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An Angel From Hell
By Kayla Chavi

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Chapter 4

"I think," said Amy, "That I finally have just a little more information for you," she handed me a piece of paper that contained translations of Serena's story. "It's not a lot, more on who she was before she was a vampire."

I sighed and leaned back in my chair, "I feel wrong doing this. It's like I'm spying on her."

Amy just gave me one of her looks like 'you-are-absolutely-clinically-and-in-all-other-ways-insane.'

"Well I do," I pouted childishly.

Amy sighed, "Well do you want me to keep working on it, or should I just give up and let your weird conscious work on this one?"

"Fine," I muttered and she gave me a grin.

"Okay, this is what I've got so far, not a lot of details, but this is the main gist of it. Serena was apparently the Queen of Atlantis until she was turned into a vampire at about age eighteen or nineteen. She was married--"

"MARRIED?!" That wasn't me, that was Rei. She had been calmly sitting in one of my nice poofy chairs. Until that point she had been silent too. "Serena the Vamp was married?!"

At least I didn't have to embarrass myself by sounding jealous.

Which I was. Totally and Completely. This guy should be glad that he's no longer living.

Amy gave her this disgusted look, "May I continue?"

"By all means," Rei said gesturing for her to. She made a rude face. Amy just stuck her tongue out at her.

"This is mature," I said dryly and both girls made faces at me. I just grinned, "Amy?"

"Serena was apparently married to the King of another country. Sorry but I can't make out the name just yet, but it doesn't sound like anything I've ever come across. Anyways," she took a breath, "They were married for about three years when apparently she was turned by the Master himself."

"Making her one of the first," I sighed and rubbed my temples. She had been married.

Serena had been married.

I don't think that I liked that thought.

Damn the man.

"Okay," Rei said after a few moments of silence, "Now that Darien has processed the fact that Serena isn't a virgin, what happened next?"

I glared at her, "I know full well that she isn't a--"

"Children, please," Amy said, sighing melodramatically. "Where was I?"

"Serena being turned by the Master?" Rei said helpfully.

"Oh! Okay," she paused looking back over the paper, "Master turned her and then apparently she lived with her husband until he died."

Damn. So she loved him, even in her unlife.

"Why didn't she make him a vampire as well?" I asked, knowing that Amy probably didn't have the answer; it was meant to be a rhetorical question.

"Because he wouldn't let me," was the quiet answer. I stood up sharply and looked toward the direction of the voice.

Serena.

I felt guilty, though I'm not exactly sure about what. Probably I felt guilty about being angry with this man. It wasn't his fault that he managed to capture her heart.

Damn.

But Serena just smiled at me, I'm sure she knew what I was feeling. She always did. And as she smiled, she walked over to us. Amy was looking shamefully to the ground and Rei had stood up as well. Although she didn't look as guilty as me and Ames.

Serena just smiled at me again, "Its okay," she said quietly, "I'm not mad."

"I--" she held a finger to my lips, silencing me.

"I'm not mad at you Darien," she said, "Actually I'm impressed," she smiled at Amy, "The High Language of Atlantis is very difficult to translate."

"I'll say," Amy muttered.

Serena giggled, sounding like a little girl for a moment and then she sighed, "I offered my husband immortality several times," she closed her eyes painfully for a second, "He has refused every single time."

Amy and Rei exchanged a look, and decided that this would be a good point to leave Serena and me alone. They quietly closed the door after them, leaving us in silence.

"I don't understand," I said quietly, looking at her confused, "Didn't you love him?"

Serena smiled and looked into the distance, smiling, "Yes. He was a very honorable man," then she closed her eyes, "But he's been dead for........for a long time."

She blinked and then looked up at me, smiling and I sighed, sitting down in my chair. "I just don't understand why a man wouldn't want to be with you forever," I said quietly, "He was a fool."

Serena blinked and looked at me, before laughing out right and for a moment I was worried that I had offended her. She laughed helplessly for a few minutes before being able to speak without giggling. I raised an eyebrow, now even more confused than before.

"Sorry," she said wiping her eyes that had small tears in them, "Inside joke."

"Sure," I said dryly and she kissed my cheek softly. When she pulled away, she handed me a small white envelope.

"Open it," she said sitting down on the edge of my desk.

I opened the small white envelope to reveal a beautiful invitation. It was printed on paper that was made to look old and ancient, and it seemed it would fall apart at any moment. The writing was black and silver and embossed.

"'You are cordially invited to a masquerade hosted by Serena on October 31'" I paused for a moment and looked up at her, "That's Halloween." She grinned. "The Night Of The Dead."

