AN: Having been planning this story for well over a year, have finally settled down and started writing. Will start with fortnightly updates but that might change the more I write. For those who have read 'The Diary of Mercy Jackson' from my creative collection, this story centers around the same character. That short story was an experimentation to see if Mercy would work well as the character I planned her to be - and it worked.

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The door between worlds stood like a monster towering over Mercy, daring her to pass through. At present it stood alone, its wood worn and chipped as energy crackled around it relentlessly. Mercy looked all around, nothing but empty air surrounded her, the sweat on her face the only evidence that she was panicked. Without a second thought she opened the door and walked into the world beyond.

Life hadn’t been easy for Mercy Jackson but she’d got on with it and as a result had been sculpted a certain way…the way of darkness.

She was evil through and through, spawn of the devil, cursed, unholy. Her life had been very restricted, all full of ‘do this’ and ‘do that’. Her future had already been mapped out by members of her family but they shouldn’t’ have thought so little of her, they should have had more people guarding her. They were going to learn what happened when the little devil escaped.

Mercy Jackson could pass for any age she liked and she had a beauty that seemed inhuman, one that had men flocking to her. She knew the effect her blonde wavy hair, petite curves, ample chest and bright large eyes had and she used them to her advantage. Life was a game to Mercy, she liked the chase and the humiliation of others, to find a victim, catch them, use them and then discard them and move on.

Mercy had one rule in life, never get attached. If you get attached you can get trapped and Mercy had vowed to herself that she’d never be trapped again.

All those years ago when Mercy had been born, she’d been a part of a strong loving family but that had been torn apart before Mercy could even walk and talk. The world talked of the death of her parent’s as a great tragedy. They never found the one responsible but as Mercy grew older, she saw the cruelness the world had to offer and started to think that perhaps the culprit was closer to home than anyone thought.

Without parents, Mercy was left with her brother Thayer. It was under Thayer’s tutelage that Mercy became who she was today.

There was no warmth in Thayer, no kindness. He was the one to prove they had no heart or soul. His vengeful nature, his anger and his attitude were feared across the land. It was under Thayer’s reign that they now lived. Life was restricted by rules, one wrong move and you’d end up with a broken neck.

Thayer instilled nothing but fear. Those near him shrunk away in his presence. Dark clouds lingered around him reminding others of his power. Thayer had raised Mercy to be just like him, she had a vindictive, malicious, manipulative streak in her that made him proud. She loved the chase as he did. She desired to watch others die in their own humiliation. Thayer believed he had crushed all remembrance of his sentimental forefathers. The Kingdom now stood stronger than ever.

The one thing Thayer didn’t count on is what happens when you keep something caged for too long. Some come to regret their teaching, to hate their Masters. The hate comes from deep inside them, eating them up until they rebel from their life’s course. Mercy had noticed her brother’s change in behavior; she had counted all the extra meetings he’d attended. She’d overheard the conversations he’d had with his right hand man. She’d heard the plans for her and rebelled against them. She refused to let her own destiny be dictated by another.

It wasn’t hard for her to escape she didn’t plan it, she just ran. For all his evil deeds, her brother hadn’t taken into account that she might make a run for it. The door between worlds was thin, without the door they would not survive. The door had been forged before the real presence of her world was known. It was as old as life itself and held more power than anyone liked to admit. It wasn’t a shimmering gap of light, it didn’t look like a vertical pool of water…it was a door. Sturdy and grand, it always changed; it instilled fear about the land. You were allowed to be curious about the door but you weren’t allowed to open in and take a peek into what lay beyond. Those that went through the door didn’t come back.

Mercy’s world was dark and unyielding, the vegetation grew wildly but they were still trapped in a desert plane world. The animals that lived in the land were mostly used as decoration of to feed the more bizarre clans of Vampires. There were of course farms that stocked humans, ready to be drained of their blood to help the continuation of Vampires live.

