The Revenant Masque

[Agarwaen]

Prologue

Loneliness. Fear. Frustration. Anger. Confusion. All these emotions swirled within her as she walked through the hall. Her hands were clenched at her sides, her delicate jaw set in determination. But why? This question was asked every time. Why was she feeling such emotions? What had happened? Where why she going? And why was she walking through a dilapidated ruin? But no answers came to her as she gingerly picked her way through the rubble. A soft wind blew at her hair, bringing with the soft fragrance of flowers. She wanted to stop and enjoy the breeze, the emotions within her quelling slightly. But her body didn’t listen. She continued walking despite her wishes, nothing she attempted to do could stop herself. But she had known that it wouldn’t work. It never did.
The ancient ruins were dangerous. It was obvious from the rubble covering the floor, from the dust falling off the roof. But this didn’t stop her. The corridor she was in was large enough for one person to walk in the centre without bending. But the ceiling curved, like a circle halfway in the ground. There were many windows along either side of the corridor, letting enough moonlight in to be able to see clearly. Though there were many odd shadows.
The fear inside her gut increased tenfold as the bones started becoming visible among the rubble. No! She thought, trying to stop herself. She didn’t want to go any farther; she didn’t want it to happen again. But of her body didn’t listen. It never did. No matter how many times this played through her head, it never changed. Ever. It was as if it were set in stone in some magical language.
But, as the large round doorway appeared casting a soft glow of green light into the moonlit corridor, she slipped out of her body, watching as she walked toward the doorway. She knew what was going to happen next. She cringed at the thought. Not wanting to relive it again. She knew it was a dream; she’d had ever since she could remember, but she still screamed herself awake every time.
As she stepped through the doorway her body paused. She watched a bloody hand grabbed her shoulder and dragged her though the doorway. She was glad she couldn’t feel the hand over her mouth, the blood against her lips, the unnatural iciness of the hand, and the strength the hand possessed. She let out a muffled scream. Inside the room many bodies were strewn about. Not complete bodies either. No, these had been viciously pulled apart. Nothing was whole. Not even the little infant, whose head she always seemed to find within the carnage. She also picked out her parents’ corpses, her sister’s, and her best friend’s. Silent warm tears ran down her face, rolling into the icy hand the covered her mouth and muffled the repeated screams that were released from her throat.
She knew what would happen next. The attacker, the man as she knew him to be, whispered in her ear, “I did it all for you my love. See? Aren’t they pretty? We can be together now…because I killed all of your concerns and worries.” Wait! Something was off! He’d never said that before! Oh god! Raw terror blossomed in her chest. What could this mean?! She thought frantically. The dream had never changed before.
Her attacker chuckled, spinning her around to face him. She looked up at his face quickly, finding herself in control of her own movements finally. Her eyes widening at the face she had never seen before. He was beautiful. Gore covered, but unmistakably the most gorgeous male specimen she had ever laid eyes upon in her short life. How could someone so beautiful be so vicious?
The man grinned, revealing long curved fangs from behind his soft, pink lips. “I’ve finally found you.” He said succulently, his ice blue eyes burning into hers with an intensity that burned her retinas. She fought to look away from him, but she couldn’t tear her eyes from his gaze.
He suddenly bent forward, his warm breath brushing against her throat. She gasped; suddenly realizing what he was doing and pushing against him. But he didn’t move…at all. She felt his sharp fangs against her throat…and then her alarm clock went off.



Chapter One


Melanthe smacked the button on the alarm clock with more strength than she had intended. She drew her arm back under the covers and wiped the tears off her face. She swallowed thickly, trying to stop her shaking. She was so scared. How had the dream changed? What had caused it to? Why was it happening now?! She shook her head, knowing that her questions were vain. She forced herself out of bed, knowing that she had to go to school. A damn dream shouldn’t stop her from going, even one as dreadful as that one.
Her legs wobbled a bit as she stood. She blinking several times, still rubbing at her eyes. She was going to be tired today. She grabbed her phone off her the desk beside the bed and used its light to enable her to cross the war-zone of a room. Once save on the other side, she flipped on the light and opened the door, leaving the room in search of the bathroom.
