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The steady drip of water gave the Russian a sense of comfort as she maneuvered her way through the sewers. For so long, this place had been her home. It had been her haven, despite the putrid, stomach churning smell. She could still hear Juliet as she called down from the cover, demanding she come out and find a decent place to live. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but she saw and heard that ******* woman everywhere. It set her teeth on edge. She didn't like to think that she’d been abandoned, but what was she supposed to think? The idiot had turned her, told her she’d take care of her, and the vanished without a trace. It didn't help that her sister was walking around like she was a ******* angel filled with cotton candy.

With a sigh, Reanna shook her head and pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind. “I’m better off alone,” she whispered under her breath in her native tongue. She’d yet to even attempt to speak their language. It felt weird on her tongue, and she couldn't understand some of the phrases they used. It also gave her a major barrier, meaning she wouldn't have to socialize if she didn't want to. ‘You miss her,’ her brother’s spirit whispered, a mocking concern to his tone. When the chill of his presence brushed over her skin, the Russian gave a roll of her shoulder, the leather of her – his- jacket creaking under the movement. “No, I don’t,” she found herself responding.

‘You do. You miss her, this ***** that made you into a monster,’ he snapped, and she had to swallow the growl that threatened to escape her lips. With a shake of her head, she shoved her trembling fingers through her hair, the dark strands sliding easily against her skin. She had to admit, living in an apartment – though bare – had its comforts. Running water made the top of the list, but the sound of zombies being slayed five floors below was a close second. Kirill had hated it at first, but even he had begun to grow fond of the lullaby that put her to sleep within minutes. The thought of him left a strange feeling in her chest, but she quickly shook it off as she rounded the corner, the exit in sight.

Grabbing the ladder, she hooked her foot onto the rail and began to pull herself up. Lifting her hand, she pushed the cover out of the way and lifted herself out of the darkness, her green eyes scanning her surroundings carefully. It was a clear night out, and the streets were littered with humans, though none seemed to pay attention to the strange woman emerging from beneath them. Instead, they moved and bustled around, caught up in their own world, unaware of the danger that lurked all around them. Easy prey, she thought as her lips curled into a cruel smirk. Dusting herself off, she kicked the cover back into place, and began her hunt.

As the moon disappeared behind the clouds, the Russian ran her fingers through her hair. The night always offered her a sense of comfort, long before she’d been turned. She had always found herself out in the middle of the night, the clock ticking away the time as she did whatever she fancied. Back then, she had been carefree. Back then, she had a heart. That was before she had lost her brother. That was before the world she knew and loved had been ripped from her grasp. Now, whatever darkness had been lurking beneath the surface for all those years and broken free, and she was as cold as ice.

Running her tongue over her fang, she quietly made her way down the alley where she had been turned, the silence of the night giving her time to reflect. She could see it all as if it was happening again, and she was finally privy to what she looked like from another’s point of view. Her hair had been in knots, her skin covered in dirt. She looked as if she were better off dead and buried in a ditch, but Juliet had seen something inside of her, even if she hadn't been able to find it herself. She could have left her there to freeze to death – or to let the ailment claim her – but she hadn't. The memory played like a movie behind in her mind, and she curled her fingers into a fist and brought them to her lips.

She remembered the kind words the other spoke, the softness to her voice and the gentle brush of her fingers over her skin. She had tried to feed her, and Reanna had acted like an animal. She had been confused and terrified of the strange woman who spoke a language she didn't know. She remembered being more than certain that the woman was sent to kill her. She had hoped she would. She had hoped that she would be put out of her misery, the pain that had been gripping her as her life faded one weak heartbeat at a time. Juliet was her first memory of Harper Rock, kind eyes, soft smile, and all. She had saved her, and then had disappeared without a trace.

“Damn you, Juliet,” she muttered under her breath as she back away from the alley. The memory was still too new, too raw. The thought of the woman, wherever she was, sent a chill up her spine that seemed to curl and grip her heart painfully. Trailing her tongue over her lower lip, she shook the feeling off as she teleported, trying to put as much distance between her and the haunting voice of her sire as she could. When her feet touched the ground in the middle of nowhere, it took a moment for her vision to clear so she could tell where she had ended up. She had only said a random coordinate, but something about the abandoned building was familiar. Before she could try to discern when she had been there, her phone rang, the vibration tickling her thigh as she dug her hand into her pocket.

Sliding her thumb over the screen, it glared to life, showing her Kirill’s name. That was all it took for her breath to get caught in her lungs, and she lifted her dark eyes back to the wall, the memory coming back with amazing clarity that left her stunned. The phone continued to vibrate in her hand, before it silenced. She had just begun to tuck it back into her pocket, when it began again. She knew he wouldn't leave her alone until she answered. Pressing the green button, she brought the phone to her ear as she made her way towards the wall, fingers brushing along the brick. “I’ll be home soon,” she said before he could greet her, and his heavy sigh told her he had been worried. “Where are you?” he demanded in a harsh voice, though that was just how he spoke.

“I said I’ll be home soon. Look after Aksel for me,” she replied and ended the call just as his agitated growl filled the speaker. Tucking the phone back into her pocket, she gave a low, dark laugh as she remembered running into him after so many years.

As her fingers brushed over the brick, she shook her head. The night still played in her mind, the memory something she'd never admit to needing. Kirill had been the one for her, long before she had been turned. She had admired him from afar, but she'd never been able to touch him. He was her brother's best friend. Too old, too mature, and far too wild. Markus had made sure that she was far from him whenever he was turning on his charm, and she had watched girl after girl fall from his bed and crawl out the door, that look of pain in their eyes as they were so easily dismissed. When he had disappeared on them, leaving Markus to raise her by himself completely, it had left a hole in her chest that had never been healed. It had been nothing compared to losing her brother, but it had been close.

She had filled that hole with anger and bitterness, so when she had turned to see him standing beneath the street light, cigarette hanging from his lips, she had wanted to kill him. She had dropped the gangster to the ground, his life forgotten as she curled her fingers into fists. She had to swallow past the pain he had caused her, and stare him in the eyes. He had been just like her, dark, strong, and immortal. She hadn't wanted to believe him when he had told her that he had searched so long for her, but she knew it to be true. She saw the files, the photos. He had stalked her. The thought was one that should have made her kill him then and there, but she hadn't.

She touched her hand to the part of the wall that was cracked, the section he had pinned her against the calm her down as he told her that he had asked to be turned, so he could watch over her and be with her always. He had hoped to save her life, so she wouldn't have to be a monster like them, but she had been far too gone by the time he had found her. She remembered the way his voice had cracked as he released her - and then the way she had disappeared without a trace. It had gone one for a few weeks, her dodging his advances and locking him from buildings, and him never relenting as he tried to keep her safe.