Therefore without the door the world of Vampires wouldn’t be able to exist. They couldn’t sustain themselves in their world alone. Unfortunately their existence depended on the dirty smelling things that lived on the other side. Even as Mercy took her first step into the other world she felt her throat tighten and her mouth water with hunger.

It was just a game, like cat and mouse, the prize a never ending supply of dinner. Mercy moved quickly through the back streets and alleyways. The quicker she found somewhere the better. Another fault of her brother was giving her a fully filled accessible account. She was very wealthy in this world. Her brother’s focus lay on his own goals; he spent little time on anything else. Mercy wondered how many heads would roll once he realized she had gone. Just thinking of it made her smile; she wished she could be there to see the bloodshed but she dare not be close to her brother now.

She found an apartment quickly; money goes a long way in getting things done quickly. Mercy was now the owner of a spacious penthouse suite at the top of a high rise building. At present it was white and empty but it was nothing a little shopping trip wouldn’t fix.

Mercy ventured out a few days later, she needed to feel the desire of others felt for her. She needed to find some dinner. A local bar seemed the ideal place, just walking in and Mercy could taste a thousand different flavors.

She spotted him the moment she sat down at the secluded corner table. The barman a brown haired beauty stood watching her. She hadn’t seen beauty on this scale for a long time. She knew as she saw the curiosity and desire in his eyes that the chase had started.

The game would not begin tonight, for she was too hungry and her lack of control would ruin things. No, there were others to be had here. Selecting her prey based on size and smell she quickly spotted a man with the build of a rugby player and used all her powers to seduce him.

It wasn’t hard, he was a man of good taste and was already on his way to being drunk. He eagerly accepted the request of a walk outside. She could feel his want and his need. She smiled as he waved his friends good night each one cheering him at his approaching conquest.

He followed her willingly to the end of a deserted alleyway. Forcing himself on her he planted wet sloppy kisses down her neck.

She hadn’t expected him to be so strong; his lingering touches now leaving imprints on her skin that she’d have to wash later. She responded to his kisses with kisses of her own down his neck, smiling against his skin as he moaned in desire.

She cared not for his desire; it was only her hunger that mattered. As she bit down and broke through the skin his screams were like an early Christmas present, music to her ears. She never wanted his screams to end but as she took the last he had to offer, she watched bored as his body slumped to the floor unmoving. She’d enjoyed that. The victim hadn’t been much but she’d enjoyed taking his life away and relished turning such a big man into a whimpering baby. She felt refreshed now the hunger no longer consumed her.

She couldn’t see the game ahead clearly; she desired the game and the capture. She couldn’t wait to begin.

Turned out that Sam was a better candidate than she could have hoped, he lived alone in an area fraught with crime and had no family to speak of. He grew up within the system and had got out as soon as he could. He kept to himself, he had friends but was rarely out as he was working so much. He was a bit of a womanizer but was loyal when in a relationship.

Always find a backup plan, that’s what Mercy had learnt. She was not so fickle or naïve enough to think that her brother would just let her escape. Oh no, she knew for certain that once he found her missing, hell would break loose and she’d find herself in several nasty predicaments.

This is where her choice of prey became much more important. The way Sam had been raised – living within the system, growing up independently but with a desire to find a family – would help Mercy should her backup plan be needed. It was a well-known fact that when attempting to forge a new army of Vampires – or the turning of any new Vampire – you needed to find another with the maternal instinct to guide the new Vampire onto their chosen path.

Mercy didn’t have a maternal bone in her body, she wasn’t soft or kind or caring. She was ruthless, manipulating and vindictive. If her back up plan had to be carried out then Sam would fit the role of ‘guidance’ perfectly, it wouldn’t be a normal family but it would be a family. He would just have to deal with it. Mercy sneered evilly as she cemented the last parts of her back up plan.

Mercy licked her lips as she watched him work, he really was a delightful specimen, one she couldn’t wait to sink her teeth into. Mercy ran her fingers idly over the rim of her glass thinking of the impending hunt.

