Lyra Kingsley's Story

Vampires Romantic? They've got to be joking. Dean couldn't surpress the glare clouding his features, even the mere mentioning of them put a sour taste in his mouth. Vampires aren't romantic, there ain't shit romantic about them. They're vicious things, they're the very reason mom died and nearly got him too if it weren't for dad. He was only eight at the time but damn was it a freaking wake up call.

"Vampires aren't cool, they're monsters."

He averted his gaze, turned his back to them and realized his pulse quickened. Jaw set, Dean tensed. Why is it that when things are finally calm, I get so anxious? As a habit he threw a quick glance at his surroundings, the others were either chatting or taking notes, the professor was lecturing and his eyes caught the shift of movement, a black crow perched on the branch of the tree outside, watching.

It smells like a familiar.

If it wasn't a vampire it was a piece of them, the things could create other things that worked as their eyes and ears, but was was it interested in him? What gives? Maybe it could tell he was a hunter. Well not like he could pretend it didn't come with the package.

A giggle could be heard from behid the hard cover of Isabella's storybook. She lowered it just enough to reveal his sparkling topaz eyes, alight with a hint of mischief and some kindness, too. Though it was hidden, a wide smile spread across her pretty face as she looked at Dean.

"Ooo, so cynical," she cooed playfully, hiding her eyes away once again.

Then she nudged Lyra, hoping the sensitive soul wouldn't be hurt because of the boy's abrasiveness. She swung her feet from underneath her desk, too small to reach the floor despite her age of seventeen. Their teacher paid no attention to the students in the back, lacking attentiveness or desire to listen to such a boring topic as algebra. Among the inattentive pupils were Isabella and Lyra, of course, though the sweet Brit was much better at paying attention to class than she was. Simply put, Isabella just couldn't wait for the lunch bell to ring, so that she could read her book in peace.

The blessed lunch period emptied the halls of Rosen Hale, clearing the way for a newcomer to tread through with little difficulty. Two rhythmic heels tapped lightly on the linoleum tile, giving way to knee length leather boots that protected the feet of a petite, fox like vixen with curly tresses that were as black as night. A shock of porcelain white was the graceful face that held her aquamarine eyes, scanning the halls with the intensity of a predator. She wore a leather jacket that matched her boots, and a sound like small bells or chains twinkled as she strode.

She moved quickly and with purpose, and by the unwavering expression on her face it was clear she had no intention of making friends. At the very faint noise of a bird ruffling its feathers, followed by a distinctive cawing to confirm her suspicions, she immediately stopped in her tracks and snapped her attention to the creature. It paid no attention to her, and she continued just as rapidly as she paused so that it remained that way. Her continuance was halted again, however, as she was bumped by a girl whose nose was shoved into a book.

"Lyra! Oh, I'm sorry, friend-" Isabella began, though instantly she cut herself off upon seeing the new girl, who was now picking Dracula off the floor. "I...I'm sorry, I should have been looking where I was going."

"No worries," said the girl, whose voice was cold but undertone still kind. She offered her the novel, and when Isabella reached for it, noticed a handsome ring with a crescent shaped sapphire jewel on her finger.

"Thanks... Er...?"

"Selene."

"Selene... I'm Isabella," she chirped brightly, struggling to find the place she left off in her book. "Are you new here?"

There was silence, and when Isabella didn't hear a response, she looked up from flipping through the pages and realized that the mysterious girl had disappeared as if in thin air. She furrowed her brows in confusion, inspecting her surroundings in search of the beautiful female.

"That's odd."

She shrugged her shoulders and continued outside where all the students had gathered for lunch, scanning the throng for her friend Lyra but instead catching Dean in her line of sight. She could see him blabbing away almost pointedly into his cellphone, and she smirked, shaking her head a little. She advanced assuming Lyra would soon follow, knowing full well where Isabella would be, if the Brit weren't waiting there already. She reached an old oak, whose leaves were turning colors and beginning to trickle to the ground. She sat comfortably at its trunk and reopened her book, not before casting a glance at Dean, who sat at a bench a distance across from her.

She couldn't help the little smile that played at her mouth, though its curl suffered a little when she noticed Selene walking
in the direction of the Salvatore boy.

Lyra was sure glad her favorite subject of the day was up: Lunch Time! Racing out a class room she nearly ran into another new face, her books and novel dropped to the floor.

"Ah, I'm so sorry!"

"Hmm, it's alright... I wasn't looking either," The gorgeous guy said as he helped the brit up back on her feet, then assisted in gathering her dropped materials. On spotting the title of her current read by its binding, the other's sharp blue eyes glinted, interested.

"You're into vampires?" He asked, his tone silky and deep.

Lyra couldn't help blushing as she took the stuff he handed back to her. "Uh, yeah -I do hm..." She noticed him smirking at her and she flashed a smile back.

"I'm Lyra." She introduced kindly.
"Michael. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

She sparkled, it's as if he were royalty, he held such a noble sense to himself, though his aura she realized was gray and "cool". Not as dark as Dean's but in a way chilly -dangerous.

"I'm going to meet a dear friend for lunch, you can join." Lyra invited him.

Michael considered for a mili-second before shrugging, "I'd love to."


"Who is she?" Lyra asked Isabella as she sunk besides her friend and gently placed her books down beside her. She was so interested she forgot to introduce Michael to Isabella.

Michael slid his fingers into the pockets of his designer jeans, the lapis lazuli stone in the ring he wore on his middle finger reflected some light beautifully. He wore a fitted leather jacket over a basic, navy v-neck tee, jeans and ending with classy shoes. His tousled dark locks ruffled over his piercing eyes as he watched the lady in question stroll over to Salvatore -the hunter's son.

"That my girl, is Selene, I wouldn't cross her if I were you. She isn't as friendly as me." But I still adore her... He warned them, though his tone seemed almost playful.

Lyra heard him and came back to herself, "Uh-Isabella, this is Michael he's new too!" She glanced at him with an apologetic smile.





(I bring new character too!^^ I'll post his CP soon Hime!)

Lyra smiled up at Michael, he returned the grin before glancing at Isabella, "You can say that." He quirped lightly before veering his gaze back toward Selene and the hunter. Whatever she wanted from him it had to be serious. And whatever it was, she didn't want him or anyone else to hear which explained why she lead the way off for Dean to follow her. He smiled with an easy sigh, running long, elegant fingers through his hair entirely unperturbed, as he relaxed against the tree.

