easier than he thought it would be since the man was now closer to him. All Mark could smell was the stench coming off him. "You can have it."

"No, I shouldn't," the man said as he picked up the glass.

"Please, take it. Just tell them I drank it. I'm really going to throw up," Mark said as he leaned in and made gagging noises in the sink. He wasn't sure if this was what Asuune030 had meant, but the vampire seemed to be buying it. In fact, the vampire seemed more concerned with the blood than with Mark.

"No, you will tell Mr. Gregor," the vampire said as he set the glass down carefully.

"I'm not going to tell anyone, and it will end up down the kitchen drain if you make me drink it. I'm seriously gonna throw up if I don't get rid of that horrid smell." Mark held his nose to emphasize the point, and the vampire continued to stare at the glass with lust in his eyes.

"Alright, if you insist," the vampire said and quickly drank every drop. For a second Mark thought the vampire might lick the glass clean, but he forced himself to put it down.

"You might as well drink the rest of the bag, it will just go to waste," Mark said, trying to hide his growing smile. It had worked, the vampire was far more concerned with the blood than him.

The vampire didn't even ask this time, he snatched up the bag and drained it all in seconds.

"I will give Mr. Gregor your regards and tell him you are well." Strangely the quivering addict returned to a calm servant. "I'll be by tomorrow, and we can try again. Eleven forty-five sharp," the vampire said as he picked up the box, shoved the bag in it, then walked over to the table by the front door and grabbed the lid Mark had set down. He slammed the lid on it before reaching for the door handle.

"I'll see you then," Mark said, glad that it was finally over.

The vampire opened the door then shut it quickly. He set the box down on the table at the entryway and ran at Mark. Before Mark knew what was happening the vampire had Mark by the throat.

"If anyone finds out, I'll rip your head off, I don't care what kind of VIP you are," the vampire snarled. "I'm not gonna die for some newbie vampire that can't handle his blood ration. I'll tell them you attacked first and I was just defending myself."

Mark was surprised, but this vampire seemed weaker than Alex Gregor. Maybe he had just gotten stronger? Whatever the reason, Mark wasn't intimidated. He grabbed the vampire's wrist and pulled it from his throat. The vampire's anger turned to fear, then as Mark snapped the vampire's wrist, it turned to sheer terror.

The vampire hit the floor with both knees and began bowing while holding his broken wrist.

"Please, Mr. Albet, I...I...it's the blood, I can't control myself. Please forgive me," the vampire groveled.

"It's forgotten," Mark replied using the vampire's speech patterns. He wasn't sure why but he often found himself speaking like the person he was talking to. At times he thought it was annoying, but he really couldn't help it.

The vampire got to his feet slowly while keeping his head bowed and walked quickly back to the box. "Eleven forty-five, sorry again, Mr. Albet. I'll be more careful in the future...Sir." With that, he slipped out the door, careful to shut the door quietly.

Mark could barely believe what had just happened. He stared at the hand that had broken the vampire's wrist with amazement. Had he really just fought off a vampire? What was he turning into? Mark looked up at the clock, twelve o' one, only twelve hours, and fourteen minutes until he could find out. What the hell was he going to do with himself until then?

# Chapter 7

Mark waited, not very patiently, around the side of what used to be Vinnie's Pizza. This had been where he took Jen on their first date. He had meant this to be a study date, so it wasn't a fancy restaurant, it was just supposed to be pizza with a friend. He quickly went over the events of that night. Jen had shown up dressed in a tee-shirt and jeans with her books in tow. The night progressed quickly as they talked about everything except the school work they had agreed to study. Mark smiled as he thought of it. How his innocent study date had turned into one of his fondest memories. They didn't kiss or talk about anything romantic, perhaps that was why he had remained so calm, or maybe it was just that he was talking to Jen.

Apparently the place had been sold and was now abandoned. The front windows were both broken out, and it looked like no one had been here in many years. It was raining lightly, so Mark decided to wait between the buildings to get some shelter from the rain. While he waited, he watched the raindrops fall, heard each one splash against the concrete in a peaceful pattern that almost sounded like a song. The sound calmed him as he watched the neon clock across the street tick twelve fifteen.

Where was this Asuune030? They had said the back of the place, so he better head to the back. Mark assumed that this person would have walked through the alley, just like he had, but no one came. He had been there since eleven fifty. Surely, he would have seen this person. Maybe they weren't coming?

Mark walked toward the back of the building, and he saw a figure standing in the dark empty lot behind Vinnie's. The figure was facing away from him and had on a sweatshirt with a hood. There was a single light above the parking lot that barely lit the figure. Because of this, he couldn't tell until he got closer that this figure was a woman, a fairly short woman at that. The jeans this woman wore were skin tight, maybe by choice or maybe because the woman looked completely drenched from the rain. The woman looked from side to side nervously, while Mark drew closer and he found that he was strangely attracted to this woman. She was quite good looking. It wasn't just the curve of her ass in her skin-tight jeans but the silhouette of her soaked body was quite alluring. Mark found himself desiring this woman as he cautiously moved closer.

What was he thinking? His wife had just died. How could he be so attracted to this woman? Throughout his entire marriage he had never actually been attracted to any woman but his wife...and Sarah. When he was a few feet from the woman she turned around, and he recognized her right away, it was Sarah. Mark grew furious, Sarah knew about all of this, and she had let Jen die! As angry as he was, it disappeared the moment Sarah spoke.

"Took ya long enough, cutie," Sarah said as she stared into his eyes. "We have a lot to discuss, but first let's get out of this rain. I'm fucking soaked!"

Mark wasn't sure how to respond at first, it was Sarah. She knew about vampires and all this shit that was happening to him, but it was still Sarah. "Ok," he finally responded.

Mark followed Sarah, occasionally admiring the view of her from behind, as she led the way through the alleyways. How could he be thinking this way so soon after his wife had died? There was just something about Sarah. Sarah was so much like his wife, yet looked so completely and beautifully different. Mark found himself wanting Sarah more than he had ever wanted her before. It felt just like the way he wanted Jen, and it was confusing. After a few more minutes and many turns, they finally arrived at their destination. The Hotel Sandleton. Mark had barely noticed how far they had gone. He was completely mesmerized by the rain-soaked beauty walking in front of him.

"Seriously? Roger's hotel?" Mark asked indignantly.

"This will all make sense in a few, cutie," Sarah replied, smiling over her shoulder.

Arg! Why did Asuune030 have to be Sarah?! If it had been anyone else in the world, he could have yelled at them, demanded explanations, but he had never been able to tell Sarah no. Often he wondered, if Sarah had asked him to cheat on Jen would he have been able to say no? But then again Sarah would have never asked that. Maybe that was why he could never tell her no, she was just as perfect as Jen. Mark's emotions were all over the place. He missed Jen, but now that he was staring at Sarah, her wet clothes clinging to her perfect body, all he could do was think of Sarah.

Sarah stopped at the front desk and leaned over to whisper to the older man that was clearly the desk clerk.

"My friend and I might get a little loud. His new...situation and all, not to mention Jen. If any of the guests ask, it is emergency maintenance on the master suite. Please offer them a discount, free breakfast, whatever it takes," Sarah said, then stepped away from the desk.

"Yes, Miss Sandleton," the older man replied respectfully.

"How did we not know?!" Sarah asked, her voice getting louder and more agitated.

"I have no idea, miss. There was no chatter. It had to be Sariel." The desk clerk seemed scared as he replied.

Sarah took a few steps into the middle of the room, next to one of the enormous marble columns.

"I FUCKING KNOW IT WAS SARIEL!" Sarah yelled as she put her hand through the marble pillar. The sound was like a shotgun being fired in a small, empty room. Marks eardrums felt like they were going to burst. Sarah pulled her fist from the pillar and shook the blood covered marble chips off, then turned to the clerk.

"Sorry, I'm not taking Jen's death as well as I'd like," Sarah apologized. "I'll call someone to come fix that tomorrow. It wasn't load-bearing, so it should be fine."

"I understand Miss Sandleton, if you need anything, please let me know." The clerk seemed more at ease now. He was probably glad Sarah took her anger out on the pillar instead of him, Mark reasoned.

Before Mark realized it, Sarah was halfway across the intricately decorated room. Mark hurried to catch up, but his attention was divided between looking at the beautiful marble pillars, the intricately decorated floor, and tables in the entry room of the hotel. Then there was the stunningly beautiful woman leading him. Mark could not take his eyes off her. Sarah opened then closed her hand a few times, and a few more flecks of Marble fell to the floor. Mark was awestruck by the speed at which Sarah's wounds healed. Before they had left the entry room, all of the cuts on Sarah's hand were almost completely gone.

Mark continued to follow Sarah, down the hall and up a few flights of stairs, to the floor where the rich patrons stayed. This floor had only a few doors because the size of each room was nearly three times that of the rooms on the lower floors. What the hell was going on? Sarah Sandleton? Just then Mark realized that he had never asked Sarah what her last name was. He had never bothered to find out, she was just Sarah.

"Are you Roger's daughter or something?" Mark asked sheepishly.

"Oh my, no. I'll explain everything when we're in the room. Don't want anyone to overhear us." Sarah turned around and bent over a little, while putting her index finger to her mouth. With a childish grin on her face, she whispered. "They might think we're crazy."

When Sarah bent over, Mark couldn't help but look down her shirt. He felt guilty about it afterward, but he just couldn't help himself. Yep, again, she wasn't wearing a bra. Why did he keep doing this to himself? He couldn't have Sarah even if he wanted to. His wife had just died, and Sarah was, well, she was Sarah. His best friend, Jen's best friend, Katie's best friend. Thinking like this would only hurt everyone, he had to stop but he just couldn't.

Mark continued to follow Sarah down the hall to the large double doors at the end. No matter how hard he tried, he could not stop watching her ass as she walked in her skin-tight, rain-soaked jeans, but finally they arrived. He felt relieved, and he wasn't sure if the relief came from the fact that he would finally get some answers or the fact that he might be able to quit looking at Sarah's stunning body.

When Sarah shut the door behind them, she turned to Mark. "Ok, explanation time," she said as she took off her soaked sweatshirt revealing a soaking wet, white tee-shirt underneath that was nearly see-through.

"Come on, Sarah," Mark pleaded. His relief turned to guilt again as he stared at Sarah's gorgeous body through the wet tee-shirt. Her body was absolutely perfect. He wanted to grab her and remove the rest of her soaked clothes then... Mark had to stop this, he couldn't have Sarah.

"Oh, right," Sarah said as she pulled the shirt over her head and walked toward what Mark assumed was her dresser. "I forgot your aversion to nudity."

"I don't have an aversion to nudity, but I'll find it really difficult to listen to you with your boobs staring me in the face," Mark said. He needed to act offended when all he really wanted to do was stare at her.

"Boobs..." Sarah laughed.

"What?" Mark asked.

"You could have called them breasts or tits. You sound like a little kid," Sarah giggled. She was having way too much fun teasing Mark.

"Fine, whatever, please just tell me what the hell is going on," Mark pleaded. He needed to quit talking about Sarah's body.

Sarah pulled on a, much too large, satin shirt. The shirt was maroon and looked like something she would wear to bed. Afterward, she proceeded to pull down her soaking wet jeans along with her bright pink, lacy panties.

"Damnit Sarah, that isn't much better," Mark said, turning around. "Just let me know when you are done changing so we can get on with this. Seriously, are all your panties pink?" He could not believe what had just come out of his mouth. He needed to act indifferent, but he had just admitted to looking at her underwear.

Sarah smiled because Mark was paying attention.

"No, mostly, but I have other colors as well," Sarah said as she slid on a pair of sweat pants that were also slightly too big. "What can I say? I like pink underwear."

"Anyway, what is the deal with your name? Are you related to Roger?" Mark tried to change the subject. He didn't want to think about Sarah that way, not right now, and talking about it made him think about it more and more. He also needed to calm down, he was getting far too aroused. His clothes were also soaking wet and skin-tight, Sarah would notice.

"No, and I suppose that is as good a place as any to start," Sarah said as she made her way to the king size bed.

The room was enormous, nearly fifty feet long and nearly as wide. There were no walls separating it into rooms, only furniture placed about the room to give the impression of sections. The king size bed was positioned directly in the middle of the room with one six inch step leading up to it.

"You can turn around. Please come sit. Why don't you bring a couple of glasses and some wine? This is gonna be..." Sarah couldn't quite find the right word to describe what she was about to explain, so she settled. "Complicated."

"From what I've seen so far, complicated doesn't scratch the surface," Mark replied as he diligently fetched two glasses and a bottle of wine. He handed one to Sarah, poured her a glass, then got his own before setting the bottle at Sarah's feet. Mark positioned himself at the foot of the bed, far enough away from Sarah to avoid any temptations but near enough to hear her. Mark sighed almost too loudly as he sat down. They were going to talk about his situation now and not about Sarah's lovely body anymore.

"Well for starters," Sarah said as she sipped the wine. "Roger's name isn't Sandleton, he's my employee. Well, it wasn't Sandleton until I had him change it. His name is on everything I own, with me as the beneficiary."

"What if he decides to take off with your money one day?" Mark was honestly concerned that Sarah was putting her wealth at risk.

"Roger would never do that. I saved his wife a few years ago. He owes me, big time." Sarah smiled as she said this. She appreciated Mark's concern, it was sweet. He had no idea what was really going on.

"Anyway, I own everything that you think Roger owns. I pay him a decent salary to walk around and pretend to be an uptight, money-grubbing, billionaire. In reality, he is a really sweet guy. Kinda feel bad for him sometimes, but that is what I pay him for. Now on to the big one."

"Yes, what the hell am I?" Mark pleaded.

"Well, for this you will need to have a little faith. I know you're not a devout, religious man, but you do believe in God, right?" Sarah asked, just to make sure.

"Yes, I just hate organized religion," Mark replied, matter-of-factly.

"Ok, good, that makes this easier," Sarah sighed.

"A very long time ago, back when man was first placed on this earth by God. Adam had a wife named Lilith," Sarah started.

"Wait, what? Don't you mean Eve?" Mark asked innocently.

"No, I mean Lilith, Adam's first wife," Sarah scolded. "You see many of our modern, holy texts have been modified, mostly by accident but sometimes maliciously. Not a single one of them is one hundred percent correct. Most of them get parts right, if not a little skewed toward whatever religious organization translated them. If you had the time, you could piece it together by studying all the current religions, but I need you to understand this tonight. So, please bear with me and remember, I have never, and will never lie to you." Sarah then looked at Mark with longing in her eyes, but Mark looked away quickly. He nodded, so she went on.

"So Lilith was not content with a human husband. She preferred the _company_ of the angel sent to look over them, Samael. God was furious. He cursed Lilith to die and bound Samael to earth for the rest of existence. Hence the first fallen angel. Samael was angry with his father, so he took some of his blood and gave it to Lilith. She drank the angel blood but not only was she cured of God's curse, she gained immortality. Meanwhile, God gave Adam a second wife, one from his own body, so that she would always be faithful to Adam, and they were happy. Most religious texts start there, they skip the part about Lilith."

"Samael, in an effort to prove to his father that humans were inferior, made a deal with The Beast and tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. I'm sure you know the rest of this story, so I'll skip that part." Sarah was very passionate about this story, and Mark couldn't help but hang on every word she said.

"Wait, Lucifer is Satan, he tempted Eve," Mark stated.

"That is one of the biggest mistranslations there is. Satan is the word for betrayer, adversary in the ancient languages. It's not a title or a name. There have been many called Satan, Samael, my father, was the first." Sarah looked at Mark caringly, he was like a child learning about the world. What she wouldn't give to be so innocent again.

"Then who is the devil?" Mark asked.

"The devil, as you know him, is referred to in the bible as 'The Beast'. It doesn't have a name, just 'The Beast'. But I suppose this is who you would call the devil," Sarah explained.

"What is this beast?" Mark asked.

"The Beast? Well nobody really knows except for God, and God doesn't speak to humans anymore. Some believe it was part of God at one time, his evil emotions that he cast off and they somehow grew sentience. Some believe it was God's brother. Others believe that The Beast has existed as long as God has and constantly struggles for control. Me, I believe the last one. And this world is God's chance to beat The Beast once and for all." Sarah took a drink and gave Mark another chance to ask any questions, but this time, he had none, so Sarah continued.

"Now back to Lilith, my mother. She started to see her children grow old while she stayed the same, some of her firstborn even died of old age before she pleaded with Samael to give them the gift she had been given. He, of course, refused. He believed that his own children were abominations that would destroy the angels. Lilith did not give up. She took her blood, just as Samael had done for her, and gave it to her children. The ones that survived were called Asuune, in English, it would mean Ascended."

"As the years went on, Lilith realized that Samael had been partially right. Her children were not at all like her. They had power beyond imagination. Some of her less righteous children started killing the humans and drinking their blood. These became known as vampires. Lilith tried to stop them but human blood, to an Asuune, is like crack mixed with meth mixed with heroine. The addiction is something you can't imagine unless you've experienced it." Sarah took another drink, giving Mark another chance for questions.

"Has anyone ever overcome this addiction? Returned from being a vampire I mean." Mark was paying attention and learning a lot.

"I know of only two, and you're looking at one of them," Sarah replied.

"You were once a vampire?" Mark asked.

"Yep, a very bad one. I've killed thousands. Not something I tell everyone, but I hope that you will believe me when I tell you, I've changed, a lot." Sarah stared at the wine in her glass, pondering the life she had led. This was something she told very few people, she trusted Mark.

Mark could see the sadness and self-loathing on her face, so he moved closer to ease her mind. He put his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, I know who you are, that other person, when you were a vampire, that's not the Sarah I see," Mark said kindly.

"Thank you, but I have a long way to go before I make up for what I've done. Enough of that. You need to know so much more before morning." Sarah bent down to pour herself another glass.

"Why before morning?" Mark asked with urgency.

"My brother will find us soon. We need to leave in the morning and head out for somewhere safer. I would leave now, but you have so much more to learn before we can risk an encounter with my brother." Sarah took another large sip of her wine.

"Getting back to my name, it isn't really Sarah Sandleton. I mean legally, yes, that's my name, but I was born Ceralin, Daughter of Samael. Not the kind of name you can go writing on your driver's license, now is it?" Sarah paused for Mark's reply.

"No, I guess not. Ceralin, I like it. But I see why you shortened it to Sarah." Mark looked at his wine, he had barely touched it. He was too engrossed in Sarah's tale to notice his wine. Then a thought occurred to him. "How did I get ascended or whatever? I didn't drink anyone's blood."

"I was getting to that," Sarah smiled as she took another drink of wine. "The newly created Asuune had other unique features. We have fangs that can inject another person with our venom, pretty much the same thing as drinking our blood but more efficient. Before you ask, only Nephilim can become Asuune. One of the many roadblocks God has put up to keep us from taking over the world. Injecting a human with our venom would kill them. Also, we cannot have children with humans."

In her best preacher's voice, Sarah made a wide gesture toward the sky, almost spilling her wine. "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind." Her voice returned to normal, and she looked at Mark. "Meaning each species can only reproduce with its own kind and here's the kicker. After we ascend, we can no longer have children at all."

Mark looked at Sarah with pity. "So you never got to have children?"

"No," Sarah looked down at her glass again, and Mark moved closer. He wanted to give her a hug, but it was too soon, and he was still too attracted to her. He cared for Sarah but he couldn't control himself around her. Giving her a hug, in his current state of mind, would end up leading somewhere he wasn't ready to go yet.

"Anyway," Sarah said, changing the subject. "There are two ways to kill an Asuune that you need to watch out for. Removing their head or draining their blood, completely. This also goes for vampires, who are really just addicted Asuune. But then again we are on God's side in this war so... The sixth commandment, Thou shalt not kill. We are not allowed to kill them."

"Wait, if we're on God's side, does that mean we have to obey all the Ten Commandments?" Mark asked.

Sarah laughed.

"Have to? No. But I, for one, want to go to heaven when I die, and with what I've done, I'm not taking any chances. So if you want to stick with me, I suggest you try to obey them." Sarah pondered for a moment. "At least I've never heard you break the third commandment. That one should be easy for you."

"Umm, which is the third?" Mark asked. It had been ages since he read a bible or even paid attention to the Ten Commandments.

"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain," Sarah replied in her preacher's voice again.

"Ok, yeah, that one is easy. Using God's name like that has always driven me crazy. It makes me cringe, just to hear it," Mark said, smiling at Sarah. Truthfully, it had been Jen's rule, but as with many things in marriage, it quickly became his as well.

"The rest of them, well, some are easy, some are not," Sarah said then lifted her glass. Sarah peered from the side of the glass and gave Mark a look like he should know what she meant. But Mark had no idea.

"Anything else I should know? Do vampires hate the sunlight? Do they burn at the sight of a cross? What about silver?" Mark was asking questions so quickly that Sarah didn't have time to answer before he was on to the next, but at least he'd been paying attention.

"None of that is true. All just made up for books and movies. They are the same as Asuune, only more dangerous, because they have no fear of dying. The blood makes them fearless and evil, but also careless. It's much easier to outsmart a vampire than a pure Asuune." Sarah took her last sip of wine then put the glass down by the bottle. "With that, we should get some sleep. We need to head out as soon as we get our things together. I think we should have time to swing by your place to grab anything you don't want to leave behind."

Mark looked around, there was only one bed.

"Don't worry, I'll wear clothes to bed. And I won't bite," Sarah said, ejecting her fangs.

This took Mark by surprise. He didn't expect her fangs to be so...large. Reluctantly, Mark drank the rest of his wine then went to his side of the bed. He slid into bed and faced away from Sarah. The tension was like a thick fog in the room. After a few moments, he sat up.

"Sorry, can't sleep with a shirt on, drives me nuts," Mark said as he quickly pulled off his shirt and threw it on to a nearby chair. His shirt was soaked, and it made a disgusting sound as it hit the leather chair. Although his pants were also soaking wet, he didn't think it would be appropriate to take them off. He also wanted as much clothing as possible between him and Sarah.

"And I can't stand sleeping with pants on, so..." Sarah replied as she stood up, loosened the string around her waist, and her sweat pants fell to the floor. "Don't worry, I'll keep the shirt." Sarah grinned evilly, but Mark was too afraid to look. "And I'll stay on my side."

Mark was nervous as he laid there, Sarah was so close and barely wearing anything. He laid there for at least an hour, going over everything Sarah had said, occasionally hearing Sarah give a cute little snore. She certainly didn't have a problem sleeping. After forcing himself to stop thinking about it all, and Sarah, he was able to picture Jen and Katie on the day they brought Katie home from the hospital. It was one of the happiest days he could remember, and this eventually let him drift off to sleep.

# Chapter 8

When social constructs of what was appropriate were no longer in his way, Mark dreamt of Sarah. In his dream, Sarah ended up with her head on his chest making soft moaning noises as if that act alone gave her pleasure. She woke him by gently moving his hand down to her shirt to undo the buttons. Mark gently kissed her neckline, and her rhythmic sighs of pleasure urged him to go lower. She smelled wonderful, it wasn't her shampoo or perfume, it was her. The smell of her body was intoxicating, he had never smelled anything so provocative. Sarah ran her hands through his hair and sighed louder as Mark reached her stomach. The muscles of her abdomen twitched as he kissed them. Sarah pushed Mark's head lower, and when he had almost reached her center, he woke up.

It was early morning, and the sun glared through the windows of the large open hotel room. At first, he couldn't figure out where he was. The dream had been so real, what he really wanted. Then it all came rushing back to him. He felt a warm, soft arm across his bare chest. It was Sarah. She really was lying with her head on his chest, and her arm stretched across him. It was like she was making sure he wasn't going anywhere. She smelled so wonderful, that part of the dream was very real. How could anyone smell this good? The scent of Sarah's body in the dream wasn't even close to how she smelled in reality. With his free arm, he pushed the hair from Sarah's face to check if she was awake. She looked so peaceful and absolutely beautiful. With the other hand, he caressed the gentle curve in the small of her back. Slowly he moved his hand lower. Sarah's shirt had inched its way up to her shoulder blades, and when Mark's hand reached her waist, he realized she wasn't wearing any underwear. Sarah let out a sigh of pleasure and nuzzled her head into his chest. She clung tighter to him, and Mark realized that this felt right. It felt so good that it was very wrong. His wife had died only three days ago, and this was Sarah. He was not going to have grief sex with Sarah. If something went wrong, if he lost Sarah, he would be devastated. Sarah meant way too much to him for a one night stand.

Mark gently twisted and turned to free himself from Sarah's grasp. He was trying to get out of bed without waking her, but Sarah wasn't a heavy sleeper.

"Where are you going?" Sarah asked, still half asleep. "Oh shit! Oh shit! I'm so sorry! I'm a snuggler! I'm so sorry!" Sarah grabbed the sheet and pulled it up to her waist. "Shit, Mark, I'm so sorry."

"It's ok, Sarah. It's no big deal," Mark bent over to find his shoes, but he couldn't remember where he'd left them. He needed to move so Sarah couldn't see how aroused he was. She would think he was some kind of freak for being attracted to her so soon after his wife's death.

Sarah got out of bed and pulled her shirt down as she got up. Mark turned and watched her, not seeing the disappointed face she made. Sarah walked over to her dresser while he struggled with his uncontrollable urges for his best friend.

"So, when do we go get Katie?" Mark asked. He had assumed that Katie was going with them. He needed to quit thinking about how good it felt to have Sarah lying on top of him.

"Shit, I knew there was something else we were supposed to talk about. I had too much wine, things kinda slipped my mind," Sarah said as she searched through the drawers, looking for something practical to wear.

Mark glanced over to her again and immediately felt guilty as he watched her slip off the satin shirt and pull on some sheer, black panties.

"This is going to be hard to take," Sarah said as she turned around.

Mark quickly turned away and pretended he wasn't looking. Sarah noticed, and a smirk grew on her face.

"What's going to be hard to take?" Mark asked nervously. He needed to quit doing this to himself, he couldn't have Sarah.

"Why don't you turn on the TV. There has to be some news of it by now. And keep in mind that Katie is safe," Sarah said sheepishly. She didn't know how to tell this to Mark. It might be cowardly, but the news was going to tell him for her.

Mark flipped through a few channels until he found a channel with his picture in the lower left corner. It was the mug shot he had taken when he was in jail. He was amused at first because the picture must have been taken while he was passed out. He looked stupefied and stoned.

The stuffy looking newsman spoke. "Mark Albet is wanted in connection with the death of his wife Jennifer and his daughter Kathrine. If anyone has any information on his whereabouts, please call..." Mark couldn't listen anymore; he shut off the TV and threw the remote across the room. When it collided with the wall, it exploded.

"What the hell did you do, Sarah?!" Mark yelled as he stood up.

Sarah wasn't quite dressed yet, she had gotten her blue jeans on but quickly covered her chest with the shirt she had picked out. Now was not the time to tease Mark.

"Calm down, I said this was going to be hard to take," Sarah pleaded.

Mark took a step toward Sarah in anger, then realized, this was Sarah. He could never hurt her, so he just looked up at the ceiling and yelled, then let himself fall, face first, on to the bed.

"Katie is perfectly fine," Sarah said as she put her shirt on. "My brother will stop at nothing to kill everyone who stands in his way. If he thinks she's dead, he'll quit looking for her. He will use whatever he has to in order to make you join him."

"Why? Where is she? What does he want with me?" Mark was beyond confused, beyond angry. His life was now totally gone, and Katie with it.

"First things first. Katie is staying with some friends of mine that owe me a lot, so she will be well taken care of. Second, the best way for you to protect her is if she thinks you killed Jen, so she won't look for you. Third, Sariel thinks that you are the key to winning the war. So he is willing to do anything to control you." Sarah sat on the bed next to Mark, wishing she could do something to help him with this.

"What do I have to do with this war? And I'm guessing that Sariel has sided with The Beast?" Mark asked, exasperated.

"Yes, he is helping The Beast, and you are important because you're special," Sarah explained.

Mark sat up and stared into Sarah's eyes. She could see the anger and desperation, and she didn't know how much more Mark could take before he totally lost it.

"Why am I so special?" Mark pleaded.

"It has to do with how you were conceived. You see, you were the child of a Nephilim and an angel," Sarah said quietly. She seemed like she was reluctant to even say it out loud.

"So?" Mark asked crossly.

"So the union of an angel and a Nephilim is certain death for the Nephilim mother. This is why your mother died in childbirth, and your father just disappeared," Sarah explained.

"So what does that make me?" Mark asked, a little calmer now.

"It makes you special," Sarah smiled. "If you don't believe me, why don't you go take a shower and look in the mirror? You probably haven't had a shower in days, and we want to fit in as we try to sneak our way through the city. You look kinda like a homeless person."

"Maybe that would help me fit in better," Mark laughed. He was still angry, but Sarah was intoxicating, hearing her make jokes was impossible for him to resist.

"You want to be invisible, just dress like you do for work and no one will even look twice at you. There are some clothes in the bathroom that I had someone pick up from your house. I hope they still fit," Sarah said with a snicker.

Still fit? What did she mean? When Mark entered the bathroom, he looked in the mirror, and he knew exactly what she meant. His arms and chest, even his legs had gotten sturdier. He looked like he worked out every day for a year. A week ago he was concerned about the fact that he was starting to get a beer belly, but his abs were clearly visible now. What was happening to him? Although putting on some muscle was probably the best thing that had happened that week, it was still strange.

"I'm gonna have to stop calling you cutie," Sarah said through the bathroom door. "I bought you another shirt, two sizes bigger, after I saw you at work, I realized how special you were."

Mark heard Sarah walk away from the door, so he started up the shower and got in. After his shower, which he needed a lot more than he realized, he got out and silently thanked Sarah for the larger shirt. The pants weren't such a big deal, he had always worn his pants a little larger than they needed to be in case of shrinkage in the dryer. Also, they just felt more comfortable when they were baggy.

Mark exited the bathroom while drying his hair with the hotel towel so he couldn't see that Sarah had company.

"So where we going now? I think I can live without stopping at the house. But we need to talk about..." Mark smelled them first, the horrible stench of vampires. He removed the towel from his head and saw two large men beside Sarah and a smaller man behind her with a foot long blade to her throat.

"No funny stuff there, lover boy," the smaller man said. "You won't make it to her before I can remove her pretty little head."

"Mark, just sit down and let me handle this," Sarah said, winking at him.

Why was Sarah winking? Either way, sitting sounded like a great idea. He wasn't about to take on these men. He might have put on a little muscle, but these men looked like they could snap him in half.

"Back to our conversation, sweetheart. Is his daughter really dead?" the short man asked as he leaned over to talk in Sarah's ear.

"Don't hurt her," Mark said through gritted teeth.

"I've got this, Mark." Again Sarah winked.

"Yes, I killed her to keep her from becoming a vampire. I blamed it on Mark, but it was me. He's about to be seriously pissed at me right now, so holding me hostage might not be your best move," Sarah said and winked at Mark again.

Mark got the hint now. "You killed Katie?!" Mark yelled as he stood up, shooting the chair across the room behind him.

"I'm so sorry, Mark, they would have turned her into a vampire. I had no choice." Sarah smiled a little at Mark, but just long enough to let him know he was on the right track.

The two larger men turned to look at the smaller one.

"Wait, so we can't..." Before the smaller man could finish his sentence, Sarah grabbed the blade and thrust it all the way through his leg, bone and all. While the small man struggled in agony, trying to get the blade dislodged from his femur, Sarah attacked one of the larger men. She hit him in the chest hard enough that all Mark heard was the sound of breaking ribs, the man didn't flinch. He threw a punch at Sarah, but Sarah was incredibly fast. She ducked out of the way and kicked the other large man behind her in the knee. Again Mark heard the sound of snapping bone as this man fell to the floor in pain. Mark could barely keep up as the three of them fought. Sarah was amazing, he doubted they even got one hit on her. Before long, both men were on the floor, Sarah had broken their necks.

"Breaking their necks will not kill them, but it does take quite a while to repair. Let's get..." Sarah was cut off mid-sentence as the foot long blade came out the middle of her chest. The small man had somehow wrenched it from his leg.

"Not going anywhere now, sweetheart," the man laughed.

Mark was overcome with rage. He ran across the room and hit the man in the head. Mark was not a good fighter, he had intended to hit the man in the jaw, but his aim was off. The smaller man shook his head and came at Mark with the blade.

"I can't kill you, but I can cut you up real good before Sariel gets here," the man said with an evil smile.

Mark wasn't listening, he was still consumed with rage. The blade sunk into his stomach, and Mark ignored it. He grabbed the hand that was holding the blade and pulled as hard as he could. The man's arm tore apart at the socket, and it fell to the floor, still bleeding.

"I'm going to fucking kill you! You killed Sarah!" Mark yelled as he grabbed the blade and drew it back to cut off the man's head.

As he swung downward, someone caught his arm, someone much stronger than he was. He saw painted red fingernails. It was Sarah, she wasn't dead.

"We don't kill!" Sarah scolded him.

Sarah removed the blade from Mark's hand effortlessly then shoved it in the smaller man's chest and said. "Payback is a bitch." Then she snapped his neck as well.

"I'm sorry, Sarah," Mark begged.

"It's ok, I appreciate the sentiment, but you're forgetting there are only two ways to kill us and stabbing through the heart isn't one of them," Sarah scolded again, much quieter this time.

"Right," Mark said, ashamed that he had let her down so soon.

"His arm though, that's not gonna heal for a very long time. I feel sorry for him... _almost_ ," Sarah smiled at the end. She was sort of devious when she wanted to be.

"We need to get out of here, Sariel is coming," Sarah said hurriedly as she ran to the door. She quickly opened the door then shut it again. "Umm, plan B."

"What's going on?" Mark implored.

"Well...Sariel is here." Sarah was searching around the room, looking for something. "So, we need to...not be here." Sarah had found what she was looking for. "In here."

Sarah pulled up a small door hidden in the floor, revealing what looked like a garbage shoot. As soon as Mark got close, he was sure it was a garbage shoot. He could smell the garbage below.

"No squirming, just get in and hold your breath," Sarah commanded.

"Yes, ma'am," Mark replied, then jumped feet first into the shoot. He was not about to argue with Sarah, she was a badass, and he clearly was not. She disarmed him with such ease, and her grip was like a steel trap. She probably could have ripped his arm off with much less effort than it had taken Mark.

At the bottom Mark tried to get out of the way as fast as he could but Sarah landed right on top of him. She ended up sitting right on his chest as he lay face up. Mark found himself wanting Sarah again. If only this was under different circumstances.

"Prince charming, I presume?" Sarah quipped.

"Prince dumpster, more like it," Mark groaned. "Not that you're heavy, cause you're not, but can you get off my chest?"

"Oh I see, I save your life, and all you can say is 'Sarah quit crushing my spleen'," Sarah said in her best Mark voice as she wiggled her way to the edge of the dumpster.

"Now that's the Sarah I..." Mark paused, was he really going to say that?

"What was that?" Sarah laughed as she removed the garbage from her clothes.

"That's the Sarah I know," Mark quickly covered. Was he really just about to say that?

"We better get moving, Sariel will find that hatch soon enough. Let's find some clean clothes... again!" Sarah complained as she looked down at her once white shirt. "I really liked this shirt."

"Yeah, that gaping, bloody hole in your chest isn't flattering," Mark joked.

"Says the guy with arm guts all over _his_ white shirt?" Sarah retorted.

"Fair point," Mark conceded as the two of them carefully crept their way out of the alley and on to the street.

Sarah led the way down the alley, not that Mark couldn't have found his way, but he had no idea where she was going. Also, he was enjoying the view as Sarah led the way.

# Chapter 9

After what seemed like an hour, Sarah ducked into a novelty tee-shirt shop while Mark hid in the alley. He was, after all, a wanted fugitive now. He couldn't just walk into a store and buy clothes. What was more, his shirt was torn and covered with blood. Even if they didn't recognize him from TV, the blood would get too much unwanted attention. Sarah, on the other hand, was not a wanted fugitive and she had found an old jacket to throw over her shirt and conceal the still healing wound in her chest. The lull in the action gave Mark time to ponder everything that had happened to him over the last few days, and grief began to set in again. Now, not only was the love of his life dead, his daughter believed he had killed her. He would never see either of them again, he was all alone. Why was this happening to him? Just a few short days ago he had the perfect life. Now it was all gone.

Mark was snapped out of his wallowing when Sarah came around the corner practically skipping.

"Got us some shirts!" she squealed. How could Sarah be so upbeat? Maybe she was used to this. She was very old and surely had seen her share of blood and death.

Mark stared at Sarah's shirt in disbelief.

"I thought we were going for inconspicuous? Every guy between the ages of thirteen and seventy-five will be staring at you until we leave the city," Mark exclaimed, motioning to Sarah's choice of shirts. He knew he would be staring at her. In fact, he couldn't take his eyes off her chest right now.

"Well, they didn't have anything big enough for my chest, and I liked this one," Sarah exclaimed, giving a twirl to show off for Mark.

Her shirt was about a size too small and across the front of the black shirt was a neon yellow owl with his eyes directly over her breasts. The quote along the bottom said 'Hoot if you like boobs.'

"I figured you'd find it amusing," Sarah smirked.

"Amusing is not the word I'd use," Mark said as he tore off what was left of his shirt and threw it in the dumpster. "Oh geez, and this one's not much better."

Mark's was black with neon lettering as well that read 'I'm with stupid' and it had an arrow that pointed up.

"Sorry," Sarah half-heartedly apologized. "I'll take em back." Sarah pouted and Mark's annoyance waivered. What was it about Sarah? He just couldn't be upset with her. Not that seeing her perfect figure in a tight-fitting shirt was anything to be upset about.

