A/N I do not own any of the characters, places or objects associated with the Parasol Protectorate Series these are all unfortunately owned by Gail Carriger.

I walked along the road that lead to my town house on the 9th arrondissement in Paris, I had lived here for two years now and I still had not settled into a routine. Perhaps this was because I was never meant to settle in one place for a prolonged amount of time or maybe Paris was so exciting a city that I could not bear to stop for a moments rest. If truth be told I had been comfortable in Paris up until a week ago when I had begun having dreams about the night that my parents had died, I began to see their faces everywhere and heard my mother's shriek every time a bell chimed. I remembered that day two years ago when I had begged BUR to release me from my contract that I had foolishly signed in order to escape my fate of being murdered brutally in Russia. The price I paid for my freedom? I had to tell the man I perhaps despised most in this world the name of the vampire who had killed my parents, the name that I had sworn to keep in order to save my own life all of those years ago. Now the whole affair was coming back to haunt me, my mother always said that it was useless to run from one's destiny.

I reached the imposing front door of my town house and inserted the key into the creaking lock. That was when I noticed the eerie silence that reminded me all too well of that night sixteen years ago. I gripped the head of my parasol tighter hoping that a well-aimed hit would immobilise the attacker that I knew was hiding in the shadows of the marble entrance hall. I closed the door behind me and removed my shawl as I would normally, not wanting the assailant to become suspicious. Unfortunately I was not prepared enough for a hand to touch my shoulder, acting on impulse I grabbed the man's hand and swung him round then aimed a punch at his chin, I was about to whack him with my parasol when I heard the muffled cry of what sounded like 'Alice stop it!', there was only one person who called me Alice and I would have been happier to meet an assassin.

"William? I'd say I'm sorry for punching you but lying is frowned upon in polite society." I began walking towards the drawing room and pulled the rope that would alert my butler to my arrival. William or the Duke of Hampshire was the man who had extracted the name of the dangerous vampire from me two years ago, ever since he was assigned my case when I was six years old he had been annoying me and refused point blank to leave me well alone.

"What are you doing here? I thought that when I was released from my contract that I would be left alone." My butler chose this moment to appear at the doorway. "Stevens, would you fetch some tea please and perhaps some ice for the Duke's chin?" He nodded and went to complete my orders.

"Things have changed Alice, in the past month five preternaturals have been killed in exactly the same way and we have reason to believe that you are next." I narrowed my eyes at his words; I should have known that breaking my promise to that vampire would eventually lead to events such as these.

"I don't see why BUR is so concerned for my well-being now, or perhaps you're all just feeling guilty over what happened to my parents?" Stevens set the tray with the tea set down on the table between the two chairs that William and I occupied. On the way out of the room he flashed me a concerned look, I nodded and then turned my attentions to pouring tea.

"Of course not but I have been ordered by her majesty the Queen to escort you back to London where you will be put under the protection of BUR." He pressed the ice to his chin and winced slightly. I rolled my eyes heavenly and took a sip of my tea.

"Well I decline, if you would be so kind as to leave me alone here in Paris I would be much obliged." He removed the ice from his chin so that I could see that the small gash had in fact healed and the show with the ice was simply to make me feel remorse.

"I'm afraid that your opinion does not matter to the Queen, so you will be on a steamer with me at precisely 9 am tomorrow morning." I placed the tea cup back onto the tray and stood up, the movement startled the werewolf and I smirked knowing the effect I had on him.

"Now see here William…" He interrupted to growl out that it was 'your grace' not William but I carried on regardless. "William I will not be on that boat, I do not wish for your protection I can handle myself thank you very much." I grabbed onto the mantelpiece to try and occupy my hands so that I would not be tempted to do anything brash.

"Persephone I have reason to believe that these attacks are being carried out by…" I cut him off with an alarmed look in his direction.

"Don't say his name!" I moved to sit back down in the armchair suddenly feeling a little faint although I would never admit that weakness to William. There were a few minutes of silence where the only sound in the room was the clock that sat on the mantelpiece.

"Come back to England with me and I promise that if after two months nothing has occurred then you may return to your life here." I stood up again and walked over to the window that looked out over the busy street bathed in the light of gas lamps.

"I will return on one condition." I murmured still looking out of the window. "I wish to have a townhouse in London and I don't want to be dragged into any BUR business, at all." I rang for Stevens again and instructed him to pack up my belongings, maybe a few months in England was what I needed to feel relaxed again.

A/N Thank you :)