• An air of happiness and peace settled over the village of Ashera the day of Amy Ray's wedding. In the largest of the cottages, she stood in her long white wedding dress, smiling into a mirror and thinking of forever. She didn't hear the giggling and chatter of the ladies around her, with their oo's and ah's at how beautiful she looked in the most expensive dress she'd ever worn. It was as if nothing in the world could break through the giddy happiness that settled so firmly in her chest.

    Amy felt like a princess. Royalty, aiming to marry the love of her life. Keegan wasn't so much like a prince himself. He was more of a... commoner. He was a childish type. Serious when he had to be, but childish. He had no regal way about him, as Amy was often said to have, but still, somehow, she fell in love with the guy.

    He, through his constant joking, always knew when the time was to be serious, as he was the day of their engagement. Keegan had taken Amy to the forest, a place where he had rarely treaded. Knowing Amy's love for the place, he spent the night with her, sleeping of all places under the stars. He disliked living in nature. Finding the town more practical and convenient, he rarely left. To take Amy to the forest, where he disliked so much, just to ask her to marry him had really gotten to her. She could feel the warmth of the action from her head to the tips of her toes. He was a great man, and all hers.

    Amy Ray was but eighteen years old since the previous winter, and was now getting married as a woman should. She didn't feel so much like a woman, but just barely a child. After all, it seemed a day ago she was seventeen, still a little kid without a care in the world. Now, she had many cares. Many cares and many worries, all of which revolved around Keegan and her new life.

    Her appearance in the mirror amazed her. She looked like a woman. There was none of the child she was left in her appearance. She had plump lips, full breasts, an hourglass figure, the hips that one upon a time had sprouted out of no where, and a heart weighed down by years. Her innocence was the only thing she kept from back then. She was determined not to let it go too soon.

    Stepping down from the stool on which she stood, and turning from the mirror, she smiled at her friends, the girls she had grown up with, and addressed them with her soft voice.

    "I'm so glad you all can be here with me. Me and Keegan hope you'll all stay with us for a bit after the wedding. We've some things we don't need anymore that we want you to have."

    The chatter resumed and thousands of questions were thrown at her. Some, although inappropriate, she just laughed at. The girls were all younger than her by a year or two, and all were curious as to what she was feeling, thinking on her wedding day. It was every girl's dream to grow up and marry their prince charming. They wondered though why Keegan was her own prince charming. After all, he seemed so dull. But, he had a mystery about him, and from seeing the girls that weren't all too thrilled at Amy's getting married, she knew he was a wonderful catch.

    Amy's best friend in the town, Isleen, spoke up about bedrooms and such with a fitful smirk on her face.

    "You don't need to know about Keegan, drop it Isleen," she said to her, one of the most devious and curious young ladies.

    As Amy looked over the faces of her long-time friends, those who had been with her from birth to her marraige, she realized her sister had not yet returned.

    "Where is Ethel?" she asked quietly, curiously.

    Isleen looked up at her and shrugged. "She said she was going to get you flowers from the Circle. You still need your bouquet, after all. She left yesterday before dark though, I haven't seen her since."

    It was odd. Ethel was never late for anything. Especially not for her younger sister's wedding. She had promised Amy she'd be back before dark.

    Leaving the ladies to gossip amongst themselves, Amy's slender figure slipped out the front doors of the cottage in hopes she could find her eldest sister before the wedding. As she walked across toward her mother's cottage, where she and her family; two sisters and her brother, still lived. To her surprise, her mother rushed out before she reached the doors.

    "Amy!" she cried as she wrapped her arms around her daughter's shoulders and sobbed. "Ethel, she's..."
    All Amy could hear was sobs and a few words here and there. "What?" she asked. "Where's Ethel, Ma?"

    Letting go of the girl, her Mother pointed toward the cottage. Walking past the threshold of the place, the stench of medicines lingered heavily on the air. On her own bed, Ethel laid asleep in a bloody dress and rain-soaked hair.

    With widened eyes, Amy rushed to her, sitting on the edge of the bed and setting a hand on the cheeks of her sister's face. "What the hell happened?" she whispered in a pained voice. She could feel hot tears welling up in her eyes, and didn't mind the fact that she had already applied the make-up to her face for the wedding.

    Her mother explained that Ethel had fallen asleep upon arriving, and had not yet been woken up.
    "Amy, look at her neck. She's been bitten."

    "By a vampire, no doubt," Amy replied with a scholarly knowledge and a sickness in her voice. She despised the creatures. They were creepy, terrifying. "It got her deep, Ma. Blood loss?"

    "She wasn't bleeding too much when she arrived, although that'd be a lot of blood on her clothing. Her skin is just drenched with it. I've cleaned up what I could, and had a doctor see her. He hasn't spoken with me yet, but he will. We need to wake her up and cover those bite wounds with holy water before any of the damned vamps get to her."

    "Where's it at?"

    "Drawers... My room."

    Amy rushed in to get the holy water that would sear through Ethel's bloody injuries like fire. It would very much be like fire, as if a blaze traveled straight through the openings in her skin and into her body, burning her from the inside out. It was the way of the vampire, to be repelled by blessed water. Ethel would now have the vampire's poison, what the townspeople called it, rushing through her veins. If they did not purge Ethel of the remnants of her potential sire, she could be somewhat mind controlled, and taken to the forest where the turning into such a creature would be completely carried out. Since Ethel had no eye teeth, they were sure that a transfer of blood, which was necessary for turning, had not yet happened.

    She thanked the stars the bottle of water was a big one. Ethel was covered in cuts and wounds. Each would have to be filled, just in case.

