CHAPTER 1

Katherine lay in the center of the large silver and gold coffin her long dark hair surrounded her face like a halo her arms crossed across her chest holding a single red rose. Upon her head was a gold and silver crown; she wore a long white and silver dress. Low sobbing could be heard as people passed by the open coffin and looked inside. Each that looked inside kept their eyes locked on her closed ones. Yet all she heard was crying, Katherine tried to move, tried to tell all those that passed that she lived, but something within her kept her from moving. Anger pulsed through her unmoving form as she could hear Nickolas speak to those that had assembled.
“Katherine would have made a wonderful wife, and mother. But it seemed some bandits that attacked us the very night of our wedding took her from me. Took the beauty that would have made our kingdom happy.”
“Lord Nickolas, will the bandits be brought to the king?”
“They disappeared into the darkness as quickly as they had come, like demons.”
“Are you saying something else took her?”
“No, they were human, but they disappeared into the night. The king has sent his best hunters to find these men and they will die for what they’ve done.”
“Sire, we are sorry for your loss.”
“Katherine will be missed. But never forgotten.” Nickolas said, his hand slowly moving over Katherine’s cheek. He looked around and saw that the people gathered where looking at him strangely. Pulling his hand back, he closed the lid and turned to all those assembled.
“Come, the cook has prepared a meal.” Nickolas said leading all that had been there from the crypt.

The sun was just about to rise when Nickolas returned to the crypt. He walked into the darkened room and lights the few torches that lined the walls. He lifted the lid to Katherine’s coffin, with a sudden gasp she sat up.
“What have you done?” Katherine growled. She found that she had a new strength and energy as she leaped from the coffin and pinned Nickolas against the far wall.
“You are now like me my darling. My dark wife.”
“What?”
“I want the power that is within you, the power that the wizard brought forth.”
“He brought forth nothing. He was teaching me for my future, what have you done to me? What have you changed me into?”
“I am a vampire, one of the oldest. And I brought you into my family, you became my bride.”
“You promised to be with me forever, I didn’t think you meant it. How dare you change the fate I already had?”
“And what was that fate my dearest?”
“I am not sure, things I was learning from the wizard are fading I can’t remember what I was being trained for.” Katherine said. Nickolas smiled evilly, he knew that her change was nearly complete she’d never remember her human life and become the bride and wife he had truly wanted, her power would be his to control. Katherine growled loudly and the room filled with a bright light.
“Come, we must return to the mansion and rest, for tonight my new wife, you shall see life with eyes anew.”
“I hate you. I will return to the mansion but I will sleep alone.”
“You may if you choose, but you will return to me in your own time.” Nickolas responded. He took her hand and led her through the catacombs that were beneath the grounds and led her back into the large house.
“Master? Is this our new mistress?”
“Yes, this is Mistress Katherine, please show her to her new chambers.”
“Yes master.” The young man answered bowing slightly. “Please come with me.” His slender form and long hair caught her attention.
“You are much to young to be answering to one such as Nickolas.”
“I am what he makes me. I have been with Master Nickolas for a great many years.” He answered.
“What is your name boy?”
“He calls me Stephen, but at one time my name was Alexander.”
“He changed your name to suit himself? How cruel can one man be?”
“He says your name is Katherine, is that the very name you have always had?”
“Yes, I am Princess Katherine from Scotland. My cousin had me marry Nickolas to rid him of my presence in the palace. But I guess I didn’t leave after all.”
“You will find that Master Nickolas is a kind but jealous man, beware of his anger.”
“He should beware mine.” Katherine growled. Stephen opened an oak door and stepped aside.
“This will be your chambers, please remember to keep the curtains closed during the day, unless you’d like to die.”
“I understand. Be safe you one.” Katherine said kissing his forehead. She watched as he walked down the hallway and then entered her chambers. There in the center an oak hand made bed with blood red sheets. Dark curtains covered the floor to ceiling window. Katherine walked further into the room and saw the very coffin that she had woke up in sitting in a dark corner.
“You may choose to sleep in that during the day, or in the bed. Which ever is to your liking dear,” Nickolas spoke from the corner.
“Who said you could enter my room?”
“I enter where I wish dear wife. Rest well, for tonight I will show you your new world.” Nickolas laughed and left her alone. Katherine looked around and chose to sleep in the large bed that day, but she would come to understand why she should sleep in coffin.

CHAPTER 2
PRESENT:
Katherine sat up in her coffin and looked around, she saw that Darcy was sleeping on the large bed that was in the room.
“What’s wrong?” He asked moving to her side in an instant.
“Nothing.”
“Don’t tell me that, I know better. I can feel it,” he said moving to hold her trembling hand.
“I have been having nightmares, I hate feeling so helpless and knowing that he is gone. Nickolas has not had any control over me in centuries.”
“You said that you’ve been free of him for a long time. Tell me how long?” He asked soothingly.
“Maybe later, I want the entire family assembled. Bianca died because she knew of my past and the past that Nickolas had promised me. She knew of what I had gone through.”
“Not entirely, she did not finish reading it before she had made her choice.”
“Bring the others, and I will come and meet you in the great room, its time the family knew of my past and that past was with Nickolas.”
“All right,” Darcy said, he kissed her cheek and stood and walked from the room. Katherine slowly made her way to her feet and looked around the room, placed above the large bed was a painting; the couple in the painting was happy, smiles on their faces. She walked up and touched the edge of the painting and sighed.
“Why did you change?” She whispered. She knew that there were similar pictures around the house and was shocked none had approached her about them. She had a portrait made of her with Nickolas and Angelina, and as her family grew after Nickolas had left she always had another portrait added. Katherine pulled her long red robe over her nightdress and walked from the room, her family had to know what was going on and why even now that Nickolas was gone, she seemed more depressed. She had lost her friend, the man that had promised her the world and for a short time had taken that world and all it had to offer. She walked down the long hallway toward the winding staircase; she looked down over the balcony to see her children assembling. She moved down the stairs toward the assembled group, deep within her she dreaded having to tell them that at one time she was as evil as Nickolas was now, and once danced in the death and destruction that he was once wreaking. How could she expect them to understand that she was now good and she was fighting the evil that she once was?

Darcy looked up at her as she slowly walked toward the large chair that sat against the wall in the great room. Katherine sat down and looked at everyone that had been assembled.
“What is it you wanted to speak to us about Mistress?” Angelina asked, she looked into Katherine’s eyes, for the first time in nearly three hundred years she saw fear behind Katherine’s dark eyes.
“There are a great many things we must discuss, and we have three hundred years to learn about my past, the past that I’ve never shared with any of you. The past that happened before Angelina joined my brood, being my first child.”
“Who was with you before?”
“Martin and I were with Mistress Katherine, along with another that was called Alexander.”
“I knew nothing of Alexander, was he before any of you?” Angelina asked.
“He was Nickolas’s boy, a young man changed because of Nickolas’s anger the first time I refused to be his wife. But let’s start somewhere else. Let’s start where I met Nickolas, the very first time I lay eyes on the man that changed everything that I was.”
“We know some of your time with Nickolas.”
“Not all of it, and it’s time that the entire family understands that at one time I held the same evil that Nickolas held so dear, that I killed just like Nickolas without a care in the world, without the knowledge that I was the one that was to save the world I was trying to destroy,” Katherine sighed and sat down in the chair and leaned back, her world could be seen crumbling right now, she knew that much of what she did was wrong and until she was three hundred years old she never understood that. Now it was time to make her brood understand the person she was and the person she used to be.

