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Prologue:

A woman, about 15, dressed in a black, victorian styled dress, looks up at the slowly rising moon. "What's to become of this world?" she whispers to no one in particular.

"It is to be destroyed by the very creatures that it created."

She spun around and there, standing in front of her, was a man with skin as dark as a moonless night. He was dressed in an old victorian suit, and appeared no older than she was, but when she looked into his eyes, she saw the wisdom only time could bring.

He whispered, in an accent she couldn't place, "what are you doing out here at a time like this? You should be at home, safe behind closed doors." He smiled a smile that sent shivers down her spine.

"I can take care of myself, thank you. Besides, there's never anyone out here, just me and the stars," then she thought about it, "wait, what are YOU doing out here?" she asked accusingly.

He looked her in the eye and smiled, "I'm enjoying the view. What about you?" He walked slowly towards her, stopping at times to glance around as though looking for something.

She watched him, allowing him to get closer to her, "I am always out here about this time of night, to admire the sky," she looked up, "see how the stars twinkle?" she pointed at them, "I wish to join them one day. To walk among the stars, to fly across the moon, to be above this god forsaken world," a tear fell down her cheek. She shook her head, "but, alas! These dreams forsake the women of this village." She put her head down, and stared at the frozen dirt.

The man stared at her for a second, then he placed his hand on her shoulder. " I know, I see you out here everynight. But, I know something you don't."

She looked up into his eyes, doubtful, "and what's that?"

He glanced up at the bloated moon, "It's that nothing is forsaken. If you know where to go, anything is possible. I can make what you dream, a reality. If you really want it, of course." He reached behind him to the satchel that hung from his shoulder, took it off, and placed it carefully on the ground.

She watched him, suddenly scared, "I know who you are. You're the one that killed all those people that John Lark found buried behind his barn yesterday. They were drained of all they're blood." She took a step away from him.

He smiled and looked up at her, then vanished, leaving her to stare, perplexed, at the spot where he had just been. As she turned around, intending to get as far away from there as possible, he appeared right in front of her. He grabbed her shoulders, ever so gently, so that she couldn't run away. He stared longingly into her eyes, "don't you understand?" he whispered, intently to her, "I could give you the power to be free! The power to do as you please. To fly throughout this world without anyone to obey, without anyone to drag you down. You could be free of this dull existence. Think of it!" his eyes were shining with passion, "you could live under the night sky, no cares, no worries. You could be what you've always dreamed of. To be a true child of the night!"

She stared into his eyes, then pulled away from him. She turned her head to the sky, "b-but," she stuttered uncertainly, "won't I have to give up my soul? Become damned? Won't I die?" she turned back to face him.

He smiled sweetly at her, "Those are the tales of the envious. Jealous of the power we immortals have. But, sadly, you will have to die. That is but a small price to pay for immortality," He reached out for her hand, and she allowed him to take it, "death is nothing to be afraid of, though. There will be pain, oh, the pain there will be," a dark look crossed over his eyes, but disappeared as quickly as it had come, "there will also be a little darkness, but then you will come back, and I will be waiting for you. Always by your side."

She looked into his eyes, "I don't know. I-" A noise startled her, and her eyes widened, "oh, no. I didn't think they'd check on me. They know I've gone. I should go back before they get mad," she turned to leave.

He held on to her hand, and swung her so that their noses touched, "you don't have to go, you can be free!" He searched her eyes, and put his hand on the small of her back, "please, come with me. I love you," he stared into her eyes, then leaned his head and let their lips touch, then, after about a minute or so, he let go. She kept her eyes closed, capturing the moment, then put her hand behind his head and returned his kiss, pushing him into her. The voices got closer, and she let go. He stared into her eyes and smiled, already knowing her answer.

*With her eyes still closed, she whispered to him, "yes, I will go with you." He let go of her, grabbed his pack, then held her tightly. As the villagers broke into the clearing, they vanished, into the night...*

Chapter 1:

I am Lilyx, and that was the last night of my life, but the first of my death. I guess I should start at the beginning.

I was born to a poor family. My father went to the tavern every night, and I was left at home to care for my mother. My father and I knew she was going to die. She had fallen ill after giving birth to my baby brother, Isaac. He lasted less than three days, longer than most these trying years. We had fallen on hard times so we couldn't afford the herbs that the doctor had perscribed her, and it was just a matter of time, before God called her up to heaven. I was changed into the immortal that I am today, by Erebus, about three weeks after she had died.

I met him the night my mother died. He helped drag my father home, after he tried to drown himself in the liqour. The instant we looked into each others' eyes, we knew we were destined for each other, I just didn't know it was to be forever.

* * * * * * * * * * *

I heard a noise and hurried to put my book into the chest next to my bed. Reading was unbecoming of women. It was devil's work to teach a woman to read, but my father didn't care. Or atleast he didn't used to. The night my mother died, he burnt all my books. I managed to save this one, though. It was a book of viking culture and mythology. My family was originally from Scandinavia, so my father had wanted me to know everything about our heritage.

As I open my front door, I see the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. They are so green, so bright, it was as if they were glowing. They filled my with a warmth, that I had never known. It was almost as though I had swallowed fire, except that there was no pain.

I heard my father grunt, and I remembered my place. I looked down, and bowed to the man who was holding my father, "thank you, sir, for bringing my father home. It is much appreciated."

He shook his head, "please, call me Erebus, and please don't bow, it makes me uncomfortable."

