1 Prologue.

Faint light streamed through in horizontal lines as my eyes opened. A hard edge pressed itself into my cheek, threatening to cut open my skin. The sound of New York at dawn filtered in, a muffled rumble of background noises, of cars and buses, and people either getting home, or leaving.

Most people complain about there always being sound. I found it comforting.

With a sigh I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling. Cream paint peeling in the corner above my head, glossed over with pink and orange light. My hand stumbled around next to my head until it found the source of the imprint in my cheek, a warm, hard cover. A book.

A groan came out of my mouth as I pushed it off of the bed. I hadn't dreamed, which was good. It was nice of my subconscious to give me a break from the many nightmares it liked to choose from when I succumbed to sleep a mere handful of hours before dawn.

It was an effort to get up and get ready for the day ahead. By the time I had, the light coming in was faintly yellowish, the kaleidoscope of dawn passing me by. My reflection stared back at me with dead, unseeing eyes. I took in my army boots, black skinny jeans and grey woollen shirt with a sigh. The jeans, originally in perfect condition, had two rips on my knees, one was by accident, the other made to match.

I threw on my black army surplus jacket and crumpled money into my back pocket. My wallet was somewhere under the mess of books all around, the only source of order was the files neatly organised on my desk. Cool crisp air filled my lungs as I opened my window and climbed out onto the fire escape.

In my boots I was liable to wake up the others in the apartment building we shared. Besides, I preferred travelling down the fire escape. I rubbed my eye for a second before staring down below. I was on the second story, four sets of stairs waited below me then a retractable ladder that remained rusted and unmovable. With a roll of my shoulders I stared down into the alley below. My boot rested on the safety rail, testing it, before I got up onto it and jumped.

Time seemed to slow as the ground came closer, my body pulled taught, muscles loose as I prepared myself. I landed with a steady thump, rolling. My mess of dark wavy hair did not budge but my field of vision flashed red for a moment as my brown eyes turned a glowing red. A quick glance at my watch told me it was 0530. My boots were heavy as I stomped out of the alley towards the streets eager for a caffeine fix.

Twenty minutes later and I was standing in front of a small rustic coffee shop in downtown. My own brown eyes stared back at me as I watched my reflection, waiting. The cool morning breeze lifted my waves into my face and off of my shoulders. Clicking resounded to my right and I watched as a woman in a dark blue business suit, a few years older than myself, marched past, not a hair on her head out of place. Her image seemed to mean a lot to her as she headed in the direction of Upper Manhattan.

My ears perked at the sound of shuffling inside. A well-aged face saw me through the glass door. A genuine smile ghosted my face as the door opened with the tinkle of a small dainty bell and I was ushered inside.

"Ah Scarlet! My favourite customer, I knew you'd be coming here early! I just knew it!" Luca shuffled towards into the shop, turning the lights off as more light would come inside. "It's a congelamento morning, sì?" His Italian accent graced lightly over the words.

"Quite." He smiled as he began setting up his industrial coffee machine. Heavy thumping came from the back room followed by a sweet smell of pastries. My eyes closed as I breathed in.

"Buongiorno, Red." A younger version of Luca came in, at 28 he was 6 years my senior. But that never stopped Luca from trying to set me up with his son, Dominic. Dominic looked the way that is often associated with the name, tall dark hair, slightly olive skin and handsome. Plus, it was interesting to find someone with brown eyes lighter than mine, a trait he and his father both shared.

"Oh it is. I just love the colder temperatures. Reminds me of winter back home." My nose sniffed again, I couldn't help it. A pang filled my stomach as a certain smell reminded me of home as well. My eyes widened. "Oh, you didn't!" They both grinned at me as Luca began making my coffee just the way he knew I liked it.

"I believe Rosa has finally figured out where you came from. I never told her though." I knew it was a lie but I couldn't help but grin. All I could smell was beautiful golden pastry with cinnamon and dark chocolate. "Dominic, why don't you go get Scarlet one?"

Or three. I thought cheekily.

Dominic disappeared with a jog.

My mouth watered like crazy just as Luca sat a mug of coffee on one of his dark wooden tables. I sat obediently, staring at the hallway to the back room. The smell of coffee and the pastry mixed in my nose and I sighed.

