Interlude: Petrograd, 1919

[Catherine's POV]

"Yekaterina, come on, you shouldn't stay out on the street, you don't know who might recognize you."

Yekaterina sighs. (The name Catherine was still a decade away.) Her mother is right, but she can't stand being cooped up in that house any longer. Only a few short years ago, she lived in a palatial mansion in Sankt-Peterburg. Now, as a cousin of the late Tsar, Yekaterina finds herself hiding in a rundown townhouse in Petrograd with her mother. It's all they can afford, the family jewelry having long ago been pawned. Yekaterina dreams of the ship that her mother assures her is coming to take them to London, or Copenhagen. To safety. But every day, they go to the docks, and there is nothing.

Yekaterina knows that she should be off the street. The Bolsheviks are looking for her. It's dark anyway, no one is out, just a few minutes longer she thinks, inhaling the crisp winter air.

"I'll be in in a minute" Yekaterina yells over her shoulder. Taking out a cigarette, she lights it. She decides to go for a quick walk around the block, her mother hating it when she smoked. Absentmindedly, Yekaterina twirls the cross dangling from her neck between her fingers. She had always been religious growing up, but recent events had given her doubts.

Two years ago, wealthy bachelors were fighting over my hand in marriage. Now... she thinks. At 19, she is no old maid, but the clock is ticking. Yekaterina shakes her head. No use in feeling sorry for myself all the time, I'm lucky to be alive.

Yekaterina takes a long drag on her cigarette, and rounds a corner. She lets out a small yelp, startled by the woman in front of her. The dark brunette is stunningly beautiful. Yekaterina finds herself drawn into the woman's eyes, like dark placid pools. The woman is wearing only a light red dress, despite the frigid winter temperatures. (Yekaterina can't say that she likes the color.)

"Zdravstvujtye" the mysterious woman says, tipping her head slightly.

Yekaterina is so, so lonely, that even the simple greeting feels like meeting an old friend. She decides to introduce herself, and see where this goes. She can't put her finger on it, but there is something special about this woman.

"Zdravstvujtye" Yekaterina says, "my name is-"

"Yekaterina Pavlovna, I know" the woman says, a cold smile curling her lips.

"How did-" Yekaterina begins, wonder giving way to panic. They've found us! She turns to run, and screams when the woman is in front of her once more. How could she have moved so quickly?
Yekaterina freezes. This woman is no Bolshevik. She's something worse.

The strange woman takes her hand, and brushes Yekaterina's brilliant red hair to one side. She brushes her cold fingertips on the side of Yekaterina's neck, giving her goosebumps.

"I love the flavor of noble blood" the woman says, "and it's in such short supply in today's Russia."

The woman abruptly yanks on Yekaterina's cross, breaking the delicate chain. She throws the cross into the snow and laughs.

Yekaterina wants to run, but feels frozen in place. Up close, she is taken by the woman's classical beauty. The woman leans in her soft lips brushing against Yekaterina's. Soft, but cold.

Yekaterina doesn't know quite what to do. She is motionless, as the woman begins kissing her in earnest. She shudders when she feels the woman's tongue trace along her lips. Kissing a woman, this is so wrong Yekaterina thinks, unable to break the kiss. The woman's gently grabs hold of Yekaterina's wrist, her other hand placed behind Yekaterina's neck. The woman tilts Yekaterina's head to the side, as she kisses her cheek, then her ear, before softly kissing her neck. Yekaterina closes her eyes, feeling herself melting in the woman's icy embrace.

Yekaterina gasps, feeling a sharp pain in her neck. The trance broken, she tries to push herself away. The woman is too strong, holding her in place. A scream dies in Yekaterina's throat. She feels woozy.

Slowly the pain turns into a pleasure Yekaterina has never before felt. She knows the truth. Her attacker
is a vampir. She can feel herself weakening, as her life spills into the anonymous woman's mouth. I don't want to die...

The woman withdraws her fangs, and whispers in Yekaterina's ear.

"Worry not, child. You will die tonight. But your **** will not be the end. It will be the beginning of something incredible."

A tear rolls down Yekaterina's cheek. Abruptly, the vampiress bites back down into Yekaterina's neck. The darkness overtakes her as she passes out.