"No, it's fine, let's just get out of here," Mark conceded.

"I was going for tourist couple. I think I hit it on the head," Sarah smiled, and Mark nodded in agreement.

Mark and Sarah walked down the street, arm in arm, trying to blend in. Mark tried desperately not to stare at Sarah, but it wasn't working. Her shirt was so tight that Mark could see the outline of her nipples under the shirt. Mark was again glad that he always wore his pants a little large, Sarah probably hadn't even noticed his interest in her body. Mark was also intoxicated by the smell of Sarah. He couldn't even describe the smell. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before, but it was remarkable.

Sarah figured they should look like tourists because nobody ever bothered tourists. They didn't want to be asked a million questions about where the best such and such was. This worked out very well, and Mark admired Sarah's intelligence silently.

As they walked along, Sarah's guilt overtook her, and she had to confess.

"Mark?" Sarah asked, looking up at him.

"Yes, Sarah?" Mark sounded annoyed, but truthfully, he wasn't annoyed with Sarah. He was annoyed with himself, how he felt about Sarah. He was also struggling with his inability to quit looking at Sarah. How could he betray Jen like this? Why was he so attracted to Sarah and why now? He had always had a _thing_ for Sarah, but his twinge of fascination with her had turned into full-on lust. When he was with her, all he could do was think about her body, how nice she smelled, how much he would love to kiss her. He thought that maybe it was because of his grief or maybe the blow to the head Jen's killer had given him. This sudden desire for Sarah must have a reason behind it, either that, or he was some degenerate and had only now realized it.

"I have something else to tell you. I should have told you a while ago, but I thought you might get upset. So...here goes. Jennifer was my youngest sister." Sarah paused for a minute to wait for Mark's reaction.

"Jen? Was like you?" Mark was very confused. He stopped walking and stared at her face, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "We had Katie. I thought Asuune couldn't have kids?"

"No, she hadn't ascended yet. She wanted time to have a family. She wanted as much _normal_ as she could get before she turned." Sarah looked down at her feet as she stood in front of Mark.

"She knew?!"And there it was, the other shoe. Mark was a little too loud, and some of the people in the crowd turned to look. Mark quickly lowered his voice. "She knew and didn't tell me?"

"Yes, she wanted to wait until after the new baby you guys were planning. She wanted one more child before she told you. We were gonna tell you, I promise. It seemed like you might not be able to handle it, so we just kept putting it off," Sarah explained apologetically.

"Oh," Mark didn't know what else to say. It was probably the right call. Jen always knew what was best for them. He wasn't upset with her for keeping this from him. In Mark's mind, everything Jen did was faultless. He still loved her the way he had for twenty years, why did he have these feelings for Sarah now? Mark felt like he was going insane.

Sarah could see what she thought was grief creeping back into Mark's expression, so she tried to cheer him up.

"At least you survived. I'm not sure what I would have done if you had died when she did." Sarah was trying to give him something to be happy for, but it just turned out badly. Her attempt to cheer him up only ended up making Mark have more questions.

"What do you mean at least I survived?" Mark looked at her curiously. "You said they wouldn't risk killing me because I'm _special_."

"No, no, they wouldn't have killed you. It's just that, another one of God's roadblocks is that every Asuune has one person for them. Like their soul-mate or something. Each Asuune gets one and only one. Most times if one of them dies, the other also dies. Call it a broken heart, shared existence, whatever. For some reason, the mate will just instantly die if the other does." Sarah felt she was doing a better job explaining things now, but Mark's expression still hadn't changed.

"So I was supposed to die when Jen did? And the vampires knew this? Why did they risk it then?" Mark asked.

"Well, you're special, and Jen was to hurt me. I guess Sariel felt like gambling. If you had died too, no one would get you. If you didn't, he planned to turn you into a vampire. Either way, he would win. I just got to you before he could finish," Sarah said with enthusiasm.

"Geez, this just keeps getting worse and worse. So Katie is a Nephilim?" Mark asked, secretly knowing the answer.

"Yes, but let's just let her have a normal life as long as we can. After all this, she deserves it." Sarah's voice turned more somber as she spoke of Katie.

"Yes, I agree. I can live with her hating me, if she is safe. Someday, maybe she will find out the truth, but for now, she's safe." Mark looked depressed again.

Sarah put her hands on either side of Mark's face.

"You know I care about you a lot. If you need anything, a shoulder to cry on, anything, just let me know. I'm here for you. Anything." Sarah's expression was sincere and longing.

Mark's heart raced. He wanted to pick Sarah up and kiss her. Mark pushed the feelings down and tried to respond calmly. "I care about you too, Sarah, thanks," Mark said, trying to hide his feelings.

Sarah quickly realized she had shared too much.

"I mean you are very important to this war, any of us would be willing to help you." Sarah quickly recovered and started to walk on.

"Did you ever find your _one_?" Mark asked as he tried to keep up with Sarah's new hurried pace.

Sarah dreaded this question, but secretly, she hoped Mark would ask.

"A lot of times our kind go their whole existence without ever finding the one they were meant to be with. Maybe they died or haven't been born yet, who knows. The only thing worse than never finding your _one_ is if you find your _one_ and they love someone else. We only get one." Sarah paused as her pace slowed. This was clearly a sore subject. "Sometimes I think it's a punishment for all the bad things I've done. Or maybe God just made a mistake with me." Sarah was now the one looking depressed.

"So you found him...or her," Mark added quickly. He had forgotten who he was talking to for a minute, it might be a her.

"It was a him," Sarah replied.

"Ok, so you found him, and he was already married?" Mark asked, not realizing how serious this was.

"Yes, so it's just me for all eternity." Sarah looked down at her shoes again as she walked. This subject was very painful for her.

"Can't you just find someone else? Or maybe he'll change his mind. Maybe he is the one who made a mistake?" Mark asked honestly, but he just didn't understand how much this hurt Sarah.

"What part of one is confusing to you?!" Sarah asked angrily as she stopped to look at Mark. Sarah's anger quickly turned to guilt. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to snap. But seriously ,we get one and only one, there's no loopholes, no do-overs. We get one." Sarah started walking again.

Mark didn't completely understand Sarah's situation, but he understood enough to pity her. How horrible it would be to go through life knowing that your perfect match was with someone else. If they truly were stuck with only one, his perfect match was now dead. His feelings for Sarah, whatever they were, had to be a mistake because Jen had been his _one_.

The rest of the trip was spent in silence. Mark was dealing with his grief and confusion about his feelings for Sarah. Sarah was mentally punishing herself for disappointing God.

# Chapter 10

They reached the edge of town after another hour of walking. The crowds had thinned out as they walked until there was no one left except for Mark and Sarah. They walked through many suburban areas until even those gave way to run down shops and factories. After it seemed they were all alone with the abandoned shops, they came across a shipping facility with many newer cars in the parking lot.

"Here we are," Sarah finally spoke. Sarah now sounded as depressed as Mark. Normally she would have presented this place with the flare of a game show host, but now she just sounded like she wanted to get it over with.

"Why all the cars? This place can't have that many employees?" Mark asked curiously.

"These cars belong to _customers_ ," Sarah said strangely. "We use this place as a cover to get to where we are going. They are not about to follow ten trucks, all going in different directions. They would have to split up their forces too much. It's not foolproof, but it is discouraging enough to keep them at bay."

"So this is also a real shipping company?" Mark asked sincerely.

"Yes, it ships paper products. It's sort of a hub. Huge stockpiles come in, and then they are split up and shipped out to various places," Sarah explained.

"That's pretty smart. Use a real shipping company to travel around undetected. I'd guess you were behind this, right?" Mark's tone was more upbeat. His grief was still there, but Sarah's flare for this was quite admirable. He found himself staring at Sarah again. His admiration for her smarts had caused the feelings to well up again. For a brief moment, he wished that Sarah was his _one_.

"Of course," Sarah's tone picked up as well. Mark was as contagious to her as she was to him. "And over there, those three are mine." Sarah pointed at three almost new cars in the back.

"You have cars, so why did we walk?" Mark asked, feigning indignance. He had a good idea why they had walked, he wasn't a complete idiot.

Sarah raised one eyebrow, playing along with Mark.

"Do you want to be caught? They know what all my cars look like. I'm sure there were many resources scouring the streets looking for us driving," she said.

"Ok, ok, smarty pants. How did you get so good at this?" Mark asked, then realized it was a stupid question. He thought that maybe he was trying to flirt with Sarah, but he sucked at it.

"I've just been doing this a long time," Sarah replied.

Mark realized, he shouldn't flirt. He was very bad at it, and it only made him feel dumb, it was Sarah's thing.

Sarah walked in the front door and waived to the desk clerk before going through a door to the back room. Mark was amused at how Sarah always acted like she was in charge. Then Mark understood, she probably did own this place. This woman was the Sarah that he had known for almost as long as he had known Jen, but there was so much more to her than he had ever suspected. This woman owned corporations, hotels, and obscure shipping companies. What else did he not know about his best friend? This intrigued Mark, and his longing for her grew stronger.

As they walked through the almost vacant loading docks, Mark thought about the first time he met Sarah. It was during the dress rehearsal for his wedding to Jen. Sarah wore a long flowing, red evening dress with slits up to her thighs. The dress had spaghetti straps and a low cut neckline that nearly went to her stomach, this was to show off Sarah's ample cleavage. Mark found himself staring at her all night, but it wasn't just her beauty that mesmerized him. If it had been only beauty he would have quickly forgotten about her. She was funny and smart and had a personality that no one could find fault with. That was the first time he realized that she was Jen and Jen was Sarah, they had nearly the same personality. The only thing that kept them from being the exact same person was their looks and Sarah's outgoing, flirty demeanor. Jen was just as flirty and just as sexual, she just did it in private, and only for him.

"Here it is," Sarah said sounding disappointed. In front of Sarah was a plain looking delivery truck. "There is a delivery uniform in that room." Sarah pointed to a door that said 'Employees only' and then looked at him like a puppy being left at the side of the road.

"What's wrong?" Mark asked. Even Mark's near obliviousness to Sarah's feelings couldn't miss this one.

"This is where we say goodbye. At least for a while," Sarah said then looked at her shoes again.

"What?!" Mark nearly had a panic attack. Why was Sarah leaving?! How could he do this without her?! Where was she going?!

"I have to find out what's going on. We need information. You need time to grieve. Truthfully, so do I." Sarah didn't sound happy about this, but this was something that needed to be done. After an awkward silence, she started again. "You will be fine. My sister Agnus will look after you and hopefully teach you what we're up against, if you'll listen."

"I'll listen!" Mark realized that he sounded too eager to please Sarah, but it was too late to unsay it. Mark didn't want to leave Sarah, and he certainly didn't want to disappoint her again. "Another sister? So, is she like a drill instructor or something?" Mark asked.

"No, silly," Sarah's upbeat personality returned for a moment. "She's a professor of ancient history. You and I..." Sarah put her hand flat and raised it up to her nose. "We're smart." Then she raised her hand above her head. "She's SMART!"

Honestly, Mark thought Sarah was quite a bit smarter than he was. Sarah was being kind or protecting his feelings. Most of the time, even before today, Mark felt like the kid they let in to the advanced math class who really didn't belong there. Even with something he was really good at, computer programming, Sarah left him in the dust.

"I'm gonna miss you." Sarah held her arms out wide for a hug.

This sent Mark into another panic attack. He avoided hugging Sarah while he was married to Jen. Not that Jen would have minded, it just felt like a betrayal. Often times he told Sarah he was just not a _hugger_ , when in reality he really wanted to. He just knew the overwhelming guilt that would follow. He always vowed that he would never put himself in that kind of situation, where he might feel something for Sarah. Jen was everything to him when she was alive, why was it different now?

This time Sarah didn't give him any choice, she had no idea how long it would be before she saw him again. He wasn't getting out of it this time. Before Mark could come up with an excuse, Sarah thrust herself at him and squeezed. Mark had little choice, she was stronger than he was. After a few seconds, he hugged her back. It felt wonderful. She was warm and soft and smelled magnificent, all his apprehensions left, there was only her.

After a few moments, they both decided that they needed to stop. Mark nervously took a step back.

"I'll miss you," Mark said, then immediately felt embarrassed.

"I'll miss you too, cutie," Sarah said, she on the other hand, was not embarrassed.

"I thought you weren't going to call me that anymore?" Mark asked with a silly grin.

"Yeah, you need a new nickname. What shall it be?" Sarah put her index finger on her chin to emphasize the fact that she was giving this some serious thought. "I know. I'll just call you sexy from now on." Sarah's smile was fiendish, she knew how Mark would react.

Mark's face turned bright red. He was flattered but very embarrassed.

"Well, we can't have you turning red every time I call you that so maybe something a little less extreme." This made Mark turn an even brighter shade of red. Sarah thought his face might explode.

"Fine, fine, we'll just stick with cutie," Sarah relinquished. "You're still cute, just with a little extra." Sarah stuck out her tongue at him.

Mark often thought that Sarah was somewhat childish, but it worked for her. It was actually quite endearing.

"Well, I guess I should head out," Mark said sadly, trying to look away until his face stopped looking like a tomato.

"Me too, we need to know what's going on. Don't worry, I'll be back in a few months or so," Sarah sighed.

A few months?! Mark thought Sarah meant a few days, a week maybe, but months?!

"Why so long?" Mark tried to act calm, but Sarah could hear the desperation in his voice.

"Sariel lives in Europe, he would have headed back there as soon as he found out we escaped his vampires," Sarah explained. "It's gonna take me some time to figure out what's going on. Somehow he knew about you and Jen and exactly where Jen was that day. He knew where I was taking you and which room we were in. Someone I trusted must have told him, and I need to find out who. Don't worry, I'll be back." Sarah punched Mark in the arm a little too hard, and he winced.

This time it was Mark with his arms wide. If he wasn't going to see Sarah for a few months, he wanted to remember how she felt, how she smelled, everything about her. Sarah returned the hug, which was longer than last time. She pushed her face up against his chest, and he wished it would never end.

The delivery driver walked up behind them and startled them both. "We need to leave in about five minutes, probably better get your uniform on."

Reluctantly Sarah released Mark and started walking for the door they had come in. Mark couldn't help but stare as Sarah walked away. Her amazing body in that undersized shirt and tight jeans. How he wished he could have Sarah, she was everything he wanted. Sarah turned around as she reached the door, and Mark tried to hide the fact that he was staring at her lustfully.

"When you see Agnus, tell her what I just told you, and tell her hi from me. I think you're gonna like her. She kinda reminds me of Jen, a little stiff, but once you get to know her...," Sarah smirked as she opened the door and left.

# Chapter 11

Mark road with the delivery driver for hours. He was so worn out that he fell asleep for most of the ride and had no idea where they ended up. It was funny to him how he could be a super strong, half-angel, but he still got tired like a normal person. Soon after Mark woke up, the driver pulled into a small town a ways off the main highway. They had traveled along deserted dirt roads to reach it. From the looks of it, the town could have only had about three hundred people in it. There was one general store, one gas station, and soon the driver pulled up to the one auditorium.

"We're here," the driver said monotonously. Apparently he had made this run several times. "Just go inside the doors, someone will greet you."

Mark thanked the driver, got out of the truck and walked inside the doors. Once inside, he saw eleven other people he assumed were also new Asuune judging by their delivery uniforms and the dumbfounded look on their faces. There were men and women of all different races, and some of them were speaking different languages. Most of the people were standing in pairs, some in threes and Mark was all alone.

A dark-skinned woman with straight, black hair and glasses came walking through the back door of the auditorium. She looked important. She carried a clipboard and behind her was a giant of a man who seemed to be her guard. The man behind her wore grey sweat pants and a dull tan shirt. His hair was cut very short, and he had a serious expression on his face. The man was much larger than Mark. He assumed the man to be somewhere around six foot six and probably over three hundred pounds. He was large and ominous as he followed the woman.

"My name is Sophia, but you can call me Agnus. This man behind me is Charles," Agnus said motioning behind her with her free hand.

"You are not to call me Chuck or Charlie. You will address me as Charles or sir," Charles said in a very deep voice appropriate for his size. He was forceful, but it seemed more like it was an act. He looked kind before he spoke and the kindness returned afterward. This man's serious expression didn't fool Mark. His body language gave him away. Charles was a kind man, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

"We're here to give you an introduction to your new life. This life will not be easy. In fact, you will be staying in cots here for your first year," Agnus explained. Someone in the front raised their hand. "There will be time for questions when I'm done, I will speak to each of you individually to determine how you can help us and how we can best help you." Agnus took a step forward, but Charles didn't move, he just stood behind her looking menacing. Mark noticed the kindness was replaced with a stern look, but still Mark wasn't fooled.

"Truth time," Agnus started. "You may not want to hear it, but you need to. The reason for the cots in an auditorium is because seven of you will not make it one year. You will either die or be turned into a vampire. This is not to scare you, it is just the truth. I hope we don't lose any of you, but facts are facts." Agnus pushed her glasses up her nose then continued. "Out of the five that remain, two of those won't make it through the next year. Look to your right, then your left. Get to know these people. They are your new best friends. The best way to survive is to have someone watching your back. There are no heroes, no chosen ones. I know you've all met Sarah, some of you even think you know her. Some of you might even have a crush on her. That is her talent. She can make anyone feel like the most important person in the world. My sister was supposed to be here to introduce you and make this smoother, but apparently something came up."

Mark's stomach sank, was that all it was? Was Sarah giving him a line? For nearly twenty years? Mark thought of all the times Sarah flirted with him, waking up with her on his chest in the hotel room, the hugs goodbye. Was it all a lie? Was he just another new Asuune, one that would probably die in the first two years? Mark started to feel depressed, then Agnus started talking loudly again.

"Now, with that out of the way, let me explain what we expect. We expect you to help out, pay attention, and learn how not to die. Most of you, with your new found strength, will help with menial chores such as building houses. The houses are for the few of you that make it through the year. We need experienced plumbers, electricians, things like this. I will determine your job when we speak." With that, Agnus motioned to Charles and he stepped forward.

"My job is to prepare you for the inevitable. I'm not here for combat training. I'm here to teach you how to defend yourself. I'm sure Sarah has explained to you that we cannot kill them. This is what makes it so difficult. I'll be honest with you, we're losing this war. That is another reason that you will only be training with me once a week. It is much more important for us to survive, and for that we need knowledge. We will provide college-level courses in history, many technical vocations, and most other things that help us figure out how to win this war. I was in the military, obviously, but I was a construction architect. So I will mostly be teaching you about structural engineering. Pretty much anything else will fall to Agnus or one of her assistants." Charles gave a strange smile for a man so large. He must really like structural engineering, Mark assumed.

Agnus stepped closer to the recruits and took over again.

"Before we start the interviews, I will let you know one thing, I'm not hard to get along with, but I do have one rule. I hate swearing, and while I can tolerate a slip up now and then, if I ever hear you use the Lord's name in vain, I will rip your tongue out to teach you a lesson. As most of you know, it will grow back, but it will be one of the most painful experiences you have ever had." Agnus stared around the room, and she noticed a few of the younger recruits snickering. These were fairly large men, if you could call a twenty-year-old a man. Irritation radiated from Agnus and she gripped the clipboard angrily.

Charles could sense Agnus's annoyance even from behind and was quick to come to her defense. The giant man took a few steps toward them, and the men quickly quit snickering.

"For your information, and continued good health, I suggest you respect your elders around here. Agnus may not look like a hardened warrior, but she was fighting off vampires before your parents, parents were born. I, for one, would not want to make her mad. She could take me down in a heartbeat." Charles then turned around and walked back to his spot.

On the way by, Agnus placed her small hand on his giant arm and said kindly. "I appreciate the support, dear, but I can handle them."

Charles was quick to answer and in a loud voice replied. "Oh I'm sure you can handle them. I was just worried they might not take you seriously. We don't want half this year's recruits in the hospital on the first day. I mean, not again." Charles smiled with his face away from the recruits. Mark was standing off to himself so he could see it was just a tactic to keep them in line. That wasn't to say that Mark didn't take Agnus seriously. If Agnus was anything like Sarah, she could probably put them all in the hospital if she chose to. Agnus bowed her head and pretended to look at her clipboard, but it was clear she was smiling.

"Now we will start the interviews, assign bunks and jobs. Don't worry, I am fluent in many languages in case English is not your first language." Agnus then headed over to a small desk with two chairs on one side and one on the other. Somehow Mark hadn't noticed these when he first walked in. The other new recruits all began to mill around and form a line, Mark took up the rear.

The process started out slowly and picked up quickly as Agnus lost patience with the million questions. Each person she interviewed was set on what they thought was the best use of their talents. By the time she got halfway through them, the interviews took only a couple minutes. Agnus would listen to a brief description of what the person used to do and assign them a job. Charles was there to usher the person out and hand them their bedding.

When it was Mark's turn, Agnus was mentally exhausted from arguing and trying to explain things like why a human resource manager was of no use to their little town. Mark sat down, and Agnus said in a frustrated and tired voice. "What should I call you?"

"Mark," Mark replied meekly.

"And what did you use to do?" Agnus asked dryly, while making some comments on her clipboard.

"I was a computer programmer, but Sarah..." Mark tried to give Agnus the message from Sarah and was quickly cut off.

"Before you ask a million questions, let me stop you there," Agnus began. "Sarah explained the one for one concept?" Agnus asked, and Mark nodded, so Agnus continued. "Ok then, you are not Sarah's _one_ , Sarah already knows who her _one_ is, and you're not it. Since Sarah is not here and she usually does most of this, I'm winging it. I'm not sure why she picked you, what skills she saw in you, but until she comes back, you will be assigned to help an expert in some field. When you finally find something that you're good at, we'll talk again. Charles..." Agnus motioned for Charles, and he walked over and handed Mark some bedding before trying to usher him out.

"But..." Mark tried to relay Sarah's message, but Agnus just waved her hand at him.

"You'll find out it's not so bad," Agnus said. She was done with interviews and wanted no more of Mark.

"Wait," Mark said, struggling against Charles. The large man found it strange that a new recruit was able to struggle against him so effectively and gave Mark a curious look. "Sarah had a message for you." Mark blurted out.

"It's ok," Agnus said as she motioned for Mark to come back. "What was the message?" Agnus was still patronizing, but figured it was the fastest way to be done with this.

"She said she had to go to Europe to find out how Sariel knew about Jen and how he knew that Sarah had taken me to that hotel and what room we were in." Mark waited patiently for a response.

Agnus's eyes lit up. "Oh! You're Sarah's Mark?!"

"What?" Mark asked not quite sure what Agnus meant by that.

"I mean Jen's Mark," Agnus quickly recovered. "I'm very sorry for your loss." Then Mark saw anger across the woman's face, as she turned her gaze to Charles. "My brother better hope Sarah can keep her vow. He's just lucky she is as repentant as she is. A lesser woman, me, for example, might just forsake my vow and rip his freaking head off." Agnus turned back and addressed Mark again. "He's just darn lucky you weren't killed also, or I don't think Sarah's vow would stop her. I mean if he had killed Charles..." Charles put his hand on Agnus's shoulder.

"Calm down dear, I'm fine, Mark's fine, and I'm sure Sarah will be fine. She just went to find out information. Mark's here, she won't be doing anything stupid," Charles assured her.

Mark felt like he was missing something, but he couldn't quite figure out what. Mark got the impression that Charles and Agnus were partners, but beyond that he had no idea why him being there meant that Sarah would be back. Was he that important to their cause? What made him so special? Sarah acted like she had been waiting for him a long time. What was he supposed to do, a computer programmer, fighting a war against vampires?

"You won't be needing these," Agnus said as she took the bedding from Mark. "Sarah has a house all ready for you and...I'm so sorry." Agnus looked depressed again.

"It's ok, for me and Jen, right?" Mark asked trying to help.

"Yes, and..." Agnus's face suddenly looked frightened. "Where's Katie?!"

"Sarah sent her to live with some friends of hers. She felt Katie needed to be away from all of this until it was safer for her. I now realize that she was right." Mark didn't want to go into details about how Katie thought he had killed Jen nor how much he hated the idea. Even if Sarah had done the right thing.

"I'm so sorry, I guess when you love someone that much the sacrifice is worth it," Agnus said, sounding disheartened. "I had a child once, if only I had Sarah to help me, maybe he might still be alive."

"We'll give you some time, once all the adrenaline and confusion wears off you may find the grief hard to deal with. Your job will be waiting for you when you're ready for it," Charles said with pity in his eyes.

"I'm sorry for your loss, I don't know what I would do if something bad would happen to Katie too," Mark said, staring at Charles.

"The child was not mine," Charles started to explain, and Agnus put her hand on his.

"Back when I thought I was human, I was forced to marry another Nephilim. We did our duty and had a child even though we knew we didn't love each other. That was the way things were done back then. When the vampires came and killed my son and husband, Sarah saved me. I didn't want to go on, but somehow she helped me get through it. Centuries later, I finally found Charles." Agnus looked up at Charles with adoration then turned back to Mark. "My point is, as bad as it gets, it will get better. You still have Katie."

Mark tried to change the subject, the grief was beginning to come back to him, and he didn't want to break down in front of people he had just met. Talking about these things only made them worse.

"So what will my job be?" Mark asked, trying to change the subject.

"You will be Agnus's assistant. We hear you are quite smart," Charles replied.

"But I only know English, I'm not sure how much help I'll be. Besides, Sarah made it sound like you wouldn't really need anyone's help." Mark really didn't see himself being able to help Agnus, he was just a programmer. What did he know about ancient history?

"Oh, Sarah. Did she give you the Agnus is up here, and we're down here speech?" Agnus asked mimicking the hand movements Sarah had used.

"Umm, yes," Mark replied, clearly confused.

"Well, unlike these recruits, you actually know Sarah. Do you really think there are many people out there smarter than her?" Agnus asked with a half-smile.

"No," Mark said, smiling back.

"Yeah," Agnus said with a knowing look. "That stuff works on a lot of people, but the people who really know her, they can tell she's much more than she pretends to be."

Agnus then grabbed Charles's hand and put her other arm over Mark's shoulders. The two of them led Mark to the house Sarah had prepared for him and said their goodbyes.

"We live just down the street, this one is Sarah's." Agnus pointed at the small house between hers and Mark's. "If you need anything, we're only two houses down. Don't hesitate to ask. If you don't feel like coming to work right away, don't worry about it. Once you've had time to process everything, I'll be at the library." Agnus pointed up the street to a large building that looked exactly as Mark thought a library should look. Then Charles and Agnus walked down the sidewalk to their door, and Mark was left all alone.

# Chapter 12

Mark spent the two weeks after arriving in the settlement alone in his new home. This house Sarah had made for him was much too large for one person. Sarah had designed the house for a family of three. There were two bedrooms, a den, a large living room, and a moderate sized kitchen. Someone had stocked the house with food in preparation for his arrival, so he didn't even have to leave the house.

He went through all the stages of grief. He found himself mad at Jen for leaving him, Sariel for killing her and at one point even Sarah for not being there to help him through this. He blamed himself, wanted revenge for Jen's death, and had even considered suicide. If it had not been for Katie being alive and safe somewhere he might have actually tried, but he couldn't do that to her. Someday she would find out the truth, and she might need him.

After a couple weeks, Mark started going in to work. Slowly at first, he'd come in for a few hours then return to his home to be alone with his thoughts. Agnus was very considerate and never once chastised him for his sporadic schedule. She invited him to share supper with her and Charles several times, but Mark always had an excuse for why he didn't show up. It took months for Mark to get over his depression, but when he did, he found Charles and Agnus to be good friends.

Over the next year and a half, he spent a good deal of his time at the library. Once he got over his self-declared lack of ability with historical researching, he found that he was actually not bad at it. He even found that he enjoyed translating old documents. It was like a puzzle. He would use the translation software to get a rough translation of the texts then it would be his job to go over every word to make sure it was translated correctly within its context. It was long and arduous work, but the end results were beautifully written accounts of man's first dealings with God and his angels. They were working on documents written about the time between the creation of man and the great flood of Noah. These documents were written by Noah's descendants in some of the earliest writings known to man. While most of them were trivial things, they were quite interesting, and all of the translations were great accomplishments in their own right. The work at least gave Mark something to focus on to keep his mind off of his grief.

Mark was given his own office in the library, and many times he would find himself listening to the radio while he worked. He was particularly fond of one station that reminded him of Katie.

This station was a religious station that covered many topics. It had been started by a billionaire that lost his wife in a car accident. The man decided that since he had no living descendants to give his fortune to he would use his vast wealth to provide a real religious radio station. One that didn't beg people for donations, in fact, it was forbidden for the station to receive them. The man thought this way the people working there could concentrate on the real message instead of spending so much time worrying about money. This station was non-denominational and provided different slots for many religions. The man had the idea that no religion was the _right_ religion. They were all different views about a power that mankind could barely comprehend. His beliefs brought a lot of controversy, but after a few years it was clear that no one was going to change his mind.

While Jen and Mark had been moderately religious Katie loved everything related to God. She would sit in her room for hours listening to this station while she played with dolls and toys. As she got older, she found friends, friends that would tease her about listening to this station but Katie was a very opinionated girl. She didn't care what the other girls said, she loved this station, and they weren't going to come between her and what she loved.

Mark recalled a particularly memorable event when Katie was thirteen. She had invited a friend to stay the night, her best friend at the time. This girl's parents must have been very opposed to religion because when Katie turned on her favorite station the girl started an argument with her. Perhaps the argument had been Katie's fault, perhaps not, Mark never really found out. The end result was the girl storming downstairs and Mark giving her a ride home. Katie and this girl never spoke again. To this day, Mark didn't know what the argument had entailed. Katie had always confided in her mother, and mother-daughter conversations were private in their house. Sometimes Mark wished Katie had been able to talk to him about things, but he was grateful that Jen and Katie had been so close.

The views presented by this station provided Mark with a way to be close to Katie. He would picture her, wherever she was, listening to this same station. He wondered what she looked like now. How hard it must have been for her to lose both her parents. Was she adjusting to her new life or struggling with it like he was? Mark desperately wanted to see his little sweetheart even though she was no longer a little girl.

Over time Mark quit asking about Sarah. No one knew where she was or if she was coming back. Mark realized that asking Agnus for updates about Sarah only upset her, so he stopped asking altogether. Mark spent the little time he wasn't in the library with Charles learning self-defense. Mark and Charles had become good friends. Mark found that he considered Charles a closer friend than anyone from his office. He had spent nearly twenty years at that office and didn't have one real friend except for Sarah.

Mark missed Sarah. He found that when he wasn't in the library, and he wasn't with Charles, all he did was think about Jen, Katie, and Sarah. How had Sarah become so important to him? She was his sister-in-law, but somehow she was a lot more. She had been his best friend for most of his adult life, but there was more to it than that. He felt drawn to her. He couldn't put it into words, but she was very important to him. Mark had never felt anything like this before, except when it came to Jen. It wasn't the same as he felt for Katie. Katie was his daughter, that kind of love has no comparison. That was it! He loved Sarah, but how could he? Asuune get one love, and there was no doubt in his mind that Jen had been his perfect partner. His feelings for Sarah felt exactly the same as his feelings for Jen. How could that be? How could he love Sarah the same? Despite his reservations, Mark knew he loved Sarah. The more he thought about it the more sure he became. He loved Sarah _exactly_ the way he had loved Jen. The problem was that Sarah already knew who her partner was, her _one_ , he would just have to live with being her best friend. If she ever came back.

After almost two years Sarah finally returned to the small town Mark called home now. She was greeted like a celebrity. Nearly everyone in the town knew Sarah, and nearly everyone came to find out where she had been. Like Mark always did, he waited in the back of the line. He didn't want to seem too eager to see her. He didn't want to smother her. She was just his friend, that's all she could ever be. He needed to learn to live with it.

When the crowd had died down, and only Mark, Agnus and Charles were left, Sarah ushered them to the library. She had news, news that wasn't appropriate to share with everyone else. When the four of them were finally alone, Sarah rushed at Mark. She threw her arms wide, and Mark nearly had to catch her.

"Oh, I've missed you," Sarah said as she dug her face into his chest.

Mark didn't want to look too excited, but he couldn't help himself. The warmth of her body pressed against him, the smell of her, he couldn't resist. He hugged her back much longer than he thought he should have, but Sarah didn't seem to mind. This only confused Mark more.

"So, I have a lot to tell you," Sarah said when she finally decided to let go of Mark. "And damn you've gotten strong."

Agnus gave Sarah a disapproving look.

Sarah smiled at Agnus and put her arm around her shoulders then spoke to Mark.

"Has she ever told you why she is called Agnus?" Sarah asked with her contagiously upbeat attitude.

"No, actually, she never did," Mark smiled, he couldn't help but match Sarah's demeanor.

Agnus looked at him curiously, she was clearly trying to figure out why Mark was so happy to see Sarah. Mark decided he needed to act less happy and more like he had for the last two years. Sarah didn't need this. It would make things weird between them. He wanted to be near her, even if it was just as friends, it would be enough. Mark forced his smile away and tried to look more serious.

"Well, you know how she doesn't like swearing?" Sarah asked.

"Yes," Mark replied, trying to resist Sarah's enthusiasm.

"She is so uptight. Sofia is a sultry, seductive name. Agnus is the name you give a future nun, or..." Sarah waved her hands around, clearly trying to build suspense. "A librarian! And the nickname stuck. So for the last two hundred years, everyone just calls her Agnus."

A smile slipped back on to Mark's face, and he quickly tried to hide it. Agnus gave him another strange look, he could almost see the wheels turning in her head.

"Anyway, what I found out. And this doesn't leave this room. I trust quite a few people with important things, but this I trust only to you three. It's that bad." Sarah's look turned serious as she spoke.

Mark felt his heart race. Sarah trusted him as much as Agnus and Charles. He hadn't messed this up, at least not yet. Sarah was still his best friend.

"Chuck, can you get the door. We don't want anyone walking in on us." Sarah snickered.

Mark nearly fell backward. No one called him Chuck. A recruit had one day called him Chuck as a joke when she thought that Charles was out of earshot. The tongue lashing the poor recruit got for it nearly made her cry.

"Don't say a word," Charles said as he put his large hand on Mark's shoulder. The smile Mark got from Charles was also unexpected, apparently, Sarah was allowed to call him Chuck.

Sarah and Agnus laughed, and Mark cracked another smile, which he quickly hid. Was he being overly worried about smiling now? That could be just as bad. He needed to get this under control. He needed to act normally around Sarah, but he couldn't help it. Sarah was here, and she looked stunning. He had nearly forgotten how absolutely perfect she was. Her hair, the way her mouth moved as she spoke, the smile that he couldn't resist, it was all perfect, she was perfect.

"So apparently, we had a vampire in our town a few years ago," Sarah started as soon as Charles had locked the door. "He posed as a new recruit. How he hid his bloodlust for nearly a month, I have no idea, but he did."

"Who was it? Was it Gregory?" Agnus asked with a sneer on her face.

"No, Gregory was killed. It was Sam," Sarah explained.

"Sam? But he was always so considerate. He helped build several houses. How did we not know?" Agnus put her hand on her forehead.

"Yeah," Mark added. "How did he hide the stench?"

Everyone looked at Mark, and he felt very uncomfortable. Had he made a mistake? Was it something they weren't supposed to talk about? He still had so much to learn about being Asuune.

"What do you mean stench?" Sarah asked, looking at Mark, intrigued.

Mark's heart raced, not only had he said something wrong, Sarah was getting closer to him. His stomach felt like it was doing flips. All he could think about was kissing Sarah as she moved closer.

"The smell...the horrible smell when you're near one," Mark looked around for some backup but they were all staring at him like he had done something wrong.

"You can smell them?" Sarah asked, astonished.

The inquisitive look on her face drove Mark crazy, she was absolutely breathtaking. He was having a hard time concentrating, she was so close to him now.

"Yeah, the first time I smelled one I thought it was a garbage truck that went by. It smelled so horrible that I couldn't eat for hours. I got more used to it, though. I had to deal with Gregor and that stupid delivery man they sent to bring me blood. Thankfully, he smelled so bad I was able to forget about the smell of the blood." Mark went on for a bit before he realized that they had no idea what he was talking about.

Sarah slowly raised her hands, and Mark's anxiety rose sharply. Then she stuck out both hands and put them on his shoulders. He felt like he was suffocating, what was she going to do?

"I told you he was important," Sarah said as she turned to Agnus.

"No one else can smell them? Seriously?" Mark asked. He breathed a sigh of relief, maybe it was disappointment as Sarah removed her hands. He wasn't sure what he thought Sarah was going to do, but when she did nothing, he wasn't sure how he felt about it.

"No one told you about your parents, did they?" Sarah asked as she gave Agnus a disapproving look.

"No, why?" Mark asked.

"Agnus..." Sarah scolded.

"I was waiting for you to come back. I didn't know how he would take it," Agnus apologized.

"That's fair," Sarah relented, and her near giddiness returned.

"Take what? What about my parents? You already told me that my mother was Nephilim, and my father was an angel." Mark said, trying to figure out what else Sarah could mean.

"It's who your father was...is...that's what is so important. That's what makes you special," Sarah explained.

"Who was he? Is he?" Mark couldn't take the suspense.

"Your father is the Archangel Michael," Sarah said, waiting for the inevitable flurry of questions from Mark.

"Michael, THE Michael. He's my dad?" Mark asked, hardly believing what he was hearing.

"Yes," Sarah replied, then waited for the next question. She knew Mark very well, it might take him a moment, but more questions would come.

