Chapter 1

The nights were surprisingly quiet these days in the city that never slept. Of course the beating heart of the city Time Square was always bright with light and life, even deep into the night. It is one of the few places that our kind can go and feel light upon our skin without worrying of the fiery burn of the daylight hours.

Now I myself wasn't always one of these phantoms of the night, but a simple kiss forever changed this for me.

A taxi zooms past, the light on top glowing and a young man in the back. I was hungry and knew I needed to get to the morgue for a little bit of my food. The young man who had looked intoxicated from the flash I saw of him in the taxi, would have been an easy meal.

Walking quickly down the sidewalk slick from a quick rain, I see the building I had been looking for and hoped no others of my kind had already glamoured the poor doctor out of all the blood from his work that night. Taking the steps down, I'm assaulted by the stench of death and decay. Fresh blood was always nice, but since my birth as this loathsome creature I had vowed never to touch another human for food; even if at times I had had to compromise in dire situations. The door opens with ease and I know at least one phantom had been there. The slight traces of pheremones touching my nose.

The cold air burned off the smell of decay slightly, though not enough for my sensitive nose.

'Doc?' I call out and hear a man voice call out, 'At my desk.'

Stuffing my hands in my pockets to keep Doctor Fallon from seeing them shake, I come though a door into his cramped office. He was busy writing a report and says without looking up, ' You know you vampires are starting to get really old.'

Frowning, I stare at the back of his head until he turns around with a dramatic sigh and looks up at me. Dr. David Fallon looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes, and greasy hair. He smiles and says, 'Awe Nina, nice to see you. Looking beautiful as always.'

'David.'

The silence was strained and I knew from the sudden jump in his heartbeat he didn't have any blood on hand. Sighing, I give him a small smile and say, 'No blood tonight?'

'Sorry, some C rank came in and took it all. Put me to sleep. I have two others expecting blood tonight and don't look forward to what might happen to me tonight.'

Frowning, I ask with a tilt of my head, 'Should I stay here and make sure they don't try to eat you.'

David chuckles and says softly, 'You are too good for me Nina, I don't know any who would do something to help a human.'

'I'm not average, and I must assume that is a no.'

He nods and says quickly, 'I don't know which Clan you are from, if any, and I don't want a battle in my work spaces.'

My throat constricted a little in my desperate thirst and my stomach clinched. It has been three weeks without a taste of my food source and human food was starting to taste like ash in my mouth. Unlike depictions in movies, we

vampires can eat human food, but it isn't nourishing to us. It fills our bellies so we will not have a growling stomach through the night and day.

Nodding, I thank him and ask if I can return in two days time. He affirms and I leave as quietly as I had come.

A light drizzle starts to come down, and I pull my collar of my Chanel coat up a bit closer. I needed a drink to warm my aching belly and a very nice night club wasn't far from here.

What David had said bothered me. There are four ranks of vampires or phantoms as I have called myself for years.

C rank is the lowest on the scale of vampires, having been bitten and having no real skill. They are vampires in name only, usually only full of hunger and having the power to glamour and expel pheremones.

B rank is the next tier up and have a few skill. Usually they are either bitten and given blood by their makers to an extent that they can exhibit skills that other C ranks cannot, such as morphing into animals or fly, or are born from a bitten and an A rank vampire. B rank are usually servants or guards for the A ranks.

That brings me to A rank vampires, they are strong and usually born by two A rank born vampires or rarely a Pureblood and an A rank. They are strong and can be fearsome, putting the fear of god into those lower in rank than their own.

Then there is the highest tier of the vampire world. The Pureblood, terrifyingly strong, like X-Men and all comic book heros rolled into one; who do not care but for their own. Pureblood are born from Purebloods. Though a young Pureblood hadn't been born in centuries if my sources are right.

As for myself, I wasn't ever truly bitten in the sense of the word. I was kissed by a vampire, but never bitten or given his blood. So I could be a C rank vampire. But my abilities at times are those of an A or B rank.

As for a Clan. There are many. But only five great houses, and all clans came under one or the other of these five. These five are, the Dracul, the Won, the Romane, the Zula, and finally the Elrics. Each of these great houses maintained the continents and kept mankind from knowing of our existence.

For me though, I am alone. I have no clan. It would have been too complicated. Clans want to know history, and I have none. All my knowledge of what I am and the vampire world was that I had learned from other vampire. I could pretend to be from one or another clan just to glean what I needed to live.

The deep thump of base pulled me from my thoughts. Looking up, I see the club and the line. The bouncers looked at me with the bored uninterested look of the well assured in their power. Finally the one to the right says, 'Get in line if ya want in or move on.'

His words were harsh and graveled. I look up at him with a small smile and says softly, ' I think not.'

I let a little bit of my power float out of me and saw sweat pop out on his forehead. He shivers and mumbles as he unclips the velvet rope, 'Sorry ma'am, didn't realize.'

There are humans that know of us, but know not to speak of us. As I walk past the line a drunk man in line calls out, 'Why does that brat get in and we don't.'

