The rain was pouring down. A single flash from a lightning tore the clouds apart and shortly illuminated the forest path spattered with puddles and withered leaves. The treetops were drawn against the sky like black, calligraphic lines, ink dissolving against the dark canvas. Footsteps were heard cracking the fallen branches on the ground. Out from...

Isobel stood with her hands supporting against the desk, Vladimir opposite her, his arms crossed and Thomas and Marcus beside him, all four of them with their gaze directed to the black box in the middle where the speaker's white noise once in a while picked up, signalling that the long-distance call was connected successfully with the receiver in...

The airplane arrived as scheduled 12:34 on a private airstrip connected to Heathrow. Gabriel sat by the window and watched as they rolled up to the gate. As expected two police cars and two motorcycles were waiting for them and holding back the black limousine sent from the mansion to pick them up as usual. Behind all this was a...

As the news had spread gradually, more journalists had been sent to the police station where Matthew was brought. He sat quietly in the back seat of the police car, the cold iron of the handcuffs sending pleasant chills over his body as he watched the crowd outside. There were no civilians, luckily, but it was merely a question of...

Gabriel had watched as his father had driven off. Shade and Nathaniel took over immediately and escorted him to the limousine as soon as the police cars were out of sight. The hungry journalists were fed angry tears and Zacharias assured the hordes that a pubic statement would be made later that afternoon as Aenriques followed Gabriel out of sight....

It was clear to Lynne that Matthew had staged something much bigger than she had expected. She held her breath as Isobel Darklighter and Zacharias Darklighter arrived at the station in person, handing in a parcel containing a copy of a video announcement which had already been mailed to the three big national TV-stations of the country and seven...

Thomas had greeted the psychiatrist in the reception and taken her to the same interrogation room where they had previously had their short interview. It was no surprise to him that the psychiatrist, Emily Spalding was her name, fiddled with her papers nervously as he left and came back, escorting the prisoner to his seat. Matthew sat down opposite...

She drove faster than a lightning bolt swung across the sky. She banged her head into the headrest on her seat, cursing and swearing that Peter Cunningham had not been able to keep Matthew for longer. The media had been around but it was like a blanket had been stuffed in their mouths and what they focused on mostly was...

Raymond was on his way, far away from the station. He could not believe he had been so stupid to trust that a mortal would have survived for more than three days at the mercy of the Darklighters. Here he was, one down, and he knew that all his sources were slipping out at this very moment because he had...

The square hall at the left of the entrance was buzzing with life. People nobly clad were moving in and out amongst themselves, chatting, laughing, and clinking their tall glasses with the many different liquids in. Thomas stood at the steps leading down and gave a nod to each and every guest. There were the prominently clad Asian Darklighters with...