CHAPTER 3

PAST:

Katherine looked around the room; she had been rubbing her sore arm for nearly an hour, smell and feel of burning skin had awakened her from her deep slumber. Sleeping in the coffin that evening was going to be her choice, since she now knew that the curtains opened slightly during the day. She wasn’t prepared for what her body would do once it reacted to the sun. Katherine walked toward the adjacent room and noticed there was a large claw foot bath tub and a large sink.
“I will draw you a bath mistress.” Said an older man from the room.
“Thank you, Nickolas didn’t tell me your name.”
“I am Martin.”
“How did you come to be?”
“It’s a long story, one of which I will not bore you with. I must warn you that Master Nickolas isn’t as he seems.”
“What is meant by this?”
“Nothing, just be on your guard young Mistress, soon you will learn a hard truth.” Martin said, he disappeared as quickly as he appeared. She wondered if she would learn to do such things. She walked around the vast room she was standing in and opened the wardrobe that was standing in the far corner. As she pulled the large doors open she gasped as she looked at the vast yet beautiful dresses that were inside. She pulled out one and looked at it.
“I thought you’d like the fine cloths, as you did at the palace.”
“You thought that bringing me fine cloths would make me want you.” Katherine hissed. She turned and faced him and saw that he was dressed in a long black jacket white shirt and black pants over boots.
“You will learn to love me, all that have entered my home have,” he answered with a smile.
“Not everyone within these walls likes you, we stay because we made our choice. Remember that Nickolas, I’ve been here since you were a child. Now that you are a man, and vampire you feel that everyone should be yours to control,” Martin said as he walked back into the room. Nickolas hissed at the older man and cleared the space between them pinning Martin to the far wall.
“Never question me old man.” Nickolas let Martin fall to the ground and turned on his heal and left them alone. Martin stood and smoothed out the suit that he was wearing.
“Tell me Martin, is there anyone else here that came before me?”
“My brother Henry is here. We have been with Nickolas since he was a child. When he was changed into the monster he is now, he changed us as well, never wanting us to leave him alone. But that was along time ago, come your bath is ready. And then tonight you must go on your first hunt,” Martin said leading her into the bathroom. The steam that came from the large tub seemed to fill the room. Katherine stripped of her robe and slowly slid into the hot water and let the water come around her shoulders, a low sigh escaped her lips as she let her worries leave her. Martin stood for a few moments before turning and leaving his new master alone.

Nickolas watched her bathe from his corner, she was a beauty, her skin pale and soft her eyes slowly loosing their light color and taking on a darker appearance her long flowing hair becoming darker by the night. He knew that she would make a fine dark queen for his brood but she needed to want it, he did not want to force her, not yet anyway. He turned and disappeared down the long hallway, he knew that soon she would come and join them for the nightly feeding. He needed to teach her to transform and to hunt for what she needed.

Katherine slowly slid from the tub as the water began to cool, she walked naked into the adjoining chambers and looked around and saw her dress sitting on the large bed. She looked to see no one in the room and slowly began to dress herself. Once she had finished pulling up her hair she turned and left the room. Walking down the long staircase she looked toward the great room to see many had assembled.
“Good evening my dearest.”
“Good evening, what are we to do now?”
“It is time to hunt.”
“Hunt?”
“Yes, and you will need to learn to transform yourself into a wolf to hunt for your prey,” Nickolas explained. Katherine nodded and watched the group around her slowly transforming, she concentrated but it wasn’t a wolf she changed into but a black leopard. Nickolas seemed surprised by what she had changed into but he changed into a black wolf and led her from the mansion. It was time to feed, and there was an entire village below his home waiting. His new queen would learn quickly and would enjoy the time that they spent feeding, the time that they spent killing those around them.

To Nickolas’s surprise Katherine took to killing like a natural, as if she’d been doing it for centuries, he knew that she was his perfect match, the one person that would finally fill the emptiness that was within his heart, but she would also give him the power she held deep within her the power that the dark wizard had taught her to use those years ago.

CHAPTER 4
PRESENT:
It was hard to find the words that made her past seem worse than it was. Her world had changed so much and there was six hundred years of explaining she needed to do, she missed those that she had truly loved and at one time that love was shared with one man, the man they all knew as Nickolas.
“What else do you wish to share with us mistress?”
“Nothing more this day, go find yourselves a meal and return before the sun rise, I will continue my story tomorrow. Go now.”
“Yes Mistress.” They all answered and all left the house as Katherine walked down the long hallway toward her chambers.
“I will rest alone this evening. Darcy, remember there is a place in my heart that will always be yours, but Nickolas will always be part of me.”
“I know this. I just wish that he didn’t hold such a large piece of your heart.”
“There will be more revealed as this story continues, my life isn’t as straight forward as you are thinking. The more of my life you learn about, the more each of you will have a choice to make.”
“And that choice?”
“To remain at the side of the woman that at one time would have ended the life of humanity on a whim.”
“We know that was you from a long time ago, you’ve since changed.”
“Have I?” Katherine asked, she turned and disappeared into her chambers, the large door closed and the latch was heard locking. Darcy shook his head and turned and walked from the large house. He knew there was a lot to learn from Katherine, but she needed to open her world to each of them.
“She has always been very secretive, believe me Mistress Katherine will reveal what she wants in her own time. We’ve got three hundred years to learn all that there is to know about her. Nickolas was her world for a great long time.”
“Were you changed before Nickolas left?”
“I was changed twenty five years before Nickolas left. Nickolas wanted the power that Katherine held within her, and after two hundred years of finding that her power was something he could not possess he left, never said anything to her, never said goodbye just left. Katherine’s heart has been broken ever sense. She never truly understood why he left, she knew that her power was the reason he changed her, but she felt that after two hundred years he had given up on possessing something that could not be his.”
“Guess not. Well our next day will come and Katherine will share more of her life with us, I crave more knowledge of what she was, how she came to be and how her world changed after Nickolas came to it.”
“We all crave that but we need to understand that we don’t want to push her into sharing with us too much of her life.”
“Are we ready to know a life that we are all currently living? A life that has changed for Katherine over the last five hundred years. What kind of life did she have before she met Nickolas? So far it seems to have been a hard one.”
“Katherine has always been rather secretive and since I’ve known her since she became a vampire, there are things before she came to us that I am still not sure of.”
“Then next she tells us of her life, maybe she should bring us further back, back to before Nickolas, back to when she was human and her father lived.”
“I will ask our mistress if she is willing to share such a hard past with us. We are now her children.”
“We are her children and that means she must share it all.”
“Do you truly want to know everything there is about Katherine?”
“Yes?”
“I know something’s.” Martin said as he walked into the room.
“Will you share?”
“I wish to let Katherine tell her story in her own way. In her own time, she will reveal what her world was like before but never pressure her about it. Katherine has her ways of keeping the evil that dwells within her but if pressured she will let that demon flow freely.”
They all looked at Martin and nodded, they then turned and went to feed, they would not speak of this another night at least not until Katherine had made her choices to share her life once more.

CHAPTER 5

PRESENT:

Katherine sat down in the large chair, it had been nearly an hour since the sun had set and this was the first time since she had been in the great room. All of her children were now assembled before her, but something felt different this evening.
“Which of you brought forth a human?”
“There is no human here mistress.” They all answered, Katherine could smell the warm blood of a human, a young human.
“Never lie to me Angelina, I can smell the human, and he is young and frightened. What have you been doing?”
“I brought you a meal mistress, I was unsure that you had fed yet.”
“I understand what you were thinking child, but always remember now that I am here to save the world, feeding from humans is unacceptable.”
“But you must feed mistress, you can not survive without feeding.” Angelina said looking at her.
“I can survive for several days without feeding, this I’ve learned over the years that I was alone.”
“But you’ve always told us that feeding is a large part of who we are, that we must feed to live, and live to feed.”
“We are soulless creatures that only take what we want, until after Nickolas left me I felt that way, now I know it’s take what I need and no more than that.”
“Why have you not told us this before?”
“Because you are vampires, I am more than that. I have a soul that has feelings and the regret that I feel when I take a life is one of the worst feelings. You will never understand that, but since I contain the one thing you will never have, I will share with you the feelings that you are missing.”
“Where are you going to start mistress?”
“Just before I met Nickolas, when my family was alive and happy.” Katherine replied.

