Rated: R or M

Genre: Horror/Romance/General

Summary: A collection of one-shots and deleted scenes surrounding The Blood's Desire. You might want to read it first so you know what's going on.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that is Phantom related. But if I did… that would be the best day ever!

A/N: Here we go! I know I said this won't be a weekly update, but I was inspired and I wanted to get this baby started! I don't know how long this is going to be, but I'm going to try and cover as much as I can from my story. Every story will be a stand-alone, but I will have some that are a two or three part story, depending on the muse and what happens to our favorite characters. I figured why not start this one from the very beginning? This one is influenced by Susan Kay's wonderful novel, but I made some changes to fit with the plot and my twisted version. Please don't forget to review!

The Blood's Desire: Vignettes

By: Erik'sTrueAngel

Synopsis- Where Luciana becomes a vampire and searches for Erik…

The Tragedy of Luciana

Selfish, vain, spoiled, and corrupted…

A seed of darkness that was waiting to bloom within this child of Italy—the youngest of Giovanni's daughters, ironically named for "light"…

Luciana.

From the moment she was born, the midwife had warned the mason that evil tainted this innocent babe and she would be the downfall of the family. There was something in her eyes, the woman had said. They knew too much… They weren't right.

Immediately, Giovanni dismissed the superstitious woman and her claims and warned her to never speak such damning words about a child ever again. Luciana was an infant, a vulnerable creature, untainted and pure. She was an angel in mortal form—rosy cheeks, sparkling violet eyes, and a mess of black hair that promised to be the silkiest when she grew older.

Unlike her siblings, Luciana was born with beauty and the midwife was jealous that her children were not born as perfect as Luciana was and she wanted to ruin her in the parents' adoring eyes.

However, the midwife's words did get to one person in the family… the mother—Isabella.

When she held her daughter, Isabella felt an unusual chill down her spine and as she looked into Luciana's eyes… there was no overwhelming feeling of love or protection in her breast. She felt… empty, hollow, terrified.

Yes.

She was frightened of this newborn. She believed what the midwife spoke was true and that Luciana would bring a curse upon their family. So after her husband ordered the midwife to leave, Isabella reacted violently, pushing the baby away from her and sobbing for God to have mercy and to forgive them for this unholy spawn.

Giovanni, startled and furious, roared at his wife and quickly comforted the hysterical baby. Their other children… also frightened by this display… ran off to escape the wailing cries.

That night Isabella told her husband she renounced Luciana as her daughter and refused to provide any nourishment and comfort. Her behavior to Giovanni was absurd and it didn't matter how many times he disciplined her… his wife denied the helpless baby. Even when she stood before him, her black eye radiating from her white pallor and her bloodied lip swollen, Isabella would not fulfill her motherly duty. The other children she doted on, but not the youngest. Never her…

So Giovanni had little choice in finding the proper care for Luciana on his own. The nurses and nannies he hired would inevitably be fired for one thing or another. Either they didn't hold Luciana correctly or Luciana cried at the sight of them… It would seem that no one was allowed to touch the infant, except for Giovanni. His daughter recognized him and would only allow him to nurture her. Eventually, he took that task upon himself and over the years fell deeply in love with her more and more.

Luciana was his "little light" and he defended her fiercely when everyone in his family was determined to shun her.

Even up to the moment of his wife's death, Isabella insisted that Luciana was the Devil's child. She denied the toddler the right to approach her deathbed for one final farewell and blessing. It was Giovanni that ignored her protests and brought young Luciana into the bedroom. She was only three years old, but she understood that Mama was going to go to Heaven.

He had hoped his wife would put an end to this foolish charade and accept Luciana at last. He had hoped that impending death would soften his wife's heart for the little girl and show her some love before she departed from this world.

After Giovanni ushered the children out of the room to leave Isabella with Luciana, he heard a wretched scream and ran inside to find Luciana gazing over her mother's lifeless body, her large violet eyes looking up at Giovanni as she uttered the dreadful words, "Mama's dead now Papa. We will never see her again."