She wasn’t exactly coordinated as she staggered down the hall, her body having issues awaking though her mind was fully alert. When she reached the bathroom she flipped on the light and shut the door, turning to face the mirror above the sink she let out a shriek. Her hands flew to her face, her body shaking like it had been when she had awakened. There was blood on her face…exactly where the man’s hand had been.
“What the hell?!” Melanthe quickly grabbed a hand towel and turned on the water, soaking the towel and quickly rubbing the blood away, not caring that water dripped all over the floor and herself. She just wanted the blood gone. Even after it had washed away she kept scrubbing until her face hurt. Finally satisfied she turned off the water and leaned against the sink, her eyes wide.
How had the blood gotten there? It had just been a dream…right? But then again she’d been having this dream every night for as long as she could remember. It couldn’t be just a dream, especially with the sudden change. It had to be something more, she was wrong to have ever thought of it as just a dream. But what the hell was it?!
Melanthe shook her head, she couldn’t take this. Running back to her room she quickly threw on clothes. Grabbing a bag from the floor of her room she fled the small apartment, rushing through the building, and finally running down the street.
She had ran several blocks before she finally slowed to a walk, her chest hurting and her breath coming in quick short pants. She still walked quickly though, not wanting to get stopped on the street this early in the morning. Hardly anyone was out here, her only company the annoying buzz of the streetlamps. Her fear keep escalating, not a fear of something real…but something that lurked in the shadows.
She was quite relived when she arrived at her destination two blocks later. She walked up the steps leading to the house and knocked on the door frantically, hoping the inhabitant would be awake…she really needed her right now. She stopped knocking when she heard quick footsteps within the house. The lock on the door was removed and then the door opened.
Melanthe launched herself into the arms of the elderly women who had appeared behind the door. She wailed into the women’s chest, trying to tell her what happened in rushed muffled sentences. The women had seemed shocked at first but she quickly folded the girl into her arms and drew her into the house, shutting and locking the door behind them.
“Hush, dear.” She whispered softly, leading the girl into the sitting room and settling down on the couch with her. She stroked her hair gently and eased the bookbag onto the floor. “Quiet down now, darling. Wait until you calm down.” She muttered, continuing to stroke her hair, and murmuring that she’d be alright.
It took a while but Melanthe finally stopped crying. The older women had gone into the kitchen to prepare some herbal tea, to help calm her down. When she came back out and handed the young girl the sweet smelling tea she asked her to explain what had occurred to bring her here in such a state.
Melanthe told her, not explaining that she had this dream every night, because she already knew about that. She already knew that the dream stayed the same, and she knew how it affected her. She had even attempted to aid her in quelling it, though those attempts had failed. So all Melanthe had to do was explain the changes in the nightmare.
“And…this morning, when I got up…” She paused swallowing thickly, “There…there had been blood on my face. In the exact place he had touched me. That’s never happened before grandma, you know that.” She looked around at the small, sweet smelling house. Little trinkets and bottles about the room indicated at the old women’s craft, fortune telling. But not only that, she was an earth witch.
Though the woman wasn’t truly Melanthe’s grandmother she acted like one and Melanthe saw her as one. She too was looking around the room in thought. They were both quiet for a moment when Grandma finally spoke up.
“It’s not a dream, Melanthe.” She said quietly.
Melanthe looked at her, “What do you mean?” She asked her voice raw. She sat the empty cup down on the table in fear of dropping it. She didn’t look back at Grandma though; instead she stared at the cup while she awaited an answer.
“Someone’s looking for you, Melanthe. Through the web of dreams, someone skilled enough to plant one seed then hunt it out. And by what you told me…it seems they found you.” She said gravely, her expression dark and worried. Her thin lips drawn in a line.
Oh god. Melanthe thought, clutching at her knee, “You mean…someone can search for people using dreams?” She asked, still not bringing herself to look up at her.
Grandma gently touched her back, “Sadly dear, yes. They most certainly can. But not very people have this power…it’s rare to come by it nowadays.” She rubbed her back softly, trying to comfort her.