PAST:
Katherine stood wearing her long bluish dress and smiled, her long dark hair was pulled away to show her light skin. Her dark eyes danced with happiness as she watched her parent’s happily discuss the birth that was to happen soon. Katherine was happy, her mother was going to give birth to her only other brother or sister, she herself was only ten years old and having someone around the house was to be wonderful. She watched as the servants moved around reading the house for the new arrival. Katherine walked up the large winding marble staircase toward her room, she slowly opened the door and sighed, soon she’d be moved into the room further down the hall away from her parents room, so the new baby would have the room.
“Is anything wrong young miss?”
“No, I am excited, momma has been talking about the baby for a long time. I am just going to miss my room.”
“You will always be the prize that made your parent’s the happiest they’ve ever been.”
“Thank you Charlotte, I must return to the dinning room since father will wonder if I am coming to eat supper.”
“Then go, your things will be in your new room before you return to it this evening.”
“Thank you.” Katherine replied as she walked down the long staircase back toward the dinning room. She walked in and sat down at the large oak table and looked toward her parents, they talked happily as food was set before them. Katherine smiled and said nothing as she ate her supper. That evening while she was sleeping, she awoke to a sudden scream, Katherine slid from the bed and walked down the hall, she could hear her father talking softly to her mother.
“Is something wrong daddy?”
“No Katherine, go back to bed child.”
“Are you sure? Momma isn’t to be screaming like that.”
“I am sure, go on now. Charlotte will be along shortly,” He answered.

Katherine walked back down the hall and back to her room. She slid back into her bed and pulled the blankets back up and closed her eyes.
The next morning Katherine slowly made her way down the hallway toward her parent’s room, she could hear Charlotte crying. She moved further toward the room and saw that her mother lay in the center of the large bed but something seemed wrong.
“Momma?” Katherine whispered as she moved into the room. She moved toward the bed and looked, her mother’s skin was pale and she wasn’t moving.
“I am sorry Katherine.”
“For what Father?”
“Your mother died trying to give birth to a son. They both died.”
“She’s gone?”
“I am sorry my daughter.” Her father answered. Katherine dropped down beside the bed and began crying.
A few years later, Katherine’s father had found himself another that caught his attention and with her he had another child, a son, the son he had always wanted, but illness took his wife. He fell into a deep depression and anger was something that now replaced the laughter that once filled the halls of the house. Fear was something that now filled Katherine’s heart. She feared her father’s anger and often hid in a small room with her younger brother. She had an older sister she rarely saw but it was her small brother that kept her sane. But then he left her too, the baby was nearly a year old when he became ill and died, the burial of one more of his family drove Katherine’s father insane. He decided that it was time to move into the palace and live with his brother and children. He knew that his oldest child would soon be married and would leave his life, but his youngest daughter was another story she’d be home for sometime learning to train to be royalty.
Katherine walked the dark and damp halls of the palace and always wondered if she had done something wrong, her father remained angry and often would start arguments with the guards and on occasion would be found hitting even her. Katherine would walk through the dark palace with a long black cloak and the hood would be up concealing her once beautiful features. Now all that she felt was sadness and anger, the sadness that her sister was to be married soon and anger that her father would be left to do as he pleased to her. Her uncle rarely stopped his brother’s rage, there had been a few times that he’d come between them but he was the king after all.

Katherine wondered the halls and found a small passageway that led into an even darker passage way. She could see smoke and hear a man talking, as she walked further down the hall she came to the lighted room and stopped.
“Welcome Child. I’ve been expecting you.”
“You knew I’d be coming?”
“Yes, its been foretold that you’d come to the palace and I’d train you in the dark arts.”
“Dark Arts?”
“You are to learn magic, only if you are willing,” He asked looking at her. Katherine smiled and looked around the room.
“I am ready, I am ready to learn. I’ve always wanted to learn magic.”
“Then return to this very place tomorrow and I will begin your training.”
“Thank you, what is your name?”
“Call me Marcus, that will be a name you will rarely use but that is my name.”
“All right Marcus, I will return tomorrow.” Katherine said as she slowly made her way back down the staircase and out of the dark hallway. An almost evil smile spread across her face.
“Katherine.”
“Yes father?” Katherine replied as she stopped dead in her tracks.
“Where have you been?”
“I am not a child any more father, uncle said I do not have to tell you all that I do.”
“You are my daughter and will tell me where you have been.” He shouted moving closer to her.
“I was walking, that is all. Was there something else you needed father?” Katherine asked as two guards moved forward. Her father shook his head and stormed down the long hall back to his chambers.
“Is everything all right?”
“Things are fine.”
“The king has been looking for you, there has been the announcement of his heir and we know it’s the prince, but he is unmarried.”
“That means I am to rule at his side, something I do not wish to do.” Katherine answered. Katherine herself was only fifteen and did not wish to rule beside her angry cousin. But she knew it was her duty and duty required that she be at her cousin’s side, and she’d do just that.

It would be another three years before the old king would announce that his son was to become king that he was too ill to remain on the throne. Katherine would rule at his son’s side, unless she found what she would call her true love. In two years she’d been seeing a man from Great Britain but in her thoughts that he was too old for her and she really felt nothing for this strange man, only thing she felt was anger toward him. During her time at the palace she’d spend as much time as she could with Marcus to learn her magic, he said she was learning quickly and would become a powerful sorceress.