Giovanni accepted the innocent way it had been spoken since it will be a long time before they were reunited; however, he chose to deny that his wife's expression, upon her death, was that of a horrified realization and her mouth stuck in a silent scream like one who just received a glimpse into an eternity of pain and agony.

He placed his hands on Luciana's shoulders and moved her away from her dead mother. As they walked past the veranda, thunder clapped followed by a deafening explosion as lightning struck the balcony, cracking the granite structure.

xxXXxx

As Luciana grew older, her beauty continued to blossom. Giovanni's other two daughters were jealous and teased her mercilessly for they had not been blessed with such appearances. They made sure not to bring attention to themselves to tempt Papa's temper. But they would make subtle comments to Luciana disguised as affectionate praises and would hide her brushes and combs.

Then one night the eldest—Bianca—woke up to find her hair had fallen off. The entire household awoke from her screams. Giovanni was stunned by this and could not fathom an explanation how it was possible for the hair to fall on its own. Yet, Sophia had insisted she had heard laughter in the night and she had seen Luciana standing over Bianca's bed.

Luciana denied she would ever do such a deed and burst into tears over her sister's accusation. Giovanni upset that Luciana was saddened, punished the other girls and told them that it must have been an act of God due to their sins.

While he whipped them, Luciana had hid herself in the shadows, all the while smiling at their plight.

But accusations such as this did not stop in the family. Even the village began to blame Luciana for any sudden problems that would arise. If Luciana walked past a neighbor's garden, then the next day, all the flowers and vegetables would wither and die. If she would pet a horse, then the creature fell ill within hours.

Word of witchcraft was whispered and Giovanni was beginning to lose business with his masonry. No one wanted to associate themselves with his work when it was possible that Luciana would come into contact with them. The only option Giovanni had to ensure her protection was to keep her locked away in the house when he went on calls.

The rest of his other children would not look after her. Now that they were all adults, they had lives of their own and would not welcome their doors for their sister. To them, Luciana was not part of their family and when this outraged Giovanni, they also closed their doors on their father as well.

It was only he and Luciana in the world. And as Giovanni struggled financially… he had little choice but to send his beloved light away so he could get back on his feet again.

Oh, how she screamed and fought when he broke the news that she was to go to a convent.

It tore his heart but what choice was there? He hated that he sunk this low and it felt like a betrayal of the gravest sort. To send Luciana away was as if he was admitting that the midwife, Isabella, and the village were right about her being evil. That if he removed Luciana from his home, then life would start to return in his business and neighbors would befriend him once again.

But he justified the action for Luciana's own benefit and safety and for their future security. He told her it had nothing to do with what the villagers thought. He was doing this for her. Her!

Yet, the damage was done.

Luciana had shouted to the heavens that her father, Giovanni, had denied her and she cursed him for his betrayal.

xxXXxx

Months passed and business began to prosper once more.

Fortune decided to smile on the old man and he was blessed with the aid of his new apprentice—a gifted boy with many talents and secrets. But that did not matter to Giovanni. Erik was special all right and he had all the skills and makings of becoming a great mason like he.

It was the stroke of luck and God's work that Giovanni found Erik in the streets, hungry and cold, that same night he sent Luciana off to the convent. Finding him was like finding a part of his soul and his guilt ebbed somewhat when he took Erik into his home and gave him new clothes and warm food in his stomach.

For a moment, Giovanni almost forgot about his woes and the unkindness he done to his daughter. Erik needed him and he needed Erik. Together, they forged an unlikely father-son bond that mended his broken heart when his children left him. Without speaking the words, Giovanni had inadvertently adopted this masked child as his own son and believed that Erik was going to be his salvation.

It all changed when Giovanni began to receive letters from Luciana about her stay. That evening he drank himself into a stupor over the neglect and abuse she suffered at the hands of the nuns. It grieved him to read the news, especially since she claimed of having dreadful nightmares of a man with glowing eyes watching over her.

