First Blood

All she wanted was a little peace, maybe get away from so much of the pain her life held. After all, she'd lost her mom when she was two, her NY firefighter dad when she was fifteen, and now, the summer after high school, her best friend, whether to violence from without or within, she didn't know.

Enough. She'd lost enough.

In a bid to finally end it all while on a trip to Europe-a gift from her guardian and uncle, Cort-she discovers something new, a secret her blood has carried all along:

Samantha Cray, Ann to those who know her now, is to become the Wielder, the focused power center of a Circle dedicated to the Light, who fight the Dark in all its manifest forms.

But when her best friend, Fran, shows up in London and becomes a part of the process herself as well as so much more than just a friend, Ann must learn and learn fast, not just who to fight, but how to fight, because the Dark will stop at nothing-not even harming those she loves-to stop her.

Note: This version is based on American Goth and has been re-written extensively.