CHAPTER 6

PAST:
Katherine’s magic was becoming more and more strong as she learned more about the magic that dwelled deep within her. The king was becoming more and more insistent that she be at his side. Being that she was still young she would have to do what was asked of her, the old king had died late one night even before Katherine could say goodbye. She never appreciated how much her uncle cared for her until she saw how cruel her cousin could be. Her older sister had married several years before and was gone, that left her to deal with her cousin’s anger on her own. But her way to hide was going and seeing the wizard, but even he was growing older by the day. She knew that someday he’d leave her she just hoped it wasn’t too soon. Katherine watched her dear friend and one loyal guard came to her late one evening.
“Princess, you are needed.”
“What is wrong?”
“Marcus grows weaker by the minute and he is calling for you.”
“How can this be? He was fine this morning during my lesson.”
“He said he was hiding his illness from you, you must come before it’s too late.” The guard led her down the long hallway and up a long winding staircase up to a small chamber. The guard opened the door and Katherine hurried inside, lying in the center of a small bed was her master, the master that had been teaching her the magical arts, to bring forth the magic that was deep within her own being.
“Marcus, why didn’t you tell me you where ill?”
“You are learning so much, you are my best student.”
“I am your only student, my old friend.”
“Not really, at one time I was teaching your cousin the magical arts, but he did not see the same that you did. The things that you see are different, there is a great power deep within you,” he whispered as he took her hand in his shaky hand.
“You’ve only been teaching me your magic, I have none of my own.”
“Child, you’ve always had magic of your own, I’ve only been teaching you to use it.”
“But Marcus, if you leave me I will learn no more.”
“There is nothing more you need to learn, but be warned, Lord Nickolas is not to be trusted.”
“But my cousin wishes that I marry him and be gone from his kingdom.”
“He is not as he seems, just beware.” Marcus said to her, Katherine held his hand and let her tears roll down her cheeks as she felt the man that had become her closest friend slip from this world. She leaned down and kissed his forehead and stood.
“Princess, I am sorry. I will notify the king of the wizard’s passing.”
“He wont care, but yes it must be done. I believe that Marcus deserves a proper burial,” Katherine stated, the guard led her down the winding stairs and out into the long hallway. Several guards were already standing in the hall looking at the duo rather strangely.
“The king is looking for the Princess, he sent us to find her. What was going on?”
“She was visiting a friend. Please inform the king that Wizard Marcus has passed,” He told them.
“We will, but you best get the Princess back to her chambers,” The older guard said. Katherine growled but walked down the hallway with her guard as she made her way back to her chambers. She walked into her chambers and the door closed behind her. Sitting down on the large bed she sighed, her friend was gone, her only friend was gone, she had few loyal guards that would stand by her side but she knew they’d never be her friend. Marcus was her friend and teacher, now he was gone, gone forever. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she fell against the pillow and cried. She barely heard the knock at the door or even the door slowly opening.
“Where have you been?” She heard the voice shout.
“Saying goodbye to a friend. What would you care?” Katherine asked sitting up, she looked into the angry eyes of her cousin.
“You knew that you were ordered to stay away from that old man.”
“I do not follow your orders, I only remain here because you can not rule alone. If you did not need me I’d be gone.”
“Then so be it, your father has already departed this world and your only sister is married and gone. It is time that you marry, and Lord Nickolas will arrive on the next ship, be ready.”
“I will not leave with him.”
“You will do as you are told. You would you rather die?” He asked her, Katherine could hardly believe he’d kill her.
“Fine, I shall do as I am asked,” Katherine relented. She knew that she’d never win when it came to what he asked of her. Katherine watched her cousin leave the room and close the large door behind him. She shook her head and still couldn’t believe that he was willing to kill her. She lay down on the bed and closed her eyes; it seemed that the hours past quickly before she heard a knock on her door.
“Come,” she called out as she sat up and looked toward the door.
“The ship with Lord Nickolas has just arrived. The king wishes to see you in the throne room.”
“All right, I shall arrive there shortly. I must change,” Katherine said. The guard nodded and closed the door behind him. Katherine stood and threw open her wardrobe and pulled out another dress and turned to see two of her ladies in waiting standing there.
“Shall we help you highness?”
“Sure. This might be the last time, the king is sending me away.”
“We are to accompany you.”
“You will remain in the palace and be prepared to serve the new queen. I’ve been told that the king has found himself someone to become queen, she will need your guidance and assistance.” Katherine answered. The two women nodded and helped Katherine into the new dress she was trying to get into. Katherine moved her way down the long hallway, a silver crown upon her head, as she walked toward the throne room. She walked to the large doors and stopped, two guards opened the doors and Katherine walked through them.
“I see you came.” Her cousin said.
“What else did you expect your highness?” Katherine asked bowing slightly.
“That you’d disobey me yet again. But it seems that you are learning.”
“I am here because I’ve been told that Lord Nickolas has arrived on the boat. That means he will arrive at the palace within the hour.”
“Sooner than that, I sent for you after I had received word that Lord Nickolas’ carriage was nearly at the palace.”
Katherine growled and narrowed her eyes and looked as the trumpets played the arrival of Lord Nickolas. She was not ready for this, she really didn’t want to marry this man, but she knew this was her life she was talking about.
“There will be a wedding tomorrow evening. A celebration will follow to celebrate the marriage of Princess Katherine to Lord Nickolas.” The king announced as Nickolas entered the throne room. An evil smile spread across his face as he looked toward Katherine. Katherine felt a cold chill move over her body as she looked into his eyes.
The following evening Katherine stood in front of the father ready to take her vows to become this man’s wife. The celebration to follow the ceremony was somber Katherine barely spoke as her new husband held her hand. A new life she thought to herself, was she ready for this life?

CHAPTER 7
PRESENT

Katherine sighed as she watched her children look at her, she knew that now that she’d given more of her past away could they handle the major part?
“That is a lot for someone to deal with, now that you were married to him, that meant he could do as he pleased.”
“In some ways yes, but even turning me into a vampire required me to say yes. And as long as I was unwilling to even be his bride he knew that I would be unwilling to be a vampire.”
“But yet here you are. You are the one thing he couldn’t turn you into.”
“Nickolas promised me a great many things before he changed me, a promise that after two hundred years I learned was nothing more than a lie, a lie to gain my powers.”
“A lie that also cost you a friend.”
“Marcus was a great man, and if I had known that Nickolas was going to change me into this demon, I would have never allowed Marcus to teach me to use my powers. I never knew that Nickolas knew of my powers,” Katherine said with a sigh, she looked at the group that was assembled and wished that Bianca had learned about whom she was before she had made her choice.
“Nickolas knew of you long before we ever met mistress.”
“Truly?”
“Yes, he spoke of you and the powers that dwelled deep within you. He knew that if he could control those powers he’d control all of the demon’s in the entire world.”
“Martin, if he knew of my powers the entire time, why did you not say something before?” Katherine asked. Martin looked at the floor and then toward her.
“I feared what he’d do if I told you the reason he had married you. His power then was something to be feared, but you were still human.”
“I would have remained human had Nickolas left me alone.”
“But maybe you were destined to become something more, we know that we would not be here if you had not become what you are.”
“This is true, but are you willing to say that you are better off as a vampire than you were as a human.”
“I am,” Darcy answered. Katherine looked at him strangely, but knew what he meant.
“I am better because of you. Mistress Katherine had you not saved me those years ago, I would have died as a child.”
“Instead you remain forever a child, are you sure that this is something you truly wanted?”
“Yes. You must understand that even at the young age I understood what you were and everything that you could do to and for me. My mother was frightened by what was about to happen yet she begged you to save her child. If you had been the cold hearted person you say you are you would have never allowed my life to continue even if it is as a vampire.”
“I am and have always been a monster, I am just a monster with a sense of honor and love.”
“Mistress, did you love Master Nickolas?”
“At one time, the love he craved from me grew, but when I learned of the demon he truly was that love was dead and gone as much as I was.” Katherine said lowering her head, she knew that there was much more of her story to tell, much more of her demonic life to share but she wondered if they could handle that past life? Or would they leave her to take on Nickolas when he awoke?
“What bothers you mistress?”
“All that I did before you came to us. All that happened before this time.”
“Three hundred years is a long time to learn what happened,” Darcy said touching her arm. Katherine sighed they didn’t truly understand what she meant she raised her hands and chanted something with a puff of smoke she disappeared.
“I am guessing she needed time alone,” Darcy said looking around.
“Guess so, I will check on her later.” Angelina said. Darcy looked up the large staircase but he had a feeling that Katherine was not in the house.

Katherine walked toward the large mausoleum and looked at the inscription over the door and Iron Gate. She slowly opened the gate and walked inside. She looked at the casket that sat in the center of the room. She ran her hand over the marble lid and hissed.
“Because of you I am stuck in this world. I am alone in this world while you sleep unknowing the kind of pain you’ve caused while I live with the pain and anguish I’ve caused. You are the true demon yet I feel that I am the one that is the demon that should have been gone.”
“You are not like him, always remember that because of you I made the choice to change.”
“Bianca?”
“My Mistress, I am sorry for all the sorrow I caused you, the doubt that I had for my true feelings. But know that I am at peace now and I will always watch over you and the rest of our family.”
“I am sorry, I let you down.” Katherine said, she turned and saw the glowing figure standing in the corner.
“You never let me down, you showed me a world beyond my imagination but Nickolas tempted me with a darker side of that same world a world filled with revenge and anger. Something I should have walked away from.”
“You made your choice and I will never blame you for it, he is the reason for all the things I’ve lost in this world; he is the reason for the spell I cast.”
“And until the day he reawakens I shall guard this place, in my ghostly plane he shall never hurt anyone. And the warning shall be true as he awakens all shall know of his return.”
“Bianca I never thought you’d be a guardian angel be well my child, I will never forget you.” Katherine said, she turned and left the small room, closing the gate behind her. Nickolas would be protected before he awakened to wreak havoc on the world.