She’d sat in this bar, in this exact corner every day for two weeks. She never approached Same in this time. She merely watched him with hooded eyes. Now she’d learnt all there was to know about him, she knew his favorite hangouts, knew which ways he walked. She knew his life like the back of her hand, it was important you couldn’t begin a hunt half cooked or you might find yourself at a disadvantage.

Mercy was nothing if not a perfectionist; she knew how to play the game with the best results. If she played her hand right this hunt with Sam could be drawn out making the eventual capture much sweeter.

Mercy stood from her chair and walked almost cat like towards the bar, she’d caught his attention from the moment she stood. His eyes were dilated, his lips dry and his heart thumped loudly.

‘Can I help you?’ he said, his voice scratchy.

‘Vodka lime’ replied Mercy.

He nodded. She watched as he worked his magic mixing her drink. She’d fed just a short while ago but his blood was like ambrosia, calling out to her, his white neck just begging to be bitten.

She drew back braking the blood connection. Sometimes, though it was rare the blood of certain humans called out more than others. The smell of these rare humans could send Vampires mad, luckily Mercy had more control than the average Vampire. She wouldn’t have survived under her brother otherwise.

‘Here you go ma’am’ he said handing Mercy her drink. Funny, she wouldn’t have pegged his accent as being American yet ‘ma’am’ seemed a very American word.

Drinking her drink without breaking eye contact with Sam, Mercy studied his body language. He was leaning slightly over the bar towards her, she was letting off enough pheromones that his mind was sure to be quite fuzzy. How easy it would be to lean forward just a touch further and sink her teeth into his pulsing vein. To be filled with his overpowering taste was sure to feel like heaven. She couldn’t do that though, it would make the hunt non-existent.

Reeling herself in slightly, she composed herself, hiding away her Vampire nature. It wouldn’t do to be exposed too early in the game.

He was still looking at her intently, his eyes sweeping over her in lustful desire. He licked his lips again, such a simple act seemed like such an obvious invitation, it was hard for Mercy to resist.

‘May I’ he began and then paused.

Mercy cocked her head, raising an eyebrow.

‘Would you like to meet up, away from here?’ he asked, gesturing around when he mentioned ‘here’.

Mercy smiled, it was almost too easy, almost.

‘Here’ she extracted a small card from her pocket and laid it on the bar. It was a business card, it had her name and contact number on. She’d had them made up earlier that week.

He picked up the card.

‘Call me’ whispered Mercy seductively before leaving. She felt his eyes on the back of her head as she walked out. The hunt would begin when he called her, she couldn’t wait.

Stepping out into the night she relaxed letting her Vampire nature come forth. Her eyes changed colour, her fangs appeared and her skin became fairer. The moon was out tonight casting shadows on the world below. Mercy found dinner quickly, he wasn’t warm just some tramp off the street but he sated her hunger.

Mercy walked home like a human pondering the hunt to come. She remembered the first hunt she’d ever participated in. Her brother Thayer had been the Master puppeteer behind that hunt. Mercy had been young, only just growing into her powers. She hadn’t understood the idea of the hunt then. The smell of blood had been too overpowering and she’d immediately bit into the flesh of her victim.

Thayer had been so angry at her behavior he’d locked her in the dungeons for three days. Her hands chained to the ceiling she was left to dangle alone and without food.

It had been one of the last times Mercy had cried from her brother’s actions and the first time she’d seen him for who he really was. After those three days were up Thayer had dragged her weakened body from the cell and instructed her on the ways of the hunt. He’d sent her on a hunt that was so heavily guarded it had taken her a week to find the victim.

By then she was so weak she’d drained him dry in under a minute. She’d learnt her lesson. The hunt was all in the chase, without the chase it was all pointless.

