Irene lay on her couch, staring up at the ceiling, a book laying on her chest. Amber's warning was redundant, Irene had already shut herself in. However, now she was not even daring to go for jogs. Irene rolled over onto her side, setting the book on the coffee table. A loud sigh relieved itself from Irene's tight chest. She hoped that whatever was happening would hurry and happen.

"But just what is happening?" Irene asked herself out loud. It wasn't much of a habit of hers before, but there were a lot of firsts for Irene as of late. "And who is this mystery vampire?" Irene let her arm hang over the edge of the couch, her knuckles brushing against the carpet lightly. She had fancied that Amber's vampire master was Cyrus's creator, or dam as he'd say, watching her boys continue to fight. But as Irene mulled the idea over, she discarded it. She remembered that Cyrus had mentioned she was gone. All the same, Irene did not like that there was a third party entering into this whole mess. Amber implied that this vampire was looking out for Cyrus's best interests, but what of her own?

Feeling a need for some distraction, Irene got up and turned the radio on.

"-they found officers Bateman and Kranvjak dead, with their throats torn out. Officer Tom Collins, first on the scene, was cited as saying that the "scene of the crime looked like a slaughterhouse." The death of these two officers is a grave matter, and all the stops are being pulled out to find answers. There were other remains at the scene, forensics are still determining if they are, in fact, human." Irene gasped and turned the radio up. Has it begun? "One other body besides the officers was found. Identity is currently being established. More updates will come at the six o'clock news. This is Jennifer Ha-" CLICK. Irene chewed on her lower lip uncomfortably after turning off the radio.

Irene got up and began pacing. Irene wondered if the involvement of officers was carelessness, or an intentional escalation? Irene's guts wrenched and squirmed with the ominous feeling that came over her. Everything was building up to something bigger than her troubles. How on Earth did Irene land herself in the middle of a vampire revolution?

A knock at the door caused Irene to jump. Irene hesitated, but then finally made her way to the door. Trembling, she opened it a few inches to peer through the gap. Standing there was Amber. Although the weather had improved, she still wore an oversized coat and a scarf. Irene opened the door the rest of the way.

Amber and Irene stared at each other. Amber did not make a move to come in. "You need t-t-to leave. Gabriel has some human followers that will b-b-be coming for you soon."

"What? Where am I supposed to go?" Irene asked, cold chills running through her spine.

"I'd let you stay with me, b-but my Dad, I don't think, would b-b-be happy ab-b-bout that..." Amber replied ominously. Irene crossed her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow at Amber, but her expression softened when she looked down and saw Amber pulling her sleeves down over what appeared to be a cigarette burn.

"What about your vampire ally? Did she have any suggestions?" Irene asked.

Amber lowered her head. "She… she didn't have t-t-time to t-t-tell me much," Amber glanced around nervously. "Sorry b-but I b-better get going b-before they get here. Good luck," Amber quickly turned away, and began to speed walk down the driveway, although she appeared to have a slight limp. Irene sighed and shook her head; Amber clearly had her own problems, and Irene needn't add to them. How will I know what places are safe? Irene angrily grabbed her shoes and shoved her feet into them, tying the laces with unnecessary force. Irene about to pack an overnight bag when she heard a shrill scream. Without a moment to think things through, she rushed out of the house.

Irene didn't get very far before she saw a tall woman holding Amber's arms behind her back. Irene stalled. Amber let out a whimper as the hold tightened, twisting her arms in ways that ought not to be twisted.

"Well that didn't take long…"

"Just let her go," Irene commanded, using her firmest tone.

The woman arched a pencil thin eyebrow at Irene. "What will you do for your little friend here?"

Irene shook her head. "She's not my friend. It's just disgusting to see you pick on someone half your size," Irene sneered. There were no guns, and this wasn't a vampire. Irene felt she might have a chance against these odds.

"Not your friend, huh?" Biting down on her red lower lip, the woman screwed her face up defiantly as she yanked down on Amber's twisted arm. Amber shrieked and then sobbed.

"I'm calling the cops," Irene knew the threat was empty, but it was the first thought that came to mind. Irene turned to head back into her house, but kept the woman in her peripheral vision.

"Oh, going to run to the cops, are you? That won't undo any damage I might do," the woman said, lifting her chin insolently.

