Midnight Rose

Prologue

Mihkail just hated to disappoint when death was involved.

Who cared if his presence inconvenienced those that dwelled within the forest, they would forget his intrusion soon enough. He was nothing more than another predator hunting under the cover of the night's darkness. Quickly forgotten once the sun rose again.

He could not remember the last time the chase had called to him this way. Such a noisy little thing she was as she crashed through the underbrush ahead of him. They had been playing this game for a couple hours now, so the fact that she was still moving at all impressed him.

There was potential in her. Potential for a real fight. Potential for actual fun in those final moments of struggle before death claimed her. Finally a death he could look forward to.

A woman. Just the thought of it sent shivers of ecstasy down his spine. It had been too long since his last female. So many years hiring himself out, only to spend the decades hunting and killing almost exclusively men. It had been almost sickening, not to mention disappointing, to find out how few there were that could stomach funding the murder of a woman.

If only mindless hunting had not become so mind numbingly boring after a few short decades. It was the only reason he lowered himself to becoming a hired assassin to those mortals. The jobs gave him purpose. The planning and searching, without it there was almost no excitement anymore. Perhaps if he found more women inclined to hire him he could bring more variety into his hunts.

His latest client had simply been a stroke of pure luck. Some fool playing at being a king, claiming a woman had been causing trouble in his 'court'. If Mihkail was being honest with himself, he probably wouldn't have even bothered with the man if weren't for the descriptions of the woman. From what he had been told, chances were she was a sorceress.

The thought brought a sly grin to thin lips. Magic always did add a pleasant aftertaste.

When he found himself forced to slow down once more, Mihkail let out a heavy sigh of mock regret. It was time to bring the chase to an end. He couldn't have her getting too tired, after all. She needed to be strong enough still to give him a proper struggle.

He thought he could remember a decent sized clearing up ahead. Moonlit and soon to be stained with blood, it would provide the perfect backdrop for their final encounter.

A cruel smirk spread as he sped up. It was time to catch his midnight rose.

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Author's Note: And here we have the beginning of my oldest passion. I've written and rewritten this story many times over the years. I only hope that you will enjoy and come to love these characters the way I have.