Okay, I don't own the House of Night or Chicago. I do, however, own my OCs, who kinda run the story. Don't worry, though. The Tulsa group will make an appearance in later chapters.

Rebirth

Chapter 1: Chicago Nights

I'll be the first to admit that coming from a family of vampyres has its perks. More than likely, you'll be good at the arts. You will also develop a talent for sports.

Unfortunately, you keep hours that seem totally ungodly if or until you get Marked.

Before I got Marked three years ago, I thought my family's sleeping habits were insane. I mean, you stay up all night and sleep all day. It's a strange concept for a kid to manage. That all changed when the Tracker came to our house and Marked me.

Suddenly, I was elated. I would get to go to the House of Night, where my mom and dad met. The one in Chicago, Illinois. Sure, the one in Tulsa opened a year or so back, but they all felt that it would be better for my family if I had a chance to go far away from our home in Texas.

It's not that I hate my family. Dad works as a painter and mom's a novelist, which means that they're a little free-spirited and way cool most of the time. And our entire family tree is littered with vamps, which means that the transition would be easier with them nearby… supposedly. The only relative I have in Chicago is great uncle Remus. He's the one who suggested I move to Chicago. Said it had programs better suited to my interests, and he was right. I love it here. Especially with my Goddess-given affinity.

"Look, it's the snow-girl." Carrigan, the head of our Dark Daughters, sneered at me as I walked by. She's a year older than me, and is always on my case. She never really goes for the jugular anymore, though. Not since I turned her room into a winter wonderland in the middle of August.

"Gee, how original. You think that one up yourself?" I taunt her. Glaring, she flips her long chocolate locks over her shoulder and puffs up her chest.

"There's still no way you'll ever live through your final year." She said. "You were marked too early. A mistake."

I locked my burning green eyes onto her blue ones. "The Goddess never makes mistakes." I said. "Only her subjects do."

She walked away without a word. All the better for me. More time without her breathing down my neck.

She shared my parents' initial opinion of my being Marked so early. Since I hit puberty at age ten, I became Marked at 13—an early age for a fledgling. Since being so young put me at a great health disadvantage, and disadvantaged students usually die, my parents thought they'd never see me again when I left for school. Thus far, the Goddess has blessed me and turned my weakness to strength.

"Hey, Amy! Hurry up or we'll be late for History!" my new best friend Shannon yells out. She's a grade below me, but she's still way cool.

I am thrilled to have four of the best buddies a girl could ask for. There's Shannon Lake, a curly-headed glasses-wearing fifth former brunette from Virginia Beach; Isis, a dark skinned Middle-Eastern descended beauty in her fourth former year; Angel Whitman, a first year who recently dyed her hair pink and brought her two siblings along with her to the house of night so they wouldn't be thrown into a foster home; and finally Amiko "Miko" Honada, a Japanese American from California who always has her hair (which changes colors daily) in pigtails and is a fifth former.

As for me, I'm Amy MacKiernan from Burleson, Texas. Yes, I'm part Irish. Yes, I have red hair and green eyes. No, I am not part Leprechaun, even though green is my favorite color.

Anyway, Shannon's in my history class with Professor March because she's wicked smart at it. The girl's also a great dancer. I wish I could dance, but I don't. I ride horses instead. And tend to my dog.

That's right. Dog.

It's unusual for a vampyre to be chosen by an animal other than a cat, but it's happened to two of us here in Chicago: Myself, and our archer James Stark. He has his big blond bear-like Labrador Duchess, and I have a black and white furred, blue eyed Siberian Husky named Diego. Fortunately, neither dog has a problem with the cats… unless the cat starts something.

I'm now running to make it to history on time, and catch up with Shannon. I shouldn't have stopped to talk to Carrigan. She makes me miss class in addition to pissing me off.

We made it in just as the alarm sounded for class to start.

"I almost had to write you as tardies." Professor March said as we took our seats.

"Sorry." I said with an apologetic smile. "I guess time flies when you're chatting with friends" or fighting with bitches. Whatever definition you like.

Professor March didn't miss a beat, going straight into the day's lesson. "Today we will be discussing a bit of a hot topic, but I expect you to pay attention. Many centuries ago, a deposed priestess, angered over her lost position, sought to avenge her loss by attacking the family of the new priestess and the council members who voted her out of power. To do this, she put a curse on the animals roaming in the forests of the British Isles and Continental Europe. Once bitten by these animals, the victims would undergo a startling change into an animal-like creature. That is, if the victim were human. No vampyres attacked by these cursed beasts ever survived."