"Such a beautiful afternoon huh? I'm glad it's not raining anymore."

"I wouldn't, Salvatore," Selene purred, feeling his itching to take hold of his pocket knife. Her expression remained straight and unwavering, even as she turned to look at him and her eyes flashed. "I need you to listen to me, and very carefully, because I am only going to say this once."

She walked over to his passenger side door and waited for him to unlock it. She sat inside and watched him expectantly until he did the same. She fingered the jewel on her hand, then looked him square in the eye. The windows were already beginning to fog, and she waited til they were mostly covered by the mist before she opened her mouth to speak again. She could sense his distrust- after all, Selene wasn't exactly the gentle type -and though the corner of her lip twitched, as if hinting the possibility of a smirk, her countenance remained frozen.

"As you know, this town is a hotbed of supernatural activity," she began, her voice soft and grave. "It would be foolish to believe you could handle this all on your own."

She pulled up the sleeve of her leather jacket and revealed a wildly intricate tattoo that spanned the length of her entire arm. Then she turned her hand so that the jewel on her finger flashed, quickly covering her limb as fast as she had bared it. Had Dean so much as blinked, he surely would have missed the sight: she bore the markings that only he and people like himself would understand, letalone see.

"That girl you've been staring at- and don't deny it- she's a target. They will be coming for her, and those she holds dear won't be shown the same mercy. There's only a few of us in this town and there could be as many as one hundred of them. These vampires will stop at nothing until they have her and kill anyone in their way. If they take her-"

The telltale caw of the infamous crow landing near the couple immediately cut off her sentence. She snappe her attention toward the creature, who seemed to be searching for them inside the car. She looked gravely at Dean, then turned and exited the car, walking away so swiftly she seemed to be on the verge of running.

From her perch beneath the oak tree, Isabella sipped the vegetable soup from her thermos and listened carefully as Michael and Lyra talked. Although it wasn't exactly rare, the fact that two new people showed up at the exact same time was just too strange. She couldn't help the odd, slightly uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach; yet, as she watched Selene reappear into the schoolyard lunch plaza, Isabella didn't feel threatened by the enigmatic and mysterious female.

"She's beautiful," Isabella whispered to Lyra, almost incredulously so. Then she turned to Michael. "So what brings you to Sable? I know it can't be for the weather."

She looked up at the grey sky, whose clouds were beginning to disperse with the rays of the sun breaking through the dreary veil. She sighed; she didn't like the rain much. It was a relief that it had stopped just in time for lunch, although she was sure it would probably continue when the students were called back inside to class. She was curious to know how the year would unfold- it seemed to have already gotten off to a pretty interesting start.

Actually he enjoyed the nice weather. This girl was really something, he could understand why Alek adored her so much. At Isabella's questioning he offered the kindest smile he could muster, "Well Miss Isabella, I am here basically to see how things are going and for now everything is fine. Oh look Selene is back. It was nice meeting you, Miss Lyra, Miss Isabella, see you soon." Then he leaned off the tree and walked off, slipping out of their lives just as effortlessly as he entered and son he was besides Selene again, offering her a kind smile he asked her if she'd completed whatever task she had set out to accomplish with the hunter. Knowing full well that as long as she could be trusted by Alek all was okay.

Lyra had sat stiffly when Isabella had gotten up soon after going to find Dean. What felt like an eternity but was only ten minutes, she collected her things and Isabella's forgotten bag and books before standing and heading toward the direction she saw her best friend go. She paused when she reached the turning to enter the student parking lot, what she saw almost made her drop everything in her arms --Isabella was abducted by a...vampire?

"He doesn't seem to want to hurt her, if he did, he would have done so already..." Commented Katerina, she floated near her niece, also watching the scene.

"But...He's saying he's going to wipe out her memories...Do you think she saw something she wasn't meant to see?" Even Lyra wondered what it was that she "saw" and she worried even more for her.

Feeling another malignant aura caused the girl to look sky-ward to spot another figure, this one a female, watching them below and she couldn't help but shiver at the weird icy-ness tingling down her spine.

"Those two... aren't human...." Katerina informed her, the spirit's eyes narrowed as she stared hard at the new comer. She didn't like her presence either and was sure to stay on high alert if that lady were to encounter her niece.

Lyra whispered, her eyes still on the lady as she caressed a gun in her hands, staring at Dean she could only imagine. "Is she and Dean vampires too?"

Katerina shook her head, "I wouldn't call them that... but their auras are very similar. Be very wary of them both, especially Dean. Something about him isn't right, his aura-"

"I know his is darker than black, but he doesn't seem to want to hurt anyone..." Lyra's expression was sad and hurt, how could her aunt be so judgmental? Did she not see the guy try to save Isabella?

Then the woman turned and was gone.

At that, Lyra exhaled relieved, she thought for a split second that the lady was going to shoot somebody.

Tearing her gave to the parking lot she saw Dean walking out and he was telling Selene to follow him.

She was about to turn when she felt his eyes on her and she just stood there. "Um...Dean where's Isabella? She went after you a moment ago and never came back... She forgot her stuff..."

"She went... Home." He answered tensly.

Dean half wondered if she'd seen anything, wishing all this had been dealt with in a more discreet place, say far, far away. He took the books and bag from her and told her that he would deliver them to Isabella personally, then ushered her back toward the winding, large school.

Lyra found his rushing her annoying and she glanced back, her firey hair bouncing around her small face, "Did her guardians come to pick her up?"

"Uh, I guess..."

"Then you have to take her bike too."

"What am I her delivery boy?"

"Oh but Dean, how will she get to school tomorrow?" The plucky red-head spun around to face him, her features scrunching into a super cute little frown on her pixie face. She crossed her arms pouting, "You have to!" She demanded.

Dean sighed, "And you can't do it yourself?"

"Uh-- I can't... maam' wouldn't allow me to. You see, she's very strict and..." her expression took on a level of sadness when mentioning her mom, but then she brightened up, an idea springing into her head, "What if I pay you my allowance?"

The hunter rolled his eyes, "I won't accept payment. Not from you or anyone, I'll do it okay, now... just go to class!"

She sparkled at him, "Thank you Dean!" She twirled and ran off.

"Guess I'm giving Lombardi a visit when all this crap is over," Dean grumbled, glancing back to see if Selene was following him. He walked down the hall and made it to his locker where he put all of Isabella's stuff there while making a mental note to remember to come back here later and get it all before leaving.

