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VIII

Monday arrived, and with it a new role for Angel. She was to take Rachel's place in the play. She wasn't altogether thrilled about that, but she threw herself into the role with all the passion it deserved, and by the end of the day, she was worn out. Jaden had work, and Forrest was on patrol, so she walked home by herself, her coat wrapped tightly around her. She tried not to think about how Rachel was dead, tried not to cry as she remembered her friend. Instead, her father's concern came to mind, and tears filled Angel's eyes. Her dad was so worried about her. He had wanted to come to New York City as soon as he had heard about the vampires, that way he could help her pack up and move out of the city. She had then explained to him that she was almost done with school, and she would be fine.

She didn't feel fine, as she walked through a shadowy street, fog surrounding her and thunder rumbling up ahead. She was working, in close contact, with vampires. One of them was a severe threat to her, and there were also others out there, others she had never seen, that were deadly enemies, ones that wanted her killed. She wondered how Whisper and the rest of his group hadn't killed her yet. What with the way they spoke and flirted, almost every meal she was certain they were going to hurt her.

A stirring in the shadows brought Angel out of her thinking, and she turned her head to see Dorian stepping out of the darkness, his cloak drawn tightly about him. He pressed his fingers to Angel's lips before she could say anything and then whispered hurriedly, looking up at the tops of the buildings as he did so.

"Ghost is up to something," he breathed quickly. "The others and me aren't coming to dinner tonight. Ghost isn't pleased that we've been visiting you on a friendly basis. I think he has plans for you, and you need to be careful. Do anything you can to have someone stay with you tonight. Call a friend over or something. Go out and watch a movie. Don't stay anywhere alone!"

"But Jaden and Forrest are both working," Angel whispered. "What can I do?"

"Stay at home and keep your doors locked, though I don't think that will keep him out, if he's really up to what I think he is. Make it seem like you aren't home. Keep the lights off and everything quiet."

"Dorian," Angel said hoarsely, grabbing his arm. "I'm scared. Can neither you nor Whisper help me?"

"That would be the most foolish idea imaginable," Dorian frowned. "He'd kill us if we got in his way. And he has the strength to do it. He's the king of the vampires, Angel. He has a strength none of us possesses. Now promise me you'll pretend you aren't home tonight. Promise!" he demanded, shaking her by the shoulders.

"I promise," she nodded, her eyes wide with worry.

"Good. Good night, Angel," Dorian said, and then disappeared back into the shadows.

To be sure, Angel was terrorized when she got back to her studio. She locked her door as soon as she got inside, even going so far as to chain the top. She then called Forrest and Jaden, both of whom were extremely concerned about her. Jaden promised to come over as soon as he was done with work. Forrest, unfortunately, couldn't come due to work, but he gave her a phone number to call, an emergency hotline straight to him, if she needed him. That number would connect to the police radios, letting everyone know she was in trouble.

Angel showered once her phone calls were finished, getting changed into a tank top and pajama pants. She pulled a jacket over her shirt and then made herself some dinner by candlelight.

Ghost was on the hunt. He had plans for her. And she, as a human, had nothing she could truly do to protect herself.

She didn't eat well, and she was extremely relieved when Jaden arrived at her studio and she let him in.

"Okay, I know you aren't going to let me stay in here while you sleep," he said, handing her a movie. "But I brought us something to watch until it's much, much later."

"What is it?" Angel asked, taking the DVD from him.

"Something to ease your mind."

She laughed when she saw "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," and then she hugged Jaden, letting out a long sigh.

"Jay, I thank God every day for you."

"Oh Angel, I'll always be here for you," Jaden smiled, enveloping her in his arms. "I care about you."

"You look a little pale," Angel said, gazing up into his face to see that his skin was a bit paler than usual.

"I haven't altogether been feeling like myself lately, but I'm sure I'll be fine. Let's start the movie, shall we?"

"You know, you're one of the only guys I'd trust to stay and watch a movie with me," Angel said, putting the DVD in the player, sitting down on her couch, and then turning the television on.

"You've known me for awhile," Jaden said, sitting respectfully on the other side of the couch. "Now let's watch this movie and get those vampires off your mind? For now, all we're worried about is saving Ferris."

"Right," Angel laughed and then pressed Play.

As eager as she was to watch the movie and enjoy herself, Angel soon felt herself drifting off. She was exhausted from worry and grief, and she began to slip down on the couch, lying down with her legs curled up against her body, so Jaden still had room. Jaden watched her more than he did the movie, admiring her lovely features, her fair skin and smoky gray eyes. How he wished there could be more between them! How he wanted to take her worried body into his arms and hold her!

The movie finished, and Jaden got off the couch and turned the television off.

"Angel," he said quietly.

"Hmm?" she asked, curling up more on the couch.