"No self-respecting vampire or demon goes out on Halloween," she said simply, "It's just too tacky."

"Tacky?" I raised an eyebrow.

"We're not really into the whole Devil's Night thing," she said, "It's just," she shuddered, "tacky."

"I see," I looked over the invitation and the set it down, "It says come in costume." She nodded and smiled at me.

God, she was smiling at me.

I can't say no when she smiles like this.

"And that's not tacky?"

Serena gave me this Look, "Only if you come dressed as a vamp," she said and then giggled, "That would totally be tacky."

I grinned and then sighed, "I'll see if I can come. I have to look and see if there are any ancient Evil prophesies about that night, and if there aren't, I'll come."

She smiled brightly and threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly. I laughed and pulled her into my lap, just holding her for a moment. She kissed my neck and then my cheek, and then finally my lips before pulling away.

"The sun'll be up soon," she said quietly, "I should go. Besides, you aren't done trying to get all the information on me that you can," she teased and I flushed slightly. She smiled and kissed me softly before standing up, and then moved so quickly that she appeared to vanish.

I looked over at the calendar that was handing on the office wall. Today was October 1. I had a month to find out if there was any evil, learn more about the woman I was slowly falling in love with, and find myself a stunning and amazing costume. I sighed.

I can't wait.

* * *

I came into Darien's and mine's office rubbing my sore hands. They were a bright red and hurt like hell. Well more like the Fires Of Hell.

"That is the last time I spend the entire night blasting vampires and assorted demoni," I muttered and decided to soak my hands in ice. I went to the small cooler that we had, and filled up the ice bucket and just resting my hands in them. I closed my eyes, sighing as the throbbing pain slowly died.

"Reishe?"

I smiled and slowly opened my eyes to see Jedeite. He grinned back and came over to the couch that I collapsed on and sat down next to me. Taking my hands out of the melting ice and put them in his own.

I shivered, goose bumps appearing all over my skin. He was colder than the ice. He laughed, "Am I that cold, beloved?" he asked lightly kissing the side of my face.

"You're hands are like ice. Colder than ice," I whispered and looked up at him and then raised an eyebrow, "My name is Rei," I pointed out for what was probably the millionth time. He always called me 'Reishe' or 'beloved' never Rei.

I asked Serena about it one time and she just smiled, saying that Reishe meant Fire Princess in Jedeite's first tongue and that when he first saw me that's what came to mind.

He laughed, "I know, but you will always be my 'Fire Princess' my Reishe."

"You sound so sure," I commented pulling my hands away, a small smile playing on my lips, "What if I don't want to be yours?"

He smiled again, this time knowing that I was playing games. That's what we do, we play these games that usually end up at my place and with me getting bitten.

Let me tell you that getting bit by a vamp is an amazing experience. When it happens there is a brief moment of pain before you get this fire blast of ecstasy. Jedeite is so controlled that I never fell the blood loss the next morning.

I know that this relationship is crazy. I mean, I've been fighting the Undead and the like, ever since I turned fourteen. It's been a long five years, but for some reason this vampire just gets under my skin like no man, living or dead has before.

I'm not sure if I like it or not.

I'm not even sure if this relationship is based on something other than amazing sex.

"Then I will walk into the sun," he said pulling me into his arms, "I can not live without you."

"I hate to break it to you, but you're already dead," Darien said as he walked into the office, looking more troubled then usual. I would have pulled away, but Jedeite kept his incredibly strong arms around me.

Jedeite sighed, "You know Darien, the only thing that keeps me from wanting to tear your throat out is Serena," he said good-naturedly.

"And the only thing that keeps me from staking you--"

"besides the fact that I'm practically immortal," Jedeite interrupted.

"--Is the fact that Rei is desperately and hopelessly in love with you."

I could have torn his throat out myself. When did I ever tell him that I was hopelessly in love with Jedeite?

"Have a nice day, Dead Boy." Then Darien walked into his office, leaving us alone.

I'm going to kill him.

I am so going to kill him.

"Desperately and Hopelessly in love?" Jedeite teased, his soft voice murmuring into my ear.

"You should go," I said and pulled away. He let me, and I could have sworn that I heard him sigh quietly. I dismissed the thought. "The sun's about to rise."

He slowly stood, "Reishe....."

"For the last time, my name is Rei. Now go, before you get stuck here."

He just looked at me and this time he really did sigh. He came up to me and kissed me gently, wrapping his arms completely around his waist and pulling me close. I thought about fighting him at first, but when the kiss started getting passionate I gave in.

