It was one of the most beautiful days Evonne had seen in quite sometime. The cloudless sky stretched out in an infinite blue. A perfect breeze rolled through the rich green trees, hitting the skin on her face. The late summer was settling into a mild one.
     Evonne rode her motorcycle on the single-lane road that snaked away from the safety of the estate. She wore her black helmet, as usual, along with her sunglasses, leather gloves, boots, and normal, everyday blue jeans. Nothing fancy.
     Evonne’s plan was simple; mention her idea of going into town, but in all truth, she decided to ride over the country roads, free from the smothering house.
     Even though she wasn’t alone, she wasn’t completely unsafe. Every little trip she would take, she carried two weapons. In her holster, similar to the shoulder ones some police officers use, she carried her 9mm pistol, with silver bullets in the magazine, of course. And on the other side of the custom made holster was her silver-coated knife, resembling a fantasy knife most commonly see in sword and novelty shops. Evonne’s, on the other hand, wasn’t merely for looks—it was there to serve its purpose. The weapons were concealed by the black, knee-length leather coat she wore.
     The knife’s flow followed that of an elongated “S”, with the top of the blade cut in a sleek zigzag style. The blood groove ran down two-fourths of the knife’s length, rather than the classic hollow furrow seen on most fantasy knives. Despite the odd structure of the blade, the handle remained simple and clean in design.
     Aside from all of the silver she carried, none of her weapons would prove useful against a vampire. Maybe if she had trained more, the knife might have been more affective in delivering some damage to a vampire. But since the only time she left the estate was during the day, werewolves were her greatest threat.
     Silver was the main Achilles’ heel for werewolves, as was the sun’s light to vampires. If a werewolf was shot with a regular bullet, their bodies would heal within minutes. Silver acted like poison to their system. But there were other ways to dispose of the creatures. Beheading and fire had been proven affective for both; however, older vampires could still be reanimated after inflicted with such damage. There was only one reported case of that ever happening.
     Like most common myths, the full moon held sway over a werewolf’s transformation. On three nights, when the moon’s light was its strongest, the transformation was unavoidable. Any other day or night, they had a choice when to don their fur.
     To become a werewolf, a simple bite wouldn’t turn a human. For one to be transformed, an exchange of blood has to take place. It is more ceremonial than blood exchange between a vampire and a human. The new member to a werewolf pack would drink the blood from the four strongest members, most likely purebloods—those who were born werewolves. But getting to this point of acceptance by a pack was difficult to achieve.
     In the common vampire lore, a simple wooden stake to the heart could kill the creature. But that was only a half-truth. Any impalement through the heart could paralyze them. This allowed time for the hunter to dispose of the vampire however he or she saw fit. Silver had no affect on vampires, neither did garlic, crosses, mirrors, or holy water. They also had no abilities to transform into mist, bats, or other forms. Many hunters were quick to blame Hollywood for the misinformation, saying that it places more innocent people in danger. But the vampires loved their many different portrayals. What a better way to hide in the world when surrounded by the power of folklore.
     All of this was basic knowledge to Evonne. She learned everything about these creatures from her father and his “crew.” But as she grew older, her quest for the knowledge became slack and eventually nonexistence.
     Evonne desperately wanted a change from her regular life. She missed out on high school and even the typical college life. She wanted to do the simplest of things most people took for granted. One of those was to have a job. Nothing spectacular, just something to show that she held some worth in this world, to disprove to herself and others that she wasn’t a spoiled heir to her father’s cause. Evonne wanted her own life.
     As proof to her odd life, she was forced to grow up a lot sooner than most children. After her mother died, Evonne became quiet and refused to socialize with anyone, even her nanny, Lisa.
     Lisa expressed concern about Evonne to Alex, but he brushed it off as a sign of grieving. She even tried to help Evonne become her joyful self once more. Her tactics worked for a while. But in a matter of time, she saw Evonne return to her quiet self. Lisa wasn’t sure what set off the relapse, but she kept her hopes up and tried her best to remain Evonne’s closest friend.
     Lisa stayed at the manor until Evonne turned thirteen. From there, Alex sent her away to work at the SEVEN headquarters near Miami, Florida. Evonne forced herself not shed any tears over nanny. She knew very well that her father would verbally scold her for being “too emotional,” as he called it.
     Too emotional. Evonne believed that he sent Lisa away for one reason; to have Evonne learn the ways of a tough, valorous leader. He didn’t want an emotional, sniveling girl to one day take over his proud work. No, she was Evonne Abigail Ingram, the daughter of great Alexander Ingram, or “Alexander the Great,” in which many jokingly called him behind his back. But Evonne didn’t want to be the leader for some grand mission. She wanted to be herself and to make her own decisions.
     And this was one of her decisions; heading out for a couple of hours, albeit a small and insignificant decision. But it gave her a sense of control.
     Evonne’s lonely ride through the mountain roads quickly became a crowded one. A midnight-blue van raced up to her. Hearing the vehicle’s horn, Evonne almost lost control. She regained her composure and checked her side mirror, her hazel eyes narrowing at the image. The van was similar to the ones her father owned.
