Blood Sacrifice(Prologue)

Prologue

~Sapphire~

I ran through a small alleyway in the midst of London fearing I was being followed. My fangs were exposed and I was hungry. Skidding around a corner I continued running fearfully of what possible creature could be behind me.

“Sapphire,” they spoke their voice travelling through the wind.

“Leave me alone,” I muttered looking back. My long brown hair followed behind my like a cloak in the wind and my wet white dress clung to my like plastic. Looking upwards, a thunder cloud rumbled in over central London.  I ran faster jumping over trash cans. Skidding around the corner I discovered a dead end. SHIT!

“Sapphire,” The voices spoke again.

“WHAT!” I screamed turning around. Confronting me were a tall man of muscle build and deep red eyes.

“Stengori,” a voice came from behind the figure. They turned around and looked at the five figures behind him dressed in similar attire with purple robes to the ground.

“Wh-Who are you?” I asked sobbing, red tears streaming down my face.

“Sapphire, don’t be afraid.” A figure lifted their hood and revealed their face. Looking up I saw a woman with long brown hair and soft brown eyes. She smiled kindly at me before looking at the man who was chasing me.

“Stengori, the Crownshearts are no longer under your control, remember,” the woman spoke softly but her voice was firm. The one called Stengori removed his hood and exposed his scar covered face. I felt sick.

“What do you want?” I say still sobbing.

The group was dead silent for five minutes til the woman spoke again.

“Sapphire-“

“How do you know my name?” I yelled at her.

A male removed his hood and spoke softly, “Because you are told you have no family left, correct?”

“Y-Yes,” I whispered. “My sister is dead, I killed her.”

“Sophie is not dead, Sapphire. She’s alive and is at Rikita Academy.” I noticed Stengori let out a shuddering breath when the male spoke.

“Bu-But... Who are you?” I asked him. He slowly approached me walking past Stengori.

“A friend to your mothers,” he replied crouching next to me. Did I trust these people? I drained Sophie though...or did I?

Nodding, I looked at Stengori, “Who are you, then?”

“A family friend,” he lied. The man stood again and narrowed his eyes to Stengori.

“Don’t lie Stengori,” he hissed. Stengori bared his fangs and so did everyone else.

“Peter,” the woman warned stepping forward.

“Leave, now,” she hissed to Stengori before looking at me. Stengori’s cold eyes looked at me.

“I’m not lying Sapphire. Don’t believe them.” Stengori spoke softly and Peter laughed.

“Yes, you’re a family friend who killed all the Crownsheart’s,” Peter said. “Very funny!”

“Leave. We over power you Stengori,” the woman said. He hissed at me before leaving.

I looked at them in shock, crying softly.

“Sapphire,” the woman said softly.

“Get away from me!” I yelled, got up and ran again. Who were these people and how did they know me. Looking right at the small gap in the wall I took my chances and ran through it. Stretching my arms out, I ran my fingers along the walls for support. Reaching and opening I stopped and looked at the figure in front of me. Hearing footsteps on the pavement, I turned to run again but I was surrounded. Giving up, I sat in the middle, crying. The woman walked towards me, the male at her heels. Reaching out to touch me, I yelled, “Don’t touch me!”

“Why did you run?” she asked. I gulped and kept my eyes low. The male, Peter, crouched down and slid his fingers under my chin to prop my head up. I tried to bit him but missed.

“Sapphire,” he said sternly.

“I-I don’t know.” What I spoke was true, I didn’t know why I ran from these people and I had full intentions to run again.

“I’m Miss Graveheart,” the woman said. “Principal at Rikita where your sister is now.”

“I don’t believe you. I fully drained my sister a few years ago...when I killed my...,” I spoke my voice barely a whispered. Peter stood and walked away.

“I’m sorry, sir but I couldn’t control my blood lust and...”

“I understand,” he said calmly looking.

“Come with us,” Miss Graveheart spoke suddenly.

”No,” I replied, jumped up and went to run again. Peter grabbed me by the collar and tossed me to the ground in front of Miss Graveheart.

