As the newborn sun rises over the skyscrapers of Santa Marta, it strikes upon the flesh of the newborn vampire -- were she older or were it not the dawn, Maddie might have been able to survive this moment. But as it is, she is too young and the magic of the new day, which chases away shadows of bad dreams the night before in its purifying light, is too much for her body to withstand.

It doesn't hurt as much as she would have expected, she's not even sure that it hurts at all.

As the light breaks her down, as it turns her body to brilliant embers that will dance away on the morning breeze, painting the sunrise a brighter sort of yellow, she offers a prayer -- though she doesn't know to whom. To God? To the universe? To whatever pulls the strings that keep her coming back here, again and again and again?

Please, let me find him. Let us finally be free of her...

Let the next time be better.

And then, she is gone.