"Any damage you do will make your sentence worse," Irene countered. She could see the woman hesitate. In a quick movement, the woman shoved Amber away and charged at Irene. Irene dashed towards her front door, stumbling up the porch steps. Her fingertips just barely felt the door handle when she heard the stomp of feet on the wooden porch steps behind her. In moments, she was slamming into the door, arms about her waist from a full bodied tackle. Both women tumbled into a heap. Irene wriggled free enough to kick the woman in the face, who shrieked. Before Irene could get up, the enraged woman yanked Irene's hair and dragged her away from the door. Irene fought until she felt something cold and sharp pressed to her neck.

"I wouldn't press your luck," the woman hissed in her ear. Irene held her breath as the woman guided her down the porch steps. Irene looked around, but could not see Amber anywhere. What concerned her more was the sun nestling in a crook between two peaks.

"You work for Gabriel, don't you?" Irene asked through clenched teeth. The sensation of the blade trailing down her shoulder to her back caused Irene to shiver. The woman slung her other arm across Irene's shoulders to give the appearance of just two friends walking side by side to the unobservant.

"Never met anyone named Gabriel."

Irene raised her eyebrows in surprise, her eyes slowly sliding to try and get a look at the woman's face. She saw the brunette woman smiling impishly.

"Then why…?"

"For the reward. Duh!" the woman said, maintaining her smile. It was a smile that didn't have the gentle yet beautiful curve of the crescent of the moon, but a grin that curved like a saber, and just as deadly.

"What sort of reward are you expecting?" Irene was growing weary of humans who became vampire lackeys.

"Well, I could get my hide busted for pulling a stunt like this, so it'd better be good. Louis promised me I could get a reward beyond anything I could possibly imagine…" Irene screwed up her face as she heard the name. It sounded familiar. "…better than money even. I was skeptical at first, but hey, he said I could easily make a lot more money with it and - wait, never mind, you don't need to know any of that!"

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Irene shook her head. "No, not really," Irene muttered. She could scarcely believe this lady. She had neither sense nor scruples.

The two of them continued to walk down the street, her empty-headed captor frequently reminding Irene not to even try anything funny, and wondering out loud what anyone wanted with her. Irene was annoyed by the prattle, and wondered if it weren't unrealistic to hope to reason with the woman.

"You must have done something to piss someone off. Ooooh, did you steal drugs?"

"No,"

"No? So you say you didn't do anything to deserve this? Yeah, figured as much. Though, you do look like some sort of straight arrow type… hey, you look like you're still in highschool," the woman said. Several people they passed by disregarded the two, seeing it just as two people having a normal conversation. Irene didn't blame them, the way this girl prattled on so casually.

"What difference does it make what I did if you're just doing it for a reward?"

"Don't go judging me. I'm pretty tired of running crap jobs to keep my ungrateful little brother fed. And I'm sick of hooking up with big jerks who promise me everything, but take it all instead. I need to be independent, right? You're my ticket there," the girl responded.

"Oh no, wouldn't dream of judging someone who kidnaps innocent school girls," Irene said in a deadpan tone.

"Yeah, right, innocent. I remember what it was like to be a teen. God, I'm so glad to be past that," the girl responded, nodding and smiling to an elderly lady as they passed by.

"Somehow I don't think you ever left highschool," Irene muttered. She got pinched painfully, and then the blade poked a little harder. Irene cringed but didn't make a sound.

"Oh shut up. Don't think I won't cut you up if you give me anymore sass," the woman threatened in her agitation.

Irene tuned the woman out, hearing a sound off in the distance. It was a noise she'd often paid no attention to, but now it was made beautiful to her ears. Sirens wailed, and got closer and closer. Letting out a quick curse, Irene's abductor jerked Irene off the sidewalk, looking for somewhere to run and hide.

Irene stumbled to find ground for her feet to dig into. The two women tussled for a while, the brunette trying to drag Irene off to some trees, and Irene trying to break for the sidewalk. When the woman's arm got too close to Irene's face, she sunk her teeth into it viciously. The woman yelped and threw Irene down.

"Screw it! I'm not getting busted for this…" she said, breaking away into a gallop. Irene stumbled onto the sidewalk, as the police car rolled to a stop. Irene squinted at it, the setting sun reflected off the windshield and into her eyes. A police man emerged, muttering something into his radio.

"You okay there?" he asked. Irene just stared at him in disbelief. For once, some benevolent God heard her troubles, and sent an angel. An angel in blue, with a holster and hand radio.

"Uh…" was all she managed to say.

The cop pointed to her side. "That fresh?"

Irene pulled at her shirt, surprised to see some red spots on it. Without even thinking about being in public, she lifted up the side of her shirt to inspect the laceration.