“It wasn’t a yes or no question dear. I make the decision.” I looked up into Peter’s familiar eyes. From when I saw him an hour ago my memory bank exploded.

Groaning, I tried to stand but I found myself stuck to the ground.

“I hate doing this,” someone mumbled as they approached with silver chains.

“No, please, I’ll go with you,” I whispered eying the chains. Feeling a chain on my neck, I screamed a blood curdling scream. Looking at Peter, his back was turned to me.

“Peter?” Miss Graveheart spoke softly.

“I’m not, I can’t. Not to her anyway,” he replied in a distressed tone.

“You have to.”

Have to what? Peter glanced at me and walked forward. Were they mad! Ejecting venom into me from another vampire would kill me.

“Please,” I begged weakly as he knelt down.

“Remove the silver,” he said holding my hand

Miss Graveheart clicked her fingers and two people scuttled over and removed the silver. I looked into Peter’s empty eyes.

“Please,” I begged again as he lent into my neck. “It’ll kill me.”

“I won’t,” he promised. Peter’s lips rested on my collarbone and his fangs extracted. He squeezed my hand tightly before he sunk his fangs into my skin.

I screamed and struggled before I began to feel dizzy. Peter let go of my hand and people were shouting orders.

“Peter, that’s enough!” Miss Graveheart said hauling him off me. Looking up, my vision was a blur but I could make out the Peter was crying.

“Grab the silver Marcus,” Miss Graveheart said.

“We agreed,” Peter snapped at her.

“Yes, we did Peter but in case if she awakes on the journey.” As she spoke my wrists were forced together and silver wrapped around them.

“It’ll burn me,” Peter added. Miss Graveheart smiled and muttered an enchantment over me. Closing my eyes, my sight blackened.

My weightless body was picked up lightly. Letting out a small groan I flickered my eyes open to look up at Peter’s red face. He sniffed and looked down at me smiling weakly.

“Where are we?” I croaked realizing my wrists were wrapped in sliver again.

Peter went to speak but quickly changed the subject.

“Act dead,” he snapped.

“Why?” I demanded

“Because it’ll save us both ok.”

Slowly nodding, I snuggled into his chest and closed my eyes again.

I felt someone eying my back and it made me uncomfortable. Trying not to move, I felt Miss Graveheart’s hand on my forearm.

“Well?” she demanded her eyes focused on my faces.

“She’s stirred once,” he replied vaguely. Miss Graveheart muttered a few words and removed the silver. I let out another painful groan.

Craning my neck to look ahead of me, I looked into Miss Graveheart’s eyes and hissed. She smiled and looked at Peter before walking back to the others. Flexing my wrists, I winced in pain as I rubbed the imprints.

“Is she usually like this?” I asked worryingly. Peter looked down at me and smiled.

“No, it’s only because she has been looking for you for months, Sapphire,” he explained calmly.

Months, seriously? Next time send a letter please or something but I didn’t need to be chased around London fearing them. An icy gust of wind hit my face and sent a chill down my spine. My teeth began to chatter and Peter held me close.

“Shh, we should be there soon,” he whispered encouragingly.

As we continued, I noticed that our surrounds had changed from misty London streets to a beautiful forest with giant oak trees. Gazing upwards, I gasped at canopy above us with small specks of moonlight shining through. Peter smirked and looked at me.

“Beautiful, isn’t it,” he said.

“Yes, it’s stunning,” I breathed as memories flowed back into my head.

We walked on in silence, the snow crunched under Peter’s feet.  The noise made me feel sleepy. Letting out a small yawn, I wriggled into his chest and closed my eyes.

Images appeared of my family. My sister must have been about five and she happened to be wearing her favourite dress. My mother and father were talking to some people and I was with my friends, Lily and her sister, Maddy.

“Sapphire,” my mother called. Smiling at the twins, I raced over to my mother and looked at the two accompanists.

“Hello Sapphire,” the woman said softly, bending down to my height.

