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XI

The banquet came to an end, late into the night. As the last guests were making their way to their rooms, Angel stepped into a dark corridor and made her way quietly into the library. This room was enormous. There were shelves upon shelves of books, and there were ladders throughout the room, reaching up to higher shelves and more books. There was a blazing, enormous fireplace at the end of the room, and there were many leather couches positioned in front of it.

Angel grabbed a few books, all of them on the history of the vampires and all of them at least a couple of hundreds of years old, and then made her way to the couch before the fire. Her mind was very full as she began to flip through the dusty pages, trying to find any information about herself and her necklace. Dust puffed off the pages, and most of the books were written in Latin, burdening Angel's heavy mind more. There was so much she needed to learn. Would the vampires truly kill her? Did they really not have hearts? And their dance, the "Dance of Death," did women actually fall for that? How long had these dark creatures existed? Where did they come from?

She flipped through book after book, finding bits and pieces of what Vladimir had told her, but never anything else.

Hours passed, and yet Angel kept studying. The great grandfather clock in the room chimed every hour, finally chiming only twice, indicating that it was two o'clock in the morning, and yet Angel didn't hear it. She was so absorbed in her books and so comfortable on the couch that she didn't feel a cold breeze rush through the room, and she didn't see the shadow lurking towards her from the now-closed door.

She was slowly falling asleep, tired from the time change, the traveling, the banquet, and the downpour of information. She was just beginning to close her book when she felt hands, gentle and slender, on her shoulders. She felt her eyes drifting closed as the hands brushed against her skin and moved slowly down her shoulders to her forearms. They traced her arms, making their way down to her wrists. She sucked in a deep breath, still trying to determine if, in her weariness, this was a dream, or if it was actually happening.

Her intimidator seemed to know this, and so he moved his hands away from her wrists, momentarily, and let them slide slowly back up her arms. He then brought his fingers to her neck, tracing her skin with his fingertips before he let them grace across her collarbones and then begin to move downwards, stroking her heated flesh, moving towards where her necklace would normally be, hidden beneath the fabric of her dress…

As soon as one of those hands moved to the fabric, hoping to find her necklace, Angel jumped to her feet, adrenaline pounding through her, spun around, and placed the cold steel of her dagger, which she had brought purposefully and placed beneath one of her books, on the person's neck.

"Well, well, well," her intruder spoke, his face hidden by a hood. "You came armed."

"Game's up, Vladimir," Angel hissed, pushing the blade harder against his skin. "I know what you are."

"And I most certainly know what you are," he grinned, pushing back the hood of his cloak, his blue and brown eyes staring hard into hers.

"I'm not blind. I knew there was something wrong with you the minute I stepped in this house," Angel said, pushing him back, her eyes burning into his. "How could you have known so much about vampires? They don't just come up and talk to people, unless they want them dead. And Ghost. How could you know about him?"

"And why were you, such a beautiful young woman, so strangely fascinated with vampires?" Vladimir asked, his fangs showing as he spoke.

"I know I can't kill you, but I can certainly make you back off. You wanted this, Vladimir? Here you go," Angel scowled, pulling her sleeve back and letting her necklace shine brilliantly into his face.

He hissed and stepped back, away from her blade, shielding his eyes.

"And you asked if vampires have hearts?" he snarled, looking away from her as the light threatened to blind him.

"You intended to kill me," Angel said, keeping her light in front of her. "Did you really think I would let that happen?"

"Indeed you are clever, but I don't believe you've had a chance yet to truly see a bloodthirsty vampire in action," Vladimir hissed, crouching down. "Ghost is nothing compared to me. And my name is Valiris. Vladimir sounds so…Russian."

"I've seen an angry vampire before," Angel said uncomfortably, beginning to back away.

"I hardly consider Ghost to be ferocious," Val hissed and then suddenly leaped at her.

