01 | forever, twilight

01 | PASSING THROUGH

IT WAS A MYSTERY, how Sirena Kafatos managed to remain so untouched by the darkness of the world, after existing for five centuries. Her personality was just as light and joyful as it was when she'd been just an ordinary human. It was quite beautiful, and stunning that she'd somehow stayed that way. Perhaps it was because her sisters, Deliana and Evangelia, had kept her protected, shielded her from as much of the evil in the world as they possibly could.

Despite being the oldest sister of the trio, Sirena—even in humanity—had never truly been the oldest; Deliana was the oldest in every sense of the word besides the literal definition. Sirena's bubbly personality and overt kindness were a magnificent thing to experience; everyone who met her loved her instantly. But it came with its flaws just as much as it came with its beauty.

Sirena was very kind, so much so that it made her too trusting and even naive. She always wanted to believe that everyone in the world was as kind as she was, that no one could possibly hurt her, not willingly. She had been hurt not long into her immortal life, but that never stopped her generousness from spreading out to everyone.

It was this overwhelming compassion that constantly had her sisters anxious over her—particularly Deliana. The mother hen of the group, Deliana had always taken great care of both her older sister and her younger sister. They were simply everything to her, the only things she'd truly had left in this cold, lonely, and ever-changing world. Through every decade, every century that passed by them, they always had each other, the same faces and personalities forevermore, their bond only growing stronger and stronger with every stretch of time that went on.

After living in Greece, their homeland, for centuries, the three sisters had recently moved to a quiet part of Alberta, Canada, not too far north of Edmonton. It was the perfect place for them, not too sunny, shaded by just enough trees and forestry and snow to keep them protected, the nature of their true identities hidden. The food supply was also fine enough there; much better than it had been in Greece. They were quite happy where they were.

Sirena and Deliana were due for a hunt when they headed out miles northwest, more toward British Columbia. They'd been looking for meals when they'd heard footsteps in the dirt behind them.

Immediately, Deliana jumped in front of Sirena, lowering into a menacing crouch with her lips pulled back in aggression, ready to take on whoever it may be. From the scent that wafted their way, that sickly sweet scent, they knew it was another vampire.

Other vampires being in their area wasn't common. A nomad would pass through here and there, so if Deliana had to guess, this vampire would be a nomad, as well. But whether said person would be friendly or hostile was never clear, not until they got close enough to find out.

After a moment, a petite girl, only slightly taller—maybe an inch or less—than Deliana, and a couple inches taller than Sirena, stepped into their line of vision. Her hair was blonde, almost white, and her eyes, luckily, were the same shade of vegetarian topaz as Sirena's and Deliana's, meaning she wasn't a human killer—only her eyes still had a red tint, meaning she was turned within the last year. She was wearing a simple black tank top and black leggings. Her eyes met Deliana's first, then instantly swept to Sirena's, widening in surprise. A small smile came over Sirena's full lips, her usual friendly smile.

The two women could only be compared to lions—perfectly gorgeous, fierce lions. The one up front had darker hair, it was extremely curly and wild, ending just below her breasts. Her eyes were the coal black that suggested that she was hungry, and they were round. Her nose was perfectly straight, widening out into a soft bulb. Her lips were full and pouty, almost too pouty for the blonde's taste. But the one behind her...