Bounty Fortune

When Shiva walked into the tavern, all heads turned in her direction. It was an inevitable reaction, one that no one could resist. Man or woman. It was simply the power of the demon, to attract victims. Everyone, after all, was enticed by evil at some point.

And if evil had ever taken on human form, it was certainly Shiva herself. Though her outward manner might have, at some times, been honey-sweet, there was nothing within the woman that felt compassion, love, or sympathy. If a soul lurked there at all, it was as black as hell.

Still, Shiva smiled beautifully as she passed through the doors, sweeping her midnight black hair behind her shoulders--hair that she kept waist-length--so that she could get an unhindered view of all those that occupied the tavern. Her crisp, blue eyes studied the faces, most of which she recognized, why her demon tail curled contently around her waist.

Instead of being full demon or full human at any given time, Shive preferred to be human with only her tail breaking her mortal cover. She preferred to keep it out. It came in handy as a weapon.

Almost innocently, Shiva's smile tilted upward, and she sauntered directly to the bar. As if she was in her own room, alone, Shiva leaned provocatively against that bar, propping her elbows onto the wood, and allowing a generous view of her breasts to be exposed to the tavern-dwellers closest to her.

Without asking, or wanting, permission, she casually took the drink of her closest companion and lifted it to her lips. As she sipped the alcohol daintily, she silently enjoyed the way she'd commanded the attention and silence of a crowd of normally rowdy and uncontrollable beasts.

Once she'd sufficiently wet her throat, Shiva placed the bottle back to her side and then turned to address the entire crowd.

"Good citizens of Alasantres, I come bearing news from your king," she began, her voice thick, throaty, and sultry. Much like her appearance. "There is a vampire rogue somewhere in our presence, and the king would very much like to have him under his thumb."

Shiva let this sink in first, pretending to adjust her rather tight corset and only exposing more of her chest, and a black tattoo that curved in a feminine design above her right breast.

"Anyone who can bring the vampire to King Vorigan will be heftily rewarded," she explained. "His name is Destre Peace. I'm sure you've all heard of him before. Now, get to work. Vorigan is only so patient."

With a tilt of the jester's head and a cock of his leg, his right leg, the one you walk with, He entered the tavern with a grin on his black lips and a sparkle in his brown eyes. He did a front flip into the tavern and rolled the rest of the way to the bar. The bar keep laughed and said," Stand young jester have a drink for you foolish way will get you one on the house." The jester grinned and stood up.

" Thank you kind sir. I would love a brandy. In fact I would love the entire bottle." The jester toss a few gold coins on the bar and the Bar keep nodded a fetched the bottle of brandy. He swirled the brown liquor around in it lovely little jug and then took a drink.


As he brought the bottle back down and his eyes grazed over the crowd he noticed them all staring. he followed their gazed and a foxy was walking right over to the bar. He growled lowly and then set the bottle down. Her curls were to die for yet the tail would be an issue in certain things but Blaine could find uses for that as well.

Blaine licked his lips as the woman flopped over the bar and her breast decided to say hello. She spun around grabbed his bottle to a sweet sip with her plump lips and set it down. Blaine smirked. A woman with taste after his own heart.

She began to ramble on about some rouge vampire and then fixed her top she that her perky little friends popped out more. God it was his lucky day first the brandy not the broad. God save him now. He put his heart over his hear tot make sure he was still alive and then sighed with relief. he was not in hell she this was no mire image that would be snatched from him in moments.

" My lady." The jester walked in front of her and bowed making sure to take in her lovely... Face."Your lovely, and so are your breast but my I deduce that not a man heard anything you said while looking at such big boobs."

Though a great deal of indignation immediately growled through Shiva's system, she ignored it. Flies were won with sugar, and all that jazz. Batting her lashes, she turned to the man that had addressed her. Pest. Handsome, maybe. In a strange sort of way. But a pest. Pests were best squashed.

"Oh? You noticed them?"

She glanced down at her breasts as if she was only just aware of them, and then lifted her gaze back to his, giggling softly.

"You have a smart mouth, my friend," she told him, and, very casually, she untwined her tail to run the tip of it down his chest. "I'm sure there are better uses for it."

She winked, batting her thick, black lashes, and turned away, dismissing him. The ass. He was lucky that she was currently trying to make an impression. And not a frightening one. Shiva ground her teeth even as she smiled. A remark like that would have normally required a harsh beating.

Not today. Sadly. There were other things to take care of. Casting her blue-eyed gaze around the room once more, Shiva hoped that at least a few of the creeps in the room weren't too drunk to understand her.

"Why are you all still sitting around? Get a move on, lest you want Tor to hear of your oafish ways."

So that he could murder all the spineless morons like he should have. Had she ruled Alasantres, there wouldn't be a rogue vampire to contend with. Tor Vorigan's fist wasn't made of enough iron. Shiva smirked, and waited for them to move.

Gradually, a few began to shove to their feet, though some staggered drunkenly. It was better than nothing.

Shiva shrugged her shoulders indifferently and turned to the bar once more. She caught the neck of the bottle she'd stolen a moment before, and decided to take it with her. She dryly tilted the bottle in a mock-salute to the ass she stole it from, and then turned to saunter back out the way that she had come.

The pity she did not find him funny. He could have found a funny bone and tickled it all night long but alas she was a demon and from his encounters in this land they were tasteless. He watched her tail point at his chest but he could tell she was holding back the anger she wanted to release on his poor poor soul. The sadness in the need to harm a defenseless jester such as he.

She spun around to the men and talked of Tor. Like he was really that important out here in the middle of nowhere. they don't even get help out her when they need it let alone anything else but a beating. Blaine rolled his eyes and sat back at the bar. He was about to pick up his drink when a hand slid under his and snacked up his good brandy.

He turned his dark eyes to the woman and smiled," Enough the brandy it was a bit plan for my taste, sort of like you." He grinned and grabbed his jesters bag and slung it over his shoulder. He got up and walked next to her for a moment and smiled softly and lean in.

Slowly he let his eyes wash across her chest and then back to her face. He smiled under his make up and spoke softly with a hit of power. " You seem to think that all men look for a nice chest to rest upon but did you ever think you mind would tease a man's soul a bit more." His eyes shifted slightly and because very reptilian like but pure red. His demon half. With a small snicker he shifted enough for a tail to lash out and wrap around the woman's waste and pulled her into him.

HIs tail was pitch black with sharp spikes that rode along the top part of his tail. He made sure that they did not pierce her skin but he did let then apply some pleasure." Do not think I am some man that fears Tor or his lackies. i do not just for anything but a good laugh." He growled lowly and a forked tongue flickered out of his black lips.

Everyone in the bar had left so his transformation not seen well other than the bar keep. That man just started to clean the glasses like it was nothing to him. Blaine wrapped his long fingers around the bottles neck and ripped it out of her grip." If you ever want to drink with it that fine but buy your own your not worth my coins unless you are going to get on your knees."

For a moment, Shiva's eyes burned red, looking surreal and frightening, especially upon her lovely face. Then she blinked, and the red disappeared, replaced by the cool, calm blue. Though she felt anything but calm.

She felt livid. Angry. Almost enough to phase into her demon form and give this man something to laugh about. Shiva snarled at him as he wrapped his tail around her waist and drew her into him, while she thought of using her own tail to stab him.

A waste of energy. Still, she shoved away from him, and, had he not retrieved the bottle, she would have given it back. Smashed it right upside his head, that is. A pity that he'd had the brains to take it from her.

No one spoke to her as he did now. Shiva's slender hands curled into fists. At least, no one that lived to see the next day.

"Well then, I guess it's lucky for us both that I'm not attracted to men with the mentality of children, that have to improvise comedy to make up for what they lack," she spat, her eyes trailing purposefully to his crotch before returning to his face, "in other areas."

Growling, she turned on her heel, indignant and pissed to the core. For half a second, she considered postponing her hunt to take some time to put the jester in his place. Wouldn't that be satisfactory?

Shiva hissed out a breath, trying to calm herself before she shifted into her demon form by accident. She didn't want to do that. She liked being pretty and desirable and human. Her demon form was a little frightening.

"The only time you'll find me kneeling before you is when I decide to cut off your legs from the knee," she hissed.

Straightening her corset, Shiva lifted her chin and stomped out of the tavern and into the cold, night air of Alasantres. She scowled at the fog that instantly curled around her feet.

Great. Now her concentration was all off. How was she supposed to find Destres if she couldn't even concentrate?

Blaine smirked as she looked at his crock sad that she was such a banshee. He grinned and untwinted his tail as she spun around to walk off. Her hips swayed as she stomped out of the tavern like a hurt little girl. O poop some one that did not take orders well. To bad she did not have time to try and teach him. He always did like a good roll... fight.

Blaine shifted back to full human and huffed," Have a good day Jeral. Hope the banshee decides to both some other town with her trouble."

Jeral looked at Blaine and sighed," You should just stay with just Blaine its been so long since the last time you stayed with us. I know its not the open road but its a nice place to kick back and put up your feet. You are part demon."

Blaine looked about at his with his muddy brown eyes and smiled softly," Yeah I know but remember just because I am part demon does not mean it makes me enough demon to stay in one town to long here. I may be going back to Bella Luna for a time. I have a few things I want to tie up." The jester laughed a evil laughed and turned on his belled toes." I am sure I will see you soon. You know I always find my way back Jeral."

