The Beginning...

13th April 1580

Romania, Bucharest

The air was as cold as death. Blood was dripping down like heavy rain while the pleas from the girl rang through the air like a hymn.

The stench of fear hung heavily in the air like the most pungent aroma.

"Please! I'm innocent! I'm not a witch!" the girl pleaded, her face drenched in tears.

"Bring her forward!" the pastor called out and the guards did so without a second thought.

"Please! I'm not a witch! I'm innocent! Please help me!" she screamed on the top of her lungs for someone... anyone. The guard pulled her to her knees, and then dragged her to their leader by her hair.

"For the crimes of witchcraft, the devils magic, I hereby sentence you to death by the power of God and the church." The pastor spoke to which no one intervened. No one stood up and no one opposed.

This girl, a once young mother and wife, was sentenced to death and no one would go against the church no matter how wrong they were.

"No, please!" she sobbed as hot tears kept streaming down her face. Her face contorted in terror, in pain. Nothing worse than knowing you're about to die. She knew this was the end, and she knew no one would help her.

"May you burn in hell devil's whore." The pastor said and started to recite words from the bible.

The guards tied her to the stake and stood back. The fire was bright and angry and the screams were loud and painful.

...

The moon shone brightly in the grief of the sun, which rose above the mountains like a saving grace.

Her eyes fluttered open to witness the great wonder of the sky.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" a voice said causing her to turn quickly, she didn't see anyone there. Her mind began recalling the events that have transpired before her wake, she remembered dying.

"Am I dead? Are you God?" She asked quietly.

"Yes and no. You are dead, but I am not God." The voice said it sounded so soothing and serene.

"Are you the devil?" she asked fearing the answer.

"No. To be reborn you must die first. I saved you. " the voice said, and then appeared with hair that resembled snow, eyes so green like fresh grass, lips like roses and teeth that looked as sharp as knives.

"How did you save me?" she wondered quietly.

"I have given you a new life. I have given you the gift of immortality" he paused for a moment, as he wanted his words to sink in, then resumed, "You are a vampire." He replied and his eyes had a look that held so much love and care.

"So am I a monster now?" She asked innocently. The stories of the blood-drinking monster were nothing more than tales to scare children and yet here he was, as real as the water in the sea.

"No child. You are not a monster. They are the monsters, the ones that burned you at the stake." He hissed in anger and then went closer. His hand caressed her hair softly.

"You are not a monster. You are now my child. Come see with your new vampir eyes." He said and brought her outside.

Everything was now clear, beautiful in its own chaos.

"Listen with your new vampir ears." He said and moved back slightly.

The sound of the creatures got louder.

"And feel with your new vampire skin." He told her and gently put her hands on the dirty. she felt every grain of sand, the feeling so captivating. He then took her to the water and she finally saw it...

Her once brown hair was replaced with soft silver, almost white. Her skin was clear and fair, and her eye, a dark stormy grey.

She looked so much like him.

"What is your name child?" He asked softly while still caressing her head gently.

"Forina." She replied. Her voice smooth and glassy.

"You are my child now, Forina Bogdan."

...

18th November 2019

USA, New York

...

...

James Chetty

...

"So who is this guy?" Jacob asked me.

"I have no idea, she didn't tell me his name and took my tablet," I told him.

"Well, at least she learnt from the last time." He commented recalling the time we did a background check on her last boyfriend. It was too easy; I mean it's not our fault that he was a cheating asshole who happened to be selling drugs.

"Yeah, oh wait here they come. He looks like a prick." I said while giving a wide smile. Jacob looked and choked back a laugh as we observed the guy with his cardigan and loafers.

"Hey, twin..." Jacob said with a grin of amusement. We both went into brother mode and stared him down, but oddly enough he brushed it off.

"James, Jacob this is Luke." Jane introduced us as he pulled a chair for her and pushed it in.

"It's so nice to finally meet you," he said with a smile. Why is he smiling so much? Now I have to smile too...

"Nice to meet you too. Is Luke your full name?" I asked him as Jacob discreetly turned his mobile hotspot on.

"Actually no. It's Lucas Carter." He smiled. Again with the smiling.

Jane's head snapped in my direction faster than I knew she could move. She knew exactly what I was doing.

"So what do you do?" Jacob asked him, as our waiter brought us menus.

"I work for an investment company. NYI... I deal with the bigger clients and move capital so that we get the best interest possible." He explained. Perfect...

I quickly entered the information down on my phone and held it below the table, to ensure that Jane couldn't see what I was doing.

"That's cool..." Jacob said and then ordered for us when the waiter came back knowing that I was 'busy'.

"So what do you guys do?" he asked.

"I'm a male escort. And he's a stripper." I said with a straight face, pointing at Jacob.

"Times are tough and bills have to be paid," Jacob said going along with my answer.

His face was priceless, although the fact that we were sitting in the oyster box should have raised some red flags.

"They're joking," Jane said with a nervous laugh.

"James is head of IT for a company called Kingmakers, and Jacob is a wedding planner. One of the best in New York." Jane told him.

"That's amazing." He smiled. Again with the smiling.

Wait a second... He was in business with Flower corp. That was a bit strange since no one ever saw anyone from there and it was a pretty big company. I had applied there and was rejected. So how did he get in business with them?