part 3

ALONE

Emily gave birth to a girl they called Katheryn, now two years old. She was a delight and James enjoyed looking after her, he tried to forget that she was part Vampire. James spent the days teaching her to walk, talk and nursery rhymes but his favorite times was when he played with her. During those times he almost forgot his own problems.

At night Emily would spend a few hours with her daughter, she didn't replace her beloved Annabella but she loved Katie and would do anything for her. She never told James that she had used him, never told him about the scrolls that revealed how she could have a child or that he was of a handful of males to give her the chance. She loved James in her own way but she still kept control of him...just in case.

James was now thirty five almost thirty six but he looked older. There was fine lines around his eyes and heavy dark bags from the lack of blood. He looked at the puncture marks on his neck and shivered. How much longer could her go on, he could feel his mind cracking, his soul lost all he wanted was peace. Emily's hold was strong but he had to admit she didn't control his sex drive that was his doing and she turned him on.

It was the same every night. Emily would rise at dusk and play with Katie, bath her and put her to bed after which she would go hunting. When she came home James was waiting for her. After they had made love she would nuzzle him, sinking her fangs into his neck, he would feel the blood roar through his body arousing him once more.

She would drink from him then turn her attention to his lips his body. Emily, highly aroused from her feeding, his reaction to her would straddle him. There bodies would move together, the scream from her unnatural but not stopping till his own release. Bathed in sweat they would lay together listening to the crackle of the fire.

 One night while hunting she went further from home than planed. "Devlyn wants to see you" Julian stepped out of the shadows. The three of them took her to a forest were in a clearing Devlyn stood waiting.... "Emily my dear, so sorry to see you under such circumstances"

"I never thought I would have to do this, to you especially" Emily remained silent.

                           

"YOU AND A MORTAL, A HUMAN, YOU KNOW THAT IS FORBIDEN" Devlyn roared, anger contorting his face.

"Punish me not James, he knows nothing"

"He knows about us, he could be dangerous......"

"I promise, he will not say a word" Devlyn looked at her, they were once lovers, partners he still had a soft spot for her. "Very well, he will not be harmed as long as he stays quiet"

"He will..."I humbly put myself in your hands"

He had no choice, it was their way.

"Your punishment is....DEATH" Emily bowed her head.

A large piece of wood had been driven into the ground, their Emily's arms and legs were bound. "I am disappointed in you, the suns rays will seal your fate" Devlyn turned, clicking his fingers, Julian and the others followed him, thank god they were not able to witness this horrible death. Emily closed her eyes, she had heard this was the most painful way to go, a stake threw the heart or decapitation was much kinder. She thought of Katie, never to see her grow become a young woman at least they didn't know of her existence, James would keep her secret. She trusted Devlyn but not the others, they would have James blood. She thought of the letter she had sent.

At five thirty the sun started to rise. Emily watched mesmerized, it had been a long time since she had seen it. Slowly it made it's way, rays of light hit the hilltops, it crept down like a wolf it's prey in sight. Her head held high, she watched it make it's way across the fields, breaking the tops of the trees. Feeling it's heat, smoke emanating from her body, she closed her eyes and waited....

                         

It hit her full on, the rays unwavering in their mission to bring the day to life. Emily screamed, the pain engulfing her whole body, she could hear the sizzling of her flesh, smell it burning. Braking her bonds she made an attempt to escape, hide, it was to late. Her hands reached for the sky as if in some way this would shield her. Emily was sorry, sorry for her marriage betrayal, Annabella's death....sorry for the hundreds of souls she had destroyed. Most of all she was sorry for herself. Her final scream shattered the air, the sound gut wrenching, it would pierce any man's soul making him cower in fear.

She was gone. Only those on the other side would know her fate. The sun stretched across the land, the birds sang in chorus waking the day creatures from their slumber. A breeze blew across the land, it whistled through the trees catching Emily's ashes and carrying them away.

James was worried, Emily should have been home last night, she needed to sleep in her coffin, walking into the hall. A man stood at the door. "Who are you? what do you want?"

