It's full moon. A vampire Death Dealer sits, watching the moon that broke her heart, that destroyed her life, that brought her here, to where she is now.

"Oh, Selene," says Erika. "I didn't see you there. What are you doing?"

Selene does not make eye contact. "Remembering," she answers.

"Remembering what?" Erika asks.

"The night I became the huntress."

17th October 1872

Selene Meadowfield was reading. She often read, usually novels or the Holy Bible, but today, it was a book of poetry, written by her older sister, Honesty. Selene might have been jealous of her sister, who was the elder and more beautiful of the two, as well as being intelligent, musical and a good poet. However, the sisters had been close all their lives, and there were no two better friends in the county than Honesty and Selene.

The white moon rises

And a thousand jewels shine

Beads at her throat

Against her long black dress of night.

Selene smiled. Honesty had written this poem for her, knowing Selene's fascination with the moon and stars, and it was her most beautiful yet. Though he tried to hide it, Selene knew their father was very proud of his eldest daughter, and her little twins, Evadne and Alisa. They were just six years old, and Selene loved her nieces more than anything in the world but Honesty.

Speak of the Devils, Selene thought with a smile. She could hear the two little girls creeping up on her, or at least, trying to. One of them, probably Alisa, kept letting out excited muffled giggles, and Evadne kept shushing her.

Selene let her nieces get very close to her spot in the bay window, then whirled around.

"Got you!" she cried playfully. The twins squealed, then started laughing. Their laughter was so infectious, Selene started giggling along with them.

Through her titters, one of the twins asked, "How did you know it was us, Auntie Selene?" It was Alisa, the more outgoing of the pair. Her black hair was tied with blue ribbons, and she had blue embroidery on her white dress.

Smiling, Selene told them, "I could hear you giggling, that's how." She put her hands round the twins' shoulders. "Listen, why don't we try and creep up on your mamma and give her a fright? I'll show you how it's done." She smiled conspiratorially at her nieces, who tittered behind their hands.

Almost shyly, Evadne asked, "Did you used to creep up on people, Auntie?" Selene smiled affectionately, remembering the times when she and Honesty had sneaked up on their mother, and been sent to their rooms for it.

"Yes, I did," she told the girls. "And so did your mamma. She was very naughty, your mamma was."

Solemnly, Alisa told her aunt, "You are a bad girl, Selene. I'm very ashamed of you." Her voice was a perfect imitation of Selene's mother, Evelynne.

"Oh, I know," said a voice behind them. Selene turned around, to see her sister standing, looking highly amused and very beautiful in a red dress. "She's a holy terror, my sister is," Honesty continued with a smile on her face. "What do you think, Alisa? Evadne?"

Alisa said boldly, "She should be sent to bed with no supper!" Evadne tittered and gnawed on her pink hair ribbon. Honesty nodded.

"You're right, of course, Alisa. But as it's my anniversary, I think I'll let your auntie off." Then her eyes sparkled, and she said, "By the way, Pappa just arrived home from Italy, and he's brought you girls some lovely presents!" The twins squealed happily. Their mother winked at them, and said, "Run along now, and welcome him home!" Evadne grabbed her sister's hand, and they ran off, to greet their father.

Selene turned to her sister. Honesty was beautiful, as always. She had silky black hair, round, sapphire blue eyes, and smooth, creamy-pale skin that contrasted stunningly with the crimson of her dress. "So, Stefan is back, is he?" Selene asked shyly. Her brother-in-law was a gorgeous Italian, and Selene had always had a soft spot for him, making her secretly quite jealous of Honesty when she married him. However, that was six years ago, and she had been barely seventeen. She liked to think her Stefan-related feelings were a thing of the past, but apparently not.

I will not let myself ruin this for Honesty and the girls, Selene told herself fiercely. Stefan is Honesty 's husband…

Honesty was smiling dreamily. "Oh, he's back alright. He brought the loveliest gifts for us all…a dress and earrings for me, frocks and books for Evadne and Alisa, a beautiful necklace for you…" Suddenly, she seemed to come back to her surroundings. She smiled properly at Selene, if a little sadly. "You're so good with the twins, sister. It's like they've got an elder sister and mother at the same time in you. I just wish I were that easy with them. But I'll never be that good with children, I know it."