My arms wrapped around his neck pulling myself closer to him, and I could have sworn I heard him moan softly before slowly breaking away. "I feel the same way," he murmured, kissing my forehead before he was gone.

I stood there stunned for a moment before deciding to get very angry at Darien.

I walked straight into his office without even knocking.

"What the hell were you trying to pull?!"

He looked up at me calmly, "What do you mean?" he asked innocently. That was something he picked up from Serena.

"You know exactly what I mean. Why the hell did you tell him that I was in love?"

"Because you are."

"Whatever!" I shouted, "You just don't like him, you've never liked him. Why are you trying to cut in on my fun?!"

Darien rolled his eyes, "I'm not trying to do anything," he said and looked down at his papers. "You're right, I don't like him."

"Why?!" I demanded starting to feel my hands starting to get warm. Shit! I had started my Flamethrower spell without even thinking about it. "What has he done to you?"

Darien was quiet, not answering me and I slowly cooled my hands down. Damn they hurt like hell.

"I'm waiting for an answer," I said simply.

He looked up at me and then sighed, pounding his fist on his desk angrily, "Serena."

I rolled my eyes, "So what? They're friends."

"Friends just don't make out at irregular intervals," he muttered leaning back into his chair. "I saw them yesterday at a cafe. I was supposed to meet her there and he was saying good-bye."

"So?"

"Doesn't that bother you in the least?!" Darien asked exasperated, pounding the desk in frustration again.

One more punch and he was going to break it. Sometimes the man does not know his own strength.

I sighed, "Darien, they're vampires, and they've been friends longer than most of our ancestors. The line between friend and lover is very thin in their world."

He blinked at me, "How do you know all this?" he asked and I stood up grinning.

"I already talked to Jedeite about it," I said simply going to the door, "I was annoyed the first few times too."

He just growled something and I laughed, shaking my head as I left.

I didn't see him again until that night.

"Reishe?"

Shit.

"Jedeite?" I looked up from my book. I had been trying to find a pain killer spell that would get rid of my burning hands. I was surprised to see him. I thought that he would stay away from me longer. Whenever we have a fight, he leaves and lets me cool down. I don't know if I had cooled down or not, and he was being very brave.

Even for an Immortal blood-sucker.

Besides, make-up sex is always better then regular sex. Sometimes we have fights on purpose just for that reason.

"I wouldn't come as soon," he said quietly. He was standing in front of me and looking very humble, "But there is something that has happened that you should know about."

I closed my book and looked at him evenly.

I was afraid that he was coming to tell me that Darien was dead. Or that Serena had killed him. Or that Serena was dead and Darien was going to kill himself. I was not prepared for what he told me.

"Darien saw Serena kill."

I looked at him blankly and was very quiet. He patiently waited for my reaction. "What do you mean? Of course Serena kills, she's a vampire."

Jedeite sighed and then gently took one of my hands, "But he's never seen her kill. He will be here soon and is very upset. I thought you should know."

"But she's a vampire," I repeated. I didn't understand why Darien would be so upset by this. She kills everyday, just like Jedeite. Sure it bothered me slightly, but it didn't upset me. They were vampires, this is what they did. They killed.

"Darien loves her. He forgets sometimes what she is. Trust me, j'thia. He's upset."

Then Jedeite was gone. Which was just as well because Darien came storming through the door.

* * *

How could she do that!? How could she just kill that man?

I know she's a vampire, but she killed so remorselessly. Like it didn't matter that she had just murdered someone. I think that she even enjoyed it.

Damn it all to Hell.

I stormed into the office. Rei looked at me and I just brushed past her desk and into my own office.

Angrily I threw a small glass sculpture at the wall and it shattered.

Serena was a monster. She was a murderer. She was a demon.

Damn it! She was an angel!

An angel from hell.

Damn, I loved her! Why did she do this?! Just when I was starting to believe that it could work.

Just when I was starting to have hope.

"What happened?" I heard Rei ask quietly. She had come into my office and was looking at me with a kind of sympathy that I didn't understand.

I didn't want sympathy right now. I wanted......

I don't know what I wanted anymore.

Damn this was so confusing. I need to stop saying damn.

"Nothing," I nearly snarled. I practically threw myself into my chair, pounding on the desk.

Pointless, I know. A waste of good energy, but I was so angry that I wasn't being rational. In case you didn't know, that's what happens when people get angry. They cease to be rational.

"What happened?" Rei demanded again, her voice actually gentle.

"Serena." I muttered after a moment.

"She's a vampire," Rei said simply, again as before she was being gentle. She came and sat in a chair on the opposite side of my desk. "What happened?"