It didn’t do well to dwell on the past and Mercy had to shake herself away from her memories. She wasn’t that little Vampire child anymore. She’d learnt what was expected and became the Vampire she was today. Everything else was inconsequential.

She was home now but the air smelt different, stale even like it had been disturbed. Stilling her movements, she walked slowly backwards till she was ensconced in the shadows. There she crouched down like an animal waiting to pounce.

She swallowed the air tasting it for what it was and shuddered. The smell was all around the building but then it sped off towards the park. Mercy surmised she wasn’t in any immediate danger but she still remained crouched in the shadows for many hours.

In Mercy’s world, the thing that created more fear than her brother and the door between worlds was the fear of death. Generally a Vampire could not kill another Vampire, it was not feasible and required more strength than the average Vampire had. However there were a select few that were especially trained in the art of Vampire killing – not so unlike the human world’s representation of ‘Vampire hunters’ – in the days of her forefathers, they’d been a thing of legend, only making discreet visits. Now, in the days of her brother, they were a common threat to all Vampires who disobeyed Thayer’s rule.

These select few Vampires had ways of ripping the life from you in a mere second. They did not believe in a slow killing, their work was efficient and they never left anything behind. Their killings had become more visible under the charge of her brother – he wanted to instill fear within their world for he believed it left little room for anyone to defer.

Finally as the sky began to lighten, Mercy moved from the shadows, entered the building and made her way swiftly to her apartment. She was comforted slightly knowing that the smell from outside wasn’t in the building at all. She was safe but for how long.

Poor Mercy spent more of the night setting up extra protections than actually sleeping. It wouldn’t do to be caught out. Now she felt calm even if they got hold of this location, she had several safe houses she could escape to.

If her brother wanted to find her who was she to stop him. She’d just hate to be standing near him when he finds that she’d completely disappeared. If he was angry now, his anger at not being able to find her at all was sure to be explosive.

The sun was starting to peak up past the buildings, casting a warm glow I the morning sky.

Mercy sighed, how many mornings had she seen. How many nights had she slept through? Humans wished for immortality but would they seek it so much if they knew what it entailed. Like the words of many great people – everything comes with a price.

Her phone beeped.

With a smile on her face she checked the new message. It read; ‘Hi, it’s Sam, fancy meeting up this week?’

Mercy was excited beyond reason, the hunt had officially begun.

There it was again, that smell sweet and sickly. It was all over here, the hunt was on. The assassins built with strength drank blood with powerful additives. Trained in all kinds of physical arts, they were a force to be reckoned with and not some force you’d want to come across.

Mercy Jackson was enjoying the chase, Sam had proven to be so easy to manipulate, it made her curious to find out more about him but that would have to wait. Ideally she wanted to drag the hunt out as long as possible but if the assassins were so close by she’d have to set her backup plan in potion.

Her interactions with Sam had started off so innocent and friendly and had quickly become heated and obsessive. Sam was a real treat, stuck in the cloud of Mercy’s pheromones; he could see no one but her. However her hold over him seemed to be too strong, his obsessive behavior had become problematic, if the hunt continued this way then it would end too soon.

She was reluctant to take a step back and release Sam slightly from her grasp. Especially with the looming problems that she was now facing, even now as she thought things over, parts of her plan changed.

The plans she had for outrunning the assassins had become more precise and concrete. The darkness inside her was coming to the fore banishing all notion of doubt or weakness.

Mercy was not a nice person; she wasn’t built to be nice. The darkness seeped through her soul darkening her eyes, making her look more fearful than usual. Her brother so precise and accurate in so many plans and schemes had completely fallen short on his manipulation of Mercy. For once his over confidence had backfired magnificently.

Thayer had been a strict teacher in Mercy’s life. He had cut no corners in her training, and offered no reprise of sympathy. Thayer had always believed that the royal family lacked a certain fierceness that he felt was necessarily for the people in charge should have.

