by Katherine Spaulding

Created on: January 27, 2008   Last Updated: May 19, 2010

The Damphyre

Chapter 1
The dark, velvet blue of the night sky took the world in its hold as the sun set itself on the other side to sleep. The longest night in the year was upon the humans and the immortals hunted mercilessly in the chilling air. Snow drifted softly to the ground as Carmen's firm, powerful and graceful movements passed through the streets with her dear little Olivia almost breaking into a run to keep up with her. "Soon my dear you will not have to face the day alone. Olivia, your sixteenth birthday will come soon correct?"

"Yes, Mother Carmen."
"You Show me so much respect my little beautiful daughter."
"Mother Carmen, I have to if I'm to survive all eternity with you and Father Giovanni."
This made Carmen laugh, which scared Olivia. She thought it was not possible to hear her immortal mother laugh, that her mother wasn't capable of laughing. The expression it gave Olivia made her laugh again. Carmen was being unusually cheery. "Mother Carmen?"
"Yes, my dear?"
"Are we going to see Father tonight? Is that why you're happy?"
"Yes, my dear. It is and there is another reason that you'll soon know."
Just as she finished saying that they reached the country roads and Olivia was made to clamber into the awaiting carriage with Carmen following close behind with an amazing difference in grace. "Hello, Mr. Right. How are your children lately?"
"Why hello mistress Carmen, My children are doing well. Also, my wife is pregnant with our third one." Mr. Right, a country man of only thirty-two years with a warm smile, responded. "You look like there is the swell of a child in you m' lady." This thought surprised, scared, and excited Olivia. "Mother, Is it so?!?"
"I said you'll see soon enough my dear."
The rest of the ride was spent in silence with Mr. Right sweetly humming a charming midnight melody, like one that is sung to make a fitful child sleep, to himself. Olivia stared through the carriage window at the outside world, and Carmen took the appearance of sleeping though she sat in deep thought while listening to Olivia absently humming the same tune as Mr. Right.
As the group entered Giovanni's bleak snow covered grounds, Olivia's concentration turned to Carmen and her blank expression. This was a clear sign that Carmen had begun to remember her life in the light. Even though Olivia did not want to anger Carmen, she had to raise a question to attention. "Oh dear mother of mine, Elliot's ritual is tonight correct?" This brought Carmen to the present and

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