She pleaded for him, her dearest Papa, to save her, to bring her home. She said she was not wicked and she was sorry for cursing him before and please forgive her!

Forgive her!

He could not, would not, believe his Luciana could be suffering from such heinous plight. Not in the House of God… No, it was the fanciful lettering of a young girl longing to come home and nothing more.

Yet, it did not stop him from reaching for the bottle.

And the nightmares.

Oh, the nightmares!

While Giovanni had reasoned the letters to be of a homesick child, he could not prevent himself from imagining the horrors that she wrote about. They were so vivid, so horrific, that he was second guessing the decision altogether.

Hours turned to days as Giovanni contemplated on sending for his daughter. For Erik's sake, he feared it would shock him to the point where he might leave for he never spoke about Luciana. But at the same time his own flesh and blood was calling for him. He couldn't bear to lose both so he settled on telling Erik the truth and at morning's first light… he will send for his precious Luciana. What Erik decided to do… he would support him, although he prayed the boy would stay.

As Giovanni walked past the balcony, he could not suppress the shudder that ran through his body.

xxXXxx

The blood-curdling scream and sickening thud echoed in the old man's ears. He covered his eyes and wept for the child who destroyed everything with her selfish greed.

xxXXxx

He had watched the girl fall.

He had watched the disfigured boy sob as he looked over the broken railing, muttering, "I told you not to ask… I told you not to ask me to see…"

It was a rather pitiful scene and quite climatic in the event that led to this tragedy. But the boy held no interest to him and he was relieved to watch the foul creature disappear from above.

From his fading heartbeat, the boy was leaving, most likely for good. And as for the old man who continued to weep from inside his home… he was not intending to come out any time soon to see the remains of his daughter.

Good.

Stepping out into the moonlight, he stalked over to the fallen body that lay in a heap on the stone floor. Her neck was broken, her face looking upwards, her tongue softly clicking.

She was alive… barely.

A fall like that should have killed her instantly, but luck was on his side and he knew deep down that she was right for this life. She was born to become like him, to be a creature of the night.

Ever since he heard her cries of injustice some months ago, he had to make her his Childe. He had bided his time for she was not ready to receive such a gift, too full of life she was, and now his patience had paid off. She would be receptive to this offering he was going to make her.

Getting on a bended knee, he gazed intently over her paling features and murmured:

"See how useless this life is? How short it can last? I can offer you a better life… one that will last forever and you will stay like this while everyone else grows old and dies. You would like that wouldn't you? To watch your enemies change and while you do not? I can promise you the world if you would take it. All the pleasure and joys that it has to offer. Yes… I see it in your eyes that this is what you want. Then allow me to grant you a new salvation, a new birth."

He offered his bleeding vein to her, pressing his wrist to her mouth where her lips greedily latched on his skin, licking and sucking the blood from him.

He pulled back and with his finger wiped the little bit of blood off her lips.

The sounds of approaching footsteps had him running off into the shadows once more, to shield him from sight as his handiwork unfolded.

The old man bent over to examine the corpse, his tears landing on her clothes, as he cradled her close to his heart.

He heard the soft pop of the bones mending and while the old man continued to mourn over his loss… he had not noticed the change rippling through her.

All at once she moved and gripped her father's throat, her fangs bearing as she lunged at his artery.

The old man barely knew what hit him as his screams were muffled by the gurgling of his blood pouring from his mouth.

When she finished, she dropped the body at her feet and turned towards her new Master as he stepped out to welcome her in his arms. He pulled her close to his chest, his hand tracing her lower jaw.

"Yes…" he whispered. "You will do nicely."

Fin

How's that for a start? Oh I know the part you're really looking forward to and trust me… it will come soon, but the muse wanted to get some things out about the beginning. Think of this chapter as a prequel. And I do intend on coming back to add more about Luciana's life and how she searches for Erik. There's so much ground to cover!

Next: Bloodlust- Erik adjusts to his horrific new lifestyle.