----


Isabella lay in her bed, already changed from her morning attire to her nightgown, the pureblood had put her to sleep before taking the liberty to changing her vestments opting to leave her in comfort before he walked out of her life again. He left her clothing neatly folded on the window seat. Sighing sadly he stood beside her bed, watching her ever so longingly. If only...

He caressed her cheek with tender fingers, before picking up a strand of her shining, night locks, entwining the silken strands for a moment, before gently letting them slip away from his fingers. Gently he settled his hand atop her crown and dived into her memories, ripping the moment things went weird from today away from her forever -unlike compelling, this was much different, he wasn't making her simply forget, he wasn't surpressing the memories of that stupid child pureblood or seeing Dean go hunter-mode into the back-burner of her mind, he was actually absorbing them into his own. It would be much better for her life if she never knew. She would live easier, smile freely under the sun.

She will recall only having a normal one at school except for feeling sick and wanting to go home early to rest.

"When you awaken again, everything will be as it was before..." His voice was bearly a whispered.

But this was as far as he could go, as long as she was safe it mattered not if she even knew who he was, that too was a must, it was better if she didn't know him at all. It would prevent her from curiously trying to figure him out and ruining everything. He built this world around her, a safe haven so that she would be always perfectly intact. He knew the threats after her blood and he was working his own deadly plan to eliminate them.

The only evidence of his visits were the tall American beauty rose he left at her door step everyday, which was sure to be left at her doorstep today after he departed.

After looking at her sleeping face for as long as he could manage to refrain from getting any closer, he finally broke away into a flurry of tiny bats that flapped quietly out her open window that he closed. Then below at her front porch an evanescent hand appeared from a small cluster of bats that broke away from the pack to deliver the rose.

And he was gone.

"Aww I missed the party!" Micheal said in mock upset, he appeared from behind a tree after finding Selene giving up on her arrow retrieval. He smiled brightly as he watched the hunter go off with the girl, he slipped right next to her, "So Avalon took Lombardi huh? What a shame, I wanted to meet her!"

He reached for the arrow and with a single pull, got it out -but it broke and he looked shocked for a second fearing Selene's rage and he handed it to her smiling apologetically, "Sorry ma petite, it was sure to happen, the tree does not like to get poked by these things and was gonna keep a piece of it regardless. I'll but you new ones!"

Then Michael looked after the hunter, cocking his head at him as he disappeared into the school, "You know, he isn't all he seems, that Salvatore boy... Are you sure you want to join him on his quest?"

---

Lyra wondered about that boy as she continued to attend all her classes. He wasn't in any of the afternoon classes and she couldn't help but think something strange was going on. In the last class of the day, Henry Stiles and Lecille Roberts the quarter back and his cheerleader girlfriend were missing. Four seats were empty, which meant that perhaps they were all skipping the last period. She sighed as she returned her gaze to the front of the class. I hope Isabella is okay...

"Wh-what the heck is this?"

Lyra was already at the school grounds, Katherine had crashed into her pleasant dreams of mother and father and old memories of being back home in London, and rushed her to pull on something and leave the house quick. Trouble loomed and it was so urgent she couldn't even brush her hair or her teeth, if her exorsisms couldn't destroy the bad ghosts than morning breath would do the trick. Or not. What she not only saw but felt before her in the once semi-peaceful school was a giant building of so much freaky, goose-bumps induced, dark energies, it would put the devil to shame. She was so terrified of the bad mojo emenating from the school that she couldn't move from the spot, her heart hammering in her small chest, sweat run cold on her skin and pink and white dress that she wasn't sure if this was a nightmare or reality.

"Lyra!" Katherine yelled, urging her to move, already the screams of early bird people echoed in the air as the demons and other evils swarmed out of the school, shooitng into the morning sky like bullets ofblack and grey. What did she walk into now?


((no time to continue, bare with me!!!!))

Selene, however confused she may have been at the sight of the onslaught of demons, was handling them quite expertly for not having seen one before. As she held her weapon expertly in her hands, she came to realize that Veratos was right about it being difficult at first, and then- it seemed to become an extension of her body, one that she controlled with expertise and precision. She aimed and fired, impaling each target through the head, though they evaporates into smog and left her to retrieve her abandoned arrows.

As she bolted through the halls, her senses pointing her in the direction of the gymnasium, she noticed a particularly voracious looking demon heading toward helpless Lyra. Upon instinct, Selene dove toward the girl and shoved her out of the way of the demon just as its powerful jaws came crashing down to the tile. She then whirled back around, aimed and let another arrow fly.

"Get out of here, medium," hissed Selene. "Unless you know of a way to seal the gate."

Then she abandoned the girl altogether, racing after Dean once she was sure the east wing was secure. Upon seeing the sunrise beaming overhead, she grew increasingly more apprehensive, all before she spotted the creature spitting fireballs at Dean. The huntress screwed her face up in horror, before taking another arrow and retrieving a small sack of blue powder from her belt. She then dipped the silver arrowhead into the powder, spit upon it, and listened for the telltale crackle and the scent of sulfur and myrr intermixing. She anchored the arrow against her cheek, aimed for the head of the beast, and let it fly.

Isabella watched Billie expectantly. She was young, he was not; older humans could not do without rest like adolescents can. Soon enough he would fall asleep, and that is when Isabella would run like hell to find this Aleksei man who splats Ty has been doing alot more than just trying to protect her. She held the paper in her fingers for a few moments when Billie inquired about it, then slid it toward him to read for himself.

"It's pretty vague," she explained. "But she mentions something about me being a reincarnation of someone and that 'the empires'-" her little fingers gestured air quotation marks as she spoke. "-have learned of my existence. There's this key, and she wants me to travel to Italy."

She held up the little gold skeleton key eye level for the man to observe. It was immaculate, as if it had never been used before. Then she furrowed her brows and tucked it away into her satchel. A sigh left her lips, feeling utterly helpless as the entire situation unfurled all around her, though she knew nothing of it.

"You know, for me being special or whatever," she continued, huffing exasperatedly. "I really don't like being left in the dark about things. I think I deserve some answers."

Her golden eyes watched him, though their expression was unreadable. Isabella had always been the curious one, and the moment Billie dozed off on the couch, she snuck out quietly. She was greeted almost immediately by Lorenzo, who shook his head as he looked over his shoulder at the automotive shop. Then he clicked his tongue, eying the satchel that hung at her hip.