"Are you James Hatfield?"

"Yes"

"Emily will not be back...ever"

"What have you done to her?"

                           

"She is gone"

"Gone! gone where?"

"Dead" the man's voice cold. "NOoo!"

"She was warned, you both were, you didn't listen, she's paid the price" James was scared to ask but had to. "And...what of me?"

                        

The man laughed. "You are safe, Emily and I came to an agreement, her life for yours, as long as you stay quiet" James was stunned, she had given her life for his and Katie's. "I suggest you live quietly and keep your mouth shut....if you value your life" James nodded, the man turned to leave, he stopped smelling the air around him. "Is there someone else here?"

"No! no, just me who else would there be?" Devlyn thought he smelled something, he could recognise anything in the world from it's smell but this....this was new. "Heed my warning, forget about us"

                     

As the years passed Katie grew into a wonderful child. Emily had left everything to Katie, James was to look after her finances till she was twenty one. James couldn't bring himself to leave the house, he felt close to Emily here. At night he would put Katie to bed then sit on the floor and read her a story, his voice in a whisper lulling her to sleep.

                       

Then he would make his way through the bookcase. Night after night he would sit and stare at the empty coffin, hoping she would come back. He had made an effort, tried to empty the room, tearing off the paneling and piling it in one corner. That as far as he got.

He was empty, his will gone, Katie the one thing that kept him going but for how long. He could feel himself loosing control, slowly descending into madness. Was she still controlling him....even in death? Closing his eyes, he could smell her perfume the hint of soil that clung to her. Her hands caressed his skin, slowly moving down to his manhood, her lips on his. He looked round the room.... "EMILY!"

                          

Thinking her father was asleep Katie would creep down the stairs and into the garden. There she would walk barefoot across the grass and stop at the headstones. She was drawn to them, she didn't know why but at every opportunity she would stand and look at them. She had a feeling one of them was her mothers, to young to realise the age of the stones.

                          

Time passed and Katie grew into a teen. As a child she had felt different from the other kids, unable to mix with them. Treated as an outcast she started to dress as one, dying her hair and wearing heavy makeup, it was her shield. She had had strange feelings from a young age as she got older those feeling got stronger. Her temper could frighten the toughest men into cowardliness, her senses were keen, better than any other person and then there was the urge...the one she did not understand. She didn't tell her father, kept it to herself, something else locked away.

                           

"Are you OK?" Katie asked one morning at breakfast. "Yes I'm fine, hurry up or you'll be late for school" Katie cringed she hated school, "Katie Hatfield where is your homework?" or "Late again" from the teachers the cold shoulder from the kids. She looked forward to the day she would turn her back on that wretched building forever.

                           

"The bus is here" her dad announced shaking her from her thoughts. Getting up she grabbed her bag. "Don't I get a hug?"

"Of course you do" Wrapping her arms round him she squeezed tight, she was worried about him, he was thin too thin the lines on his face, the dark circles the haunted look in his eyes. Was he pinning for her mother? "Have a good day dad"

Arriving home from school one day she went looking for her dad. He was not in the kitchen so going through the dinning room she headed for the drawing room. Katie stopped, the bookcase was open and her dad was disappearing behind it. A secret door! that's so cool, Katie was itching to see what was on the other side.

Later knowing the coast was clear she went to the bookcase. Pulling each book till she found the right one, with a click the bookcase began to move. Stepping inside she looked round, a small room poorly light, at one end spiral stairs. At the foot of the stairs she hovered, maybe she shouldn't go up. Placing her hand on the rail she slowly climbed....

Katie gasped. Another small room, it was sparse and damp, the wind howled as it squeezed through the damaged bricks. A pile of rubbish was stacked in one corner, someone had been renovating? At the far end stood a coffin it's back against sheer curtains. What was that doing their? Walking over she took a closer look.

Made of solid oak it looked expensive and old, the lining in pink velvet obviously made for a woman. Judging from the interior it had been used so why was it here? and where was the body? Katie's imagination ran wild, was her dad a killer or did he have a thing for coffins? "Now your being stupid" she scolded herself.

