Ashes to Ashes

Chapter 1

     Sebastian was late. It had been a year since she'd last seen him and he couldn't even be on time.

     Kieryn growled and shifted her gaze to the moon, enjoying the feel of the cool rays on her pale skin. Moonlight was her favorite thing in the whole world - aside from blue eyes on a good looking guy. She pushed her glasses down to the tip of her nose surveying the alley, wondering what the hell happened to Sebastian. She tapped her foot impatiently, the sound of the steel toe-caps of her boots echoing off the sidewalk.

     Anything to avoid thinking about her Mom's memorial service. It wasn't the service itself she was afraid of - she was far more afraid of her father. She scowled as she remembered the last time the she'd seen her father; fatherly love had been the last thing on his mind.

     Kieryn sighed and pushed those thoughts away, instead admiring the pure white skin of her arms as she stretched them above her head. She had never been one for tanning, even before she became a vampire. She could still walk in the sunlight, but not in full summer and never without cloud cover or some buildings to shade her.

   Pushing the plastic sunglasses back into position, she leaned against the back door of Karma, and wondered why they couldn't have met inside the club. It's ten thirty on a Saturday night, the place would be crawling with monsters, and she might even see some familiar faces.

     And then Sebastian was there, sliding out of the shadows and gliding toward her with the cat-like grace she was so familiar with. His beauty never failed to take her breath away, even though she hated the knowing gleam in his eye as he kissed her cheek in greeting.

     Kieryn glared from behind her shades. "You're late."

     "And your manners haven't improved."

     "I was in Boston Sebastian, not a finishing school for naughty girls."

     Sebastian raised his dark eyebrows and grinned his wicked smile. " Now there's an idea..."

     Kieryn pushed her glasses back into her hair, balancing them among the dark waves of her long hair. She knew her red eyes would be glowing brightly in recognition of her elder, but she couldn't bring herself to show him how happy she really was to see him. He hadn't earned that right -- not since that day, ten years ago when he had stolen her innocence and made her a monster.

     He reached out for the shades and snatched them before she could stop him. "Why are you wearing these ridiculous things?"

     "My eyes keep glowing and the contacts hurt." She nodded up at the moon. "It's almost full."

     "You haven't been eating." Sebastian's tone was filled with reproach. "If you had, you wouldn't have this problem." His own eyes where currently a light maroon, his vampire nature hidden behind centuries of rigid control.

     Kieryn glared. "I've eaten more than enough."

     He scoffed. "From blood banks, it's hardly the same thing."

     "You said you wouldn't push me on this."

     "I haven't pushed you on your eating habits in a decade. Perhaps I should start."

     She scuffed her boot on the ground,  deciding it was a good idea to change the subject. "So why are we standing out here anyway?"

     Sebastian leaned against the wall and pushed his hands into the pockets of his custom made jacket. His black hair was shorter than she remembered it, the curls resting softly around his ears. People often mistook them for family, which amused Sebastian.

     Just as Kieryn began to wonder if he was going to answer, he met her eyes.

"I don't want anyone to know you're back. Not yet."

     She frowned. What the hell was he cooking up now? Wasn't it enough that he dragged her into the city for a meeting, just because he knew she'd be here for her mother's service? "You promised me a year of freedom Sebastian, my time's not even up yet. This isn't fair."

     "Life isn't fair, my lovely." His eyes were like stone, his mouth unsmiling.

     "But you promised," she said, hating herself for showing weakness. She wrapped her arms around her body, as though she could hold back the pain that began to gnaw at her belly. Being around Sebastian made her hungry -- that was one of the reasons she'd wanted  to get away from Ironbridge in the first place.

     "I have a job for you," Sebastian said, breaking into her thoughts. "It's very special. Only my little Kieryn would do for this one."

     Ten months into her . . . vacation, and he wanted her for this? To steal something? That's all he ever wanted her for. "This is such bullshit. You don't need me -- it's just an excuse."

     His eyes grew wide and mock-innocent. "An excuse? For what?"

     "To get me back. You're not happy unless you're controlling everyone around you. "

     Sebastian's face hardened and Kieryn felt the familiar tug of power in her chest. He owned her, body and soul -- if she still even had a soul -- and she hated him almost as much as she loved him. Right now, maybe she hated him more.

     "Be grateful you had as long as you did, child. It's hardly my fault you came back to cry over your mother's grave. Now listen to me, here's what I want you to do . . ."