Chapter 2

Lucy's POV Lightning split the sky as I stumbled through the rain-slicked streets, each flash feeling like needles in my too-sensitive eyes. Everything was overwhelming – the sound of raindrops hitting the pavement like gunshots, the smell of wet asphalt mixed with a thousand other scents I couldn't name, and the burning in my throat that wouldn't go away. My soaked birthday dress clung to my skin, but I barely felt the cold. Instead, I felt... everything else. The pulse of the city itself seemed to throb through me. And worse – much worse – I could hear heartbeats from the houses I passed, each one calling to something dark and hungry inside me. "Focus," I whispered to myself, pressing my back against a brick wall. "Think about Avery. Only Avery." But thinking about my daughter brought fresh waves of pain. I could still hear her final scream, see her terrified face as those creatures – other vampires, I realized with horror – carried her away. And Mark... My own husband had looked at me like I was a monster. Maybe I was. I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a store window and froze. My eyes... they weren't mine anymore. The warm brown I'd inherited from my mother had been replaced by an unnatural crimson, glowing faintly in the darkness. "Oh God," I choked out, touching the glass. "This can't be real." "But it is real, my dear," a smooth voice said behind me. "All too real." I spun around, moving faster than I ever had before – so fast the world seemed to blur around me. The motion should have made me dizzy, but my new reflexes kept me perfectly balanced. That's when I saw him. A tall man stood there, completely unfazed by the rain, like a statue carved from living marble. He wore an impeccable black suit that seemed to absorb the darkness around him, the fabric so fine it almost shimmered. Despite the downpour that had soaked me to the bone, not a single drop seemed to touch him. An invisible barrier appeared to exist between him and the elements as if nature itself knew better than to disturb his perfect composure. His features were aristocratic – high cheekbones, a strong jaw, and skin so pale it seemed to glow in the darkness. Silver streaked his temples, but instead of aging him, it lent him an air of timeless authority. A heavy ring glinted on his right hand, bearing some sort of crest I couldn't quite make out. But it was his eyes that held me frozen in place. They were the same impossible red as my new ones, but where mine were wild and frightened, his contained centuries of knowledge and power. They seemed to glow from within, like embers in a dying fire, and as they studied me, I felt stripped bare – as if he could see every fear, every confusion, every desperate hope I held inside. He carried himself with the quiet confidence of a predator who had never known defeat, and though he hadn't moved a muscle, everything in my new vampire instincts screamed that he was the most dangerous being I'd ever encountered. "Stay back," I warned, though I had no idea how to defend myself. He smiled, showing perfect white teeth. "My name is Rico Constantine. And you, my dear, are newly turned and completely alone. A dangerous combination." "I don't need your help," I said, but my voice shook. "I need to find my daughter." "Ah yes, the child." He took a step closer, and I pressed myself against the window. "Taken by Xena's coven, I assume? The red-eyed ones who attacked you?" I stared at him. "You know them?" "I know many things." He extended his hand. "And I can help you, Lucy Henna. But first, we need to get you somewhere safe. That thirst you're feeling? It's only going to get worse." As if on cue, a couple walked past on the other side of the street. Their heartbeats thundered in my ears, and I felt my new fangs extend involuntarily. I clamped a hand over my mouth, horrified. "See?" Rico's voice was gentle now. "You need guidance. Control. Without it, you'll become exactly what your husband fears – a monster." "How do you know about Mark?" "I've been watching. I watch all the newly turned in my territory." He stepped closer, his red eyes intense. "I can shelter you, teach you to control these new... urges. And perhaps, together, we can find your daughter." A car drove by, its headlights illuminating Rico's face. His expression was almost fatherly, but it also suggested something else—a deep sadness or perhaps loneliness. "Why would you help me?" I asked, trying to ignore the burning in my throat. "Because, my dear, I know what it's like to lose everything to Xena's coven." His expression darkened. "They took someone from me as well. My wife." Thunder rolled overhead as I considered his words. What choice did I really have? I couldn't go home. I couldn't go anywhere without risking hurting someone. And if this man knew about the vampires who took Avery... "If I go with you," I said carefully, "you'll help me find my daughter?" "You have my word." He extended his hand again. "And I'll teach you everything you need to know about what you've become." I looked at his offered hand, then back at my reflection in the window. The woman—the vampire—staring back at me was a stranger. But somewhere inside her was still a mother, and that mother would do anything to get her child back. I took his hand. Rico's smile widened. "Excellent choice, my dear. My car is just around the corner. And Lucy?" "Yes?" "Happy birthday." I almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. Instead, I felt tears sliding down my cheeks, mixing with the rain. "Will I ever be normal again?" "No," he said simply, leading me toward a sleek black car. "But you will be extraordinary. And more importantly, you will be strong enough to protect what matters most." As I slid into the leather seat, I caught one last glimpse of my reflection in the car window. Red eyes stared back, full of fear and determination. "Hang on, Avery," I whispered. "Mommy's coming." The car pulled away from the curb, carrying me toward whatever this new life had in store. Behind us, lightning flashed once more, illuminating the rain-soaked streets where my old life had ended and something darker – something powerful – had begun. I just prayed it would be enough to save my little girl.