The Mark of Caine

Nott's Necklace (all the York Sisters have one)



Betsy (Nott's bat)



(Nott's Butterfly Swords) Sheathed behind her back or on either side of her thighs.



Nott's knapsack



Marlow's Badge



The Tar given to Nott by Joshua



Joshua's Ring

Russia was perhaps one of the most ideal places for a vampire. The winters long and the sun barely out. For a fledgling, this was also a perfect place for feeding. The locals often went to bed drunk, sometimes staying out far too late into the night, stumbling through the alleyways alone. It was here that Selene could perfect her abilities, to find a way that to cut through her anger and hostility, to reach that part of her that needed to be allowed free reign. Not Caine, not the devil, but Selene's first chance for freedom.

There was little to interest visitors in terms of amusement. But for those who knew where to look, there were several gathering places for locals and vampires. The gaming halls for one, filled with opium, whores, and true bon vivants.

After the French Revolution, people wanted to live, to party and smile. They needed a distraction from the coming wars and their own mortality. No one more than the vampires, the ones with the ever present reminder that life was short and their demons on their trail.

Choosing her best dress, Selene found one of the nicer establishments, seeking to try something that she was never allowed in her mortal life. Gambling. It was a hobby frowned on for ladies, but there was little reason to be afraid anymore. All it took was a bit of practice and the right teacher.

Sitting at the first craps table, Selene watched one of the more skilled players collect his winnings. She sat across from him, watching his expert hands roll the dice and let them fly. Dark eyes expertly watching as others joined his bet, eager to back a winner. There was a surge of energy and power from him, the indication of an old and strong vampire.

Selene leaned on her hand, catching his gaze for a moment. With a small smile, she placed a bit of her coin on top of his, a challenge in her expression. Let them see if he could replicate his good luck.

Nott slammed back against the light pole, blood gushing from her nose as she attempted to regain her composure. The metal had bent around her, pressing her back closer to the ground. Nott wiped at her face, trying to keep the taste of her own vitae out of her mouth. The looming figure of her ex-lover approached steadily, his fists raised, ready to deal her another blow.

“Did I strike a nerve?” Nott grinned, rolling out of the way as he darted towards her. “Oh I forgot, my brat is off limits!”

Milton growled at her, scrambling to regain the upper hand. Nott stood quickly, grabbing a nearby mailbox, ripping it from its position then hurling it at Milton. The blonde vampire hardly had time to move as her weapon made contact, throwing him several feet back.

It had been such a nice evening too. Sure, Phoenix was rapidly descending into anarchy; rioters were roaming the streets, breaking into several stores to collect what they believed they needed, while gangs of vampires preyed on any that crossed their path. The masquerade was long dead. There was only fire and terror filling the city as the monsters came out to play. Soon, Phoenix would be nothing but ash and the strongest would claim control of the city. At the present moment, it would be the most vicious and brutal vampire, the only one capable of taking on the random groups of neonates, thinking they were so fierce because they could rip a mortal’s head. In Nott’s opinion, that was so amateur.

Normally, she would stick around to watch the carnage, but her most pressing concern was Diana. She had not seen her sister since Eve had been “seemingly cured.” Now with Hell raging on about her, Nott feared that her sister would become a victim. Marlow was dead, there was little question about that anymore. His absence for more than a month confirmed Nott’s fears, but it was the empty apartment, still full of his possessions that had been the most damning evidence. With his death, there was only one person that was left that mattered to her.

“I don’t have time for this!” Nott snarled at Milton, spotting her metal bat wedged between a storm drain and the curb. She ducked his coming blows, rolling out of his reach as she grabbed her weapon. “I have to get to my sister!” She swung hard, the bat colliding with his stomach, causing him to double over for a minute.

“You and me still got to settle this!” Milton glared at her, grabbing hold of the bat’s tip. “You didn’t think it would be over so easily, did you?”

“With Eve getting mind raped into believing she is healed? Of course not!” Nott yanked her bat free of his hold, swinging it down over his head. “I just assumed you had more sense to look after her first and THEN come after me! But you were always impetuous. Impetuous and stupid!”

Milton howled at her, taking hold of the broken street lamp and tearing it free. “You really think that I would sit by and not see my baby receive justice for what you did to her? What you did to her family!” He whirled around, catching Nott in the back with the pole. She cried out as she was flown into a nearby building. Bricks tumbled about her, freed by her indentation.

“You’re a sick fuck, you know?” Nott sneered, stumbling to get to her feet as he swung the pole again. The light bulb caught on the wall, bursting into a shower of glass and wire. “I mean…it’s like you forget the games we would play together, when I was your baby.”

Milton hurled the pole at her again, but Nott was ready. She jumped over his blow, bringing down the bat on his arm. A bone snapped, causing him to release his weapon as he fell backwards. “We were nothing!” He winced, pulling himself to his feet.

“Is that what you tell yourself so that you can sleep with my daughter?” Nott laughed, kicking his face. “We FUCKED, Milton! Often and roughly! I can still remember your cock inside of me! Moving in me!”

“Shut up!” He snarled, kicking her feet out from under her. “You’re a monster, a demon!”

“And you’re a pervert, what’s new?”

Milton pulled free a stake, racing towards Nott to drive it home. Bringing up her knee, she knocked him in the chest, causing him to fly back into a window. “Enough of this shit!” She sneered at him. “You want to kill me? Fine, bring it on! But not today! Not here!” An explosion sounded from down the street, reminding her of the urgency to find Diana. “I have to find my sister and keep her safe! You do the same for Eve!”

He cursed under his breath, pulling free several glass shards. “What makes you think I will let you go?” He tossed a large piece at her, nicking her across the cheek.

Nott winced, falling to her knees, “Cause you don’t want Eve to be caught by those neonates! What do you think they will do to batshit crazy ghoul?”

Milton stopped in his tracks, obviously not considering the consequences.

“You’ll track me down, like you always do. But not today!” Nott said again, seeing the weakness in his resolve.

Milton shifted, glancing down the street before turning back to Nott. He pointed his stake at her. “This ain’t over between you and me. One way or another, it will be settled.” He darted off then, racing back towards wherever he stuck Eve.

Nott chuckled, touching her broken nose lightly. “Yeah, I am counting on it.”