"So...I'm not part of your bloodline...do I have siblings out there somewhere? What does this mean? What am I?" Mark asked.

"Slow it down there, cutie," Sarah said, trying to calm Mark. She put her hand on his shoulder, but this only turned his confusion into anxiety. "You are just a little more...angel than the rest of us. So you might have a few extra abilities. And no, you have no siblings. Michael has never had a child before and probably never will again."

Mark sat there for a minute, thinking about being the son of Michael. It took him a few minutes, but he had more questions eventually.

"So, does this mean I'm not the same as you? Do I need to go on some special mission or something? What exactly is expected of me?" Mark asked fearing the answers.

"No, cutie, you are welcome to stay here and be boring with the rest of us." Sarah's smile and silly joke made Mark feel more at ease. The longing for her returned and blocked out the confusion about his purpose.

"Some of us are less boring than the rest of us." Agnus had another disapproving look for Sarah.

"I needed to find out who it was and how they got to Jen before I even knew about it," Sarah explained.

Mark had gotten used to hearing Jen's name. It didn't hurt as bad as it once did and with Sarah being the one saying it, he barely noticed.

Agnus's wheels were turning again as she stared at Mark. He panicked, she was going to ruin this. If Sarah found out how he really felt about her, she would change. She might quit calling him cutie, a nickname he had longed to hear when she was gone. She would probably quit touching him, hugging him. He couldn't take that. He needed to do something to throw Agnus off the trail. Luckily, Sarah saved him instead.

"So, where was I?" Sarah asked rhetorically as she turned around and put her finger to her chin. "Oh yes, I found out that Sariel had come back to America, so I chased him. I finally caught up to him, and being as arrogant as Sariel is, he told me what his plan was." Sarah looked at Agnus, and Agnus nodded her head. She apparently knew Sariel as well.

"Well..." Agnus prodded. Sarah had a knack for drama. She was apparently driving Agnus crazy.

"So, long ago, Asuune used to rule over humans. They posed as gods, in Egypt, Rome, the Norse Gods. Any time you read about a powerful mythical creature it was probably an Asuune using their abilities to subjugate humans." Sarah continued.

Apparently she was going too slowly for Agnus because Agnus interrupted again. "Go on...you're killing me here."

Sarah laughed, and Mark's stomach swayed. Agnus again gave Mark a curious look. She was going to figure it out, Agnus was smart. Sarah's laugh, her proximity to him, all of it made him feel like he was going to explode or at least end up kissing Sarah.

"So, many of the Asuune want this again. They are taking out anyone who would oppose them and taking over many large companies. They thought Mark here..." Sarah motioned to Mark with far too much showmanship. "Was going to help them accomplish this. His parentage would give them a symbol to rally the support they needed."

"You stopped that. So what is he going to do?" Agnus was no longer paying attention to Mark and listening carefully to Sarah.

"He said it didn't change anything. That I'd better keep Mark well-hidden because he has a price on his head now. Sariel still plans on accomplishing this without Mark." Sarah's voice had lost its giddiness.

"Well, that's just great!" Agnus exclaimed.

As they all sat there thinking about Sariel's plans, Mark couldn't stop looking at Sarah. He wanted to be near her, hold her, and Agnus was watching. Mark had to think of something quick, Agnus was going to figure this out if he kept this up.

"So, Sarah, Charles and I were going to barbeque for Agnus tonight." Mark put his hand on Charles shoulder. "We could throw on another steak or maybe some brats? If that's ok with you Agnus?" Mark smiled at Agnus.

This seemed to dissuade Agnus from thinking about Mark's reactions to Sarah, at least for the time being. Mark had done it, he could act normally, even if he was more chipper than before Sarah had returned.

"Sure," Agnus said. "I was just thinking the same thing."

A few hours later, the four of them were enjoying a quiet barbeque out on Charles and Agnus' back porch. Mark had prepared himself and tried not to dote too much on Sarah. He spoke to Agnus often and even spoke to Charles about helping with the new houses he was constructing on the south end of town. Mark was very pleased with himself. Through the whole night, he tried to use math to help him show Agnus that he was just his normal self, and like everyone else, just happy to have Sarah back. He used a formula for how often he should address Sarah. For every two times he spoke to Agnus or every one time with Charles he could say something to Sarah. This would give the appearance of casual conversation when, in reality, all he wanted to do was hear everything Sarah had done in the years since he saw her last. With the replies to people's questions and responses to general queries, he thought it would appear just random enough that Agnus would be convinced.

After a few hours of this and several beers, Mark was sure his plan had worked. Most of the time, he sat listening to Sarah's account of what she had been doing the last two years. Several of the things he wanted to hear about, Agnus had asked for him, so this also helped. Soon the night was almost over, and all that was left was to say goodbye. Mark had pulled it off. Agnus was done scrutinizing his every look at Sarah, and she seemed quite content that he and Sarah were just friends.

"Well, I better get some sleep. It was a long trip back here," Sarah said as she stood up. "You two need help in the library tomorrow?"

"That would be very kind of you," Agnus replied. "Mark has been very helpful, but he's not you." Agnus gave Mark an evil grin, and he smiled back. "Seriously though, good call on assigning Mark to be my assistant. Half the time I don't really think he is assisting me as much as going off on his own projects. He was born to be a researcher."

Sarah leaned in and gave Agnus a big hug, a very sisterly hug. Then Sarah walked over to Charles.

"Gimme a hug, big guy," Sarah said as she held her arms up. There was no way she was reaching him without jumping. The hug was short and much like a sister hugging her little brother. Then she turned to Mark.

Mark wasn't sure what to do. He needed to give her a friendly hug. Not too long, not too short. This would be the most difficult part of the evening.

Mark leaned over and held his hands out, trying not to look too anxious. Sarah hugged him deeply, but Mark held back. He ended the hug abruptly and tried to look preoccupied. He wasn't going to ruin this evening with a hug.

"See you tomorrow then?" Mark asked as Sarah reached for her coat.

"Yep, I'll be there," Sarah replied.

"Jen, could you pass me my coat, I think I'm gonna head back also," Mark said to Sarah. Agnus and Charles, who had been teasing each other, stopped abruptly. That was when Mark realized his mistake.

"Shit, sorry Sarah. Oh, crap, sorry Agnus," Mark was terrified. Not only had he called Sarah Jen, he had sworn right in front of Agnus. His perfect night had fallen apart with two sentences.

Sarah just looked at Mark as she handed him the coat. She had such sadness in her eyes. She wasn't angry, she wasn't even upset, she was just very sad.

"I understand, you miss her. I miss her too. It's been a hard two years." Sarah then walked out the side gate of the yard.

"It's ok, Mark, I'll see you in the morning," Agnus said as she got up from her chair.

What had he done?! This was terrible! In the morning he would try to talk to Sarah, maybe tell her about how much he missed Jen. Maybe they could find something to talk about, reminisce about her. That might fix things. Do friend things, that's what he needed to do. Mark put his jacket over his arm and followed Sarah out the gate. As he walked, he could see Sarah a few feet in front of him. She turned at her door and walked up to it.

"Night, Sarah, see you in the morning," Mark said as he passed by.

Sarah turned, and with tears in her eyes, she replied. "Night, Mark."

Mark felt horrible. He had messed everything up. Sarah was crying, and he wasn't quite sure why. Perhaps he had just reminded her of the fact that her youngest sister was dead. Maybe he brought back a lot of painful memories that Sarah was trying to keep bottled up. He needed to fix this. He needed to talk to her tomorrow. He had to fix this!

Mark rose in the morning after tossing and turning for most of the night. He had spent half the night going over his mistake before he finally fell asleep. Agnus had already forgiven him for swearing, but he wasn't sure why Sarah was so upset. He needed to talk to Sarah, explain things, and try to make her feel better.

Mark hurried and threw on some clothes then headed out the door. When he passed Sarah's house, he noticed that it looked calm and peaceful. Maybe she was still sleeping. Sarah always did like to come in to work late. She was constantly being chastised by Roger for her tardiness and sometimes taking time off. As Mark thought this over, he laughed to himself. He had always been so worried that Sarah might get fired. Knowing the truth, that Sarah was really the boss, he felt silly. All the phone calls from Roger had been a clever ruse to keep people from suspecting that she was really the owner and probably off on trips recruiting new Asuune.

Mark's steps quickened as he neared the library. He wanted to see Sarah, get a chance to talk to her again. He could fix this. It was Sarah, she would go back to her joyful, silly self after a few comments about how self-absorbed he could be. When Mark opened the door, Agnus was busy working, and strangely, Charles was there. He was sitting across from her with his feet up on the table reading a novel. Charles wasn't much for historical research, but he did like to read a good book now and then.

"Morning guys," Mark said as he made his way to his office. He thought it was strange to see Agnus and Charles, not in Agnus's office, but maybe they were just trying to get more room. Charles, was after all, a little too large to really stretch out in her office.

"Mark, we need to talk," Agnus started.

"I'm really sorry about last night, I didn't mean to swear. I just felt really stupid calling Sarah Jen," Mark explained.

"That's not what I want to talk to you about," Agnus continued. Mark sat down on a chair near their table. This looked serious. "Sarah left this morning, she had more business she needed to attend to."

Mark's stomach sank. He felt like someone had just pulled the chair out from under him. How could he apologize, explain how much of an idiot he was, if she was gone?

"Will she be coming back soon?" Mark asked, dreading the answer. This was all his fault.

"She didn't really say, something about God had made a mistake, and she needed to fix it," Agnus replied. "I thought this was strange because Sarah knows that God doesn't make mistakes."

Mark stood up and startled Charles, who put down his book quickly.

"What EXACTLY did she say?!" Mark had a bad feeling that he knew what Sarah meant.

"What was it?" Agnus asked herself. "Oh yeah, she said God has made a mistake. I need my father's help to fix it. I can repent for my sins if father helps me. Which I also found strange because our father..."

"And you didn't try to stop her?!" Mark's tone made Agnus and Charles realize that something was horribly wrong.

Mark turned to leave, but Charles had already stepped in his way.

"Don't make me move you!" Mark yelled at Charles. Charles knew that Mark could move him if he wanted to. Size was not the judge of strength for the Asuune, age and bloodline were far more important.

"It's not me you have to get by," Charles said snidely, as he stepped out of the way so Mark could see Agnus's scowling face.

Mark knew he couldn't take Agnus. Agnus was the daughter of Samael and over five hundred years old. The only one that could make Agnus move was Sarah.

"You had better start explaining!" Agnus was furious.

Mark resigned himself to explaining. He wasn't getting by Agnus, and he couldn't trick her into moving either. Sarah hadn't lied about Agnus's intelligence only stretched the truth a little. Agnus was just a smart as Mark, he had to tell her what he knew.

"I think Sarah is going to have her father kill her to pay for her sins," Mark began.

"What?! Why?!" Agnus thought she knew some of what was going on, but needed Mark to say it so she could be sure.

"She thinks she is the mistake. God is punishing her for all those people she killed by making her love a partner that she can't have. I think I pushed her over the edge by reminding her of Jen's death. She feel's guilty that she couldn't stop it. She is going to her father to have him kill her. I love her, I don't care if she has a partner set out for her. I can't just let her kill herself. And I don't care if you tell her and she never talks to me again, I can live with that. I couldn't live with myself if she dies because of something I said." Mark fidgeted hoping that Agnus would move now, but she looked more furious than before.

"You, fucking idiot!" Agnus yelled. Mark couldn't believe what was coming out of Agnus's mouth. "You absolutely have to be the most clueless person I have ever met! IT'S YOU!"

"What?" Mark's urgency fell away.

"She loves you!" Agnus yelled as she walked closer to Mark. "She's known it was you since she showed up at your wedding rehearsal. She has tortured herself beside you every day for the last twenty years because she thought she deserved it for her sins. And you fucking let her think you didn't love her?! She left because she decided that you would never love her!"

Mark stood there, unsure of what to say. This was wonderful and horrible at the same time. Sarah did love him, but she would be dead soon. Mark took a chance, he sprinted at the door and tried to sidestep Agnus, but she took him down like he was a kindergartener. With one quick movement she had him by the chest and against the wall.

"I'm not about to let you go blindly chasing after her only to get you and her both killed!" Agnus turned and then threw Mark across the room. Thankfully he landed in the middle of the floor and didn't damage a single chair, table or even upset a book. Mark was certain Agnus had planned it that way. She wouldn't dare destroy any of these priceless texts, and he wouldn't be forgiven if he had damaged any of them. They were probably more important to her than his life, only Charles could overshadow her passion for these books.

"Here is what you are going to do," Agnus said sternly as she again walked closer to him. "You are going to translate these books like Sarah's life depends on it, and you are going to find a loophole or some kind of holy SOMETHING that can be used against vampires!" Agnus wasn't speaking with the clarity she usually had. She was very upset with Mark, and the anger clouded her judgment as well as her ability to speak. "You ARE going to find something to get my sister out of there. Father won't kill her, not right away, he will torture her. So you think about THAT while you try to find a way to save her. She is in there, being tortured, because you weren't smart enough to figure out that she was talking about you!" Agnus clenched her fists and shook them at Mark. She could barely contain her anger. "GET BUSY!" She yelled, then walked out and slammed the door behind her.

Charles turned to Mark, he was clearly upset, but not as much as Agnus.

"You better fix this, or no one will be able to save you from her. I've never seen her this angry. If Sarah dies, you better run." Charles then followed his wife.

Mark sat there for a second going over everything. He was Sarah's chosen, her partner, her _one_. How was this possible? How had he been so blind that he didn't see it? She was being tortured and probably going to die because of him. He needed to work fast. He couldn't sit around wallowing in self-pity. Sarah needed him to find a way to fight the vampires.

# Chapter 13

Sarah slowly walked up to the large office building. She looked up at it as she stood at the doorway. Her father sat up there somewhere on the higher floors. Every Asuune knew where to find Samael. Her father didn't hide like Sariel, he had no reason to hide. He was an Archangel, or at least he had been before he betrayed God. It would take another Archangel to kill him, and even if they tried, Samael had been known as the angel of death. He was a formidable warrior. Only three of his brothers, Michael, Lucifer or Gabriel could ever hope to defeat him.

Sarah took a deep breath as she opened the doors. This was what she deserved. God had given her a chance to repent for what she had done, and she thought it had worked. Only now did she realize that she needed to do more. She needed to come for judgment and who better than her father, the angel of death, to release her soul for judgement. He would kill her, and then God would decide if she belonged in heaven or hell. She just hoped that she had done enough to repent for her vast sins that God could somehow find a way to forgive her.

She made her way up the first few flights of stairs before she encountered any vampires. The humans at the front desk, and the ones guarding the stairs to her father's office had no idea who she really was, they only knew that she was Samael's daughter. The vampires, on the other hand, hissed at her and one even swung his sword at her throat, stopping just as it touched her skin.

"I'm here for judgement," Sarah said as she raised her chin. It didn't matter who killed her. Her real fate would be decided by God, not by them nor her father.

Hearing this, the vampires all stepped back. They were not about to be the one to explain to Samael how they had killed his unarmed daughter.

At the top of the stairs, Sarah readied herself as she opened the door. This wasn't going to be pleasant. Her father hated all his disobedient children. Samael wasn't in league with The Beast as some of his fallen brothers were, but he detested humans. He thought them weak willed and Godless creatures who didn't deserve his father's love, and he was going to prove it to his father.

Sarah walked across what looked like it had once been a board room. Now it had a blood red carpet that led to a large throne. Sitting on the throne was her father in a business suit. He was a large man, not as large as Charles but at least six foot two. Samael's human form, the one he had been banished to, did him justice. He looked like a warrior, even in human form. His face was hard and leathery, his eyes were silver, cold, and uncaring. His hair was long, down the middle of his back, straight and black.

Sarah fell to her knees with her head bowed as she reached the throne.

"Father, I'm here for judgement. My sins are many. I ask that you make it swift so that I might know God's decision." Sarah said, not raising her eyes even once. She was afraid, very afraid of her father, but the fear she felt for God's decision outweighed this. She didn't want to go to hell, but she was ready to do whatever God wanted. She had given up.

"Ceralin, I never expected to see you again," Samael spat at her.

"I'm ready for judgement," Sarah pleaded again.

"Now why would I give you that release? You have killed many humans. Thousands, I would guess. What makes you think you are worthy to even speak to my father, let alone be judged by him. You were given this curse to show you how unworthy you truly are."

"But father, surely God wishes for us to try and do better. I have done bad things, but I have also done good. I just hope that he will see that my sins are outweighed by the work I have done in his name." Sarah still did not lift her eyes from the floor.

"My duty is to punish pathetic creatures who decide their will is more important than God's. You may get your judgement eventually, but for now, you will pay the price for your arrogance." Samael motioned to one of the guards at a side door in the office. "Take her to a cell." Samael turned back to his prostrated daughter. "You will remain there until father begins judgement day. Only then will you know your judgement, daughter."

"NO! Father, please!" Sarah begged. "Kill me!" Samael just turned his face away from her, disgusted by her weakness.

"What shall we do to her, Samael?" one of the guards asked.

"Teach her the price for her sins," Samael ordered.

Tears fell from Sarah's eyes, she didn't struggle, and she didn't try to escape. She deserved this and much worse for disappointing God.

# Chapter 14

After a few days of trying to escape, Mark finally gave up. No matter where he went either Agnus or Charles was watching him. There was no way he could leave. With some thought and some, not so kind, words from Agnus, Mark finally accepted that what he was trying to do would only end in Sarah's death. They had no way to fight the vampires. They were forbidden from killing.

Two weeks after Sarah had left, Mark was no closer to finding a solution. He began to hate himself for what he had done, but how was he supposed to know that Sarah was talking about him? These thoughts plagued him, and he often found it hard to concentrate. He spent every waking hour, either researching old texts about vampires or training with Charles. Eventually, Mark started training with Agnus. After a long discussion about how it wouldn't help Sarah, Mark rebutted with the fact that he may need to fight the vampires to get Sarah out, so Agnus relented. She taught Mark every fighting style she could think of, and Mark got pretty good at all of them. If it came down to skill and speed Mark could hold his own with Agnus, if somehow Agnus forced him to fight with pure strength, she could still take him.

After one of these training sessions, Mark headed back to the library. It was nearly dark, but Mark had taken to staying at the library until one or two in the morning, then rising at dawn to start it all over again. He couldn't take time to sleep more than was necessary, and he had no time for social interaction. Sarah was being tortured because of him.

Mark grew frustrated and tossed the book across the room. This book had looked promising but ended up being a parable about a vampire who died in God's light. It had no factual basis to back it up, and God's light was not something he could take to Samael's office.

Mark had spent a great deal of time looking over the blueprints for Samael's office. Samael was on the twelfth floor and Sarah, most likely, was on the same floor. It looked like the perfect spot for a prison and Agnus assured Mark that Sarah would be kept in some kind of prison that specialized in torture.

"Another wasted day!" Mark shouted at himself. He had been certain that this book was the one with the answers he needed, but he was sadly disappointed. Then Mark had a thought. God didn't speak to humans anymore, but maybe God could give him a sign. God still did that right? He pondered how to ask for a sign then gave up when he decided that God wouldn't give a sign to an Asuune, he was only partially human. Maybe he just needed time to think.

Mark reached over and turned on the radio. It was on Katie's favorite station still, and Mark thought maybe the quiet conversation about God might help him relax. Sometimes he had his best inspiration when he wasn't actively thinking about the task at hand.

The radio host was in the middle of taking calls from listeners. The woman who had just finished had a question about forgiving her husband, who had cheated on her forty years ago. The host gave the woman some advice that seemed to placate her, and she thanked him before hanging up. The next man had a more serious religious question, and it caught Mark's attention.

"This is Anthony, your host. What's your name, and how can I help you today?" Anthony said in a calm, fatherly voice.

"My name is Burt, and I have a question about the Ten Commandments." Burt said in an apprehensive voice.

"What's your question, Burt?" Anthony asked kindly.

"Recently I was home with my wife and ten-month old son. We were having a nice dinner when a man came to the door. He said he was there to fix my dishwasher, which was on the fritz. I thought it was strange because, even though we had called a repairman, it was seven o'clock at night." Burt began.

"I'm with you so far, Burt. Keep going." Anthony really was a good listener, he knew exactly what to say and how to phrase it to keep information coming in.

"Well, the man pulled a gun and held it to my wife's head. He told me to get all the money I had, and he would let us live." Burt continued.

"I'm so sorry, Burt, that must have been horrible," Anthony chimed in.

"Yes, it was. As soon as I gave him all the cash and whatever my wife had in her purse, he started to act strange. I could see from the look on his face that he was going to kill us. I told him that I would give him my pin number to my credit card and he could take out nearly five thousand dollars if he just left now, but he started sweating and shaking. He told us he couldn't let us live, we had seen his face. He pointed the gun at me, and I reacted. My wife got knocked to the floor, and I ended up on top of the man. We struggled for the gun, and it went off. It hit him in the head, and he died immediately. People have praised my quick thinking and bravery for attacking the man before he could kill us, but my question is. Why do I feel so guilty? How does God feel about breaking this commandment? Am I going to hell?" Burt trailed off, but Anthony was quick to respond.

"Give me a second here Burt, there is a passage in the bible that I think can answer your question. But first, let me say that it is natural to feel this way. You took a man's life. You can never give that back. This doesn't mean that you made the wrong choice. It is never a good idea to let bad things happen. Think of the parable Jesus told about the Good Samaritan. All those people, good, holy people passed that poor man by. It was the least likely of people that helped the poor man, and Jesus admired him for it. This doesn't exactly address your issue, but there are many more instances of God telling us that doing nothing is the same a sin." Anthony paused for a moment, then returned. "Yes, my assistant has found the verse that more closely addresses your situation. Let me read it to you."

"Exodus 22:2-3 2 If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed. If the sun has risen on him, there shall be guilt for his bloodshed. Now this to me means that it's acceptable to defend yourself and your family, but seeking retribution afterward is a sin. Now listen carefully the sixth commandment says thou shalt, not murder and murder is defined as the premeditated act of taking another person's life. This means that it's ok to defend yourself with deadly force if necessary and God will forgive you but by no means take this death lightly. Every life is precious. This is Anthony..."

Mark's concentration dwindled, and he started thinking about what the host had said. Mark jumped from his chair and nearly knocked it over. He sprinted to Agnus's house. Nearly out of breath, he knocked on the door. It took a few minutes for Agnus to come to the door

"What is it, Mark?" Agnus asked sleepily from the doorway as she opened it. Mark hadn't realized it, but it was nearly eleven at night.

"I found it! I know how we can fight back!" Mark shouted. Charles could be heard upstairs, his large frame walking across the floor and down the steps.

"What?" Agnus asked, confused.

"In the original text of the first bible. What does the sixth commandment say, exactly?" Mark asked, excited.

"The sixth? Um...thou shalt not murder," Agnus replied.

"EXACTLY! Thou shalt not _murder_ ," Mark said, sure of himself.

"So?" Agnus asked. Charles had made his way down the steps now.

"What's up, Mark?" Charles asked sleepy-eyed.

"We can't kill the vampires, but we can defend ourselves, with deadly force if necessary," Mark said to Charles.

Agnus stood there deep in thought. Mark had a point. The newer translations of the bible say 'Thou shalt not kill' but the older, original texts say 'Thou shalt not murder".

"But if you go there intending to kill them, is that murder?" Agnus asked.

"I'm not going there to kill them. I'm going there to free Sarah. I will give them a chance. I won't be the first to draw my blade, but if they attack me, I will defend myself. It's their choice in the end." Mark could barely contain himself.

"Ok, Mark, in the morning we will get some supplies, and the three of us will head to Samael's office. If they don't attack us, we'll leave them alone and walk out of there with Sarah." Agnus rubbed her eyes as she spoke.

"Good work, man," Charles added.

"Night," Mark said as he tried to walk calmly to his house. As soon as the door to Agnus's house was shut, Mark took off in a sprint again. He rushed into his house and shoved a few days clothing and some food into a backpack and then headed out. This was his mess, he wasn't going to risk Agnus and Charles to clean up his mess.

Mark's sprinting turned to jogging after a while, then walking as he got far away from town. He wasn't a superhero, he did get tired, he just needed to hit the next town and catch a bus or something before anyone realized he was missing. As Mark walked along the road, the next town's lights shining ahead of him, he looked up at the sky.

"Thank you. I hoped you were listening," Mark said with reverence.

# Chapter 15

Mark spent two days switching buses and waiting at bus stops before he finally arrived at the city where Samael's office was. This city was twice the size of the one Mark used to call home, but finding Samael's office was easy. Samael was in the tallest building in the city, it could be seen for miles, Stallion Entertainment. This company specialized in streaming movies. Mark wondered, as he walked along the busy streets leading to the office, did Samael use this company to further his goals? Samael wanted to prove to his father that humans were worthless creatures. Did he somehow use his powerful media company to this end? What a perfect way for an angel to show his father how easily corruptible humans are.

When Mark finally got close enough to the building, he saw the giant logo out front. The Stallion Entertainment logo was of a beige horse with a flowing white mane. The thing must have been thirty feet high, and the doors to the entrance were right below it. Mark wasn't sure how he was going to handle this. He needed to confront Samael. He could beat him. It was for Sarah, he had to at least try.

Mark walked under the large pale horse and into the lobby. There were many people milling around, security guards, executives, and other people. None of them were vampires, they all smelled human, quite a few of them very dirty, but very human. Mark made his way to the front desk and a nice younger woman, who didn't smell half as bad as the rest of them, asked if she could help him.

"I'd like to speak with Mr...." Suddenly Mark realized he didn't know if Samael even had a last name. Maybe it was Stallion? The company had to have gotten its name from somewhere. He decided to play it safe. "Samael. I'd like to speak with Samael."

"Mr. Samael is booked for the next few weeks. If you like I can take a message and he will squeeze you in if he can find the time?" the kind woman asked.

Mark couldn't risk hurting all these innocent humans, and it would be his fault if any of them died. Mark doubted God would forgive that.

"Yes, please tell him that Mark Albet was here to see him, concerning his daughter," Mark replied.

"Yes, sir. Someone will call you tomorrow and let you know the date of your appointment. Would you like to leave a number you can be reached at?" the kind woman asked.

"No, I'll stop by again tomorrow and find out then, thanks," Mark replied, then before the woman could say anything else, he was on his way out the door.

He wasn't waiting until tomorrow. At night this place would be empty, at least empty of humans. The few humans that might be in the building he could knock out or something. It wasn't a great plan, but it was his only plan. Mark just needed somewhere close by to stay until it looked like all the humans had left. Mark found a park only a block from Stallion Entertainment and set up on one of the benches that had a good view of the lobby. As Mark sat there, he went over his stupid plan. He would walk in and announce that anyone who wanted to could leave and hopefully several of them would take him up on it. This would leave less vampires to kill, and hopefully he could reach Samael before long.

Mark also thought about Sarah, how he missed her. Would he ever get her back? This was all his fault. If he had just told her, not been so afraid of her reaction. This could have all been avoided if he hadn't been so afraid of losing her. Before long Mark fell asleep. It had been a long trip with little time to rest. Mark only woke up when a man walked by and threw some money at him.

"It's time for you to embrace your calling, quit hiding," the man said as he passed by.

Mark turned and looked, but the man was gone. Had the man actually been there? Was he dreaming? Mark wasn't sure what was going on. Then he noticed the bright neon clock on the corner. It was after midnight! Mark shot up from the bench and jogged his way to the front of Stallion Entertainment. When he reached the door, he found that it was locked. He hadn't thought of that. How was he going to get in without setting off the alarms and having hundreds of vampires on him in seconds? Mark looked around, stared at the desk the nice young woman was at, and he could see what looked like an alarm console. If he broke the lock and quickly shut off the alarm maybe no one would notice? He could be at the back steps and upstairs before the cops arrived. Maybe they would think the burglar took off? It was about as good as his first plan, so Mark figured, why not?

Mark pushed against the door to test its strength. The metal bolt between the doors might snap with enough pressure, this wouldn't make half as much noise as the glass breaking. Mark pushed on the doors again, and the bolt snapped. Mark couldn't hear any alarm, but the light on the console was now flashing. He zipped to the desk and jumped over it with ease. Quickly he searched all the knobs and buttons trying to figure out which one would shut it off. It was no use, the alarm had a keypad to enter a code. Mark punched the box, and the light went off. Hopefully, that meant the alarm went off as well. Mark had no time, if the alarm was still on, it was still on. This was his one shot, if he messed this up, they would move Sarah or kill her. Mark ran to the door that said 'Stairs' and pushed the door open. The stench was nearly unbearable, it almost knocked him off his feet. Then he saw two vampires running down the stairs to meet him.

"My name is Mark Albet, I don't want to kill you! Just leave, and I'll let you live! I'm just here to get Sarah!" Mark yelled up the steps, but the vampires kept running at him with swords in their hands.

Mark pulled the sword from his backpack, it wasn't very long, he wasn't even sure he could consider it a sword, but it was all he had. The vampires reached him, and Mark parried their blades with his. One of the vampires hit Mark in the leg.

"You're not even gonna make it up the steps, stupid Asuune. You can't kill," the vampire pulled his sword back and Mark spun his own. The vampires head fell off and hit the floor. The second vampire stood in front of Mark, with terror in his eyes. He dropped his sword then ran by Mark and out the door.

"Well, that didn't go as well as I thought, but I'm in," Mark said to himself. Slowly and cautiously, Mark made his way up the steps. Along the way, he had to kill four more vampires, letting the two semi-intelligent ones leave unscathed.

When Mark eventually reached the top, he opened the door slowly and soon saw Sarah. Two vampires were holding her arms and the man he assumed was Samael was sitting on a throne at the end of a very long red carpet.

"My name is Mark Albet, I'm only here for Sarah. Let me have her and I won't kill you," Mark said shakily. This was a real angel in front of him, not a vampire. He wasn't sure what powers the angel had, but he had to be strong. Sarah didn't struggle, she just looked at Mark with sadness in her eyes.

Samael laughed. "I see you found the loophole." Samael motioned to the blood on Mark's clothes.

"Yes, I can defend myself. It's not murder," Mark spat back. His courage was growing.

"Father, please don't hurt him. I'll do whatever you want," Sarah begged weakly.

"I've grown tired of your indifference to torture. I think I know a punishment that might get your attention," Samael said as he stood up from his throne and took off his suit jacket.

It was then that Mark noticed the shape Sarah was in. Her clothes had been burned and cut along with her body. She had several wounds that were not healing very quickly. There was blood running down from her forehead, and her feet looked blistered. He had caused this, he had done this to her. How could he ever make up for this? Sarah would surely hate him, but it didn't matter. At least he could stop it if he could just beat Samael. Forgiveness was not his objective, he just wanted to save Sarah.

"So...Mark...you think that because you can fight vampires that you can fight one of God's first children?" Samael said as he rolled up the sleeves on his dress shirt and made his way toward Mark.

Samael backhanded Mark, and he flew across the room before crashing into the wall. It hurt, it hurt a lot. He was not going to win this, but he had to try. Even if he died, it would be better than letting Sarah down again. Mark got to his feet and wiped the blood from his mouth.

"You'll have to kill me before I give up. I'll fight until my last breath. Now let her go!" Mark yelled. He was less sure of himself, but he needed to show Samael that he was serious.

"She came here of her own free will. I didn't kidnap her. She was not forced to endure this torture. She chose it." Samael quickly crossed the room and picked Mark up by the throat. "You think you even have a chance? Leave while you can still walk out." Samael threw Mark across the room again, and he smashed into the wall on the other side.

Mark was sure he had broken something this time, a few ribs, collar bone, maybe even his arm. Again Mark stood up.

"Is that all you've got?" Mark asked as he swayed. He wasn't going to win, but he couldn't give up. Samael might kill him, in fact, Mark was quite sure that Samael was going to kill him, but it didn't matter. He would not let Sarah down ever again.

"I see what Sarah sees in you. If only my own children had this kind of conviction. But you are still a pathetic human. You will all betray my father in the end." Samael walked over to the throne casually and removed a sword from it. The blade of the three-foot long sword caught fire immediately and lit up the room. "This is your lucky day, Sarah. After I kill this one, I'll give you the judgment you seek. Killing him will bring you more torture than I could ever hope to inflict. Take her to her cell. I'll be there shortly," Samael ordered the guards.

The two guards struggled to contain Sarah, and even in her weakened state, they could barely force her out of the room. "No, Father, Please! I'll do anything!" The door slammed shut, and Sarah's screams went silent.

"You see, boy, angels can only be killed with an angel's blade." Samael held the blade up and stared at the dancing flames. "No human can touch it. If any human were to try, their body would be consumed."

Samael walked toward Mark with malice in his eyes. Mark stood his ground. If he was going to die, dying for Sarah was a very good reason. Samael lifted the sword then swung at his neck. The blade stopped just inches from his throat, and Mark could feel the holy fire singeing his hair.

"You need to leave." Samael grabbed Mark by the shirt and threw him at the door. "My daughter needs to suffer, and as bad as killing you would be. You abandoning her would be much worse." Samael thrust his sword into the floor in front of his throne then sat down. The flames of the sword went out as soon as Samael released it.

"I'll never leave!" Mark spat back as he tried to get to his feet again. This time he knew for certain, his left arm was numb, and it was broken. Mark used the sword with is right hand to lift himself up and stumbled his way across the red carpet. He wasn't sure how he was still standing. The only bones that didn't hurt were the ones in his right arm. Sarah was worth it, he could not give up.

"What are you going to do? I can sit here for eternity. You can't even hurt me. Soon I'll tire of your voice and have some of my vampires haul you down to the street. I want you to suffer, as well. I want you to know that you could do nothing and Sarah will die knowing you left her."

Mark's anger rose, if Samael wasn't going to kill him, he would kill himself trying to fight. Mark reached for Samael's blade and grabbed the handle. The pain Mark felt all over his body was unimaginable. He felt like every cell in his body was going to explode, then a calm washed over him, and he lifted the blade from the floor. Flames shot out from the sword, and Mark thrust it into Samael's shoulder.

"How?!" Samael yelled.

"I am Mark Albet, son of Michael! God is on my side!" Mark announced.

"Michael would never disobey father! You can't be his son!" Samael screamed.

"Exactly, he would never disobey God! Which means God told him to make a Nephilim!" Mark pulled the sword out of Samael's shoulder and held it back, ready to strike again, this time aiming for his neck.

Samael backhanded Mark, and he flew across the room like a rag doll, hitting yet another wall. Mark pulled himself off the floor with a great deal of effort and realized that he had let go of the sword. Samael bent down and picked up the sword then tossed it aside.

Mark's mind suddenly put all the pieces together like a giant puzzle, as Samael approached him for another assault.

"The Beast used you. He used your arrogance to hurt your father." Mark said as he teetered on uneasy legs. Mark felt like he might pass out, that last collision with the wall had broken more bones. Mark didn't know how much more he could take.

"I have never followed The Beast. How dare you?!" Samael's said angrily.

Mark looked over at the wall, at the company logo.

"I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine, and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth." Mark said in a preacher's voice.

"Don't assume to teach me my father's words, boy," Samael said. "I am the forth horseman. I did what I had to. I needed to prove that humans were worthless."

"I don't understand. Why didn't you just ask for forgiveness? Your father is God." Mark stood in front of Samael, looking disappointed in the angel. He tried not to sway, but his body wasn't cooperating.

"I was full of vanity and hatred. The Beast used my failings to hurt my father." Samael put his hand to his head. "I can never go home!"

"God saw this coming. He knew you would betray him. Yet, he still loved you. Ask for forgiveness." Mark demanded.

"Father, please forgive me. My vanity and weakness have led me down this path. Please give me a chance to redeem myself." Samael pleaded, then a strange peace came over his face.

"Before I return home, I feel I owe you a debt. I repay my debts," Samael said with respect. "I have never met a human quite like you before. If one human can see God's light, maybe I was wrong."

"What about your daughter?!" Mark was angry. If Samael could see it in him, why could he not see it in his own daughter? Sarah was one thousand times more devoted than he was.

"Sometimes hatred makes even an angel blind to the truth. Ceralin has paid more than most for her sins. She deserves happiness." Samael walked closer to Mark. "Now for my debt. The story of Revelations was not only a prophecy. Father gave that human a vision of the past as well, but he did not understand it as such. The horseman have been on earth for as long as man, I was the first. My three brothers came after. Azazel the horseman of war, Asmodeus the horseman of conquest and Abaddon the horseman of famine and pestilence. They are also known as The Angel of Death in many cultures. One of them will attempt to take my place and finish The Beast's work. I kept them at bay because I didn't want the apocalypse, I merely wanted to show my father the true nature of humankind. I was wrong about humans, they do have the capacity to love my father. If I had opened my eyes to my daughter sooner, I would not have suffered so long, but that is my failing, not hers. Make her happy, she deserves that at least." Samael looked up to the sky then vanished, Mark looked for the sword, but it had also vanished.

Mark fell to the floor. His determination and the adrenaline were the only things keeping him standing. Without these, his body began to fail. He got up and tried to take a few steps toward the door Sarah had been taken through, but he was too weak. He saw the room sway, and soon everything went black.

# Chapter 16

Mark woke in his own bed back in the small town he called home. He wasn't sure how he had gotten there, but it must have been Agnus. He slowly lifted himself from his bed. His wounds still hurt. The bones had mended, but the pain was still there. He walked carefully down the steps, found some shoes, put them on, and walked out the door toward the library. Agnus must be in the library. It looked like it was after noon, and her house looked empty.