The cop walked over to her. "Let's get that cleaned up, and you can tell me what happened."

"I…" Irene looked over at him, pulling her shirt back down. "A woman… she… she tried to..." Irene stammered in a daze. She was relieved for the help, but then she remembered she had been dodging the police since the incident with Gloria. Irene was paralysed with two conflicting imperatives.

"Irene Locklyn?" The cop thrust his thumbs into his belt. "It's okay, we've got you now. You're safe." Irene stared at the man. Somehow, the cops knowing who she was, and the past trouble she'd been put through, made her suddenly anxious. Without a moment to evaluate the rationality of her decision, Irene's feet took flight. She did not heed the officer's command to halt. She tore across someone's lawn, and turned down a narrow path between houses that led to a small playground. She heard footsteps hot behind her. Irene sped up until she reached a chain link fence. Without hesitation she scaled it, moving like a spider high on her adrenaline. She did everything she could to outpace her pursuers and eventually, she no longer heard the chorus of footsteps trailing her.

Irene continued running until the sun had fully set, and she was out of breath. She'd ended up across the bridge, in a more urban neighbourhood. Her side was really stinging and aching now, and her hand went to it. She avoided the streetlights as they came on. Bloody attire would draw unwanted attention.

Irene was quick to regret fleeing from the police. She should have gone with them and sought medical attention. Maybe they could protect her. But there was always the fear of corruption.

In a clearer state of mind, Irene decided to correct her lapse in common sense, and set out towards the police department. She wasn't exactly sure how to get there from where she was, but she knew once she had walked a while and got her bearings, she would find her way. As she walked through the fresh evening, she wondered about the cops arriving at just the right time. They had arrived with a purpose. They would not have stopped if they were responding to something urgent, unless they were looking for her. Did Amber call the cops?

Motion. It started with the feeling of narrow points of impact on her shoulders, digging into the flesh above her clavicle. Following this sensation she was jerked off of her feet and brought back between two inactive buildings. Irene let out a sharp gasp as an arm barred her throat from behind. A hand covered her mouth as soon as she sucked in air to scream.

"Girls shouldn't be walking the streets alone after dark…" a low masculine voice whispered in her ear. Irene twisted and moved her head, trying to get away from the voice. She struggled, but the hold was firm. It was a familiar grip. It was like being held by a statue. Arms, legs, everything was immovable. A hand pressed on her side, right where her knife wound was. It stung and Irene let out a muffled gasp. "Don't you know that sharks can smell blood?"

Irene reached up and grabbed the wrist of the hand that was covering her mouth, tugging at it, until it lowered. She knew he chose to lower it. "If by sharks you mean vampires… isn't it a little early in the evening for hunting?"

"Oh… aren't you a smart little lady. I knew there was a reason you caught my attention… other than the smell of fresh blood," the voice said in a hushed voice. "I'll make this as painless as possible."

"Let me go," Irene said assertively. The vampire did not respond. She just felt his chin, or perhaps his cheek, brush against her neck, causing her to shrink. Irene closed her eyes, bracing herself.

"What's this?" came the vampire's voice, and she felt his grip momentarily loosen, and then tense up again. Hope and confusion combatted for supremacy in her mind. Her shoulders shrugged involuntarily as a prickling sensation rode up the back of her neck. "Well isn't this… but maybe… no, I'd better not risk it…" the vampire mumbled to himself.

"What? What is it?" Irene asked. The vampire let her go, taking a step away from her. Irene spun around, but could not see the man very well.

"Hmmm… you're branded," said the voice.

Branded?

The vampire stepped forward and hold out a laminated business card. Irene squinted at it, stepping closer to a source of light to see better. It showed a stenciled picture of a sun and some sort of creature, perhaps a Griffin, wearing a crown. Irene looked back up at the nondescript vampire imploringly. It meant nothing to her.

"What is this?" she asked, rubbing the back of her neck.

"I can't tell you here. You have the same picture on your neck. Come with me," he explained quietly. Irene stared at him, and then down at the card. It made her feel uncomfortable, and a little angry, that she was marked like property. However she wasn't going to shoot the messenger. The more confusing matter was she would have noticed a tattoo on her neck, but never saw anything of the sort. But why would a random vampire make such a strange lie? Although the vampire ceased his hostility, she doubted she had a choice. If she ran, he could catch her.

"Alright, I'll come quietly," Irene relented. The vampire extended a hand, and she took it. She'd either be led to answers or a trap. Either way, she felt she had little choice. So she walked quietly with the hunter, letting him guide her to the other piece of the puzzle.