I sighed. Suddenly I felt very childish and immature. "I saw Serena kill an old man today."

"And?"

"And it bothered me!" I nearly shouted, pounding the desk again in frustration.

"You forgot what she was," Rei said simply. "Serena is a vampire, she kills to survive, much like you eat chocolate."

Damn Rei and her logic.

"I know," I sighed and leaned back in my chair.

"But knowing and believing at two different things," Rei said smiling slightly, "It doesn't make it any easier to know what she is and what she does."

"Exactly," I muttered. I was quiet for a long moment, "I yelled at her," I whispered, "I called her a demon and asked her what she was trying to pull with me. You know," I sighed and looked down at some unimportant point on my desk, "I almost believed that she loved me. That she actually cared."

Rei was quiet, "Maybe she does."

We were quiet for a long time before Rei stood and went to the door. She looked back at me and smiled slightly.

"But it was incredibly stupid of you to piss off one of the most Powerful vampires in the world."

I groaned and then laughed quietly. I knew that she couldn't leave without saying something like that.

"Thanks Rei."

She grinned and winked at me, "No problem, any time."

* * *

Okay, maybe I over reacted when I saw her kill. It just hurt to realize that she really was evil.

I sighed.

Okay, maybe not evil, just a murder. Just another vampire. Still, I was upset at seeing my girlfriend kill.

But Rei was okay with all of it. I mean she had it just as bad for Jedeite as I did for Serena. Though she would never admit that she was in love.

Just as I would never tell Serena. She has too much power over me already, I don't need to give her anymore.

I sighed, walking the late night streets of New York, just patrolling. I was very much lost in thought. I hadn't spoken to Serena since the day that I had caught her in the alley.

Stopping, I felt an unfamiliar vampire presence. I was starting to be able to tell when Serena or Jedeite was around, but this one was new.

And Dangerous.

All thought of Serena went out of my head.

I clenched my jaw and went into the alley where I felt the presence. Standing over a little girl was a tall woman with red brown hair. It was clear that she dyed too, for her roots were a light strawberry blond color. She was pale, and like all vampires she was giving off the unearthly glow.

Damn it all to Hell.

She felt my presence and then let the body of the little girl fall to the ground. Our eyes met and I almost shuddered. Her eyes were blood-red. They widened slightly and she walked closer to me.

This woman wanted me to fear her, but for some reason I couldn't get afraid. And unlike when I had first met Serena, I didn't freeze in place.

"So you're a demon-hunter now," she said in a sultry purr, raking her nails down my chest. I grabbed her hand and held it tightly by the wrist.

Now? What was that supposed to mean?

"And you're a vampire."

She laughed and forcefully pulled her hand away, "You haven't changed Endymion," she purred.

"I think you have me mistaken for someone else," I said coldly and unsheathed the silver katana on my back.

Who the hell was Endymion and why was she looking at me like that?

Her eyes were traveling my body hungrily. Serena had done almost the same thing the first time, but it hadn't made me embarrassed or sick and it didn't look so desperate and slutty. I felt amazingly unclean with this *thing* looking at me.

Normally I didn't mind when women, vampire, or demoness, or human looked at me. It gave me a nice ego trip. What can I say, I'm a guy, I think about That almost as much as I think about food. Maybe even more so.

"I'm so disappointed that you don't remember me," she pouted, "Don't tell me that you don't remember me."

"Who exactly am I supposed to remember?" I asked holding my katana up and ready to strike.

She hissed when she saw it, "Beryl, or maybe Berylka sounds more familiar."

"Sorry, doesn't ring a bell." I swiftly attacked, hoping to cut off her head, but she jumped back and then moved in an instant behind me.

I swung around and the blade sliced through her arm. It fell to the ground. She just laughed and I saw her reattach it. I grimaced at this, seeing someone, even if they were a dead someone, reattach their arm was revolting.

I lashed out again, still aiming for her head. She rushed me and grabbed me tightly, holding me by my neck, slowly lifting me off of the ground.

In any other situation, it would have been funny to see a woman much smaller than me, holding me by the throat and keeping me in the air. I began to choke as her hand began to close, increasing the pressure.

She threw me up against the wall, her strength pinning me there. And that was with only one hand. I still gripped my katana, and attempted to remove her leg, but she kicked it out of my grasp.

Beryl or Berylka, whoever she was laughed cruelly, her fangs extended. She raked her nails across my chest, and I held back a yelp of pain as I felt them gouge into me.

"Look what you made me do," she whispered and I noticed that blood was coming from a wound on my chest. She laughed and suddenly my shirt was very much non-existent.

