Lilah took a deep, steadying breath. [i]This is it.[/i]

She smoothed out her expression and stepped through the door. [i]I'm going to survive, become a hunter, claim the power of a hunter. And then...[/i] And then, she honestly didn't know. What did she really want? Revenge? Understanding?

Well, there would be time to figure that out later. For now, she should focus on living.

"Well at least my mother is around, Helsing." That caught her attention. Her lips twisted into a sneer, she couldn't help it. As though a living mother somehow made one inherently superior.

She bit her lip to keep from laughing when the other boy punched the one who had spoken. She listened to his threat and thought that it wouldn't be such a bad thing if he made good on it. She was briefly surprised at herself, but then she thought that perhaps she shouldn't be.

She started up the stairs with a slight zest to her step that hadn't been there before. She still felt alone and threatened, but this might not be so bad in spite of that.