Alera sprinted down the street. Her hair whipped behind her as she flew by the closed stores.
Five vampires.
How had she, a vampire herself, just seen five vampires murdered right before her eyes?
Yes, she supposed they could have been Newborns, but still five vampires? She thought back to how the vampires moved, how they fought. No, they couldn't be Newborns. Whoever had killed them had murdered them with a certain goal in mind, a driving force. Perhaps it was an Ancient. Alera felt chills go down her back. Everyone knew the Ancients were powerful but they never unmasked their power in public, it was always hidden.
Alera stopped. The Ancients. She recalled the last time she was with an Ancient. He was fearless, respectable, rich, powerful, and yet he was a psychopath.
He had tried to enslave her, to bind her to him. Alera remembered the black prison, the chains that bore into her skin leaving bruises on her arms and legs for weeks after. She remembered that dark, handsome face that came to her every night.
She lived like that for ten years.
Ten years she suffered under his tormenting until she finally escaped.
Alera had run away during the day. The guards were on a break and since Alera had serviced the Ancient, Laocles, that night they thought she was too weak to even move. Alera felt a smirk sneak its way onto her face. They had completely underestimated her. With Laocles out of the country Alera knew she had to take this opportunity to escape. She yearned for the dark night to liberate her, the wind brush past her skin, her feet skimming the ground as she ran. She hated the prison, she despised it.
When Laocles had heard of her escape he sent not one, not two, not even one-hundred men after her but nearly three hundred men after her. Once heard the news Alera knew she had was in the deepest pit of her life. The fact still astounded her. She wondered how she ever got away. Ah, then she remembered. Laocles had been killed by another Ancient, Alexander who felt that Laocles was becoming too involved in the human world. Although no one knew at the time why Laocles had sent so many men, Alexander could guess. After all, Alexander had been around for nearly three thousand years, and he had known Laocles for a very long time.
Alera loved the night. She was a creature of the night. She felt free and - what was that? She suddenly smelt a sweet aroma just behind her.
She heard a gun cock.
"Hand's up," a voice said.
Alera tried to play meek.
"I know what you are creature."
Alera listened to the voice. It was deep and extremely melodious. She relaxed. There was no human that could possess that kind of voice.
"Don't try to pretend that I can't smell you too, the gun is unnecessary."
"You are an Elder, no doubt you can take me on," the voice replied.
Alera turned around. The vampire that was holding the gun was―. Alera laughed.
The Newborn's face remained unchanging.
Alera continued laughing.
"You know," she said after she finished laughing, "Have you even thought about how you look? A vampire with a gun? Now come on, that's like Captain America with a sword!"
"I don't care what you say, I'm keeping it here."
Alera sighed. Then in less than a second the gun was gone, unloaded and broken in half.