"Sneaking out is not the brightest idea, amore mio," he purred, moving to block her every time she tried to pass. "Although... I can take you directly to where you want to go, at this very moment, if you wish. You need only ask."

Isabella thought it over for a moment, silently praying that Aleksei would hear her thoughts and come running to her rescue, since she couldn't even recall what his face looked like. Her dark hair waved softly around her pretty features, which had grown tired and weary from the night's events and lack of sleep.

"Can you take me to Aleksei?" she asked, noticing the man's demeanor drop considerably. Apparently, not very many people liked this guy.

"If that is what you so desire," he responded, though bitterly.

Isabella caught a glimpse of the iridescent, purplish glow that tainted the golden horizon in the direction of the school. She only hoped that her friends were safe- especially Dean, whom she still had so many questions for. Without warning, Lorenzo took Isabella by the hand, yanking her at lightspeed over treetops and buildings. She screamed with surprise, before realizing that she was soaring over Sable while draped in this very attractive man's strong arms.

"Where are you taking me?" Isabella demanded.

"You said you wanted to see Avalon," said Lorenzo impassively, dropping quickly back to earth to the girl's terror. "Your wish is my command."

A little distance away, Aleksei and Michael were tucked into the foliage, probably still quarreling about nonsense. She listened to their voices, one she could distinctly recognize as Michael's, and turned to look back at Lorenzo, whom had disappeared. She swallowed nervously before following after the sounds, hoping that she would be greeted with welcome arms, or perhaps with an open mind ready to answer her many questions.

"Aleksei?" she called out into the trees, receiving nothing but a rustling in the brush ahead of her. She took a step toward the movement, again hoping for the best, though feeling absolutely naked with nothing to defend herself should she run into trouble.

"Dean is going to hate me for this..." she muttered. "Aleksei!"

[Happy New Year everyone! @St. Valentine I read your rendition of the role-play, I loved how you depicted Lyra, right on the nail! Are you writing anymore? I would like to know how Isabella suddenly awakens like that, it was like watching a television show so exciting.]

---

Michael rushed through the forest, through the awakening town and directly toward the school. Isabella was with Aleksei and another vampire, Michael wondered if he had ever felt this man's aura, it felt almost familiar, perhaps in one of the many council meetings before. Reaching the school property he saw Lyra, she was standing her guard, her hands held up before her, a white barrier protected the school its light faint and pulsing. It kept the evil things within from coming out, but he wondered if he could step through it without getting harmed, so he paused close to the girl.

"Selene is inside Michael, where have you been? There's a giant source of evil auras coming from in there, please help them, I don't know how long I can support the barrier!" She glanced back momentarily to see him, "I'll leave an opening for you, be quick!"

Michael nodded confirming, he gently patted the girl atop her head, smiling rather brightly, "Good job Lyra, keep it strong there, this will be over soon." Then he slipped away like a breeze, his hands ready with water and ice enveloping them as he burst through the doors. He saw the other night class students wrestling with a few stray demons and he helped getting rid of them.

"The culprit is at the gym, but the hunters are taking care of it," Amy, a vampire informed the pureblood when he asked for a report, smiling at her, thanking her for the imput he continued on to the gym, catching Veratos as she finished off her own demons before leaving a wreck behind her. When the smoke cleared he ran to the doors and slammed them open in time to see the hunter slice at the monstrous hell beast.

"Go after her, help her out, remember where you stand..." Aleksei's voice echoed in his mind as he though back at the fight they had before, he wasn't certain what the pureblood was planning out now, but he knew for sure that his Selene was now more involved in it than ever before. He shook his head slightly as he walked passed the ashes left behind by the huntress. He saw Selene in action, sending arrows dipped in a blue powdery substance at the giant thing. He looked up to her, "Mind if I join in?"

Outside Lyra closed her eyes, her cheeks rosy, wow, a handsome man had cheered her on to keep going, stay strong, it was enough to boost her confidence. Wait until Isabella found out about this! Speaking of, she could faintly "feel" her, she was a bit away from the school, along with her were two others that had much stronger, darker auras about them and it made her a little scared.

"It's alright Lyra, Isabella is with Aleksei, he only wants to protect her. Keep your focus dear." Katerina whispered, pulling the girl back to her task.

"Who's Aleksei?" Lyra questioned her, returning her focus on holding the barrier up, she was having some difficulty in it, takes a lot of mojo to cover up an entire school, also while keeping her mind clear for it all to work.

"A vampire, apparently he's been behind Isabella her entire life, however with this new fellow, he doesn't bode well in the mix, what he brings with him and takes away it's all so sad." Katerina expressed, she had remained long enough to know what was going on, having disappeared soon after Aleksei had explained what he could to Isabella. She'd returned to her niece to help her, and also, let her know what was going on.

Lyra frowned, "Oh so she has a guardian who's always been there for her sooo romantic -wait- did you say he was a vampire? That's unbelievable, but then again, I'm holding up a huge cage to keep the demons inside so I guess... I still can't believe it."

"Lyra focus!" Katerine urged her.

"Sorry!"

(Happy New Year my loves! I'm so happy to have met you both, and that we have all stuck together through what has it been? Two, three years now? Very safe and cheerful celebrations to you and your families! Also, thank you Angel, I tried my best to capture their unique personalities. I am writing more, and will send you both the newest edition soon. Thank you again guys! Love y'all! n_n)

Isabella wrapped her arms around Aleksei's neck as he carried her, the tears still falling, her despair ever present; yet, like all the other tender moments she had just shared with Aleksei, this particular gesture, as he held her close to his heart, again she could almost remember the same occurrence as a child. She breathed in his scent, the smell of earth on his hair and cold skin, and nuzzled her skull into the crook of his neck. Everything she had ever known was suddenly crashing down all around her, leaving nothing but chaos and confusion in its wake. Nevertheless, she knew there was no longer anywhere she could run, except directly to the source itself. A sigh escaped her lips.

As he placed her on a bed, in a room blossoming with dozens of fresh, beautiful flowers that resembled a Wonderland like garden, she watched him sadly. She could see the sorrow in his demeanor, and feel the shame emanating from his strong form. She reached out to place a hand on his, trying to reassure him that everything was going to be alright, though she was not sure of this herself. She graciously took the water, thanked him and sipped, though still observed him and felt he needed it more than she did.