                          

Back in her room she got ready for bed. Thinking about her find she tried to put the pieces together. Her mother dead, dad's refusal to talk about her and the secret room with the coffin... It was no use even Miss Marple wouldn't figure this one out. Putting out the light she jumped into bed, maybe the answer would be their in the morning.

               

Winter was getting closer the nights longer, the leaves changed from green to brown to gold before falling to the ground. The air turned colder, Katie lit the fires, she didn't feel the cold but for her dads sake she kept them going in a vain bid to heat the old house. James was sinking deeper into his mind, wondering from room to room oblivious of the cold. Katie loved her music as much as she loved to dance, spending a lot of time in her room playing her violin. James would appear listen for a while then leave without a word.

                        

One night she woke in a cold sweat, the urge unbearable, she tried to work out what her body wanted..needed. Hearing what sounded like a pop she got out of bed. Padding across the hall she checked on her dad....he wasn't their. Searching the house from top to bottom, nothing, that left only one place. Stepping through the bookcase she climbed the stairs. "DAD" she screamed trying to stop the vomit rising. James lay near the coffin a gun next to him, blood pooled round him.

Collapsing to her knees she let out a scream. First her mother now dad, she knew he was ill but not this bad, guilt moved in like a huge wave, washing over her. "I'm sorry dad, so sorry" Wiping the tears from her face she bent over and gently kissed him. Making her way downstairs she went to a neighbours house.

The day of the funeral, dressed in black Katie waited for the Vicar, her dad was to be buried here in the garden, that was his wish. She listened to the clock ticking, social services had been in said something about a guardian, that they were informed, Mrs pollard was going to stay till they arrived. The rain hit the windows then ran down the glass each drop trying to reach an invisible goal, Katie paid no attention, she sat, listening to the clock. "Katie dear, the Vicar is here..it's time" Mrs Pollard told her softly, Katie stood and followed her out the room.

                       

It was a small funeral, herself  the Vicar, Mrs pollard and the gravediggers. The Vicar read a passage from the bible then nodded to the men. "Ashes to ashes...dust to dust" the Vicar spoke in a dull tone throwing soil onto the coffin as it was lowered into the ground. After the others left Katie stood and looked at the mound of dirt... Placing her head in her hands her body shuddered, tears welled up in her eyes spilling onto her hands then fell through her fingers onto the freshly dug soil below. She was alone.

                       

A figure stood watching. Concealed by a nearby tree he listened to the cries of anguish. Silently he cursed Emily, his solicitor had told him about the humans death, opening the letter she had sent him all those years ago he found he was now the guardian of a teenage girl. He scowled, great, bloody great! what the hell could he do except honor Emily's wish. "Katheryn!"

"Who...are...you? what..do..you want" she demanded, trying to control her tears. "I'm a friend of your mothers" Her mother! "Did you know my dad?"

"No sorry!" why was he apologizing wasn't his fault he didn't know him.

                           

Katie walked towards him, was this man her guardian? The man stood still, so this was the halfbreed, she had Emily's pale skin and unusual eye colour but her hair was.....purple good god! "If you knew my mother why not dad?" she demanded. "I knew her a long time ago, before she met your dad"

He looked at the heavy dark makeup and odd hair, Christ what was the man letting her get away with! Katie's nostrils flared taking in the smell of aftershave, soap and....soil? "Let me introduce myself, my name is Valan, Valan Campbell"

"Katheryn Hatfield, my dad just called me Katie"

"I am pleased to meet you Katheryn" Valan bowed.

                           

"You have a funny accent" Katie blurted. "I am from Scotland, that is where you will be living"

"Scotland! my place is here"

"It appears that I am your guardian, your mother made those arrangements before she died and as I live in Scotland that is where you shall also live"

"Scotland" Katie whispered, not just content on her dad's death, fate was ripping her from her home too. "My housekeeper Mrs Stewart travelled with me also, she will help get you organised for our journey tomorrow" Biting her bottom lip she followed Valan back to the house.

AWAKENING