There were several long gashes that went all the way down my chest and they were bleeding quite heavily.

Great, at this rate I'll be bloodless before dawn.

I glared and struggled again as she moved her head down to the bottom of the gash. Slowly, she ran her tongue up my chest, along the wound and licked away all the blood.

I hissed in breath sharply. My wound was stinging and she thought what she was doing was arousing. God, she looked desperate.

However, it was quite the opposite. It hurt and I found it revolting.

What I found even more revolting was the fact that she was trying to get my pants off.

I struggled wildly, trying to force her away.

Then she was gone and on the other side of the alley, laying in a tangle of arms and legs.

Standing in her place was Serena.

And she was glowing more brightly then I had ever seen her glow before.

I think she was pissed.

I really couldn't tell. I had slumped to the ground and had to lean against the wall.

"I thought I told you to leave him alone," Serena was saying quietly. Beryl had forced herself to her feet, glaring hatefully at her. "He's not yours."

"Nor is he yours!" Beryl shouted at her. "Remember he will hate you forever!"

"Remember to whom you speak," she shouted back and parts of Beryl's slutty dress burst into flames. The flames died as quickly as they had come, but it was clear that Serena held more Power. It was odd, Serena looked like she was losing her temper. She wasn't calm and controlled like she normally was.

"The girl-child if I recall his words correctly," Beryl lashed out, rushing Serena.

Calmly Serena threw her over her shoulder and then back kicked her in the stomach, "You are speaking of what you do not understand," she said simply, "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"I know that--"

"You know nothing," Serena said calmly, "Now go. You offend me."

I think that I actually laughed at this. It was amusing to see her talk to Beryl as if she was a Queen and the other vampire was a Servant.

"He will hate you. He does now."

"No!" Serena said and shoved the other vampire into the wall with just a mere thought, "He will hate what I am! He will never hate me! He will never hate my soul! You don't remember your curses very well."

"And you don't remember them at all!" the red head hissed and attacked Serena. I cried out for her, wanting to help, but the fact that I was bleeding and that my wrist was broken was not helping.

Serena cried out in a language that I didn't recognize and Beryl fell to the ground, being forced to a bowing position.

"You will leave him alone." I heard her whispered, "If you touch him again, I will kill you."

Beryl glared up at her and then was gone. "Remember Endymion," I heard whispered on the breeze.

Serena slowly turned and faced me, before being at my side in an instant. Her gentle fingers went over the wound and I saw her visibly trying to control her blood-lust.

I winced when she touched it and tried to stand up. She gently stopped me and then did something that surprised me.

She picked me up, carrying me in her arms and then we were moving faster than I had ever been in my entire life. It was like flying through the air.

Then again, I was a little fuzzy from the blood lost. I don't remember where we landed or really what happened for the next few minutes, but I felt her place me in the middle of a large and soft bed.

I kept trying to think. Why was she helping me? That Night I had basically told her that I hated her. Which wasn't true, but she must think that I do. She was always taking what I said seriously and thinking about it. She was very much human in that respect. She obsessed on things, until the point that she was very confused.

I was confused.

Why the Hell was she helping me?

I winced, all this thinking hurt.

"Darien," she murmured, "Look at me."

In my daze I did my best to look up at her.

"This is going to hurt," she said gently, "but it will make you heal much faster."

I nodded, not really capable of doing much else. She lightly kissed my forehead and then I saw her get a knife.

Then she slit her wrist.

Serena didn't even flinch as she let her blood drip onto the wound on my chest.

Our blood mingled with a hissing noise and I winced slightly. The self-inflicted wound must have healed very quickly because I saw her slit her wrist again, and again her blood dripped onto me.

That's when it started to hurt. She gently mixed our blood and lightly pressed her hand against it. Sharp pain went through my body and I think I started to thrash on the bed, the pain building.

God it hurt.

Serena quickly moved so that she was laying beside me, holding me gently but firmly to the bed. "It's okay," she murmured into my neck. "It will be over soon."

But the pain kept on and I knew that I was starting to scream. I think that I heard Serena crying softly, but I wasn't able to pay attention to anything but the pain.

Then I felt her move over me, holding me still with her strength, and now that I think about it, her legs as well. "Forgive me," I heard her whisper in my ear.

Then there was another pain, this one at my neck, but only for an instant.

Then I was hit with blinding pleasure. It blocked all the pain and I couldn't feel anything but the pleasure that was raking through my body.

Oh God.

I'm not sure how much time past but when both the pain and the pleasure stopped I realized how hard I was breathing. I tried to get it to slow down as I opened my eyes.