" That you do Blaine that you do. Be careful whom you kill or upset this time around it took months for your last spree to finally stop being talked about. You have more blood lust then a vampire I think." Jeral looked in the mug and scrapped off a piece of dried blood with his cloth. " It takes a vampire to see that lust." Jeral laughed wide enough for his fangs to dang out of his mouth.

" O hang on need to use the john." Blaine ran into the bathroom and slipped out of his jester out fit and into a pair of black pants and a white billowing shirt the let his upper chest be shown. He took off the makeup and looked at his face. it was hard to look at the human face he grew up with sometimes. With a flick of his wrist he fluffed out his dark hair the hung around his face.

A few moments went by and Blaine came back out" See you later Jeral." Blaine waved over his shoulder and walked out into the mist and decay of the town.

Be ran around screaming. Damn demons were playing with their food. No manners. Blaine shook his head and walked forward he took his jesters hat off and stuffed it his bag. The last thing he needed was to walk around like that. His tucked in his shirt and side. A bounty. So he could use some money but the fact that he head to bring the head in really sucked. He wanted to eat it. brains tasted better than chicken. Juicy tender just a wonderous thing if you cooked it right.

His eyes scanned the area and he saw her standing there like some sort of Aphrodite. A god of beauty. She was lovely but he had seen better and tend to like to burst some bubbles while in this territory. He walked over to her and bow his head low. PLay the good boy card maybe she will not see who really was," So a bounty for a vampire. Care to tell me more about the thing I am looking for?"

Shiva stiffened, growling softly as she heard Blaine's voice again. She turned to scowl at him and was momentarily taken off guard to find his face unhindered by paint. He wasn't a bad-looking man. Shiva pursed her lips and looked away, determined to keep her first impression of him intact.

Asshole, she thought.

That made her feel better, and she inwardly grinned. Too bad she had to try her best to be civilized with the civilians of Alasantres, especially the ones that wanted to help her find the rogue.

Shiva shrugged, scanning the foggy horizons. "His name is Destre Conn."

Annoying little imp. The fact that he continued to evade her was constantly gnawing on her ego. When she finally did catch the scoundrel, she was going to teach him a lesson before handing him over to Tor.

Shiva dug a hand into her rather tight pocket, and pulled out a picture. Avoiding touching him, she handed it to Blaine.

"That's him. He looks like a kid."

He did, and it was a bit disarming. It was hard for many of the people she'd encountered to recognize Destre as a dangerous murderer. Everyone seemed so taken by his boyish looks that they couldn't seem to comprehend that he most likely wanted to kill everyone he met. At least of the vampire species.

"Tor wants him brought directly to him upon capture. He's dangerous, and a bit of a cannibal," Shiva told him, then grinned wryly. "Lucky for you, his diet consists purely of vampires. He's apparently got a bit of a vendetta against his own kind."

After allowing him a peek at Destre's face, Shiva snatched the picture back from Blaine's hands and tucked it back into her pocket.

"Think you can handle that, funny man?"
--------
At the exact same time that at least a dozen people were rounded into hunting for him, Destre Conn was seated at another tavern, a few miles away, flirting unabashedly with a bar maid.

He'd been watching her for some time now. She'd caught his occasion on one of the many nights that the bar offered fresh, human meals. These humans had been caught in some form or another, alone and unprotected, and had been brought back to Alasantres.

They were then sold at restaraunts and, sometimes, taverns to the highest bidders. Everyone liked a fresh meal.

And this particularly bar main-- Lynn was her name-- had caught Destre's interest as he'd watched her devour a human man a few days earlier, making a complete and utter mess of the man, and strewing his bodily fluids and organs all over the place.

A disgrace, Destre thought, as he smiled crookedly at Lynn, flashing a charming dimple in his right cheek.

The blonde giggled appreciatively and refilled his drink.

"Amazing that no one's come and snatched you up, Lynn. Are you sure you don't have a lover?" he asked her.

Lynn smiled, pleased, and shook her head, disorienting her bountiful head of curls. "Positive, Myka."

Of course he'd supplied her with a fake name. His true name was too well-known, and he'd never win any of his victims over if they were already leary of him.

Giving her a meaningful look, Destre leaned forward so that their heads were inches apart across the narrow bar between them. He reached out a hand, touching her neck and tracing a finger down to her chest, just to the line of the top of her dress. He watched her eyes darken.

"Perhaps we could change that?"

It took Destre only another five minutes to convince her to. At six minutes they were groping each other in the bathroom, and, at nine minutes, her lifeless body was crumpled onto the bathroom floor, glazed eyes staring blankly at the ceiling in surprise.

At eleven minutes, Destre was licking the last of her blood away from his lips, and stolling out of the tavern, disappearing into the fog in search of his next vampire victim.

Watched her spin around and saw the look of surprise try and touch her face but she turned away from him before he could see her eyes widened further. He smirked and licked his lips.

Her small hands pulled out a picture of the man they were looking for. Young dumb and full of... yeah, but this boy wanted more than a woman to warm his.. side, he wanted to wallow in their blood. not just that but he was sure the boy did not just choose woman but anything that mad his anger take hold.

His eyes. That was all Blaine had to see. Even in a picture you could see a person driven to kill. Blaine did love to admire his own eyes to make sure his mask stayed in place and his so called life was safe.

" Blaine, My name is Blaine. Its a pleasure to meet you," Blaine picked up his pace so that he matched hers. He was taller than her but that was no big deal for him. He looked down at her and his demons growled with lust, his humans cringed away, and his canines wanted to lick her clean.

Her hand came out and took the picture back like a viper's strike. He grinned and pulled out a coin and began to let it roll across his knuckles as they walked. He looked over at her dark hair and sighed," Are you going to treat me nice the entire time and then look like a pissed off viper the rest of the time?"

__________________________________________________________________________________________________


The darkness. The darkness surrounds me like I was the bringer of death. It beckons my soul like a flower to a humming bird. When will the light flicker into my life once more? a screamed followed the words but unlike the silent whisper that echoed in the mind of this immortal the scream was real and full of anguish.

The wind pulled at the young girl's tattered cloths as she neared the edge of a cliff. Her reddish blonde hair wrapped around her body all the way down to her lower back. Her head fell back and another scream tore from her throat as she fell to knees covered in blood.

" I can not live like this. Its not fair in moments I will be back to that creature hunting and killing. I can not take another innocents life. Not again," She whimpered and dropped her head to the ground before her. She groaned with agony and clawed at the rocky surface her nails bent back and broke off slowly. She whimpered from the pain but all her mind could really think about was her mother's dead eyes staring at her.

" Mommy," She whispered as she sobbed.

-- Two weeks before---

" Mommy!" A young vibrate human girl tossed her arms up into the arm and rushed over to a woman, her mother. The girl squeal with joy and wrapped her long elegant arms around her mother's neck." I missed you I am so glad I could come back from boarding school for vacation this year."

Her mother hugged her back tightly and kissed her cheek." i am as well. I missed you very much and Its been to long."

" Almost a year mother," The girl smiled and pulled away from her mother with a few tears i her eyes. " So do we get to go and celebrate my sixteenth birthday?"

The girl's mother walked over to a cart and climbed in," Yes my dear Jade yes."

Jade climbed in with her mother and smiled. All was well. Her birthday was today and she was going to spend a month with her family. Nothing could spoil this moment.



The night air filled the town and Jade walked onto her balcony. She hummed a song that one of the nuns taught her. A few hours ago she had a splendid birthday party and wondrous gifts but now it was time for her to settle in for the night.

Slowly as she pulled up her reddish blonde hair something dark rush below the balcony. She turned Quickly and leaned over the edge to peer down.

" Hello?" She called out. her house was far away from any other house because of her families ties but they were not rich by any means.

" Hello." A very deep voice said from behind her. Jade spun around on her tiny toes and gasped. A dark man walked out of the shadows but before she could even get a good look at him he rushed at he with blinding speed.

Jade almost had time to scream but the man hit her so hard the air rushed out of her lungs and then he bit into her neck. She tired to fight to scream and kick but nothing would work. Magic held her there like a rag doll. The man giggled as her blood slide down his throat until she began to feel her heart slow. stop please I want to see my family she begged in her mind and the vampire did stop.

" You can see them love all you want." He laughed a evil laugh and pure some of his blood into her mouth as she passed out.


-- present time--

Jade pulled at her hair and clawed at her arms as the memory of her awaking and killing her mother filled her mind. She had stalked her with only the blood on her mind and once her mother was completely left with out a drop of blood Jade awoke from the haze to a mangled corpse and blood everywhere. Thats how it happens. Jade blacks out and awake covered in blood and death.


She had fled Bella Luna and came to the place of the damned. The one hell that she never wished to see. It was her home but nothing could save her.

" Death take me," She stood up and almost jumped off the cliff when the laughter of a human woman broke her run and the darkness took over.

It hissed and growled as it turned from the ledge and vanished into the forest after the woman. It wanted to sip at taste every drop of blood. death, blood, pain echoed in its mind as it smashed into the woman and ripped out her throat.

Shiva rolled her eyes as he fell into stride beside her, but she heard him tell her his name, and she filed it away for later use. She supposed she had to have something less vulgar than "asshole" to call him if he was going to follow her around on her little hunting trip. Still, the idea of being civil to him wasn't as appealing as belittling him every chance she received. Shiva smiled. It was just in her nature.