I nodded and opened the door to let him in, "yes, sir, I mean Erebus," my face flushed, "the bedroom is down the hall. Follow me," I led him to the my father's bedroom. I had taken my mother's body out, and had buried it behind the house, a couple hours earlier. Then I had scrubbed the house clean. My hands were still raw. It still didn't seem real. Like this was all just a bad dream. It still hadn't sunk in, I kept expecting to see my mother walk into the room and tell me to straighten up, like she had so many times before.

I helped him place my father on his bed, then we went into the living room to wait for my father to wake up. I stole a glance at the man who was standing in front of me, admiring the paintings on the wall. He was tall, and had an elegant way of walking, as though he were sailing over the floor, instead of walking on it.

"Would you like some tea, Erebus?" the name sounded weird, almost as though it wasn't his. He turned around to look at me and I hastily looked down, wondering if he had seen me staring. "No, thank you, though. Who did those paintings? They are exquisite," he was walking towards me.

"I did sir, though they are quite old. My," I could feel my mother's death catching up with me, "mother taught me to paint, when I was younger." 'Please,' I begged myself, 'Not now, anytime but now.' I could feel the burning tears, threatening to fall.

He was standing right next to me, close enough so that I could smell his 'scent'. He smelled of leather, and horses, and another scent that I couldn't quite place. "Do you think you could paint me something? They are just beautiful, I must have a painting of yours." I could hear the truth in his voice, and all of a sudden, I couldn't hold it back anymore. I fell to my knees, and started to sob. He put his arms around my shoulders, and we stayed like that, him holding me, me crying into him. I couldn't tell you how long it was, but when I finally stopped crying, I was exhausted. I became aware of his arms around me, and his sweet breath, blowing through my hair, and went to stand up, but he wouldn't let me. He held me there, just breathing me in, in this, almost crazed way.

When he finally let me up, I saw in his eyes, a fierce look. A look so, unhuman, it scared me. I took a step away from him, looked into his eyes, and fainted dead away.

When I awoke, I was in my bed, and my father was staring down at me. He looked almost terrified, "Lilyx, are you okay? You've been asleep for days. Erebus came over yesterday, wondering if you were any better."

I went to sit up, but felt dizzy, so I layed back down, "I'm fine dad, just a little tired is all," I closed my eyes. He started talking again, but I wasn't really listening. Bits and pieces are all I picked up. "Erebus, was saying...... engagement......he proposed a marriage...... perhaps even love." I suppose I fell asleep again, but when I came to I was staring up at my wall. It was dark and all that I could hear was the distant snoring coming from my father's room. I sat up and swung my legs over to the side of my bed. The cold floor felt foriegn under my feet. I stood up, felt dizzy, and almost fell over, was it not for the fact that someone caught me.

"There you go falling over. You should get a cane or something," He was laughing.

I turned around, and there was Erebus, standing next to me, his eyes dancing. "W-what are you doing here?" I was shaking, perhaps because of the cold.

Erebus saw me shaking, and put his arms around me, "Your dad has employed me here, to help out around this house until you are in right spirits again. I have taken to caring for you."

My chest fluttered when he told me this, for, secretly, I felt a kind of love for him, though I knew nothng of him. His chin leaning on my shoulder, as though searching for strngth in asking his next question, "Lilyx, um, I have already asked your father this, but didn't want to make it known until you said it was okay, but, would you be willing to," he paused, and stepped back to look into my eyes, "would you want to marry me?"

I thought my heart was going to burst from my chest, "of course I will, ever since I first looked into your eyes I have wanted to," I felt my cheeks flush, and I looked down, but he put his hand under my chin, and lifted it so that I was staring into his glowing green eyes. I smiled, and he smiled back at me, and then he kissed me. I have never felt more at joy, more at peace, as I had in those few seconds. I never wanted it to end, but, of course, like all things, it did.

Chapter 4:

When I awoke that morning, it was as if it had been a dream. I walked into the kitchen, just as my father was finishing cooking breakfast, and looked around. I noticed that Erebus wasn't there, so I asked my father where he had gone. My father gave me a weird look, "Are you feeling okay?" He walked over to me and put a hand on my forehead. I backed away and looked into his eyes, "I'm fine dad, why? Wasn't Erebus here?" He shook his head, "You must have been dilusional, honey. Erebus wasn't here last night. He came by yesterday to see if you were feeling any better, but he left after I had told him that you still hadn't waken up."

I looked at him and bit my lower lip in frustration, "but didn't you employ him to help you around the house while I was out of sorts?" My father just shook his head again and smiled sadly, "No, I didn't," He went back to the stove and put the food on the table, "perhaps you should eat something and go back to bed. I don't think you're feeling well."

I looked down disdainfully.'But, it seemed too real to be a dream,' I quietly said to myself, then looked back at my father and smiled, "I suppose you're right." Then sat at the table.

A week later, I kept having dreams like that. My father told me that if I had any more, he would take me to the doctor. We couldn't afford that so I had stopped telling him. The dreams kept getting more, stranger, I guess. The last dream I had, Erebus had bitten me, and, belive it or not, sucked my blood. It was so surreal. I had woken up the next morning and checked my neck, where he had bitten me and found no marks, yet I was tired and had a leaden feeling for the rest of the day. It had scared me terribly. I had tried talking to Erebus, to reasure myself that they were only dreams, but had a troublesome time trying to find him.