Serena was laying by my side, her head in the crook of my shoulder and she was still crying. "Forgive me," she whispered over and over again, "Forgive me, j'thia."

Then I blacked out.

* * *

When I woke up I felt very disorientated. I had a soreness that was all through my body, like I had exercised for too long and my body was trying to cope with it. I winced and tried to sit up.

That's when I noticed that I had a beautiful blond nestled in the crook of my arm.

Serena.

She was lying there, her head lightly on my shoulder and a hand resting lightly on my chest. I looked down and saw the wound from the night before.

Actually I didn't see anything but red marks. It was more like I had been scratched, not gouged. I wasn't scaring.

Then the memories of last night hit me in a wave of disorientation. Beryl. Serena. The Fight. The very confusing words. And then the blood.

The memory of her slitting her wrist and mixing our blood. Then the memory of her biting me.

And the Ecstasy.

Oh God, the Ecstasy.

Serena stirred slightly, slowly opening her eyes. "You're thinking about it too much," she whispered. "You'll go crazy if you obsess on it," she looked up at me and lightly touched my face.

"What?" I asked dumbly looking down at her.

"The Euphoria. It will consume you if you don't calm down and try not to think about it," she murmured and sat up, resting on her side. She lightly touched my chest, where the red marks were.

I inhaled sharply, my breath a hiss and I instinctively pulled away from her.

She quickly withdrew her fingers and pulled away from me, and for a moment she looked ready to cry. She rolled out of the bed and I noticed that for once she wasn't naked or trying to seduce me. She had clothes on, and while her tank top and boxers didn't cover much, but she was covered.

And clean, I noticed after a moment. We both were clean, there was none of the blood from the night before anywhere. I was in a pair of pants that I knew weren't mine, for one thing they looked like they had come out of the thirties. For a brief moment I wondered why she had changed my pants. Part of a memory from the night before surfaced and if I had the mindframe to do it, I would have blushed. I tried to sit up, wincing as the movement was slightly painful.

I had hurt her, I realized and I felt incredibly guilty about it. Here she was, saving my life, and then trying to make my pain going away and I was rejecting her. Even if I hadn't meant to hurt her, I had.

I hurt her again.

Damn it.

"Serena I--"

"You should rest," she said quietly moving to leave the room, not looking at me. "I'll see if I can get Rei to take you home."

"Serena--"

"Rest."

Then she was gone and I was alone in the large and dark room.

God I felt awful. Here was the woman I loved, risking her Unlife for me and I was treating her like shit.

Okay, maybe it wasn't that much of a risk for her, she didn't have to save my life, not after the way I had treated her.

But she did.

I know that some of what she did last night wasn't easy for her either. The mixing of human and vampire blood is dangerous if the vampire doesn't plan on making the human a blood sucker.

And supposedly blood-lust is very hard to control. It's been described as a euphoria that completely overtakes their mind. That's why vampires kill, Blood Lust. Only the Elders of the race were able to have complete control over it.

And Serena did. She proved that last night when she bit me.

I sighed and leaned back against the headboard of the bed, pulling the blood-red silk sheets up to my chest and hugging them. In my present state, I felt like crying as well.

God, I love her so much.

Then I heard voices. I expected one of them to be Rei, but instead it sounded like Dead Boy.

Damn.

Did I ever mention how much I disliked him?

"It was Berylka," I heard her say, as I strained to hear their conversation.

"She's still alive?" Jedeite asked, clearly surprised. "I thought you killed her the last time this happened."

"Well....."

"Serena, I can't believe that you let her live!"

"I tried to damn it!" Serena said irritably. "She is older than me, you know."

"So am I."

"Not by much," she muttered.

"She's what? five or six years older? I'm only eight years," Jedeite sighed, "You're more Powerful than she will ever be. Gods, you're more Powerful than most of our race. Kill her and be done with it."

Serena sighed and I decided to see if I could watch this. I stood and went to the door, which she had left partially open.

What can I say? I'm a jealous guy, always have been, always will be. Even though I had no right to be. She wasn't mine. She was never mine.

I saw Jedeite sit down on the couch and then pull her into his lap and then hold her. "You bit him didn't you," he murmured into her hair and she nodded before wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. "I take it that you didn't ask."

"No," she whispered, "He was in pain and it was killing me to see him like that. There was nothing I could do but let my blood heal him. Gods, he was screaming so loud. I didn't know what to do." Her body started shaking and I realized that she was crying.