CHAPTER 8


PAST:

Katherine barely remember the ceremony but yet there stood Lord Nickolas next to her. Even with her cousin standing there watching them as they loaded into the carriage.
“Enjoy your new life cousin.” He said to her, Katherine looked into his eyes and knew that his rule over these people would be short, the commoners would not love him and he’d come to his death soon.
“Enjoy your kingdom while you can cousin. For it will not last forever.” Katherine announced it seemed as she spoke the wind picked up and the sky rumbled.
“Never threaten me cousin.” He shouted.
“It’s a promise, you will loose everything you hold dear while I shall get all that I’ve desired,” Katherine laughed. Nickolas looked at her as they took the carriage away from the palace, he knew that his new bride would be perfect for what he desired for her.
“You are wicked my dear,” Nickolas said kissing her hand. Katherine looked at him and then out the small window at the passing fields.
“If I had remained, I would have eventually ruled these fields and the people that tilled them. But my cousin felt that I was a threat to his kingdom, he is his own threat, the people dislike him and they will kill him soon.”
“How do you know?”
“I’ve heard the servants speaking.”
“Why did you not warn you cousin of the uprising?”
“He deserves what he gets, my cousin is an evil man,” Katherine answered. Nickolas smiled and shook his head little did she know he was worse. They arrived at the dock a short time later, Katherine looked at the large ship that awaited them.
“You are a fool, I’ve never traveled beyond these shores, what says I shall do it now?” Katherine asked.
“As my wife, you shall travel where I say, we shall return to Britain and live there.”
“Dare you say? I have a palace just beyond my cousin’s rule. Why leave such a beautiful country only to become a lowly lord, you’ve married a princess,” Katherine answered him.
“Aye that I have and a feisty one at that, does this make me a prince?”
“Not likely sir, but here you are more royal than you shall be in your own country.”
‘Then we shall remain for now, driver do you know of such a palace?”
“Princess Katherine’s home? Yes milord, before arriving at the king’s palace her father was a well-known lord in these parts. I shall take thee there.”



PRESENT:

“Mistress this was your home?”
“No, we only remained in my ancestral home for just a few years. Nickolas wished to return to Britain only three years after we were married. I was still human at the time. I was only in this home for a few days before Nickolas took my human life.”
“I can tell that you felt anger for him taking that away from you.”
“Aye that I did, he had no right to take something from me that was not his to take. He promised me things that he could not give, things that he knew he’d never give me.”
“Did you know before he changed you?”
“Did I know what?”
“Did you know what he was before he changed you?”
“No, there was a hint that he was not as he seemed but since I was still learning to use my powers I had yet to tap into things that had yet to come to the surface.”
“What things?”
“I have the ability to read minds, change the shape and physical being of someone, I am able to shape shift into something other than a wolf as you’ve seen. And I am able to cast spells more powerful than even I’ve cast so far. My powers are only limited by my imagination, and since I have a grand imagination I can create anything.”
“If your powers are this great, why did you remain in this home alone for so long? You could have cast a spell that made people come to you, to be your slaves.”
“The only ones I made come to this home, where those that became my meal. I did not want friends that were not true, I may have and still am a demon but I have feelings deep in my dark heart,” Katherine answered, her dark eyes looking at the small group assembled. She knew that it was becoming late and that if her children did not feed they would become to weak to feed the following day.
“Go my children, go and return before the sun rise. Feed on those that dare wonder the streets at this late hour and show those that doubt our existence that we truly are here and we are never leaving.”
“Yes mistress, we shall return for something for you as well.”
“Make it young and ripe for I am famished.”
“Yes mistress.” Angelina said bowing. Katherine watched as her children filed from the mansion and sat back down in the plush chair she had been sitting in. She could see her world falling apart as she finished telling her story, as she shared more and more of her past and that of her present where her children ready to hear that she was still hiding things from them. She moved silently through the large house and looked at the paintings that hung on the walls as she walked down long hallways. She touched the edge of one picture, the frame was damaged and the painting slightly faded but the smile could be seen clearly.
“Who was she?” A voice asked from behind her.
“My first child, she was someone that was brought across by accident but chose her destiny and was to remain at my side but Nickolas became jealous of her and destroyed her.”
“How long was she with you?”
“She was just a child in the eyes of a vampire. Just a hundred years old when Nickolas grew tired of her taking all of my attention. She had shown me that there was more to my demonic life than just killing humans that I was destined for more. She was a telepath and knew of things and could read minds, I guess because of such a gift Nickolas feared she’d tell me his secret.”
“One he knew would destroy him?”
“Yes, if I had known sooner that he wanted me for just my power I would have ended his pitiful existence before he left me.”
“Katherine, he chose his fate and now rests in a sleep that shall remain for the next three hundred years, my dearest Katherine what do you fear?”
“His awakening will bring back many of my own demons and my children will leave my side. I was not always as kind as many think. Killing was all I wanted to do, the death of human and entire villages was something Nickolas and I did together and rather well. Many blamed the deaths on sickness, but there was no sickness just our own demonic lives moving through villages at a fast rate.”
“Human’s always fear things they do not understand. I was a priest at one time, many children came to me with dreams that bothered them, dreams that were frightening to even a strong man.”
“Darcy you will always bring light into my darkened soul, come we must find something to feed upon.”
“I will return before the others, Angelina will bring you something special, but I shall bring something more. You deserve to be treated as the royalty that you once was, the person that was going to rule an entire country.”
“No woman has ever ruled Ireland and none shall, Nickolas made sure that I was to remain his forever, as a vampire I am still his even if he remains in a sleep.”
“You are your own person, a demon of your own creation, never believe that Nickolas made you who you are that was something you did yourself. He may lay claim to changing you into a demon, but it was you that made that demon into who you are today.”
“Fear that my dearest, for that demon shall someday show some vengeance on the goodness that still remains in my dark heart,” Katherine spoke softly Darcy nodded and headed off into the darkness of the early morning. Katherine knew that her children would show the village below the mansion that the stories that had been told of the demons that lay within the walls of the mansion were true, that they did exist and that they would destroy the entire village if their mistress so told them to do such. But since Katherine had a kind spot in her heart for the humans that dwell within the village she knew that they’d be leaving the very place many of them had called home. It was nearly time to find a new home. She walked around the mansion and looked to see Henry and Martin still waiting.
“Why did you not go with the others?”
“We already knew your story and have already fed, mistress what truly distresses you?” Martin asked. He could see in her dark eyes that she held another secret and it wasn’t about her past.
“The villagers grow tired of our killings, and are ready to destroy us while we sleep, many within the village are ready to torch our very home.”
“How do you know of this?”
“Martin dear, I may never seem to know a great many things but this is something I know. When my children are in danger I worry and because of that I have my spies within the village. We must soon move on, as Nickolas once was going to do, we must move to another place where we are not known.”
“Where?”
“I’ve heard talk of a new land, there is a place that the Britain’s are going, they are taking fleets of ships to find a new home.”
“But this new land? Is it beyond the sea?”
“Yes, we’d have to travel by ship. Hiding beneath the hull keeping ourselves hidden from prying eyes. Are you willing to take on such a task?”
“Yes mistress if it means we survive I can book us passage on the next ship to the new world.”
“Then go Henry, go and be sure to return with the news that we are to be leaving this place, that we are to come to the new land and a new life.”
“What of Nickolas?”
“He remains here, his return will be warned but he will take a time to find those that have betrayed him and we shall be ready for the war that is at hand.”
“Yes Mistress.”
“Thank you both for being so loyal, you’ve been the friends I had lost many years ago, you are the light that always shined in the darkness that was Nickolas,” Katherine said, her words could not have been more true Henry and Martin had always stood by her side against Nickolas and his evil even during the times that she was as evil as he was. They always knew that she was more than she had thought she was, they always knew that she was more. Henry nodded and turned and left her alone, Martin stood for a moment and then joined his old friend. The passage to the new world would be hard to come by but he would make sure they booked passage for them all and their belongings, they could not leave evidence of their travel for Nickolas to find. But would the children be ready to leave their only home, would they be ready to travel across the seas and only feed on rats and few humans as they could find. Sleeping during the day unprotected and watching over those that manned the ships at night, keeping watch for the very demon they were all running from? Would they be able to understand that leaving was the best for them? That leaving their home would be only for the good of them all. Katherine walked into her chambers and looked at the things she had gained over the last thousand years, it would be hard to choose what should go and what should stay behind. But would things remain in the old house? Or would they take all that they could and burn what they could not. Katherine lay on the large four poster bed and sighed, things would not go as smoothly as she hoped she already knew that her children would be upset to have to leave the only home they’ve known. This would not be as easy as it seemed.

