PREFACE

As soon as I stepped out of the water, I knew something was off. There was a strange smell in the air – nothing human, nothing natural. It almost smelled like... a vampire. A few steps closer, and I was certain – it was a vampire I was smelling. I walked a little closer to the house, and froze, as shivers ran down my spine like icy lightening.

The back door to my house was open – broken. The wind gently blew the upstairs screen door open and shut, as random papers fluttered across the sandy yard below. I had seen this picture before; this type of scene was all too familiar to someone in the assassin business.

Someone was looking for me.

1. PERSPECTIVE

- - - CORALINE GRAY - - -

This wasn't supposed to happen. My heart had stopped beating years ago, turning to stone with the rest of me - immortal, indestructible. I remember the searing pain of the transformation, surging through my veins like fire. I remember the darkness, the heaviness, the indescribable agony of my heart's last beat. That was supposed to be the end - a heart isn't supposed to feel if it's dead. And yet, in the wake of one disastrous day, I was drowning in an ocean of feelings.

I had been through loss like this before – I was no stranger to heartache, to losing the ones near to me. Time after time, I picked up the pieces of my broken heart, stitching it back together in increasingly complicated emotional surgeries. I had been able to heal before, but this was different. The pillars of my world had been kicked over, shattering my crippled heart into a million pieces.
There was nothing left to repair. I had nothing.
It was the final blow, the mortal wound. It was the end of whatever life remained in my granite shell. I rested my head against the heavily tinted glass of the back seat window, staring blankly at the passing terrain as the automobile carried me over the Alps to my new home. The luxurious passenger car was more like a hearse today, transporting lifeless bodies to their final resting place. I looked over at my sister, huddled in a ball, speechless, before returning my gaze to the snow-capped mountains outside. Harriet's pain was even greater than mine, if such a thing were possible. My eyes unfocused as my mind began to wander, replaying the last twenty-four hours like a torturous film roll.
How did this happen? How did things go so wrong?

I remember the breaking point. It all happened so fast – one second I was hand in hand with my life's great love, the next I was spinning wildly, knocked out of orbit by forces beyond my control.

I lost him.

I could still feel the heat of those last three words, searing an indelible mark on my heart and mind like a tattoo. Painful. Permanent. Beautiful.

"I love you."

He wasn't the first one to tell me that. He was the first one that meant it. Even now, the sentiment makes me weak in the knees and bold enough to scale mountains, perfectly accepted and woefully insecure, giddy enough to sing and sad enough to cry. Are those the last words I'll ever hear him say? The words I couldn't bring myself to respond to... the words I couldn't bring myself to say to him... Despite all my doubting, all my misconceptions, fate proved me wrong. There actually was a man who knew me in my weakness, who saw behind the curtain, all the best and the worst of me, and he loved me. No expectations, no angles, no strings attached. He loved me for me.

And I lost him.

It all happened so fast – the blur of bodies came soaring overhead, rumbling like thunder. The Greeks and Icelanders didn't even care about us – all they really wanted was to kill each other. We just had the misfortune of being caught in the middle.

We were trying to run away when something – someone – hit me, taking me to the ground with them. Grant was there for me, just as he had been for the last fourteen months. Faithful to a fault. He pulled the attacker off, but there were just too many others around. Some other confused vampire started attacking me – he was a lot stronger than I was. I took a defensive approach, just trying to keep my limbs attached and get out of the middle of this pointless feud.

The fighting took me in the wrong direction, and I lost sight of Grant as he struggled with his own misguided attacker. Normally, my lack of size and experience should have guaranteed my huge Greek opponent an easy victory, but not this time. I had so much to live for – dying was not an option. I fended off attack after attack, looking out for Grant with every spare moment. There was no hope of locating him – it was mass chaos.

I finally took things into my own hands and lashed out at the lumbering vampire battling me. He was no match for my fury. My teeth laid stripes across his body like a cat of nine tails, and once he was weak and off-guard, I went in for the kill, snapping his neck with a scream I had no idea I was capable of. No one was keeping me from Grant today. No one.

At least that's what I thought.

With my opponent crippled and incapacitated, I started looking frantically for my one love, praying to any "higher power" that might be listening to keep him alive. I scanned the grappling bodies with more fear than hope, as the weight of uncertainty grew heavier in the pit of my stomach. And finally, thanks to whoever listened to my blanket prayer, I saw him, searching for me on the other side of the battlefield. Our eyes met for one beautiful split-second, sending relief shooting through my body like a bolt of lightning.

He was alive.

No sooner had I seen him than he looked away, his eyes drawing mine with them. There, coming swiftly over the ridge, was our salvation. Philippe was here with all his soldiers. And Harriet. I began to make my way through the flaming tents and bodies of the camp toward the rescuers, certain I would meet up with my man and escape this hellish scene with my family intact. And to think... it was that close to happening.

All six of Philippe's robed guards swept over the battlefield like a swarm of locusts, annihilating everything in their path as I ran faster and faster toward safety. The vampire assassins ran right by me – Philippe must have told them to leave me out of this. I felt a hint of relief as they passed me. As long as Philippe was in charge, I would be safe.