Melanthe finally looked up at her, “And…the one looking for me…he isn’t human…” She asked hesitantly, her limbs shaking slightly. How could things like this occur? She’d never heard of it before now. She wasn’t sure if she was still dreaming…
“Correct. But don’t fear my dear. I’ll give you protection. You won’t be completely powerless if he can find his way around my barriers.” She gave Melanthe one last pat and stood, walking across the room and opening a drawer in a small table. She pulled out a large cross and walked back over to the couch, “Here, this can be a weapon in the right hands.” She sighed, “I didn’t think you’d have to use this in this lifetime though my dear.” She shook her head slightly, both pitying and concerned for the girl.
Melanthe took the silver cross, it was as long as both her palms plus and inch. It had beautiful sapphires in bedded at the four points and beautiful vine like carvings all over it. It was beautiful but how could it be used as a weapon?
She looked up at Grandma, knowing that the women knew more than she was telling but she didn’t ask any more questions. So far every answer she got only bought more questions, and she didn’t want any more confusion. Not right now anyway, it was all too fresh in her mind, she couldn’t take anymore.
She slid the cross into her jacket pocket and stood while Grandma placed both mental and physical shields on her. She’d been used to her magic for quite some time…but oddly it had never occurred to her that others could wield magic. She heaved a sigh at her blindness. She should have assumed, but then she would have been weary of everyone she met.
When Grandma was done, the two hugged, said their goodbyes and be carefuls, and then Melanthe left. She walked back home at a normal pass, her eyes not focusing on anything as her thoughts were turned inward. She wondered why something supernatural would be after her. She had lived a boring, non-eventful life; she shouldn’t have attracted the attention of something like that.
It was bright out now, the sun climbing in the sky. People roamed the sidewalks now, chatting happily. Melanthe looked around at them after she grew tired of asking questions that wouldn’t receive answers. She wondered just how many weren’t human, how many could use magic, and just how many held evil intentions.
It took her longer to walk home than it did to leave. But when she finally entered her room she just threw her back on the ground and flopped onto the bed, though she was too afraid to fall asleep, even with Grandma’s barriers on her. She stared at the ceiling, painfully aware that she was alone in the house. That thought scared her. What if he came when she was all alone? With no one here to defend her or hear her screams? If she even got a chance to scream.
Melanthe heaved a sigh and left the house again. This time she went to school, another, different kind of hell than her dreamland, but one just as dangerous. But it was better to be surrounded by annoying, rude people than now at all right now.

~~~~~~

Melanthe sighed as she entered the cafeteria. She had endured the first half of classes, and managed to not fall asleep during calculus. She sat down at her usual table and glanced around…where was he? She wondered. He could put things off her mind for a while, he always did. She sighed again when she didn’t see and pouted a bit in disappointment. Had he missed school today?
She squealed suddenly when someone began tickling her from behind. “Stop it! Camron!” She squealed, sighing relief when the boy stopped. She turned and looked at him, a slight smile on her face, “You demon.”
Camron smirked and sat down beside her, poking her side, “If I’m a demon then you’re an angel.” He frowned, examining her face more closely. “Melanthe, are you alright?” He asked softly, reaching up and a stray tear from her eye.
Melanthe nodded, “Mmhhmm.” She clenched her hands, trying not to break down in front of him. Being near him had given her a chance to drop her defences a bit, but that had been a mistake, she didn’t want him to see her cry. She gasped when he patted her head suddenly, not expecting such a show of affection from him. He stood up, holding a hand out to her.
“Come on. I’m sure you don’t want the whole school to see you in tears.” He said in a dry tone. She took his hand, glad he was being kind for once. He wasn’t a very affectionate person; in fact he was quite malicious. So whenever he did show kindness she treasured it.
They walked through the halls, him holding her hand gently the whole way. She’d never cried in front of him before, that’s what must have brought on this sudden protectiveness. It saddened her a bit to know that only her tears could wring kindness out of him. They’d been best friends since third grade after all, when he’d saved her from that fire in the science lab. He’d always been like this though, so she well accustomed to it.
When they reached old library they stopped, taking refuge in the old, shut off room. The room smelled of dust and old paper. There were no windows and no lights were turned on, but they could see because of the many skylights in the roof. There was hardly anything in the room, aside from a few random boxes and a pair of chairs at a table.