A lump grew in Selene's throat. It was true, Honesty never found it easy to be like a friend to her children, but today was her anniversary. It was not fair for her to be thinking of such things. "Oh, Honesty, don't," Selene said gently. "Don't think like that. It's your anniversary. I won't let anything ruin your anniversary, Honesty, you know that."

Her sister looked up. Her eyes sparkled. "Honest?" Selene laughed at that. "You promise? Nothing? Not even rain, or bad piano playing from Pappa?"

Laughing, Selene said, "Nothing. I promise nothing at all will go wrong today."

"Are you sure, my Lord?" Kraven whispered. He knew it was pointless attempting to reason with the sovereign of the vampires, but he still tried.

Viktor turned to look at him with chilling grey eyes. "Why, Kraven," he said silkily, with the slightest threat of menace in his voice. "One might almost think you thought your lord was in…error."

Kraven looked away from the Elder's intense gaze. "No, my Lord. I merely…have reservations about this place. But if my Lord approves…"

A twisted smile on his lips, Viktor nodded. "I do. This manor is the best place in the county for hunting."

Of course, he would say that, Kraven thought, a touch bitterly. He chose it. "Then that is all that matters," he said, bowing his head in subordination.

"Good," Viktor said darkly. Kraven relaxed slightly, and pulled his travelling cape tighter around him. He knew his lord was looking forward to another depraved bloodbath that went against his own laws, but Kraven was, as ever, reluctant. He went along with Viktor's little hunts-more like slaughters-only because he had no choice. Viktor would not tolerate any disobedience, or even hesitation to break the laws of the coven on his orders.

Power corrupts, Kraven thought, darkly, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Of course, he didn't deny he wasn't himself corrupt, but he never did anything as blatantly bloodthirsty or utterly immoral. And he never forced anyone else along, either. I hate you, Viktor, he thought venomously. I hate your immortal guts. You just wait, Viktor. You just wait.

"Come," Viktor said, and stood, a tall, gaunt silhouette in the silver twilight. "It is time."

I hate you. "Yes, my Lord."

Selene woke to the most terrifying sound she had ever heard in her twenty-three years. The horses in their stables were going insane, hysterical and screaming. Her father was shouting at the top of his voice, yelling for Selene and Honesty to run, and then a sound more feral and inhuman than anything she had ever conceived of, even in her wildest nightmares. The growling, throaty hiss of a predator high on blood.

The horses and her father fell silent.

Selene was sick with fear. What sort of demon…

"Oh, gentle Jesus, what was that?!" Honesty's shriek was more of a sob than a scream. Then she really started to scream. "Sweet Jesus, help me! Someone, please…" Selene was bathed in a cold sweat and was shaking so hard she seemed to be actually vibrating. Honesty. Whatever devil from Hell was in this house, it was killing her sister. It was killing Honesty and Selene was so afraid, she physically could not move.

Finally, the horrific screaming stopped. There was a breathy gasp, like someone had just finished drinking deeply, and a sickening thud. Oh, Lord in Heaven; help me, Selene thought feverishly. Lord help me, Satan's in my house…

Suddenly, childish sobs broke the silence. The twins. Oh, God, Evadne and Alisa! Selene felt sick to her stomach, but then, through the helpless fear and protective love, a sort of rage broke through. Not the twins. I won't let them!!…

"Selene! Auntie Selene! Help me!" Alisa was screaming hysterically. "Leave her alone! Leave her alone! Let her go! Oh, God…Evadne!"

That was it. Selene threw the blankets off, and hurled herself out of bed. Fear locked her knees, and she fell hard on the floor. She bolted upright, and the whole world seemed to spin. Daddy! Evadne! Oh, Honesty! Selene jerked forward on shaking knees, dressed only in her lace slip but for once oh God, she didn't care because she had to get to Alisa and Evadne because no-one else could…She fell forwards again, and grabbed the doorframe hard with slender, shaking fingers. Alisa was no longer screaming.

She was crying.

