Carina pulled her luggage through the crowed airport trailing behind a family of whom she affectionately named, the string-beans. She had to take two steps in order to keep up with their longer strides and was puffing slightly.

"Quickly Rina!" Her blonde friend glanced back over her shoulder her blue eyes meeting Carina's emeralds.

"Slow down then!" The shorter replied taking another breath to fill her lungs. The difference in climate was slowly getting to her. It was warmer than she was used in England.

"Omph," Carina grunted as she walked directly into Abby who had come to a complete standstill.

"Watch it." Her friend hissed causing yet another eye roll.

"So where are we going?" She asked moving beside her friend.

"Mum's renting a car." Abby replied as they looked around Ciampino Airport.

"Are you girl's hungry?" A tall tanned middle aged man asked indicating to the snacks for sale.

"I'm good thanks Mr Banks." Carina replied shrugging her shoulders and proceeded to remove her jumper.

"We're going to take it slowly to Volterra," he said with a grin his blue eyes looking between the girls. "My mother in law doesn't like me much but she will love you Carina I'm sure."

"How long will it take Dad?" Abby said to her father as she snapped a picture of her best friend while her back was turned.

"Couple of days at most, don't you girls want to look around."

The two fifteen year olds shrugged their shoulders and released an 'eh', at the same time. They locked gazes and broke into fits of giggles.

.

Carina stared out at the passing scenery as she thought of her mother. She doubted that the woman even noticed she was gone half the time. Her mother was sick, she had a mental illness that meant Carina had to grow up quite quickly. She was surprised that the government actually let her mother retain custody of her, but it was better than foster care.

Her mum had good days where she was the same woman that used to care for her child, but they were few and far between. It only got worse when her father 'left'. She never believed he did, he just vanished off the face of the earth one day, and it was like he never existed in the first place. Carina was a spitting image of her father. Her raven hair and emerald eyes contrasted against her pale skin. Each trait she held she inherited from him and her mother never failed to remind her of that.

This trip was the kind of getaway that Carina needed. She'd never left England, hell, she'd never really left Kent before so this was an entirely new experience for her.

The String-bean Banks family were her next door neighbours and she shared a wall with Abby. That was how their friendship began. They'd come up with their own kind of Morse code tapping on the wall to communicate. That was until they'd just taken up visiting each other by climbing over the balcony.

They went to the same school, though Abby was infinitely more popular than Carina. The blonde had come into her own early in life, and Carina was content being a wallflower. Abby though would never be happy that her best friend was a wallflower and would drag her along into the light. It was just accepted that wherever Abby went, Carina went too.

Mrs Banks was born and raised in Volterra. Abby's mother knew that the city was dangerous she told the girls that no matter what they do they need to stay out of the shadows, but she also knew as a resident of the city they would be safer than the tourists that frequent it. Her friends mother was one of the most beautiful women Carina had ever laid eyes on. Her skin was lightly tanned, her oval face framing her shining sea blue eyes. Her hair is where she differed from Abby. Mrs Banks' hair was a light warm shade of brown and held an array of colour, in the sunlight as it fell in waves down her back. She had curves in all the right places and stood at about 5'7. Mr Banks on the other hand had white blonde hair and deep green eyes. His skin held a light tan on his face and hands as he wore suits every day. He was a six foot something giant that Carina had to crane her neck to see. He held an athletic build that he without a doubt passed on to his daughter.

"It's so warm," Carina muttered and Abby nodded wiping the beading sweat from her forehead due to the humidity.

"Get used to it girls," Mrs Banks told them with a smile on her lips. She wound a couple of the windows down letting the fresh air cool the occupants of the silver car.

As Carina took a breath she could smell the fresh grass and grapes from the vineyard they just passed. The air was cool against her skin as her emerald eyes watched the setting Tuscan sun. It lit the hills up in such a way that they glowed a brilliant red and orange that faded to the yellows and greens of the lower farmlands.

"What's that up there?" Carina asked Abby as she spotted stone buildings in the distance.

"Volterra," her friend replied.

Carina felt a sense of foreboding as the approached the city. She couldn't explain her spike in heart rate and the scent of fear that began to ooze from her pores at the sight of the place. She didn't understand why it scared her so much. It was just another city. Though a little larger than most it looked like the other places they'd passed through in Tuscany.

"My Nonna lives there."

"It's nice," Carina lied and leant back in her seat as the city cast a shadow over them. She didn't like this place. There was something wrong with it and she was determined to not find out.

*****

"What are you doing out here, I thought you didn't do patrols anymore?" A male voice spoke softly as he slid into rank beside the other vampire.

"I don't," he replied his crimson gaze following the vampires that patrolled beneath them. "I'm bored. What's your excuse?"

"Master Marcus sent me to find you." Alec replied lowering his hood. "He's worried about you."

"I'm perfectly fine in my solitude." Demetri replied clasping his gloved hands together.

"Humour him, he seems determined to find you a mate."

"Funny how he never tries with you or Felix, huh?" Demetri said raising a brow.

"Felix tends to break things and I have my twin. Why don't you just claim Heidi and be done with it?" Alec shrugged as he leant forward to watch a silver car make its way into the city.

"The succubus is beautiful, but aren't we all?" The tracker told him with a grin, "She's not really my type."

"Then what is?"

"When I know, I'll tell you." The tracker spun on his heel and headed for the door.

Alec took up Demetri's position watching the guards change shifts. He tilted his head slightly the breeze carrying a soft scent of hazelnut and cinnamon with hints of rose. His eye narrowed as he tried to locate the source of the intoxicating smell.

"Alec," his attention was drawn from the streets below as he turned to face Demetri. "You coming?"

"Yes," he gave one last look and turned merging with the darkness, the shadows hiding all but his lingering crimson gaze.