"Shiva," she told him, lifting her smile to him, though it was more coy than friendly. "The pleasure's all mine, I'm sure."

She chuckled softly at his next comment, and reluctantly had to admit that he was, at least, an interesting man. She had a feeling there wouldn't be any dull splotches with him. Not that her life lacked excitement, but it could make for a pleasant turn of events. Regardless of whether she continued to harrass him or befriend him.

"I might," she admitted. "I'm not known for playing nice. It would spoil my reputation."

Shiva paused for a moment, sinking into her deeper senses, and she tried to feel out the world around them through those extra senses of awareness. Breathing in, she tasted the air as well. She knew Destre's scent well by now, always one step behind him, and she detected it easily enough. After all, she was a tracker demon, and it was what she was designed to do.

Shiva glanced at Blaine and nodded her head. "This way. It seems we're not far away from him this evening. Keep your guard up, however. He's a sly little monster."

-----

Destre whistled quietly to himself as he strolled through the fog, watching it as it coiled up around him. He enjoyed the whisper soft feel of it lying near his skin. Plus, it gave a rather frightening effect to one's appearance, and Destre found that amusing. He could hardly picture himself as frightening. He was too often mistaken for a child to think he could strike fear into souls with his appearance.

Not to say that he wasn't capable of instilling fear into mortals and immortals alike in other areas. Destre thought of the bar maid and grinned to himself. He wondered if the tracker had gotten to that little scene yet. He was sure she'd have quite a nice fit over that. Too bad he couldn't stick around to see it. Serve her right for chasing him around like an animal.

Destre paused abruptly, his thoughts realligning, as he detected something... His gaze cut to the left, through a sparse forest of blackened, dead trees, and he caught the blur of movement. As quickly as that, he was off as well, sprinting in the direction of the blur. It was when he was following in the direct path of the blur that he detected the smell of human. Human mingled with the scent of a crazed vampire. That surely equalled a messy adventure.

Newborn.

Destre gritted his teeth and sped up.

But he wasn't quite quick enough. The vampire reached the human before he could reach the vampire, and Destre could only watch as what was surely a newborn lept on top of its prey and mercilessly ripped away the mortal's throat. Destre cringed as blood spurted forth along with a gooey mess of entrails. Though the instant perfume of blood in the air had his own throat muscles tightening, Destre was too repulsed by the chaos of the feed to be overcome by his thirst.

Idiot newborn. No tact at all. Newborns were definitely the highest disgrace to their kind.

Growling, Destre lunged at the immortal. His shoulders connected with her chest, and he knocked her to the ground, away from her kill, falling on top of her and pinning her to the ground.

"Hold still!" he hissed.

Pinning her arms with his knees, Destre sat on her midsection and glared down at her. The vampire's face was coated in blood and gore, a hideous mask in Destre's point of view. As if he was truly angry with the vampire underneath him, as if she'd done him some sort of personal harm, Destre ripped a fragment of his shirt away and began to roughly wipe the blood from her face.

"Disgrace," he continued to mumble under his breath. "We can't have this."

Destre finished wiping away the rest of the blood and then tossed the piece of his shirt carelessly aside. He stared down at the finished project and was disappointed to find that the vampire was beautiful. Such a waste. Such a waste to be so beautiful and such a monster.

Scowling, Destre cupped his hand around the girl's slender neck and pressed his thumb lightly over her adam's apple, staring down at her with a skeptical light in his eyes.

"No tact whatsoever at all, and I suppose you'll be using the newborn excuse, right?" he continued to rant. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself? Are you going to plead for your life? Convince me why you're worthy to keep it? Are you going to promise to change your ways?"

Destre sneered. He'd heard them all, and there was no compassion left in him at all for any of them.

Shiva, interesting name. Perfect for a demon. Blaine nodded to her response and was about to be a say something until she went all tracker on him

" Alright lead the way," He smiled and the need for blood boiled beneath the surface of his mind. He was going to enjoy playing with a vampire.

_________________________________________________


Something hit her full force and the creature hissed in anger. Her feast was beyond her reach and this man was pinned upon her. She thrashed and hissed as she tired to pulled her arms free. She wanted nothing more than to rip out this man's throat and get back to the human.

" Get off," She screamed but the darkness began to fade and her red eyes turned a dark brown. She looked up at the young vampire on top of her and sighed. He cleaned her face roughly and then said disgrace. Disgrace? Was he not the same as her a vampire.

Spare her life? Why did her want to kill her? What had she done wrong? She titled her head to the side and saw the human lifeless and ripped apart. Her stomach churned bile rose up in her throat as she turned to look back at the man on top of her.

" Death please give me release. I don't want to kill save me." She wanted to crawl into this man's arms and die. he would give her release death. " Please." She whimpered as tears begn to rise.

Destre frowned down at her as she reacted in the opposite way that he'd been expecting. Tears. Peculiar. He hadn't seen the moist little drops in a vampire's eyes in centuries. Something strange stirred inside of him and Destre smothered it. Whatever it was, he didn't want to feel it.

"You seek death?" he questioned.

He studied her face again. It was filled with torment now that the blood lust had drained from it. A lovely, oval face it was. Rather beautiful, probably pretty even when she'd been mortal. Destre wondered vaguely if he knew the vampire that had turned her.

What did it matter? She was just like the rest of them now. She was a thoughtless killing machine who would, from this day forth, be concerned only with feeding and killing. She would become like the others, ruthless and cold, and he'd have to go around cleaning up her mess as well. Until they ran into each other again, and he silenced her routine for good. Why not get it over with now?

"I can give you that gift. Though I don't see how you are worthy of any gifts."

His eyes turned ponderous as he slid his hand up to her cheek, turning her head from one side to the other, studying her again. He always studied his victims. Usually, he gave more time to learning about them, charting out their habits, figuring out their secrets.

But he was pressed for time at the moment.

"One less mess for me to worry about," he mumbled.

Then, he dipped his head down, taking his time as he brushed her hair away from her neck. With concentrated effort, he forced an aura of calm around them both so that the vampire beneath him would feel no pain. That was another one of his qualities. Though he didn't think they deserved it, he removed the pain from his victims. Mostly to keep them from thrashing as he murdered them.

As his fangs sunk into her neck, Destre thought vaguely of how he'd not even had the chance to learn her name. Oh well. Just another mindless vampire dead. Just one less monster to deal with. Destre let the blood filter into his mouth slowly, careful not to spill a single drop. It had a nice, honey-sweet taste. Perhaps that was what the human she'd just---.

"HEY!" a voice roared.

Destre didn't have time to react. The next thing he knew, a boot had burrowed into his side as he was delivered a swift kick to the ribs. Grunting, he was knocked away from the vampire. He was taken off balance for only a moment before he rolled to his knees and then pushed to his feet. His eyes narrowed into slits as he saw the demon tracker and some other man he didn't recognize.

"You aren't getting away this time!" Shiva spat, hunkering down into a stance that told Destre she was prepared to lunge.

Great. The jig was up.

Destre's gaze flicked to the vampire lying between them. Or maybe not.

In a lightning fast move, Destre reached down and grabbed the vampire by the arm, wrenching her to her feet and swinging her around so that her back was pressed against his front. He looped an arm around her shoulders and forced her head to the side, exposing her neck.

"Ah, ah, ah! Not so fast!" Destre hissed, his eyes dark and surprising in his boyish face. "Lest you want another dead vampire on your hands."

Shiva growled, but didn't move, eyeing Destre's hostage. She knew Tor wouldn't be pleased if he lost any more vampires to this twit. This and only this kept her from ripping the bastard's tongue out of his mouth.

"It doesn't matter," Shiva ground out between her teeth. "You can use her as a shield like a coward and escape now, but I'll find you again, and you can't be lucky forever."

Destre inclined his head, grinning devishly. "I beg to differ." He glanced at the man at Shiva's side and tilted his head in his direction. "Pleasure making your acquaintance, but I'm sorry, I have to run."

With that, he swung the vampire up into his arms and turned to sprint away.

How incredibly unfortunate for him to be caught in the act, but how incredibly lucky for the vampire in his arms. Oh well, once he got far enough away, there would be time. For the time being, Destre increased his pace, fleeing into the depths of Alasantres.

He'd make a wide and haphazard trail and eventually escape into his remotely located home. He'd deal with the vampire in his arms then.

Jade closed her eyes and heard him speak. He sounded half mad to her like he was missing a link in his brain that made him go off the deep end. Well it would be her luck right? Lose your entire life on your sixteenth birthday, kill your mother, black out and drink anything in your way. OKay sounds about right now for her death by a mad man.

The smell of sulfur and something else began to peak her senses. She titled her head to the side to she what it was but the man decided it was time to finish her. His hand wrapped around her face and exposed her neck. No fighting just peace. She could run into her mother's arms and cry once more. She could apologize to all the people that her fangs had torn their lives away from them.

" Thank you." She whispered as his fangs dipped into her main vein in her neck. She thought it would hurt more but it did not it was nice. He was giving her a pleasurable death which she did not deserve.

"hey" rang out in a woman's voice and her swift death was ripped from her throat. Jade looked up and screamed from the shear pain that ripped through her neck. His teeth had been ripped out of her neck and now what should have been to lovely puncture wounds were gaping wound.