"Back home they used to mix a little bit of brandy with their coffees when they had pastries and coffee late at night. Oh, I used to lie awake and love the smell. They were quite naughty." I laughed as I took a large gulp of the slightly bitter coffee, feeling it warm me all the way down till it reached my stomach.

Luca bellowed at that as he sat down with a coffee for himself and his son. His bright white canines gleaming. "The Nuns figured they deserved it, dealing with all of us all day." I never told anyone the complete story of my childhood, but Luca and his family knew most of the good bits.

They understood what it was like to miss a home that was hours away as refugees escaping a horrible mob boss. My reason was a little more colourful than that, but that was something I would never tell them. They had a clue though, about what I did, considering that their monthly visitor disappeared mysteriously after getting into an argument with yours truly. To which I followed him out. But, the three of them decided it was best if they didn't ask and ever since then, they treated me like family.

Dominic returned with a small plate of steaming Sladkay Bulochka, followed by his mother, Rosa. She was a sweet woman - like her husband and son - and the lines around her face seemed to mainly be from smiling. The warm pastries were placed in front of me and I immediately grabbed one. I thanked them all quite a lot in their natural language before I took a large bite. The fact that they even went to the trouble was astonishing.

My heart gave an awful pang at the delicious taste.

"Otlichno." I whispered, forgetting they wouldn't understand me. My eyes burned as images of my home flashed before me. Especially the snow. Oh, how I loved the snow back home in Russia. New York snow could never compare. They all stood stunned as they saw my watering eyes. I cleared my throat and stared down at my coffee. "I mean... Thank you." I took a large sip of my coffee as an awkward silence fell.

It was 0900 by the time I got to the graveyard. NEW YORK MARBLE CEMETERY was written above the entrance to the small lane way. It was a relatively small cemetery. I managed to get there before those who were mourning a death. I watched them all walk in together, following a beautifully ornate coffin.

I found cover just as they arrived. They were a pair together. Brother and sister. I had been watching them since an ally of mine had noticed their arrival in New York. Alexei and Sabina Vasiliev. Russians who delighted in certain dealings. As well as slave trading and murder.

"Wait until Alexei gets a load of this one. He won't want the one with the dark hair though." The man stretched out his hand and wound my dark hair around his finger, turning a wave into a curl.

I shuddered and mentally shook myself.

Focus. You need to find out why they're here... And if they know you're here.

The funeral proceeded as most do. The wife of the dead was crying. Other than the siblings, another man stood out from the amassed people. Even from where I was hiding I could see he was sweating. It was highly unlikely it was from the weather because there was still a cold breeze in the air. It was the middle of Autumn. I chewed on the last pastry Luca and his family gave me... It was my fifth.

The pang of homesickness died just a little bit more with every bite I had. Sabina began turning to look in my direction, her stunning light brown locks glittering. With a small effort, I hastily held my phone up to my ear turning away slightly. Her burning gaze passed over me quickly, and while no one was looking, red light flowed down my hand and made the phone disappear, back to my room where I had left it.

Time to leave.

I began walking away, but I could feel someone following. My black army boots kept their shockingly light, fast pace as my heart beat thrummed in my ears. My irises flashed red. I could feel coppery almost-fear rising in the back of my throat. I swiftly paced back through the small lane way. The streets were now quite busy and I shouldered my way through, never slowing my pace. It's important not to let someone know that you're aware they're following you. Not if you wanted to lead them into a trap or make an easy get away. As soon as they know you know, they're more likely to throw out the subtlety and pack on the determination.

The pavement was never ending as I moved, step by step. The busy streets and lanes passing minute by minute. Before long, I found myself in a discreet alleyway. Now let's see what they do. My stride did not falter or break. I did not want to provoke. Just test.

"Hey! You!" It was Alexei. I would never forget his voice. His voice was one of the voices that ended my childhood. But it had ended someone else's more. My eyes flashed with my sudden swing of momentary anger before I reigned it in. I debated pretending that I hadn't heard him and continuing to walk off... But I saw her face. With those perfect little blonde curls and innocent, scared eyes.

