by Cynamin

Prologue

Galway, Ireland, 1753...Rewritten...

The grave dirt had only recently been cleaned from his skin and hair, and the pain of rising had passed into memory. The hunger, though...that still raged within him, and would rage for eternity. The entire village smelled of fear now, and he smiled a feral smile. It made him feel powerful.

And this...this would be the finest kill yet.

The new vampire wrinkled his nose in disgust. Foolish...locking themselves in their homes, and thinking that something as pathetic as garlic would keep him away from their doorsteps. Superstitious and ignorant, and his father was among them. Ignorant of the power of what he’d become.

The familiar door opened, just a crack. A gasp sounded from behind it. The door opened wider, a small, dark haired girl looking up at him in shock. “Liam?”

The vampire smiled. “Aye, Kathy.”

She grinned then, filled with joy as well as shock now. “Ye are dead! Ye had a funeral...and a grave.”

“Aye, I did,” he agreed, still standing outside the doorway. “I said we’d meet again, though, didna’ I? And I never did break a promise to ye.”

She smiled. “No, ye never did.” An awed look crossed her face. “Are ye an angel now?”

He fought back laughter at the notion. Heaven would have nothing to do with him. “Perhaps,” he said. “Aren’t ye goin’ to invite me in, Kathy?”

She opened the door wider. “Of course! Come in!” she cried happily.

The invisible barrier disappeared at those words, and the vampire crossed the threshold with a sudden sense of victory. And he was still so hungry....

Kathy was still talking. Her back was to him for the moment as she led him inside. “Mother and Father will be so happy,” she was saying. “Even Father. He didna’ mean it when he banished ye from the house. Wait ‘til I tell them ye’ve returned to us from Heaven....”

He felt his facial features shift. His new fangs revealed themselves in his eagerness to feed. “Not yet, sweet Kathy,” he said harshly.

“Liam...?”

Her question was cut off as he grabbed her by the throat. His hand clamped tight, and her eyes widened in fear as his monstrous features were revealed. “Aye,” he said, “and so much more.” He drew her close, relishing her fear. “Shall I take a new name now?” he whispered in her ear...so close to her neck. “Just think...ye were the one to name me. Do you like Angelus?”

“Please...” she whispered, gasping for air. “I didna...”

“Ah, but ye did.” He shifted his grip, letting her breathe again and baring the artery that pumped through her neck. “Feel free to scream,” he said, and savagely sank his fangs into her flesh.

Scream she did...for just a moment. Only instants after her hot blood filled his mouth, her scream stopped. And his arms were empty.

The vampire blinked in confusion. His little, human sister...his first act of severing ties to his pathetic, human life...gone. Disappeared without a trace.

“What...?”

Then footsteps sounded in the house. Running in response to the scream. His mother.... “Liam?”

The young vampire smiled, his sister’s blood still staining his lips. “Not anymore, mother,” he mocked. Not Liam – he liked the name Angelus indeed. And he was going to make sure this village learned very quickly to fear it. Then Ireland, and then...who knows?

The night’s fun was not over yet.