Slowly she lifted her hand to touch her own blood but the dark hair boy grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. She looked up at a stunning woman and man. She blinked a few times and almost wanted to ran away from the man in front of her something seemed to move beneath his skin like a demon or dog or something. He was not human and he scared her.

Her heart pounded in her chest as the feel of his body pressed into the back of hers. His young body would never reach that broad shoulder muscled build like the man before her yet you could feel the rivets from where they were beginning to form. He was close to her age when he died, maybe she thought.

Just kill me do it I don't mind raced through her mind as the woman threatened the man behind her. He was a wanted vampire. How in the hell is a vampire wanted for killing. Thats what they did right? God she was so lost with her new found race it hurt to even try to think about what she was going to do it her powers tried to go out of control while in creature mode.

At the vampire flung her up into his arms Jade laced her arms around his neck and buried her face into the curve of his neck. She took in his smell and relaxed. He smelled of iron but she took another breath and he smelled of a peppermint or something fresh.


It soothed not only the beast the creature but the hungry. She took another breath and her power wrapped around them like a warm blanket. It was the power of pleasure, lust, need. Her mother told her it was like a goddess she her of long ago called Aphrodite. She was said to be able to It is said Aphrodite could make any man fall in love with her by them just laying eyes on her and things of that sort. Jade was only able to do it sometimes and not every time was it when she wanted nor did it always have the effect of love.


Jade snapped her eyes up to look at the man that was going to kill her and her power strengthened. She gasped and tried to stop it. She did not know what would happen if a vampire was be spelled. She did not even know if it would do anything but the warmth around the grew and her stomach tightened with need. damn.

The first time she had done this she was two and playing with a solder at the fountain as her mother sold goods. She touched his hand and the solder fell to his knees before her and began to worship her. He called her goddess and asked her mother for her hand in marriage. Of course her mother denied him but the man would not leave the residence. He ended up dieing from starvation in the front yard a few weeks later.

_____________________________________

Blaine laughed as the vampire picked up the girl and she looked at him like he was death. Heartless soul less. It was like she could see what he was and he could smell her. His nose wrinkled as the man said something to him but all Blaine could do was stare at the young girl. Her power almost seemed to try and be spell him but his own demons laughed and chased the foolishness of love and need.

He reached out and touched Shiva's arm," She is something more than what she appears to be like me." His voice was darker deeper more wise then ever before. He was not Blaine the jester but a spirit trapped inside of a immortal body, well spirits trapped.

He was bonded long ago by the dragons to hold some of the mist. The body did not completely die. The story had not been told to its full truth. Blaine life was a lie all the history anyone knew a shame. He was the boy on the boat.

The death had not been swift but once it came so did the voices and cries. He tumbled in between worlds and the dragons came to him. Life they promised as long as he lived with the demons trapped inside of him all of them. The mist was his to tame and maintain. Distrust, anger, disease, among other things but the one Demon that had slipped away from him was the girl's. Desire.

O yes a demon could be something so simple so innocent. That girl held something that could be a issue if she ever was killed. Though her life would be never ending but how did she turn into a vampire? How did she look like she was only sixteen and acting like a child?

A moment of thought and then it struck him. Desire had been pasted onto her. His eyes flashed and he looked at the ground.

It was the woman. She looked like the woman that once swore she held Desire but Blaine had not cared and left her to deal with it herself. Jade's mother. How did she give it to her daughter? wait the dragons had told him since he would be a immortal he would never have off spring but she had not been there in death desire had taken her on its own will. Damn.

" Shiva we have a bit of an issue. The girl can not die. If she does something bad is going to be released into the world."

Even in the midst of his darkened thoughts, Destre was aware of the moment Jade wrapped her arms around his neck and nestled into the crook at the base of it. Like a lover seeking comfort. He was surprised, and faltered for a split second. It'd been centuries since the last time he'd been embraced, and the feeling was foreign to him.

He shook off the strange feeling and continued to run, finding his way, slowly but surely, to his home, nestled in a dense cropping of the dead trees, burrowed deep within the fog. Destre was pushed on by the urgency of the situation, knowing full well that Shiva wouldn't let him get far ahead. All he had to do was get inside his house, and his scent would begin to fade. Hopefully she was still lost somewhere along the trail he'd left.

Destre had no sooner pushed open the door to his small home and shut it behind them before he was suddenly staggered. Giving a gasp of surprise, he stumbled forward, nearly losing his grip on Jade. His arms tightened reflexively, as if dropping her was out of the question, while his mind suddenly went cloudy and uncertain. A feeling he wasn't accustomed to heated inside his chest, and it felt hard to breathe.

He glanced down at Jade in surprise, only to find that she was already looking up at him.

Bad mistake, he thought to himself, but it was already too late. He was already captured in the depth of her eyes, lost somewhere in the midst of a dark pool. Destre tried to look away, but couldn't. It was as if her beauty had suddenly magnified at least a hundred times more. It was all he could see, forcing everything else to fade into the background.

"What...?" he breathed, confused.

Every stray thought that didn't concern the mysterious vampire in his arms faded to oblivion. He even forgot his mission, for a blistering moment in time, forgetting that this girl was his current victim, that she must be destroyed. His mind blanked, and then slowly filled again with her. Her scent, her face, the feel of her body in his arms. Destre couldn't catch his breath.

Staggering drunkenly, he sunk to the floor on his knees, never once allowing her to touch the floor, as if her feet were too holy to do such a thing. His eyes were wide and on hers, filled with a mix of disbelif and... love? Impossible. He'd never felt love. Love was an impossible emotion for a vampire. He didn't care about anything or anyone except destroying the destructive, disgusting vampires of his race.

"Who are you?" he asked, broken.

Her name. He needed her name. He needed to know who she was, what she was, and why he'd suddenly been devoured by a desire for her, and just her. Forever. That was all there was left, as if the need had raged like a fire and burned out all other thoughts.

Even as some secret part of his mind fought against it, fought against the weakness of needing someone else so horribly, Destre caved, lifting a hand to touch her face in wonder.

Mine, some intimate part of his mind decided. Mine. Mine. Mine...

--------

Shiva was positively fuming. The wretch had outsmarted and outmanuevered her again! It was embarrassing how many times she'd found him just for him to slip easily out of her grasp. Humiliating! Tor would be furious should he find out.

Growling, Shiva curled her fingers into her palms, digging her nails into the flesh there until they threatened to bleed. No one could possibly escape her like this. No one could possibly be better than her. She was a tracker. It was in her blood. Capturing the rogue should have been as easy as pie.

For a moment, she forgot her rage, however, when Blaine suddenly spoke up at her side. Perhaps it was the unexpected tone of concern in his voice that caught her attention when she'd already become so used to his sarcasm. With a look still as sour as before on her face, Shiva turned to him.

"What?" she questioned, and her eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

She had to fight to recall the girl's face in her anger, but, when she finally did bring it back into her mind's eye, she felt nothing particularly special about her. What was so unique about this new vampire that Blaine decided meant she had to live? Shiva prided herself on knowing all the faces of Alasantres, and she didn't recognize Destre's captive.

That meant she was new, so how did Blaine know her?

"What do you mean she has to live?" she pursed her lips. "That isn't very likely considering who has her now."

No,no,no,no. Her power grew as he went to his knees and bent to her will. Jade tried to pull back the power and then a voice came into her head.Why not Jade? the demon purred in her mind as the boys fingers touch their cheek.He could kill you any moment and we want to live. Yes being a vampire might be a bit ruff but we will be okay. I am your only demon you know that. Just take in his awe at the sight of you. Do you not want such abmeration?

Jade cringed at the harmonic tone the demon had in her head. She fault for control of the power.No I don't want love this way its not fair. Most men always want me but to turn someone into a mes like this is not right! Jade screamed inside of her mind and broke the heat around them. It simmered for a moment and then vanished.


The air around them cooled down and Jade took a deep breath but the smell of his peppermint flesh brought the demon alive again. Need pooled in her mind and tightened her stomach. She shook her head and breathed," I am Jade. Do not be fooled into love with me vampire." his name is Destre. Lovely man the demon moaned and vanished back into the dark depths of Jade's mind. " Destre," she rolled his name out of her mouth like it was meant to be said by her.

" Destre snap out of it. Tis time to kill me please," She craned her neck in front of him and took in a deep breath. Her bloody wounds still pained her. She might have been able to drowned a man with lust but her own pain was never taken away.

Once reason her mother sent her away. After the man died in the yard her mother tried to keep her from the world. It seemed like her mother knew what Jade was going through what was going on. When Jade's mother finally got lonely and met someone was when their lives became a bit harder.

Jade brought home a lovely man that was going to be her husband and she wanted Jade and him to know one another. Jade was pleased her lonely mother would finally get someone until her came in the door. He was young alot younger than her mother but he was rich. More of her mother's needy style. He walked over with a fierce grin on his face and picked Jade up.

Jade's demon went wide and the man went insane from pure need. He tired to rap the ten year old and it took five large guards to pull him off of Jade. She was in tears and hide in her closet for many days. The man stop lusting after her and did marry her mother but he could not live with them. Jade talked with her mother and they sent her to a all girl's school far off in the snowy mountain. Its was the best the demon did not go wild are the same sex very often.