It was worse. The little, defenceless girl's broken sobs shattered the last of Selene's hesitation. She ran down the long corridor, all her aim in life focusing in on one object-to save Alisa. Evadne might be dead, and Honesty, and Stefan, and her father, and her mother, but Selene would save this one last member of her family. She had to. Or her life would not be worth living.

Then, finally, Alisa fell silent. There was a crash, and it sounded as if the window was broken. Selene burst into her nieces' room, and immediately, her legs gave way. The whole room was drenched in blood. It was everywhere. On the beds, on the bookcases, dripping down the walls and gathering in a pools on the wood of the floor. On the broken glass of the shattered window, and on the ripped bodies of the two little girls.

Alisa was thrown sideways over Evadne's body, trying to defend her sister unto the last. Selene crawled closer, and fought down nausea as she stared into the innocent face of the lifeless child. The long-lashed hazel eyes were wide with unspeakable terror, the rosebud lips open in a silent scream. Her throat…

Her throat was ripped open, in long jagged slashes tearing the jugular vein in many places. The blood was crimson on chalky skin, still warm. More blood was dripped down the little girl's nightdress, as if it was dripped as some unholy fiend drank the fluid of life.

Selene dry-retched. Drank the fluid of life…those screams…Oh God, I was too late. Too late to save even one…How could you, God? How could you? I hate you. I hate you if you could let this happen! Black dots exploded in her vision, and she looked out of the smashed window. A full moon, wide and pure snowy white filled the jet black night sky.

Barely aware she was speaking, Selene snarled a solemn promise. "I swore an oath to you, God, to serve you ever and always, but you deserted me. You took my family from me, and so I take my oath from you, and swear a vow on the heathen moon. I vow to never rest till I kill the ones who destroyed my life. I don't care if it breaks your laws, God, because now the only law for me is death. Kill or be killed. I swear it, on the white moon, so let it be."

As if in a dream, she reached out and shut Alisa and Evadne's eyes. Then her head fell down, and her chin dropped on to her chin, and Selene felt tremors shake her body and tears flood her cheeks.

It might have been a minute, or an hour later, but eventually footsteps roused Selene from her blinding tears. She lifted her head, and a gentle voice made her turn.

"Oh, my child, what have they done?" Turning round, Selene saw a tall man standing in the doorway. For an instant, she thought he…but no, he was but only an old, old man with a gentle expression, and infinitely sad grey eyes. He held a long narrow sword at his side, and slowly sheathed it.

Selene looked helplessly up at the gaunt blond figure as if to a grandfather. "Who…" her voice broke. Swallowing, she tried again. "Who could do this?"

The man stooped next to her, and laid a long-fingered hand on her hitching shoulder. "I'm sorry, child. It is Lycans who have done this to you. I am sorry."

"What are…Lycans?" Selene whispered, and knew that whatever they were, she hated them with all her soul.

"Werewolves," he said gently. Selene drew in a sharp breath. "I hate to bring the war into an innocent home, but they have done so all the same. They are vermin…animals."

Thinking of the feral noises in the stables, she could well believe the old man's claim. Selene shut her eyes. "Who are you?" she breathed.

"I am Viktor," the man said quietly. "Lord of vampires, and sworn to wage war on the Lycans for eternity. I fought off this pack of Lycans, but not soon enough."

The word 'vampire' seemed to pass over her head as Selene said in a shaky but determined voice, "Then I fight with you, Lord."

Viktor smiled faintly. "Ah, child, as you are they would tear you to pieces." Seeing the look in Selene's eye, he continued, "But I can give you the strength to fight them. I can make you like me-an eternal vampire."

On weak legs and trembling knees, she stood, and said with a voice full of anger and grief, "Make me a vampire, my Lord."

Viktor stood in a single elegant motion. With one hand he tilted her chin back, and opened his mouth, revealing razor-sharp fangs. His eyes blazed cobalt blue, and he lunged forward with the speed of a striking snake. As the pinprick points of his deadly teeth pierced her throat, Selene caught sight of her lifeless nieces. A surge of pure rage flooded her body, and, with the room swirling about her, she resolved to use every vampire power she could to seek out and destroy the ones who had done this to her.

For Honesty, she thought, and then her strength failed her, and Selene fainted.

For Honesty.