"I'm leaving."

"Okay. Thank you for coming."

"Do you want me to bring Crimson over?"

"No," Angel yawned, sitting up slowly, her long hair draping over her shoulders. "Thank you, though. I'll be okay. Once I get to sleep, I'll be fine."

"Such a philosophy," Jaden chuckled and then left her studio, making sure the door was locked behind him.

Angel got off the couch and pulled her jacket off, letting cool air brush over her bare shoulders and neck. The air conditioner was on, she could hear it humming. She moved over to the candles she had lit, and one by one began to blow them out. She took hold of the last one, on the kitchen counter, and then turned to make her way towards her bedroom. She walked through the living area, and then stopped dead in her tracks before she could reach her bedroom area.

The shadows moved, ever so slightly, and Angel took a long step back, her heart beginning to pound wildly and adrenaline surging through her. She struggled to pull her diamond out from beneath her shirt, while at the same time holding the dripping candle, scared out of her mind.

Come on! She pleaded inwardly with her necklace. Somehow, with her stumbling, terrorized fingers, the diamond just wouldn't come out.

The shadows parted, and she saw a large form, his form, stepping towards her, his immense body silhouetted by darkness, his cloak shrouding him, making him look so intimidating and forceful. Angel's hands began to tremble, and to her terror, she dropped the candle. She watched, eyes wide with horror, as it dropped to the carpet, and she could just see the whole studio going up in flames. Before the candle could reach the floor, however, her intruder moved, faster than a cat, and caught up the candle in his hand.

"Get out," Angel said coldly, shivering more at his presence than at what had just nearly happened to her studio.

"I rescue your home, and this is what I get in return?" Ghost asked, his teeth shining magnificently in the candlelight.

Angel struggled to get her necklace out, and she let out a cry when his hand shot towards her and grabbed hold of her small one, stopping her desperate search.

"Let go of me!" Angel screamed, watching as he bent down slightly to put the candle on her living room table.

"You were never this nervous before. Did someone tell you something?" Ghost asked, placing his fingers on her lips and then tracing her lips gently with his touch.

"You're out to kill me!" she panicked, pulling towards the door with all her might and getting absolutely nowhere.

"Kill you?" he chuckled. "Such nonsense."

"Then why are you here, by yourself, in the middle of the night?"

"It's early morning, love," Ghost said, taking her other hand in his and pulling her towards him. She shuddered as he began to rub her fingers between his, not showing any indication that he was going to be leaving any time soon. "Why would I kill someone as precious as you?" he whispered, his voice rushing over her dangerously.

"Because you're a vampire," she countered, doing her best to stay strong and avoid his advances. "Now let me go, Ghost. I've had quite enough of you lately."

"I spoke with the one responsible for Rachel's murderer," Ghost said easily, never loosening his hold. "I don't believe he'll be bothering anymore women around here."

"Good. Now follow his example and leave me alone."

"I don't think you quite understand what you mean to me," Ghost snarled, pulling her so close that she fell against him and let out a yelp of surprise. "You mean life and death itself to me."

"Sure. You leave me alone and I live. You don't leave me alone and I die!" Angel gasped, fighting and her terror hitched. "Get out! Leave me alone! I never did anything to you!"
"What makes you think I'm going to hurt you?" Ghost soothed, raising one of his hands to stroke it through her dark hair and then let it rest at the back of her neck, his fingers intertwined in her brunette locks.

She began to cry, tears streaming down her cheeks, and her whole body quivered against him. She moved her hands his chest, trying to hold him away from her, speaking to him in quiet tones as she did so.

"Please don't kill me, Ghost. I've done nothing to you, and I've helped your men. I'd gladly help you too, if you'd just let me."

"So sweet, so charming," he breathed, his breath caressing her face as he moved his other hand, tracing the side of her face with it and then bringing that hand to rest against the area right below her throat, where her necklace was hidden beneath the fabric of her shirt. "You can help me."

"Please don't hurt me," she whimpered and then gasped when her back hit the wall. "Ghost," she whispered, struggling as he pressed himself closer to her. "No. Don't do this. You may be heartless, but you aren't wholly evil."

"One condemned to no eternity other than fire can afford to be a bit evil," Ghost said and then lowered his mouth to her jaw.

She opened her mouth to protest, but all that came out was a rush of air as he kissed her jaw. She found she couldn't breathe suddenly, and she closed her eyes, trying desperately to gather her thoughts together. She had been warned against this, warned terribly. If only she could get to her light! Then she could just blind him away! But no, he was pressing his hand hard against her necklace, pushing it against her skin, preventing her from getting it. If only she could keep her head clear enough in time to get to that candle on the living room table…

"You smell so good," Ghost breathed, his mouth moving fervently against her skin, kissing her jaw, then her cheek, and then touching the delicate corner of her mouth.