When Mark opened the door to the library, he was greeted with the sight of Agnus and Charles speaking quietly to each other. His head pounded and he couldn't quite make out what they were saying. When they noticed him, they quit speaking and helped him to a chair.

"Where's Sarah?" Mark asked.

Agnus looked at Charles, and Charles spoke.

"When we got there, you were unconscious on the floor of Samael's office, and Samael was gone..." Charles paused, not wanting to tell Mark the rest.

No, it couldn't be, was Sarah dead? The pause from Charles sent shivers up Mark's spine. He would never get to tell her the truth, that he did love her.

Agnus took over, realizing that her teddy bear of a husband wasn't cut out to give people bad news.

"When we went to the cells, Sarah was gone." Agnus looked down. "I'm sorry, Mark, we couldn't find her."

At least she wasn't dead. Maybe she escaped? She might be on her way here right now. Then another thought came to mind.

"Aren't I supposed to be some chosen savior of humanity? I couldn't beat Samael. I had to out think him. I used his own guilt to make him repent in the end." Mark didn't understand, he thought he was supposed to be like a super warrior for God or something.

"I think you are misunderstanding your role in this," Agnus said as she walked over to one of the shelves containing hundreds of books. She searched through a few until she found the one she was looking for.

"And the offspring of Michael shall teach God's chosen warrior." Agnus read. "This word right here has many meanings, it can mean teach, assist, train, make. In this context, it means teach." Agnus pointed at the ancient word. Mark didn't recognize the word, but he did know the process of contextualizing the ancient languages. Agnus had shown him this so there would be no confusion.

"So, I'm a teacher?" Mark was at a loss. He thought he would be 'God's chosen warrior'. He couldn't save Sarah, and he couldn't save the Asuune. He was little more than a mentor to the real chosen warrior.

Agnus looked down at Mark. She felt sorry for him.

"Don't worry, we'll find Sarah. You are important. You are just not a warrior," Agnus said, putting her hand on his shoulder. Mark winced from the pain. He sure wasn't a holy warrior, he hurt all over.

Mark spent the next five years searching for Sarah. She seemed to have disappeared. He moved himself out of the settlement after a month. He couldn't take the looks of pity and disappointment any longer. He had failed to save Sarah, and everyone knew it. Eventually, he found a small parish that needed a preacher. He found comfort in teaching others about God, that's what he was made to do, be a teacher. During his off hours, he searched for Sarah, trying to piece together any clues that might lead him to her.

# Chapter 17

"That's my story," Mark said, looking into Katie's eyes. "I hope you're not upset about Sarah. I still love your mother. It's just..."

"Now why would I be mad about Aunt Sarah? I've known there was something between you since I was twelve. Mom and I used to joke about it even. You could have left out the sex parts though. That was a little weird," Katie interrupted.

"Your mother knew?! And there were no sex parts, well not really. I just wanted you to know how much I care for Sarah, just like I did your mother. I guess I did get a little too descriptive. I just get carried away sometimes." Mark was embarrassed and guilt-ridden.

"Oh yes, she used to always joke about you having two wives. She said you had a house wife and an office wife. She felt bad for Sarah because the house wife gets all the perks." Katie laughed.

"But..." Mark didn't know what to say.

"Dad, I think you and Sarah were the only two people in the whole world that didn't know," Katie added.

"So, I guess it's time to choose," Mark said bleakly.

"I think I'm going to go back to my normal life, at least for a while," Katie said, and Mark's face fell. He wanted to know his daughter, but he understood. This life was not for everyone.

"Let me walk you out," Mark said. He was not going to try and convince Katie to stay. It was her choice. This life was dangerous, and it took effort to keep going, especially when the Asuune lost at every turn.

"I'll help look for Sarah though," Katie said with an upbeat tone.

"That could be dangerous," Mark argued.

"I'm an FBI agent. I'll be fine. And I think I finally found just the right church for me." Katie smiled at her father.

"I wouldn't mind seeing you once in a while," Mark replied. "But we are quite a ways from your house."

"I'll transfer. There is an agency office here too." Sarah put her arm in her Dad's as they walked toward the door.

Mark stopped suddenly, the stench of a vampire came rushing into the room.

"They've found you!" Mark exclaimed, but Katie wasn't scared. Her father was right there, he could protect her.

Mark pulled the short blade from behind his back and readied himself. Slowly the door opened, and Mark lowered his blade, he was ready to fight, but this vampire was weak, Mark could tell.

"Lord Sariel requests your presence. He is currently in his father's office waiting for you. He has Sarah and would like to make a deal for your daughter. He won't hurt her. He just wants to talk to her. Share his side of things. Sarah will be released if you agree. If you fail to show up, her life is forfeit." The weak vampire walked closer to Mark to hear his response. The evil grin on his face made Katie's skin crawl. Without warning, Katie grabbed the blade from Mark's hand. Mark watched in awe as Katie looked like some mixture of a ballerina and a martial artist. With one swift upward motion, Katie removed the vampires head and stood beside his body as it fell to the ground.

"I've changed my mind. Turn me!" Katie exclaimed forcefully.

"But..." Mark was again, speechless.

"They have my soon to be step-mom slash aunt. I'm not gonna let them kill her." Katie rolled up her sleeve and held out her arm. "Turn me!" Katie had such conviction that Mark couldn't refuse.

Mark bit down on her arm, and Katie winced in pain.

"It's going to take you a few days to gain any kind of strength. You better head home. I'll deal with this," Mark commanded.

"Yeah, right. If Sariel is as strong as you made him out to be, you're gonna need all the help you can get." Katie looked up at the pulpit. "I just need to do something first."

Katie walked along the pews and up to the pulpit, where she knelt down.

"God, this is Kathrine Albet. I freely give my mortal life in your service and promise to do your work as long as you see fit. Please give me the strength to help Sarah." Katie looked up at the ceiling with her hands folded in her lap.

Mark blinked his eyes, did he just see his Katie glow? Maybe it was the lighting? When Katie turned around, it was clear that he wasn't imagining it. Katie's eyes were glowing with the same yellow light, and as she smiled her fangs descended slowly. Her fangs looked much larger than Sarah's. Sarah's looked like snake's fangs while Katie's were more like a cat or dog, huge! Also, smaller fangs began to emerge from her bottom teeth as well. Now she looked nothing like Sarah.

"I think Agnus got the translation wrong," Katie said. She looked both menacing and comforting at the same time. With her enormous new fangs, she looked like a lioness ready to devour anyone that got in her way. "I think the word meant create."

Mark could barely believe what was happening. Katie was God's chosen. He and Jen had _created_ God's servant.

"Are you just gonna stand there all day?" Katie asked slyly. "I have a step-mom to save."

Katie rushed out the door, and Mark hurried to follow her.

# Chapter 18

Katie and Mark walked up to the Stallion Entertainment building carefully. It didn't look like anyone was there. The door was wide open, the glass shattered, and the lobby was completely empty. It was after midnight, so all the human employees were at home in bed, but they expected some kind of greeting party to be waiting for them.

"This feels wrong," Mark said nervously.

"Of course, it feels wrong. They want you to trade your daughter for your lover," Katie said matter-of-factly. "How is any of this _right_?"

Mark realized that Katie had spent a lot of time with Sarah and Jen as a kid. She sounded just like them. Always with the witty responses and sarcasm. She was her mother's daughter. Katie even had Jen's figure, she had more chest than her mother, and she was a little more filled out, but she looked like a fuller Jen with darker hair.

"You remind me of your mother so much." Mark couldn't help it, the words just came spilling out.

"Glad you noticed. Now can we get my new step-mom and get the hell out of here?" Katie replied.

Mark took the lead and headed for the stairs. When he opened the door, the same smell from last time assaulted his nose.

"Oh, damn! That reeks!" Katie exclaimed.

"You can smell them too?" Mark asked hopefully.

"Yep, and your description didn't do it justice. Oh, that's bad, that's really, really bad." Katie tried to cover her nose, but it didn't help.

"You get used to it after a while, but it still smells horrible," Mark grinned at his daughter with pride. She was just like him. Ok, she was much better than he was, but God's chosen was _his_ daughter.

"Lead the way," Katie said with her hand still over her nose. She sounded silly, but this was no time for jokes, at least that's what Mark thought.

"So how many of these stinky bastards do you think are up there?" Katie asked, still holding her nose and sounding silly.

"Probably quite a few. I guess Sariel doesn't do anything small. Or so I'm told," Mark explained quickly. The truth was, that was about all he knew about Sariel, other than he was incredibly strong and very evil.

"Well I picked up a few things from my car, hopefully I can get a sword from one of them," Katie said, pulling a titanium baton from her pocket right before she extended it. The sound made Mark jump, and Katie laughed. "We got this."

"I hope so. I've been looking for a long time. I really hope she's up there," Mark sounded depressed, and Katie knew why.

"Don't worry, we got this," Katie said again and put her hand on her dad's shoulder.

They had reached the twelfth floor. It was time to find out what they were up against. Mark opened the door and slowly walked in with Katie behind him.

Sariel sat on his father's throne with twenty vampires around it. Sarah was unconscious on the floor in front of him. She looked just like Mark had described to Katie. Sariel had clearly decided to torture Sarah as well.

"What's with the torturing Sarah thing? Is it some kind of theme?" Katie asked, her strange sense of humor put Sariel a little off guard for a second.

"You must be Katie. I recognize that stupid attempt at humor from your mother and your aunt. We have a lot to discuss." Sariel sat, playing with a dagger. He would stab his finger then watch as the wound healed.

"Ok, that's kinda creepy, dude," Katie quipped.

"What is with all the women in your life? Do they all make these stupid remarks? Is it something about you? Do you bring this out in them?" Sariel was looking at Mark now.

Mark wasn't sure how to respond. He didn't know Sariel, but Sariel sure seemed to know him.

"Speechless? Yeah, I would be too. Face to face with someone as powerful as me. It might be daunting." Sariel smiled evilly. "But enough of the pleasantries."

"That wasn't pleasant," Katie replied.

"Fine, whatever." Sariel was clearly getting annoyed with Katie's wisecracks. "You can take Sarah, and Katie will stay with me to talk. No one will harm any one of you. You have my word." Sariel lifted his right hand as if his word meant something to them.

"It's ok, dad. Take Sarah somewhere safe," Katie said, looking at her father with kindness.

"I can't just leave you alone with him," Mark objected.

Katie turned so that Sariel couldn't see her face. Her eyes lit up golden once again.

"I'm never alone," Katie said. "Take Sarah, or this is all for nothing."

Mark didn't want to leave, but he also wasn't going to stand there arguing with Katie. Katie was as stubborn as her mother, he wasn't going to win this argument.

"I'll be back," Mark said as she walked by Katie.

"I'll be done by then," Katie smirked.

Mark cautiously walked toward Sarah, and Katie walked behind him. If Sariel tried anything, Katie would remove his head before anyone could stop her. She would even use his own dagger to do it. She was certain of her abilities, maybe a little too certain.

"See, I'm a man of my word. You can take Sarah and go. Katie will stay and talk, nothing more." Sariel said.

"We'll see about that," Katie said with a grin.

Mark picked up Sarah, she was very weak. He could barely hear her breathe. What had they done to her? Mark's anger grew, and Sariel could see it on his face.

"No, that wasn't our deal. You take Sarah and go. I talk with Katie. If you stay and fight, I'll make sure Sarah is the first to die." Sariel was serious. Every vampire in that room must have been instructed to kill Sarah first, they all had swords, and they were all looking at Sarah.

"Fine," Mark said through gritted teeth. "Be careful, Katie, he's lying about something."

"I'll be fine, dad. Take Sarah and go. I want to hear what uncle Sariel has to say," Katie said, staring at Sariel. "And if anything happens to my dad or Sarah. You will be the first to die." Katie pointed at Sariel with her baton.

"That's fair," Sariel replied. He wasn't worried. He doubted a newly turned Asuune would be much of a threat.

When Mark and Sarah were out the door, and it was shut behind them, Sariel slowly sat back down on the throne. He seemed to be waiting for something, then Katie realized what it was. She could hear her dad walking down the stairs. As soon as he shut the door to the stairwell Sariel spoke.

"Take her," Sariel commanded.

One vampire rushed her, a younger-looking man, he looked about her age. For a second she thought he was kinda cute, a strange thought to have about a vampire, but she couldn't help it. Something in his eyes, something about the way he moved, she was almost hypnotized by this man. He grabbed her arms but looked very unsure if he really wanted to harm her. Up until the moment he touched her, he looked confused, but the second his hands touched her arms, he looked calm.

"What's your name?" Katie asked calmly.

"Paul," the man said with a smile. He wasn't scared, he seemed more nervous, like a boy asking his first girl to dance. There was something about this man that Katie couldn't put into words, and he was gorgeous.

"Paul, I noticed that you don't STINK like the rest of them," Katie said spitefully as she looked around the room. She had the sudden urge to kiss this man. Not a kiss on the cheek, she had an uncontrollable desire to _really_ kiss him. Somehow, in the back of her mind, she knew that it wouldn't stop at a kiss either. She had never wanted a man so much in her entire life.

Paul didn't say a word. He just stared into Katie's eyes, as hypnotized as she was.

"I give you a choice, let go of my arms, walk out the door and don't come back. I'll let you live," Katie said with anger as she looked around the room again. She needed to quit looking into those deep blue eyes. Was this some kind of hypnosis? Her dad hadn't said anything about vampires having powers. In fact, he said most of the myths about vampires were just that, myths. Then she found herself fantasizing about running her hands through his long blond hair as she kissed him deeply. She needed to quit thinking like this.

Paul stood there for a second, just as mesmerized as Katie, then he released her arms and casually walked out of the room.

"This is your mess, Sariel, you clean it up," Paul said with a smirk as he shut the door.

One of the vampires took off to chase him, so Katie cracked him in the throat with the baton as he went by. The vampire grasped his throat, unable to breathe, and Katie smiled at Sariel.

"I said he could leave!" Katie's voice was commanding.

"Fine, all of you, get her," Sariel sounded bored.

All the remaining vampires circled around Katie.

"How many of you will die before you capture me?" Katie proclaimed.

Some of the vampires looked afraid. One of the frightened vampires thrust out his sword, trying to catch her off guard. Katie quickly turned the sword and removed it from his grip.

"Thanks, was hoping I could count on one of you fine gentlemen to give me a sword," Katie teased.

"Just stab her, knock her out, something. Just don't kill her." Sariel commanded, he was more annoyed now.

Three vampires charged her with their swords out. Katie parried the first, then the second, the third caught her right side just above her hip. With a smooth motion, she removed the vampires head, and the rest of the vampires took a step back.

"This will be your last warning!" Katie yelled. "My name is Kathrine Albet, Daughter of Mark, the Son of Michael. Leave now, and I won't even hunt you down. I only want to kill Sariel tonight. He's just using you for cannon fodder."

The vampires all looked at each other, dumbfounded.

Katie saw her chance. She ran at Sariel, the vampires in front of her raised their swords, so she slid underneath them. She got to her feet at the end of the throne and crossed the baton and the sword she had stolen on Sariel's neck.

"Don't move. Tell them to leave." Katie commanded.

"You can't kill me. I have never taken a human life." Sariel smiled with self-satisfaction. He was safe. "And don't you think that name is a little long? Why not go with something shorter like Kate?"

"The rules have changed. You have murdered Nephilim and Asuune, even vampires. You are a demon walking the earth, and you smell like sin, Paul did not!" Katie shouted then she removed Sariel's head. Katie turned around to look at the rest of the vampires. "And I like Kathrine!"

All the rest of the vampires slowly backed up, nearly stumbling over each other then they all turned and ran for the door.

"And don't come back!" Kathrine yelled after them, then she fell to one knee. The vampire had cut her deeper than she thought. She looked down at the gaping wound and saw all the blood. He must have hit her liver. She was bleeding badly. The room started to get fuzzy, then she heard someone behind her. With all her remaining strength, she spun and at the last second stopped her sword at Paul's neck.

"I told you to leave," Kathrine said weakly as she collapsed again. Paul caught her before she hit the ground.

"I couldn't leave. There's something about you. I can't quite explain it," Paul said, but Kathrine wasn't listening, she was unconscious. She had lost a lot of blood. Paul quickly ran down the stairs and tried to find Mark. After a few blocks, he finally caught up to Mark and Sarah. Mark had made it to Kathrine's car and put Sarah in the back seat. He pulled out his blade when he saw Paul running up with Kathrine.

"What did you do?!" Mark yelled as he charged Paul.

"I saved her," Paul said as he sat Kathrine down on the ground then turned and calmly walked away.

Mark forgot about the man and quickly snatched up his daughter. He put her in the passenger seat then took off for the settlement. Agnus could help. A normal hospital would have no idea how to treat two injured Asuune.

# Chapter 19

Mark woke the morning after he had gotten them all back to the settlement. He had taken Sarah and Katie to Agnus who had treated them. Agnus said it might be a few hours for them to recover, so Mark headed home and went to bed. He himself still had to heal from Kathrine shooting him in the chest. It wasn't a serious wound, and he played it off as nothing so he could talk to his daughter, but he had lost a good deal of blood from it. Overnight the wound had healed, and he was feeling much better. He got some clean clothes and headed to Sarah's house. Agnus had insisted that Kathrine and Sarah stay there so that Agnus could keep an eye on them while Mark went home to rest.

Mark was not worried about their health anymore, Agnus would have Kathrine and Sarah back to normal in no time. He was worried about his talk with Sarah. This was going to be one of those talks that defined his future. If he could just convince Sarah that he was an idiot and had no idea, maybe she would forgive him. She might have changed her mind about loving him over the last five years, but maybe he could still be in her life.

Mark walked the short distance between his house and Sarah's, it seemed like miles. He was going over every word he might say. Maybe Sarah might hit him? He would deserve that. As long as she didn't leave again. It may take years, but he could make it up to her. He would be content being her errand boy, lackey, anything at this point.

Mark nervously knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Sarah's voice sounded annoyed. She knew who it was.

"Mark. Can I come in? I want to talk," Mark replied awkwardly.

"Go away," Sarah replied. She didn't sound angry, but she did sound upset.

"Can I come in for a minute? I just want to explain some things," Mark pressed.

"Fine, I guess I do have your daughter in here. I can't keep you from seeing her," Sarah conceded.

"Thank you," Mark said as he opened the door.

Sarah was still in the same ratty, beat up and burned clothing she had worn when he brought her back. Kathrine woke when she heard her father's voice. The bandage on her right side looked new, Agnus must have changed it in the middle of the night.

"Are you two ok?" Mark asked. He knew what he wanted to say to Sarah, but Kathrine was here.

"I'm good," they both replied nearly at the same time, though Sarah's was spiteful and Kathrine's was cheery.

"That's good," Mark said nervously then sat in the chair beside Kathrine.

"Oh, geez guys. Are you in grade school?" Kathrine blurted out.

Mark and Sarah both looked at each other.

"Fine, I'm gonna go see our new home. You two grow some balls and talk to each other. I mean geez, it can't be that hard to talk to each other. You were best friends for my whole life," Kathrine said as she made her way toward Sarah.

"Glad you're back, Aunt Sarah," Kathrine said as she kissed Sarah on the cheek.

"Glad you're back too, Katie," Sarah replied.

"I prefer Kathrine," she scolded.

"Ok, Kathrine. Jen's little girl is all grown up." Sarah smiled as Kathrine made her way to her dad. Kathrine kissed him on the cheek as well then headed for the door.

"If I hear fighting I'm coming back to kick your asses," Kathrine said as she closed the door. Quickly it flew back open. "Why do I suddenly feel like the only adult here?" She then closed the door again and was gone.

Mark sat, trying not to look at Sarah for a few minutes, hoping she would start. When he glanced at her, he saw she was angry, so he mustered his courage and tried to explain.

"Sarah..." Mark tried but the words wouldn't come out. "I'm sorry, I'm an idiot."

"You're sorry you're an idiot? That's what you wanted to talk to me about? Being an idiot? I could have saved you the trouble. I already know you're an idiot." Sarah crossed her legs, then her arms. She was really pissed.

"I should have told you this sooner..." Mark stumbled again.

Sarah lost her cool. She stood up and walked determinedly toward Mark. She picked him up by the collar of his shirt and started yelling.

"You robbed me of my judgment! All I wanted was a chance to end this! I can't take it anymore! I'm not going to go around pining for someone I just can't have! Not anymore!" Sarah threw Mark back on the couch. "And who do you think you are, _saving_ me? I didn't ask to be saved, didn't want to be saved. You arrogant bastard!" Sarah continued.

Mark stood up. He needed to tell her. He would never get another chance. Why was he so timid around Sarah?

"I love you!" Mark shouted, and Sarah's ranting stopped.

At first, she thought she had misheard him. Then she thought it was a cruel joke or some attempt to placate her. She got angry again.

"So, what?! I'm just supposed to follow you around like a lost puppy while you give me pity hugs and pretend that you are happy with me. You don't get it!" Sarah's voice was getting louder, and tears started forming in her eyes. "You are my Jen! I didn't want this! I didn't ask for this! I'm not going to be someone's second choice! I'd sooner die than live the rest of my life feeling like this!" Sarah turned around and kicked the coffee table, it flew across the room and shattered against the wall.

"I'm not being patronizing. I really love you," Mark tried to explain.

"That's not possible!" Sarah was still yelling at the top of her lungs.

"You said yourself, that I'm special! I'm different!" Mark was now yelling too.

"So, what?! That has nothing to do with this!" Sarah was quieter, still loud but quieter than before. Sarah tried to wipe the tears away, but they just kept coming. She had held this in for too long.

"You and Jen, you are the same. To me, I mean." He wasn't explaining it very well, but Sarah was calming down.

"What do you mean the same?" Sarah asked. She was still crying but no longer yelling.

The door flew open, and Kathrine was standing in the doorway.

"The yelling stopped, I just wanted to make sure that you two hadn't killed each other," Kathrine snickered. Behind Kathrine was Agnus peering over her shoulder.

"You guys ok?" Agnus asked.

"We're fine," Sarah snarled, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Good, now why don't you two just hug or something," Kathrine said.

"Yeah, go have sex and get this over with," Agnus added.

"Ewww," Kathrine sneered. Now she was acting like a kid, but the mental picture of her father having sex with her aunt slash soon to be step-mom was not something she wanted in her head.

"You guys seem better at least," Kathrine said as she slowly closed the door. "We'll be right outside."

Before Kathrine could shut the door, Sarah yelled at her.

"Kathrine!...Probably better not come in unless you hear yelling from now on, breaking furniture might mean something very different here in a few minutes," Sarah smirked at Kathrine.

"Quit that! Scarred for life here!" Kathrine said as she shut the door.

"Now, what were you saying?" Sarah wasn't crying anymore.

Mark looked down at her and quickly forgot what he was saying. Sarah was beautiful. Even in ripped up clothes, her face wet from crying, she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"I can't remember," Mark replied and leaned in to kiss her.

"Woah, Woah, I'm not that easy," Sarah said as she put up her hand. "You were saying that Jen and I are the same?"

"Yes, I feel the same way about you that I did about Jen. It's like you're the same person, almost." Mark still thought he wasn't making sense, but it was making Sarah happy, so he went with it. "Maybe I have two people I'm supposed to be with? Maybe God gave me two?"

"You seriously feel the same way about me as you did about Jen? The same? No different?" Sarah asked as she pushed Mark on to the couch playfully.

"No, I mean, yes, the same," Mark stammered.

"I see. Well, I think we should take this slow then," Sarah stated.

"I can do slow, as long as you are happy," Mark replied.

Sarah started to unbutton her ratty shirt, and it fell to the floor. Sarah positioned herself on Mark's lap facing him and kissed him on the lips.

Mark had never wanted to kiss someone so much in his entire life. He was nearly drunk from her scent. He gently caressed her smooth back up to her shoulders then placed his hand behind her neck. With the back of his other hand, he slowly traced a line up her stomach and marveled at the soft noises of pleasure that came from deep in her throat.

"I thought you said we were gonna take it slow?" Mark asked as he pulled away from Sarah.

"I meant you need to take it slow. I haven't had sex in about seven years. I don't want you wearing yourself out. We're gonna be at this a while," Sarah smirked and kissed him again. Her hands quickly undid the buttons on his shirt, but Mark was impatient. He tore the shirt off himself and threw it.

"Slowly," Sarah reiterated.

Mark wasn't sure he could do slow. He wanted her more than he had ever remembered wanting anything.

Sarah gently kissed down his neck and to the middle of his chest. While she kissed him, she found pleasure in the moans he was making. She very slowly undid his jeans and then worked her way back up.

"To hell with slowly," Sarah said, then she stood up and removed her torn pants.

Mark sat there dazed at first, for the first time he didn't have to look away, he didn't have to feel guilty. Mark's eyes took in every inch of the five foot four beauty standing in front of him; then he stood to meet her. He removed his pants as well then leaned down to kiss her again.

Mark's lips left Sarah's and made their way to her ear. He nibbled it, then whispered. "I want to kiss every inch of you. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm starting to like slowly."

Mark lifted Sarah and carried her to the bedroom, where he gently laid her on the bed. He quickly positioned himself on the bed above her and gently moved his fingers up and down her naked body smiling every time she sighed. He kissed Sarah on the lips again and then made his way down. He stopped at her nipples and gave them each a little nibble before continuing south. He was really liking slow now, he wanted this to last, and Sarah seemed to have changed her mind also.

Sarah gasped in pleasure as his mouth found her center. He lingered there long enough for Sarah to moan his name softly then began nibbling and kissing inside her thighs. Mark worked his way back up, stopping for a second time to make her cry out his name before kissing up her body to her neck. His fingers continued to pleasure her while he kissed and bit her neck. Every time he found something that made her gasp or moan he made a mental note. He wanted to find every sensual spot on Sarah's body then go back and give them the attention they deserved. Sarah attempted to grab his manhood, she wanted him to feel pleasure as well, but he moved her hand away gently.

"You've waited longer than I have for this, it's your turn first," Mark whispered while he nibbled her earlobe.

Sarah attempted to argue, but Mark's fingers had found the right spot, and her words were cut short with a gasp. She ground her hips against Mark's hand, the only word that managed to escape her lips was his name.

"I think you're ready," Mark whispered as his mouth left Sarah's earlobe.

"Yes, I want you inside me," Sarah pleaded.

"That's not what I meant," Mark smirked, and his lips again kissed their way down to her center.

Sarah gasped and shook uncontrollably as his mouth hit the same spot his fingers had found earlier. She grabbed his hair and held on tightly as her body exploded in ecstasy. Her gasps and moans stopped and she had no control over her own body. She felt like electricity was running through every muscle. When the storm of pleasure eventually subsided Mark kissed his way up her stomach. Sarah panted, out of breath, and ran her fingers through his hair gently.

"I hope I didn't hurt you," Sarah apologized.

"I expect much worse than that soon," Mark chuckled. "I think you might need one more before you're really ready."

Mark found his way to Sarah's breasts and took turns nibbling and sucking on each of them while Sarah's nails scraped along his back. Mark had given her time to rest, it was time for number two. He put his hand under the small of her back and flipped her over with one motion.

"What are you doing?" Sarah asked, but Mark answered only with nibbles and kisses up her spine.

His hand caressed her beautiful bottom then moved between her thighs again. His fingers returned to the spot he would always remember while his thumb entered her. Sarah gasped again and moaned his name softly. Mark brushed her hair to the side and sucked on the back of her neck.

"Shit!" Sarah cried out as she felt the pleasure building for a second time. She buried her face in the pillow, and Mark could hear her muffled cries. "Yes, yes!" Then only sounds of pleasure as her body shook uncontrollably again.

"Perhaps a third?" Mark asked, grinning.

Sarah took her face out of the pillow then flipped herself over.

"Not until you're inside me," she demanded.

Sarah pushed on Mark's chest, and he let himself fall onto his back. Sarah eased herself onto him, and a high pitched sigh escaped her lips as he entered her. Soon Sarah couldn't control herself any longer, and she felt the pleasure building for a third time just as Mark tensed up beneath her. After the onslaught of pleasure subsided once more, she fell onto Mark's chest. Mark put his arms around her and rolled to the side. He gently kissed her forehead while he held her close. Sarah buried her face into his chest and laid there, content. She finally had her one, and she would never let him go.

# Chapter 20

After a few days, when Sarah and her dad had settled down a little, Kathrine came over to talk. She had missed Sarah and had so many things to share with her. They had been very good friends when Kathrine was younger, and she wanted that back. Kathrine sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, making small talk with Sarah, while her dad tried to clean the place up.

"It's ok dad, I'm not a little kid, you're just gonna make a mess again after I leave," Kathrine smirked as she looked at Sarah. Sarah smiled back while Mark blushed.

"I keep telling him that, but he won't listen," Sarah said over her shoulder more to Mark than Kathrine.

Sarah was wearing a dark blue, silk robe which Kathrine assumed had nothing under it while Mark wore sweat pants and an old tee-shirt.

"He can be so uptight sometimes," Sarah said when she turned back to Kathrine.

"I know," Kathrine agreed. "Do you think Sarah and I could have some time alone?" Kathrine asked her dad.

"Umm..." Mark didn't want to leave Sarah's side, but he knew he couldn't spend every second with her. "Sure?" He was more asking Sarah than answering Kathrine.

"Go get your house ready," Sarah smiled at him.

"You mean _our_ house?" Mark responded.

"Yes, _our_ house," Sarah replied. She was almost too giddy, but Kathrine understood why.

"You're moving in?" Kathrine asked.

"If that's ok with you?" Sarah still wasn't sure how this was sitting with Kathrine, and Kathrine's opinion mattered to her.

"Of course it's ok," Kathrine smiled.

"We were also thinking that you might be getting a little old to live with your dad so..." Sarah paused with her usual overly dramatic style. "I was hoping you might take my place?" Sarah pretended to cringe.

"Really?" Kathrine asked sincerely.

"Yeah! You would be right next door but still, have all the privacy you need. You're a grown woman, you don't want your dad hanging around all the time," Sarah made a face at Mark.

Kathrine leaned in to whisper to Sarah.

"Or my soon to be stepmom?" Kathrine hoped.

"We'll see about that," Sarah whispered back.

Mark walked over and kissed Sarah then said his goodbyes then left.

"Oh come on, you're telling me you didn't think about it? You've been pining over my dad for how long? Twenty years?" Kathrine said as she lifted her coffee cup.

"I don't want this to be weird, I mean I'm not trying to take your mom's place. I just want to make sure everything goes ok, and you're ok with this." Sarah was serious now.

"Ok, let me start by saying. You're not taking anyone's place. Our family has always had four people in it. You have always had your _own_ place. You're just umm...switching roles, I guess," Kathrine was surprised at how not weird this actually was. Their family had always been strange. Her dad had always had two wives, and now that it was just Sarah, why should she not enjoy the _perks_ , as her mom had called them.

"Are you sure?" Sarah asked trying to make sure Kathrine was really on board with this.

"Here," Kathrine took her necklace off. On the necklace was the wedding ring that her mother used to wear.

"Wait, no, I can't wear that," Sarah objected.

"I don't expect you to wear it," Kathrine laughed. "Here is what you do. You put this away in your jewelry box or whatever, then when you are ready for dad to propose you put in around your neck. Make sure he sees it. He will get down on his knees and beg you to marry him."

"I don't understand," Sarah said.

"My dad is a smart, forceful person...except when he is around you or mom. You two do something to his brain, I think. He can't think for himself, he's always too worried about doing the wrong thing. So when mom wanted him to propose she wore this necklace with this ring on it, the one my grandmother gave to her. I'm sure you will get your own ring, but if dad sees this he will know I gave you my blessing." Kathrine gently put the necklace in Sarah's hand.

"You have no idea how much this means to me," Sarah said, almost ready to cry.

"I don't think you know how much you mean to me," Kathrine replied.

Kathrine walked around the table and hugged Sarah.

"I missed you," Kathrine said, now she was about ready to cry.

"I missed you too," Sarah replied. "Is that all you wanted? It seemed like you were wanting to ask me something."

Kathrine returned to her seat and readied herself.

"I wanted to ask how you first knew. I mean, how did you know it was him?" Kathrine asked, she seemed a little too nervous. There was more to it than she was ready to share.

"Well, it's hard to explain. It was a feeling, the way I felt when I looked at him. The smell of him, the sound of his voice. It was like I was being pulled toward him, and I couldn't stop." Sarah looked at Kathrine, hoping she might share more.

"I see," Kathrine said, as she stared intently at her coffee.

"Are you gonna tell me what's going on yet or do I have to tickle you like I used to," Sarah teased.

This made Kathrine smile. Even at sixteen, Sarah would tickle Kathrine whenever she was holding back. Sometimes Kathrine would intentionally hold things back just to get Sarah to tickle her. It was one of the few childhood things she kept into her teenage years, and she had loved it.

"No, I'll talk," Kathrine said, sticking out her tongue. It was so good to have Sarah back. At one point, she had thought that her dad had also killed Sarah. That day Kathrine lost three family members. No one realized how much Sarah had meant to her, not even Sarah.

"Well then?" Sarah prodded.

"I met this guy," Kathrine unintentionally smiled and looked down to try and hide it.

"Ohhhh? Who is this lucky boy?" Sarah teased.

"He was definitely a man," Kathrine replied, trying to hide a smile that was growing larger.

"Hmmm, and what was this man's name?" Sarah requested, she was intrigued.

"Paul," Kathrine said.

Sarah got strangely quiet.

"Where did you meet him?" Sarah asked desperately. She dreaded Kathrine's response.

"When I killed Sariel. He was the one who saved me. He carried me to dad. I'm not sure I would have made it out otherwise." Kathrine saw the concerned look on Sarah's face. "Why, what's wrong?"

"Just a second," Sarah said anxiously as she walked over to one of her dressers and rummaged through it. Sarah tossed out several pictures and photo albums before she found what she was looking for. She got out an old faded and frayed picture and brought it back to the table. "Is this him?" Sarah asked as she set the picture in front of Kathrine.

Kathrine stared at the picture. The man had shorter hair and a beard but those eyes. She knew it was him. Her heart was racing, and her stomach was doing flips. It was most certainly him.

"Yes, that's Paul," Kathrine replied.

"I'm very sorry, Kathrine. Paul is a very dangerous man. And what's more, he's like your dad. His father was an angel and his mother a Nephilim. So he is extra dangerous." Sarah looked at Kathrine with pity.

"Why? You were able to quit being a vampire. I'm sure he can too," Kathrine said with pure optimism.

"I understand the desire to make him out to be redeemable, but I just don't think he is. Back before the great flood of Noah, I knew Paul. He and I were friends," Sarah started.

"Did you sleep with him? Is that it?" Kathrine asked.

"Oh, no, it's not that. In fact, until the day I met your father, I was considered quite a prude. Sure, I was flirtatious and fun-loving, but I only had sex with men I was married to. Believe me, there weren't many. It was only after I realized that your father loved your mother that I decided to drown my sorrows in sex." Sarah half-smiled but Kathrine wasn't in the mood anymore.

"Then what?" Kathrine was desperate. So much so that Sarah knew Paul might actually be Kathrine's chosen one.

"My dear, I don't say this to hurt you. I understand what it feels like. Paul and I decided to try and survive the flood together in a small boat. We were both vampires. What was a little water going to do? We couldn't die from drowning." Sarah paused and looked like she was remembering something distasteful. "You have no idea how bad drowning is until you do it over and over again for forty days. Well, anyway, Paul and I both begged God to spare us. We vowed to give up drinking blood and do his work for the rest of eternity. We pledged ourselves to him and groveled for his mercy. Two days later, that mercy came. We found land. Paul and I kept our promise, at first. Then Paul's father found us. Azazel, that fowl angel, took Paul away and left me beaten and bloody. I didn't see Paul again until this century. It was during World War II. I was smuggling refugees out of Poland, and I found Paul and Azazel. They were smuggling weapons into Germany. They were trying to make the war go on as long as possible by bolstering Germany's arsenal."

"That can't be the man I met," Kathrine struggled with the idea that Paul just might be the man Sarah described.

"It gets worse. Azazel recognized me and ordered Paul to kill me. Paul chased me for a mile at least. Eventually, Paul caught me, with Azazel not far behind him. Paul and I fought, he got several good hits on me, but in the end, he made a mistake. He led with the wrong leg while thrusting his blade, and I stabbed him through it then I ran, knowing he could no longer keep up. So if this Paul is the same Paul, he is not to be trusted. He is his father's servant, and Azazel is the most cruel of the fallen angels, except for Lucifer." Sarah finished her story and looked at Kathrine with sorrow.

"It can't be the same man. The Paul I met was kind and cared for me. He could have killed me, I passed out, but instead, he saved me." Kathrine wanted to believe that it was a different Paul, but the picture of him made it clear that it wasn't. Maybe he had changed, maybe seeing her made him want to be good? Maybe she was fooling herself?

"I really hope it's not him. This will have to wait. You need a lot of training and a lot of knowledge on vampires. You might eventually find him, but if he was with Sariel, he is a vampire. You need to know how to protect yourself, in case it was the Paul I knew. I can't lose you, Katie, your dad, wouldn't be able to live with himself if he lost you. You are very important to us. I know what you're thinking, and you know better," Sarah scolded "It's not because God chose you to help us in this war, it's you. We love you."

"Ok, I guess you're right. I do need to know what I'm doing. I mean one vampire got a lucky shot in a very unlucky place, and I'm down for the count. I really need some practice fighting with swords. That's not something you learn in the FBI's self-defense classes." Kathrine smiled at Sarah. "And let's not tell dad about this, please. He's happy for the first time in a long while. I want him to be happy."