"You don't have to protect me anymore, Aleksei," Isabella started softly, her small fingers wrapping around his hand. "At this moment in time, I need a comrade... Someone to help me fight whatever future is trying to force itself on me."

She sighed, looking away for a few moments and sniffing pitifully. A single tear streaked her cheek, but she didn't wipe it away; instead, she let it fall and dapple the floral quilt. When she returned her gaze to Aleksei, her smile was still there, unwavering in its efforts to provide him with some kind of comfort. Her free hand moved a few stray strands of his platinum hair from his carnelian eyes, a loving gesture she never thought she would do. That's when she remembered Dean, and how he had tried to make her promise to stay with Billie. She wondered where he had gone off to, and where Selene and her other friends were, and what their thoughts might be on all this madness.

"I... I want to go to Italy," she continued, mindful of Aleksei's sensitivity of the subject. "But I don't want to marry Lorenzo or be royalty or whatever it is he was hinting at. I just want to meet my mother, and find out why this is happening to me... And finish high school..."

Another tear streaked her cheek as she realized that, however futile that ambition probably seemed now, it was an important milestone in every teenager's life. She was determined that, regardless of this calamity, she would live out each of her desires despite the responsibility that would soon befall her. All she wanted was to keep her friends safe, allow them as normal a life as they could possibly have, and move on with her own.

"But I want you to go with me. You seem to be a very dear friend of my family's, and if I am to meet my mother, I would like to have you at my side, in case she isn't as forgiving with me..."



Selene was being overwhelmed by the spawning demons that were continuously reproducing from the monster's wounds. At the moment, they were climbing all over her, and her arrows were quickly becoming scattered. They started to rake their nails along her flesh in an attempt to tear her apart, which only angered the newborn vampire; at the same moment, an explosion resounded near her, and then a shower of Holy water rained down on all of them, destroying the demons and consequently wounding Selene as well. She hissed with the pain, but it subsided quickly, and when she recovered she glanced over at Vera to offer her an acknowledging and thankful nod.

She caught a familiar musky scent, and when she turned she noticed Michael standing beside her. With a smirk, she shook her head and began to recollect all her arrows.

"By all means, take your time," she joked, as she positioned the arrow along the bowstring and aimed for the creature, studded with her seemingly futile weapons. "It's nice of you to finally join us."

She couldn't smell Isabella in the air anymore, which meant she had been taken, and it was anyone's guess that her captor was Aleksei. At least, at this point in time, that's what she hoped for. The demons in the schoolhouse were gradually depleting in number, but the hell guardian was only maimed, or so it seemed. Hunting evil spirits and bogeymen was not something Selene listed on her resume, nor a skill she had in her repertoire. This was something different entirely, and she knew that if she was going to face future adversaries of the same nature, she would have to invest in proper weapons.

"When is this damned thing going to die?!"

[Well I thank you St. Valentine for sticking around with us, love you too! I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for more. I hope you had a super new years with your family and that you're safe. ❤ Hime, I think we've already done that lol.]

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Michael was just about to start freezing the sucker's remaining leg, encase him in ice so that it wouldn't be able to move, allowing Dean the leverage needed to attack without getting injured, but the boy was quicker and had went after the freak of nature right when he was gonna shoot. So much happened after that, it almost looked like Dean had won at the end, when the smog of released demonic energies erupted from the defeated foe, and the hell gate closed finally he smiled, shielding his nose and mouth with a hand so as not to inhale the crap, he too stiffened at smelling blood, it was of a peculiar scent.

The air cleared a little, and he glanced at Veratos as she screamed out the other's name, then went after him. He was struck by the monster, it had happened at the very moment Dean had sliced him in two, ending its existence. A deadly opening for both. When the young lady called out to them both for assistance, he exchanged worried glances with Selene, then sprinted toward the two. Crouching down on one knee, he inspected the damage. Salvatore's face was already pale as his own, which wasn't a surprise since the boy had been at it for a couple of hours with the hell beast.

Then the pureblood remembered something, that demon had called the hunter a non-human, though offended by it, Dean had demonstrated spectacular strengths no mere mortal could perform. Michael wondered in fact, had there been truth in that? He divided his gaze from the suffering boy who hadn't yet passed out, to his companion who expressed genuine agony. Placing a hand on Veratos, he nodded his head, motioning her to step back as he took her place. Gripping Dean's shoulder, he looked the boy in the eye, his other hand seized the end of the claw, his expression inscrutable as he said in a rather distant tone, "Let go Salvatore."

⚜⚜⚜

Lyra saw the light fading from the school, felt the bad vibes disappear and she was left thoroughly exhausted as she collapsed onto the ground. The barrier she'd held up snapped as she'd stopped holding it up. Taking deep breaths she sat there, trying to recollect her bearings, glancing up with much difficulty at the still building she knew the enemy must have been taken out. She had felt a heavy vibration just before the miasma had dissipated, was it the hunter?

"The school is safe now darling, your job here is over." Katerina observed, watching her niece as she caught her breath and attempted at standing.
"But, what about the others, they're still in there, do you think they're okay?" Lyra asked more concerned for them than for herself. She wiped a sheen of sweat from her forehead with the back of her forearm and she exhaled a long breath, she didn't think she could have supported that barrier any longer had the battle lasted several more minutes. "I...I don't think I can ever do that again." She said wryly, crossing her arms around her frame, her shoulders fell, she felt chilly and simultaneously hot.

Katerina stared at the school, she sensed trouble from within, but instead of voicing her knowledge she smiled down at her precious niece and reassured her that the group inside were fine. Most likely recovering as she was now. "Come now Lyra. let's return home, your guardians will be awakening soon and-"

Lyra shot her aunt a cross stare, "DON'T LIE AUNT KATERINA! They never cared about me, that woman Miss Vandalia doesn't even look at me! And her husband is always working, I never see him! How can you say they worry for me when they don't even know I exist?! Even their daughter Serenity doesn't even know my name..." she lowered her voice as she ended the sentence, her throat ached badly. Tears burst from her eyes and she couldn't help but cry, feeling hopelessly lost. Ever since her aunt died and she'd been sent to the next of kin being distant, make that very remote, her father's sister who never even showed any interest for the girl still when her parents had been alive. She would have rather lived alone to be honest, it almost felt that way.