Her mind snapped back to his dark eyes and she smiled softly. It was hard to not blush with such a handsome young man in awe at her. She had not been in contact with a man in years just because of the issue. She had never even kissed anyone other than her mother let alone anyone else. The demon stirred and said You will miss so much. I will teach you to control the new vampire ability. We could have so much to life for you and I. Was the demon in her mind right? Was there so much to live for?

A blush rose up into her cheek as she felt her heart bet quicken. She licked her dry lips as the demon filled her mind with need as well. Jade shook her head away from Destre's hand and closed her eyes. no she told them demon and the need was gone. The demon had been dormant to long with all the females and wanted lust, love, sex anything. Its wanted everything yet Jade was still young and scared of all of that.


_________________________________________

Blaine ripped off his shirt and tossed it to the ground. His very toned body glistened a golden glow. It was not from the sun but from his race from long ago. It was a true real copper color that was not seen very often if the person did not sit in the sun for hours on end.

He walked towards Shiva and his eyes turned three different shades at once red, violet, and gold. He smiled and wrapped his hands around her wrist so that she could not get away from him," Its better if I showed you love," He cooed with a voice that was deeper darker than any demon that roamed the earth free and alive.

The wind picked up and Blaine's hair tossed around his face ass the demons fault to gain control. They all wanted to play but doubt won. The demon rolled under Blaine's skin and you could see the skeleton like features mingle with Blaine lovely face. The creature smiled and so did Blaine as one.

Can he see my fear? Am I to weak to get away from him? He must see me for a ugly demon. I am so weak. echoed in Shiva's head. The demon made her think this way. The air around them seemed to tighten around her ass her mind caved in from all her doubts about herself and everything. The demon snickered and stepped out of her mind. Shiva took a breath but before she could do anything Blaine kissed her lips softly.

Blaine's mind rolled as his lips touched hers. Doubt never did like to touch anything ever one true way to get him into control. Blaine let his lips linger over hers before malice took over. His blood began to pump faster and his eyes glowed red his face looked more like a wolf but he was still blaine. It snapped at her and then Blaine pulled back the demon. It was hard to pull back the rage sometimes it did get away but this time all the demons wanted one thing, Shiva. Malice growled and pushed back and Blaine and then took over for a moment. It let go of Shiva's wrist and grabbed her up by the thighs. It growled with pleasure and it slammed her back into a tree and pressed their bodies together.

" Shiva," Another dark voice called but different from the first. It had a bit of a accent like it haled from some where unknown. He moved forward and kissed her neck slowly nipping her jaw line dotting her jaw with little red dots from the pressure from his teeth. He let go of one of her legs and reached up for her hair with his long fingers.

Blaine snapped at Malice and the demon retreated into the back of his mind for good this time. Blaine looked at her with his deep brown eyes but did not let her go. He trail her lower spin with his free hand and looked at her," I am filled with demons. I am the child form the fable of the mist. I did not died because I sold my freedom for immortal life. I hold many demons with in my body. Not a demon like you but a true demon. The demons of anger, distrust, malice, doubt, and more. I hold many and fight with them everyday for control. Sometimes I lose." He let his eyes search her face for any type of clue to what she was thinking.

" I only let doubt and malice out this time. Thats who you saw. For some reason you got let off easy from both of them. Malice rips hearts out and loves it. Doubt likes to drive anyone insane to the point of suicide. He likes to watch people go crazy from hating themselves. That girl has a demon inside of her. She was not the first holder of that demon. Her mother held the first on. I am not sure but I believe that her mother gave the demon to her while the child was still in the whom. She is Desire. Well for a better word."

Blaine shifted his weight a bit and Shiva side against his body a bit making him realize how aware his body was to her. He smiled and let her slide to her feet." If she dies Desire will be let free. If Desire gets away again well. Have you ever wanted to go insane because you wanted so badly? Well times that by twenty. Sex, lust, everything will go hay wire and death will follow. There is only so much sex a person can truly do at one time before the die from exhaustion but I have seen Desire do that to a couple. Not the best of things and Desire does not just make the people go insane for one another but for anything they see."

A sudden gust dimished the heat, alleviating the pressing force Destre felt against his shoulders, his chest, everything. He gasped suddenly, as if he was only just now catching his breath, but his eyes remained glazed with desire that could not be so easily diminished. Not when it’d just consumed his entire body and mind. Somewhere through the haze, he heard the girl speaking to him. In fact, he even watched her mouth move.

However, for several uncertain seconds, he could comprehend nothing but the pleasure he received by holding her in his arms, by toying with the thought of pressing his mouth to hers.

"Destre snap out of it. Tis time to kill me please."

Destre blinked, shook his head, and dispersed some of the remaining remnants of the heat that still persisted in clogging his mind. He stared down at Jade in disbelief as she offered him her neck, taking several moments to figure out what she was talking about. Gradually, things began to come back to him. For the majority of his vampire life, he’d been consumed with his passion to rid Alasantres of all the tactless vampires, but, now, just in this moment, he had a hard time remembering his purpose.

Destre’s lips parted. Slowly, he drew in a breath. The taste of the cool, clean air helped refresh him, but it also teased the senses of lust that still fought to hang on as he tasted her scent in the air as well. Destre felt his throat tighten. What was going on? He didn’t love, didn’t need, didn’t want anyone.

Suddenly, Destre’s eyes grew suspicious. What had she done to him? He searched her strangely innocent face, but could find no hint of a powerful magic-wielder hidden there. She looked too young, too naïve, to be able to control him as he’d just surely been controlled. There was no other explanation. Surely the sight of her alone hadn’t been what had brought him to his knees.

Though she was beautiful.

Destre shook his head again, defiantly, and he carefully loosened his hold on Jade, setting her onto the floor gently, and finding it incredibly absurd that he had a hard time uncoiling his arms from around her, as if he couldn’t bare to let her go.

When he finally forced himself to release her, Destre fell backward onto his behind, unable to find the strength to stand. He continued to peer at her with confusion-filled eyes, and he ran a hand through his unkempt hair, trying to diffuse the last of the lust that still coiled in his belly.

“Kill you?” he repeated, as if the thought was the most bizarre that he’d heard yet. Why was it bizarre? It was what he wanted to do, right? “I…I can’t.”

Destre looked away from her. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t, but, right now, the thought of harming her in any way, shape, or form was completely appalling to him. What had she done to him? Frowning, Destre gritted his teeth. Wasn’t this a right nice mess he was in?

“Later,” he mumbled. “I need time to think.”

He needed time to figure out how the hell he was going to handle this situation, to figure out how he was going to kill her. Because he had to, right? If he didn’t, that would be breaking his vow to himself. She was only one small obstacle that he had to overcome. Stubbornly, Destre scooted backward, pressing his back against the door to his home, and placing a little more distance between himself and Jade before his hands got any ideas of their own. He balled them into fists so they wouldn’t.

“What did you do to me?” he asked, finally glancing her way again, “and how did you know my name?”

-------------

Shiva immediately became wary as Blaine ripped away his shirt, exposing his muscled and sculpted upper body. She took a cautious step backward, not trusting this in the least. For the moment, her anger faded as her suspicion grew. What was he going to do?

Show her? She didn’t like the sound of that. But she’d ran out of room to back up, and now he was walking toward her. Shiva scowled. She wasn’t a coward. Why was she trying to escape? Why was she listening to that incredibly weak voice in the back of her mind telling her that escape was certainly a good idea at the moment.

Even as Shiva stubbornly set her chin, she gasped in surprise as the gust of wind burst past them, and Blaine’s face seemed to shift before her. Her eyes widened in disbelief, but she didn’t even get a chance to question before her mind suddenly became not entirely her own. As thoughts of doubt rolled over in her mind, Shiva couldn’t combat them. She never doubted anything, especially not herself, but now she could not seem to restrain from doing so, as if she’d lost all of her self-confidence in the blink of an eye.

For the first time in her life, Shiva felt inadequate, plain, dull. She felt like a little, ugly mouse next to Blaine’s perfection. She wanted to scowl, but her facial expressions were no longer hers either. Her eyes filled with the doubt that was racing through her mind, whispering evilly to her.

She was thankful when that daunting voice left her mind, but she didn’t even have a chance to regain herself. Blaine’s lips pressed against hers, swallowing her protests, though she didn’t know if she would have protested even if she could have. She hadn’t even been aware that he’d taken hold of her wrists until his hands were suddenly on her thighs instead. She gave a gasp of surprise as he rammed her against a tree, plastering his body against hers.

Without consciously doing so, Shiva shivered as he spoke her name, suddenly stirring the demon inside of her as well. And then he bit into her neck, and, though she felt both the pain and the pleasure, she couldn’t seem to pull away, to fight back. She was like his ragdoll, and she couldn’t even hate that.

She felt his hands in her hair, on her spine. She heard him speaking, and she fought to clear her mind to pay attention. She listened to him explain what he was, though there was no doubt in her mind now. She’d witnessed it herself. It was hard to believe nonetheless. She’d heard rumors of immortals like these, but to find one? To have one toying with her thoughts? Shiva didn’t like it, and she especially didn’t like what it meant. If he existed, then others existed. If others existed, then the girl Destre had taken hostage could very well be exactly what Blaine spoke of.

“I knew you were trouble,” Shiva mumbled grudgingly.

And that meant a great deal of trouble. Especially given Destre’s track record.