"Do I?" she asked, pushing forward, getting him to move away from the wall.

"Are you actually giving up?" he asked, moving back as she pushed him forward. His mind was far too occupied with her scent and her submission for him to think about what was happening.

"How can I win?" she sighed, opening her eyes to gaze into his hood. "I wish…I wish I could just see your eyes."

"You're welcome to it," he growled, his lips trailing to her throat.

She put her hands to his hood and pushed it back, pushing him even farther back as she did so, and then gazed deeply into his eyes, her mind temporarily frozen as she gazed into the dark, beautiful crimson orbs. His eyes were dark, almost like he had on some type of stage makeup to make them as dark as they were, but he wore no makeup, and she could only guess that the darkness came from his soul. But it made him so beautiful, so handsome, and she couldn't move her eyes away. She didn't notice anything else about his face, for it was too dark, his eyes only being illuminated by the dim candlelight, and his eyes had her transfixed.

He shifted his body as the back of his leg hit the living room table, and then he moved his hands to Angel's back and murmured her name several times before he readied himself to bite her.

He never had a chance. As soon as his lips touched her throat, she grabbed hold of the candle and shoved it at his face with a shout. The flame hit him in the cheek, right below his eye, and he shoved it away violently, making it hit the floor, and let out an agonized scream, his fangs showing, dripping with venom, as he stumbled back, rubbing at his face. The scream was unlike anything Angel had ever heard, and she could hear her own breathing as the vampire fell back. It had sounded so unearthly, so inhuman. She didn't notice her carpet immediately catch fire, because there was a far greater danger now than just fire. That venom, that transparent liquid that had been seeping from his teeth, had her thoroughly terrorized. She screamed and turned to run towards her door, barely hearing the fire alarms begin to sound throughout the building. There was only one thought on her mind, and that was to escape.

While Angel's attack had been clever, it had also endangered her even more. All sense was gone from the vampire lord's mind. He saw red, and, rubbing his face ferociously, he stalked towards Angel. She struggled with the locks on her door and then let out another scream when his hand grabbed the back of her neck and he spun her around. She fought with him, trying to scratch him and kicking up at him, catching him in the stomach. He snarled and used his foot to pull her legs out from under her, making her fall to the floor.

Smoke filled Angel's nostrils as she fought, scrambling to get back up and screaming again when his knees hit her stomach, knocking the air out of her and bruising her. He held her down with his weight, and then grabbed her hands as she fought him, using so much force she gasped in pain, certain his hands were going to crush every bone in hers.

"Just stop it!" he shouted, pinning her hands down at her sides, pushing them hard into the carpet.

"You are trying to kill me, you just set my house on fire, and you're telling me to stop it?" Angel gasped. "You're nothing but an animal! You prey on the blood of others and take from women what you want! Get off me!"

"I did come to destroy you, and I'm not leaving until I have. Especially not after that little episode," he snarled and then violently moved his face to her neck, ignoring her struggling as he did so.

"Listen to me!" Angel gasped, tears coursing down her cheeks as he nuzzled her throat. "You don't have to do this!"

"Shut it already," he snarled, his mouth opening wide.

She could feel the venom dripping on her skin and his hot breath coursing across her neck.

The door suddenly burst open, and Angel heard the cries of the firemen when they saw her there, trapped on the floor, a cloaked man on top of her, preparing to kill her. Immediately, one of them charged Ghost and flung the handle of his ax at the vampire. It hit Ghost hard in the head, and he rolled off Angel, turning and twisting professionally, and then leaped to his feet. Before the firemen could do anything more, he twirled his cloak about him and disappeared.

The men immediately put out the fire and then turned to attend to Angel, who was still lying on the floor, hyperventilating. They helped her sit up, and one of them, old enough to be her grandfather, pulled her into his arms and rocked her gently, like a baby.

"He tried to kill me," Angel whispered, gazing at the wax on her shirt. "And he almost succeeded."

"You were very smart," the fireman said kindly.

"I…I need my phone," Angel said, struggling to her feet and then stumbling over to her cell phone.

Her fingers were trembling frightfully as she dialed Forrest's number. She quickly told him, terror in her voice, what had happened, and he promised her that there would be someone to take care of her in less than ten minutes.

He was right. Five minutes later, a female police officer entered Angel's studio and introduced herself as Crystal Adment. She then explained to the firemen that she would be staying with Angel for the night, and then the men left, giving Angel their most comforting words as they did so.

Crystal had seen many things in her time as a policewoman, and she knew that not a single word she said would comfort Angel. So, she followed Forrest's advice and went into Angel's kitchen. She made Angel's comfort food, chocolate milk, and then brought the glass over to the traumatized girl.
Angel downed the drink, not even taking time to breathe as she did so. Only after the drink was gone did Crystal speak.