“Rose, she isn’t that small anymore, are you Sapphire,” the male said. I gazed upwards and saw it was Peter. He was telling the truth then, family friend. My father narrowed his eyes and looked at me. My sister rushed over and hugged me.

“Sapphire won another trophy yesterday,” she blurted out.

“Sophs,” I muttered.

“What for,” Rose asked.

“Piano...again,” I say smiling. That image fades and another one appears of me.

My parents drag me out of the car and into a dirty alleyway. Throwing my on the ground they begin to kick, punch and attack me. I was begging for mercery but they wouldn’t stop. I was bleeding to death and nobody was around.

“Help me,” I groaned and lifted my head weakly.  Next thing I knew I was surrounded by police and many spectators. My body was being lifted up and into an ambulance. That image faded and the next one fades in.

I looked about 15 and I was sitting happily in front of a piano playing songs from my ‘parents’ youth. I couldn’t remember many things from that but I just made up music as I go.

“Sapphire,” a woman voice called.

“Coming,” I said running out of the room and into the kitchen where many other children were seated around a table. Taking my seat, we all began to chant a pray thanking god for this warm food and a roof over our head. The orphanage; worst place of my life!

Jamie flicked food at us and got taken down to the basin and never returned. I gulped at the thought of that. Once more, my vision faded and another took its place.

A knock was heard on the door. Miss Retia answered it. I walked out of the piano room and joined her.

“How may I help you,” Miss Retia asked the man

“I’m looking for a hardworking, silent girl with a musical ability.”

 Miss Brennan laid her eyes on me.

“Sapphire Crownsheart has those qualities you seek for, sir,” she said smirking at me

The man pulled me forward and looked me in the eye before speaking,” Perfect.”

Gulping I jerked my arm back and the man went to fill in some paperwork.

Miss Retia gave a final hug not knowing it was my last day being human. My adopter grabbed my arm and pulled me outside. Throwing me into his car, he drove off towards the poor side of town.

“Where are we going?” I asked quietly. He turned around and gave me a toothy grin, his long fangs extracting.

“The last day of your human existence,” he replied and took a sharp corner.

Reaching a worn down house, he grabbed me by the hair and dragged me inside. Tossing me into a room, he race over to me and looked at me. Smirking, he pushed my head to the side and bit me.

I woke up into reality panting. My face was covered in sweat and blood. My vision was still blurb. Gasping for breath, a person spoke, “What were you dreaming off?” Peter’s voice seemed different. Somebody knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Peter called. As he spoke a girl in school dress walked in. Her blonde hair tied back into a ponytail and her bright green eyes looked at me.

“Sophie?” I questioned her curiously.

“Sapphire?” she squealed running over to me.

“Be careful Sophie, your sister’s weak,” Peter warned her. Sophie’s arms wrapped around my neck and she cried.

“Thank god you’re alive,” she whispered.

“Same to you,” I say quietly. She let go of me and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Where am I?” I asked looking around the room noticing more beds.

“My dorm, we actually, our dorm,” she said pointing to another girl. Peter let out a sigh and stood. Bending down, he kissed my forehead and left the room without a word. My gaze focused on the girl leaning on the bed base with fiery red hair.

“FJ this is my sister, Sapphire,” Sophie introduced.

“Hey,” I whispered painfully.

“You sister tells me that you’ve had a harsh past?” FJ said softly. Slowly, I nodded and smiled at her before looking at Sophie hungrily. 

“I’m not food!” Sophie yelled before laughing.

FJ walked over and sat where Peter originally was and offered me her arm.

“Go on,” she encouraged smiling at me. “Your sister’s fed from me before.”

Nodding, my fangs extracted and I yanked her arm down.

“Are you sure?” I asked worryingly.

“Positive,” FJ replied and looked away. Unwittingly, I bit her am and drank. Her warm blood trickled down my throat and into my still moving arteries. Taking a few more mouthfuls, I drew back and smiled at her.

“Thank you,” I whispered wiping my mouth.

“No problem.” FJ smiled at me before leaving the dorm. Sophie stood and hugged me again.

“Rest,” she ordered and left.