"Ok, it'll be our secret. But promise me one thing. Don't go acting like some naïve school girl, chase after him and get killed, ok?" Sarah added.

"I promise I won't go chasing after him and get killed," Kathrine said, crossing her heart.

"Ok, I will hold you to that." Sarah paused for a second, and a devious look came across her face. "So, why don't you come over for supper?" Sarah asked with a smirk.

"What do you mean? I'll already be there," Kathrine replied.

"No, this is your house now. So why don't you come over to _our_ house for supper?" Sarah's smile was even wider now.

"Ok, I will. As long as dad grills steak," Kathrine said, going along with Sarah.

"You know I want steak," Sarah added.

"Then I guess we're having steak. No way dad can refuse both of us." Kathrine stood up and walked over to Sarah. "Let's break the news to the old man. He's making us steak!"

Sarah nodded her head and then headed to the door with Kathrine.

"Shit, I better get some clothes on. Agnus will have an aneurysm if she sees me walking down the sidewalk in this." Sarah twirled around and then headed back to her bedroom.

The night went well. Sarah, Kathrine, and Mark talked most of the night about Jennifer. They all had stories to share and silly anecdotes about Jennifer's life. There was crying and laughing and tons of hugging. In the end, Kathrine excused herself, grabbed her things, which she had very little of, and went to Sarah's house. When she was sure that Sarah and her father were _busy,_ she grabbed what she had and headed toward the nearest town. She needed to know if Paul was really her one. She couldn't stop thinking about him, she remembered how he smelled and the feeling when she looked into his eyes and his touch...how could a simple touch feel so good? She needed to know, or she thought she might go crazy. Within a few hours, she had made it to a bus stop and bought the next ticket out.

# Chapter 21

Kathrine felt bad, she hadn't exactly lied to Sarah, but the deception made her feel guilty. She figured if she didn't get killed, she was keeping her promise. In the end, she knew it was a shitty rationalization. She had traveled by bus to a corner a few blocks from where Samael's office was. Perhaps she could find some clues there and find out where Paul had gone. Maybe he was still nearby.

After hours of searching and a few vampire beheadings, she found a vampire that knew about Paul. This vampire, scared for his life, told her everything she needed to know. Paul was working on a dock, strangely enough, in Oregon. He had apparently been there for years, right next to Kathrine, while she was staying with her foster parents. How strange that he had been no more than fifty or sixty miles away from her as she struggled with her new life. Kathrine had promised to spare this vampire's life in exchange for information, so after he finished she let him go with a warning to quit drinking blood or next time, she would kill him. She stole a car, and in a few hours, she was in Oregon. The vampire had told her that Paul was part of the crew aboard a boat named 'The Flaming Foal'. A very odd name for a boat but it made for an easy target to track.

The dock Paul worked at was also easy to find. Kathrine was cautious. She walked by the boat a few times during the day and saw many workers on the huge boat. The only other person she saw besides the vampires was a hooded man in a trench coat that had accidentally bumped into her when she was preoccupied by the boat's inhabitants. The breeze carried their scent like a garbage barge, they were almost all vampires. This was the right boat, and Sarah might be right about Paul. Despite this revelation, Kathrine needed to know for sure. She hadn't seen Paul on the boat, but a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that he was nearby. In the end, Kathrine decided that it was easier to sneak around at night. These were not the vampires of legend. They had no special night powers, and they had no way to see in the dark.

When Kathrine came back to the boat, it was nearly two in the morning. It looked like most of the vampires were gone or sleeping. The stench was still in the air, so some had to be close. Kathrine assumed that many sailors probably slept on the enormous boat. Even so, it was better than walking up to them in broad daylight.

Kathrine crept along between the shipping containers. She had worn all black, even her pants were black this time. She was not going to get caught, she just needed answers. In the event that she was caught she had brought her father's sword, if you can call a foot long blade a sword. Even though it may have not been a full sword, it did have many good qualities. It was titanium for one, so it wouldn't break. It was also small enough that it didn't get in the way.

When she neared the boat, she noticed only two guards pacing around the deck. This might be easier than she thought, but where was Paul? She still felt him close by, but where was he? She couldn't go into the boat, that would be a sure fire way to get trapped. Maybe she could find a secluded spot and wait for him to come out?

Slowly Kathrine climbed up the mooring ropes and on to the deck. There were a few boxes scattered here and there, just enough to give her cover while she evaded the guards. Carefully she made her way to the center of the boat, but still, there was no sign of Paul and no place to really hide for very long. The boat swayed, and Kathrine realized, she was not meant to be a sailor. All these abilities and strength and she felt seasick. How funny was that?

Someone grabbed Kathrine from behind as she knelt, trying to calm her stomach. Kathrine instinctively drew her blade and aimed for the man's throat. Her swing was interrupted, midway by Paul's hand. He grabbed her wrist softly but firmly, he didn't want to hurt her. Kathrine's stomach swayed once more, but this time it was Paul's deep blue eyes that were the cause, and it felt wonderful.

"I knew I felt you. You shouldn't be here." Paul looked at her with kindness.

"Intruder!" One of the guards had come around the corner at the wrong time.

Paul reacted immediately. He threw Kathrine to the ground and grabbed the guard by the throat.

"I've been watching her sneak around you for the last five minutes!" Paul yelled.

"I'm sorry, sir." The guard seemed like he was afraid for his life. Maybe this was the same Paul that Sarah had known.

"Who is it, Paul? One of them?" a large and commanding man said from above Kathrine. The man looked important, and a good deal like her father had described Samael. He had long white hair, cold silver eyes, and his skin looked rough.

"Yes, father. It's one of the traitors, come to spy on us," Paul said as he looked down on Kathrine with hatred.

What had happened to his kind face? He now looked like he was going to kill Kathrine, and she was afraid.

"Kill her and be done with it!" Azazel commanded.

"I want to have a little fun with her first, see what they know about our operation," Paul said evilly.

"Good call, torture her first. Just make sure you kill her. Not like that redhead you let slip away." Azazel said spitefully.

"I did not let her go!" Paul yelled at his father. "That girl was well trained. I've never fought someone that good." Paul looked down at Kathrine as he spoke to his father, and she could swear that he was trying to tell her something. With his eyes, he was looking at her then her sword, but Kathrine didn't quite understand.

Paul walked over to the guard that he had chastised then put his hand in his jacket pocket.

"Here is what we do to our own kind that betray us." Paul removed a bottle from his pocket, then put on his gloves before opening it. "You see, not all of the vampire legends are false." He removed the lid carefully, then splashed some on the vampire who screamed in agony as the liquid ate through his skin. "A simple solution of holy water and silver dust. Each on its own, does nothing, the combination is considerably painful." Paul again looked at Kathrine with wide eyes. He was trying to get her to pay attention.

"Fine, torture me, I'll tell you nothing." Kathrine was catching on.

As Paul put the bottle away, he took off one of his gloves, and when Azazel couldn't see, he poured a little onto his hand. He looked at Kathrine hoping she would get the hint. Kathrine smiled at him, she couldn't help it. He wasn't a vampire, and he hadn't betrayed Sarah. Paul drew his sword, and Kathrine jumped for hers. Paul was trying to give her a chance to escape.

"Let's see how good you are." Paul lunged at her as soon as he was sure she was ready.

Kathrine parried the first blow then the second, slowly making her way to the front of the boat. Now she understood why she was feeling seasick. They had taken off, and the boat was nearly a hundred feet from shore already.

"Fight back," Paul whispered.

"Just kill her, Paul! She isn't going to talk!" Azazel shouted.

"Yes, father!" Paul shouted back. He raised his eyebrows hoping Kathrine would fight him.

Kathrine finally got the hint and started attacking. Paul got a shot on her arm that left a small cut. Then Kathrine sliced his arm, and he reeled back.

"Tell Ceralin, the truth is in the picture," Paul whispered as he thrust forward.

Paul flourished a little too much and left his side open. Kathrine stabbed him in the ribs but only put the sword in about an inch. She didn't want to actually hurt him. Paul fell to his side, holding the wound that probably didn't even hurt. Kathrine ran to the railing and jumped. The vampires opened fire on her with their guns. They were not the best shots, but they didn't need to be. One shot hit Kathrine in the leg another in the shoulder before she hit the water.

"I told you these would come in handy. There is no reason vampires shouldn't have modern weapons. It can't kill them as easily as a human, but they do serious damage," Azazel decreed, full of pride. "Now you four, go after her! The rest of you keep shooting!"

Bullets riddled the water around Kathrine, and another one hit her left arm then another tore across her temple. She needed to go deeper. She remembered what Sarah said. She couldn't be killed by drowning. Kathrine forced herself to go lower even though her breath was running out. The water was very deep, and her lungs felt like they were going to burst but she finally found an old fishing net. She quickly lodged her foot in the net, exhaled all her breath, then waited.

The vampires searched for ten minutes before giving up. Kathrine had drown twice by the time they finally left. The cold water burned her lungs as she regained consciousness a third time, and she freed her foot from the net. Before she could reach the surface, she passed out again. When she woke the fourth time, she had washed up on shore. How horrible it was to drown, the terror, the salt water burning your lungs, the pain all over your body as it was forced back to life. Kathrine knew what Sarah had felt now. If she had been made to do that for days on end, Kathrine thought she surely would have gone mad.

Kathrine crawled across the beach, her car was parked outside the dock. The bone in her leg had been broken from the gunshot, and she couldn't feel her right arm. She wasn't going to make it to the car like this, let alone drive it. She forced herself against a shipping container and tore the cloth from her right shoulder. Then she removed her belt and put it between her teeth. This was going to hurt, maybe as bad as drowning.

Kathrine dug her fingers into the shoulder wound, searching for the bullet. She screamed through her teeth as she bit down on the belt. She had been wrong, this was way more painful than drowning. She felt the bullet and struggled to pull it out, but the pain made her let go.

"At least the pain is keeping me awake," she thought to herself.

Kathrine tried again, got a good grip on the bullet, and pulled as hard as she could. Again she screamed in pain, but it was muffled by the belt. When the bullet was finally out, she fell against the container and passed out. Kathrine woke a few minutes later, the pain in her leg was getting stronger. The bullet was still in there, but she couldn't get it herself. She couldn't do that again. At least she had removed the one in her shoulder, she could feel her arm again. Slowly she crawled toward her car, and after nearly ten minutes of agony, she finally made it.

Once in the car, she knew she needed to stay awake. Passing out behind the wheel would only make this worse. She would end up in a hospital where someone would realize that she should be dead. They would poke and prod her and eventually turn her over to some military organization for testing. No, she wasn't about to let that happen. Kathrine wrapped the belt around her left leg, right above the gunshot and tightened it. She didn't want a tourniquet, she wanted pain. It was a six-hour drive home, the only place she would be safe. She searched the car and found some pepper spray. Whoever she had stolen this car from must have been a woman. Men don't usually keep pepper spray in their glove boxes, but thankfully it was there. She started up the car and sprayed some of the pepper spray into the wound on her shoulder. The pain was incredible, at first she couldn't see through it, but in a few seconds, her vision cleared and she was wide awake.

Kathrine drove as fast as she could, early in the morning there were very few cars and luckily no police. When she finally got home, she pulled up right in front of her dad's house and honked the horn as she fell on it.

Sarah rushed down the stairs.

"Mark! There's a car in front of the house!" Sarah yelled.

Mark knew they weren't supposed to bring cars to the town, but he didn't have the same urgency as Sarah.

"Get ready!" Sarah yelled as she opened the door and crept up on the car. Mark followed her ready to fight if necessary.

When Sarah got close to the car, she saw Kathrine.

"Shit! It's Kathrine, hurry!" Sarah screamed as she nearly tore the door off its hinges.

Mark struggled to get by Sarah, but it was no use, she had already grabbed Kathrine and headed to the house. Apparently, Sarah must have been speaking to herself.

Sarah gently placed Kathrine on the couch.

"I need some hot water and some clean towels and some needle nose pliers, it looks like." Sarah was quickly inspecting Kathrine while shouting out commands. "Oh, and some alcohol."

Mark hurried to the kitchen and got everything Sarah asked for.

"Now I need Agnus! Hurry!" Sarah shouted.

Mark ran out the front door and didn't bother closing it. Within minutes he was back with Agnus. Agnus and Sarah worked on Kathrine and soon they had the bullet out of her leg.

"We just need to clean her wounds and then she'll need to rest," Sarah said to Mark when she and Agnus were finished.

"She'll be ok?" Mark asked. He looked like he might have a heart attack, if Asuune could have them.

"Yes, she'll be ok. She lost A LOT of blood, but she'll make it," Agnus said.

Sarah gave Agnus a death stare.

"It's ok Sarah, I'd rather hear the truth," Mark said. "I appreciate the thought though."

"I thought you were gonna have an aneurysm there for a minute," Sarah smiled.

"Now, for the real question. Since when do vampires use guns?" Agnus asked.

"Azazel..." Kathrine mumbled.

"Kathrine?" Sarah was next to her in a flash, but she had passed out again.

"Let's move to the kitchen and let her get some sleep," Agnus suggested.

"Ok." Mark was barely speaking, he wasn't handling this well after all.

"Don't worry, honey. She's strong. She'll be fine." Sarah put her hand on Mark's shoulder and ushered him to the kitchen. Sarah gave Agnus another death stare. She was right, Mark was not ready for this, not with Kathrine.

The three of them talked while Kathrine slept. By supper time, she was awake, still very weak but awake. Sarah made her some soup, and Mark waited on her hand and foot until Kathrine was worn out again and ready to go back to sleep. In the morning, Kathrine was ready to talk. She sat at the kitchen table, eating breakfast with Mark and Sarah, trying to figure out how to explain her stupidity.

"I'm really sorry," Kathrine started.

"Sorry? Why are you sorry," Mark asked.

Kathrine stared at Sarah guiltily.

"You damn well better be sorry, little miss," Sarah scolded.

"I was just gathering information. I didn't expect to get caught," Kathrine explained.

"Gathering information? What were you doing?!" Mark was getting upset, he had figured out that there was a secret.

"I...I..." Kathrine stammered.

"She met her partner, dear. And miss, I can do everything by myself, decided it was a good idea to go find him. Even though I warned her about Paul." Sarah stared at Kathrine with disapproval.

"Who's Paul?" Mark was completely confused.

"The guy that saved me. He's my one," Kathrine explained.

"Oh, and you knew about this, Sarah?!" Mark was getting upset. He couldn't believe they had kept this from him.

"Kathrine and I are allowed our secrets," Sarah scolded. Then Sarah turned back to Kathrine. "But only if you can keep your word and not do anything stupid!"

Mark didn't say a word, he knew the rules. It had always been the rule that girl talk was off limits and none of his business.

"Can I talk to Sarah?" Kathrine asked.

Mark looked angry. He wanted to say no, but the look on Sarah's face told him otherwise.

"I guess, but you listen to Sarah. She is gonna tell me if it's dangerous," Mark said as he stood up and headed to the living room.

"Yes, dear, I'm sorry. I really thought it was settled. I had no idea she was gonna go do something so STUPID," Sarah apologized, and Mark's expression got less angry.

When Mark was out of earshot, Kathrine leaned in.

"I have a message from him," she whispered.

"For me?" Sarah didn't sound interested.

"Paul said the truth is in the picture. He is not who you think he is. He tried to save me, but my stupidity fucked that up." Kathrine stared at her plate. She had really screwed up this time.

"The picture? Think he means the one that I showed you?" Sarah asked.

"Probably, not sure what other picture he could have meant," Kathrine replied.

Sarah got up and walked into the other room, after a few moments, she returned with the photo she had shown Kathrine before. She was staring at it as she sat, trying to figure out what 'the truth' meant.

"I don't see anything," Sarah replied. "Maybe he was just trying to confuse you."

"No! He saved me. He threw the fight just like he did with you. My own stupidity got me shot. I had to drown myself to escape. If I had not been so dumb..." Kathrine reached over and reached for the photo. Sarah handed it to her.

"I'm sorry Kathrine, I don't see anything." Sarah was sad for Kathrine, she was one of the few people who could understand what Kathrine was going through.

"Who is this in the background?" Kathrine handed the photo back to Sarah.

"Umm...Wait...I know him. That's Franklin. Well, that was his name after I took him to America. Franklin Cole." Sarah stared at the picture more intently now. "He lives like two hours from here."

"S'pose that's what he meant?" Kathrine asked, she needed this to be true.

"It has to be. We need to take a road trip. I wouldn't mind visiting Frank. Haven't seen him in years." Sarah sounded a little excited.

"Cool, think dad will let me go today?" Kathrine asked.

"I think I can persuade him," Sarah winked.

Sarah walked into the living room, kissed Mark on the cheek then whispered in his ear. Mark looked excited and uncomfortable at the same time. Kathrine really wished she had turned her head. She didn't need to hear what Sarah said to get the idea of what she promised Mark.

When Sarah returned, she plopped down in the chair arrogantly.

"We can go," Sarah smiled widely. "Your dad is so easy. I was gonna do that anyway."

"Sarah! I don't wanna know!" Kathrine was smiling. She was happy that Sarah and her dad were together.

"Let me change. Don't want too many questions about my injuries," Kathrine said as she stood up.

"Good choice," Sarah replied. "And we're gonna return that car." Sarah raised her eyebrows, she knew the car was stolen.

"Yes, Aunt Sarah," Kathrine whined.

Kathrine headed back to her new home and changed. In about twenty minutes, the two of them were headed to Frank's house.

# Chapter 22

Sarah drove while Kathrine sat in the passenger seat. Kathrine's leg was still not completely healed, and neither was her shoulder. After a while, Kathrine turned on her favorite station. On the program, a woman was asking what it took to get into heaven. This worried Kathrine. She turned off the station and turned to Sarah. She knew what she wanted to ask but figured she should start out slowly.

"Why did you heal so fast and I'm still hurt?" Kathrine asked.

"It has to do with age. The longer you are Asuune, the stronger you become," Sarah responded.

"So, I'm still too young to be doing this?" Kathrine pondered.

"No, not at all. You're very strong. I've never seen a new Asuune heal as quickly as you did. If you were a normal Asuune and got as hurt as you did, you'd be dead now. I'm proud of you, honey. Even if you weren't completely honest about what you were up to," Sarah pried her eyes from the road to give Kathrine a scolding stare.

"Sorry." Was all that Kathrine could think to say. She knew how much she had disappointed Sarah.

"Oh, don't go getting all depressed on me. I know why you did it. I'd have done the same thing. Only I wouldn't have lied about it," Sarah scolded.

"You, wouldn't have let me go if I had told you what I was going to do," Kathrine explained.

"You do have a point. I still treat you like that teenage girl who was scared to ask a boy out," Sarah laughed. "I'll try to do better from now on."

"I will also," Kathrine replied.

"I can see it on your face, what's up?" Sarah asked as she peered away from the road again.

"Well, you might think it's stupid, but..." Kathrine paused and looked at her lap.

"I probably won't think it's stupid. You don't really say stupid things, not like your father." Sarah was trying to cheer her up, and it was working.

"He does say some pretty stupid shit when you're around." Kathrine smiled back. "I want to know, I mean, do you think mom is in heaven?"

"Oh, Kathrine, that is far from dumb. And yes, if anyone deserves to be in heaven, it's your mom," Sarah replied.

"What do you mean?" Kathrine asked.

"This is a story I haven't had the guts to tell your dad, so this stays between you and I until I get up the nerve to tell him, ok?" Sarah again looked at Kathrine to make sure she was paying attention.

"Yes, you kept my secret, I will keep yours," Kathrine responded.

"Ok...when I first met your dad I had no idea that Jen was my sister, I didn't find that out until after you were born. Anyway, I became friends with your mom and your dad. Gave your dad a job with me. Did everything I could to be around them because I was determined that your mom was no good for your dad, he was to be mine. I deserved him for all that I'd been through. Well, after I had known them a while, I think they had been married about six months. It was almost Christmas time, and your mom asked me to go Christmas shopping with her, so I saw it as a perfect opportunity to plant more seeds of doubt. Get them to break up." Sarah looked at Kathrine to judge her attitude toward her story, but Kathrine wasn't upset.

"So anyway, we had finished our shopping, and I had said some very vague unkind comments in hopes of getting Jen to reconsider being with your dad. On the way back to the car, we passed a homeless man. He was asleep and looked very cold. After we passed him, Jen turned around and without a word she took the coat she bought for your dad and put it over the man. Then she put the gloves on his lap and what I think was twenty dollars in the jacket pocket. Your mom didn't wake him up, didn't say a word, she just turned back to me and kept walking like it was nothing." Again Sarah looked to Kathrine, but she was just listening very carefully without judgment.

"When we got home, your dad was waiting. Jen gave him a big hug, then, without taking a breath, she told him she had found the perfect gift for herself. He didn't need to buy her anything else for Christmas, her birthday, anniversary. He would have a free pass all year if he would just get her this one present. You know what it was?" Sarah asked.

"No, I've never heard this story before," Kathrine replied. She was mesmerized by this story, she knew so little of what her mother's life was like before she had a baby.

"She told your dad that if he would buy her a storefront, that was all she would want. Not rent it, not lease it, buy it. Your mother never did anything halfway. When she decided to do something, she just did it. Well anyway, your father bought it for her and she spent the next four or five months fixing this place up and turned it into a soup kitchen. She then spent every weekend and some weeknights serving food and handing out free clothes to anyone that came in. So while I was selfishly scheming to break them up, your mother was hatching a plan to help thousands of people. So I decided to end my selfish scheme because I realized...she deserved your dad way more than I did. So, to answer your question. If your mom is not in heaven, none of us are getting in." Sarah looked over at Kathrine and saw the tears coming from her eyes.

"I see why it would be hard to tell dad that story. Thanks, I needed that." Kathrine wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up and saw a small town.

"This is the place," Sarah said.

After a few wrong streets and a couple of U-turns, Sarah finally found the right street. They pulled up in front of a two-story house. It was moderately sized and a little old but to Kathrine, this looked like the perfect place to raise a family. As they pulled up to the house, Kathrine saw the hooded man in a trench coat at the end of the block. This had to be more than a coincidence, it was way too warm to be wearing such a heavy coat. She had seen this man several times in the past, who was he? Was he following her? Just as Kathrine was about to ask Sarah about him, the man disappeared behind a house.

"This is Frank's house," Sarah stated as she got out and headed to the door.

Kathrine quickly forgot about the hooded man and followed behind Sarah up to the door. Sarah rang the doorbell then waited patiently. Inside, Kathrine could hear someone shuffling around then the sound headed toward the door. Soon a younger looking man in his early thirties opened the door.

"Can I help you?" the man asked.

"I'm sorry, maybe we have the wrong house. I'm looking for Franklin Cole," Sarah replied courteously.

"Sorry, Grandpa Frank passed away a couple years ago." The man looked sad as he said it, Frank had meant something to him.

"Sorry to bother you," Sarah said then turned to walk away.

The man got a strange look on his face, then it turned to excitement.

"Are you Sarah?!" the man asked.

"Yes, has your grandfather told you about me?" Sarah asked kindly.

"I thought he was making it up, please come in," the man looked around like he was afraid someone was looking, so Sarah headed inside followed by Kathrine.

"And who is this? Another angel person? You're daughter?" the man asked excitedly.

Before Sarah could answer, Kathrine pushed her way in front of her.

"I'm her step-daughter, Kathrine," she said, holding out her hand.

"Not yet, you're not," Sarah replied.

"Soon," Kathrine winked at the man.

"My name is Alex, Frank was my grandfather. He spoke of you all the time. I was sure he was making it up or just telling me stories." Alex led them from the entryway to the dining room and waved his hand toward a picture over the fireplace. It was a beautifully painted portrait of Sarah walking through a field at night, her long red hair flowing behind her. She held a lantern which was out in front of her and children followed behind her.

Sarah was speechless, but not Kathrine.

"Did your grandfather do this? It's amazing!" Kathrine was in awe at the craftsmanship. It looked just like Sarah.

"Yes, he had an eye for painting. Sadly, I never did." Alex looked sad about this fact.

"He spoke of me?" Sarah was still in shock that Frank had created this beautiful work of art, and she was the focus of it.

"He just told you he did," Kathrine whispered to her.

"Oh, right." Sarah was a little disoriented by the fact that she had meant that much to Frank, she barely knew him.

"Grandpa Frank told me all the tales of how you and the other angel person, Dante, helped get him and countless others to safety. He thanked God for bringing you two into his life. He called it a miracle." Alex loved talking about his grandpa.

"Dante was just a man," Sarah corrected.

"No, Grandpa Frank was sure. He even painted one of Dante." Alex took off, walking excitedly toward the living room. Over the couch was another beautifully done painting. This one was of Paul. It was exactly like the photograph that Sarah had of him only more beautiful and in color.

"But..." Sarah was speechless.

"Grandpa Frank made me promise that I would give you a letter if you ever came. It was from Dante to you. Grandpa said he forgot he had the letter until you had already disappeared. He searched for you for years before giving up. He even met my grandmother while searching for you. In his mind, it was just another way you blessed his life," Alex explained while he lifted up the portrait of Paul and retrieved a letter hidden behind it.

Sarah took the letter, still confused by the whole ordeal. Dante was Paul? She was to meet Dante to pick up prisoners and ferry them the rest of the way to America. She had done three transfers before Dante finally agreed to meet, but on the day they were to meet Azazel came. Sarah quickly opened the letter and read the contents.

My dear Ceralin,

Please forgive me for my absence. I have been given my mission from God, I cannot refuse. I had not seen you in so long that I barely remembered your face until I realized it was you I was to meet. My mission is to keep my father from destroying the world. I undermine his efforts as subtly as I can, but it doesn't seem enough. I'm sorry for endangering you, but I had no idea it was you, and I can't do this alone. These poor people are being persecuted for their beliefs, I can't sit idly by and let them die. I hope you understand and know that I had no choice. If I do not make it to you then perhaps I'm caught. In that case, be warned. My father says that soon Samael will be returned to heaven and he will be free to create chaos.

Love,

Your brother Paul

"So he is one of the good guys!" Kathrine exclaimed with far too much enthusiasm.

"Yes, Kathrine, he's one of the good guys after all," Sarah conceded begrudgingly.

"I told you so!" Kathrine was nearly jumping for joy.

"So, this was helpful?" Alex asked.

"Yes, thank you so much," Sarah replied.

"I'm sorry we couldn't get it to you sooner, we really tried to find you." Alex looked upset.

"No, no, don't be sorry. This letter would have made much less sense a few days ago," Sarah stated. "God got it to me at just the right time. You did exactly as he wanted."

"Good." Alex looked relieved.

"We need to be going, is there anything we can do for you? As a thank you for all you have done for us?" Sarah owed this man and his grandfather, she intended to pay up.

"Actually, can I get a picture of the two of you?" Alex asked meekly.

"Of course," Kathrine chimed in. She owed this man and his grandfather as well. This was the least they could do.

"But I must warn you. Telling anyone else that we are 'angel people' could put you in serious danger. We need to keep this between us." Sarah's tone was serious now. A human walking around talking about 'angel people' would either get called crazy or worse, be taken seriously. This would attract the attention of vampires and fallen angels.

"Oh yes, Grandpa Frank always said this secret stays in our family." Alex pointed the camera at them and took a picture. "You never know, next time you visit me, or maybe my grandkids. You might see a new painting." Alex smiled. "I'm no Grandpa Frank, but I could get better."

"Good luck to you Alex. And remember, this stays in the family," Sarah said as she waved goodbye.

Sarah and Kathrine were soon in the car heading to return the car from where Kathrine had stolen it. Before too long, Kathrine had to speak. She couldn't hold back any longer.

"So, I'm stuck then right?" Kathrine asked disdainfully.

"Yep, and I'm very sorry." Sarah kept looking at the road, this was hard for Kathrine, and she knew it.

"What do I do now?" Kathrine sounded desperate.

"You have faith. God gave you a partner, he's not dead, he's not evil. He's not even married," Sarah smirked at Kathrine.

"I guess you have a point, but I still can't be with him." Kathrine's brief smile faded to sadness again.

"God will put you together when the time is right. Until then, you will learn, and you will train. On the day that God decides it's time for you to help Paul, you will be ready." Sarah sounded very sure of this.

"I suppose you're right. I just need to keep myself busy and focus on getting stronger until then," Kathrine sighed.

"You know what helped me a lot. I kept a journal, more like a story of my life kind of thing. Maybe that might help. You can go back and read it later, remember how much you wanted to be with him. Go over the stupid things you did so that you don't do them again." Sarah smiled, hoping it might cheer Kathrine up.

"Do you still have them?" Kathrine asked.

"Yes, they are locked up somewhere in Europe at the moment, but I still have them," Sarah replied.

"I'd like to read them sometime if you don't mind." Kathrine sounded a little less depressed now. It wasn't like it would be forever. Azazel was picking up speed. One way or the other, she would have to help Paul stop him, of this she was certain.

"Sure," Sarah responded.

"I think I will start a story about my life. It would be a good way to pass the time." Kathrine trailed off and stared out the window.

The remainder of the trip to Oregon was spent in silence. Sarah was thinking about Mark and Kathrine about Paul. The main difference was that while Sarah was happy, Kathrine was trying to figure out a way to help Paul defeat Azazel. She probably couldn't kill him and maybe she shouldn't. God would give her the answer when it was time. She just needed to study and work hard. When she was ready, God would let her know.

When they got home, Sarah and Kathrine said goodnight and Kathrine returned to her new house. It was funny how it already felt like her home. She was comfortable here. When she was here, she felt like everything would be ok. Kathrine knew the road ahead was going to be long and rough. To be with Paul, she needed to learn how to take care of herself. She had fought vampires twice, and each time she had come away near death. What good was she to Paul if he had to spend most of his time protecting her?

# Chapter 23

Hailey Raine traveled down the dirt road half a mile behind the plain white delivery truck she had been following for hours. The older brown sedan she had stolen was nearly out of gas, but that was the least of her worries. Not only did she now believe the delivery driver had spotted her, but her symptoms were getting worse. Her once beautiful light olive skin was now covered in sweat and taking on a greyish tint as her affliction progressed. The smells in the car didn't help matters either.

Apparently the man she had stolen this car from was addicted to fast food or just a disgusting person. There were hamburger wrappers and half empty fry containers scattered around the floor and seats. Also, the soda cups were apparently growing mold because she was sure it was mold she was smelling on top of the rotting food. As disgusting as the smell was to her sensitive nose, it did not mask the odor of the man himself. She could smell the human everywhere, and he smelled delicious.

The tingling sensation started in her calves, and she knew she needed to slow down. It might mean she would lose the delivery van, but she couldn't risk hitting a pile of gravel and flipping the car. The accident itself would not kill her, but if she didn't reach Ceralin and this new mysterious woman Kathrine, she would die.

The tingling progressed into full-on cramping in both calves then proceeded up her legs to her thighs. This was going to be a big one. The cramps continued up to her abdomen then into her shoulders. She held on tightly to the steering wheel as the pain reached her neck. Hailey clenched her teeth and involuntarily looked at the roof of the car. The scream through her closed mouth echoed through the sedan. Then as quickly as it began, it stopped.

"It's not so bad yet. You can do this, Hailey," she encouraged herself. "Shit!" Hailey exclaimed as she realized she had indeed lost the delivery van.

She smirked a little as she realized the delivery van was still leaving a cloud of dust in its wake.

"Hailey Raine," she laughed.

She wondered how many people had actually believed that was her name. Such an American name didn't suit her looks in the slightest, and the obvious play on words was hardly a real name. She had been in a hurry, and it had been raining when someone asked her name, so out it came, Hailey Raine. Despite this, she liked her new name better than many of the more normal sounding names she had claimed over the years. Hailey was short with long dark brown hair. She liked the way it curled softly and naturally, this meant she almost never needed a stylist. She thought that it should be obvious to anyone that she was from Egypt. Perhaps it was her arrogance or the pride she had for the country of her birth that made her feel this way. Despite this, no one had ever questioned Hailey Raine. Perhaps they thought her parents raised her in America, so they gave her an American name? Little did they know that Castriana, Daughter of Abaddon, was born a street beggar in Egypt, 242 B.C. Her mother died at an early age, and Castriana was bought as a slave for a traveling merchant before she was ten years old.

The merchant wasn't a kind man, but as she grew older she realized that the occasional beatings for not following directions was nothing compared to what some of the other slave girls had to endure. The man never touched her sexually, and she still had all her fingers and toes. She considered herself lucky when she was old enough to realize what kind of man she could have ended up with. In fact, if it wasn't for this merchant, she would have never met her brother and become like a god to the people that worshipped her. This also meant that if she had not met this merchant, she would not be a vampire. Fate was a double-edged sword, the very kindness that she was shown in a master, ultimately led her to becoming a monster.

Hailey snapped herself out of her dreaming just in time to swerve the car back onto the road. She despised what she had become. She knew of only two vampires who had ever given up blood and lived, Ceralin and Paul. She had gone to Paul first because, truthfully, he was easier to find. She feared Paul, everyone feared Paul, vampire and Asuune alike, but she had no choice. She was surprised when Paul actually treated her with kindness and compassion. He realized she was trying to quit blood before she even spoke a word, it was almost like he knew she was coming. He told her that his situation kept him from helping her but that Ceralin would help. She only needed to convince his Kathrine that she was worthy of saving. She pondered this for a second, he had actually used the words 'My Kathrine'? She wasn't quite sure how to take that. Did it mean his friend, his servant? Did Paul actually find his one? That would be the icing on the cake to her miserable existence. The most feared man in the Asuune world found his one before she did.

The tingling in Hailey's legs started again. She thanked God that it did. She had apparently shut her eyes while she was thinking. It was getting harder to stay awake and very difficult to concentrate on the road. When the convulsions stopped, Hailey sped up. She needed to get closer to the delivery van, if she lost it, she would be dead. Hailey swerved quickly as she saw a man in a trench coat standing by the side of the road. She couldn't see his face because of the hood he wore, but she had nearly hit him.

"What kind of idiot wears a coat in this weather? Why was he standing in the middle of nowhere?" Hailey thought this to herself then quickly forgot the man, she needed to catch that truck.

Giving up blood was very much like giving up a highly addictive narcotic. The withdrawals were horrible, but the worst part was that your body would eventually shut down and even an Asuune could die if their body refused to live. Ceralin and Paul had managed to survive it somehow, but it probably wasn't a simple fix since Paul had sent her to Ceralin instead of just telling her how to do it. Hailey cursed herself again. She had been given every opportunity, every free pass in life, and what did she do with it? She had thrown it all away in the pursuit of blood.

Hailey's arms began to shake, she could smell the man in the car. She needed blood, her body needed it. Why was she chasing this truck? Ceralin wouldn't help her. Ceralin hated her and for good reason. Why was she doing this? The faint smell of the man's blood was hypnotic in its insistence. She could turn around now and go back to that small town she had passed an hour ago. There were humans there.

The convulsions started again. This time Hailey nearly broke the steering wheel off as she saw the delivery truck fifteen feet in front of her. She had been daydreaming again, and the truck had pulled into a gas station at a small town. She had instinctively swerved to follow it, not realizing that he was at a dead stop. Her legs were frozen and refused to hit the brakes, so she hit the van at nearly forty miles an hour.

# Chapter 24

Kathrine sat at the counter reading her magazine. It had been two weeks since she had escaped the vampires that were with Paul. Sarah and Agnus had trained her as often as possible, but Kathrine still felt like it wasn't enough. Sure she could best Agnus and Sarah, but they were predictable. Only after several lessons was Kathrine able to beat them. Vampires would not be so easy.

Since Kathrine had so much training to do, she was given the boring job of manning the register at the one gas station for the town. Kathrine had asked why a town that didn't allow cars even had a gas station, but Sarah just smiled at her and said 'We get deliveries here all the time. Trucks need gas.' Kathrine reluctantly accepted her assignment but still thought she could be doing more than just manning an empty station.

This job gave Kathrine an abundance of time to read and an overabundance of time to be annoyed by her constant thoughts of Paul. It wasn't that Kathrine disliked thinking of Paul. He was an absolutely gorgeous man. The problem was, the more she thought of him, the more she wanted to be near him, and she knew she wasn't ready for that. She wasn't physically strong enough or fast enough to help Paul defeat his father. By going to Paul now, she would only put her true love in more danger.

Sitting alone with nothing to do was giving her way too much time to think about Paul. She felt like she was going mad. Why had Sarah given her such a boring job? There was nothing here to keep her mind off Paul. Now, not only was she intellectually frustrated, she was also sexually frustrated. She swore to herself that if she didn't get some kind of release soon, she would be forced to have sex with the next guy she met.

Kathrine laughed at this notion, she knew damn well that she had lost interest in any man but Paul. As much as it might help her frustrations, she doubted she could actually have sex with anyone else now. She also doubted that she was attractive enough to get a man. She'd had sex with a few men while in college, but it was generally unsatisfying, and the men never called her back. Kathrine had come to believe that she was an 'anywhere in a storm' type of girl. The one guys would hit on when all the pretty girls were taken.

Then Kathrine's mind went back to the questions that really bothered her. Did Paul even feel the same way? She wasn't that good looking. Maybe Paul had taken one look at her and said 'Nope, not gonna fall for that one'. That would be just her luck. She found her one, and he didn't want her back. He hadn't made any advances while she could barely keep from kissing the gorgeous man. He had shown no real interest in her at all. She had last seen him over two weeks ago, and he had not even put in enough effort to send her a secret message or anything. Maybe she was fooling herself. Why would a man like Paul want her?