The bouncer growls out some obsaneties and the drunk stumbles off white as a sheet. I move into the warm interior. The beat slamming into my body as I walk through the masses of writhing bodies. Their blood pumping through them and singing to my hunger. It probably wasn't the best idea to come here. But I needed a drink to quiet the hunger and to get out of my apartment.

Finally, I make it up to the crowded bar and call out for a strong T-n-T with extra lime. I turn my face to the dancing and instantly mark those who are phantoms like me. Most I knew would leave with their prey that night. This was the places my kind hunted now, or even the streets if their hunger is great enough. One young one glanced his mouth along a young woman's neck and I saw a drop of blood on her neck. She didn't react and I knew he had glamoured her and numbed her of any possible pain.

My drink was delivered and I pay, turning from the hunting vampire, hand shaking. I gulp down my drink when I feel the hair on the back of my neck raise and my eyes widen. My eyes jerk up to the mirror behind the bar and watch as a Pureblood walks in. It wasn't just any Pureblood. It was the one who made me. I felt my body start to vibrate and my breathing come in in a panic. I hadn't seen him since that day so many many years ago.

His eyes turned to the bar and I look down at the bartender asking for a whiskey ditch, double. He nods but I can tell he's jerky. Humans in the presence of a Pureblood knew instinctually they were in danger. I turn and look at the dancing bodies and see that all the phantoms I had marked had disappeared. They must have been C or B ranks.

That's when I feel the presence of the Pureblood coming towards me. The bartender hands me my whiskey and I gulp it down in two quick swallows. My shakiness was better from the drinks, but my insides screamed at me the danger that came closer.

That's when I smelled the scent of his cologne and felt myself calm. The deep baritone of his voice was like a warm cashmere blanket wrapping around me, 'Excuse me.'

Taking a steadying breath, I look back at the Pureblood. Purebloods were so different than other vampires. They were like wolves in angel suits. Their eyes are shape and hyper focused; while their bodies and faces were godlike and he was no different. His eyes were a shattered cathedral glass blue and his hair a wave of black. The chiseled jaw and high cheekbones only made him more beautiful to look at. I say quietly, 'My apologies.'

I step to the side to give him room at the bar but he shakes his head and says with a crook of a smile on his lips, 'I'm surprised you stayed.'

'Why?'

It was stupid to ask but it came out without thought and he chuckles, 'Most, if not all, vampires can't stand in my presence but you... You can. And a British accent, how unusual here in the Zula territory.'

'I could say the same to you. Your accent is that of the Dracul territory in the Russia's.'

He chuckles, then looks to the bartender and says, 'Two White Russians for the lady and myself,' he turns to me and continues, 'You will join me of course.'

It wasn't a question. No vampire refused a Dracul Pureblood. I nod as he takes my hand, places it on his arm, and moves to an occupied VIP seating area. The thugs that look at us snort and call us names. But this Pureblood, I knew from my human life, growls and these petty lairsons move faster than greased lightning. Even I wanted to run from that animalistic growl. But I simply sit and he asks, 'You must be from the Victoria age.'

My heart jerks in fear. He hadn't recognized me yet and I could imagine he wouldn't. Ancient Purebloods rarely remembered those they turned. I nod slowly and say, trying to keep my voice from shaking, 'Yes, how could you tell?'

'You walk like a duchess, and speak clearly. The way you sit is a dead giveaway. With your regale way, I'd say early 18 hundreds.'

A flash of a smile comes and his eyes seem to sharpen. My body was stiff with anxiety as the bartender delivered our drinks. I sip at mine as he places his on the small table. Every fiber of my being told me to run. Purebloods are powerful and are known for cannibalizing their own kind. It was terrifying to think that way as I looked out at the throbbing mass of sweating bodies.

'Are you hunting tonight?'

My senses hadn't left him and I could tell he was keen on knowing me, watching my movements. I turn to him, finish my drink and say softly, 'No, I simply came for a drink. Thank you, but I believe it would be best if I...'

My words were choked off by his suddenly sharpening eyes. His power leaked from him and several humans around us dropped unconscious. His eyes weren't on me and I turn my eyes to the source. I wanted to slink away at seeing the Pureblood and his wife coming into the club. They were Royals', leaders of the Elrics clan. This wasn't good. Dracul and Elrics were at war and here I was. Humans started to drop from the sheer pressure of power coming from these three Purebloods and I knew I had to escape.

Standing shakily, I start to walk away, when the Dracul Pureblood grabs my arm, and asks in a voice that sounded as if it had come from the darkest corner of the Earth, 'Please stay.'

It was a command that I couldn't follow. My eyes turn to his, his sharp and terrifyingly beautiful. Without hesitation I wrench away and bolt towards the clubs back exit. It seemed that with my bolt, the club exploded as the Elrics royal cried out and the humans screamed.

I slam through the back exit and gulp air as the cries of death followed me. The pheremones of the Dracul Pureblood still lingered around me. They were comforting and familiar, but I knew deadly from experience. Slamming the door behind me, I run as terror filling my heart.

Tomorrow's news would be interesting if the humans survived the night of the Purebloods.