The first thing Thayer said to Mercy following the death of their parents was; ‘They’re weak Mercy, the weak don’t deserve to live’. Thayer had said that only the strong should survive, that the strong could demand power and lead whole armies to a richer life.

Any ounce of weakness left in Mercy was banished that day; any hope of a normal family life went out with it. Thayer made a point of exhibiting what happened to those who were weak. As the years went by he got more ruthless and cold in his methods. Banishment was no longer the only source of punishment for being weak. Now the punishments included decapitation and starvation of blood.

Thayer enjoyed making a spectacle of others; he thought it inspired fear and control. A scared Vampire wasn’t likely to rebel. Mercy used to be scared of her brother but no more.

Taking a step back from Sam seemed to have worked. His obsession had waned but he was still within her grasp; usually this would be the time to stop and end the hunt. The most surprising ways to end it were the best. The ones when the prey is distracted or shocked by the sudden turn of events or the ones where the prey screams uncontrollably till they slump on the floor, life-force drained.

Mercy was a vicious manipulator, she relished opportunities to manipulate her prey and she longed to sink her teeth into their necks. It was a challenge willing herself not to bit too prematurely, ‘Never end a hunt before it’s begun’ was what Thayer had always said.

However, Mercy had developed a more cunning plan. Her original thoughts and ideas deemed useless it was her back up plan that was now being used. She wanted to watch the blood of her brother run all over the floor, watch his head being ripped from his body and drive a stake through his heart but she couldn’t do it alone, she needed an army. She also needed Sam, his desire for family would work to her advantage, and he would be a perfect general to command her army and help keep them in line.

With the assassins hot on her tail, time was no longer her friend. She’d managed to have a good weeks fun with him but the time to act was near at hand.

She knew his schedule like the back of her hand, out of work hours he didn’t do much but he did enjoy walking back via the quiet dark woods. It was perfect really, he almost couldn’t complain about what she was about to do, everyone knows you shouldn’t’ walk home alone in a dark deserted area.

Her fangs had lengthened considerably before she’d even made a conscious decision they pulsed painfully, the street man she’d had for dinner a while ago was no longer sustaining her and she knew she’d need to feast again before hunting Sam or she’d run the risk of not being able to stop.

A beefy overweight hairy biker was to be her dinner for the evening. Out with friends he wasn’t drinking and didn’t seem to be enjoying himself. An easy delve into his mind revealed his reasons. He was going through a midlife crisis and had lost everything in the process. Well, she might as well end his misery.

He was delicious to kill, not a screamer but a pitiful whiner. Death welcomed him and Mercy welcomed her dinner. She felt stronger now, this was good. The act of turning but not biting and drinking was a challenge that didn’t always succeed.

Mercy stalked into the night, hiding in the shadows and licking her fangs, she waited for Sam to appear. He did not keep her waiting long and she had planned her arrival well. He was uncaring of his surroundings as he walked. His ears consumed with the music blasting through them. For all intents and purposes, he seemed completely normal and unaffected by everything.

This all changed when Mercy dropped down before him. She heard his heart beat quicken and smelt his blood begin to boil. His eyes unfocused in her presence, he waited for her first command.

Mercy had never had a hunt that went so smoothly, where the prey was hers from the word ‘run’. Mercy saw Sam as nothing more than a means to an end and actually was disappointed that she would not get to drink from him. His scent remained ever so tempting for her, a constant challenge for her to avoid.

‘Hello Sam’ she said.

His response wasn’t vocalized but it didn’t matter, Mercy was going to act regardless of getting his consent.

‘I’m going to make everything better for you’ she whispered while circling him.

His blood was practically screaming out to her and she wasted no energy drawing out this process. Sinking her fangs into his pearly white neck she was afforded a moment of absolute pleasure as a drop of blood hit her sensitive fangs.

His screams bought her back to reality and she managed to control herself long enough to push her poison into his system. His loud screams just egged her on, as the pain became too much, she let him fall to the floor.

The hunt was over, now came the time for awakening.