"You have wax on your shirt. Were you burned at all?"

"No," Angel shuddered, cuddling up into a ball. "But Ghost was."

"That's why he attacked you?"

"I'd rather not talk about it, really," Angel said, standing up shakily and moving to her bedroom drawers. "I'm going to get changed. And then I'm going to try to sleep. Thank you for coming. I really appreciate it."

"No problem," Crystal said and then watched with concern as Angel took her new shirt into her bathroom.

"Is she dead?" Whisper asked, looking up from his book as Ghost stormed into the great castle's sitting room.

"No, the wretched woman's not dead," Ghost snarled, pushing his hood back and looking into the mirror next to the enormous, blazing fireplace. He hissed when he saw the burnt mark on his face and the cooled wax that was there, having dripped all the way from his eyebrow down to his chin.

"Great Scott! What did she do?" Dorian exclaimed, looking at his leader's face.

"Struck me with a candle," Ghost growled, scraping the wax off.

"Clever little creature," Adrian chuckled.

"Ooh, that looks painful," Bartholomew winced, looking at the red on Ghost's face.

"She's just condemned herself to Valiris," Ghost snarled, still scraping. "And he's the last one I want to kill her. We have until tomorrow night to finish her off. I want all of you to go after her. She may be able to evade me, but certainly not all of you together."

"We can't kill her," Christopher said calmly.

"Why not?" Ghost demanded angrily.

"For the same reason you can't," Whisper said. "She's too kind and merciful. She's pure and innocent. And there's also that matter of how we all want to be destroyed. None of us, including you, wants to keep living as the bloodthirsty creatures that we are. We would rather be killed and end up in eternal flames than keep living here killing people. You also can't kill her because of that blind boy…the way he feels about her."

"What does he feel?" Ghost snarled warningly.

"He loves her. And we can't fight that."

"True," Ghost frowned, stroking his burnt face. "But if we kill him, then there will be nothing stopping us from getting her."

"Oh come on. He's blind, Ghost," Bartholomew snorted. "Helpless. Unable to stop us. The girl has no clue as to the threat she is to us. If we leave her alone, she'll never have any reason to think she's dangerous or has any sort of power. The more we harass her, the closer she'll be to finding out the truth. I think we should leave her alone."

"We can't afford to risk our lives over her," Ghost said, shaking his head.
"I think you're afraid of Valiris," Whisper said. "You don't want to kill the girl, but you don't want Val to get his hands on her, for fear of what he'll do to her before she dies. That's it, isn't it? You like her, Ghost."

"Hence the reason I tried to kill her," Ghost snorted. "Right, Whisper."

"You have more strength than several of us put together. You can romance women like no one else can. Don't tell us you can't kill her," Christopher scowled. "You're our leader. You have the strength to kill and seduce as much as you like."

"And when have I ever seduced anyone?" Ghost asked angrily. "When? Think of one time when I've actually tried to lure a woman!"

The others were silent, and Whisper spoke quietly.

"You never have, Ghost. They've come to you."

"And every time, what's happened?" he groaned.

"You've killed them," Drake said. "Every time."

"Every single wretched time," Ghost moaned, beginning to pace. "How can I possibly care for a woman? I've killed every single one I've come into contact with! And what's worse, I have been luring Angel, that innocent, harmless creature with all the generosity of a saint and the heart of an angel."

"Your path lies in a different direction," Baron said calmly. "You aren't going the way she is. Your fate is different. Your soul is bound to a different eternity, separate from hers."

"Men, I want to know a woman's love, not her fear. You were right when you said I don't want to kill Angel. She is the kindest, sweetest woman I have met in thousands of years of life. I can't kill her; no matter how hard I try. And I can't bear the thought of Val getting his claws on her, but I'm afraid I have no choice. You can't kill her, and neither can I. It's up to him to destroy her, before she destroys us."

"We all want to know what it's like to have a loved one to hold close," Adrian nodded. "We understand, and we have come to honor you more because of your attempts to make life simpler for us. None of us desires the fate that lies waiting. Perhaps this angel, as you so accurately called her, is here to save us. We should make her burden lighter."

"But not interfere with Val," Dorian said hastily. "His men outnumber us, and he has a murderous appetite that we at least try to control. He certainly doesn't try to control it."

"That poor woman," Whisper sighed. "All alone, left to fight off Val by herself. Oh well. It was nice knowing her."

"If you're hoping I'll show her any sort of mercy, I won't," Ghost said, and then turned and stalked out of the room.

The doors slammed shut behind him, and the other vampires glanced at each other curiously.

"I think this thing's really bothering him," Baron said simply.