Katerina frowned at her niece's melancholy, the girl always displayed such an easy going countenance, she'd never mentioned having been bothered by her current living conditions with the Vandalias and now that the girl broke down like this, she knew she had to do something, anything to fix this. It was her fault Lyra was stuck in this rut, had she not passed away the girl would have still been living in London with her and they would have had been happily together. Impulsivity shocked through her and she reached down to touch her niece's head, only to have her hand flow right through the girl's head of light auburn curls. At realizing her inability to comfort her, touch her, feel her warmth, Katherine's expression tightened with a mixture of intense pain and anguish. "I'm sorry Lyra, forgive me."

"It's okay. I'm fine." Lyra said tightly, strained, which meant she was lying through her teeth as she tried to stand, then her vision got foggy.
"Lyra don't move-"
"I need to find Isabella, she's gone-" Lyra could hear herself say breathe/lessly as she wobbled to her feet, and then the world turned to black.
"Oh Lyra, no..." Katerina could do nothing, as the child fell to the pavement, she extended her arms trying to reach for her falling body, her ghostly apparition held no mercy and even in this instance never materialized, remaining unsubstantial. Lyra crumpled to the ground, her eyes closed.

"Relax. You're safe," said Julian, his tone gentle as he offered her a glass of water. "You're in my home. I found you passed out on the ground by the school, and I didn't know where you lived, I brought you here."

His steely grey eyes watched her closely, with the curiosity of a pup, though a tender smile etched itself along his rugged features. He tried his best to remain neutral, so that she would not feel threatened, but then again wakin up in someone else's bed with a stranger staring at you wasn't the best condition for friend making. He chuckled inwardly and offered her the plate of toast and honey, explaining that she looked exhausted and needed to regain some of her strength back, though conveniently leaving out the fact he smelled the dark spirits all over her.

"I'm Julian, by the way," he added, his eyes sparkling like gemstones as the sunlight caught his pretty irises. "My two brothers are somewhere in this house too. What's your name?"

He noticed how terrified she was; he could almost smell the fear emanating from her trembling form. He didn't know what else to do except keep his distance and continue to offer her food and water until she was well enough to leave on her own. He wanted to explain that she looked completely helpless and the scent of sulfur was so thick on her that he knew taking her to a hospital would be futile. The only reason he brought her to his home was because that was the only way he could insure her safety- I mean, how much more safer can you be when you're guarded by a pack of wolves?

((Justin or Julian, which is it? I think you meant Julian right? I'll go along with that one :) ))

---

"Okay... I... don't believe you'd do me any harm...th-thank you Julian, really."

Lyra locked her eyes with him, he had beautiful eyes, ones that made her melt, and she released a held breath trying to relax. She smiled at the offered bread and honey and daintily picked up the plate, settling it on her lap, she took the bread, dipped it gently in the honey and nibbled on it, her cheeks as red as roses, "I'm sorry you had to carry me here and offer me these things, I...I was...trying to help some friends with this...Ah..." she realized what she was about to admit and shook her head, "never mind I'm just rambling. I'll be out of your way now I'm sorry!" She put the plate down on the side of the bed then tried to get out of the bed only to get dizzy and sink to her knees, she was far from fully rested and trying to make herelf move was harder than she'd ever thought it was. Gripping at the sheets, she tried to calm her pounding heart, her little face was pale as the sheets, she squeezed her eyes shut, where are you Katherine? "I... can't move..." How pathetic is this? Here she was trying to be cool and not be a bother, only to fail and look like an idjit.

⚜⚜⚜

While they were all backing each other up, Michael collected water into his hands, ready to freeze these two royal brothers. He knew they were powerful, maybe even more so than him, but he was aware that sizing up against Aleksei wouldn't fare those two any well. When it came to ranks, Avalon was on top with the higher ups, he two knew that this pureblood could have been king, but he never took reign of that title, for reasons all his own. Instead remaining a prince, with Mina being the pureblood princess. A battle with these two would be quite a show.

"We don't want to have to spill any more blood that has been spilt, there is no need for it, so why can't we handle this in much more civilized manner?" he asked, his tone soft, calm, as if he were talking to an acquaintanve rather than two grand royalists from Italy.

As Dean yelled at her, Isabella's eyes fell shamefully at the ground. She watched his feet, planted firmly on front of her as he spat at her, obviously betrayed. Could he really not see that she was doing this because she cared for him so? She only wanted to keep him safe, keep all her friends from suffering the way that her father had- she wanted to spare them that demise because truthfully she couldn't handle it if something happened to them on her behalf. She placed a hand on his and was about to say something to that effect, but he tore away from her and stomped off on a fury. She watched his retreating form, agonized that her decision had to be this difficult.

Then Veratos added to the fire, speaking of how stupid of a decision she had made, also blind to the fact that she was only trying to protect them all as they had guarded her. She didn't look at the huntress, she remained focused on the floor where Dean had once stood, and only looked up when Aleksei addressed her. He and Mina were the only ones that had remained at her side, willing to fight for her life, as they had promised Isabella's grandmother 17 years ago, and probably before then. Even Selene had gone to join the other hunters, viciously betrayed and defeated. Isabella sighed; Lorenzo placed a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it away, and the two French princes only chuckled cynically.

"You are wise beyond your years, little virgin," Emile crooned. "The most valiant girl I have ever come across, to lay your life down on behalf of your friends. I commend you."

"If I'm to go, it will be on my own terms," Isabella growled, her brows furrowed as she fought back tears. Her entire body was trembling with rage. "If one more drop of innocent blood is spilled, Aleksei will turn me, and then you will no longer have your 'human virgin'. I will go to you when I am ready- you have my word- but until then, you must leave."

Guillaume and Emile exchanged glances, slightly appalled at the girl's sudden courageous outburst. She was unwavering in her fury, and knew that were they to break their word, Aleksei or any other of her vampire friends would have no trouble heeding to her wish to turn. Were it Aleksei having said this, they would have easily called his bluff, knowing full well that he would never touch the girl in such a way, especially concerning her humanity. But the virgin was different; she was defiant and unpredictable. She seemed desperate to keep her friends safe and would be willing to go to any lengths to ensure that they were.

"Very well then," Emile responded. "You have six months. If you fail to appear before our father Napoleon, we will slaughter every last human being in this entire country, and that includes your little hunter friends."