Melanthe and Camron walked across the large room and sat at this table. She sniffed a bit; her tears had stopped during their walk. She was a bit ashamed that she had cried in front of him. Her chest stung as she realized that she must have done it on purpose, to wring such a reaction out of Camron, for she’d always had goof control over her tears.
“Why are you crying so Melanthe?” He asked in the softest tone she’d ever heard him use. She swallowed thickly and rubbed the last of the tears from her eyes, and then she looked up at him, slightly afraid to meet his eyes. She was a bit surprised by the look of concern she found there, quite plain on his sharp but pretty face.
“I’m sorry Camron; I hadn’t meant to worry you.” She said pathetically, her voice raw with emotion, “It’s just my dream…it changed. Last night, I saw his face…and he said that he finally found me…then he went to bit my throat, but then my alarm clock went off. Thank the Gods that my alarm went off.” She placed her hand on her throat, realizing that if he had bit her then it would have really been happening, just like when she awoke with the blood on her face. If he had bit her, she would have awoken with wounds on her throat.
Camron stayed quiet for a moment, just watching her, and then he closed his eyes and sighed. “I’m sorry Melanthe. Was it that scary?” He asked, placing a hand on her chin and making her look him in the eye. She was lost there for a moment, the swirling green of his eyes kidnapping her once again. But his words shocked her out of that trance his eyes always caused.
“What else happened? You wouldn’t break down so just because the dream changed, no matter how much it frightened you.” He left the rest unspoken; it’s just a dream after all. Of course, she thought, he could see right through her, something he’d been able to do for so very long. It was amazing that it still surprised her.
“When I awoke there was…there had been blood on my face…” She gasped when she suddenly found herself being hugged tightly by him. She froze for a moment, not knowing what to do. Why was he hugging her? But she sighed and hugged him back, breathing in the scent of him, which made tears spring to her eyes again. She was so scared, but strangely she felt safe in his arms. She opened his eyes when she heard him mutter that he was sorry. What for? She thought, but didn’t say anything. She was afraid that if she spoke he would remember himself and stop hugging her.
He pulled back after that though. He smiled softly and wiped another tear off her face, “If something happens, anything at all that scares you, call me immediately. I don’t care what time it is, just call. Okay?” He gave her a look that meant he wanted a response.
Melanthe nodded, “Alright, thank you. For everything.” She smiled after him as he walked out the door, probably to go beat up some idiot who thought to challenge him for his throne. It wasn’t till after he was gone did she realize that what he said had been odd. All she had did was tell him that the blood had been real…she didn’t mention anything about what Grandma had told her. How did he know that she was in danger? She’d called him a demon earlier in jest…but was she more right than she thought?
She shook her head, now wasn’t the time to be questioning her friends. But her thoughts wouldn’t stay off of him. The fact that his whole existence wasn’t what she thought it was seemed more troublesome then the fact that some vampire was coming after. He was her friend after all; he’d been there for her for almost as long as she could remember. If he was something unnatural then she wouldn’t be able to forgive him for lying to her all these years.
But her mind slowly began to turn, thinking about other things. Like why was the vampire after her. She hadn’t done anything to attract the attention on one, besides she could remember having these dreams evening when she was little. What about her attracted that vampire? Her linage perhaps? Something she’d done in a past life? She had no idea; she laid her head down on the table in frustration. She wished she knew why; there would be some much less confusion in her poor mind. No, the answers would only bring about more questions.
She hadn’t noticed that she fell asleep until she found herself back in that corridor. She shivered, it was cold there now; it had always been warm before, with the soft scent of spring in the air. Now it was freezing, a strong wind blew her hair wildly, bringing snow with it from the outside. She walked along the corridor for the thousandth time. But unlike before she was in control of her actions, a fact that puzzled her. She merely walked in the same direction out of habit and curiosity.
Music echoed through the corridor, a soft violin piece. She could tell it was coming from the usual room, so she walked toward it, carefully picking her way through the rubble, once again guided by moonlight. She winced at every gust of wind, hating the feeling of the cold against her skin.
She rubbed at her goose bumps, trying to keep her teeth from chattering as she picked her way toward the door. When she finally got there she sighed in relief, steeling herself before she pushed open the door. This time, nobody grabbed her. There were no bodies strewn around the room.