As soon as I cleared the camp, I ran straight for Harriet, who was scanning the war scene intently, looking for Wesley. Before I could reach the top of the ridge, Philippe stepped down to stop me, grabbing my shoulder firmly and speaking in a low-but-urgent tone.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. It's alright."

He turned to look over his shoulder as a familiar black Bentley came to a screeching halt just thirty feet from us.

"Get in the car, Coraline." He seemed very intense...and worried.

"What? Why?"

"I don't have time to explain," he retorted in frustration, "just get in. Now!" He snapped his fingers, and two more large robed figures emerged from the car and grabbed me, one on each side.
"Wait, there's still... Philippe! There are still people in there..." I tried to get his attention, but he was caught up with something in the distance to the south.

"Philippe! Listen, there's somebody else in there that -"

He was completely ignoring me. He turned to the two vampires holding me, his face even more concerned.

"Get them out of here now."

The brutes obeyed, dragging me forcefully into the back seat of the car with Harriet and slamming the door shut. The car peeled out as it started racing up the hill, taking us back to the north. Panic set in as I realized what was happening. They're taking us away... Grant! We can't leave him! Philippe doesn't know he's on our side...

"Hey! You have to stop the car and go back there. There's someone else we need to save." I shouted my orders to the driver as we continued to climb the gentle slope, weaving through the uneven terrain.

"I can't do that, Ms. Gray. I have direct orders to-"

"I don't care what your orders are. Take me back there now!"

He wasn't listening. Why is everyone ignoring me all of a sudden? Since diplomacy wasn't working, I decided to take a more direct approach. I reached for the door handle and swung the back door open, narrowly escaping the driver's grasp as I jumped out of the speeding vehicle. As soon I hit the ground, I started running back to the scene, desperate to get to Philippe before his little army ripped Grant apart with the rest of the "troublemakers." I cleared the ridge in a flash, bringing the flaming valley back into view.

There were three other robed figures in the picture now, a tall one in front and two shorter ones behind. Philippe was arguing with the taller one, who looked up to see me as I raced back to the battlefield. I came within twenty feet of them before the thugs from the car caught up with me, yanking me back. Philippe's face was incredulous. I struggled violently, biting the arm of one of the guards as I shouted at the top of my lungs.

"Stop! My friend is still in there! You have to stop..."

The tall vampire near Philippe rolled his eyes, turning his head slightly to address one of the shorter ones behind him.

"Alec..." he said with a hint of frustration. The one on his left stepped forward, and suddenly everything went black. I couldn't see or feel anything, I could only hear warbled sounds, murmurs, disjointed dialogues, coming and going.

"...Jean-Marc expressed concerns..."

"...I'm well capable... everything was under control..."

"...the three were very clear. Eliminate all..."

Eliminate all? Oh, no! Are they talking about... what about Grant? I struggled to come back to consciousness, trying to get someone's attention – anyone's attention.

Nothing came out.

It was like that nightmare where you try to scream, but your mouth won't work. After a moment of trying, I felt something heavy come over me, and the voices faded until there was nothing at all, only darkness.

My consciousness floated in the fog, unaware of anything but the passage of time. Whatever was happening to me, it was powerful. After some indeterminate amount of time, I began to hear the warbled voices again. There was some kind of commotion, several people talking at once. I struggled to make sense of anything, eventually honing in on Philippe's voice. He was arguing with someone else – a soft, low-pitched voice with a thick African accent. Mbete?

"...what do you mean, 'got away?'" Philippe was irate.

"A thousand apologies, captain," the African answered calmly, "he hid himself among the humans – his scent was well-covered. We cannot look for him there. However, all the others have been terminated."

"Are you certain there were no other mistakes?"

"Yes sir, the Frenchmen have assured me that all the other targets have been executed. This male was the only one to escape."

Executed? Oh, God! Grant, Wesley! Oh, please, no...

"Well, we'll just have to find this rogue. Did you recognize him? Was he a Greek or an Icelander?"

"I assumed him to be with the Greeks, since he was being pursued by Matthias Michelson. I did not recognize him, though, so I cannot be sure."

"Did you get a good look at him?"

"Good enough to find him again, sir."

"Sketch his face for me. Quickly."

The voices faded out again, though my hearing seemed to be intact. Someone was moving me. A different set of voices began talking as things got clearer in my head. Am I waking up?

"...Philippe thinks she knows something. Do you have the sketch?"

"...right here."

"Good. Alec, bring her out slowly. We need to keep her calm this time."

I gradually felt my senses returning to me – first smell, then sight, then touch. I looked around me rapidly, trying to understand what was going on.

I was inside a building I didn't recognize. It looked like a bedroom. There were three robed figures in the room with me – all males. One of them was sitting in a chair next to me. I realized I was laying down, and sat up slowly, moving to the edge of the small bed underneath me. The one in the chair spoke calmly as the other two moved forward slightly, ready to restrain me if I started to cause trouble again.

