Chapter One: Cooking Up a Plan for Revenge

"Tell me what it is you desire child. What is it that your heart craves?" A voice that called out from the shadows asked a girl with a sickly face.

"What I desire? What my heart craves? What I desire is simple, I want the bastards who did this to my family to pay. They took everything from us. They betrayed us, but as for what my heart wants is a different story. For I have no heart. It was pulled out of my chest when my family was taken from me. It's nothing more than an empty hole in my chest that will never be filled. I want them all to burn in hell for ruining everything the Ekaterina family has worked for!" The girl look over into the shadows where the voice was coming from. Through the darkness she could see two red eyes looking back at her and the piercing whiteness of sharp teeth.

"Then we have an agreement then? When you get what you want, I get what I want from you. Your soul full of darkness towards humanity."

"Yes, my soul really is tainted, and it will be yours. One less human in this world corrupted by politics, power and greed."

From the darkness she could hear the hissing of a snake making its way towards her. She had no fear of the creature that she was once terrified of. All the fears she once had no longer existed in her eyes. They were filled with hatred towards those who hurt her family.

"Do I frighten you?" The snake asked as he wrapped himself around the girl's arm. The snake's head inches away from her neck.

"No. The old me might have been, but that girl has long been dead."

"You are either brave or naïve. We'll find out in the end." The snake suddenly sank his fangs into the girls neck. The sharp pain made her body go numb and as the snakes fangs stayed latched to her neck, the puncture wounds started to burn.

"It hurts!" She started to reach up to pull the snake off of her.

"Be still! Your body is weak, it always has been. My venom won't kill you, it will numb the pain of your slowly and painfully dying body."

He released his fangs from her flesh. The small black snake that was wrapped around her arm was now taking on a different form. He took on the appearance of a tall, handsome, youthful male adult with shaggy black hair, light reptilian like green eyes and pale skin that was a chalky white and scales could be lightly seen at the base of his neck. He dressed in the entire that a butler would wear.

The girl's eyes glazed over for a quick second and then return to normal. She rose up off the ground and stood in front of the significantly taller man. The once elegant black dress was ripped to shreds along the bottom and was stained in red blood. The spot where he had bitten her was still slightly burning.

"What did you do to me?" she asked as she placed her hand on her neck.

"I have prolonged your life with my venom. This will have to be done on a constant routine if you're going to stay alive long enough to keep the contract. If you die before your wish is fulfilled I won't get my reward in the end."

The girl lightly laughed while running her thin fingers to her long blonde hair. "So me staying alive is beneficial to you? But I guess if I die before my wish is fulfilled then the bastards who ruined my family would get away with it. Now all there is to do is find them." She took one step towards the snake demon when she felt her body refusing to support her. He snatched her up bridal style and held her against his chest.

"It'll be awhile before you'll be able to move properly. My venom has numbed the nerves and muscles as it's killing the pain, my lady. As for those who you're looking for, I know where they are. They are in the underground catacombs of your family's mansion discussing what they're going to do with your family's fortune."

"I want their hearts ripped from their chests and their heads mounted on skewers. They think they can do this to me and my family? Splitting everything we worked for among them." She gripped on tightly onto the demon's butler black tailcoat.

"Shall we go make them pay then, my lady?"

"Yes, we shall."

Down in the underground catacombs of the Ekaterina mansion, those who had betrayed the Ekaterina family were plotting on what to do with the families riches. Thinking that no one was left of the Ekaterina they began to split up what the Ekaterina family had earned.

"Everything in the estate has been broken up evenly. Now all there is to work with is to break up the different branches of the Ekaterina Law Firms and Medical Centers. With all the Ekaterina Law Firms and Medical Centers in London we should be all set. There will be no trace of the Ekaterina family left." One of the Ekaterina family employees greedily smiled as he handed the rest of who had betrayed the Ekaterina family their cuts of the estate.

"Are you sure there's no one left of the Ekaterina family? If there's any survivors this will all come back to us." Another Employee asked. Sweat dripping from his brow.

"Do you not trust my handy work? I was once part of the British Army as a sniper. I never miss my target." An ex-employed Military sniper bragged.

Suddenly, there was a crash coming from the other side of the door. Screams of the guards that kept watch outside echoed through the hollow cave of the underground catacombs.

"W-what was that? Who else knows about this meeting?!" One man asked in a panic.