     “Great!” she called out to herself. Leave it to Alex to send someone after her. Who was it this time? Jonathan or Pax? Both were in charge of the hunters’ training and were completely trusted by her father.
     Evonne decided to give up. Thirty minutes was long enough for her to stretch her wings. Slowing her bike down to a stop, she waited for the van to pull up beside her. She narrowed her eyes behind her sunglasses. The van’s windows were covered in the darkest of tints, allowing nothing from inside to be seen.
     The passenger door, along with the side doors, swung open. In a blur of confusion, four men rushed out of the van and grabbed hold of Evonne. She began fighting against them, but the men were far stronger.
     One man took his position near the motorcycle, keeping it from falling over, while the other men forced the flailing girl into the van and closed the doors.
     Evonne felt the van begin to move forward and heard the sound of her motorcycle following them. Her stomach dropped as her mind began to catch up to what was happening.
     There were no seats in the back of the van, only the cheap carpeting that she now struggled on. With all of the strength she could gather, Evonne brought her head backwards, smashing her helmet into one of the men. A slight aggravating growl came from him, but his grip still held strong. The second man stayed near her feet and applied his weight to her legs, while the third man searched her for any weapons.
     A hopeless feeling washed over Evonne as man found the gun and knife in her holster. He removed both of the weapons and tossed them to the side. He then removed her helmet and sunglasses, allowing everyone to see her clearly.
     The blond haired man, holding her around the neck and wrists, began to speak. “Tsk, tsk. Why does your father let you play with such dangerous things?”
     Evonne looked up at him. Something told her that these people weren’t human at all. Her stomach sank further. Calling on her adrenaline, she jerked one of her legs free and rammed her boot into the second man’s chest. It was like kicking the trunk of a tree.
     The man grew furious and backhanding her across the face. Evonne felt as though he could have knocked her head completely off.
     “You fuckin’ bitch!” he yelled.
     The third man grabbed Evonne’s knife and held it up to the man’s throat. “Settle down, Steven!”
     The threat appeared to work. The man, Steven, went back to holding her legs. This time the pressure increased.
     The man behind Evonne resumed speaking. “We want you to tell your father something for us.”
     “What?” Evonne choked out, “that you all are so eager to die?” In the worst of situations, she always tried to kept a calm, sarcastic exterior. But she wasn’t sure if pissing them off would be a good idea.
     “Bold talk,” he shot back. “You humans should know your place and keep to your boring lives.”
     Evonne smirked, continuing to keep her wits throughout the situation. “Can’t do that. It’s too boring.”
     The man tightened his hold. “Listen good. Tell your father that destruction comes to him in two forms united. The pathetic end he searches for will never grace the world of the day or the world of the night. Crusades are meant for those not willing to accept the truth.”
     “You might have to write that down for me,” she replied, still showing her fake exterior.
     The man on her legs shifted his weight, his patience ending. “Let’s see you keep that smart mouth after I’m finished with you!” He advanced forward over Evonne, but stopped short as the man with the knife held the blade up to him, once more.
     “Are you insane?” he growled. “That is not what we’ve come here to do!” He turned to the driver and ordered, “Stop the van.”
     As quick as she had been brought into the van, she was thrown out onto the side of the road, landing on the grass and rolling a few feet. She allowed herself to remain laying on the ground, facing the woods. The sound of the doors closing and the van squealing away, sent a sigh of relief over her.
     Evonne sat up and took in a deep breath. Her bike was parked off to the side, near where she had landed.
     She remained on the ground, her thoughts and emotions trying their hardest to return to their regular settings. Only one complete thought formed. What just happened?

The guards at the front gate waved Evonne in. She rode her motorcycle onto the estate grounds and over the manor’s long driveway. Evonne took this short stretch of time to plan her entrance. If she were to run into anyone, best bet was to play it cool and keep the sunglasses on for good measure. All she needed was someone to see the worsening bruise on her cheek.
     These precautions stemmed from her over-protective father. This was all he needed to keep her restricted to the estate indefinitely. And she couldn’t completely blame him.
     Evonne parked her bike in the giant garage and set her helmet on the seat. With one last check in the mirror, she headed into the house.
     Her breath became lost in her throat as she cautiously entered the main room. So far, so good. The grand staircase stood as her bridge to safety. Picking up her pace, she walked toward it.
     “Back so soon?”
     Evonne stopped as she heard David’s voice. Why did it have to be David? At least with Marie she stood a better chance in talking her way up the stairs, bluffing the whole time.
     She kept her head to the side, trying hard not to look at him. “Uh, yeah,” she began. “I decided just to ride around for a bit. No biggie.”
     David wasn’t buying it. “What’s going on?”
     Reluctantly, she turned to face him, the mark on her face staring menacingly at him. Evonne wanted to explain everything, to explain how stupid she was to leave the estate. But the threat of tears kept her words to a minimum. “I should have stayed home,” she said, her voice breaking.
     His face grew pale. “Who did this?”