"Here comes a truck," Kathrine said to herself. She needed to quit thinking this way. It wasn't productive. She needed to train and get better to stop the fallen angels from destroying humanity, Paul or no Paul.

Kathrine opened the door and begrudgingly walked out to the pump as the driver got out. She pushed her brunette hair out of her eyes as the wind caught it. How she wished she'd been born with blonde hair like her mother. Blondes just looked prettier in her opinion. Her grey eyes looked curiously at the truck, trying to figure out which driver it was. Why did she have to be born with grey eyes? They were so uninteresting. Sarah's eyes were the most beautiful shade of green, and they contrasted her lovely red hair perfectly. Hell, she would even rather be a redhead than this boring brunette with grey eyes. No wonder Paul hadn't made any effort to contact her, she even looked boring.

"Hi, Kathrine," the older man said as he walked by. "Got anything good for snacks?"

"Yeah, shipment came in yesterday. You get first pick, George," Kathrine responded in her usual kind tone. She liked George, he was in his mid-seventies, she guessed, but as chipper as a kid. "Oh, and..."

Before Kathrine could even comprehend what was happening, a brown sedan hit the delivery truck full force. The impact sent Kathrine flying backward, sliding across the cement. After a moment, Kathrine forced herself to stand. The impact hadn't really hurt her, she was much tougher than when she was just a Nephilim. A few bumps and bruises were not enough to keep Kathrine down for long.

"Is she alive?" Kathrine asked, more to herself than George. George was apparently just as stunned that Kathrine wasn't hurt as he was surprised that a car had come out of nowhere and pulverized his van.

"Yeah, she's getting out," George finally managed to respond.

"Must be one of us, no human could walk away from a crash like that," Kathrine said, this time talking to George. George wasn't Asuune, he was just a simple human, but he was aware of what an Asuune was and that Kathrine was one of them.

The car wasn't in such bad shape, but the driver had smashed her head through the window, and there was very little blood. A human would have been bleeding everywhere and unable to open the car door.

"I need to find Kathrine," Hailey said as she started convulsing the moment she was clear of the car. She grabbed Kathrine's shirt and nearly tore it off as she fell to the ground.

Kathrine bent down and lifted Hailey's head.

"My name is Kathrine," she said kindly.

"I'm Hailey. Are you Paul's Kathrine?" Hailey asked wearily.

Paul's Kathrine?! The phrase sparked happiness and resentment all at once. Who was he to claim her? She hadn't spoken more than a few minutes to the man. She, of course, had wanted to do much more than speak, but how did he even know that? Paul, however, was aware of her and he somehow knew her name, this made Kathrine happy. It also made her stomach do flips, and she was immediately angry with her body for betraying her so quickly. She wanted to be angry with him, it would make the longing to be with him easier.

"Yes," Kathrine replied.

"Please..." Hailey was cut off.

Kathrine heard her first. Sarah was sprinting across the grass to the gas station. Her sprinting got faster as she saw the woman lying beside Kathrine. Then Kathrine heard a sword being unsheathed and when she turned, Sarah was charging at the woman.

"LEAVE MY DAUGHTER ALONE! DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HER, CASTRIANA!" Sarah was livid.

Kathrine was stunned. She had never seen Sarah so angry, and she was scary. Her fangs were out, and she almost looked evil. She hated the woman in front of Kathrine. Not hate, that word wasn't strong enough for how Sarah was reacting. She loathed this woman. And had Sarah just referred to her as daughter?

Agnus chased after Sarah trying to calm her, but there was no way Agnus was going to keep up or even stand a chance of stopping her. Kathrine wasn't sure what to do, this woman, however evil, had a message from Paul. Kathrine stepped between Sarah and the woman just as Sarah reached her.

"Move Kathrine! She's evil!" Sarah tried to sidestep, but Kathrine wouldn't let her pass.

"Stop, Sarah!" Kathrine tried to reason with her, but she just wouldn't listen. Kathrine got angry, no one was going to kill this woman until she found out what she had to do with Paul. "Mom! Stop!" Sarah stood there, staring at Kathrine. She had no words for what was going through her mind. "She has a message from Paul!"

Sarah stood there, staring at Kathrine. Was she that shocked that Kathrine had called her mom? It wasn't that shocking. Sarah had referred to her as daughter. Then Kathrine realized it wasn't just the _mom_ thing. Kathrine was so frantic to save this woman that her fangs had come out. She could taste the blood on her lips where her fangs had cut into them. When Kathrine raised her hands, she realized that she had claws coming out instead of fingernails.

Hailey sat up, the convulsions had stopped for the moment. She brushed her once beautiful hair out of her eyes and looked at Sarah. The woman looked a mess. Her hair had the consistency of straw and was nearly the color of it. Her face was pale and stuck to her bones like plastic wrap, and she was drenched in sweat.

"Ceralin please, you are the only one who can help me," Hailey said as she winced and gritted her teeth. Another convulsion started, and she was thrown on her back.

"I think it's withdrawals," Agnus said, finally arriving. "I've read about it. Kathrine!?" Agnus also had no words when she saw Kathrine.

"It is withdrawals," Sarah announced. She bent down and put her hand behind Hailey's head. "You're lucky Kathrine found you first!" Then she stood up and let Hailey's head hit the ground hard. "She isn't even very far along yet, she can still speak."

Kathrine had never seen this side of Sarah, Sarah would have killed this woman. Whatever this woman did was very bad.

"She doesn't smell evil," Kathrine added, hoping to convince Sarah to help.

"You might not be able to smell it, but she's evil." Sarah started walking off. She wanted nothing to do with this, and she wasn't helping this woman.

"What do I do with her?" Agnus asked.

"Put her in one of the cages and let her suffer it out," Sarah snapped and continued walking.

"She'll die! She has information!" Kathrine pleaded.

"Fine, I'll come by in an hour or two when I cool off. She'll live til then." Sarah loathed this woman, but she would help her if it made Kathrine happy.

"You need to talk to Sarah about this," Agnus said, waving her hand at Kathrine's hands and face. "Grab her and follow me."

# Chapter 25

It was almost three hours before Sarah finally arrived. Hailey was in and out of consciousness for most of the time. She spoke only a few words here and there, but none of them made any sense.

The cell Hailey was in was made for Asuune. It had six inch thick bars, the floor and ceiling also looked like they were made of thick steel. The metal of the ceiling was topped with a large slab of cement that went down around the back side. It also looked like the bars in back were halfway inside the cement wall. This was a formidable prison, Kathrine doubted anyone could get out of there, maybe Sarah, but then again maybe not even her.

"First step," Sarah announced as she brought a glass of a sick smelling liquid to the woman.

"What is that?!" Kathrine exclaimed. To her surprise, no one had even winced at the smell but her.

"It's human blood mixed with cow's blood," Agnus replied.

"Human blood? Man, it smells like sewage." Kathrine held her nose.

"Only to you, sweetie," Sarah said kindly. Her face turned cruel again as she looked at Hailey and thrust the glass at her. "Drink this, you can't go cold turkey, it will kill you. Kathrine doesn't want you dead yet." Sarah looked scary, her fangs weren't visible this time, but she still looked like she would rather kill this woman than help her.

Hailey drank it quickly, and her muscles seemed to relax.

"Elyon is in America. He is looking for me, and he is helping Azazel." Hailey fell backward on the floor after delivering her message.

Sarah paced angrily and threw the cup over toward the sink. The cup shattered against the wall, and glass flew everywhere.

"Sorry, Agnus, I'm not sure what I'm doing," Sarah apologized.

"It's ok, I'll clean it up. You need to talk to Kathrine." Agnus quickly walked over to the sink and started picking up the shards of blood covered glass.

"Talk about what?" Kathrine asked.

"Castriana will be out for hours. I will need to slowly wean her off the blood and start substituting it for animal blood until she can eventually quit. This will take weeks, the first of which she will barely be awake. You aren't going to get any answers from her for a while, but I think I know what her message was." Sarah was calming down.

"Tell me, please," Kathrine begged.

"Tell her, Sarah," Agnus pushed.

"Fine," Sarah said, annoyed. "Elyon is another old Asuune, Abaddon's son. Twice as smart as Sariel, and one hundred times more cruel. He had no interest in this war. He kept to his tiny world where he could torture humans without anyone bothering him. If he is in America, and with Azazel, then something has changed."

"But if he is with Azazel..." Kathrine didn't want to finish the sentence.

"Don't worry about Paul. Paul can handle Elyon." Sarah laughed.

Was her Paul really that strong? Was he really that dangerous? And now she was doing it .'Her Paul'! Damn him! That man was nothing but a giant frustration! She wanted to be angry at him, but her body betrayed her again. Even the mention of his name made her body warm. It made her spine tingle, as well as other places. She wished that her body would stop wanting him so much, but it _really_ wanted Paul.

"Worry about us. If Elyon is here, then Azazel is ramping things up." Sarah sounded worried, but all Kathrine could feel was relief. If Azazel was ramping things up, then Paul would soon be free.

"Tell her the rest," Agnus urged.

"Fine!" Sarah was even more annoyed now. "Elyon slaughtered our family. The ones that didn't follow their plans for the subjugation of humans, he killed them. And that bitch, helped him do it!" Sarah's anger was returning, then as if a switch was flipped in her head, she turned back into Sarah. "Sorry Agnus, I didn't mean to."

"I understand, Sarah. Keep going." Agnus prodded.

"Elyon and Castriana killed Agnus's husband and child. They would have killed her too, but I showed up just in time." Sarah clenched her fists.

"Then why aren't you as angry as Sarah?" Kathrine asked, looking at Agnus.

"What good would it do? And it was just Elyon, Castriana wasn't there," Agnus replied calmly. Kathrine was shocked at how well Agnus was taking this. For sisters, Sarah and Agnus were nothing alike.

"She helped him plan it, helped him find you. How can you just forgive her like that?!" Sarah was now a little annoyed at Agnus.

"Don't you go telling me who I can and can't be angry with! SHE WASN'T THERE!" Agnus snapped back as she stood to face her sister.

There was the resemblance, Kathrine thought to herself. Apparently Agnus just didn't blame Hailey, not that she liked Hailey, she just didn't see it as Hailey's fault. Also, yelling was the only way to get through to Sarah sometimes.

"So, what can I do?" Kathrine asked. She felt that Hailey was now her responsibility.

"I can handle it." Agnus glared at Sarah. "I found a book on how to slowly remove the human blood."

"I don't think you know what you're doing with this. I don't mean to be rude, but a book can't prepare..." Sarah started

"I can handle it!" Agnus growled.

Sarah stomped off toward the door. Agnus snuck a smile at Kathrine to let her know she wasn't really mad at anyone.

"Fine, if you need my help, let me know," Sarah said defeated, then walked out. Sarah wasn't scared of Agnus, not in the least. She was scared of hurting Agnus, she was her last sister. The last sister she actually cared about. The last sister that wasn't dead or a vampire. Sarah would never be able to live with herself if she ever hurt Agnus.

"So, what can I do?" Kathrine asked again.

"You can go talk with Sarah about what you are," Agnus smirked.

"But..." Kathrine started, but as soon as Agnus glared at her, she knew she was defeated as well. "Fine." Kathrine mimicked Sarah and stormed out, only Kathrine's was for show, and Sarah's had not been.

# Chapter 26

Kathrine followed Sarah to her house and got there just as Sarah was venting to Mark. Sarah couldn't take out her frustrations on Agnus, so Mark was a good verbal punching bag. Kathrine wasn't worried because as much as Sarah would not hurt Agnus, she could not hurt Mark. Sarah loved Mark above everyone else, Kathrine doubted she was able to hurt Mark. Although physically, she probably could, her love for him was so strong that Sarah's own body might just fight against her if she tried. Kind of like the way Kathrine's body refused to hate Paul.

"Your dad said you had big fangs. I should have figured this out a while ago. I did have my suspicions though, and your dad isn't a Versi, so I wasn't sure," Sarah explained as she noticed Kathrine walking in the door. Mark looked relieved, Sarah may not have been hurting him, but verbally he was getting the beating of his life.

"What's a Versi?" Kathrine asked.

"Versipellis, it's Latin for skin turner, it means you're an animal type of Asuune," Sarah replied.

"I'm a werewolf? What the hell?!" Kathrine exclaimed.

"You're not a werewolf. A werewolf is a Versi that drinks human blood. Kinda like a vampire but more vicious. And you're not even canine, you're feline," Sarah explained.

"I'm a cat?!" Kathrine was shocked. How was she a cat and her dad was, well, whatever he was, he was not a cat.

"You are even more special," Sarah mused. "There are very few feline Versi. I've met two in my entire life other than you. Let's put it this way. One in a hundred Asuune are Versi and out of those, one in a hundred are a feline Versi."

"Paul?" Kathrine hoped.

"No, he's not Versi," Sarah said. She could see the disappointment on Kathrine's face.

"It's ok, normals and Versi can still be together," Sarah assured her, but Kathrine wasn't quite sure she wanted to be with Paul. As she thought this, her body disagreed, her body _really_ wanted Paul. The mere mention of his name and her body was full of desire.

"How is dad not Versi then?" Kathrine asked, not quite sure she was used to that word.

"Your dad is umm...different," Sarah explained. "His fangs are really small, and he really doesn't fit in with any type of Asuune I've ever known. Probably because of who his dad is. He's very unique." Sarah popped her fangs out for effect, and Kathrine could see the difference. Her dad's fangs were a lot smaller than Sarah's.

Mark looked self-conscious with them talking about his small fangs. Sarah noticed and turned to him.

"Don't worry, you more than make up for it in other places," Sarah smiled, and Mark blushed.

"Ewww!" Kathrine yelled at once. "I'm seriously gonna need therapy guys." Kathrine wasn't actually upset with them, she thought it was cute how good they were together. She just didn't want mental pictures of them having sex, nor how big her dad's manhood was.

"I'll stop," Sarah relented.

"Before I go, I want to talk to you about the _daughter_ incident," Kathrine smirked. She loved to tease Sarah about anything. She'd never met anyone who could take it so well, it was sort of their thing.

Sarah looked nervously at Mark, and Kathrine wasn't sure if she realized that it was a joke. Then Kathrine had a devious idea. With a little finesse, she might be able to turn this to her advantage as well as Sarah's.

"I was upset, I didn't mean to say it. It just kinda came out." Sarah looked like she was asking Mark for forgiveness, but he had no idea what they were talking about.

"You see, Sarah was yelling at this girl. What exactly did you say, Sarah?" Kathrine was enjoying her payback, and Sarah would understand the reason behind it shortly.

"I said get your hands off my daughter or something like that," Sarah mumbled.

"I'm not quite sure he heard you," Kathrine teased. Teasing Sarah was just too much fun, she wanted to drag this out.

"I heard her," Mark said, coming to her rescue. "Did that bother you?" Mark asked. He clearly didn't understand that Kathrine was just teasing Sarah.

"No, it didn't bother me. You're missing the point, dad." Now Sarah looked just as lost as Mark. Kathrine had hoped for some backup, but she was on her own.

"Then what was the point?" Mark asked. He was always so calm when he talked to Kathrine. How was she supposed to get upset with him? She loved him dearly, but he never seemed to get upset about anything.

"The point is, mom is dead. She's been dead for seven years." Tears formed in the corners of Kathrine's eyes. She still couldn't help crying a little when she talked about her mom. "You and Sarah, well, Sarah is like mom. I'm not saying this well am I?"

"Keep going, honey," Sarah encouraged, she now completely understood where Kathrine was going with this, and she liked it!

Kathrine noticed that Sarah was wearing the necklace that she had given her, and still her dad had not asked Sarah to marry him. At least not that Kathrine knew of. She was sure Sarah would have been jumping for joy and told her the second he proposed.

"Well, you know how I said you always had two wives?" Kathrine asked.

"Yes, you told me that," Mark replied.

"Well...I've always had two moms." Kathrine gave a caring smile to Sarah. Sarah's response was shock, but she appreciated what Kathrine was saying. "So..." Kathrine hinted.

"So?" Mark asked.

"Oh, geez, dad. Sometimes you're so dense. But only when it comes to one of your wives. I'm not calling you dumb, you're not dumb. You are just clueless when it comes to mom and Sarah." Kathrine was frustrated.

"So, what are you saying?" Mark asked.

"I sorta want to call Sarah mom too," Kathrine said shyly.

"That is a choice for you, honey," Mark said sincerely. He had no idea what Kathrine was getting at, and she was getting more frustrated by the second. Why were men so infuriating?

"Fuck, Dad! Just ask her to marry you already! I want a real family again!" Kathrine yelled exasperated at the utter cluelessness of her father.

Mark was dumbfounded. He turned and looked at Sarah as if he was asking permission. Sarah clasped her hands in front of her and extended her arms. She looked like a child, but this expression Mark understood. This was her 'please' expression. Mark reached into his pocket and fumbled around until he pulled out a small black box.

"I was waiting for the right moment..." Mark started

"YES!" Sarah yelled and snatched the ring out of his hand before jumping into his arms. Mark was surprised but caught her. "I'm sorry, did you want to ask me something?" Sarah grinned, sitting in Mark's arms.

"I think you got it," Mark smiled as he set her back on her feet and gave her a huge hug.

"Finally!" Kathrine exclaimed. "And I'm good with you referring to me as your daughter. I'll probably call you mom once in a while."

"Ok, daughter," Sarah smiled. An airplane could fall from the sky, crushing their house, and Sarah would still be grinning ear to ear. It made Kathrine sad and happy at the same time. Her mom was dead, but she still had Sarah. Kathrine still had one mom left, she would make damn sure nothing happened to this one!

"I should have known what you were when you were ten." Sarah looked like she was remembering something very embarrassing, and Kathrine knew exactly what it was. Sarah was going to get her back now.

"The time you cooked the goldfish?" Mark chimed in. How could her father be so clueless one second, then have a memory like a steel trap the next? It had to be something about Sarah.

"Yes," Kathrine said, looking at the ground. "I wanted to see if they tasted like fish sticks," Kathrine whined.

"Well, did they?" Sarah asked, she knew the answer, but Kathrine needed some teasing.

"No," Kathrine pouted.

Sarah and Mark both laughed and Kathrine pretended to be embarrassed. Truthfully, Kathrine also thought this story was amusing. She was a cat Versi and wanted to eat her goldfish, how stereotypical. If she'd only known back then.

"So would you stay for supper?" Sarah asked.

"I suppose," Kathrine replied, still pouting. "As long as it's not fish."

Sarah and Mark both laughed.

Kathrine had been over for supper nearly every night since she had moved in next door. Not that she minded, she just felt like she was intruding. Sarah and her dad needed alone time. Now that they were officially engaged though, maybe she wouldn't feel so guilty. They were going to have each other forever, they could spare her an hour or two each night.

# Chapter 27

Kathrine slumped in her seat beside Hailey at the gas station. Hailey was preoccupied reading a book. Sarah had wanted to kick Hailey out of the settlement the moment she was no longer in danger of dying, but Kathrine insisted that she be allowed to stay. Kathrine wanted to find out anything that Hailey knew about Paul and about Elyon. This woman, however dangerous or ill-intentioned, had information.

"What?" Hailey asked, annoyed.

"I was just wondering what Paul said to you," Kathrine smirked. "Also, I noticed you look very pretty. Now that you're not a vampire, I mean."

Hailey's face turned red, and she looked out the window as she spoke. Had Kathrine embarrassed her? Was she angry? It was hard to tell, Hailey acted very strange. She hadn't known this woman long, but there was something strange about the way Hailey acted around her.

"I think his exact words were. 'Find my Kathrine and tell her to help you. She will convince Ceralin. Also, tell her that I could use her help when she has time," Hailey snarled.

"Hmm," Kathrine replied. 'His Kathrine', geez, why did those words tie her stomach in knots? They were just words. He had made no effort to contact her, yet the mention of his name still sent tingles up her spine every time. Paul was becoming an even bigger frustration each day, and each day, it leaned more toward sexual frustration.

"I could use her help?" Kathrine asked, trying to get Hailey to turn back around. "That's pretty vague." What was Hailey so embarrassed about? She seemed very shifty. Maybe she was a bad liar and was trying to hide her face.

"That's what he said," Hailey said as she turned to face Kathrine. She didn't look like she was lying, but something strange was going on.

"So, I noticed that you're a Versi. When you were really hurting, your fangs came out," Kathrine said. She was trying to get Hailey to talk about herself. She wanted to know more about her. If this was all an elaborate plan to get her away from the settlement, maybe she could find holes in Hailey's story.

"Yes, a wolf, like my brother," Hailey stated. She didn't seem like she was trying to bait Kathrine into anything. In fact, getting any information from Hailey was like pulling teeth. What kind of evil plot relies on the person doing the deceiving to be nearly silent?

"You think Paul needs help with Elyon?" Kathrine asked, still trying to get Hailey to give up some kind of information.

"You don't really know Paul do you?" Hailey asked in reply.

What kind of question was that? She would like to know Paul. Her body would also love to _know_ Paul. Since she had only talked to him twice and both added up to less than five minutes, it was rather hard to really know anything about the man except that she really wanted him.

"Nope," Kathrine replied. She didn't want to go into details. Her rambling about her frustrations would not help her find out any information from Hailey.

"Well, I doubt Paul needs help with Elyon," Hailey smirked. Apparently Hailey did know Paul, and suddenly Kathrine was envious. "Paul is more powerful than Sarah. And my brother isn't dumb enough to fight Paul. Unless..." Hailey suddenly stopped and looked deep in thought. The suspense was killing Kathrine.

"What?!" Kathrine almost yelled.

"If he had others on his side. If it wasn't just Paul and Elyon. Or if Azazel wanted Paul dead for some reason. Then Paul might be in trouble." Hailey looked serious about this. Kathrine was starting to worry when she realized that this is exactly how someone would lead her into a trap. Subtly suggest that Paul might need help. Keep withholding information so that Kathrine would think it was her idea to leave. That was the kind of evil plot that required the deceiver to be silent. She could be telling the truth, or she could be setting the bait very carefully. Sarah had said that Hailey was evil, maybe she was also very good at deception.

"I've been thinking," Kathrine started. "I need to find out what's going on. If Paul wants my help, then it must be serious. What do you think?" Kathrine was trying to gauge Hailey's response to this. If Kathrine was walking into a trap, she was going to do it with her eyes wide open.

"Maybe, but Sarah would never let you leave," Hailey replied.

"I can find a way around that. There are deliveries here at least once a week. We just climb into one of the trucks and get somewhere that I can rent a car." Kathrine was setting up some bait of her own.

"Umm...ok," Hailey agreed. "I could use some time away from Sarah. Actually everyone here hates me I think. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate what Sarah and Agnus did for me. I just feel like I'm unwanted."

Well, Sarah had wanted to kick her out, and for once Agnus agreed with Sarah so that part was the truth. This all seemed too coincidental though, and Kathrine just couldn't shake the feeling that Hailey was hiding something. This might be the best way to find out without endangering everyone else.

"I'll pack some stuff and tomorrow during our shift there should be a truck. We'll just sneak into the back after he fuels up and we'll be off, ok?" Kathrine asked.

"Ok, I won't say a word," Hailey replied. Truthfully, who was she going to tell? She only spoke to Kathrine, and Agnus and Agnus didn't like her.

That night Kathrine had supper with Sarah and her dad. She struggled with whether or not she should tell them what she was doing but, in the end, she decided she should. She was a grown woman who knew what she was getting into. She wanted them to trust her and also if they knew, they could give her some backup if she needed it.

"Guys," Kathrine began. "I am going to sneak out of the settlement tomorrow with Hailey. She told me that Paul could use some help. Since Elyon is there or on his way, I'm thinking it has something to do with him. What do you think?"

"What? Hell no!" Mark replied.

"Wait, think about it for a second before you go telling her what to do. She is a grown woman, Mark," Sarah said. She didn't often disagree with Mark, this was shocking.

"I'm pretty sure that she's up to something. She's hiding something. Maybe I can figure out what's going on without actually having to face Elyon. Maybe get some information on him and what's going on there," Kathrine explained.

"Look what happened last time." Mark still sounded upset.

"Yes, let's look at what happened last time." Sarah seemed to actually be upset with Mark. This was unheard of, at least recently. "She met with Paul, found out that vampires are weak to a solution of holy water and silver dust when mixed. She found out that the vampires are now using guns provided by Azazel and that Paul is a spy on our side. Anything else?" Sarah looked snidely at her future husband.

Mark just stood there with his mouth open. She was right, he was being overprotective, and he knew it.

"I did get shot four times and drowned, but all in all I think we came out ahead," Kathrine smiled.

"But you almost died," Mark stated. It was his only argument, and his tone suggested that he knew he was losing this.

"Not really, she got pretty beat up. And yes, I was upset about the deceiving us part, but she is coming out and telling us her plan this time. She is doing this the right way. I, for one, would rather know what she's doing in case she needs help. She is a Versi who wants to get in this fight. Paul is there and may be in danger. I'm proud of her for thinking this through instead of just leaving. You will call if you need help, right?" Sarah asked, turning back to Kathrine.

"Of course, I'll even text you with what's going on or call if you want," Kathrine replied.

"Yes, please let us know what's going on. We'll be there as soon as we can, if you need help," Sarah assured her.

"I guess I don't get much say in this?" Mark asked.

"Nope," Sarah and Kathrine said in unison.

"I'm not a little kid anymore. I need to learn about this stuff or I could die. You can't protect me every minute of the day, dad." Kathrine looked kindly on her dad. She wasn't angry with him; she loved him very much.

"Yes, you and Sarah are right. I still want to treat you like a kid, and I'm sorry," Mark apologized.

"Hey, that's not always a bad thing. I like being your little girl," Kathrine replied as she hugged him.

"Be safe," Sarah said when it was her turn for a hug.

"One more thing," Sarah said quietly as she walked Kathrine to the door. She waited until Mark was out of earshot to finish. "Don't have sex with him until you are ready to be with him full time."

"What?" Kathrine was appalled that Sarah just assumed she would have sex with Paul. Her stomach started doing flips again. Why was her body never on her side?

"If he is your one, believe me, you will want to, but don't. You won't be able to stay away and neither will he," Sarah explained.

"Umm...what?" Kathrine couldn't believe the words coming out of Sarah's mouth. She was a little embarrassed, but this thought had crossed her mind a time or two. She really wanted Paul, if given the chance, she would take it.

"It will complete your bonding, and it will get very difficult to stay apart. Why do you think I let Charles take over the recruiting? It's probably gonna be a year or so before your dad, and I can be apart and not go crazy," Sarah said.

"Umm...ok, I won't," Kathrine conceded as she left. It was a strange conversation, but she guessed that Sarah was serious. Kathrine put this out of her mind and headed home to pack.

In the morning, Hailey was waiting at the gas station with a small bag. She hadn't brought much stuff with her, so Kathrine guessed that this was all she had. Kathrine, on the other hand, had packed light on purpose. She had enough money in her bank account to cover anything they might come across. In fact, when her parents 'died' they had left her their entire fortune. She had only used a little of it to pay for her college, other than that, it sat untouched.

"You ready?" Hailey asked as Kathrine walked into the station.

"Yep, he should be here in a little bit," Kathrine replied. "You look nice today." Kathrine was attempting to make small talk to pass the time, but Hailey seemed to get upset. Hailey stood up and started walking to one of the large windows and tried to appear as if she was watching for the truck.

"I still have urges when I smell humans. Please don't let me relapse. Smack me if you have to," Hailey said, trying to change the subject.

"If you insist," Kathrine joked.

The truck pulled up moments later, and a younger man got out. He was slightly overweight, a side effect of the job Kathrine thought. The man stepped out of his truck and started to pump the gas. Many times there was no attendant, and any of the regular drivers would just fill up then be on their way. They provided transport for the Asuune and worked for Sarah, so there was never any reason to pay for the gas. Each driver had a code to punch into the keypad of the gas pump, Kathrine being there to help them wasn't actually required.

Kathrine and Hailey snuck around the back of the distracted man then quickly hid behind the truck. When the man entered the station to use the bathroom, they lifted the door just enough to slide underneath then shut it quietly once they were inside. Within a few minutes, the driver had taken off for his next stop. Kathrine wasn't quite sure where this particular truck was going, but likely it was heading to another one of Sarah's stations or drop-offs. Bored with the silence and a little nervous, Kathrine decided that now would be a good time to test Hailey.

"So, you're from Egypt?" Kathrine asked.

"Yes, lived there most of my life until recently. Been hiding from my brother for the last two hundred years or so in America." Hailey looked calm. Talking about her homeland seemed to put her at ease, just what Kathrine had predicted.

"You don't have much of an accent, but I guess you've had two hundred years to practice. I'm still getting used to this living til the end of time thing. So strange," Kathrine trailed off. She hoped this might get Hailey to talk more and it worked.

"The first few hundred years it was an adventure, and I always had new things to do and see. The next hundred, I was depressed. Having run out of new things, I headed back home only to find my brother had enslaved the whole countryside. Some of the family names I had known as a child, were now slaves. These were wealthy families, the celebrities of that age. My brother had forced everyone into poverty except for himself and a few families that shared his goals. Until then, I had drank the blood as if it were just another wine, never realizing what had to happen to the humans that it came from. Maybe I did know but refused to accept it. I was naïve, like the teenager who goes to a fast food restaurant not realizing that their double cheeseburger was once a cow." Hailey seemed very passionate about this. It didn't seem like a lie.

"The years after that are a blur. First, I tried to resist my brother. He had an ingenious system of torture that ensured I would need him. He would lock me in a cage and refuse to give me blood. After the withdrawals started, he would give me enough blood to last another day, set me free then recapture me and start over. He did this for what must have been decades. Sometimes he would let me stay out of the cage for a few days but never longer. By the time he was done with me, I would have done anything to not feel that again, except kill. Even the torture was not enough to make me kill humans. One time I refused for so long that I nearly died before Elyon gave in. He broke my spirit, but he couldn't take that last bit of humanity from me." Hailey looked like she might cry.

"I'm not sure I would have been able to take it, I might have broke." Kathrine was trying to be supportive, but strangely it seemed to upset Hailey.

"Like that could even happen to you," Hailey laughed resentfully. "I saw the way you were sickened by the smell of blood. It never would have happened to you, because you're strong. I'm weak."

"You drove here while having withdrawals. That takes some strength, don't sell yourself short. And you did get away from your brother eventually." Again Hailey seemed to react badly to Kathrine. She looked down, so that Kathrine couldn't see her face.

"Thanks." Hailey didn't look up.

"So that means you were alive when Jesus was. Did you know him?" Kathrine asked, she had meant to ask Sarah this question as well, but it kept slipping her mind.

"Actually, no. Surprisingly, he wasn't that well known until after he died. Only the local people spoke with him, and he was very popular there. Outside of that little corner of the world, he was virtually unknown. The stories started coming in years after his death, and many of us made the trip to see where he was buried and speak to the people that knew him. Many of us were convinced that he was a hoax perpetrated by one of the fallen angels, but even the most apprehensive of us realized that he was the real thing eventually. The sermons and the teachings were too perfect to be a hoax. It was the son of God, and we missed him." Now Hailey looked really depressed. Kathrine's strategy had backfired. How was she to know that this was a touchy subject? Did all of the old Asuune feel this way? Barely missing the chance to meet Jesus would be a very upsetting ordeal.

The rest of their trip they spent mostly silent. Kathrine had failed to get Hailey to talk much, and it didn't seem like she could remedy this situation now.

# Chapter 28

Within a few hours, they reached the drivers next delivery and carefully snuck out of the truck. From there, Kathrine rented a car, and they headed toward Paul. Along the way, Hailey gave directions to the small town where one of her friends lived. Hailey said that her friend, John, was an expert on the vampires of the area. He had been the one who found her when she was trying to free herself from the blood. Hailey found it strange that this man lived only hours from where Paul was. This smelled like a setup.

When they arrived to pick up John, he wasn't alone. Apparently, Hailey wasn't happy to see the woman that John was with, although it was clear that the two didn't know each other. The woman, Kelly, was as short as Sarah and had curly strawberry blonde hair. She looked young, perhaps nineteen or so and had blue eyes. Kathrine looked at her with envy in the rearview mirror. She had often wished she was blonde like her mother. Somehow in her mind, blondes just looked more attractive. The woman had a fairly large chest for such a small woman, and again, Kathrine was envious. Who was she kidding? Why would Paul want her when he had choices like Kelly, Hailey, and Sarah? What man would choose her over any of those three?

John looked just as Hailey described. Blonde, handsome and tall. He was also just as arrogant and annoying as Hailey had said. If it wasn't for him talking, Kathrine thought she might actually be attracted to him, that is if it wasn't for Paul. It was stupid how much sway Paul had over her. She only wanted him now, and it was starting to get really annoying.

Moody Hailey, as Kathrine had begun to call her, came back as soon as the two joined them in the car. It was like Hailey had two personalities fighting for control. The switch was so abrupt that Kathrine began to refer to them as if they were two people. Moody Hailey was the one that sat looking at her lap or staring out a window when someone was talking to her. She avoided eye contact and generally appeared annoyed that the person dared speak to her. She much preferred the Nice Hailey. This half of Hailey was an interesting and nice person; someone Kathrine could be friends with. What had she gotten herself into? She almost felt like she could trust Nice Hailey, but whenever Moody Hailey came out, she knew that this would be a mistake. Perhaps Hailey had multiple personalities? This could explain a lot. Maybe Moody Hailey was setting a trap for Kathrine, and Nice Hailey knew nothing about it?

The rest of the way Hailey tried to ignore the conversations going on unless someone specifically asked her a question. Kathrine found it hard to hate Kelly; she was actually quite nice despite looking like some teenage wet dream come to life. By the time they reached the hotel Kathrine had booked for them, she was feeling easier around them. John was annoying but easy to get along with and Kelly was just as sweet as she looked.

As they walked up to the hotel, Kathrine saw the hooded man again. It was just for a second, but it had been him. Someone was following her. Although he was following her, he didn't seem to be dangerous. Was the hooded man even there? No one else had seen him, or at least didn't mention it. Maybe she was being paranoid or maybe, she hoped, it was Paul or someone hired by Paul to look after her. This made her happy; the hooded man had never done anything aggressive, he only watched.

"Now, for the bad news," Kathrine said as she returned with three hotel keys. "They had three rooms, and we now have four people. Sorry, Kelly, I didn't know you were coming. So, unless you and John are an item, someone is going to have to share."

"It's no problem, the two of us can share a room," Hailey said quickly.

"That works, I got a suite. It is my money, after all," Kathrine teased.

"Then it's settled," Kelly agreed as she took her key from Kathrine. "See you ladies in the morning and you too dork." Kelly smacked John on the back of the head as she walked by. She was so nice and fun that Kathrine began to feel guilty for wanting to hate her. She was impossible to hate, and that made her want to hate her even more.

"Yeah, yeah, see ya," John said, then took his key from Kathrine and went to his room.

"So," Hailey said as she grabbed the key from Kathrine. "We have no clothes and no food."

As soon as Kelly was gone Nice Hailey came back. Kathrine would have thought it was Kelly that was causing this split personality, but Moody Hailey had shown up way before they picked up Kelly. Kathrine was having fun for a change; nice Hailey was way more fun to be around. It had been a while since Kathrine actually had someone she could call a friend and she wanted to call Nice Hailey her friend.

"S'pose they are freaking out looking for us?" Hailey asked as she opened the door to their room.

"Yeah, I'm gonna send dad a text and tell them that you and I needed to blow off some steam. I'll say we're shopping and just having a vacation. That should keep them from tracking us down at least," Kathrine said as she rummaged through her purse for her phone. It was a small lie, more of an omission, but she still felt guilty telling this to Nice Hailey.

"That works," Hailey agreed.

While Kathrine was texting, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Hailey looking around the room. She seemed amazed and pleased by the room until she noticed the bed. Immediately Moody Hailey came back.

"One bed? I'll sleep on the couch," Hailey said as she stormed over to the couch.

"What? Why? That bed is enormous. We'll be fine," Kathrine assured her.

Hailey now looked very anxious.

"I guess. That couch does look pretty uncomfortable." Hailey walked over to the bed and took her shoes off before stiffly laying on it.

"You're gonna sleep in your clothes?" Kathrine asked. "I'm gonna take a shower first."

"You sleep nude?" Hailey said a little too loudly.

"No. Tee-shirt and underwear. I'll try not to take all the hot water," Kathrine snickered as she shut the door.

When Kathrine got out of the shower, Hailey was already sleeping. She figured Hailey was probably exhausted. Not only had she recently given up blood, but it had been a long trip. Kathrine got into bed, and before long, she was also asleep.

The next morning, after a discussion about how they were going to find Paul, it was clear that they needed John's help. The vampires and Paul had vacated the boat, according to Hailey. She had only found Paul after a lot of searching, and that had been by accident.

John and Kelly were down eating breakfast when Hailey and Kathrine found them. The two seemed to be quite good friends. Kathrine got the clear impression that neither was interested in the other romantically, more like childhood friends that annoy and pick on one another.

"So John," Kathrine said as she sat beside him. The two had gotten a table with four places; they had apparently been waiting for them.

"Yes, Kate?" John replied.

"Kathrine please, and I was wondering if you might know how we could find Paul?" Kathrine asked while stealing a piece of bacon from Kelly's plate. Kelly just smiled and pushed her plate closer to Kathrine. This girl was just too nice! Kathrine had hoped for a hint of possessiveness or even anger, something that would put a dent in this perfect woman.