"Calm down you fool! The only ones who know about this place are us and the Ekaterina family. And since everyone in the Ekaterina family is dead the only ones who know of this place's location is us!" The ex-British military sniper yelled.

"If that's the case then maybe you didn't kill all of those of the Ekaterina family. Maybe you left one alive!" Another voice snapped.

"Don't you disrespect me and my skills. There were only three members left of the Ekaterina family. Lord and Lady Ekaterina had no siblings, both their parents have long been dead, and they only had one child who I had no problem in getting rid of!"

The door suddenly flew off its hinges and whipped past the heads of all those who had betrayed the Ekaterina family. At first no one could see anyone standing in the doorway, but after a while they all started to see two dark silhouettes. One of a small female the second of a much taller male.

"Did you here that my lady? The ex-military sniper just confessed to killing your parents and attempting to kill you. What should we do about him?" The taller male silhouette said to the smaller female.

"He'll be the first to go."

When everyone heard the voice of the smaller female silhouette they were all shocked by who it was. They had all thought that she was out of their hair. That the so called professional ex-military sniper had taken care of all their problems.

"Lady Avellana, I'm so glad to see that you're alright. Everyone here wanted to take everything from your family. I was against it from the start. Please forgive and have mercy on me."

Avellana Ekaterina looked down at the pathetic excuse for a man. Begging her to have mercy on him after everyone in the room had plans to kill her and her family.

"You want me to show mercy to you, when you showed none to my family. Everyone in this room will soon be dead. An eye for an eye, isn't that what they've always said?"

Everyone went silent. Well, all but one. The ex-military sniper chuckled as he pulled out his revolver from his inner coat pocket and aimed it at Avellana Ekaterina and company.

"You talk big for a little brat who just got shot a few hours ago. But I promise you this you little bitch, from this distance I won't miss a second time."

Just as his finger was about to pull the trigger a loud hissing sound echoed in the room. Everyone looked around, wonder what was making the noise.

"What is that?!" The ex-military sniper yelled at Avellana.

"Do you not know your reptiles? That would be the sweet hissing of the only venomous snake here in Great Britain. The Adder or the Common Viper is what you may know it by. Don't be scared. Adders aren't usually aggressive. They tend to be rather timid and only biting when cornered or alarmed. Occasionally, individual Adders will reveal their presence with a loud and sustained hissing, hoping to warn off potential aggressors. But since these little guys are under my orders, their more aggressive sides will show themselves. Relatively speaking, their bites aren't highly dangerous, but even so, professional medical help should always be sought as soon as possible after any bite. The length of recovery varies, but many will take up to a year."

Each man watched and listened in horror. More hissing could be heard coming from the tunnels that led into the room. Small red eyes beamed through the darkness. One by one, a whole swarm of Common Vipers gathered in the room. One snake for each person. Avellana walked to the center of the room blood dripping from where her demon had bit her earlier before coming back to the underground catacombs of the Ekaterina mansion.

"You all planed the assassination of my family. That fool with the gun may have pulled the trigger, but you're all just as guilty. Since I'm the only one left of the Ekaterina family I have the choice to show mercy..." There was a sudden sigh of relief from many of those who didn't want to die. "...but I also have the choice to eliminate all of you, and right now I don't feel like being in a merciful mood." Avellana turned on her heels and looked at the demon that stood in the doorway. "Leave the trigger-man alive, get rid of the rest."

"As you wish." The demon snapped his fingers and one by the one that snakes attacked.

Screams ranged out and the smell of blood filled the air of the small, dark stone room. Many were pleading for Avellana to spare them. That the one who ordered her family's death was still out there and that they could take her to him. She said nothing as she listened to all, but one man slowly died. When all were dead but the one, Avellana walked up to where the trigger-man was standing, his revolver still pointed straight at her. He was too scared to move because there was still one snake left that hadn't attacked its target. The first snake that had entered the room and it was now wrapped around the trigger-man's trigger arm. She could see beads of sweat slowly streaming down his face.

Avellana held her hand out to the snake. The snake turned and unwrapped itself from the trigger-man's arm and wrapped itself around hers.

"Go back to your master little one. You, your brothers and sisters have done enough."

All the snakes suddenly rushed towards the door and disappeared behind the demon. Avellana than looked at the only man left of those who betrayed her and her family. Her eyes narrowed at him, but he showed no fear towards her. To him, she was just a brat who got lucky.

"Why were you asked to kill me and my family." Avellana asked.