Shiva was grateful, yet secretly reluctant, as Blaine let her slide back to her feet. The feel of the ground beneath her restored to her some of her sense of control, though the close proximity of Blaine’s body still made her a little unbalanced. If he could do that with his mind, what else was he capable of ? She had to wonder as she peered up at him, some of the fight in her lost to the games his demons had just played with her.

“Maybe we’ll get lucky and she’ll kill Destre first,” Shiva spoke, her voice sour and somewhat shaky. “So we now have to find Destre more quickly, correct? But how? He’s undoubtedly covered his tracks by now. If the girl has that kind of power, won’t she prevent him from killing her?”

Hopefully. Though it seemed to Shiva that her luck was never quite that good.

Ican't Raced over and over again in her mind. The demon growled with pleasure and Jade cringed. She did not want to live like this everytime she got around something the demon want it was to late. Good our lives are safe. I do like having a body to walk in. the demon laughed and seemed to push on the ridges on Jade's mind. The demon wanted out to get out and touch the boy. In the first time in Jade's life the demon wanted something not just for a laugh.

Jade watched him move away from her like she was a plague. She felt the cold hard wood floor under neath of her thin blood covered dress. Ewww blood all over her. God what was she doing. Yet the need for blood did not arise. She felt full but as Destre moved away from her she could feel the hunger very slowly slip back in. Why did the hunger stop with him?


Slowly Jade picked herself up out of the floor and pulled at her dress. It was hard and muddy. She needed to get clean before she got sick. He spoke again from the other side of the room.

" I.. I," Jade stuttered and then bit her lip. Could she trust him to tell him about her power? Did she ever really understand what was trapped inside of her, not really no. Her mother had never told her anything before her death. " I did not mean to do that to you. I am Jade but I am also the immortal named Desire. Well thats what she told me to call her. I was born with a demon attached to my soul. I do not know why I was cursed like this but I am. She is one of the first demons to ever walk the earth. She is the true desire, like the fable talks about with the other demons such as doubt and malice."

Jade walked over to sit in a corner of the room away from Destre. A bit of space never hurt just in case but Desire did not want to back away from this boy she rolled across the surface of her skin. You could see Jade's face but Desire's as well.

Desire was like any other demon. She was more like a goddess. Her face was perfect in every way no flaws her jade green eyes almost seemed to glow with a promise of love and perfection but her twisted smile showed the evil in her was. Desire loved death like every other demon. Love was first place with her but if she got tired of the person she wallowed in the death. Well that was before she was trapped in her new body.

come to me. Desire beckoned Destre silently. Jade pushed Desire away again and took a breath it was hard to subdue her. " She told me your name. She does thing like that. I was hoping that the lose of blood would kill me but most likely not I would have to be beheaded. I stopped her before she completely took you and be spelled you so the effects so almost gone now. " Jade jumped to her dirty bare feet and walked towards him," You could kill me now I would not have to drink another drop of blood ever."


____________________________________________________________________

Why let her go? all of the demons hissed and whined. Blaine back away from her and took a deep breath in. He would not lose control because the demons did not want to do anything nice to her. The only reason he had touched her in such a manner was to concentrate and get the demons to cool.


A deep sad voice rose from Blaine's lips." You don't know our lovely Desire. She trends to like to play with her toys first before doing any harm to them." Most people wanted to kill them self or him when the demon of despair reared its head. His face did not change the demon did not care enough to make a show of himself.


Despair rolled his eyes slowly over to the shirt on the ground and walked over to it. Slowly he bent over nad pick up the shirt. It was a bit dirty but that was okay what his life really worth? Blaine pushed at the demon and with a sigh he faded away. Blaine shook his head and took a deep breath. It was hard enough to keep them in and once they came out like this it was hard to get them back in.

Destre watched her stand, pulling at her dress like she felt awkward and out of place. It was only then that he noticed it was caked with blood and dirt. He listened to her explain herself, but it made little sense to him. She was too innocent, too… pure? To contain what she spoke of.

A demon was part of her soul? It would explain what had brought him to his knees, what had overcome even the idea of fulfilling his purpose and murdering her, but he still couldn’t seem to find the demon in the girl. He would have had a hard time imagining her to be a vampire had he not seen her in action himself.

And then he saw the demon, very clearly. Destre jolted as her face seemed to be two faces at once, both surreal, both beautiful. But, while one was innocent and young, the other appeared to be in full bloom as a woman, a knowing expression in her eyes. As if she knew all the secrets, knew everything about him. Destre felt suddenly very uncomfortable.

His eyes widened as he swore he heard a voice calling to him. It was whisper soft and feminine, and it tugged at him in more ways than one. Destre was uncertain as to how he remained seated on the floor, how he’d been able to resist that quiet, sultry command when it had brought him to his knees earlier. Jade must have been restraining her.

Carefully, Destre got to his feet, warily watching Jade as she walked towards him. There were emotions vying for dominancy inside him. Half of him wanted her closer, the other half needed her to get away. Far away, before he lost control again. He didn’t like losing control. Not at all.

“I could,” he agreed, nodding.

But he was afraid to touch her again, afraid to be overcome by that blinding sensation of power had demon could wield against him. What exactly could she make him do if Jade didn’t restrain her? Destre didn’t like to wonder over that.

Maybe she was right. Perhaps killing her would be the best thing. It had been what he’d set out to do, had it not? She was merely offering him a means to an end right now. She was making it easy for him.
Get it over with now and move on with his life.

He took a step forward and then paused. “I can’t behead you though. It will…It’ll make a mess.”

No, he couldn’t destroy her in that manner. Think of what it’d do to his home. Blood and gore everywhere. Brains. A mess. He wasn’t that type of a killer. He was much more precise, much cleaner and efficient.

“I’ll make it painless, but I’ll do it my way.”

He couldn’t change his ways. They were an intimate part of him. Destre moved forward again, wondering fleetingly what the hell he was doing. His muscles threatened to cramp and freeze so that he couldn’t commit the deed. This was wrong. All wrong. His victims never saw him coming. He didn’t make treaties. But she had to go. It didn’t matter that she was beautiful, that for five minutes he’d been in love with her. She was dangerous and destructive.

Destre stood still before her, and he lifted a hand to her neck, wrapping it lightly, and listening as his own pulse hammered. Something about the feel of her skin was different now. Something about it enticed him more. Destre shook that thought from his mind.

Slowly, he breathed out, exerting a sense of calm into the air. A calm that would wash over Jade and keep her from feeling pain. She would feel light and distant from the pain. Keeping his mind resolutely blank, he dipped his head and buried his fangs into her neck.

He’d drain her and then behead her. Less of a mess. Less of a--.

Her blood gushed forth to meet his lips, splashing onto his tongue and lips. The taste was different than before. Different. More enjoyable. Sweeter. He needed… more. More, more, more. Mine. Sweet, thick, lovely. Like honey. Destre growled, once and low, and, without realizing it, the feeling of calm he exerted changed to pleasure. He never used pleasure to relax his victims, but the charm sprung forth abruptly and without warning, making his bite feel enjoyable to her, maybe even making her want it. Wasn’t it only fair? She’d made him want her, so now he was returning the favor.

Why? Why? Because he was a sick and twisted soul. Because maybe the lust from before wasn’t entirely gone. Maybe all it took was a touch…

He purred, lapping at her blood, not spilling a drop. How tasty. Too bad he had to kill her. Too bad.
--------
Shiva listened to the mournful sound of Blaine’s voice and was taken aback. It was to deep and sorrowful to be his own, so it must have belonged to one of the demons. Despair? How sad. She was almost—almost—touched by it, the chilling, hopeless feeling it exerted. Shiva shivered and was glad when Despair disappeared.

“Then we should hurry. Is there any way to track her?”

Jade watched him cross the floor and her heart jumped a few beats. She wanted to touch his face to.. no. She felt a sickness rise up into her stomach her death was impending. Her life was about to be taken from her and the demon hissed.

Desire was not going to lose this body. She could live for ever if this man did not take her head. Desire screamed and took
over. Jade tired to pulled her back from what she was going to do but it was to last. The room filled with the smell of roses and lavender. Despair smiled as she moved forward and rubbed her body up against his. The heat from her wrapped around him and took over the room.

Desire lifted a hand to his face and moaned. Her power took over the room and Destre. His need for blood vanished and his need for her flared into a burning fire. Desire felt his fangs pull out of her neck and his lips brush along her neck. " Why would you kill us when we could give you so much more than blood," Her sensual voice cooed as she slipped her fingers into his messy hair.

Jade screamed and kicked inside, She bet at the walls that surrounded her until Desire spilled into her as well. As one they lifted their lips to Destre's and smashed their mouth into his exploring. She moaned from desire but slowly ass Despair lost herself in the touch of the boy Jade took back over a bit more. She had to do something. Her hunger still was not there and the more her lips mingled with his it vanished. Could she really never hunger again. That we could its seems. We could be fine. We should keep him for a while.


Jade pulled her lips away from his and her green brown eyes looked at him. She wanted him, not just because he made her not thirst but something else. She wanted him more than anything in her life. A blush rushed her face and Jade looked down. Her hair fell around her face," Sorry."



XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Blaine shook his head and sighed," I did not even know that demon was trapped in someone. I don't think there is a way to track her but him," Blaine giggled and shifted into a large Red wolf. He lifted his muzzle into the air and the smell of roses mixed with death hit his nose. He turned to Shiva and barked a laugh," Their scent is not strong but Desires is like a perfume that would never leave."