There was merely an old fashioned room. A large poster bed was against one wall, an ornate dresser along another wall. The room was mostly bare, and it was a bit surprising when she realized that it was the same room as always, minus the corpses. The vampire was there as well, standing by a window, his eyes closed, playing the lovely violin. When she hesitantly stepped into the room he stopped playing, lowering the violin from his shoulder and gazing at her from across the room.
They stood there like that, merely watching each other for the longest time. It seemed neither was sure how to break the silence. But then he smiled gently. Melanthe’s eyes widened, if she hadn’t seen his face covered with gore she would have blushed. He truly was beautiful, but then again that was a trait one expected of a vampire.
“Please come in, dear. Sit down. I won’t hurt you.” He said softly, his voice as soft as velvet. Melanthe’s eyes widened a bit. This sudden change of attitude was surprising to say the least. But she stepped into the room anyone, wanting to know what he was going to say. She didn’t sit down though; even if just to show that she didn’t trust him.
He chuckled a bit, “I’m quite sorry about the earlier dreams. Until the one earlier they were just a recorded vision, replying until I could find the human who replayed this dream in their head every night. They must have been horrible things.” He looked at her, his gaze never wavering and even blinking only occasionally. She once again found that she couldn’t look away from his gaze. What power held her eyes on him?
“Why, though? Why were you searching for me?” She asked pleadingly, taking a step closer to him. He held up a hand, signalling for her to stop advancing. She obeyed, though only for fear of her own safety. She watched him intently, looking for signs that he would hurt her…and waiting for him to respond.
He lowered his hand and turned his gaze to the window. He stood there like that for god knows how long, just staring expressionlessly out the window. Melanthe began to hate that window, wondering why it absorbed his attention at this exact moment. But her hate was ridiculous so she let it drop, though frustration still swirled within her. She was beginning to wonder if he’d ever answer when he suddenly turned and looked at her again.
“Because my dear. Your my-…” His words were cut off as the dream shattered. Melanthe gasped, fighting consciousness, she needed to know what he had been going to say. But it was too late. She awoke to find herself being shaken awake by a teacher. Sh*t.

[Agarwaen]

Please comment!^^ I except all critque, even the harsher stuff^^

[Agarwaen]

Almost done with the second half to the first chapter^^

[Agarwaen]

Chapter one is complete, starting one chapter two^^

[Agarwaen]

edited

[Agarwaen]

Please read it...if I don't get any feed back I might not have the motivation to continue it...o.o"

[Agarwaen]

Chapter Two

Melanthios cursed silently when the dream shattered and he found himself lying on his bed. He sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, sinking his fingers into the post at the head of the bed. He snarled low in his throat, a bestial growl, demonstrating his inhumanness once again. The anger he felt showed in his eyes, turning the beautiful emerald green into an unearthly blood-red glow. It had been hard enough too hard enough to find, then the damned witch tried to hide her from him, and now this. He’d sensed something about the girl, something dangerous…damn that witch! She was messing with his plans! She should try to understand his intent before attempting to stop him.
He stood quickly, a certain grace accompanying his movements despite their suddenness. He grabbed his jacket off the floor and quickly pulled it on. He walked swiftly across the room and opening the old door, quickly moving through the elegant mansion with its dim lit halls and ancient décor. He left his lair and entered the human city with malicious intentions. That witch had to pay for messing in his affairs.
He had caught the witch’s scent slightly on Melanthe during the dream that had been interrupted earlier. Witch’s had a unique scent so it was easy to find the way to her home through the ever shifting scent of the city. Almost too easy, he thought with a smirk as he stepped through one of the witches windows, shutting it behind him. He could tell the moment he stepped into the house that he’d set off some kind of mental alarm. The witch knew he was here. Not that it mattered, she was merely human, and her spells weren’t strong enough to even make him blink.
He walked quickly through the witch’s home, descending the stairs and entering the sitting room where the witch sat, sipping camomile tea. He walked into the room and sat gracefully in a chair across from the witch. He watched her as she sat the tea cup on the table and looked up at him calmly.