"We will eagerly await your arrival, princess," said Guillaume. "Do not fail us."

And with that, the two princes disappeared into the horizon, only their maniacal cackling resounding in the atmosphere. Lorenzo watched her, a bit stunned at her antics; he had never known her to be so outspoken. The years that he had observed her, he learned of her reserved and gentle nature- nothing like what she had just done. He opened his mouth to say something, but she looked up at him with eyes so filled with hurt and anger that he simply couldn't.

"Get out," she snarled. "You are not welcome here either."

"Isabella, I-"

"GET OUT!"

He said nothing else, simply nodded and excused himself. Things were changing, and doing so quickly. He knew if he upset her in anyway, she would result to impulsive stupidity- namely, turning herself into a bloodsucking heathen- so he left, ignoring the triumphant glares he would most likely be receiving. When he was gone, leaving only Isabella and the Avalons, she began to weep. Overhead, a fierce pang of thunder exploded in the sky. She turned tearfully at the two royal purebloods, the only ones that weren't after her for her blood.

"I don't know what else to do," she answered Mina sadly. "If I don't go, they'll keep coming, keep killing innocent people. I'd rather have all of you hate me and be safe, than die trying to protect me."

She remembered Dean and the intense hurt in his eyes. Her heart was so heavy, probably feeling the way his had, as well as her own despair. Without another second's hesitation, the girl sprinted past the purebloods and out into her lawn, where she could see the hunters in the distance. For a moment, she pondered chasing after him; she knew Vera hated her, and Selene probably shared that feeling. But she wanted to be with Dean above everything else; she wanted to keep him safe and alive. She would run away with him if running away from her problems was part of her nature, but her morality wouldn't allow it.

"Dean!" she called, then started running again. "Dean, wait!"

She shoved past Selene and Veratos until she collided with the hunter. She grabbed a hold of his hand and tried to stop him, gazing directly into his eyes, though she was at a loss for words. What was this she felt inside her frantically beating heart? Could it even be possible to love someone you've only known for two days? Despite this, she couldn't deny that she wanted to be near him at all times, which is why she kept defying him. All she could do was stare at him, burning with a desire to kiss his lips and hold on to him.

"Dean, I... I'm just... I'm just trying to do what's best," she said softly, breaking eye contact.



"Whoa, girl," Julian said, collecting her off the ground and placing her back on the bed. "You aren't bothering- I wouldn't have helped you out if I didn't want to. Just relax. I can take you home if you want."

At the same moment, Lukas and Damian appeared in the threshold, watching the girl apprehensively. When Julian looked at them, they cast their gazes to the ground, as if to show respect. He could see that she was trying to withhold some information from him, and he couldn't help but chuckle as he rose to his feet to open the window and allow for fresh pine scented air into the room. If only she knew what they were, she might not feel as safe as she does now. Afterall, treading in the den of a wolf was dangerous territory.

"What were you doing at the school so early?" Julian asked, determined to get her to admit her secret on her own. He had never met anyone aside from his brothers and the rest of his packmates that were keen to the supernatural. They were forced to live in secrecy; although they attended school as normal boys, they were sure that if the council knew of their existence, they would have his entire family exterminated.

Michael would soon hsake his head, not saying anything to Isabella, he would remain where he stood, through he wanted to follow after Selene, he had a promise to keep, so he remained where he was, only moving if Aleksei were to tell him otherwise. When the girl reacted, strongly to the other purebllod royalits, he frowned when they finally left, cackling as if they'd won. Hmpph, we'll see who really won. Aleksei followed after Isabella when she shot like a rocket after the retreating Dean who was obviously struck with hurt and betrayal at the girl's words. How could she hold so little faith in them? She had yet to learn of Aleksei's past, and how potent he copuld be as a foe. If only she knew.

Pretty soon they were all collecting in the deeper woods, the trees above their heads casting a cool shade for them. Michael relaxed, his icy waters melting away, letting it all fall into the ground to be absorbed into the dry dirt and grass. He moved so that he could stand near Selene, he couldn't help but wan to pull her close to him, but he resorted to simply taking her hand in his, and giving it a little squeeze.

Isabella was after Dean, trying to reach him some how, trying to make him understand what she stood for, but by the looks of it, the hunter would prove difficult to crack, he seemed to have already set himself on his own ground, so very intent on protecting her. This was interesting to watch.

⚜⚜⚜

Lyra was picked up by his strong hands, she felt almost like a child, a toddler in his presence and her cheeks reddened several shades more. When he told her he'd take her home that's when her face lost nearly all its color. Of course he wasn't aware of his situation, but she couldn't possibly stay here. She could tell, from the other boys watching them, that her presense was a bother, she could almost "feel" it on their auras. She averted her gaze to stare sadly at her dress skirt, the only possessions on her. She would run away then, whay would her guardians care? They didin't even know she existed or wold probably ever even become aware if she came or went. But, where would she stay? She couldn't possibly ask Isabella to let her roomie in with her, the girl lived withher papa, and he just might not want her to -no it would be too much for her to ask her. She would just have to get some camping gear, maybe sleep in the woods, it was safe there. Right?

The guy opened the window, and she closed her eyes, willing herself to relax, she enjoyed the sweet smells of nature, she could never get enough of those smells, she loved it all.

Then, as she expected he would, asked her why she was at the school so early. What was with the interrogations? Maybe this was how he wanted to get to know her, by exchanging information. She could pick up strong vibes from him and that was enough to warn her that if he wanted to kill her, he could do it. Instantly. She had to stay on her toes.

"I was there earlier because I like to get away from home, the school is open like that, and have the lunch room's accessible for us early bird students, so we can hang there while waiting for classes." she explained, proud of herself for having remembered that, it wasn't an entire lie, the school really did open early like that, and students did really loiter in the lunch room and stuff. No way he could tell she was lying, she even looked him in the eyes, sure that he woudn't call her bluff. Unless he knew how to read through her poker face and no one could, except Isabella who knew her too well. Then her limped eyes narrowed slightly, suspicious of him, "What were you doing at school so early? Not looking for a girl passed out on the ground and taking her home right? I think the normal thing you should have done was say, call an ambulance - I mean, isn't this abduction?" Her head fell into a slight tilt, she was watching him, the same way they were watching her. She was already screwed anyways, no one would miss her if she died, if he were gonna kill her and rape her might as well do it now. She was entirely defenseless and in no way able to put up a fight in the condition she was in. She wasn't even sure how she was able to keep a convo with this guy she was beginning to wonder about, he was a curious one. What was he now? A vampire? shifter? demon? He could be a damned fairy for all she knew! It felt almost exciting. This was not everyday that a guy just happens to stumble upon her, care enough to bring her into his home as weird as that is, and see to it that she was alright. She was awed by it and touched almost, no guy at school has ever shown this much effort before.