"So you bit him," Jedeite finished and gently rocked her, lightly stroking her hair. As he held her, he pulled part of the sleeve of her shirt away from her shoulder and kissed it gently. Then he lightly nipped at the skin in what, I supposed must be, a comforting gesture. I really have no idea.

Jealousy flared through me. How dare he touch her like that?!

Then I winced, remembering Rei's words. *The line between friend and lover is very thin in their world.* Slowly I forced myself to see something other than red.

"I should have asked him," she whispered, "I know how he feels about the whole biting thing. I should have asked, but he was in so much pain. I knew he would hate me even more." Then she began to cry again.

I gripped the doorframe tightly. I had made her cry. I had made my angel from hell cry.

God, I was an idiot.

During times like these I hated myself. I really should take up self flogging or something.

"Serena," Jedeite whispered soothingly, "It will be okay. I don't think he hates you."

She laughed ironically, "'She will become something that you despise for an eternity, and you will hate her and yourself everyday for the rest of your lives.' I remember the curse well."

"And 'Good will overcome Evil! Love and Justice will triumph and they will taste happiness before death' So do I," Jedeite grinned impishly. "He doesn't hate you Serena."

"Yes he does," she whispered, "He can't forgive me. He pulled away from me this morning. After what happened on That Night, he doesn't want me anymore," she whispered. "I can't go through this again."

Again? I was very confused. It sounded like they were quoting something, but I wasn't sure what.

But I couldn't concentrate on that, all I really heard was 'He doesn't want me.' That was so far from the truth that I almost laughed at the whole thing.

God I wanted her.

I loved her.

Yes, I'm being redundant. So sue me.

Jedeite just sighed and kissed her forehead. He looked up, and our eyes met across the room and over her head. He smiled slightly and nodded before kissing the top of her head.

I went back to the bed, trying to understand what I had just heard. I wasn't given much time to think about it because I heard a knock on the bedroom door.

"Darien? It's Serena, can....can I come in?" She sounded so unsure and uncertain.

"Of course you can come in," I said and sat up as she came in.

She stayed by the door after closing it quietly. "Darien.......I just wanted to tell you that Rei will be here soon. She's coming with your car and she'll take you home." Her voice was almost inaudible. She turned to go.

"Serena, wait."

She slowly turned back around and looked at me, her eyes were still cloudy with blood tears. I sighed and then held out a hand to her. "Don't go," I said quietly.

She looked at my hand for a moment and then slowly walked over and took it. I pulled her to me, sitting her next to me on the bed, holding onto her hand tightly and then made her look at me.

"I want to thank you for saving my life," I said.

Okay, that was corny. I winced inwardly. Great. Here I was trying to get her to see that I didn't hate her and I came off sounding like an idiot. I could blame it on blood loss, but I knew that wasn't the case. I'm just stupid.

"It was nothing," she whispered pulling away, but I kept my hold on her hand.

"Serena I know how hard it is to do what you did last night. I know that it was dangerous and I also know that you didn't have to do it. I treated you like shit, you didn't have to, but you did."

She looked down, "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I didn't want to hurt you."

"You didn't," I said and made her look at me, "If I recall correctly, it didn't hurt. It was quite the opposite."

She blushed. Serena actually blushed, which meant that she was really embarrassed. Its hard to vampires to get their blood to actually move, which means that a slight blush is like bright red on a human.

"I know." she whispered and pulled her head away again. "I shouldn't have bit you without your permission, though," she whispered.

"I understand," I said quietly and lightly kissed her forehead. "I forgive you."

She looked up at me surprised. "Wh-what?"

"I forgive you, Rena."

Then I leaned down and kissed her softly,. I pulled her even closer to me and wrapped my arms around her small waist. One hand I placed gently the side of her face. She wrapped her arms around my neck which allowed me to hold her even closer.

It wasn't long until it was a very passionate kiss, fiery and breathless. I moaned softly and rolled over her, pressing her gently into the bed as my mouth traveled along her face and down to her neck and throat.

Her hands slid up my chest and linked around my neck as she kissed me along my shoulder. She was being very careful to stay away from my neck. The wound tingled slightly as she kissed the column of my throat, and a part of me wished that she had touched it. Soon our mouths met again in a fiercely passionate kiss, and I pressed her harder into the bed.

It wasn't until I was slipping my hands under her shirt that she pulled away, gently forcing me off of her.

"Darien, we can't," she whispered and I almost groaned in frustration.

She spends the last five months trying to get me in her bed and now she tells me that we can't? I don't think that I'll ever understand her.

"Why?" I asked and pulled her to me, "because I'm having difficulty understanding," I kissed her neck gently and softly. She sighed and then giggled Apparently she was ticklish.

