The Nightingale Sigil

A servant of the night...

Born from the ashes of day...

Seeking it's ancient blood price to pay...

Lyra's POV:

Tick tock... Tick tock...

Following the constant stream of blood seeping out of the cuts on my body, I could feel my life force slowly ebbing away with the passage of time

Closing my eyes, I willed myself to cling onto the border of life, albeit just for a few seconds...

If only I could have my revenge on the ones who did this to me

"If I were you, I wouldn't try too hard. It would only prolong your suffering." Out of nowhere, a deep, masculine voice rang out from the darkness.

My eyes sprang wide open, searching for clues to that mysterious, disembodied voice. My heart pounded against my chest as my apprehension grew. Legends surrounding this ancient mausoleum began to stir within my memories. Legends which spoke of an ancient evil lurking within its depths, and that of a blood sacrifice.

Struggling weakly against my bonds, I tried in a futile attempt to escape my fate. Slowly, a figure swam into focus, followed by a sharp pain near the nape of my neck.

"You do know that you are going to die, don't you? So, why bother living? Just give up..." Stroking the weeping wound that he had made with his nails, he slowly traced his finger downwards, as if enjoying the sight of my pain.

I figured this was it.

If I were to die, the least I could do is face my enemy head on!

With that, I raised my eyes and my gaze fell squarely upon the figure.

Eyes, the color of midnight blue; mesmerizing, yet dangerous, met mine. Silky, shoulder-length raven black hair fell lightly upon his shoulders, framing his chiseled face. He had the air and bearings of an aristocrat; haughty and arrogant, yet every movement he conveyed was filled with lithe and grace.

My breath hitched for a moment as I found myself tongue-tied by this mysterious, handsome figure.

Chuckling under his breath, he grasped my chin and tilted it upward.

"Perhaps if you cry or beg me for mercy, I may consider sparing you..." he drawled beside my ear.

Who does he think he is?!

"Never!" I rasped.

His grip tightened for a moment, betraying his true feelings as a potpourri of emotions stirred beneath those mysterious midnight blue eyes of his. His hands remained dangerously close to my neck, ready to snap it at any given moment. Judging by the intensity of his gaze, I guessed my end was near.

Finally, after several seconds, he said, "So be it. Any last words?"

Since these were my final moments, I decided I had nothing to lose.

"I curse you and all the people who did this to me! I will burn all your faces into the depths of my memories. Mark my words, I will bring all of you down to Hell with me!" Hatred burst forth within me like a volcanic eruption as I spat those words out with vehemence.

I hated all of them! How I wished I could give them a taste of the horrors they put me through. All those sufferings, the pain... My wounds throbbed painfully at those memories.

Silence ensued for a few seconds as disbelief, surprise and amusement flashed across his eyes all at once. Following that, he tilted his head back and laughed.

"You're interesting... perhaps..."

He traced his finger lightly over my neck, leaving a hot, tingling trail where his fingers touched as it made its way ever so slowly down the length of my slender neck, as if teasing me with my impending death.

"Go ahead!"

I closed my eyes and awaited for the sweet ending to all my sufferings.

Instead, I merely felt a stinging sensation near my lips. My eyes flew open in that instant, and I realized that he had bit me on my lips!

My eyes widened in shock as the strong, metallic taste of fresh blood filled my mouth. Struggling against him, I tried to spit out the warm liquid. However, the more I did that the more he tightened his grip upon the back of my head, forcing my head to arch upward, and thus sealing our lips together; and with that our destinies...

Cassius POV:

I could sense HIS hunger... feel HIS restlessness... as the hour of feeding approaches.

The clock struck midnight as I made my way across the moor into the dilapidated mausoleum where the blood offerings would be made every year.

Arriving at the entrance of the mausoleum, I sniffed the air, inhaling the sweet scent of prey within. The delectable smell of blood wafted into my nostrils. It smelled so good; unlike the previous offerings. No! This was a prey of outstanding quality!

Licking my lips, I proceeded to enter the compound. To my utter surprise, it turned out to be a human! The life force within her was strong! No wonder the smell was so delectable! Most of the humans that were made as offerings prior to this were either close to death or reeked of diseases. However, she was different.

Though scrawny looking at first sight, I could sense the tenacity of her life force even as her sweet blood slowly drained out of her body. Despite her malnourished appearance and wounds, she still had the makings of a beautiful woman. Flaming auburn hair with a pair of almond-shaped amber eyes to match her strong will, forming a stark contrast to her delicate features... It was truly a sight to behold.

Something stirred within me...

Strange... What exactly was this feeling?

I actually felt the sudden urge to approach her, something that I have never done to a prey before. Usually, I would wait till my prey bleeds out before devouring it...

I walked toward her, as if in a trance...

She looked much more vulnerable up close. I could sense her fear, her pain, her anger and her hatred.

I offered her a chance to escape her fate, something I did for all my prey. The thought of getting their hopes up and crushing them was a favorite ritual of mine.

I expected her to beg for mercy like most of them did. I reveled a little at the thought of seeing her close to tears. It was as if she was something novel to be toyed with. In a way, I was intrigued.

However, her answer shocked me. The way she looked at me with those amber eyes, which carried with it a hint of defiance. I knew in that instant that she was having none of it. She would rather die there than to endure the humiliation of becoming my plaything.

Pretty amusing indeed...

Lost in thought for a moment, a sudden idea flashed across my mind...

It would be a waste for her to die. Why... I have never met such an interesting 'thing' since the dawn of the century. The delight of teasing the reaction out of those defiant eyes; the joy of breaking a head-strong woman like her... Yes I wanted more of it!

I turned my attention once more to the woman in front of me as a smile played across my lips. Stroking the soft, supple skin of her neck, I resisted the urge to bury my fangs deep into that velvety heaven that awaited me. While whispering the words of the ancient tongue, I eyed her alluring lips...

I wonder what her reaction would be if I were to do this...

Holding the back of her head tight, I lowered my head and bit down on that rose-red lips of hers. I felt the instant gush of her sweet blood and the burning sensation of ancient power... I could feel her struggling against me which excited me more. I pressed my lips closer, enjoying the taste of her blood and the sensation of her helplessness. Finally, as the burning sensation faded away, a faint nightingale sigil was seen glowing across her cheek before it faded.

With that, the blood pact was made- that of a SERVANT and MASTER...

What I didn't know back then was the fact that the Wheels of Destiny had begun to turn...