Chapter One

Chapter 2

Stealth is one of the key traits you require when hunting, yet it can also come in quite handy in other situations. I melted into the perfect scenery of this cute little coffee shop in Venice, perfectly minding my own business, with the humans blissfully unaware of my presence, and the reason why I was there. I don’t have a true home, and that truly does make travelling a lot easier. I can come and go as I please, with no family or friends to hold me back.

Humans grow way too attached to each other- relationships are a waste of time. Sure, there was a time when I thought that, I too, could be happy even when I care about others, but that time has passed. I realized that humans tend to betray your trust; they enjoy trampling on your already cold, dead heart and move on without a second thought. The more you care, the more you have to lose. Besides, being me, I would outlive them all. I would live on with their memories following me, while they go on, leaving me behind.

The sun was busy setting-the long rays reminded me of outstretched arms, painting the sky as the sun sinks slowly into its golden cup. It is a popular myth that vampires will be burnt to a crisp by the sun’s rays... I suspect that it was merely a made up story to put most humans at ease, giving the Fallen Ones the upper hand. Though it is much easier to hunt at night, vampires can still be active during the daylight hours. If a human happens to come across a thirsty vampire during the day, he will meet the same fate as those who dared to wander alone at night. Daylight isn’t a threat, there’s just a higher risk of being caught in our dark deeds.

The strong, sweet aroma of my Vanilla Latte mocked me, for there was no way I would ever be able to taste it... it was all part of the facade, just like these clothes that  I purchased in Paris- the previous city I was called to.

Rumour has it that a Ba’al was lurking in this beautiful city, searching for a few new slaves. Since this bloodline is gifted with mind control powers, they pose a bigger threat to the human race than the bloodthirsty Moloch. Ba’al are extremely cunning, but greedy too. Their greed is one of their greatest weaknesses. My hand instinctively moved to the string of pearls around my neck. Yes, this will do just fine...

I watched intently as my suspected target rose from his seat. He was a man, seemingly in his mid 20’s, and rather average looking. Ba’al aren’t extremely attractive, but their wit and charm are beyond measure. That is how they manage to get their prey to trust them. With a plastered on smile, he paid for his beverage, seeming upset about having to part with his money. I waited in anticipation for the right amount of distance to come between us before I got up to follow him- careful not to cause any suspicion.

A part of me enjoys the hunt- the whole game of cat and mouse that I mastered back in the days I drank blood. Being a hunter is part of who and what I am- it’s an instinct, and though I swore to gave up on my gruesome urges, some things will always remain.

I found the man a few minutes later, walking towards a few buildings that seem slightly more run down than the rest of the city. He was heading towards an alleyway. Two women walking their dogs passed us. Without any hesitation, the dogs immediately started growling. By now, I was used to this- animals tend to react quite violently around a Fallen being. A smile tugged at the corner of my lips when I noticed the dogs growling at my suspect, too.  I am almost sure I have the intended target- all that is left is to corner him and destroy him.

After turning around one more corner, we finally entered the alley. It was much darker here than out in the street, and the foul stench of garbage and a few unmentionables filled my oversensitive nostrils. At last we were alone.

“Your skills need some more polishing, my dear. You weren’t quite as sneaky as you thought you were... I’ve noticed you behind me for the past ten minutes, and I know you’ve been stalking me for nearly a week...” He turned around slowly and gave me a charming smile, moving closer to me. His eyes seemed darker than in the coffeeshop and slight purple bags have begun to form underneath them.

“Now, why would a pretty young thing like you even bother to follow an old man like me?” He was standing in front of me now, still smiling, and tucked a strand of my ebony hair behind my ear. I held perfectly still, and faked a smile of my own. Oh, if only he knew my actual age- I might be trapped in the body of an 18 year old, but I am almost certain that I am a few decades older than him, at the very least.

“Oh, I’ve heard so much about you, good sir, and I just wanted to see for myself if the stories are true. People tend to talk a lot about a person they see as... extraordinary...”  I spoke the last word slowly, deliberately, laughing at my own little private joke.

He leaned in even closer, perhaps trying to feel the heat radiate from my skin or smell the sweet scent of the blood that no longer courses through my veins. This was obviously a hungry vampire, clearly in search of the sweet nectar that he will not be able to get from me.

“And what rumours are those?” he breathed.

My hand fondly grasped the string of pearls again, and then in one swift movement, I plucked it off my neck. The string broke, and the precious beads scattered all over the cold stone floor.  The strangers’ eyes widened in shock, and he immediately bent down and started gathering them. His movements were faster than that of a human, and it was clear that he couldn’t resist picking up anything of monetary value. The Ba’al’s greed once again cost him dearly.

With fast movements of my own, I unsheathed my silver dagger, plunging it into his neck. The flesh around the dagger started to rot, his skin blackening as the poison spread.  The pearls he held scattered to the floor once more, rolling to unreachable corners.

Being a vampire hunter is hard work, but being one of them, knowing their strengths and weaknesses, definitely gives me the upper hand in any battle. No vampire can handle silver, and though the mere smell or presence of garlic won’t keep us away, like a few other plants, it is poisonous to vampires. That is why my blade was dipped in a potent mixture of aloe juice, crushed iris, crushed garlic and nutmeg. Of course, I can’t touch or crush any of these ingredients myself, so I get my “friends” in the Circle to help. In turn, I give them valuable information.

The Ba’al was frozen, his features pulled into a permanent expression of shock as his once pale body darkened. I pulled my dagger out of him, cleaning it before sheathing it again- this one was my favourite, there was no way that I was simply going to leave it here.

I felt a slight vibration as my cellphone notified me of a new text message. I smiled when I read it- it was from my werewolf friend. I was needed urgently:  he had some good news to share.

With a growing excitement, I lit a match, leaving tongues of flame and a soon-to-be pile of ash behind as I walked away.