"Three reasons," she said and giggled again as I lightly stroked her stomach.

"Which are?"

"One: If we make love right now, I'll kill you."

I raised an eyebrow. How weak does she think I am? I may not be as experienced as she was, but I still had experience. I sighed and looked down at her.

"Good reason," I said dryly.

She giggled, "No offence Darien, but you're not strong enough right now."

I sighed melodramatically. "Two?"

"Two: Rei will be here shortly."

"We could just tell her to go away."

She giggled again, "True," she said, "But there is still reason number one."

"Very well," I said, kissing the hollow of her throat and she giggled again. "Three?"

She looked up into my eyes and then kissed me softly before moving away. "When I make love to you it will be because we both want it, not because you're suffering from blood loss. Zalliva xi, j'thia. "

Then she was gone.

Great, a language I don't understand at all and she wanted to be mysterious.

And practical. Damn it, for once she was being practical and honest.

She was doing a good job at both, but she had just gotten me all excited for practically nothing, and my body was starting to protest. I sighed and slowly tried to relax.

* * *

I was sore for the next three days and basically unable to be a Demon Hunter. So I stayed at the office, researching.

Researching is something that I despise with a passion. Normally I make Amy do it, but she was working on 'Project Moon' as she likes to call it. I think that she's having way too much fun looking up stuff on Serena.

So I was stuck in the office looking up ancient prophesies, making sure that none of them came to pass on Halloween night.

Or I was hoping that they would come to pass on Halloween. I'm not real sure. While I love Serena and would do anything for her, I hate parties. I think it comes from the fact that I can't dance at all.

And I'm totally serious about this. I look like a retarded chicken when I try. I didn't want to embarrass myself, or Serena.

Besides it doesn't help the Demon Hunter image if I look like a retarded chicken.

Unfortunately or fortunately, however you look at it, there was no Big Evil.

Great.

Wonderful.

Peachy.

Now I have to find a costume.

Damn it.

I was putting the last book away and was very sullen, when Amy practically bounced into my office.

"You will never believe what I found," she said, looking way too excited.

"Probably not," I said sitting back down in my chair and propped my feet up on my desk, "What did you find, Ames."

"A very nice picture of Serena eight-thousand years ago!" she nearly squealed with delight. I calmly raised an eyebrow and was about to say something when she gave me a look, "Don't you dare pretend to be uninterested, Darien Kincaid."

I sighed, "Okay, I want to see it."

She grinned and set this rather large book on my desk, pushing my feet out of the way. She flipped through several pages and then pointed triumphantly, "There!"

I looked down and saw a portrait of a girl who looked about fifteen years old. She was very pale and had dark aqua-marine eyes and curly auburn hair. Her skin was a beautiful ivory and she was wearing a silvery blue dress that wrapped around her body tightly in some places and then in others it was loose and free. It made her look like a sea nymph coming out of the waves of the sea.

She looked innocent.

And that's the only thing that made me believe that these were the same two people.

The Serena I knew had bleach-blond hair and crystal blue eyes and marble white skin.

"Now, underneath the picture it says, 'Her Highest Majesty, Queen Serena of Atlantis, the Empire of the Waters and Greatest Empire on Earth.' and that's how I know its really Serena. All my references point back to this picture."

"She looks like a little girl," I commented, "Do you know how old she is here?"

"I think this is her wedding picture," Amy commented, "So she's around sixteen here."

"Where's the groom?" I asked trying to sound nonchalant. I hated this man. He had Serena's heart, all of her heart. I'm glad that he's been dead for thousands of years. If he was alive I think that I'd actually kill him. Then again, if he was alive I would never have met Serena. You win some, you lose some.

Amy just grinned and turned the page. "There."

I blinked several times. This man looked like he was in his early twenties. He had long dark black hair and bright blue eyes. He was wearing a simple shirt and pants that were light colored. He was regal and kingly and I could tell from the way the artist did his eyes that he was a strong and noble man.

Easy to like.

Trustworthy

Damn.

But there was something about him that bothered me. I thought about it for the longest time and then paled.

He looked like me.

Not exactly like me, of course. But it was a close enough resemblance and not a wild leap to say that we were both of a same type. We both had dark hair, blue eyes, and a large muscular build, (I'm a little conceited with it comes to my body).

I cleared my throat, "Amy, what's his name?" I asked hoarsely.

She looked up at me confused and then rolled her eyes, "It says here that his name is 'King Endymion of K'thia.'"

My eyes widened and I sat back into my chair.

Endymion.

Damn. It. All. To. Hell.