CHAPTER 9

PRESENT:
Katherine moved into her chambers and closed the door she knew that her children would be hunting until just before dawn. She lay down on her large bed and closed her eyes tonight she’d be sleeping in the bed with Darcy. She slowly moved her hand over the silk sheets and sighed. This was the very bed and room that for a short time she shared with Nickolas, the very bed that she held him close to her body as they laughed about the villages they had destroyed. She remembered how much he cared about her, or was he just carrying cause he wanted her power she would never know because she no longer trusted him.
“Tell me what you are thinking.” She heard a soft voice say from the darkness. Katherine turned to the familiar voice and shifted her weight on the bed.
“That you betrayed me, you were always saying that you’d give me a life eternal but never said that life would make me into this monster.”
“You had such power within you yet you keep it deep within you.”
“Leave me alone, just leave me alone.”
“Katherine, Katherine.” She felt warm hands touching her arm she sat up and looked around.
“What are you screaming about?” Darcy asked her, Katherine looked around and saw that he was the only person in the room with her.
“Was I all alone here?”
“When I entered you had gone to sleep, this discussion of your past is taking a lot out of your senses.”
“More than you can imagine.”
“Tell me, when do we leave?”
“Soon, we must leave before our dear king runs our land into the darkness. King Henry is insane and even as a vampire or human I can tell that.”
“You’ve seen worse over the five hundred years that you’ve been on this earth.”
“Darcy, you must remember that I’ve seen kings come and go in Ireland and now that I am a subject of the high king of England.”
“And there are many in this land that can not wait until this king is no more, he has already beheaded many that oppose him.”
“Yes this I know, being a vampire does have its advantages.”
“Do you know the king?”
“I knew the king of Ireland. But this was a very long time ago, back when Ireland was still part of England and as we are to this day I barely remember his name. I was born around 504 AD and I cannot remember the names of all that ruled the land. Believe me young one you do not wish to know of all that happened before the rule of this cruel king. Many things have changed in over a thousand years.”
“Aye that it has.”
“Believe me when we arrive in the New World there will be much more for us to change, for us to become part of those that will be around us. But we must understand those that are living in the new world are still very new to that country and will be rather suspicious of those that arrive in the dark of night.”
“There are places we can go, this may be a change, I’ve heard talk of a voyage to a new world, but we’d be living in small accommodations.”
“We should return to your native country, wait until it is best to leave and then go to the new world.”
“I agree with Darcy milady, there are voyages to Spain but I know that we shall not be welcome there. You are of Irish blood.”
“This I already know, but what are we to do? The villagers we are in are looking to destroy us.”
“Mistress, there are no boats leaving to go to any world, new or other wise. What shall we do?”
“Find anyone loyal enough to help us return to Ireland, we shall leave England this very night.”
“What of these items, I know that you’ve cherished each of them.”
“The paintings shall accompany us on our travel, but until we can be sure we are safe other things shall remain behind, we shall return to my ancestral home.”
“Milady are you sure that it is safe there?”
“Yes, there are descendants that currently live in the castle but it is time that I reclaim my home.”
“We shall leave at once mistress.” Martin answered her. Katherine nodded and walked back toward her chambers. Katherine needed to gather a few things and hurry from their home; she watched as Angelina walked into her own chambers sadness deep in her blue eyes.
“Believe me child, I will not allow us to die we shall return to my home, to the place that my powers are at their highest.”
“Truly you feel that your powers will be great there?”
“Truly I know that they will be, I will near the body of my teacher the man that helped me harness the powers that I always held deep within me.”
“Mistress are you sure that it is safe?”
“Yes, now gather what you can carry while we arrange the carriages for the long travel.”
“What of the sun?”
“The carriages are dark.”
“But Martin and Henry?”
“We will sleep during the day, be patient young one nothing will happen.”
“It isn’t our sleeping during the day that worries me Mistress.”
“Then what is it child?”
“We must find a place to hide like common vampires, we’ve never lived like that.”
“Then we shall learn to live like that. For my first years of life I had to live that way.” Katherine spoke softly, the young vampire nodded and hurried to gather what she could carry. Katherine turned to the others that had assembled.
“We have two carriages, gather what you can and be ready within the hour.”
“Yes mistress,” The others answered. Katherine gathered her things and placed them in the huge trunk that was sitting at the foot of the bed. She looked at the crest on lid of the trunk and knew that it was time to take her rightful place in her homeland. She wanted to return home, but would her people understand that she was not as she was those years ago? Would they see her as someone that looked like Princess Katherine? Or would they see a demon that would destroy them. Katherine feared the acceptance or lack of acceptance in her home country.
“We are ready, are you sure you wish for us to leave this very night?”
“Yes, we must, Nickolas stirred up a great many that are willing to destroy us as we sleep and even with him gone they know of our existence and that means we are in danger.”
“Then we shall go, the carriages are loaded milady and it is nearly dawn shall we leave now?”
“Yes, gather all those that are ready and proceed to the carriages.” She said, Katherine looked around the large house once more and then followed the last of her clan from the house. She was the last to load into the carriage and smiled up at the young man that sat behind the reigns of the carriage.
“Human?”
“We have our friends even human ones.” Katherine said smiling.
“I felt that humans were always a waste of time milady, but these humans are rather helpful when they are needed,” Henry answered smiling. Katherine knew even though Henry was by her side along with his brother Martin, he felt that human’s were nothing more than a nuisance. He would feed on more than one human nightly and felt that it was because he was a god, or at least meant to.
“Henry, I understand that when it comes to humans you’ve never really felt that their race was to truly live but remember we are not Nickolas and you’ve known for a long time that humans must help us when we are unable to do things for ourselves. Behave yourself and you might live to see our new home.” Katherine warned. Henry nodded and looked toward the back of the carriage, he knew that Katherine was one that would follow through with her threats and if that meant ending his life then it was what would be done. Katherine also knew that the war that would be coming would be one that would bring an end to her kind, but she would make sure that humans survived even if her clan did not.