“So your Calanthe’s hunter. Quite a handsome man even for a vampire,” she sighed, leaning back in her chair, “You’ve come to kill, correct?” She asked, her grey eyes shining defiantly, her voice strong, even in the face of death.
Melanthios smiled gently, “Correct.” He said simply, knowing that the old women would continue.
“For interfering with your hunt, I presume.” She smiled bitterly when he inclined his head a bit in acknowledgment. “Tell me, why are you letting me live for now?”
Melanthios smiled, his expression far some affable, “Because I can kill you anytime I please. It would amuse me to listen to what you have to say…then I’ll drain you of your life…” His eyes lowered to her throat and an iridescent red light began to swirl in his irises. He grabbed at his knee, digging his fingernails deep into his flesh in an attempt to calm the raging hunger within him.
“Hurry up, ask your questions…you don’t have much time, witch…” He said through clenched teeth.
The witch watched him for a moment, seeming to be appalled by his condition. “Why are you after Melanthe?” She asked finally, her grey eyes narrowing. Her voice was just as just as strong as before. She was a strong women, he admired that. It was a pity that he had to kill her…but he couldn’t stop himself for much longer.
Melanthios sighed, he’d expected this question, but he answered anyway, his voice strained even though he was the one threatening. “She’s my Deterrent…” He said simply.
The old women just stared at him. He sighed, “I don’t have the…strength of will to…explain it to you.” He winced suddenly, digging his fingernails deeper into his knee, “But know that I…promised her…2,000 years ago…that I’d only drink her blood…” He chuckled a bit, the sound choked with pain, “I’ve been starving since then…” He stood up now, not able to contain himself any longer.
The old women finally shuddered at his presence, her fear only added to his hunger. He strode across the room and pushed her down, flattening her back on the couch cushions. He leaned over her and she whispered meekly, “You’re breaking your promise…” He smirked and sank his fangs into her skin, not able to pause and answer her.
He closed his eyes at the taste of her blood, moaning slightly and gripping onto her shoulders. He gulped down her blood greedily, not caring about the age of his victim. It didn’t matter at this point, nothing did. He was lost in the ecstasy of feeding, the ecstasy of blood. He could feel her life leaving her and entering him, making him stronger, filling his veins with temporary life. He relished this feeling, like an addict relishes his first drink in a week.
He had no idea how long it took to drain her of her lifeblood but finally had to pull away. Not that he was stopping there. Not thinking of the consequences, or of anything for that matter, he plunged his hand into her chest, wrapping his fingers around her heart and pulling it free from her body. Holding her heart above his mouth he crushed it, letting the blood drip into his mouth.
He threw the heart down and staggered to his feet, reeling from his first feeding in three hundred years. But that feeling didn’t last long. He soon regained his reason and with it came the usual pain and regret.
He’d kept that promise for more than 2,000 years. He wouldn’t have broken it if she incarnated more often. She’d known when she made him promise that he’d reach his breaking point eventually; she even told him that it was alright, as long as he only did so occasionally, because it was a selfish demand. He knew that she would have been proud, saddened by the death of a hum…person, but proud nonetheless. He only felt shame.
It was his first kill on 2,000 years, and it was somebody she cared for! It would have been better had it been a stranger on the street, but not much better. He’d broken her promise after all. But now he’d also caused her pain. He shook his head and quickly left the house, needing to be away from the place his love had been not so long ago. Away from the place he’d killed a loved one of his reason for living.
He entered the street, just wondering the town, walking endlessly, wasting the night away. She’d never love him now, not in this lifetime at least. But no, that wasn’t true, if she remembered she would love him. She had too; they’d shared too much together for her to not. He’d die without her love. Not physically but perhaps mentally. Besides without her his instincts would be free to roam, to control him as his ancient hunger rose to the forefront of his mind. He shuddered at the thought of being a beast as he approached his manor.
The building was hidden within a large acreage of forest inside the city. The large dark, elaborate manor that hid his inhumanity from the outside world. He loved it; it was a part of him as much as she was. Without either of them his existence would crumble.
He entered the building and walked straight to his quarters, instantly sinking into darkness as he collapsed on his bed. His lasts thoughts were of her…and blood.