"Hello, Coraline, my name is Demetri. I'm sorry about the... unusual treatment you've been receiving – it's been a very complicated day. I'd like to ask you a few questions."

**Be very careful, Coraline. Don't tell him what he's looking for**

The voice in my head wasn't mine. I didn't know where it was coming from...

"Coraline? Can you hear me? I need to ask you a few questions..."

I stopped listening for the mysterious voice and shifted my attention to Demetri. "Sorry, I'm listening. What do you need to know?"

"As you may know, the Volturi sent me here to help Philippe put down this feud before it spiraled out of control. My official orders were to eliminate all of the vampires involved, including you and your sister. Philippe explained that you two weren't involved, so you're safe for the time being, but there was one combatant that got away. I was hoping you could help me identify him."

**Guard your expression. Be very careful**

"Okay. I'll do what I can..."

"While you were resisting earlier, you were saying something about someone else being caught up in the fight, someone that didn't belong there. You said his name over and over – 'Grant.'"

He handed me a slip of paper with a face sketched on it. It was Grant. "This is a drawing of the vampire that escaped. Do you recognize him? Is this your friend, Grant?"

I tried to suppress the flood of emotions that swept over me. Grant was alive.

Wesley was dead.

The forces were so strong, I thought they would rip me in two. I wanted to laugh and cry and sing and wail, but I couldn't do anything. I had to keep calm. I pushed the thoughts and emotions back, as I had done so many times before, and tried to think rationally. There was something off about this whole questioning – something about Demetri was raising red flags in my mind, and I needed to figure out why. I peered into him for a moment, trying to decide whether or not to trust the voice in my head. He was asking this out of duty, simply to follow orders. He was... he was trying to get information about Grant. He needed something to go on so he could track him down... and kill him. Oh, God, they want to kill him! Be calm, Coraline. Don't give it away. I put on my best poker face, and responded plainly.

"No, that's not him. This is one of the Greeks. My friend must be dead..."

"Alright, well, that makes my job a little easier. Thank you."

Whew. He bought it.

"I have to go take care of a few other things. This is Edgar," Demetri said, as one of the vampires behind him stepped forward and uncovered his head, "He's going to take you and your sister back to Volterra."

"Volterra? What? Why?"

"For questioning. Technically, you're still supposed to be terminated. Philippe is making a case for your exemption, but the three would like to question you in person."

Great. Could this day get any worse?

If there was one place I didn't want to go, it was Volterra. Demetri and the other vampire left the room as Edgar took my hand and helped me to my feet.

"We're going to need to leave soon, Ms. Gray. Harriet is already waiting for you in the car."

**Your friend is in real danger. Is there any way for us to warn him? Don't reply, just nod**

I looked at the large man and nodded my head slowly. So he was the mysterious voice... He handed me a piece of paper and a pen.

**Write down what we can do to help. Make it quick**

I scratched quickly on the paper and handed it to him.

Leave him a note.

He read it and then swallowed it.

**We need to move soon if we're going to get anything done. Philippe is becoming very impatient... I have a plan. Follow me, and speak as little as possible**

He led me out of the bedroom into a small living room where several robed vampires were discussing things.

"Excuse me, sir," he spoke to Demetri, who was questioning another one of the robed vampires, "Ms. Gray would like to pick up a few items of... sentimental value from her home before we take her to Volterra. She's very insistent. May I take her to get them quickly?"

"Fine, whatever you need to do," Demetri replied, his attention still on the vampire he had been questioning. "Make it quick, though."

Edgar and I stepped outside the house, which was on the outskirts of Malmedy, and began heading southwest. It was immensely cloudy – so much so that it seemed like the sun had disappeared completely. A tiny sliver of emotion crept through my defenses, nearly crippling me. Poor Harriet! No wonder it's so bleak-looking outside. I can't even imagine the grief she's feeling. To lose Wesley... she must be crushed. Oh, poor Harriet! I snapped to my senses after a brief moment, pushing the thoughts back into the periphery of my mind. You can't think about that right now, Coraline. Stay on task. The cloud cover actually came in handy, allowing us to move safely through town and into the forest on the other side. Edgar handed me a pad of paper and the pen I had used earlier.

"Whatever you do, Coraline, you need to do it quickly."

I scribbled a note onto the pad as we ran through the frozen woods to the rendezvous point, dropping it at the foot of the tree as I passed by. I had no way to know if Grant would even try to come back there, much less, if he would find it. At the time, though, it was the only play I had.

We hurried back to Malmedy, and Edgar ushered me into the back seat of the black Bentley once again. Harriet was inside, staring blankly at the seat-back in front of her. I wanted to say something to her, but I couldn't think of anything to say that would help at all, so I joined her in silence as the door shut and the motor roared to life.

There was no comfort to be had.

We were both alone – we had both lost our men, and we were heading to the worst place in the world to stand on trial for our lives. I sat back in the seat and closed my eyes, letting the suppressed emotions of the last few hours catch up to me.

And my heart began to break.