Heart of Ashes

Prologue

Heart of Ashes

All Rights Reserved

©2015Raine Caoilin Chandler

Evelyn sat on her father's knee with her head against his chest as he read to her. Though his voice was not what she focused on, nor did she pay any attention to the pictures in the book he was reading. What really interested her was that she could hear no heartbeat when she pressed her ear against her father's chest. That was favourite story; how her father became a real-life vampire. It was far more exciting than anything he could read but she tore her attention away from her father's lack of a heartbeat and went back to listening to the story he was reading. It was something about a girl taking a trip to fairy land. Her mother sat curled up on the opposite couch with a book of her own but Evelyn knew she wasn't really reading it, she was also listening to the story. Her father had a clear, captivating voice and he seemed to know how to make anything exciting. Even broccoli - although that probably had more to do with the fact that he didn't have to eat any of it. Once her mother had tried to get him to eat it, he'd made some silly excuse about it making vampires explode and a funny face at Evelyn.

A scar on his hand caught her eye and she traced it with one of her little fingers. Her father told her about it once, it was an accident when he'd been making a coat and his fabric shears had slipped. For some reason she couldn't focus on her father's voice. Just the little details about him that made him special. His pale, steady hands, his deep red eyes and the skillfull way in which he'd stitched the waistcoat he was wearing together. All his work was perfect, he wouldn't accept it otherwise.

Evelyn felt as if something was going to happen but she couldn't say what. Her father had always told her that she was special, that she was very smart and wasn't like all the other children her age. She slipped her little five-year-old hand into his and he stopped reading. Once the surprise passed, he gripped her hand gently and made a little circular movement with his thumb on her knuckles.

"Daddy, I'm sleepy," she said, looking up at his face.

He smiled, "It's about time."

He leaned forward and put the book down and scooped her up to take her upstairs to bed. He threw the covers on her bed back and put her down then pulled them back up to her chin. He kissed her forehead and turned out the light. He went to the door and smiled at her.

"Daddy?" she whispered.

"Cherub?" he replied.

"You forgot to check under the bed," she said, "I think I heard something under there this morning."

She didn't really believe that their was anything under her bed but she enjoyed watching him check. Occasionally he'd pretend there was a monster under there and he'd threaten it.

He slapped his forehead, "Of course, silly me."

He knelt beside her bed and bent down to look under it.

"Oi," he said, "get out of there before I make you get out."

She heard his fangs snap down and knew that if anything had actually been under there, it was gone. Either that or it had soiled the floor or whatever it happened to be wearing. His head popped back up and he gave her a fanged smile.

"I don't think that one will be coming back anytime soon," he said.

She smiled her thanks and he scooped both her hands up and kissed them.

"Goodnight, my beautiful little gift," he said.

"Goodnight, Daddy," she replied.

He smiled one last time and left the room.

She was half asleep when she heard someone banging on the door downstairs. There was no response to it and the banging got louder.

"Alright, alright! I'm coming!" she heard her father bellow.

He'd been working, he always worked at night, and he hated to be disturbed. There were only two people that were allowed to distract him from his work; Evelyn and her mother.

"What's the..." his voice trailed off then surprise took over, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Whoever it was had woken her mother up, "What's going on, love?" she asked from the landing, "Ala... oh."

She heard her mother run down the stairs to join her father at the door. She eased out of bed and went to go look, she wanted to know what was happening. She crept down the stairs and peaked round the wall into the entry hall. There were two men standing in the door way. No, not men, vampires. She could tell by their eyes; one had bright, golden eyes and the other had eyes the colour of red wine.

The one with the golden eyes was very, very tall and he had long, charcoal coloured hair and a moustache. The other one was also tall, but not as tall as the one with golden eyes, and he had shoulder length, black hair that developed a red sheen when light fell upon it. He looked worried.

"Alastair, you need to come with us," he said, he had a nice, deep voice with a really old-sounding accent, "it's for your own good."

"You know I can't do that," her father replied, "I have a family."

"You should have thought of that before you killed those people," said the golden eyed one, he also had an interesting atonement.

"I am what I am," her father said, "what were you expecting?"

"There are rules, Alastair," said the red eyed one - a Maragi, like her father, "they need to be obeyed or you could get into some serious trouble."

Her father sighed, "I don't even remember it. I doubt anyone else will."

There was a silence filled to the brim with concern.

"Alastair," said the Maragi, "you need to come, now."

"You're not taking my husband anywhere!" her mother exclaimed.

"Vanessa," warned the golden eyed one, a N... N... something with an 'N', "stand aside."

"No," she said.

"Then you leave us no choice," the Maragi's voice was soft and deliberate.

The two vampires burst through the door and she jumped back. Her father cursed the Maragi, who grabbed him. The other one held her mother back. She poked her head round the corner and locked eyes with the Maragi. An odd sense of recognition wrapped around her mind and an apologetic expression spread over his face. He mouthed something that looked like I'm sorry and fastened a pair of shackles around her father's wrists.

Then her father saw her, "Evelyn go to bed. Everything's going to be alright."

"It's only temporary," said the unnaturally tall one, "perhaps."