Angel screamed as he grabbed hold of her necklace, hiding the diamond in his hand, and then grabbed her throat with his free one. She brought her dagger up and slid it across his cheek, drawing blood and making him shout in fury. He let go of her throat and grabbed the blade, wrenching it from her, and then let out a rush of air when she kicked him in the chest and began to run towards the doorway.

"Oh no you don't!" he snarled and then lunged at her, grabbing her hard by her shoulders and slamming her against one of the bookshelves. She let out a cry of pain as one of the books jammed into her back, but she refused to give up. She grabbed hold of the ladder next to her and then slid it violently in front of her body, shielding her, just for a moment, from Val, and knocking it hard into his hands. He growled and then grabbed hold of the ladder. With one smooth pull, he ripped it off the wall, pulling apart her hiding place, and then flung it to the side, letting it crash against a large vase as he did so.

She kicked up hard at his face, but he caught her foot and then twisted her leg, making her cry in pain and flip over, landing on her stomach on the floor. She struggled to get up and kept screaming as he grabbed her from the back and dragged her to her feet. She knew that she could never stop screaming, for someone in the house was sure to hear her, and that only infuriated Val more. He pulled her hard against him and wrapped his arm around her stomach, holding her tightly, nearly suffocating her in his tight hold.

"Stop screaming," he hissed against her ear, making her fight and scream all the more.

"Let me go!" she cried out, her voice loud throughout the room. "Val, if you don't let me go, I'll…"

"I warned you to stop screaming," he hissed and then spun her around so she could look up at him.

"I'll scream until I can't scream any longer! Even if you do kill me, everyone will know who did it!" Angel shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Foolish girl!" Val hissed and then silenced her, pressing his lips forcefully against hers with a snarl.

She screamed in the back of her throat, punching him with all her worth as he held her close and growled, effectively muffling her with his mouth, as he moved his lips hard against hers. There was nothing slightly sentimental about this, nothing kind, just the hard, cold kiss of a killer, intent on killing his prey no matter how he had to do it.

He smiled against her mouth when he felt her beginning to cave in, such heat rushing through her body that she could barely contain herself and keep fighting. This sensation was so violent, and yet so pleasant, that her tired mind couldn't comprehend it all. She beat her fists weakly against him, trying to beat into her mind that this was wrong. But how could it be? It was passionate, desperate; dark as night, and everything she had ever wanted for her first kiss. For her first kiss…

Angel's eyes widened and she began to hit him harder. She became acutely aware of her mother's ring on her finger, and with a sudden burst of inspiration, she brought the ring up hard against Val's cheek and then dragged it down to his chin.

He shouted, flinging her away from him so hard that she crashed against one of the bookshelves and then fell, nearly unconscious, to the floor.

"You vicious, deplorable snake!" he howled, storming towards her. "How dare you! How dare you even think to attack me in such a manner!"

"I don't care! I'd do it again!" Angel screamed, trembling, her hands shaking as she put one of her hands against her mouth and rubbed it hard against her lips, terrorized by what he had just done, what she had just allowed him to do.

"You'll never have a chance," he snarled and then flung himself at her, diving in for the kill, his fangs exposed and his eyes dark with hatred. He immediately pressed his mouth against her neck and then shifted himself, ready to destroy her.

Angel closed her eyes, preparing to die, when she heard Val let out a cry of surprise. He was suddenly pulled off her, his fangs slipping against her skin, making her scream in pain. She opened her eyes when she heard another voice, furious, shouting something at her attacker, and she watched, horrified, as another man, this one taller and broader than Val, jump at Val and slam his fist hard across the evil man's face. That didn't stop the vampire. He raised Angel's dagger at his attacker and then brought it slamming into the man's shoulder, making him howl in anger. The man in the cloak then slammed his fist into Val's stomach and, faster than Angel could think, brought his right foot crashing against Val's face. Val stumbled back, dazed only momentarily, and Angel's rescuer rushed to her and pulled her to her feet. Without a word, he dragged her over to the library window and pulled her through it, out into the biting cold air and the heavy snow.

