The Children Of The Night (Book 1, The Bloodline Chronicles)

1. Metamorphosis

Kassan

1999, Canada

He observed the woman from afar—cloaked in darkness and nestled in a tall pine tree, a heavy decision weighing on his conscience. His target looked just as delectable as the day he had first sensed her, walking down a street just short of St. Michaels Cathedral. Now she stood with a female companion at an abandoned graveyard, leaning against a large mausoleum.

"Do you think you'll come with me to Jackson's party?" asked the friend from beside her, braiding a piece of her own hair.

"You know I can't."

"Is your grandpa really gonna hold you hostage forever?"

"It's not like that."

"Then what's it like?" Her companion asked, undoing the braid with fast fingers. "At this point I'm wondering if you're just using him as an excuse to ditch... I'm just saying, this is college. We're going to have to have a little fun."

Her dark shapely eyebrow raised quizzically. "Really?"

When her companion didn't say anything and gave her a pointed look, she pushed off the mausoleum and walked away. Her companion sighed and pushed off the wall to hurry after her.

"Come on, Camilla. You know I didn't mean anything bad by it."

He caught the name. Italian. It rolled off the tongue with ease. He liked it. It was a solid name for a fledgling. Her guardian had named her well.

"No, you're just insensitive to my position." She smiled beautifully, but it did not reach her eyes. A false smile. "I'm all he has. If something bad were to happen to me, he wouldn't know what to do. You know him, I don't get why you'd imply he's keeping me from having a fun college experience."

"You have to know I didn't mean it that way. I mean, what's so bad about a college party?" There was a pause but they kept walking around the tombstones. "Alright, fine, I'm sorry. You can stay home and work on the reading. Happy?"

"Ecstatic. Thanks."

"Great, now let's get out of here. I have a weird feeling—like we're being watched."

"Emma," Camilla started, then her voice went down an octave as she whispered, "There's nobody here but the Dead."

"You just had to say it like that!"

Camilla scoffed over a laugh.

"Still, let's go."

"Fine." She conceded, walking away until her companion—Emma—followed. "Anyway, it was your idea to come."

"Yeah, yeah. Why do we listen to my ideas again?" Emma asked, slipping through the gated entryway, Camilla following after.

"I'll get back to you on that."

"Har har."

Camilla let out a laugh. It was music to his ears. A mezzo-soprano.

A raven cawed above them, gliding over before landing on a perched branch beside his cloaked figure. Its dark eyes stared straight into his. Camilla looked up in their direction, but could see it no longer in the shadows. For a moment, he thought her eyes connected with his. With a cautious look, she continued on with her companion and traveled in the opposite direction.

From far away in the trees, Master Kassan stood on a sturdy branch, leaning against its large trunk. After much consideration, he made her decision.

The verdict was set in stone. This girl would be his new fledgling at the dawn of the millennium.