"Sorry, Kathrine. I think I might know where we can start looking. There's a restaurant that the vampires like to hang out at. The important, higher up ones, like Paul," John began. Kathrine was tempted to defend Paul and tell them that he wasn't a vampire but thought it might be a bad idea to have that knowledge spreading around. "We could go, grab a bite to eat and see who shows up. What do ya say?"

"Sure, what time?" Kathrine asked.

"About eight or so and we'll need some _different_ clothes," John said meekly. Kathrine didn't like the sound of this.

"What do you mean different?" Hailey blurted out. Apparently she had been paying attention, even though she had sat with her face in her lap the whole time.

"Like fancy different. This place is really expensive. Oh! And we will need a reservation," John added.

"Well, then I guess we better get shopping. And I'll get us a reservation. I think I can handle it," Kathrine said with an eerie smile. No one bothered to ask her how she would get a reservation, they just took Kathrine at her word. Truthfully, she was still an FBI agent. With a few phone calls, she could convince the owner that she was on an official stakeout trying to find a wanted criminal. Heck, she could say she was chasing her dad, that should get her quite a ways. He was still the second most wanted man in America.

Within a few hours, they were in the restaurant. Kathrine had gotten them a last minute reservation at what turned out to be one of the best restaurants in town. John wore a tuxedo, and the three women all wore similar black dresses. Despite their similarity, Kathrine felt like the ugly duckling when standing next to the other two. Kelly filled out her dress perfectly, and Hailey looked like the Egyptian royalty that she was. Kathrine knew she looked like an FBI agent trying to fit in with cover models, and it was very depressing.

They were seated at the back of the large room. Kathrine had explained to the owner that she needed a good view of all the exits to catch the dangerous Mark Albet. She had laid it on thick, telling him that Mr. Albet was seen in this area three times in the last week and that she had noticed his alias popping up all over town. She didn't go into details about what the alias was, but assured the owner that she would try not to make a scene. The owner himself had met them at the table as soon as he heard that she was there.

"Ms. Elisman, I hope you find everything satisfactory," the overly stuffed man said nervously.

"Yes, and please call me Lyndsee. We don't want anyone getting the wrong idea about who I am," Kathrine winked. Even though Lyndsee Elisman was lost and presumed dead, this man had not bothered to contact the local field office to check her story.

"My, you ladies look ravishing. I expected...I mean to say..." the overstuffed man floundered.

"You expected grey pantsuits?" Kelly interjected.

"Well, yes, actually," the owner replied.

"We're undercover, and very good at our jobs," Kelly assured him.

Kathrine just stared at Kelly, beautiful, nice and now intelligent. Who was this woman? Every time Kathrine thought she could at least outshine her at something, the woman just one-upped her again. It was like competing with Sarah, no matter how good you were, she was just a little better.

"How old are you, Kelly?" Kathrine couldn't take it anymore, this woman had to be more than twenty, despite her looks.

"I'm one hundred and three," Kelly whispered as she leaned in. Kathrine's jaw nearly dropped onto the table. She expected thirty, maybe forty, but over one hundred? Was Kathrine the youngest Asuune in the whole world?

John saw the dumbfounded look on Kathrine's face and felt he had to help.

"I know, right? But what about you two? Seriously if you tell me you are older than her I'm gonna feel like a baby," John laughed.

"I'm umm...too old to talk about," Hailey mumbled while she tried to look preoccupied by the menu.

"She's over two thousand," Kathrine whispered to John. Hailey immediately slapped Kathrine on the arm.

"She's twenty-five," Hailey said, sticking out her tongue at Kathrine. Nice Hailey had made a surprise appearance, this made Kathrine smile.

"Well looks like you are joining me in the baby ranks," John said then realized he had forgotten to tell them his age. "Just turned twenty-two."

"You don't seem very old," Kathrine said gazing at Kelly. "I don't just mean your looks. You talk like a teenager."

Kelly just beamed like she had been waiting for someone to notice. She scooted up to the table excitedly.

"I've been staying with my great-granddaughter. It's been the most wonderful experience! She tells me about her boyfriends, her desire to become a doctor, and I get to learn all the latest catchphrases." Kelly looked like the happiest person in the world, then it hit Kathrine. She would never have children, grandchildren, or greatgrandchildren. She had given it up to save Sarah. She had given up a lot. Then she saw Sarah in her head. Without that silly redhead, there would be a huge empty spot in her life. It was worth what she gave up. "You seem lost in space." Apparently Kelly had noticed Kathrine's blank expression.

"I'm very happy for you," Kathrine said, trying to gloss over it.

"You don't have kids, do you? What am I saying, you're twenty-five. You're still a baby yourself. I wish I could say that you aren't missing anything, but I don't like to lie to my friends. I know why you gave it up. All of us should be so brave." Kelly looked sad for the first time since Kathrine had met her. How did she know about Sarah?

"How?" Kathrine asked.

"I hear things," Kelly said with a strange grin. There was more to this story, but the waiter had arrived so it would have to wait.

The four of them ordered and had started on their food before Kathrine smelled the first vampire come in.

"Oh, man. One just walked in," Kathrine warned them while covering her nose with her napkin. Strangely Kelly also covered her nose. Could she smell them?

"Yeah, I thought I smelled filth," Kelly agreed. Kelly could smell them!

"You..." Kathrine started, but before she could finish, Kelly slid her claws out along the table discreetly.

"Yes, I'm like you. Not as gifted as you, I can't smell evil, but I can smell the blood. One of them has just fed. What are the chances that two of the three felines would be in the same place?" Kelly snickered. There was a lot more going on with Kelly than Kathrine had originally thought. Kelly knew what she was and about Sarah. She knew everything about Kathrine, it seemed. The strange part was that Kelly wasn't hiding it. It seemed like she wanted Kathrine to know.

Kathrine didn't have time to ask. Right after the first important looking vampire, Azazel walked in, followed by Paul. Kathrine looked down; she really wanted to have that menu back now. Kelly reached over to the table beside them.

"Would you mind if we borrow a menu?" she asked politely. "My friend is not liking what she ordered and wants to try something else."

The nice couple gladly handed their extra menu to Kelly then went back to their conversation about what they should try this time.

"This what you're looking for?" Kelly asked with a grin.

Was she that transparent, or was Kelly just that smart?

"Thank you," Kathrine replied, then buried her nose in the menu while peering over the edge. Kelly had taken a compact out of her purse and was using it to spy on the trio that had just walked in.

The new vampire looked very sure of himself. He was a large man, not Charles large, but easily bigger than Paul. He had dark black hair and dark skin. Kathrine recognized the similarities between him and Hailey. She turned to ask Hailey if he was Elyon, but Hailey was getting up. She turned her face away from them and was apparently heading to the bathroom.

"He can't see me. He will kill everyone in here if he thinks he can get me back home," Hailey said urgently.

Kathrine's question was answered, and then some. She quickly got up and put herself between Hailey and the three then headed to the bathroom with her back turned on them. While walking to the bathroom, she realized that she had known they were there before she smelled the vampire. She had felt Paul getting closer somehow. Did he also feel her? He hadn't looked around, at least Kathrine hadn't seen him do it, maybe it was just her.

Once in the bathroom, Hailey sighed with relief as she leaned against the sink.

"I didn't think he would be here so soon." Hailey looked like she was sweating buckets. Maybe she was telling the truth about her brother. This reaction would be hard to fake.

"So, that is Elyon?" Kathrine asked.

"Yes, and he's not a vampire." Hailey looked worried, and for the first time in days, she looked Kathrine in the eyes. "He's Versi."

"Yes, I knew that," Kathrine said to herself as much as to Hailey.

"We need to get out of here. I wasn't expecting all of them to be here. I'll head out the back; you go get Kelly and John. We'll meet one block down, to the north. Sound good?" Hailey asked. She was still a nervous wreck. It was probably a good idea for her to leave now.

"Ok, meet you there in say, ten?" Kathrine asked, but Hailey was already heading to the back door. The cooks tried to tell her she couldn't leave that way, but Hailey just pushed them out of the way like they were nothing.

Once Hailey was gone Kathrine headed back to the table only to find that Kelly and John were missing. Paul was also missing from the table with Elyon and Azazel. What had happened? Kathrine was startled as a strong hand grabbed her arm from behind and whirled her around.

"What are you doing here?" Paul asked. He was frantic.

"Eating!" Kathrine barked back at him.

"No. You shouldn't be here. I was going to contact you, but Elyon showed up. You need to leave. This isn't safe now." Paul glanced over to the table and realized that Kathrine was still visible to his father and Elyon. Paul pushed her against the wall to keep her out of sight, but this made Kathrine angry.

"What are you doing?!" Kathrine fumed.

"Trying to save your life. My father remembers you, just like he remembers Ceralin. He will kill you on sight, especially if he sees me talking to you." Paul glanced back at the table again and then at Kathrine. "Please, head home. I'll send word when Elyon is gone."

How dare he?! He asked for her to come and now pushed her away. Perhaps her frustrations with the man were clouding her judgment, but she had just about had enough from him. Kathrine pushed him, and Paul was a little surprised at her strength.

"You asked me to come here. Then you send me away? I don't think so. You're gonna explain some things before I go anywhere." Kathrine's voice was getting louder. Some of the guests near them started to stare, which made Paul even more nervous.

"Fine! This way!" Paul whispered loudly. Kathrine was amused how anyone could whisper with such volume, but Paul had managed to pull it off. It was funny to see this man, the one everyone was so scared of, so annoyed with her. It almost made her happy that he was as frustrated as she was.

Paul led her by the bathrooms and through another door that said 'Closed for repairs'. This was apparently another dining area that had taken some water damage, or at least that's what Kathrine assumed by the look of the place. There were chairs against the walls and a huge stain on the carpet. If it wasn't water, she didn't want to know what made that huge stain. After he shut the door and locked it, Paul pushed her to the middle of the room.

"This room is soundproof. It's for the _special guests_ of the owner." The way Paul emphasized the words Kathrine knew he meant vampires.

"But he's not a vampire," Kathrine stated.

"No, but he wants to be. He's got some romantic notion that he can become one and live forever, dating teenage girls and mind controlling them. Stupid stuff like that," Paul laughed.

"So, he's a pervert that thinks being a vampire will make it alright?" Kathrine shook her head. Such a stupid, pathetic man. If he only knew. He was human, Kathrine could tell from his scent. If a vampire did bite him, he would die.

"Pretty much. Makes it easier to use him when he's so disgusting." Paul then turned angrily to Kathrine again. "You think you're ready for this world? There are people like him out there that CAN be vampires. What do you think they will do with you?"

"I can take care of myself!" Kathrine yelled back at him. He had said that this room was soundproof. No reason not to lay into him. She had so much pent up frustration for this man, and she was going to let him have it!

Paul walked closer to Kathrine.

"Well, show me," Paul said angrily.

Kathrine wasn't sure what to do? Did he want her to hit him?

"Come on! Show me how you can take care of yourself!" Paul yelled as he got even closer to Kathrine.

That was all she could take. The anger and frustration came to the surface. If he wanted to fight, they were going to fight. Kathrine used some of what Agnus and Sarah had taught her. She faked with her left then hit him right in the jaw with her right. Her hand hurt, but it felt so good to release all that anger.

"That's it?" Paul laughed.

Kathrine charged at him and tried to hit him again, but Paul caught her first and threw her against a wall. Paul was going easy on her. She barely tapped the wall. Fury rose inside her, and she charged again. This time she held her hand back like she was going to try the same move but instead, dropped to her knees and attempted a groin punch. Paul caught her by the shoulders and flipped over her. Once he was on his feet, he turned and put both arms around her chest and arms. She couldn't move. His grip was like a bear trap, she couldn't move her arms and couldn't breathe.

"Enough," Kathrine gasped. Her voice was quieted by her lack of breath. "I said enough!" Kathrine used the last of her breath to yell.

Paul released her and took a step back. Kathrine turned and tripped Paul with a sweep. Then before he hit the ground, she lunged at him with her elbow and hit him in the sternum. Now Paul was the one out of breath, and she grinned. Paul rolled away and again put his arms around Kathrine so that she couldn't move, but this time his face was only inches from hers. Paul stared into her eyes, and just when she thought he was going to hurt her more, he kissed her. A long deep kiss, and after a few seconds, Kathrine kissed him back. She had waited for this, dreamed about it and it was better than she had imagined. She felt like electricity was flowing from Paul directly into her. Paul released her arms, and she grabbed him with both hands behind his head. She didn't want him pulling away; this was what she had waited for. Her fingers knitted their way through his hair.

Paul picked up Kathrine easily and pushed her against the wall. She continued to hold onto his hair while he worked his way down the low cut dress. Paul knelt, and Kathrine released him unsure of what he was doing but not wanting it to stop. He gently ran his hands up her legs, and she thought she might melt. When his fingers reached her panties, she gasped then whispered his name. This only seemed to excite him further, and he slid them down in one quick motion then pushed her to sit on the chair behind her. Paul's fingers slid gently up the inside of her thighs, and she opened herself for him. She didn't care what Sarah had said; she wanted him now. Paul's fingers continued upward, then stopped just short. Kathrine couldn't take it anymore and begged him to keep going. Then with another swift motion, he lifted the dress and let his tongue satiate her desire. Kathrine thought she might scream. This man knew exactly what she wanted and how she wanted it. Then when she thought he couldn't have been better at it, he sucked gently. Kathrine could feel the explosion building inside her, just a few more...

A gunshot rang out in the room, and Paul tumbled sideways. Kathrine shook herself mentally and realized that a vampire had come in the back door and shot Paul. She feared for Paul's life at first, until she realized that a gunshot wouldn't kill him. Paul jumped to his feet. She had never seen anything more intimidating than the man she loved. Paul was going to kill the vampire, and the vampire knew it. He dropped his gun and ran. Maybe he hadn't realized who he was shooting, or maybe he had been aiming for her. Whatever the story, he had seconds to live.

Kathrine sat there for a moment trying to come to grips with what had just transpired. If that vampire had only come thirty seconds later. No, she was being selfish. Paul was shot. He was Paul though, would a gunshot even hurt him? He didn't seem hurt, but he wasn't coming back. Kathrine stepped out of the panties that were around her ankles and grabbed the gun on her way out the back door. She needed to find Hailey; if Elyon had gotten her while she was _with_ Paul, she would never forgive herself.

As she exited the restaurant, she bumped into the hooded man again. She quickly turned and raised the gun, but he was gone. She felt him this time, he had really been there, but where did he go? No one could be that fast, not even Paul. Kathrine again headed toward Hailey; the hooded man was nowhere to be seen.

A block down Hailey stood nervously at the corner. She looked like she had been waiting a while, and Kathrine felt guilty. Kathrine stuffed the gun into her purse, she didn't need that kind of attention. Hailey noticed Kathrine, and a wave of relief washed over her face. Kelly and John came running from behind Hailey, and soon the four of them were together again.

Kelly sniffed the air.

"I don't wanna know," Kelly said then grabbed John's arm before heading back toward the hotel.

"What?" Kathrine asked, confused.

"We can smell it on you," Hailey said, walking behind Kelly.

"What can we smell?" John asked, trying to join in.

"Not you, you're not Versi. You'd be lucky to smell her perfume from here," Kelly teased.

"Smell what?" Kathrine asked again.

"You had sex," Kelly laughed, and John turned inquisitively.

"No, I don't smell a man. She almost had sex," Hailey said snidely.

Kathrine was embarrassed. She needed to learn to use her senses more. How could they smell that? She hadn't been closer than ten feet. Kathrine shut her eyes for a second and breathed in deeply. She could smell the air, the car exhaust, the humans milling around. Without warning a scent assaulted her nose. John hadn't worn deodorant. Her eyes opened just in time to see the step for the curb.

"Hailey, hold my hand, please. I want to learn to smell stuff like you guys," Kathrine asked nicely.

"What? No. Ask John." Moody Hailey had returned. Luckily Kelly and John were willing to help. They stood on each side of her and locked arms. The rest of the way back to the hotel, she tried to pick out scents as they went by.

"Man, with cologne," Kathrine said with her nose in the air.

"You can do better," Kelly urged.

"He hasn't shaved today, or not recently. No aftershave. His shampoo smells of oranges?" Kathrine said.

"No, a woman just crossed between you and him," Kelly laughed.

"John, do you not have deodorant?" Kathrine asked.

"No," John replied reluctantly.

"That's the first thing I'm buying when we get back to the hotel," Kathrine teased.

"That's good, though. You need strong smells to really test yourself. See if you can smell things hidden underneath the smell. It's easy to tell what a single smell is. When you get hundreds mixed together, that's where a master shines," Kelly smirked then looked back at Hailey. "You're way better than me, aren't you?" Kelly asked Hailey.

"I'm just older," Hailey said abruptly. Moody Hailey was definitely back.

Kelly shrugged it off, and again Kathrine thought she was way too nice. The woman was a perfect grandma trapped in a teenager's body. It was infuriating how perfect she was.

"Vampires, left!" Kathrine exclaimed.

"Don't worry. We don't see any. It's fine," Kelly assured her. "Strong smells carry for a long ways. You will need more practice before you can judge distance. It's like hearing. You get used to the subtle differences." Kelly was a great teacher. She was probably good at everything she did, Kathrine decided.

The next few blocks Kathrine tried her best to determine distance as well as who the scents were coming from. She had a decent handle on it, but Kelly said she still needed work. The most annoying part to Kathrine was how Kelly had said it. 'You are really good for someone who just found out about being a Versi. In a few weeks, you'll probably be teaching me a thing or two.' It was nice, too nice. The fact that there was nothing to dislike about Kelly was the very thing that Kathrine disliked. Why would Paul, or any man, choose her over Kelly? They would have to be blind and stupid to choose her when Kelly was so annoyingly _perfect_.

# Chapter 29

Kathrine slammed the door to their hotel room after Hailey was inside. Had Paul never seen another woman? Was he just using her? Perhaps she as overreacting. In fact,, she knew she was, but now her sexual frustration was overshadowing her intellectual frustration with Paul. Paul had brought her to the brink then ran off. Sure he was shot, that was about as good as excuses come, but it didn't help Kathrine one bit. Kathrine flung the bathroom door open and the knob sunk into the wall.

"Shit, Kathrine. You're going to tear this room apart," Hailey said with a touch of concern in her voice. Perhaps Moody Hailey was taking a break.

"Paul!" was all that Kathrine could manage to say.

"You know you can talk to me. I'm a good listener," Hailey said. It appeared that Nice Hailey was back, at least for a while.

Kathrine thought about Hailey's proposition. A good listener was exactly what she needed. She didn't need to talk to Paul or a man at all. Men were all the same. They never listened. They might listen to a few words before coming up with a plan to _fix_ it. Men were always wanting to _fix_ things. A woman was exactly what she needed. She didn't want this _fixed_. She wanted someone to listen to her.

"Ok," Kathrine said more calmly as she walked toward Hailey, who was sitting on the edge of the bed. Kathrine sat beside Hailey and sighed. This was going to be difficult, embarrassing and she just might get angrier at Paul, but she needed to tell someone.

Hailey fidgeted a little as Kathrine sat down. She seemed nervous now. Was she regretting that she had said she would listen? Kathrine put her hand on Hailey's leg.

"You don't have to listen," Kathrine said, trying to ease Hailey's anxiousness.

"No, go ahead. I'm fine," Hailey replied, but Kathrine could still see her anxiety. Something was wrong with Hailey, but she had said she was ready to listen, so Kathrine started to explain.

"Well..." Kathrine paused, clasped her hands together in her lap, and prepared to open the flood gates of her frustration. "Paul is supposedly my 'one'," she said using finger quotes. She hated finger quotes, but this word was really annoying to her at the moment. "but he doesn't want to see me. Heck, he barely speaks to me, and when he does, I can't stop thinking about how nice it would be to kiss him. I mean, geez, what kind of person am I?" Kathrine wasn't looking for a response, and somehow in the back of her mind, she was glad Hailey was a woman. A man would have responded. "I mean, seriously, all I can think about is having sex with him. I dream about it. He touches me, and my legs nearly fall out from under me. What the hell is wrong with me?! I think I'm going insane. Plus, he is the most frustrating man I have ever met." Kathrine paused, and Hailey was silent. Kathrine almost expected a caring touch or something, but Hailey seemed afraid to get too close for some reason.

"Are you having trouble with the urges?" Kathrine asked, looking at Hailey.

"Urges?! What urges?!" Hailey's nervousness went into full panic. It seemed excessive, but Kathrine had nothing to compare it to.

"The blood. I'm sure it must be hard staying in a hotel full of humans. I bet this room even smells like humans," Kathrine replied.

"Umm, yes. It's very difficult. I sometimes catch myself staring. Then I have to force myself to walk by. I'm glad you are here, though. If I do anything, you will stop me." Hailey wasn't asking; she was sure that Kathrine would stop her.

"You listened to me, so I'll watch your back," Kathrine smiled and then put her hand on Hailey's shoulder.

Hailey jumped off the bed like she had been shocked.

"What's wrong?" Kathrine asked. "Is it that bad? I thought you were over the withdrawals."

"It comes and goes," Hailey replied, but somehow Kathrine knew she was lying or hiding something. Something was wrong with Hailey, and it wasn't the blood. Kathrine decided to finish with her problems before she got into Hailey's. Perhaps, given time, Hailey might confide in her willingly.

"Paul thinks I'm too weak to handle his life. I'm not sure if it's an excuse or if he just thinks I'm some kind of prissy girl. One minute he's fighting me to prove how bad I am and the next he's..." Kathrine raised her eyebrows and motioned with her eyes at her lap several times. Hailey's face turned red, so apparently she understood the gesture or at least had a good idea. "I'm just not sure what to think and Paul isn't going to say anything about it. He just keeps saying 'you're not ready'." Kathrine was now mimicking Paul with a high whiney voice which made Hailey laugh. Then it hit Kathrine, Hailey laughed! She couldn't remember ever hearing Hailey laugh before. Maybe Hailey was warming up to her. Kathrine decided that now that she was done it was Hailey's turn.

Kathrine stood up and walked over to Hailey. She placed one hand on each shoulder and looked kindly at her. "Now, your turn."

Hailey put her hands one on either side of Kathrine's head and pulled her face closer to hers. Gently, she placed her lips on top of Kathrine's. At first, Kathrine had a sudden urge to back away, but the kiss was so gentle and caring that she couldn't resist. Hailey's lips were soft and warm. Kathrine soon found herself kissing Hailey back. Kathrine's hands left Hailey's shoulders and moved to her back where they caressed her gently. This was different than Paul. Paul had been sexual desire, need, and lust. This was emotional and caring. Suddenly, Hailey pulled away.

"Shit! Shit! I'm so fucking stupid!" Hailey cursed herself, as she slammed her fist into the table beside them, and it shattered.

"What? Did I do something wrong?" Kathrine was frantic. The kiss was so pleasant and welcoming. She wanted to keep kissing Hailey. What could she possibly have done wrong?

"No! I did!" Hailey paced angrily, trying to decide what to do.

"Believe me, you didn't do anything wrong," Kathrine smirked. "That was wonderful. You're an amazing kisser."

"It's a sin! Stupid! Stupid!" Hailey verbally berated herself while smacking herself in the head.

Kathrine walked over and caught Hailey's hand.

"Please don't hurt yourself. There's nothing wrong with it." Kathrine kissed Hailey's hand gently.

Hailey tore her hand out of Kathrine's grip and threw herself on the bed.

"Please stop! It's wrong! I don't want to corrupt you with my depravity!" Hailey was still yelling, though Kathrine could see the tears forming on the edge of her eyes.

"What are you talking about?!" Kathrine yelled back. Kathrine laughed a little at Hailey's choice of words. True, she was over two thousand years old, but had anyone ever talked like that?

"Being gay is a sin," Hailey announced as she put her hands over her eyes.

"Being gay isn't a sin," Kathrine scolded. "Where did you ever get that idea?" Honestly, for someone so old, Hailey had no idea what she was talking about.

"The Bible," Hailey responded.

Kathrine laughed loudly, which caused Hailey to lift her hands from her eyes long enough to give Kathrine an angry look.

"Nowhere in the bible does it say that being gay is a sin. If you're talking about Sodom and Gomora, then you are misinterpreting it, or you have a copy that has had its original text modified. God punished them for anal rape." Kathrine walked over and sat beside Hailey.

"What?" Hailey asked after removing her hands from her eyes.

"Back then, they used to use anal rape to belittle men and women. Sodomy used to mean anal rape, but over the years its meaning has been changed by humans to mean anal sex. Some self-righteous people have even used the word to describe homosexuality, but they are wrong. God didn't punish them for being gay." Kathrine put her hand on Hailey's leg. "God made you this way. Do you think he did it to punish you? You think he made a mistake? God doesn't make mistakes, and he isn't mean. You are the way you are supposed to be."

"I thought maybe I was just wicked and maybe secretly wanted to be bad." Hailey sounded like she was about to cry.

Kathrine laid down beside Hailey and took her in her arms to comfort her. Hailey's apprehensions had left. She hugged Kathrine tightly, dug her face into her shoulder, and cried. After a few minutes, Hailey's crying stopped, and she just laid there hugging Kathrine.

"You know I'm straight, right?" Kathrine asked after Hailey seemed to calm down.

"I know, you love Paul." Hailey sounded calm and sad now.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. I just won't be able to love you back. Not like you deserve." Kathrine really didn't want to hurt Hailey's feelings. She was growing quite fond of her and even considered her a friend.

"I understand," Hailey said, snuggling up closer to Kathrine.

"Do you think my true love will be a woman?" Hailey asked.

"I'd say that's a good bet." Kathrine hugged Hailey tighter. She cared about Hailey, it wouldn't be fair to lead her along, even though Kathrine was still relishing the memory of her kiss. It had been different than all the kisses she'd ever had. Not that she had kissed many men, in fact only five, Paul included. There was just something different about how Hailey had kissed her. It was exciting and comforting at the same time. Despite this, there was someone waiting for Hailey. Kathrine wasn't going to mess that up for her, she just hadn't met her true love yet.

"So...you said I was a good kisser?" Hailey teased.

Kathrine wasn't sure she wanted to talk about this yet. She was a little confused about how she felt about Hailey. However, the tone of Hailey's voice sounded wounded, and in need of encouragement, so Kathrine decided she should give her a truthful answer.

"I've never had a kiss like that before. I'm not sure how to describe it. It felt comfortable." Kathrine didn't want to go into the rest. She was already confused, no need to confuse Hailey as well.

"Comfortable? You make it sound like kissing your grandmother," Hailey laughed. There was a sadness hiding under the laugh, perhaps disappointment.

"No. Not like a grandmother. There was excitement and attraction there as well. Believe me, it was good! I just don't want to give you the wrong idea." Kathrine felt she wasn't doing a good job of explaining her feelings. She wasn't sure she understood her feelings for Hailey. Kathrine liked men, but in the back of her mind, she remembered sitting in Sarah's loft and secretly wanting to kiss some of Sarah's girlfriends. Some of them she had wanted to do more than kiss, but she was a teenager at the time. Everything was confusing when you were a teenager.

"That's better." Hailey sounded less sad. There was still a sadness, but it seemed to have lessened. Kathrine sat up, still holding Hailey.

"I'm sorry, I'm really enjoying this, but I heard something at that meeting, and it's driving me crazy," Kathrine said. She was genuinely disappointed. She could have laid there with Hailey for hours. She felt something for Hailey, it wasn't like with Paul, but it was more than friendship. Kathrine was very confused, the break might give her time to think.

"What did you overhear?" Hailey asked. She sounded a little depressed still, but her mood was much better now.

"One of them, not sure which one, said something was happening at one AM. It sounded serious, and I only caught part of it, but I think it's happening outside of that restaurant." Kathrine reluctantly released Hailey and stood up to find her jacket.

"Dang, you are getting quite powerful. I'm so much older than you, and I think you hear and smell better than I do already." Hailey complimented her without getting embarrassed or turning away. Kathrine was making progress with her. Kathrine wasn't sure what to say, she didn't want Hailey to react badly, but she really wanted to say something nice to Hailey.

"I hope I'm getting better. I still feel like I have a long way to go." Kathrine picked the middle road, acknowledging what Hailey said without complimenting her back. Her friendship with Hailey was changing quickly, and she didn't want to jeopardize all the progress she had made. "Want to come with me? I'm just gonna look around. No fighting, I promise."

"I suppose," Hailey smirked. Kathrine wasn't sure if the look was flirting, but it sure seemed like it.

Kathrine and Hailey soon arrived at the restaurant and snuck around to the back alley. There didn't appear to be anyone around; perhaps they were early? Kathrine decided to find a good spot to hide while they waited. There were many dumpsters and little else in the narrow alley.

"Well," Kathrine sighed. "This is not a good place to spy from." She put her hands on her hips and looked at Hailey. Hailey was staring up in the air. Kathrine followed Hailey's gaze up to the balcony that was protruding from a third story window. "Oh, you're good."

"Getting up there is another thing," Hailey said copying Kathrine's stance.

"Well, umm...I think we can climb that," Kathrine said, pointing at a thick water pipe that went up the outside wall.

"Why not?" Hailey agreed.

The two women gracefully climbed the pipe up to the balcony and hid.

"I really wish I had brought a watch or phone or something. It's gotta be close to one by now," Kathrine stated.

Just as she said that, someone made a noise in the alley below them. They peeked over the edge to see a nervous looking man dragging a frightened girl. Ahead of the man, Kathrine saw the hooded man going around the corner.

"Did you see him?" Kathrine asked quietly.

"Who? The guy with the girl?" Hailey replied.

"No...never mind." Maybe it was all in Kathrine's head, how could Hailey have missed him? He had been right there in plain sight.

"Go faster. He's coming," the man hissed at the little girl.

The man picked up the girl and started running. A few moments later, Paul came sprinting through the alley. The man pushed a dumpster in the way, and Paul crashed into it. The dumpster smashed into the wall beneath their balcony and Kathrine thought for sure the balcony was going to fall. Paul was determined to catch this man.

When Paul caught up to the man, he grabbed him by the throat, and the girl fell to the ground. Paul tossed the man against the wall, and the thud echoed. Kathrine couldn't believe her eyes. Paul had just killed the man without a second thought. He then bent down and picked up the girl with one arm and ran off.

"What the hell was that?" Kathrine whispered. She was confused and furious. Paul had killed a human right in front of her.

"We don't know what's going on. Don't jump to...." Hailey's voice trailed off, and she looked mesmerized.

"Oh shit!" Kathrine exclaimed as she realized that the dead man below them was bleeding everywhere. The scent was sickening to Kathrine but not to Hailey. Kathrine caught Hailey as she was about to jump to the man's body. Hailey looked evil, and for a second, Kathrine was a little afraid. Hailey was strong, either her age or the desire for blood was making it nearly impossible for Kathrine to hold her back.

"Hailey!" Kathrine yelled, but Hailey wasn't listening. Kathrine punched Hailey in the face. The blow finally got her attention, and Kathrine was able to pick her up and jump over the ledge, away from the dead man. The proximity to the blood caused Hailey to be enthralled again, but Kathrine had her locked in her arms. There was no way Hailey was getting free. Kathrine ran several blocks before Hailey was back to herself. The last few blocks before they got back to the hotel they didn't speak.

"Thank you," Hailey said when they got back to their hotel room. She sounded sad again. Hailey headed to the couch and sat down. She had her head in her hands and for a second Kathrine thought she might be crying.

"What's wrong?" Kathrine asked as she sat next to her.

"I still can't handle blood. I'm useless, and you didn't even get to find out what they were up to. Next time you should go alone." Hailey's voice was slightly muffled by her hands.

Kathrine sat down beside Hailey and put her arm around her.

"It will get better. At least that's what Sarah says. It will never go away, but you learn to handle it, I guess." Kathrine laid her head on Hailey's shoulder. "Without you, I would have gone after Paul to kick his ass. Well, tried to at least. Who knows what trouble I would have gotten into?" Kathrine laughed.

"I guess," Hailey accepted. She still hadn't taken her head out of her hands, so Kathrine stood up and kneeled in front of her. She put her hands on Hailey's cheeks and raised it to look her in the eyes. "You will get better at it. Don't give up. The hardest part is behind you."

Hailey put her left hand behind Kathrine's neck, her right hand on her waist and leaned in to kiss her again. Kathrine didn't resist at all this time, she wanted this, but Hailey pulled herself away again.

"Shit! Sorry, I can't help it. I'm so sorry. Maybe I should just sleep on the couch." Hailey threw herself back on the couch and put her left hand across her eyes.

"Let's talk about this," Kathrine said as she returned to sitting beside Hailey. She cared about Hailey. This needed to be sorted out.

"What's there to talk about? You're straight and in love with Paul. You're just so damn beautiful that I get carried away. I'll try harder," Hailey said.

"Oh come on, I'm not that good looking. You could find someone a lot better than me. I mean, look at you," Kathrine scoffed. In her eyes, Hailey was a ten or higher even, Kathrine thought of herself as maybe a seven. She didn't think she was ugly, but she couldn't compare to all the really beautiful women she knew.

Hailey sat up straight and took her hand off her face. She looked at Kathrine crossly as she spoke.

"Seriously? You're as beautiful as any woman I've seen. I think every woman feels they are less attractive than other women. Well, unless they're conceited. Take a compliment and accept that other people think you're pretty. Mostly people only tell you that you're beautiful if they really think you are." Hailey scolded. "Well, unless a guy is trying to get in your pants. Don't trust anything that guy says." Hailey giggled, and soon Kathrine was laughing along with her.

"Well, thank you." Kathrine wasn't sure what else to say. Hailey had a point, and although she wasn't super smart like Sarah and Agnus, she was wise in her own way. She knew about people, something Kathrine thought had come with age and observation. "Back to us. How do we handle this? I consider you my friend, and I care about you a great deal, but there's more to it. I don't want to leave things unsaid." Kathrine was very attracted to Hailey and unsure why. She hadn't been this attracted to a woman since she was a teenager and didn't know how to handle it.

She had been raised by a straight father and straight mother. She had no illusions that her upbringing had been anything but perfect. Then she remembered sitting in Sarah's apartment all those nights and meeting Sarah's girlfriends and boyfriends. She remembered how happy and free Sarah seemed at the time. She knew Sarah had done it to keep herself distracted from Mark, but Sarah had seemed genuinely happy. Kathrine recalled some of her thoughts from when she was a teenager. She had idolized Sarah, wanted to grow up to be just like her. Kathrine remembered being attracted to some of Sarah's girlfriends even. Maybe Kathrine wasn't straight, after all, maybe she was more like Sarah than she thought. Why did she have to choose? Couldn't she like men and women both? Sarah did.

"I appreciate the honesty. I care for you too." Hailey paused for a moment, trying to figure out what she really wanted to say. "I love you, not like I want to marry you and not like a sister. What I feel is different than anything I've ever experienced before and yes, I'm very attracted to you as well. I'm not quite sure how to handle this."

Kathrine leaned in and kissed Hailey. Kathrine's hand moved gently from Hailey's shoulder, down across her breast and Hailey moaned. Hailey put her hand on top of Kathrine's and caressed it, urging her to keep going.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Hailey asked with a whisper when Kathrine moved on to kissing her neck.

"Yes," Kathrine breathed against Hailey's neck. The answer, as well as the sensation of hot breath against her neck, caused Hailey to gasp.

Hailey reached down and pulled up her shirt, then helped Kathrine remove hers as well. Both women stared at each other for a moment, reveling in the beauty of the other. Hailey gently moved her hand under Kathrine's breast then squeezed it gently before leaning down to suckle. Kathrine sighed with ecstasy then stood up. She placed her hand under Hailey's chin and urged her to stand as well. Kathrine leaned in to kiss Hailey's neck once more, while her fingers undid Hailey's pants.

Hailey was delicate and caring, this was a sharp contrast from her animalistic encounter with Paul. She had wanted to tear Paul's clothes off and scratch her nails into his skin. With Hailey, she wanted to relish every second, every touch, and every kiss.

Hailey followed Kathrine's lead, moving her hands gently across Kathrine's stomach, which caused a spasm of pleasure and another gasp to escape Kathrine's lips. She undid Kathrine's jeans and knelt while she pulled them down, kissing her way down. Kathrine wove her fingers into Hailey's hair, encouraging her onward. Hailey put one finger on either side of the soft lacey material of Kathrine's panties, then slid them down as well. When Hailey's tongue reached Kathrine's center, she moaned with pleasure, but she wanted to pleasure Hailey as well. Gently, she moved Hailey's face upward and knelt as Hailey had. She slipped Hailey's jeans down then kissed the delicate cloth that separated her from her prize. Hailey tried to remove her panties, but Kathrine pushed her hands aside, she was in no rush.

Kathrine scraped her nails from Hailey's hips around to her bottom, and Hailey cried out in agreement. Using her nails, Kathrine slowly slid the lacey cloth down, tracing the invisible line from her belly button downward with her tongue. When the delicate cloth was around Hailey's ankles, Kathrine pushed her gently to sit on the couch.

Kathrine had learned a little about how to pleasure a woman from what Paul had done to her. She licked and teased, occasionally sucking until Hailey was shuddering and crying out in pleasure. Soon Hailey shuddered with ecstasy as she gripped Kathrine's hair tightly. After Hailey could see straight again she lifted Kathrine's head, it was her turn now. She kissed and suckled Kathrine's chest, slowly moving her backward toward the bed. Both of them freed themselves from the clothing around their ankles. As soon as Kathrine realized what Hailey was planning, she let herself be eased onto the bed and slid up to allow Hailey to join her.

"It's your turn," Hailey said slyly then pushed Kathrine up higher on the bed before kissing up her inner thigh.