So instead I turned. Blinking slowly to hide the flash of my eyes, I looked at him. My pulse quickening as my insides began to shake. He had aged, he didn't seem quite so thin but had the slightest impression of frown lines on his forehead and crow's feet around the eyes. We stared at each other for a moment. My hands shook slightly as my heart beat crashed against my chest until it was roaring angrily in my ears.

"Yes?" I asked impatiently, staring him down. My right hand fingers twitched, aching for some metal.

Just stare him down before the throw down.

It was a phrase I had read in a book once. So far, it had not lead me astray.

"... You look familiar." He took a few steps towards me, dwarfing my smaller, thinner frame. I didn't move a muscle. Do not back down an inch. I stayed still as he reached out, and grabbed a strand of my hair. As he twirled it around his finger his eyes widened. With a short gasp he released the newly curled strand and backed up a few steps. Fear on his face. Just like that day I snapped.

"NO! LEAVE HER ALONE!" I batted at his hand. Trying to distract him. Trying to get him to take his anger out on me. I was older. I could handle it when he placed his hand high on my small thigh. She was only 9. I couldn't let him do things to her that he had done to me so many times since they took us. One of his people slapped me away and I fell as the one called Alexei began to pull her away. My head hit the concrete and I could faintly hear her crying my name.

I could feel my eyes glow red as desperation turned into Rage for the first time. I promised her I would protect her!

With a scream I leapt up off of the ground. Launching myself at the one who had hit me to the ground, red light formed around my wrist down to my fingers, a red encrusted dagger constructed out of thin air. It slid into the spot where his shoulder met his neck so easily.

The rage continued to drive my body without my consent as I fell with the man, disappearing and reappearing right in front of Alexei. He released her and backed up, another one of his men coming in front of him with a deadly, black gun.

At only 11 years old. I had taken my first life. Followed quickly by more, but by the time I was done, Alexei was gone. And now, 11 more years later, I was staring at the man who had ruined me, and had gotten my only friend at the one time I could not protect her. It was only in that moment that I discovered my abilities and found out that my eyes glowing red was not the only thing I could do. I could let myself give into Rage and do many things. Especially kill. It was one of the only things I was good at. So I made it a profession.

"Y-You." He stumbled back once more. "How did you find me?!" I pushed up my sleeves, the dagger tattoo on my right forearm showing, the exact one I had accidentally created so long ago only in black ink. He saw it and blanched, pale as cream. All of a sudden his face turned cruel, his true self coming out to play. "It's so nice to run into an old play thing. Especially after they grow up and..." He looked me up and down with a slow slimy look. "Mature." My eyes glowed blood red as the same knife formed in my hand.

With a snarl I launched myself at him.

His left arm came swinging around and I ducked under it, turning around him and pushing the blade out in an arch, tucking my left arm in so it could start all the way on my left side and follow through with my weight. My hair spun slowly as the world turned sluggish under my red gaze. My teeth bared into a silent snarl again as the blade hit home, and I moved to avoid spray.

Don't think, MOVE! A familiar male voice screamed in my head.

Alexei came around to face me, pulling out twin guns, ignoring the wound in his side. My eyes were glowing fiercely red now as I stared at the twin barrels. With an effort I pushed myself up and over his large body, twisting to slash at the back of his right thigh.

That's it! Left side, right thigh. Restrict his movement!

He hissed and I my booted foot struck out, pushing him backward. One of the guns slipped out of his grip but he fixed that by grabbing the other one by both hands. He aimed it at me and I had nowhere to go.

Steeling myself I began the effort of pushing myself back.

Too close! TOO CLOSE!

I screamed in my head. The trigger clicked, and I took my cue to release my energy. In one moment I moved from right in front of the bullet to over and behind Alexei. My breath stole out of me and I had to take a large gulp. Alexei, slightly confused, turned and saw me. His departed gun teleported from on the ground next to him to into my left hand. And I pulled the trigger.

The look on his face could only be described as one of shock. Pure shock. He slowly glanced down at the hole in his chest. My eyes burned as I stared at him.

This is for Katya.

The single hole was soon a grouping as I released the whole clip into his chest with practiced precision. I could hear heeled footsteps coming down the mouth of the alley and I turned to see Sabina running towards us, shock on her face as she saw me. The dagger dissipated and I dropped the gun. I could hear her screaming as I took a deep breath and teleported.

She was too late... He was already gone.