The assassin just smirked and said nothing. This annoyed Avellana so she slapped him across his face.

"I asked you a question and I demand an answer! Who ordered you to kill me and my family?!"

"Why would I answer a brat like you? You got lucky once, doesn't mean you'll get lucky again. The one who ordered the hit is someone who's quite close to your family. If you have to think about it than you're just a stupid, naïve little brat who's trying to act tough in this big bad grown up world."

Avellana suddenly slapped the man again.

"Don't talk down at me you bastard! My family trusted you and everyone in this room and you threw away that trust for greed. What despicable human beings you all are."

"Honey, you talk as if this is the first time this has ever happened to a wealthy family. To some people, money is more valuable than a thing like trust."

Avellana was just about to punch instead of slapping the man in front of her when her hand was suddenly grabbed. She looked behind her to see her demon holding her hand tenderly in his. He knelt down to her height, kissed her hand and looked into her blue eyes.

"Please don't soil your hands any further by touching such trash, my Lady. Let me take care of him for you."

Avellana looked at the demon. The anger that she had in her eyes started to fade and the anger that was swelling up inside her started to disappear.

"Fine. Do whatever pleases you. Don't leave a trace of him left and that's an order."

With those few words the assassin's fate was set. The once reptilian-like light green eyes were now a piercing bloody red. His teeth pierced through the darkness with a bright white. Just like when he had made his deal with Avellana.

"My lady said not to leave a trace of you when I'm done with you. Of course, that will be difficult, but I'll find the best way to be sure that the order is acted out on. I think Emma would have to do." He snapped his fingers. From the darkness hissing once again echoed off the walls.

"Ha! Bringing back some more of those stupid snakes of yours? You must be a one trick pony you bastard!"

"A one trick pony? Oh no, Emma is just a special friend of mine. She's more dangerous and aggressive than the others. After all, being one of the most dangerous and poisonous snakes in the world you can probably see why I take such pride in her. Like an overprotective owner." The snake slithered up the back of the demon and hovered itself in the air as it followed the assassin's movements. "The Puff Adder. Isn't she a beauty. My most beloved and favorite of all my snakes. Emma really is a little doll."

"Ha, you have a sick obsession there, bub. Snakes are the symbol for Satan and evil. They're nothing more than vermin of the earth."

Emma snapped at the assassin, but purposely missed.

"Now, now Emma you'll have your chance. After all, my Lady did say that there's not to be a trace of him left when we're done with him."

Emma nuzzled herself to her master, letting out a happy hiss.

"You're all getting on my last nerve," the assassin suddenly pulled the trigger to his revolver. The sound if the gun shot ranged out and the demon fell to the ground with his snake. Avellana looked at them in shock as the assassin pointed his gun at her. "it's like I said earlier you little bitch. You got lucky the first time, but this time you won't be walking away." Just as he was about to pull the trigger again Emma suddenly sprang up and latched her fangs on the assassin's arm. He let out a horrendous screams as he tried to pull Emma from his arm.

"Doing that will only make her latch on even tighter." The demon stood up from where he had fallen. Blood stained where he was shot. He turned to Avellana. "I'm sorry for making you worry my Lady. I'm not doing a really good job as your bodyguard."

Avellana walked up to him and checked where he had been shot to see that nothing was there. No entry wound or anything.

"It's fine. It's your first day anyway, but I have a question."

"What is it my lady?"

"What's your name? What is it that I'm supposed to call you?"

He knelt down in front of her with a smile on his face. "You can call me whatever you want."

"Really? I get to name you? Like a pet?" Avellana asked and he nodded with a smile. Avellana gave it some thought as she heard the screams of the assassin a name suddenly came to her. "Your name will be Adrian Winthrop."

Adrian smiled at his new name as he patted his lady on the head. "Alright my lady what are your orders about him?"

Avellana looked over to the assassin who now had a sickly look on his face and had dropped his gun on the floor. Avellana went and picked it up and pointed it at him. "I'll be merciful and put you out of your misery although you showed my family none." Avellana then squeezed the trigger. With that almost everyone who had betrayed her family was dead. All she had to do now, was find the one who had set up the hit on her and her family.

Avellana dropped the gun and started heading towards the door that led up to the surface world. Right before she walked out she stopped and turned to her new butler demon, Adrian Winthrop.

"Please clean this up Adrian. We have work to do. We have to cook up a plan for my revenge."

"As you wish... my lady."