CHAPTER 10
PRESENT

The sun rose and set as they made their voyage across the country, slowly moving toward the place that would become their haven. Katherine knew that the lord that now held the title her family once held would not be happy to bring a new member of the family into the castle, but the castle was hers, and if she had to kill anyone that stood in her way to reclaim what was rightfully hers she would. No one would keep her from protecting her children from a fate that she wished that she could have stopped long before casting her spell. Had she remained with Nickolas like he had planned things would still be the same as they were when she was first changed.
“Mistress.”
“Yes Matthew?”
“The palace comes into view.” He whispered as he looked inside the darkened carriage. Around her several of her children lay sleeping, that meant the sun still shown in the sky.
“Find us a safe place until the sun sets, I will reclaim what is mine after sunset.”
“I will speak to the villagers, they seem to say the palace is empty and has been since the last lord of the land died.”
“This means nothing, there are a great many things that happen in this village and area, that could change everything we are trying to do.”
“Mistress I wish no disrespect but we’ve found a place to stay for the day, a sympathizer has a hiding place for us.” Martin said.
“Thank you, then we shall stay there. Tell James where we are to go.”
“It was James that found us the place milady. Come we shall rest and then go to the palace later this evening.”
Katherine was unsure of the surroundings as they unloaded and entered the darkened stables.
“I am delighted to meet you my mistress. And I do apologies for the accommodations but with such short notice I had no other rooms.”
“I am pleased that you were able to find us shelter at all, when we arrive at the palace you will be rewarded for you faithful service.”
“Milady, I need no reward. It is my pleasure to serve one that is as honorable as yourself.”
“I have not always been so honorable, and my children are rarely honorable. Why would you even help such as us?”
“My family has always served the royals that have lived in this land.”
“And yet you still serve me, even if I am a demon?”
“Yes, milady, for you are still a royal.”
“I have not been a royal in nearly one thousand years. Yet you still feel the need to please me?”
“We have always known of the vampire that was once our Lady Katherine, and because of that we’ve also known of all that you’ve done in the years you’ve been gone, from the most vile to the most kind. We will always be loyal to your family, mistress,” he said bowing to her. Katherine lowered her head to him and motioned for him to stand.
“Be sure we are not disturbed before the sunsets.”
“Yes mistress,” he said turning and leaving the group alone. Katherine looked around at her children and sighed.
“This evening at the palace I will continue my story and we shall ready ourselves for our new lives, later we may leave our country and go somewhere else, for I will be able to train you to be ready for Nickolas but even then he will return stronger than ever,” Katherine warned. Her children nodded and found their way to their beds for the night, Katherine found a small space near a horses stall, she could hear the beast whinny uncomfortably as she curled up in the hay and closed her eyes, she inhaled as she let the scent lull her to sleep.

PAST:
Katherine could feel the hay beneath her and smiled, she looked up and saw Nickolas peek up at her from the ladder, a huge smile on his face.
“What?” She asked, he giggled as he came up the ladder to join her in the hayloft.
“I’ve found us a new home.”
“Again? I like this farm, they are kind people and never really notice us here.”
“My love, there are things that you must realize about us. We can not make friends with the humans.”
“Why not?”
“Because they are something to be fed from, nothing more.”
“Nickolas, that isn’t true, if they weren’t here we’d have no place for us to hide and what about us making more of our kind.”
“I know this dearest but I am talking about that not all humans are needed, they only prove to be a nuisance.”
“Then let’s end the lives of those that live in this house and keep it for ourselves, why do we keep running?”
“We are not running, why do you think we are running?”
“Nickolas, I have been with you for two hundred years and I’d notice these things. Why are we running?”
“We aren’t running, we are just going to places you’ve never been to.”
“I only wish to be with you my dearest.”
“Not at first you didn’t. I was the one you hated more than anything in this world.”
“Not anymore, believe me when I say this is what I want and what I want is you.” She said slyly, she reached out and pulled him closer to her, their lips met in a passionate kiss. Katherine held him close as she pulled his shirt over his head; slowly she ran her fingers over his perfectly sculpted chest and kissed his lips once again. Her fingers fighting with the ties that held his pants to his hips, she felt his fingers moving over her shoulders pulling the large dress down past her shoulders, his lips leaving a trail of fire down her skin. As their cloths were shed they could barely keep their hands off each other, they ravaged each others bodies as they moved effortlessly together, Katherine’s teeth sunk deep into Nickolas’ throat as she came to her climax, she brought him to the same feeling as she began drinking deeply from him, his blood warm inside her mouth as she moaned loudly. She felt Nickolas’ teeth sink into the soft skin around her breast and the blood filled his mouth as they began to move again together and Katherine lifted her hips thrusting him deeper into her body. Nickolas pulled away from her slightly and looked into her dark eyes and captured her mouth in a deep kiss, his own mouth still filled with blood, they drank from the blood together and their passionate climax was met together, falling apart they breathed heavily.
“You’ve always been my best lover,” Nickolas whispered, holding her closer. Katherine laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes and slowed her breathing. Nickolas ran his fingers over her moist skin and smiled, she was his forever.


PRESENT:
Katherine woke with a start; she looked toward the large door and saw that the sun was still slightly up. She looked and saw the farmer standing in the darkness.
“What is it?” She asked, climbing from the hay, she brushed the hay from her hair as she approached the older man, but what she saw made her take several steps backward. His eyes glowed a deep red as he walked into the dim light smiling at her.
“What are you?”
“As I’ve said mistress, I’ve been loyal to your kind for a great many years, and I have also been punished in the past by one demon a demon you once was with.”
“Nickolas.”
“Very one, now that means that since he’s not with you, you will be punished for what he had done to me and my family.” He said, stepping closer to her. Katherine moved backward trying to find Darcy in the darkness.
“Make one sound milady and they will die before you can warn them. My wife and I have lived for centuries to make you and Nickolas pay for what was done.”
“I did nothing to you and your wife, I knew nothing of what Nickolas had done. I have been trying to train my children to help the humans that Nickolas has hurt and train them to be warriors against his evil.”
“You will say anything to save your own demon life.”
“If you see me as your mistress you would not say such things, even those that have hated me have never called me mistress,” Katherine pointed out, she hoped that would give her time to find Darcy. Darcy had already awakened at the sound of her terrified voice; he reached out and touched her hand with his own. Katherine held his hand tightly she knew that even if he moved quickly it would be his death instead of her own.
“I called you that to make you feel at ease, to make you think I enjoyed your kind.”
“Your human, I can smell it.”
“I am not human.”
“Then you have to be vampire and you were seen during the daylight.”
“I am not a vampire either, I am a werewolf. I can be seen during the day.”
“How can that be? Nickolas was a vampire and if he left you and your wife for dead then you would have been a vampire.”
“We were attacked by a werewolf and because of that we are just that. We hate vampires.” He said grabbing her hand and pulling her toward him, Katherine let out a slight shriek as he held a knife tightly to her throat. He knew that wouldn’t kill her but decapitating her would.
“We have never hurt you, nor would we ever. I meant what I said about rewarding you once we arrived at the palace.”
“You are only saying that to save your own hide vampire.”
“She speaks the truth.” Darcy said stepping from the shadows, “ Katherine has never lied to any of us, it was Nickolas that lied and is now in a deep sleep for the next three hundred years. A spell cast by Katherine herself.”
“It isn’t possible that a vampire be able to cast such a thing.”
“I am no ordinary vampire, before Lord Nickolas changed me I was trained to be a sorceress. Someone that was destined to destroy the evil in the world, I was never meant to become part of it.” Katherine stated. She knew that she was pleading for her life. Darcy moved forward trying to reach for Katherine but it only caused the farmer to move further backward from him. His wife appeared from the darkness and suddenly Darcy flew backward and Katherine screamed. She pried her way away from the farmer and dropped down beside her fallen lover. She pushed his long hair away from his face and touched him.
“I am so sorry, I never meant this to happen.”
“I told you I would protect you with my own life.” Darcy said, he reached his hand up and touched her face for the first time since their meeting she was crying.
“Please, I’ve already lost one that loved me at one time, I will not loose another.” Katherine said, tears flowed down her cheeks as she touched the stake that was sticking out of his chest, she wasn’t sure if it was near his heart or not but she pulled it free and he screamed loudly but didn’t disappear like she had expected.
“Children take him, I will deal with what Nickolas has done, if his crimes are mine to deal with then I shall take them on.”