Evonne sat on her bed and held a cool wash cloth to the side of her face. Her skin felt raw against the cloth’s fibers, but it was a welcoming annoyance.
     Beside her sat David, while her father stood before her, along with the ever quiet Marie.
     “Tell me exactly what happened,” Alex demanded in his own fatherly way.
     There was a slight hesitation in Evonne’s reply as she shifted the cloth in her hand. “I was on Eleanor Road. There was this van—dark blue, I think—that came up behind me. I thought you sent someone after me, so I pulled off to the side of the road. The van stopped and four men jumped out and pulled me inside. One of them rode my bike behind the van while they drove along. I could tell that they weren’t human based on their strength and actions. The only name I could catch was Steven. He was the one who hit me.
     “I was then instructed to give you a message. Something about destruction in two forms united, and something else about the world you hope to see will never happen. That’s all I know.”
     Alex took in his daughter’s words. He said nothing as he crossed the room to stand by the large window. He then folded his arms over his chest and inhaled deeply.
     The tension in the room was becoming unbearable for Evonne.
     Finally, Alex spoke. “I do not want you going out anymore until I say so. Do you understand?”
     “Yes, sir,” Evonne whispered as she dropped her head.
     Marie kneeled before Evonne and rested a comforting hand to hers. “Is there anything else you can remember? What about their faces?”
     “Marie!” Alex snapped out. “That’s enough.” He turned from the window and exited the bedroom, silently telling Marie to follow. Marie quickly rose to her feet and headed after her boss.
     David remained beside Evonne. He placed a hand to her back and gave a few reassuring rubs. “It’s only for your safety. He just wants what’s best for you.”
     Evonne wanted to agree but her mind was locked on something else. “What’s going on?” she asked, pausing to look at him. When he said nothing, she continued, “I know something is bothering him. Why can’t you tell me?”
     “I can’t talk about it right now,” he replied. The light caught his dark brown eyes and gave them a few seconds of shimmering life. He lowered his gaze to the floor. “Get some rest, okay?” he said, finally looking at her.
     Evonne sensed the bubbling conflict within him.
     “Now you’re telling me to sleep?” She smiled, recalling her morning wake-up call.
     David fought to return the smile.

There was a wave of total hatred and anger thrashing around within Alex. He wasn’t mad at his daughter, he was mad at her attackers and at himself. He was furious at the attackers for the obvious reasons, but he was furious at himself for allowing her to leave the estate’s grounds. Though the events were in the past, he continued to mentally scold himself. If only he had followed his instincts.
     His instincts. They had helped him in the past and continued to be one of his greatest attributes. But his instincts told him something else in which he refused to listen to. This was his greatest secret; the very secret only a handful in the manor knew about, a secret he kept from his daughter. She doesn’t need to know, he would tell himself. Not right now, at least. Especially with the present situation proving to become a fierce monster onto itself, other trivial matters had to wait. He had to focus.
     Alex headed into his office and sat at his desk. Marie obediently followed him into the room and calmly closed to door. She then quietly stood before Alex’s desk, waiting patiently for her boss to speak.
     Resting his head against his hand, Alex remained silent. A few moments passed before he said anything. His words weren’t for his assistant, but rather aimed at himself. “I shouldn’t have let her leave. Something told me to keep her here where it’s safe.”
     Marie crossed her arms and looked down at him. “It’s not your fault. It was just something that happened. Be thankful that she’s safe.”
     “If I didn’t allow her free rein… ” He paused and sat straight in his chair. “We need to figure out who is behind this.” He picked up the phone and dialed a few numbers.
     Seconds later, a man’s voice answered with a simple “Hello.”
     “Carter,” Alex began, “this is Alexander. We have a situation here that’s quickly becoming a nuisance… No, we don’t need any reinforcements. Just get the warning out to the other offices. Report anything odd you may come across… Moderate Alert until we can narrow it down. All right?”
     The man on the other end agreed.
     Alex hung up the phone and relaxed back in his chair.
     Marie narrowed her eyes at her boss. “Do you think this is a bit premature in warning SEVEN? I mean, we don’t know if this is something to truly worry about. It could very well be a few rogues out to ruffle your feathers.”
     “It became a problem when they attacked Evonne,” he nearly snapped out. “Get David and meet me in Level 2.”
     Accepting the order with a nod, Marie headed out of the room.
     Alex had no real complaints toward Marie’s ability to do her job, but more often than not, he preferred David’s assistance to hers. This feeling perhaps came about though Marie’s stubbornness and quick judgment. David, on the other hand, acted after he exhausted all possible options in his mind. And even then, he would never rush into any situation half-blindly. It was this yin-yang effect Alex looked for in his assistants.
     But things were becoming increasingly complicated. Try as he may, Alex refused to allow his thoughts drift onto the fear of losing his daughter. The strong fear was rooted in a painful past. How many years had it been since his son’s death?
     He stared at the computer’s screen as he remember the past and his son. This wasn’t the great secret he kept from his daughter, but it was one of the many.
     Zachary, he thought. My son.