Who Are You?

Armand cursed out loud, kicking and screaming, not caring if anyone heard or saw him, even though no one was around to see him.1

"Damn you, Marius!" He screamed as he picked up a rock and threw it with all his vampiritic strength, sending it crashing through a tree. Sinking to his knees, he rubbed his eyes furiously.2

"You seem to want me damned more often then none, Armand." He heard Marius's voice say, and he felt him standing beside him. His fury caught him again as he jumped to his feet and flung himself at Marius, who stood still as Armand closed his hands around Marius's throat.3

"You deserve to be damned. You told the middle one about me."4

"She already knew about you." Marius said in a calm voice. Armand loosened his grip in surprise.5

"What do you mean?" He asked in bewilderment. Marius smiled reoproachfully.6

"Armand, you know better than to underestimate her, or you wouldn't be so angry with me. You know that she is, to say the least, very open minded and observant." Armand's nails dug into Marius's stone-like skin, drawing a blackish blood from his neck. "She has known about you since she saw you. Perhaps if she didn't know me, she wouldn't think on you. But for weeks she wondered, and her talk with me didn't help your case. When I told her there was another not unlike myself, I told her only so that she knew that I knew, not to inform her of it. Surely you could see and hear her thoughts? She is in tune to you and me." Armand let his hands drop limply to his side. Though he knew what Marius was saying was true, he couldn't help but feel that it just wasn't good enough. The conversation was over, and he felt Marius start to walk away. Still facing the opposite direction Armand called out to his maker.7

"But why is she so intune, and how did you and she become close, how did you meet?" He heard Marius's steps falter for a moment.8

"Someday, sooner rather than later, I suppose, I shall tell you that story. Tonight is not the night." And he was gone.9

Adelaide shivered in her wool clothes. The wind had picked up, and ice was forming on the ground and trees. A stiff rain was falling, but she ran anyway, slipping and nearly falling into a ditch, but before she knew what was happening she was flying, her face masked from the sleet and rain by auburn curls.10

"Armand," She gasped.11

"Hush, my child." He said as he kissed her forehead.12

"Please," She said as if she hadn't heard him. "Take me anywhere but back to that man." Then she collapsed. Armand held her tighter still, his mind clouded by anger, but mostly fear. She is dying, he could smell it, maybe not tonight or tomorrow, but her body was failing her, and he knew she could feel it. He had to get her out of the storm, this terrible winter opening to what promised to be the cause of a thousand deaths. Without even thinking he took her to the church, a place he knew that would be warm, and the door would be open. Even as he lay her down on the cushioned alter her eyes fluttered open, and she opened her mouth to speak.13

"I'm dying, my angel, I am dying. I am leaving my children to that monster..." Her eyes clouded with tears that Armand wiped away.14

"What if I told you that there was another way?"15

Amarante walked slowly down her dark hall, careful to step over the creaky boards, not that anyone could hear it if she did-the wind was so loud, the storm blowing full force against the house. Amarante figured she could be screaming at the top of her lungs, and no one in the house would hear her.   Yet,she heard her name being called.16

"Amarante, Amarante!" The voice sounded shrill and urgent, and it was coming from Ame's room. Forgetting what she was doing she dropped her candle, which went out even as she ran to his door. She threw it open with such force that it hit the wall with a bacg.17

"Ame-" She called and then stopped. Her voice caught in her throat to see that her brother wasn't in his bed and the window was open. The sleet poured in on the floor and she saw footprints leading in, but none going out. Forgetting the coldness, she ran to the window. The rain fell like a cold sheet on her bare shoulders but she didn't care.18

"Ame!" She called out into the night. After a moment, she turned back into the room and ran out, not noticing the door close behind her.19

"Father, FATHER!!!!" She screamed and even as Adrian opened his door and ran out to see what was going on Acacius ran out of his room.20

"What is it Amarante?" He yelled rather harshly. She didn't seem to notice, her tears ran down her cheeks like a waterfall.21

"It's Ame, he called out for me and I went to his room and he isn't there. I think he was-" But as she cried to her father a small boy walked out of his room.22

"Father," Ame said rubbing his sleep filled eyes. "What is going on?" Amarante would have fainted had her father not been standing in front of her. His eyes were filled with rage, and then with worry.23

"Amarante, perhaps you should sleep late tomorrow. I will have your food brought to you. You're wet," He touched her bare shoulders. "You need to put on something dry. Adrian," he said, "Help your sister. Help her change, tuck her in." Amarante just stared in shock at Ame, who still stood by his father, his hand in Acacius's. Adrian nodded and walked up to his sister, wrapped his arms around her and led her to her room. He brought her a towel and dried her off, then pulled off her night gown, hiding his erection as he tried to avert his eyes from her shameless body. After she was dressed and as he tucked her in, she looked at him as if seeing him for the first time.24

"You believe me don't you?" She asked. Adrian smiled at her, ignoring his arousal and his desire to climb into the bed with her.25

"Of course I do Amarante," he said with more certainty then he felt.26