CHAPTER 11
Katherine turned and faced the farmer and his wife, the anger shown in her dark eyes, but since she was still weak she knew there was nothing she could do against those that were threatening her. Angelina walked from the back of the barn and hissed at the couple.
“There is no reason to be blaming our mistress. You found your fate on your own. You are werewolves not vampires, so no matter what Master Nickolas has done to you, it was your own bloodlust that lead you to what you’ve become.”
“We are what we are because of your master. You are nothing more than a child how could you possibly understand our feelings.” The farmer asked looking into her eyes.
“I have been a vampire for nearly three hundred years, a choice that was made to save my life. But you ask how can I understand? I understand more than you’d ever know. But as a vampire it was a choice, but becoming a werewolf that comes without a choice. You wish to take out the vengeance that you’ve felt for Nickolas, take it out on the werewolf that made you what you are not on Mistress Katherine. Now I would say you be gone from here before we decide to destroy what life you continue to have.” Angelina warned, the farmer looked toward his wife and then toward the group that had moved forward, they had every intention on protecting their mistress even if it meant the destruction of their own lives. The farmer turned to his wife and nodded.
“We shall leave, but we are still wishing for vengeance.”
“You can have your vengeance but only when Nickolas awakens, but if that happens the world we’ve all known shall become something of the past.” Katherine warned. She helped Darcy to his feet and into the carriage, she turned and looked at the couple and then climbed into the carriage behind Darcy. Angelina climbed into the carriage along with the others as they waited for their human help climb on to the top of the carriage and led the horses out of the barn, the carriage hurried up the hill and toward the palace in the distance. The couple watched the carriage disappear onto the grounds of the palace; they knew if they betrayed Katherine again they would have no life left. Blood stained the doorframe of their barn warning any that dared enter there that they were cursed by werewolves and now vampires.

Katherine watched as the palace came into view and smiled, she missed living in this large house and knew that with this house they’d have more room than they did living in Nickolas’ large home. They entered the stables and each exited the carriage.
“Mistress.”
“Yes Matthew?”
“There are humans here.”
“Are you sure?”
“I can see two children in the windows. I shall enter the palace first and find out who may be living here.”
“All right, we shall wait here, but this is my home and I shall regain it at any cost.” Katherine warned, Matthew nodded and hurried toward the main door of the palace. As he walked toward the door it slowly opened and a young woman stood in the doorway.
“Can I help you stranger?”
“I am Matthew, my lady Katherine is the princess of this palace and wishes to know who you are and why you are living in her home?”
“We are what are left of the servants that once worked for the lord of this palace, we have remained here in wishes of the family returning to us.”
“It has been a great many years, how did you know that any would return?”
“We always had a feeling that some family remained. We had heard of a young woman that once lived here over a thousand years ago, but we had not heard of her having children.”
“My lady Katherine is that child, this palace is hers.”
“Then she is welcome to come and enter this place as it is her own.”
“My lady will enter the house in her own time, but be warned that she is different than anyone that has ever lived here before.”
“How different?”
“You shall see how different, but be warned do not cross her,” Matthew said, he turned and walked back toward the stables and readied to help them into the palace.
“We will be entering the palace from the back, I wish not to speak to those that have lived here for so long.” Katherine stated. Katherine and her children walked toward another set of doors and walked through. She walked up the stairs and led her children toward the rooms at the top of the stairs.
“Pick your rooms, and have Matthew warn those that already live here that we are not to be disturbed during the day.”
“I shall do that mistress.” Matthew said walking up the stairs behind them. He turned and walked back down the stairs and headed to find those that still lived within the palace at this time. Katherine pushed the door open to her old chambers and was quickly surprised to find that it was the same as it was when she lived there centuries before. The large oak bed still sat on the far end of the room and the large golden and burgundy curtains still hung from the golden rods. She ran her fingers over the large hand carved chair that still sat in front of the large vanity.
“I wish no disrespect milady, but this was the room of the former princess that lived here over a thousand years ago.”
“There is no disrespect, I am Katherine, the princess that once lived here.” Katherine said; she turned to face the now frightened woman as she showed her fangs and smiled.
“That is impossible.”
“Nothing is impossible.” Katherine laughed as she walked toward the woman. The woman stepped backward away from her, a deep fear in her bright eyes.
“Don’t hurt me.” She begged. Katherine could hardly believe that one such as this woman feared her; this woman seemed to be the strong willed leader of the human family yet there she stood cowering in fear.
“Hurt you? I feed off the fear of humans, why would I hurt you?” Katherine asked. She was watching this woman; the fear that was deep within her eyes was something that Katherine had missed when people realized that she wasn’t human any longer.
“Are you going to kill us?”
“No, we are not here to kill anyone. You and your family have the choice of remaining here and staying out of our way or you may leave at the next full moon. But be warned I am kinder than my children shall be, so I suggest you avoid their chambers. Especially during the day, we kill anyone that disturbs us during our time of sleep,” Katherine waited, she wanted to see if this woman would say her family would remain but the fear in her eyes told her that this woman would flee with her family and tell the village that vampires had come to them. The worst idea about letting the human’s that lived here go was the knowledge that they would go and bring fear to the village and they’d have to move on once again and this was Katherine’s home she had no intention of leaving it again.
“We can remain?”
“If you choose to yes, but you will move into the servants quarters to stay away from my children.”
“What would they do?”
“I am their leader, if I tell them you are to remain safe and alive they would follow my wishes but there is no promise that all of them would allow that. They are vampires after all and fresh human blood is what they feed on.”
“What of the boy we saw out in the sun?”
“He is human, one of ours that helps us during the day when we can not help ourselves.”
“But if you are defenseless during the day, what keeps us from destroying you ourselves?”
“Do you wish to remain living?”
“I do”
“That is the reason you will not destroy us during the day, I can feel if any of my children are injured or killed. And because of that it feeds my rage and then I kill anyone that steps in my way.” Katherine warned.
“Then I shall take my family and leave.”
“Then take this warning with you, if you dare to tell those in the village of our existence here, I personally will kill your family while you watch.” Katherine growled, the woman cowered but shook her head and then turned and ran from the room. Katherine knew before nightfall that family would be gone. She was there to save humans but hated when humans acted like they were the ones that owned it all while those that were different than they were. Katherine walked toward the large wardrobe that stood in the far corner swinging it open she reached inside and pulled a long dark red gown from inside. She turned and lay the dress on the bed as she ran her fingers over the edges of the gold binding.
“That is a beautiful dress, will it still fit mistress?”
“I highly doubt that my old dress will fit me any longer, it was one dress I wore when I was about your age, this dress is for you Angelina, please take it with my blessing.” Katherine said looking at the young vampire. Angelina walked over to the dress and lifted it; it was surprisingly lightweight even if it was made of so much fabric. Katherine watched her giggle as she walked toward the door with the new dress. Katherine reached into the wardrobe again and this time pulled out a sleeping dress she knew would fit her. Pulling the long red dress she wore over her head she let it fall to the floor as she slowly removed the remaining undergarments. She heard a gasp from behind her as she started to pull the sleeping dress over her head. Katherine turned to see Darcy standing in the doorway.
“What?” Katherine asked as she let the dress fall around her body, it started clinging to her naked form under it.
“Where did the marks on your back come from?” Darcy asked; he knew he’d made love to her many times and had never see or felt them before.
“They disappear when I feed but return when I’ve not fed in a few days.”
“Where did they come from?”
“Nickolas. He was angry once and this is the price I paid for allowing another to spend time in my bed.”
“You will tell us about that will you not?”
“This evening I shall share all that I can. But it’s time for us to rest and be sure that the human’s have left us as they are nothing more than a nuisance.”
“I thought you enjoyed the company of humans.”
“Normally yes, but these humans are not for us and I wish them gone. They fear us and because of that I am knowing they will harm us during our sleep.”
“Then I will be sure they are gone. We shall speak about the scars this evening. Would you like me to sleep with you this day?”
“No, I wish to remain alone this time. But tomorrow my dearest.” Katherine said, she pulled him closer to her and kissed him deeply. Darcy smiled and then kissed her quickly before he turned and left the room. Katherine walked into the side room and saw her claw foot tube and knew that that evening before her talk with the children she’d be taking a long hot bath, until that time she would return to the room and sleep. Her body ached and it was time for some restful safe sleep.