Julian could smell her fear as if she were wearing it like a bad perfume. He exchanged glances with Lukas and Damian, and with a simple look, the two disappeared into the kitchen. Lyra was apprehensive of the situation, and with good reason; she was in a strange house, alone, with boys she had never met before. And now she was beginning to come to terms with the fact that she was utterly helpless to defend herself against them, should they intend to harm her. But his demeanor was soft, showing her that he meant no such thing, and only wished to help her.

"Sure you were," he began before responding to her suspicious inquiring of his purpose at the school. He could smell her lie the instant in left her pretty lips. "Well, I was on my way to football practice with my brothers, but I found you knocked out on the ground..."

He smirked playfully at her. He could almost read her thoughts, wondering why he hadn't decided to take her to a hospital, as any normal human being would have. And perhaps he mistakenly followed his instincts in bringing her to his home instead of a medical center, which could possibly have harmed his human facade. But he couldn't help it- he was a creature of instinct, and he followed wherever his gut led him. He probably should have been more mindful of the consequences, especially concerning a human girl, but for some reason that went out the window when he looked at her. Maybe it was the fact that he could tell she was not an ordinary teenager.

"Abduction?" he chuckled, his nose wrinkling slightly as a wide, wolfish grin spread over his handsome features. "I suppose if you choose to look at it that way, but if you haven't noticed, you aren't shackled or isolated. You can leave if you want... and I didn't take you to the hospital because I figured you wouldn't appreciate a giant bill just to get checked out for fainting."

He observed her closely, noticing the instant that her countenance became sad, and assuming it was because of her home situation. But she was resilient, almost immediately returning their gaze, almost as if she were deflecting them. He liked that- she was spunky, perfectly capable of handling her own, and not just a useless damsel in distress. At that moment, Damian entered the room, but he didn't say a word; Julian turned to acknowledge him, as if he had sensed his approach.

"What is it, brother?" Julian asked.

"Grandfather Wolfgang is asking for you," he replied gravely, his eyes on the ground. "He's waiting in the living room."

"Alright. Give me a second," he then turned to Lyra, switching his gaze from the plate of toast she picked at, then back at her. "Excuse me, Lyra. It was a pleasure to meet you- Damian can show you the way out if you wish, but I do suggest you eat something to regain your strength."

Then he got up, strode past Damian, and disappeared into the hallway until he reached the living room. An old man with braided silver hair sat upon a rocking chair, a long tobacco pipe wedged comfortably between his thin lips. The light skin of his age ridden face was leathery and perplexed, and he did not acknowledge Julian when he entered the room. Instead, a plume of smoke spiraled out of his nostrils as he swayed back and forth on the wooden chair.

"You called for me, grandfather?" Julian asked, already knowing the topic was concerning Lyra.

"The girl," he started, his voice monotonous. "Why have you brought a human into our home, Julian?"

"She was hurt, and she needed my help. I wasn't just going to leave her for someone else to find."

"You above all others know the affairs of humans are not our concern."

"Perhaps, but Lyra is different, grandfather."

There was a moment of silence before the old man averted his cold green eyes to stare directly at the young man. More smoke poured from his nostrils and his now parted lips before he said another word, but Julian stood his ground.

"She stinks of evil spirits," the old man said. "We do not welcome such wickedness into our home."

"That's the thing, grandfather- I believe she was fighting them. She has been weakened immensely. If she had been conjuring them, then she would have been strengthened. She is utterly defenseless, and is no way a threat to us, even if that is what she intended."

"We risk exposure should she decide to tell others."

"She doesn't know what we are. Besides that, she was passed out when I brought her here. She couldn't tell anyone where we were, and I can see to it that she never does."

"Julian, if you are to be alpha, this behavior- interaction with human beings- is not acceptable. You know this, son, so why do you deliberately disobey me?"

Julian cast his gaze to the ground, swallowing a hard lump that had formed in his throne. How could he show his grandfather that Lyra was innocent? He had just met the girl, but every instinct in his body was telling him he could trust her. He sighed, looking over his shoulder down the corridor at the room she was in, then turned back to face the man.

"I will take her home, grandfather."



Selene watched the two star crossed lovers argue and bicker at each other as if they were a married couple. Her aquamarine eyes flashed at the mention of a plan- this made her apprehensive. Isabella was a human, albeit a very special one, but she had no knowledge of the world that was unfurling around her. How could she devise an effective strategy without first knowing her enemy? Selene could hardly trust her now after the stunt she had just pulled with the royals, but when Michael squeezed her hand reassuringly, she decided that it was the only choice she had. The girl would do whatever she pleased; there was nothing anyone could counteract that would stop her.

"She's going to get herself killed," Selene growled. "How can we trust her?"

Isabella eluded Dean's inquiring gaze. She knew he wanted her to tell him, but she also knew that her plan would upset him even further. If she told him everything, he might even try and stop her- in fact, she knew that he would, and then everything would be ruined. Thankfully, though, he allowed her some time to collect her things and the revelation of her plan would have to be postponed. Before she went inside, she gripped his hand, pulling him toward her so that she could reach his cheek on her tiptoes and plant an affectionate kiss there.

"Thank you," she said, before turning to inspect her destroyed home.

Her emotions began to spin wildly inside of her. She tried her best to ignore the agony that was crushing her heart in its grasp as she entered through the threshold and came across the corpse of her father. She didn't look at it- she strode directly into her room, which had also been torn apart, probably because the vampires were searching for her. She grabbed the large floral travel bag that her father had given her as a gift once, placing some clothes, her grandmother's journal and a few pieces of the antique jewelry she had left her in it. Then she took the photograph that her father had in his hand, tucked it away in her pocket, knelt down to kiss him goodbye, and lit a match.

"I'll see you again one day, papa," she whispered, before tossing the match into the house and turning away as her living room was set ablaze. She stopped beside Dean, though she did not face him. "We have six months."

Then she started toward the road, not waiting for Dean or anyone else to follow.