------
Melanthe sighed sinking onto the couch, grateful to have the soft cushions under her. The day had been rough. It was nice to finally relax. She had closed her eyes for a moment, only to realize she had fallen asleep when Camron gently nudged her awake.
“Hey,” His low, hard voice snaked its way into her conscious, “Don’t bring me over just to fall asleep on me.” He poked at her cheek, not giving her any peace.
She groaned in annoyance, merely wanting to sleep now that he was here. She felt safe when he was near. But she forced herself to open her eyes. She sat up quickly, a slight blush on her cheek, when she found that her head had been lying in his lap. She leaned back into the couch, “Sorry…” She murmured sleepily, her eyes falling shut again.
Camron sighed, a slight smile on his lips. He reached over and ruffled her soft light tresses. “It’s all right Melanthe.” He gently applied pressure to the back of her neck, laying her head back into his lap. She let him, how could she refuse when his voice was this soft?
“You haven’t slept well, so it’s fine.” He continued to play with her silky blonde hair. She gave a soft moan and placed a hand on his knee. He smiled down at her, glad that she could finally rest. She’d always had problems sleeping, a result of that recurring ‘dream’.
Camron gritted his teeth together, furious that anyone would try to hurt her. She was the only who’d ever talked to him, the only one who’d ever been nice to him…the thought of that thing touching her made his very blood boil. But he attempted to clear the thoughts from his mind. She shouldn’t see him anger, not over something like this. If she knew…he didn’t know what he would do. He couldn’t even fathom the thought. But it would change everything. Their whole friendship even, and he didn’t it want to change. He feared it changing. He feared her not liking him even more.
For that reason, because of that fear, he could still his anger, an otherwise impossible task to do. He ran his fingers through her hair, distracting himself from his inner thoughts by examining her features. She was so fragile; coming into contact with that beast would destroy her. Camron knew it with every fibre of his being. He’d sworn to protect her on that day eight years ago, when he’d seen her weakness for what it truly was.
She was the first person he’d ever let in, despite the fact that she was a human. He admired her strength of will and pitied her fragile constitution. He known the moment he’d seen the fear in her eyes as the flames reflected there. He’d known that he could never let anything happen to her, no matter the cost to himself. That was why he had no idea what would happen if she found out, if she began to hate him.
She moan softly again, moving slightly in her sleep, startling him out of his thoughts. He watched her lovingly, brushing some of her hair out of her face, though being careful not to wake her. He could tell that the beast wasn’t interrupting her rest, he would have been able to feel the thing’s presence if it was messing with her head.
Melanthe moved again and his eyes were attracted to something shiny that had edged out of her pocket a bit. His eyes widened slightly as he went to touch it. Silver? How could she have silver on her? The poor girl had been living on her own for quite some time now; she couldn’t afford trinkets such as these.
But the moment his fingers touched the cool silver he jerked his hand away with a gasp. He held his fingers up, watching as the thin line of smoke trailed from the slight burns on his two fingers. He knew how she got it now. That old witch had given it to her, the one she addressed as ‘grandma’.
A slight smile twisted his lips, more of smirk than a smile though. “So the old hag knows too, eh? But to have something like this…” He trailed off. Objects made of silver could hurt beings like him and that vampire, but it wouldn’t sear their skin on contact. Only hunters possessed weapons like this, what they were made off and how they were created…he had no idea. But they were lethal.
It calmed him some to know she had something of this nature on her. She probably didn’t know how to use it though. He’d have to show her or at least tell her something that would make her use it in self-defence, preferably in a way that didn’t clue her in on his non-humanness. He wasn’t prepared to let her know that, at least not yet…though he doubted he ever would be.
He frowned when his phone suddenly rang. He quickly pulled it out of his pocket and flipped it open, so that the noise wouldn’t wake up Melanthe. He sighed in relief when she didn’t stir at all, then proceeded to answer his phone.
“Yes? What do you want?” He asked harshly into the phone. He knew the number that called him well, and every time he received a call it irritated him.
“Geesh, there’s no need to be so mean.” Came the usual reply, “You know full and well that we have to cover all bases.” The feminine voice chided.
