Warsaw

Prologue

I ran through the old church at the Rue de Pontagiue, my feet pounding on the floor as tears ran down my face. My right hand burned in pain as the black shadows etched their way up my palm and onto my arm. Terror worked its way like acid through my veins with each pulse of my heart, sending my mind into a state of chaos.

"You can't run..." The eery voice inside my head cackled, echoing sinisterly. "And you can't hide... Ebony Karter... Come out come out.... Wherever you are...."

"Nikolai!" I screamed, falling over the first step to the altar. My hand trembled as the skin of my palm began to crack and fall off of my body, a bright purple light shooting out from it.

"The eyes of the angels, fallen from god, turn away at the horrid sight, of the Blood of the Child of Bartok the Damned." The old pope's words played in my head. More of my hand fell away, more of the laser like purple beams rising from my skin.

"Ebony..." The voice came again. "My child... My flesh and Blood... Reborn again..."

"NO!" I wailed, as the shadows traced up my arm, my flesh falling like dust away from my body, the purple light beginning to consume me.

"You shall be reborn, my daughter." The voice echoed triumphantly. "And you and Nikolai shall rule the earth, my immortal flesh and blood, once more! Chaos will never die!"

"I'm sorry to see you like this," I heard Nikolai chuckle. "But once you have been reborn as my queen of darkness, we can rule the human world together. This miserable world that has hurt you and I both so badly."

"NO! I won't!" I shrieked, scrambling up the altar when I saw Nikolai at the doors to the church. I ran behind the altar, seeing the golden goblet of red wine on the top of it. I looked down at my crumbling body, seeing my right hand was still unharmed. I snatched up the goblet, and began to recite the apostle's creed.

"I believe in god the father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth," I spoke quickly, holding the goblet.

"Ebony, NO!" Nikolai roared. "It will kill you! Something so holy!" He ran at me, but a bright white light shot up around the altar.

"I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our lord!" I spoke firmly now. "He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary!"

"Ebony, please, you'll die!" Nikolai begged, falling back from the holy light that surrounded me. "You don't have to do this!"

"He suffered under Pontus Pilot, was crucified, died, and was buried," I chanted. "He descended into hell, and on the third day, he rose again!" I roared it now. "He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the father! He will come again to judge the living and the dead!" The white light consumed me, beginning to burn me with white flames that licked out at my feet and crawled up my legs, making me scream in agony.

"Ebony, PLEASE!" Nikolai screamed. "I can't lose you! I love you!"

"I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting!" I looked up from behind the flames, staring into Nikolai's eyes for one last time. "Amen!"

As the flames burst out and exploded around me, I drank from the goblet. The fire exploded one last time and with it, consumed my soul, leaving my body to collapse to the ground.