He turned around full of anger and rage. He wanted blood death. He wanted to soak in it the entrails of any person he could slaughter. He looked at Shiva like she was desert and liked his lips," Hurry if I don't get to play with this boy soon I will make do with you," Malice grunted a evil laugh." But believe me you love how I would play with you." He snapped his head around and took off running towards the smell of the vampires. He would play with her later. She would be fun to break Malice growled.

Why would he kill her? He wondered the question to himself, panting as that strange, overwhelming feeling bore down on him again. It was the same sensation that had brought him to his knees earlier, but now… Now as her fingers curled into his hair, his knees didn’t feel weak at all. They felt strong, and he felt needy.

Not just needy, but desperate. Desperate to have her, to hold her, to be with her. That desperation ripped through him as her mouth found his and took him for all he was worth. He staggered, drunkenly, and then wrapped her into his arms, holding tight as if he would never let go.

He couldn’t let go. Ever. He needed her to breathe, to survive. She was everything. Beautiful. Tempting. How had he ever survived without her? The need for her was crushing him alive as he drew her that much closer to him, plastering his body against hers, forgetting everything and everyone besides her. It was insane. It was madness.

No, madness was what he felt when she pulled away from him. He reached for her instantly, not allowing her even an arm’s length away from him. Why was she apologizing to him when she should have been kissing him? Holding him? Loving him?

Loving him like he loved her. Right now, right here. Forever. That love coursed through him, burning him alive. Yet he’d never felt anything so glorious or painful at the same time. He couldn’t survive without her. Nothing else mattered but her.

“Sorry?” he gasped, his eyes dark and greedy. “Why?”

His hands found her arms, and he held on tightly. There was nothing better than the feel of her cool skin under his hands. Nothing he could have wanted more. His throat tightened as his chest spasmed with love. All other goals and objectives forgotten, all Destre could see or think or feel or breathe was Jade.

“I need you,” Destre breathed. “I can’t…Why? I--.”

Words couldn’t verbalize what he thought or felt. They were useless. They only got in the way. Anxiously, he pulled her against him again, pressing his mouth to hers, softly. So softly. Gentle because she was so small and delicate. Kisses against her lips, her cheeks, her brow.

“Don’t pull away from me,” he begged. “Stay… I—I need you.”

Carefully, he pulled her away, still keeping her close, yet just enough to stare down into her face.

“Do you need… anything? A bath? Clothes?”
-------
Shiva grimaced at the red wolf. She didn’t particularly care for the way he was staring at her, or the threats. She didn’t like this whole multiple-demon business. Better to get it over with fast.

“Lead the way then, Malice,” she offered, making a face.

She followed him with an uneasy feeling in her spine. Somehow, she didn’t expect this to turn out well.

Jade blushed as he pulled her to him and kissed her like she meant the world to him. Her eyes fluttered open slowly as he pulled away and sighed with a smile on her facce. He begged and pleaded for her to stay with him and she wanted to do that. Was desire playing with both of them?

" I could use a bath and some cloths yes. I don't know how long its been. I mean I have been a crazed vampire for a few weeks now without a home or anyone." She blushed and was about to pull away but his words rang out in her mind and so did the fear of becoming hungry.

She wrapped her arms around her self and looked at the floor." Yes a both please."



XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


Blaine snarled as the scent lightened but soon he rushed into a clearing with a small house. He shifted back to Blaine and knelt down. He took in a large breath and backed up," We should wait not yet." The smell of rose and lavender was so strong it was smothering. It was not the best time to walk into that room.

One of two things could happen.

One they could be bespelled by her to her or two they could go insane.

" I for one am not going in there for a while. The smell of desire is to strong." he walked over and kicked a place to sit.

Destre nodded, like a child trying to please an adult. No, like a man worshipping an idol, a goddess. He swallowed and took her hand in his, unwilling to break the contact still. Her turned and led her up a short flight of stairs to the small upper realm of his home where his bath and bed were situated.

He was like a lost puppy as he led her to the door, reluctant to turn and leave and allow her to enter the bathroom alone. As if she'd walk through the door and disappear. A slight thrill of fear tickled up his spine at that thought. Crazy.

"I'll go and find you something to wear," he told her.

But he made no move away. After a few silent seconds of Destre merely standing and staring at her, some rationality finally seeped back into his brain.

"I...Um... Just stand right there for a moment."

In her current position, he could see her as he moved to his bedroom and dug into his drawers. He retrieved a shirt and pants and was back to her in seconds. He placed the clothes into her hands, looking anxious still.

"Okay, there you go. I'll just...wait right here,"he decided.

Yes, he'd sit right outside of the door. They'd both be lucky if he could manage not to get any closer than that. He didn't know how long he could stand to be aware from her before his sanity might crack.

He was like an addict. Worse than that. Destre crammed his hands into his pockets and tried to root himself to the spot.
--------
Shiva trailed after Blaine, frowning as she received her first view of Destre's home. So this was where the rogue lived. This was the place that she'd been seeking out for weeks now. Weeks of fruitless search and now it was right before her.

She didn't want to wait now. Destre was right at her fingertips. She could finally snag the man and take him back to Tor and move on with her eternal life. She had better things to do than chasing after an ignorant rogue and a demon-possessed vampire.

Still, it seemed as if she wasn't going to have a choice. Patience had to be her ally again as Blaine shifted back into his human form and warned her to wait. Shiva scowled. What was going on inside there that was making the demon's aura so powerful?

She folded her arms across her chest and pouted. She didn't want to know, and she didn't want to find out. A taste of Blaine's power earlier had been more than enough for her.

Click. The sound of the door closing almost made Jade jump. Then there was nothing a silents that a gray yard would be proud of. Slowly she turned to the white tile sink and placed the clothing on the edge. It was going to be a along night if Destre would not snap out of it and if he did her death might follow.

Jade looked at the mirror in front of her a let a small gasp flow from her lips before slapping her hand to her mouth. She looked worse than the living dead. Her hair was a rats nets. Weed, twigs, blood, everything seemed to be living on top of her head.

" My god," She whispered as her fingers trailed over the dark circles under her eyes and the blood smeared on her neck. She was a disaster. Jade spun around and fell to her knees and purged all the blood the still laid in her gut into the pearl white toilet.

How many people had she killed how many people feed the monster. Slowly Jade picked her head out of the bowl and tossed a arm over into the tub to hit the knobs.

Hot water splashed out of the tub for a moment as Jade hit the cold. She turned it to the perfect temp and them stood up on her very weak knees. She pulled at the tattered dress and had to rip it off to remove it. She lifted her leg and slipped into the tub.

Warmth. It slide around her body and Jade hummed. slowly she washed off the blood and dried on dirt. Soon enough she was out of the bath and combing her hair straight. She looked like her human self. Her skin would not become pale like the rest of the vampire because of her skin tone. She would always have a light tan to her completion at least she could try and past for human.

Her fingers laced around the knob to the door and the ping of hunger hit her. Fear fled through her soul as she rushed out of the bath room and into Destre's lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck. She poked desire and told her to let him free of the need so that she could get to know him with out the bewitchment. Desire sighed but let go of her hold. She did like Jade to be happy because that meant less of a fight to come and play.

" Okay You should be able to think straight right now. I am really sorry Desire did that," as she spoke she placed her head on his chest and took a deep breath in.



XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


Blaine kicked at a tree as the night sky began to fade over them. It was going to grow colder thank god he was not in his skirt. He looked over at shiva in her little outfit and smile," its going to get a bit nipply my dear why not could over her with me and let me warm you up?"

Blaine laughed softly to himself and then the smell of desire faded. It was gone. Baline jumped up and looked at Shiva," We need to move now come one but be quiet." Blaine moved over to the side of the house and waited for Shive.

Destre was more than relieved when Jade reappeared from the bathroom. His heart sighed in contentment as she slid onto his lap and laced her arms around his neck. Perfect. Just right. He relaxed and leaned back against the wall, cradling her in his arms.

"Okay You should be able to think straight right now. I am really sorry Desire did that."

No sooner had she spoke than the air seemed lighten. The heat that had been a presence of its own vanished into the air, and that crushing force that pressed all along his body disappeared. Destre breathed out, almost a sigh, as he was relieved of the demon’s power over him.

However, unlike before, he didn’t pull away from Jade. No, he allowed her to continue resting her head against his chest, because he liked it there. Didn’t he? His brows furrowed. Was he still feeling remnants of the demon’s power, or did he really, truly like her there, leaning against him? It was hard to decide, hard to know what was real and what wasn’t at the moment.

Because he didn’t want to test the theory, he stayed where he was, and kept his arms loosely draped around Jade’s midsection. For whatever reason it was, it had, undoubtedly, been a long time since Destre had held anyone. At least without the intent to murder them. It was a strange sensation to have this girl in his arms, cuddling against him, with no intentions inside of him other than to enjoy the embrace.

“What does this mean?” he asked, finally. “Can she do this to anyone, or just me?”

It wouldn’t be fair to him if he was forced to fall in love with a girl that could make anyone else she came upon fall in love with her too. If he was going to fall into this thing, he wanted to be the only one. No one else. Especially if the demon planned on bewitching him again. In that state of mind, he didn’t think he’d be able to stand any sort of rejection or competition. He was already close enough to mad when the demon’s power blanketed him. He didn’t want to take that short trip into insanity.