Camron heaved a sighed, annoyed by her overfriendliness, “Just say it. What are you going to accuse me of this time?” He leaned back into the cushion, preparing to hear about the most recent violent murder.
The police force and the CSI had to work with another group when the murder case involved something…more than human. Or perhaps less than human depending on your point of view. But this group, known by the simple name of SLPF or Slip, had knowledge of the many inhuman creatures that shared this world with humans while taking on their form.
“Well an old woman was murdered, not too far from both your school and your little girlfriend’s house.” The women mention in both a grim and teasing tone. It would have appalled anybody else, how someone could joke while talking about murder. But he was well aware of death, and so was she. They both lived with it constantly. Her because it was her job, and he because he killed to live.
“Stop it.” He said harshly, glancing down at Melanthe, “Cause of death?” He asked nonchalantly, picking up another strand of her hair. It annoyed him that whenever something like this occurred they always called him, even though he hadn’t killed anyone in a good ten years, when he fell.
“Well, her heart was torn out. But there are deep puncture wounds on her neck, characteristic of either a vampire, half-demon, of fallen angel attack, though having the heart removed and crushed like this means the attacker was very hungry. Sound familiar?” She asked acid in her voice.
Camron sighed, “I haven’t fed since I acquired this torturous hunger, but I still am not ravenous enough to do something as horrible as that. Tell me the name of the women; I think I might know about the killer.” He had suspected the moment he saw the cross in Melanthe’s pocket. That the vampire was going to kill his annoyances, in other words the old witch.
“Her name was Elderna Rowanwood. She was an earth witch. Do you know anything?” Her voice was serious now, even urgent. A ravenous beast on the loose was never a good thing.
“Vaguely, that witch was my ‘girlfriend’s’, as you say, close friend. Almost family to her, she’s been having dreams caused by a vampire seeking her location, and judging by the odd dream she had last night, the vampire found her. I don’t know the beast personally, but he’s ancient and you’ll have a hell of a time finding him, much less killing him.” He sighed continuing to play with Melanthe’s hair, grateful that their conversation hadn’t awoken her. She would be hurt deeply by the death of this woman. He wanted to hide the pain from her, keep her from ever finding out, but that would be even crueller, besides he couldn’t lie.
“Oh [censored]!” The woman exclaimed, “Why didn’t you tell us earlier?!” She yelled, anger and frustration in her voice.
Camron heaved a sigh, “Even if I had told you wouldn’t have been able to do anything.” He chuckled darkly. The SLPF was supposed to be informed of any violent activity caused by the supernatural beings, but they rarely were. It was a well-known fact that they rarely prevented any deaths, even with pre-existing knowledge.
“But we could have pre-!”
“No you couldn’t have! And you know it.” He said harshly, his voice low and dripping with venom. She knew full well that they couldn’t have done anything, and the fact that she still pretended that she did irritated him. But then again, almost all humans were like that, pretending to not know things that were obviously right in front of their eyes.
Camron sighed when she didn’t say anything more, “Look I have to go now. You knew before you called that I didn’t do this.” He shut the phone with a snap, a growl trapped in his throat.
His enemy, that wretched vampire, was strong. And not only that, he was willing to kill to get what he wanted. Camron looked down at Melanthe, who had slept so peacefully through a conversation that wouldn’t have wounded her deeply. He pitied her now more than ever. She was going to have to endure so much pain in both the near and distant future. But he promised to stay by her.
He leaned down and kissed her cheek, smiling slightly when she moaned softly and smiled faintly in her sleep. He then picked her up and carried her to her room, laying her on the bed and wrapping the soft blankets around her. He lay on her bed too, though atop of the blankets, his head resting against her shoulder as he too took his rest.

[Ourpawprints]

heres some crit, if its a story do not center orient it, that is what you do with poems. It gets confusing and hard to read. About the story, well I haven't read it yet because its so hard to read when its like that

[Charias]

I love this story, it's amazing! Please write more! You should call it "Melanthe"! I know, its not very imaginative but it would be a great name!

[Agarwaen]

Thank you LishaCakes^^ It's not that good in my opinion but it still helps to have good comebacks.
And I'll change it, it's ore a force of habit to center it now...cause by role-playing...o.o"