When Hailey reached Kathrine's core, Kathrine threw her head back and whispered Hailey's name. Hailey felt different than Paul, much softer. She was in no hurry to release Kathrine either. Hailey wanted to make it last, like Kathrine had just done to her. Kathrine arched her back uncontrollably, she wanted release, but every time Kathrine got close Hailey slowed and kissed along her inner thigh or her stomach.

"Hailey," Kathrine moaned more forcefully.

This encouraged Hailey, and she finally brought Kathrine to release. Kathrine couldn't remember an orgasm that intense. Her face went numb, and she saw stars. For a minute, she was light headed then a smile crept on to her face as she rubbed her hands across her nipples. Hailey scooted her way up to stare in Kathrine's eyes.

"That was...I don't know a word that can describe that," Kathrine smirked. She drug her nails along the curve of Hailey's body.

"You took the words out of my mouth," Hailey agreed then snuggled up against Kathrine. Kathrine still felt like she wanted more, but this desire was calmed by Hailey's caring embrace. She would wait a little while to have more, this felt too good, she needed this as much as she needed sex.

# Chapter 30

Kathrine woke in the afternoon the next day. When she realized that Hailey wasn't beside her, she was worried for a moment. At first horrible scenarios ran through Kathrine's head. Had Hailey left without saying a word? Had she been that bad in bed? Maybe Hailey didn't care for her as much as she did for Hailey. They had pleasured each other through the night until the sun came up then fell asleep, exhausted, in each other's arms. The night had meant so much to Kathrine. She was just afraid Hailey didn't feel the same way. Then Kathrine heard the shower turn off and footsteps coming from the bathroom.

"Morning beautiful," Hailey smiled. "Well, afternoon." Hailey pulled the towel off unembarrassed by her nudity as she walked to her bag and found some clothes to wear.

"Damn, you're sexy!" Kathrine exclaimed.

"Now, now, we have things to do today. We can't spend all day in bed. No matter how much we want to." The smile on Hailey's face was mischievous and dead sexy. Kathrine didn't care about what they had to do that day. She wanted Hailey again. When Kathrine rose from the bed, she remembered why they couldn't stay in bed all day.

"Fine," Kathrine groaned with displeasure. "We need to find out why Paul killed that man and what he did with that girl. If he hurt her!" Kathrine growled.

"Calm down. We don't understand what we saw. There must be a good reason. Paul isn't like that," Hailey explained.

She didn't seem jealous of Paul, and Kathrine found it a little strange but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. They had both gone into this with their eyes open. They were honest with each other from the start. This was something very special, but it wasn't 'spend the rest of your life with the other person' love. This was a different kind of love, friendship taken to the next level. Something she thought only two women could understand.

"You're right," Kathrine accepted as she grabbed some clothes and headed to the shower. "I'd ask you to join, but then we'd never make it out of the hotel," Kathrine joked.

"You're right about that," Hailey smirked.

When Kathrine had showered and was ready to go, they headed down to grab some lunch since they had slept through breakfast. When they arrived in the dining room, they saw Kelly and John at a table with two extra seats. They had apparently been waiting for them.

"What happened to you two? You slept through most of the day," John teased.

"I had to help Hailey with a...problem," Kathrine evaded.

"Yeah, and then I helped Kathrine with hers," Hailey smirked.

"What does that mean?" John prodded.

"Let it go, John," Kelly ordered. Kelly looked at Kathrine and winked.

Kelly was a blonde Sarah. She knew everything that was going on. There was no hiding anything from her.

"What you guys been up to?" Hailey asked, trying to change the subject.

"Research, mostly," John grumbled.

"We found Paul," Kelly announced.

"Where?!" Kathrine exclaimed then looked at Hailey with guilt.

Should she be this eager? She didn't want to hurt Hailey's feelings. Hailey just smiled at Kathrine and under the table put her hand on Kathrine's leg. Hailey wasn't jealous nor upset. Their new friendship, or whatever you would call it, was just what Kathrine needed.

"Don't worry, Paul will be fine," Hailey said. She smiled a knowing smile at Kathrine. She knew that wasn't the reason for Kathrine's discomfort. She didn't want to say it out loud, but she needed to let Kathrine know that it was ok to love Paul too.

Kathrine slid her hand under the table and put it on Hailey's to thank her. John looked at them curiously. Kelly quickly handed John a menu to distract him. She seemed to know exactly what was going on, and it was none of John's business.

"John, why don't you go find the waiter. I think he got lost," Kelly suggested.

"Fine, I'll be back," John mumbled.

"Don't worry. He has no idea. When you're more comfortable with it, you can let people know," Kelly said when John was out of earshot. Kelly made a motion across her lips. "My lips are sealed until then."

"You really are a blond Sarah. How did you even know?" Kathrine asked.

"I appreciate the compliment, but I'm no Sarah. It was just pretty obvious. I was the same way when I finally realized there was nothing wrong with being gay," Kelly exclaimed.

Hailey was speechless. Here she was struggling with this, and the whole time Kelly had known. Kathrine was right. She was a blond Ceralin.

"So, you knew what Hailey's problem was?" Kathrine asked.

"Not exactly but I had my suspicions. By the way, you two are cute together. No need to hide it in this day and age," Kelly smiled.

"Well, it's a little more complicated than that," Kathrine started. "I know who my one is. It's Paul."

"I know that," Kelly smirked. "Doesn't mean you have to hide what you have with Hailey."

Kathrine was now the one who was speechless. Was there anything this woman didn't know? She thought Hailey knew about people, but Kelly took it to a new level.

"There's nothing wrong with what you two share. It doesn't interfere with your feelings for Paul. Eventually, Hailey will find her one as well. Enjoy it while it lasts," Kelly said then looked up to see John approaching with a waiter in tow.

Kathrine was happy and sad after hearing what Kelly had to say. She knew that Hailey would find her one and that someday she would be with Paul. But, right now, all she wanted was to hold onto what she had with Hailey as long as she could.

"How did you know about yourself?" Hailey asked. She was getting comfortable with who she really was. Kathrine admired her for this. Just yesterday, she was afraid to admit her feelings, today she was curious.

"My dad helped me figure it out." Kelly turned to John. "I'm gay, in case you didn't know."

"Grandma?" John didn't know what else to say. He wasn't upset, just confused. She had many grandchildren.

"I loved your grandfather, but he was more like a friend than my true love," Kelly explained. "Back then, it was unthinkable for me to want a woman. I found a loving, caring man, but I always knew he loved me more than I did him. It wasn't until after his death that I started wondering. It was a little more acceptable to be gay then, and after I turned and I met Sarah, it all became clear. I struggled with it for a while until my dad realized what was going on. He came to me one day and as blunt as possible, told me, 'Be who you are, Kelly. What others think doesn't matter.' Oh, that giant teddy bear of a man. What would I do without him?"

"Wait, so John is your grandson?" Kathrine asked, confused.

"You don't recognize me do you?" John asked, beaming with anticipation.

"No, should I?" Kathrine asked.

"I looked a little different the last time you saw me. At Samael's office. You told me that if I left, you would let me live. Unless I gave up blood, you would eventually kill me. Well, I listened." John was very proud of himself and very grateful to Kathrine. "Why do you think grandma and I are here?"

"Since I saved your grandson, you came to help me?" Kathrine asked Kelly.

"Yes, and of course dad told me to keep an eye on you," Kelly smirked.

"Who's your dad?" Kathrine begged.

"Charles," Kelly replied.

"How the hell do all these Nephilim have children? We can't have kids with humans." Kathrine was amazed at the odds that a Nephilim would accidentally find another Nephilim.

"We instinctively choose our own kind. We generally aren't even attracted to humans, though we don't know why at the time. Nephilim are just more appealing to us," Kelly explained.

"So, you're a Versi. That means that Uncle Charles is a Versi too?" Kathrine's mind boggled at all the things she didn't know about her new extended family.

"Yes, the one and only bear in the world," Kelly said with pride. She idolized her dad, and with good reason, Charles was a good and kind man.

"If he's a bear, who is the third feline like us?" Kathrine wanted to know everything. She felt like she was swinging around in the dark, luckily catching things occasionally.

"Mom, of course," Kelly replied.

"You're mom? Who is that?" Kathrine just couldn't stop asking questions. She felt a little stupid, but she wanted to know it all.

"Sofia. You call her Agnus. I call her mom. She's been my mom for nearly a hundred years. My real mom died when I was small. Dad and Agnus raised me and let me go on with my life til I was about fifty. I wanted kids and grandkids. They told me to live my life then change to be like them, and they were right. I don't regret my time with Carl one bit, but after he died, I was ready." It became even harder to hate Kelly, though Kathrine still hadn't managed to hate her. Not only was she nice, she was part of Kathrine's family. Being Charles's daughter made her at least a cousin.

"Agnus is Versi, that little..." Kathrine feigned anger.

Hailey laughed, and so did Kelly. John just sat there looking left out. At least Kathrine was no longer the baby, and she found a little confidence in that.

"She didn't want to intimidate you or overwhelm you, I guess. You know mom, she's a stickler for the rules but a real softy like dad, when you get to know her," Kelly said when she was done laughing. "She felt it would be better for you to learn from Castriana."

"She really doesn't hate you, does she?" Kathrine turned her gaze to Hailey.

"No, she has every reason to hate me but not Agnus. The woman has a heart of gold." Hailey looked sad now. Hailey had helped her brother find Agnus. It was her fault that Agnus lost her child. She could never make up for that.

"Don't look so down, Cass," Kelly said. "Mom doesn't blame you anymore. She knows your brother forced you to do it. Just like all the other things your brother made you do. You didn't have a choice."

Hailey hadn't heard that nickname in a long while. The last person who called her that was Sarah, many centuries ago. It was long before she had betrayed Agnus and ended her friendship with Sarah.

"Sorry, you don't like Cass do you?" Kelly asked. She could see the anguish on Hailey's face.

"No, it reminds me of how much I hurt your mom," Hailey said as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"I'll just stick with Hailey then," Kelly said apologetically. "One more thing, I need to give Sarah credit. I'm not the smart one here. Sarah told me everything that was going on with you and with Hailey through my dad. Apparently this was all her idea. This is the reason I know so much about you. Sarah realized that you had outgrown her training and you needed to learn by doing, so she told my dad to send me."

"Sarah knew about Hailey?" Was the first thought that came to Kathrine's mind. She had no problem with Sarah setting up an elaborate scheme to get her out on her own. In fact, she had suspected Sarah had a hand in this. As smart as Kelly was, only Sarah could have planned all of this.

"Yes, she knew," Kelly smiled at Hailey and Kathrine wondered, was Kelly attracted to Hailey? She figured she would be at least a little jealous, but she wasn't. What a weird family she had. She wasn't comfortable letting Hailey go to a complete stranger, but a cousin was a different story. In all honesty, Kathrine would rather see Hailey with Kelly. Kelly was a kind and beautiful woman, Hailey deserved someone like that. Either way, Kelly wasn't saying, and Kathrine wasn't going to ask.

"We better get going," John interrupted. "I know where they will be tonight, after that, I'm not sure."

"They?" Kathrine asked.

"Paul and Elyon will be at a warehouse near the boat tonight. I'm not sure what they are doing, but it doesn't sound good," John finished.

"You think Paul can handle your brother?" Kathrine asked Hailey.

"Yes, but a little extra help wouldn't hurt. My brother is sneaky. One on one, Paul would win, and Elyon knows this. He must have some plan, or he would never challenge Paul," Hailey explained.

After their meal, they all got ready then left the hotel and took the car Kathrine had rented to the docks. It was nearly dark when they arrived, and John led them through a few alleys until they eventually reached the warehouse. It looked abandoned. There were no lights, and it looked like it hadn't been used in years.

Kathrine could swear she saw the hooded man yet again. He appeared in a doorway to another warehouse and then disappeared just as quickly. She was really beginning to think she was making him up. Kathrine had a bad feeling about this, and it wasn't just her mysterious stalker. She couldn't quite put her finger on what was making her so anxious. John had told her that the place would be abandoned, that Elyon was doing something in secret, but something nagged at Kathrine's brain. Something seemed off.

John opened the door slowly and peered inside. He motioned for them to follow and slipped quietly behind the door. Kelly was next, followed by Hailey then Kathrine. Kathrine kept searching the alley and adjacent buildings. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Was the hooded man part of this or just a figment of her imagination? She backed through the door, eyeing the warehouse across from them. The door was wide open, and she could swear she saw someone moving in the shadows. Being a cat Versi had improved her vision at night some but not enough to see in the pitch black that filled the other warehouse.

Kathrine turned around to see Elyon standing on top of a box in front of her. Kelly and Hailey were on the floor with their hands handcuffed behind their backs. Two vampires rushed from her sides, and she was not ready for them. They caught her wrists, each with their own handcuffs then forced her arms behind her to close them both.

"Don't want to take any chances with you," Elyon laughed. He had apparently heard about Kathrine. She doubted she could have broken one set of handcuffs, let alone two. The stories about her, it seemed, were growing.

"What do you want?" Kathrine growled while testing the strength of the handcuffs. They were solid steel, she guessed. Even so, she heard the soft groan of the metal as she struggled against them. Maybe she had underestimated herself. Perhaps Elyon should have used three or maybe something stronger than handcuffs. Kathrine smiled to herself, Elyon didn't know who he was messing with.

That was when Kathrine finally understood what had been nagging her. She had subconsciously picked up on John's agitation and anxiety. John was standing in front of Elyon without handcuffs. He was kneeling and had his hands out.

"You've proven yourself, John. He will reward you," Elyon praised. He handed John a bag of blood, and John tore into it. The blood dripped onto the floor, and the smell nearly made Kathrine vomit. Then Elyon stepped around John to answer Kathrine's question.

"I don't have any interest in you, but Paul does," Elyon scowled. "He should be here shortly."

"John, why?" Kelly begged.

"I need the blood, grandma. I can't live without it. I'm sorry." John seemed somewhat sincere, but the blood was still more important than his family or friends.

"Then I'm sorry too," Kelly said angrily. "I won't protect you any longer."

"So full of spunk," Elyon laughed. "No spiteful words from you, sister?" Elyon turned his gaze to Hailey. The three women were now all on their knees with their hands behind their backs in front of him.

"This is a mistake, Elyon. You won't survive this. This is Ceralin's step-daughter. She will hunt you forever." Elyon looked afraid for a second and Kathrine wondered. What was so scary about Sarah? Everyone was afraid of Paul because of his strength, but the reaction to Sarah's name was one of terror, even if Elyon hid it quickly.

"She hasn't caught me yet," Elyon said, covering his fear with bravado.

"For this, she won't give up," Hailey growled. "Her father is Sarah's one. She won't be able to let this one go." Again Elyon flashed terror then covered it quickly.

"I'm not going to hurt her. Well, no one will know it was me. They will think it was Paul. He killed all of you because he found out about you and Kathrine. Ceralin will mourn her loss and blame it on you and Paul." Elyon was sure of his plan, but how was he going to best Paul?

Elyon's claws came out, and his fangs descended. He looked vicious. He was a hairy man to start with, so Kathrine could see how the werewolf legends came about. Elyon was muscular and scary. In a dark alley, facing this man, you would come away really thinking he was a beast. Elyon walked toward Kelly first and pulled back his hand.

"That would be a bad idea!" Paul shouted as he walked in from a door on the far end of the warehouse. He was at least fifty feet away. Elyon turned to face Paul. Apparently he didn't want to bet on whether Paul could reach him before he killed Kelly. Elyon was afraid of Paul, not the same terror he had at the mention of Sarah's name, but he was afraid. He tried to hide it, but Kathrine could tell it was an act.

"Just you?" Elyon asked, his voice shaking. "I figured you would bring daddy along." Was his whole plan to annoy Paul? Did he somehow think this would give him the upper hand?

"My father is more of a monster than you," Paul spat back.

"So, not a willing partner to daddy's plans?" Elyon was gaining confidence. He was up to something.

"Fuck you!" Paul yelled. "Let them go, and I might let you live. I'll just dismember you as punishment, but you will live."

Elyon laughed loudly.

"You didn't answer my question. I'd like to know before you kill me." Elyon didn't act scared at all anymore.

Kathrine had a bad feeling again. Like John, Elyon was hiding something, and Kathrine just couldn't figure out what he could possibly think would give him an advantage against Paul. Were there a hundred vampires hiding in the next warehouse, ready to jump Paul? Would Paul even care? With a sword, Kathrine wouldn't be afraid of a hundred vampires. Surely Paul was better than she was. Kathrine's thoughts drifted a little. Where there even a hundred vampires in the world? She needed to ask more questions when this was over.

"I have no intention of answering it." Paul walked cautiously closer as he spoke. He looked like he suspected Elyon was up to something.

"Answer me!" Elyon yelled as he rushed to Kathrine and sunk his two-inch claws into her neck.

Paul stopped immediately. He thought he could make it to Elyon and stop him, but he wasn't willing to risk Kathrine's life on it. Kathrine could see the fear in Paul's eyes, maybe he did really love her, after all.

"I do what father tells me. What difference does it make if I believe or not?" Paul snarled.

"It makes a world of difference," Azazel hissed as he stepped out of the shadows in the corner.

Now Paul was the one looking terrified. He would not make it to Kathrine before his father did. Azazel slowly and deliberately walked toward Kathrine while keeping his eye on Paul. Paul eyed his father angrily and started walking at the same speed.

"I do what you ask, what else do you want from me? I'm the obedient son. I don't have to believe in your grand plan to carry it out." Paul adjusted his trajectory, instead of walking in front of Kelly, he stepped behind her. He raised her to her feet by the shoulders then he slipped his hands down to the handcuffs and snapped the chain silently.

"We don't need her in the way," Paul said then pushed Kelly over by the boxes, where John was standing.

"I agree," Azazel growled. He still kept his eyes locked on to Paul. He wasn't afraid of Paul, but he was respectful of the great warrior his son had become. If any Asuune could hurt him, his son was that person.

Next, Paul walked behind Hailey and picked her up by the shoulders before throwing her at Kelly. He didn't want to risk breaking the chains on her cuffs, he was too close to his father now. Hailey landed head over heels on top of Kelly. Paul then walked toward Kathrine.

"Not her," Azazel spat as he drew his sword and put it in front of Paul's path. "She has everything to do with this. Do you think I'm stupid?"

"Let me kill her," Elyon begged.

"Not yet," Azazel decreed. "Paul and I need to work out our differences first. If you beat me, you just might save her before my dog rips out her throat."

Elyon's expression stiffened at the words Azazel used. He was no one's dog, but he had no chance against either of these men. He just needed to keep his mouth shut, and he would take Paul's place. Kathrine noticed the sneer on Elyon's face and decided it was the perfect way to help Paul.

"Be a good dog," Kathrine provoked.

"Shut up! The adults are speaking!" Elyon released her throat and turned to watch them fight.

Azazel circled Paul waiting for a sign of weakness.

"Have to rely on your sword father, that's hardly fair, but you know you can't take me without it," Paul incited.

"I'm not going to fight you. I'm just going to kill you." Azazel swung the flaming sword at Paul, and Paul dodged quickly to the side.

Kathrine struggled with the handcuffs. She needed to act fast, or Paul would be dead. Her anxiety and anger turned to terror and fury. Her claws came out stabbing the palms of her hands. Her fangs descended, and Elyon noticed. He jumped at her as Kathrine snapped the chains of the handcuffs. She caught him by the throat with both hands as he ran forward. Her long claws dug into Elyon's throat, and he panicked. He began thrashing, trying to get his hands on her throat but before he could connect, Kathrine ripped his head off.

She ran at Azazel, not knowing how she was going to deal with his sword. She knew from her father's story that she probably couldn't touch it, but Paul might be able to. Paul was the son of a Nephilim and an Angel. He had more Angel blood in his veins than any other Asuune except for her father. She hoped desperately that it was the reason her father had been able to touch the sword. If it had been because of who Mark's father was, then her and Paul were both doomed.

Azazel slashed at her arm as she ran at him. Her animal side had taken over a little, the throat was the most vulnerable spot. She tried for his throat, but Azazel was faster than she was. When she felt the fiery blade cut through her shoulder, she screamed. Her father hadn't described the pain well enough. It felt like her arm was on fire. The pain rivaled what she felt when she pulled the bullet out of her shoulder. Paul charged his father in anger. Azazel turned and stabbed Paul through the chest.

"No!!!!" Kathrine screamed. She forgot her pain and ran at Azazel again.

Azazel removed the sword from Paul's chest with a grin. He turned to Kathrine and backhanded her. She flew across the warehouse, landing near Elyon's dead body.

Paul struggled to get to his feet. He wasn't dead yet. Kathrine got to her hands and knees. Paul was right, she wasn't ready for this. She did the only thing she could think of. She clasped her hands together and looked to the sky.

"I don't know what to do. Please show me the way," Kathrine prayed.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Azazel said, ignoring Paul. "He will never answer you. He has given up on this hell. You're all alone."

Despite his words, Kathrine could hear the fear in his voice.

"I'm sorry to keep asking for help, but I don't know what I'm supposed to do." Kathrine shut her eyes and ignored the evil Angel that was closing on her fast.

"He's not listening!" Azazel raised his sword to remove her head.

As he swung the sword toward Kathrine's neck, Paul caught the flat part of the blade with his hands. The pain was incredible. He felt like his whole body was on fire. He had never dared touch his father's sword. He had seen humans catch fire and explode from touching it before, but there was no way he was going to let Kathrine die. Paul held on to the blade with everything he had, his father was not going to kill her while he lived. Azazel raised his other hand to hit Paul, and Kathrine caught it.

"You can't..." Azazel's protest was cut off when he saw Kathrine's golden eyes.

"I listen to him, so he listens to me." Kathrine squeezed harder, and Azazel's wrists began to smoke. He had never felt pain before. The Angel of War had never been beaten. Being cast out of heaven before the Great War in Heaven started, he had never experienced this horrible sensation. Clear, golden wings appeared from Kathrine's back and unfurled. They were at least twenty feet wide. The wings looked like they were made of air that had condensed into a solid form, and the light from them lit the room.

"What are you?!" Azazel yelled.

"His servant!" Kathrine shouted.

Azazel wrenched his wrist free from Kathrine and pulled the sword from Paul's grip. The blade cut deeply into Paul's hand, but he barely noticed. He was mesmerized by the beautiful half-angel that stood before him. Even her body had a golden glow around it. Almost like an image of an Angel was transposed over her. A real Angel, not the demon his father had become. Azazel took this chance to run. He ran out of the warehouse without looking back.

Kathrine's wings faded, and her eyes turned back to normal then she fell to the floor. Paul knelt beside her unmoving body. He tore a strip of cloth off his shirt to cover the gushing wound on his hand then kindly brushed the hair out of her eyes.

Behind them, Kelly was finally able to break the chain on Hailey's cuffs with Hailey's help then she turned to her grandson.

"I'm weak, I need help," John begged.

Hailey stared up in horror as Kelly's kind beautiful face turned to that of an angry tiger. At least that was how Hailey pictured it. She had no fur, but Hailey could clearly see the anger and how little John's life meant to her now. With a clean swipe of her claws, Johns' head was separated from his body.

"Remind me not to piss you off," Hailey quipped as she raised her hand for Kelly to help her up.

Kelly's face returned to normal, her fangs and claws retracted. She grabbed Hailey's hand then just stared at Hailey. Hailey felt it too. She had felt something before when she was near Kelly, which is why she couldn't talk to her. Before she had brushed it off as confusion and her desire to be with a woman, but this was much stronger. Touching Kelly's skin, she knew for certain now. Kelly was her one.

Across the room, Kathrine woke and stared up at Paul.

"Did he get away?" Kathrine asked wearily.

"Yes, but it doesn't matter. He won't mess with you again," Paul snickered.

Kathrine smiled at first then she remembered Paul in the alley with the little girl. She scowled at him and jumped to her feet.

"What did you do with that little girl?!" Kathrine demanded.

"What little girl?" Paul was confused. They had just beaten a fallen Angel, what did a little girl have to do with anything?

"The alley, you killed that man and stole the little girl," Kathrine growled.

"Oh, that!" Paul didn't look upset. He almost looked relieved.

"What did you do with her?!" Kathrine demanded again.

"I returned her to the family she was stolen from," Paul smirked. "As for the man, if you can call him that, he would have hurt other little girls. I couldn't let him walk away." The anger in Paul's voice was unmistakable. He loathed that man.

"You could have turned him in to the police," Kathrine reasoned.

"I had no proof, and he was as much a demon as my father is. We kill demons, remember?" Paul admonished.

"You can smell evil too?" Kathrine asked.

"No, I'm pretty sure that's just you and your dad. I don't need to smell them to know they are evil. I'm not quite as gifted as you, but I make due." Paul's face was a mass of confusion for Kathrine, she had never seen anyone more expressive and passionate. She had the urge to kiss him again. She really wanted to kiss him. Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw Hailey and Kelly approaching. Paul turned to them and addressed Hailey.

"Castriana. Thank you for helping my Kathrine." He then turned to Kathrine. "Thank you for helping Cass. She was a little confused."

"I really hate that name, Paul," Hailey scolded.

"Fine, I'll get used to Hailey eventually," Paul laughed.

"You don't mind that Hailey and I..." Kathrine started. She noticed Hailey and Kelly were holding hands. Kathrine wasn't dense, she knew why. She just hoped that Kelly wasn't angry, but she wanted Paul to be angry.

"Why? I've done my homework. I know what I'm getting into. If it had been a guy, then maybe," Paul laughed. "I've been watching you since the day you bumped into me on the street outside Ceralin's loft."

Kathrine felt a twinge of anger. She wanted Paul to be jealous. Why was he not jealous? She did understand, though. She didn't want any other man than Paul and what she had with Hailey was nothing like what she felt for Paul.

"When did you bump into me?" Kathrine asked.

"You were about ten and going to spend the night at your aunt's house. I had been watching Ceralin, trying to figure out how to talk to her about what I was doing. She had never gotten my letter or just didn't believe it, so I was working up the nerve to talk to her." Paul paused and looked at Kathrine with longing in his eyes. "I knew that day. When I saw you again at Samael's, I didn't recognize you, at first. Of course, the minute I touched you, I knew it was you. I had lost you when your mom died. Sarah is very good at hiding people."

"So, you watched me when I was ten until my mom died?" Kathrine was confused. Paul acted like he didn't care that he had practically stalked her as a child.

"Yes, I wanted to make sure nothing happened to you until you grew up. I've been waiting for you for a long, long time." Paul smiled and Kathrine's legs melted. Why did he have to be so perfect? "So yes, I know all about you. I know what I'm getting myself into. If you want to be with a woman once in a while, who am I to say no?"

Kathrine was dumbfounded. Her anger at the fact that he wasn't jealous, washed away. He was ok with her being the way she was. He really loved her.

"Congratulations," Paul said, looking at Hailey and Kelly. "I'm sorry I won't be able to attend the wedding." Kelly blushed, and Hailey rolled her eyes. "Shall we head out Kathrine?"

Kathrine looked at Paul, now was her chance. She put her hands behind his neck and kissed him deeply. She could feel his attraction to her. She slid her hand up the front of his pants to make sure Paul would not forget this kiss; then she took a step back.

"You were right, I'm not ready," Kathrine said sadly.

"What?!" Paul was now the one who was dumbfounded. She had just helped him beat his father. What else did she need to prove that she was ready?

"Give me a few months, maybe a year. I have so much to learn. I stumbled around this like a toddler. I'll get you killed if you have to keep saving me." Kathrine admitted.

"You...you saved me," Paul argued.

"No, God saved us both, but only after you kept your father from removing my head. I'm not ready." Kathrine looked like a lost puppy. She didn't want to leave, but it was the right thing to do. Paul's world was dangerous, mostly for him, if she kept putting him in danger. She needed to be completely ready before she took this last step.

"Ok, you're the boss," Paul smirked. "I'll be waiting for you when you're ready." Paul turned and started after his father. He wasn't going to risk fighting him again, but he did need to know where he was going. He could still fulfill his promise to God, it would just be a little more difficult now.

"The vampire chick you've been banging will get a nice surprise tonight I bet." Kathrine bit her lip. She desperately hoped he would deny having sex with another woman.

Paul laughed and turned to address her again.

"Let's just set this straight right here. I was pretty active, sexually, I mean, until the day I bumped into you. I haven't been able to look at another woman since. The worst part is, now that you are older, I dream about you every night. And in the dream, I can't touch you. When you're ready, I'll be waiting. I just hope you're ready soon. I think I'm going crazy without you. You are everything to me, don't ever forget that," Paul turned again and left with a grin.

Kathrine's jaw dropped. Instead of a denial, Kathrine got what she'd been hoping for. Paul was just as crazy for her as she was for him. Hailey pushed Kathrine's mouth closed then stood in front of her.

"Let's get you home," Hailey said.

"It's your home too, or at least it will be soon," Kelly smiled.

Kathrine cringed. Was Kelly going to be angry, tell Hailey to never see her again? Kelly put her hand on Kathrine's shoulder.

"Thank you, Kathrine," Kelly said kindly.

"What?" Kathrine wasn't sure what Kelly was thanking her for.

"For helping Hailey realize who she was. I knew she was my one the minute I stepped into the car, but I also knew she wasn't ready to admit it." Hailey blushed a little and kicked at nothing on the warehouse floor. "What you did for us...will you be our maid of honor? We can't exactly have a best man, but you would sorta be the best woman." Kelly simpered.

"Of course!" Kathrine shrieked. Perhaps she was a little too eager but she didn't have to give up her best friend, and she was going to be the maid of honor!

Within a few hours, they were all back at the settlement. It felt good for Kathrine to lay down in her own bed. Despite this, she stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Her last encounter with Paul had answered many questions about where they stood, but it had also left her wanting. Paul genuinely wanted to be with her. He was ready, why wasn't she? What she had said about feeling unprepared was true. She didn't want to get someone hurt because she wasn't ready. Still, she knew that wasn't the only reason, she was scared, scared to completely love Paul. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she still felt that Paul couldn't really be in love with her. He deserved someone better. Yet, there was also a small part of her that felt like she should have just said yes.

Unable to sleep, Kathrine got up and looked around the house. She had fully intended to start writing her story, like Sarah had. She just felt that there wasn't much to write about until now. She now knew exactly what she wanted to write. She rummaged through a few of Sarah's dressers that were still there and finally found an empty notebook. With a pen she found lying on the table, she started her book.

She titled the first chapter "Paul's a Dick" then in smaller letters below it. "Yet he was right, and I love him for it". She scratched it out and laughed to herself. She wanted to start at the beginning. The day she tracked her father to that run down church. She wrote the story so that other people could read it. She was embarking on a journey to save humanity. If she died, someone might one day tell her story. She wrote the chapter title again. "The Clueless Romantic, aka my father."

My name is Kathrine Albet, Daughter of Mark Albet, the Son of the Archangel Michael, and this is my story. My dad once told me that there are events in your life that so completely change you that you end up becoming another person. I didn't really understand what he meant until God chose me to save humanity. Now I don't believe that I'm better than anyone else, nor am I more important, that's not what this is about. You probably think I'm crazy. You might even think I've just seen too many sci-fi movies. Many of you don't even believe in God, and that's your choice. I just ask you to take a good look at what this world has become. Watch the news, see all the violence and war, then ask yourself one question. Can you really afford not to believe?

Deception of the Asuune, the conclusion to this story, is now available.

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# Acknowledgments

I want to thank my wife, Tammy. I couldn't do this without her. She is my Sarah.
MOUS Investigations Series

Cassy Mousman and Zach Nielson each grew up with their adoptive parents, knowing nothing about each other nor why, as adults, they are inexplicably linked. The murder of Cassy's father causes her to trick Zach into becoming her unwitting partner in her search to find out what they really are. She knows they are not human, but nothing in her father's books can explain her unusual abilities nor why countless orphans were deposited on human doorsteps the same day she was.

Perhaps with Zach's help, she can finally discover what they really are and why everything seems to revolve around the unassuming accountant, Zach. In the meantime, all she can do is help the supernaturals like her father had and piece together the clues to this puzzle.

Case of the Docile Dhampir Book 1

The Ghoul from Galveston Book 2

Deceptive Dragons and Duplicitous Sisters Book 3

A Wendigo in Wisconsin Book 4

Ogres in Oakland, Oh My! Book 5
Asuune Series

Angels and vampires are real. In the world of the Asuune, half angel and half human, there is a secret war that has been going on for as long as man has walked the earth. Unbeknownst to Kathrine, her father is one of the war's soldiers, but what is even more surprising is that she is the war's only hope. Follow the life of Kathrine Albet and her father, Mark, as they fight the evil of fallen angels and vampires to save humanity. It would all be much easier if each Asuune didn't have one true love they couldn't ignore. Fighting the forces of evil may be hard, but resisting your true love is all but impossible.

Curse of the Asuune Book 1

Deception of the Asuune Book 2 (Conclusion)
Demonic Temptations

Samantha Lujuria is a therapist who specializes in disorders she calls Demonic Temptations. The desires that everyone harbors that are so distasteful or embarrassing that we can't even admit them to ourselves. Follow her as she tries to use her expertise to help half-demon offspring. Because for a demon, love is the biggest taboo of them all.

Set in the world of the Asuune several years after the events of Deception of the Asuune. Join Samantha as she gets help from many of your favorite characters from the Asuune series in her quest to keep half-demon offspring from destroying their lives as well as the people around them.

Demonic Temptations - Incubus Tormented Book 1
Lascaria Series

In the world of Lascaria, the evil king Lascar rules his kingdom through fear and intimidation. His magic is without equal. The worst part is that he grows stronger every year. No one can stand up to a man that is over 1,000 years old until his grandson Dhrel is born. Explore the world of Lascaria alongside Dhrel as he works to become the man everyone thinks he is.

Lascaria - Evil Reborn Book 1

Lascaria – Sins of the Ancestors Book 2

Lascaria – The Prisoner Queen Book 3

Lascaria – The Legend of Lascar Book 4

Lascaria – The Shadow King Book 5 (Conclusion)
Morven's Legacy

Evil demons are trying to make their way into the world, and only the descendants of Morven have a chance at stopping them.

Christopher Morven is over three hundred years old and tired of fighting to keep the demons at bay. The magic that kept him alive has taken its toll, but finally, after all these years, he sees hope in his two granddaughters. They aren't ready, but they are very powerful. If anyone can bring this to an end, it will be them. They can succeed where he has failed, but they will need help.

The Fire Maiden's Desire

To Seduce a Sorceress
Raven

Fawn, although most people know her by her code name Raven, is one of the best assassins in the world. When she takes on a very lucrative job to kidnap, then kill the prince, she realizes that the bumbling fool isn't the cruel womanizer she's been led to believe. She thought assassins were deceptive, nobles and Royals are worse. Can she find her way through this web of lies before it is too late? Despite his roguish charm and possible innocence, she has a job to do, and Raven always kills her mark.

Raven's Embrace Book 1

Raven's Gamble Book 2 (Conclusion)
The Order of Human Purity

The books in this category are not intended as a series. They are grouped together because they all happen within the same universe where The Order of Human Purity (known simply as 'The Order') is trying to rid the world of monsters.

They are written with the intention of making them similar but completely separate stories. There are no cliffhangers or continuations. The only things these books have in common are the world they take place in, The Order and the mischievous, immortal wraith Miraven who is neither good nor evil. She is simply bored of her immortal life and to spice things up she likes to toy with the lives of others, or so she would have everyone believe.

Kiss of the Lamia Book 1

Werewolf Bane Book 2

The Alpha Predator

When Adam Lance witnesses the attempted murder of a man, he becomes the only known witness to a serial killer who has gone unchecked for nearly five years. Special Detective Cheryl Torren soon realizes that Adam might be the one person who can help her catch the killer. With Adam's help, Cheryl finds out that the person they are hunting isn't a serial killer after all. The killer is a vigilante who only targets predators and soon gains the nickname 'The Alpha Predator'. Despite Adam's reluctance to catch this killer, it's still their job, and with his help, Cheryl might finally put an end to the killing spree, that is, if the killer doesn't find them first.

Auctor – Vengeful Intent

Disclaimer: This book contains a considerable amount of violence and dark emotions.

When Kaya Nichols' step-sister turns up dead, the apparent victim of a mugging, Kaya leaves behind her job as a foreign journalist to find out what really happened to her step-sister. At least that is the job everyone thinks she has. In reality, she is a fixer for a variety of powerful European mobs.

The men who killed her step-sister, Trish, think they've handled the problem until Kaya arrives back in the United States for her sister's funeral. Kaya isn't willing to let a single man responsible for her step-sister's death escape justice, even if it kills her in the process. She is a woman who has lost everything, so nothing matters other than revenge.

Explore the nightmare that has become Kaya's life as she tries to work through her anger and grief. And, as if, Trish's death wasn't enough. The man who ruined her life, her step-sister's husband, is a constant reminder of what she has lost and the secret she dares not tell anyone.

Immortal Consequences

When Kal Johnson, an immortal gargoyle, is attacked by an ancient vampire and framed for the murder of a human, his quiet life is thrown into chaos. But the universe, with its perverse sense of humor, has decided that now would be the perfect time for the punch line. Kal's human wife, Brianna, has done the impossible. She is the first human in history to become pregnant with a gargoyle's child.

This vampire is stronger and more cunning than any he has fought. The wife he adores and the child he never hoped for, give Kal something he has never had before, a weakness. Can Kal stop this ancient vampire before it takes everyone he loves? Taking his wife and child might accomplish what no vampire has ever been able to do. It might be enough to defeat the immortal Kal.