Slowly, comfortingly, Destre rubbed her back with the palm of his hand, thinking quietly to himself.
-----
Shiva sneered. Yeah, she’d do that all right. Like she was that stupid. She didn’t particularly want to be cuddled by the man, especially now that she knew what he could do to her. It was best not to get off track again. She didn’t like losing her head like that.

She jolted when Blaine suddenly sprang to his feet.

"We need to move now come one but be quiet."

Shiva nodded, ignoring, for the moment, the fact that he was ordering her around again. Quietly, she tiptoed over to his position and pressed her body against the outside wall of Destre’s house. In this moment of quiet, Shiva slipped into her demon senses and listened with her keen, demon hearing.

She could hear the steady drip of the faucet inside, the sound of breathing, and… Destre’s voice. Straining to hear, Shiva closed her eyes and concentrated harder. Finally, she began to pick up on their conversation. She listened for only a few seconds before her eyes came open again.

What was going on? Why was he acting like he cared for the girl? She’d never known the rogue to have a soft spot for anyone. This demon, desire, must have been a very powerful demon indeed. She didn’t like the idea of that.

Pausing, she glanced toward Blaine.

“You can’t kill him,” she whispered. “When we go in there, he has to come out alive. Tor wants him alive.”

She’d seen what his demons were like as well, and she wasn’t entirely sure that she could trust Blaine not to slaughter her prisoner. Especially after the comment she’d heard Malice make earlier.

Destre's voice sounded pained in some way when he asked her about her power. Jade hesitated as the right way to answer. Would he mourn the fact that she could enslave anyone? No desire's power was not holding him any longer.

Her mind wrapped around to his cold fingers rolling over her spin through the thin white shirt. She shivered softly at his touch and closed her eyes. She loved being held. Missed it so. Years of not having anyone but a stuffed doll and a few days with her mother really hurt her. Slowly she spun around and tossed her legs around his waist and looked at his face to face.

Jade's hair had begun to dry and small waved pulled at her hair. Her hair was not the curly type that bounced at every move it was more like the waves of the sea. It washed around her tan skin making her look more innocent. She licked her lips in memory of the blistering kiss they had shared. Her first kiss from a man. Her stomach fluttered with the thought and Jade had to look away.


" Desire.. We could make anyone do what you did or worse, I think. I was two when the first time ever happened. I man a solder fall in love with my by touching his had while he played with one of my dolls in the market. He was trying to impress my mother. He sat in my front yard for days before he died of starvation waiting to see my face." Jade sighed and looked back to Destre with her deep dark brown eyes. Sadness fluttered across them as she spoke.

" My mother kept me away from the outside world for a long time until she sent me to a all girl school far off in the mountains. I just came home a few weeks ago for my sixteenth birthday when I was changed into a vampire and went off my rocker. " Jade smiled softly as she studied his face.

Jade blushed as she realized she could star into his eyes all day and pulled away to sit next to him in the floor. Her back propped against the wall as she stared at the ceiling. " I don't feel hungry when I am with you. I feel like I did before my death. Like I could go on with out ever spilling another drop of blood but I am sure that would be impossible. I am unsure why I feel this way with you. Its like you are.." her voice dropped away and her finger tips hit the side of his hand on the floor.


Slowly Jade looked over to him and her heart melted. She wanted to curl up next to him to find out what it was like to be with someone, to find out what it felt like to be with a man. her face turned three shades of red at the thought and desire purred with pleasure. I am sure he would be grand to make love to. Jade almost choked on her own tongue.

" I don't want to die if I do desire will be freed from my body and welcome her to torment the world." Jade confused herself. Moments ago she wanted death and now she wanted to live." Sorry I am really off the wall. One minute I beg for death the next I want to live. I guess neither Desire nor I could handle not being in control."


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sadness flooded Blaine and he turned and looked at Shiva with a sad look. The demon whimpered and said," So sad that my brethren can not play. " with in second his face flashed and Malice looked at Shiva," Then I guess I will just play with you later. Still promise that you will love what I can do." he growled and then vanished.

Blaine rolled his shoulders and looked at Shiva." remind me next time not to show off my demons. I am not sure if it was you or desire up there that got them all in a tiffy. " Blaine spun around and opened the door softly.

The air was still pure of the scent of desire and if they hurried they could get to her before she mad the whacked out vampire try and get in the way. " ladies first. I want to make sure I watch you back side. I mean you rear end. I mean I will watch your back." he grinned and pulled out a very long sword. It glimmered a faint black and as Blaine eyes turn redder so did the sword. The sword would change color to the demon or man wielding it. " Just make sure to grab the girl she is more important then the man and if desire strikes out she will go for destre. he will have to follow her. She would be very good bait."

Destre listened to her explain the powers of the demon, yet his heart fell a little the more he learned. She could wield power over anyone. He’d just been in the way and had come under the demon’s magic by accident. There was nothing special about using him. Destre frowned and looked away from Jade, feeling the need to escape back to the solitude he cherished so.

Or had cherished. Until… this. She felt right, but the situation was all wrong. How would he be able to tell what he really felt and what the demon made him feel? How could he discern the truth? What about when Jade couldn’t control her? He didn’t like not being in control of his body or thoughts, and he didn’t want to imagine what it would be like for him if he did truly fall in love with Jade only to have the demon charm another man.

He imagined jealousy would be a murderous thing underneath the spell of a demon.

It’d been a long time since he’d cared for anyone, and he didn’t know if he could bear that vulnerability again. Since the loss of his human family, he hadn’t chanced it. He’d removed himself from everyone and become a nomad of sorts, hiding behind a façade he created to ease the pain. Could he risk it all again?

And did he even want to? Or was the demon, even now, playing tricks with his mind. He couldn’t tell, but he knew for certain that he felt slightly more empty when Jade slid away to sit beside him on the floor. And then he started as he caught her words.

Sixteen? He glanced back at her. That certainly explained the impression of innocence he’d received from her. She was really not more than a child at sixteen. After several centuries of life at sixteen that would undoubtedly change, but still… Right now, she was still sixteen. She hadn’t been changed but a handful of days ago.

And he was… older. His body was nineteen, but he was actually older. Older than that. Too old to take advantage of a newborn vampire, just a kid. Though he hadn’t really been the one that had taken advantage of her. It had actually been the other way around. But what did that matter? It was the same thing.

Embarrassed, Destre cleared his throat and listened to her speak. He focused in on her speech again just in time to hear her tell him of the effect he had on her. He lifted his brows.

“I keep you from thirsting?” he asked, incredulous.

There wasn’t a way around the thirst, as far as he knew. Especially not for a newborn. Still, could he call her a liar? Had his mind not been so otherwise preoccupied he would have noticed the fact that, for a newborn, she was being rather tranquil.

“I don’t understand,” he muttered, because he’d never faced anything so bizarre.

He lifted his hand and placed it over hers on the floor between them, testing. He wasn’t disappointed by the slight thrill of enjoyment this gave him by having that small piece of contact. He still didn’t know if it was his own interest or the demons, but he didn’t feel like figuring that out at the moment.

“I’m not going to kill you,” he assured her, and then smiled faintly. “I’m honestly afraid to even try.”
He didn’t know what kind of effect it would have on him to watch her die now, let alone be the cause of it, and he especially didn’t want to see Desire in person.
-----
Shiva’s dislike for Malice was further cemented when he reared his head again, taunting her with twisted threats. She growled softly. It didn’t matter how many demons lived inside of Blaine, they weren’t going to touch her again unless she wanted them to.

Making herself believe this, she stepped into the house before Blaine as he held the door open for her, and she caught the scent of the two vampires: one her prize, and the other, her newest problem.

She turned back once to give Blaine a scathing look, though she held her tongue against her retort, afraid that she’d end up yelling at him and blowing their cover.

Her eyes widened when he pulled out a sword, and she felt less and less comfortable walking in front of him. She tried to ignore the fact that her back side felt more vulnerable than protected and proceeded as quietly as possible up the stairs.

She judged their positions by the sound of their voices, and, as she reached the landing of the staircase, she discerned that they were just inside the next room, sitting next to the wall.

Pleased with her discovery, Shiva sent Blaine a coy glance over her shoulder and winked at him. With no other warning than this, she abruptly vanished, disappearing into thin air, only to reappear seconds later in the next room. In a flash, she had Jade up and off the floor, her demon tail extended and wrapped around the girl’s upper body and arms, dangling her in the air to Shiva’s side.

“Ah, ah, ah!” Shiva wagged her finger as Destre immediately lept to his feet. “You don’t want to do that.”

Shiva’s tail coiled around Jade’s body just so that the point of her tail rested on her chest, just above her heart. One little push, and she could pierce the flesh. Not to kill of course, considering the consequences of her death, but enough to injure her and thus injure Destre. If he was as crazy about Desire as Blaine had explained, Shiva imagined that he wouldn’t want any harm to come to her.

As she expected, Destre froze solid, his eyes wide and concerned and on Jade. She could taste his fear in the air, and it pleased her. She finally had one up on the rogue.

“Now, you’re going to hand yourself over to the man with me, and we’re going to go back to the castle.”

Destre swallowed, mulling over what to do, though he knew he had no options. Shiva finally had a bargaining tool.