Prologue

Sunnydale, California - 1937

The Master gently ran his pale, clawed hand across the wall that surrounded the altar of the abandoned church. A thick accumulation of dust, mould and dirt fell away to reveal the faded, painted image of a golden cross with a beautiful white dove in flight above it.

The vampire lord averted his eyes from the holy symbol. "I wonder if the devoted will still retain their faith when their pathetic reality is torn asunder and the Great Old Ones return to reclaim that which once belonged to them?"

Across the broad, circular chamber, Lorimer - one of those in the upper hierarchy of the Order of Aurelius who had been gifted with the title of Deacon - looked to his master briefly and then returned to his task. He was busy making certain that the body of the dead eight-year-old girl with the curly blonde hair and pink lace party dress was sitting up straight.