Chapter One

Author's POV

The blood spluttered over her face as she stooped beside her dead dad with his head laying on her lap. Her small unfortunate eyes gazed upwards. Her mom's face was bended with torment as the Strigoi drank from her neck avariciously. Blood spouted from the injury where the beast had plunged his hand through her stomach holding her face up.

"Run, little Ivy. Run," her mom gagged out with her last ounce of strength before her caring eyes turned blank. Her five ft six casing hung in the Strigoi's hold and with a harmful chuckle, he torqued his arm out pulling her insides with the movement. The body fell helplessly. Ivy's eyes followed as her mom's body disintegrated to land over her dad's body.

She gazed with wide blue and green eyes up at the beast with a bloodstained mouth, a mouth stained with her mom and father's blood. The Strigoi looked at her with a guileful grin and the little child winced away shaking her head. He became upset and on second thought suddenly erupted with his arm smacking her across the snow covered ground. She skidded and rolled as her brain cast itself back to the numerous lessons she'd got over the course of the years from both her parents and the academy.

Something strong and sharp cut her arm and she let out a whine of torment. Peering down, she saw blood starting to dribble onto the snow, but she also saw the sparkling silver stake lying there. The next couple of seconds happened so quick as she felt moved on impulse. A band of Guardians at last reached them racing through the woods. The Strigoi was in mid jump rushing for her neck. A column of earth shot up through the thick layer of snow spearing him through the thigh. As he fell, she mustered all the strength left in her and thrusted forward with the stake pointing towards his undead heart. Disbelief sparkled in his eyes as the silver struck its target and he disintegrated.

Shuddering, Ivy staggered to her her dead parents laid. She sobbed for all she was worth and when she thought she had no tears left, still she cried.

Guardians amassed around the area checking for lurking Strigoi waiting to catch them unawares. Guardian Andy Maxwell removed his jacket and folded it over the shaking kid. Her hold tightened on her parents as she glared at the Guardian.

"You're safe now, Ivy. You're safe." Andy whispered, smoothing hair from the young girl's tear filled face. "Easy now Ivy, let them go so we can pick them up."

"They're gone, aren't they?" Ivy asked with a gagged voice.

"Please accept my apologies, Ivy."

The sky thundered above them as rain poured converging with the snow. Feeling numb, Ivy allowed Andy to lift her up into his arms and obscurity consumed her as voices started yelping orders around.

***

All through the whole memorial service, the main idea that consumed Ivy's head was her escape plan. For the past week, she'd got more attention than she could ever want. Individuals overwhelmed her with compassion, some with true motive, others were faked. She had previously packed her bag with her mom's silver stake along with a few dresses and some cash she'd managed to find.

The memorial service was held at day break, her parents' favourite time of the day. She could still imagine going on the everyday strolls with her parents at first light when others were just starting to get up.

After the final burial of her parents, there was a service held in the chapel for the people who needed to send silent prayers to their dearly departed. It was during that time that Ivy took away. She had slipped through the crowd, as undetectable as possible, ran to where she hid her bag before hurrying to the secret weak spot she'd discovered two days ago. The weakened part of the ward was what gave her the plan to get away.

She didn't need a daily existence where people around her died one after the other in this unending war. She didn't need any more hopelessness. She realize that she needed to get out.

"Hey, you're that Ivan's little girl," a voice called from over her.

Her head gobbled up to the trees and she saw a red untidy haired kid wearing a dark suit relaxing on a thick branch. He bounced down when he saw her and ventured towards her. She watched him carefully briefly before turning on her heel to leave as planned. She had only managed to move one leg before he abruptly held her arm dragging her back.

"What's going on with you? Are you sure you're okay?" He felt concerned.

"Leave me Blaise," she said through gritted teeth.

"I can't allow you leave. You won't last a day out there."

"Watch me."

"No." He held on to her.

"Let me go," she almost pleaded. The pain and misery in her eyes paralyzed him and his hold unwittingly slipped. An grim but thankful grin adorned her round face before she turned around and went through the small gap. "Oh and Blaise," she turned back to him, "You should let the Guardians know that there's a fault here. We would not want to have a rehash of what happened last week, right?" And with that she left and Blaise gazed after her retreating figure, vanishing into the darkness of the woods.

Over the past six years that he'd known the little girl, he'd never seen such a lot of emotions all over her face. She'd always been so calm and acquainted with the darkness, keeping away from social gatherings much more than was expected. Quietly, he prayed for her wellbeing in the outside world.