    "Here, Ma," Amy said upon returning to the room. Pausing at the doorway, she watched as her mother sat on the edge of the bed next to Ethel, shaking her carefully to not cause her pain.

    "Ethel," she said in a motherly voice, a soothing one. "Wake up, hun, please?"

    A pained look appeared on Ethel's previously peaceful face as her eyes opened and closed again. At Ethel's grumblings over sleep and such that escaped her mouth, her mother laughed and Amy smiled.

    "We need to tend to your wounds, then you can go to sleep again," Amy said as she neared the bed, handing the bottle of blessed water to her mother. "Ma, you need my help undressing her?"

    At that, Ethel opened her eyes again with a look of anger on her face. Her voice was pained and heavy, but to even hear the voice was music to their ears. "Why the hell do you two have to see me naked?" she asked with obvious confusion. "I wasn't bitten anywhere but my neck."

    Letting the smile leave her face, Amy explained. "I know, but you've lacerations, abrasions everywhere Ethel. What if one was of the teeth? Then we have a problem. All need to be purged."

    Groaning, Ethel stood weakly, and realized she had at least enough strength to do so. It felt good to know that she wasn't so damaged she could no longer stand. Sending a glare at Amy when she stepped forward to try to help her, she slipped off the bloody gown, leaving her undergarments on for her dignity, and laid back down on the bed again with her arms crossed. Yes, she was angry, but not so much at Amy and her mother. She was, however, furious at herself for staying around that angel for so long the day before. As a matter of fact, she wondered why she was alive right now. And hell, why was she still human? If she had lost consiousness, wouldn't it have killed her or at least turned her?

    Now that she thought about it, it wasn't a vampire. Maybe it couldn't turn others. Ethel had no answers though. Only confusion.

    She was ripped from her thoughts though as she heard a gasp from Amy's lips. Turning, she saw the wide eyes of her sister gawking at a wound on her leg.

    "What's wrong?" she asked.

    "I...I just poured the water on it. I know its a bite wound, but... it doesn't burn, does it?

    Shaking her head no, Ethel looked up at her. "It wasn't a vampire, Amy."

    "What?"

    Ethel explained to her mother and sister what happened the night before. The appearance of the angel, the fangs of it, the chase. What horrified her the most that day was that the Stones of Reigna offered her no protection. She couldn't believe it. They had always served as a safe place from those of evil. Even some humans could not set foot upon it. So what was so different about the angel?

    The two looked at her as if she were crazy.

    "I've heard of no such thing," said her mother with a puzzling look upon her face.

    Amy stayed silent, staring at the floor seemingly lost in thought.

    "Well, what do you think? I'm lying?" she inquired with a testy voice. "What's it look like? I tripped or something?"

    Shaking her head, her mother replied with quickness. "No, no. Ethel, I didn't mean..."

    "They're real." The words from Amy's mouth interrupted and pushed her mother into stunned silence. "Ma, haven't you heard of the legends? Some of the girls talk of such beings every once in a while. Only in scary stories and such... They've wings, fangs, and drink blood, just like the creature Ethel speaks of. Look at her, Ma. How can you not believe her? She has never lied to you and never will."

    A wave of relief and bitter satisfaction struck Ethel Ray as she stared up at her sister in complete adoration and appreciation.

    "If you don't mind," she said, seeing they were getting no where. "I'd like to dress these wounds and head off to sleep. I'm exhausted."

    Still, her mother looked as if she'd been struck across the face, but that couldn't be helped. Ethel was telling the truth, and by some reason Amy believed her. That her mother didn't was no surprise. The stubborn woman was led by facts, and facts alone. If she were to see herself, maybe she would be more accepting. But, Ethel knew that until solid proof was given, a vampire would be her attacker and that would be that. She was surprised that the slight bit had been thrown at the woman by Amy. Normally, they were not so brave with the stone woman.

    "Of course," Amy said, bending down to help with the deepest of Ethel's blood seeping wounds. "I'll take care of her, Mum. Will you do me a favor though, and fetch Keegan for me?"

    Still flustered, her mother answered in a monotone voice. "He's getting ready for your wedding. You really should..."

    "No, it's being postponed."

    "Postponed? But..."

    "Ethel is lying here hurt. She's in no condition to be outside in sight of everyone in Ashera for Reigna's sake, Ma. I'll not be going through with it without Ethel there. I refuse. If you won't get Keegan for me, at least tell him. I need Daddy to talk to those working the ceremony about all this... leaving out details of Ethel, and tell them they'll be paid for their troubles."

    Ethel would have been throwing a fit, protesting and raging until Amy changed her mind. However, her sister had told her herself how important it was that she was there with her. It meant the world to her. This was Amy's dream. When they were little girls, it was always Amy, the young, pretty, and romantic. She would always choose to play a certain game; one in which they would pretend that their perfect man had finally come for them to take them away to explore the new areas of the world. Now grown and matured, such a thing was reality and required all her loved ones present. She would be sure of it, Ethel knew as a fact, so she stayed silent.

    As their mother left the room, the two girl's eyes met. The simple gesture said everything that needed to be said.
    "I love you, Ethel."
    "I love you, Amy."
    "You're going to be okay, you know that? I'm here for you. I'll take care of you."
    "I know, baby sister. You always have been."

    They both smiled, and Ethel let herself close her eyes as she felt Amy working away at the blood on her legs.

    "Amy?"

    "Yeah?" the small voice replied.

    It was an odd request, and she honestly did not know why she was asking for such a thing, but they were at a point where their trust and respect for one another could not be broken. "Will you leave the candles burning when you leave? I'd like to keep light in here as I sleep."

    "I will, I promise."

    "Thank you."