"Is this where the werewolf myth originated?" A geeky guy named Bernard asked. Prof. March nodded.

"Precisely. And as all of you can imagine, the new priestess and her council declared war on the rogue woman, whose Mark had always been amethyst instead of the typical sapphire seen in those chosen by Nyx."

Many gasps filled the air as Shannon and I looked at each other. Isis and Angel both bore purple crescent outlines. Have since they first enrolled at the House of Night.

"Is that why some fledglings have purple marks?" Vyxn, a creepy Goth girl who hates vowels, asked. Professor March sighed.

"No. An amethyst mark indicates that a vampyre adult or fledgling possesses an incredible talent for casting spells and charms. It does not make them evil, but it was because of these odd marks that many an innocent fledgling were slaughtered in the old days. It was a dark age for our people, but it is behind us now."

Not quite. She's obviously never seen how the other fledglings glare and speak to Isis and Angel.

"Was the priestess killed for her acts?" Zeus, leader of the Dark Sons, asked.

"Yes, but unfortunately the creatures escaped and reproduced. After many centuries, they were caught and slaughtered, but there is fear that some still live on the European mainland."

"But they'd be in hiding if they were, right?" Vyxn asked. "And it's not like they can come over here."

"You don't know that." I countered. "Professor March, what kind of transformation did those poor humans undergo and when?"

"Unfortunately, accurate reports are hard to find." Prof. March sighed. "Stories were exaggerated, and the myth of the werewolf was born. The one authenticated account comes from a Son of Erebus who fought against the deposed priestess Hecate."

"With a name like that no wonder she went evil." Shannon stated. I giggled in spite of myself.

"Indeed." Professor March smiled. "This Son of Erebus stated in an account to the new High Priestess that the infected humans became animal-like. Growing fur, fangs, and claws. Most were so lost to their animalistic urges that they were no longer human."

"How sad." Shannon moaned. "But why is it a hot topic?"

"Because no one knows if we ever truly irradiated them all." I said. "But don't worry. I doubt they'd attack the school. Not when it's in the middle of a large city like Chicago."

At lunch, we met up with Isis, Angel, and Miko. Along with Miko's boyfriend Matt and his friend Brett. They're both totally cute. Matt's this tall brunette with hazel eyes and this cute little goatee and beard. Then there's Brett, an ex-track star with sandy blond hair and cats-eye-green eyes. They're the only two guys who sit at our table. Well, if you don't count Angel's little brother.

"Are all the adults as nice as Mr. Sebastian?" Ange's brother Cooper asked. Sebastian March, Professor March's husband and our archery coach, had somehow gotten roped into looking after Angel's two siblings. Cooper, age 7, and Isabel, age 3, came with Angel per her request. The three of them were left orphaned and homeless when they're mother overdosed on antidepressants and hung herself. When Angel got Marked, she refused to leave her brother and sister behind; luckily, priestess Eliante allowed the two munchkins to move in.

"I'm sure they will be to you." Miko smiled. "You're too hard to stay mad at."

Cooper grinned like a bandit. "Don't get a swelled head." His sister chided. "Mr. March is a tough teacher."

"And at the end of the day, you're still living with your sister." Brett said.

"Just until I get marked." Cooper said. "Then I'll get my own room!"

None of us had the heart to tell him that he may not get marked at all.

Lunch went on normally, save the baby-corn-throwing mess Isabel made when she decided she didn't want to eat baby food. After that, we all finished our classes and met back up at dinner. Or, we were supposed to. I lost track of time in Equestrian Studies and Diego and I were in a mad dash to reach the cafeteria—I mean, "dining hall".

Suddenly, D-go stopped and started growling at something on the other side of the large Birch tree next to the west wall. I stopped and wondered why he was acting so strange when I noticed two yellow eyes glowing at me. I also heard growling that wasn't coming from Diego.

Uh oh.

"North wind, blow hard and true." I pleaded. The cold wind obeyed, and blew hard and strong at the offending shadow behind the tree and the bush next to it. Something yelped, then ran away. Diego kept growling.

"I think it's gone, boy." I said, kneeling down to pet him. He calmed down and licked my face. "Come on, let's get to the dining hall before things get scarier."

If only I knew how scary things would become.