Not a word was spoken as the cloaked figure dragged Angel through the snow to a tall, black horse that stood waiting. Angel didn't object as the stranger picked her up easily, placed her at the front of the horse's back, and then swung up behind her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding the horse's reins, and then urged the stallion into a gallop.

The horse took off running through the snow, tossing his head up and down as he battled the snow banks.

Angel didn't know how long they rode. Her mind was dazed. That man, that wretched, wicked vampire, had kissed her. She has just lost her most valuable, precious possession…to a murderer! How could he? How could he take that from her?

She began to cry, two hours into the ride, her body heaving against her rescuer's body, tears freezing on her face almost as soon as they began to flow.

The horse came to a stop, and the cloaked man swung off the horse's back and then turned to help Angel.

"Not you!" she cried, seeing that he was, indeed, Ghost. "I've had enough of your kind! Why couldn't you just let him kill me?"

"That's enough," Ghost said firmly. "What is all this crying about? Stop it immediately!"

"No!" she screamed, swinging off the horse's back and landing painfully in the snow. She gazed at the whiteness as she stood up, noticing immediately that there was crimson staining the snow where her right hand had been. She looked at her hand to see blood there, and then realized, frightened, that the blood had come from her neck. She had been covering it as she rode, but now it was streaming steadily, staining her skin.

"Oh no!" she kept crying, stumbling away from Ghost and then collapsing at the foot of a large pine tree.

"Is crying going to help anything?" Ghost asked harshly, kneeling down in front of her.

"Just stop it!" she shouted, putting her left hand up to keep him away. "I just lost something that meant the world to me!"

"You didn't lose your life. What is your problem?" Ghost frowned.

"I lost my kiss," Angel whispered, curling up in a tight ball, her whole body shivering from the cold. "He stole it from me, and I can never get it back."

"You're bleeding badly," Ghost said, suddenly gentler, softer.

"Go ahead and drink it all up. I'm about as good as dead with you anyway," Angel cried, closing her eyes tightly as her lips began to turn blue from the cold.

"You're freezing," Ghost said, kneeling down behind her and pulled her close to him. He pulled her into his arms and wrapped his cloak around her, immediately warming her chilled body.

"Why are you here?" she whispered, tears coursing down her cheeks. "You're supposed to be in New York."

"I couldn't let you walk right into a trap without help. Val is my rival. I can't let him destroy you," Ghost said, taking her bloodstained hand in his and studying it carefully.

"You came all the way from New York to…to save me?" Angel asked, her clouded eyes gazing up at his hood.

"I did," he murmured and then pressed his mouth to the blood on her right hand.

"Just so you can destroy me later," she whispered, watching him suck the blood off her palm.

"You worry so much about the future. How's that going to help you?" he muttered, cleaning her hand with his mouth. "Just be quiet for a minute and breathe."

She closed her mouth and then let her eyes shut tiredly. She was so weary, she hardly cared that he was there. She lay back against his chest, his warmth radiating into her, and let out a long sigh as his mouth moved from her palm to each individual finger. He took his time, letting his lips move gently against her fingers as he drew the blood into his mouth. She tasted so good, and for some strange reason, Ghost was able to control himself. With any other woman, he would have been in an immense frenzy by now, like a shark, devouring her, but with Angel, somehow, things were different.

He let his lips linger on her fingers when the blood was gone, gently kissing her fair skin. He could smell the blood on her neck, still streaming, but knew better than to go there without permission.

"Ghost," Angel breathed slowly, cuddling up closer to him, completely exhausted. "Can you…would you stop the bleeding? You did it once before. Would you do it again?"

"You're asking me to put my face near your neck," Ghost said firmly, moving his mouth away from her hand.

"I am. You haven't killed me yet, and you've been drinking my blood. And even if you were to kill me now, I wouldn't care. I'm so tired, and so upset."

"It was only a kiss," Ghost muttered, moving his nose to her neck and taking in a deep breath of her blood. "That was all."

"That's simple for you to say. You've already gone and thrown away your all to who knows how many women. I have been saving that kiss for someone special," Angel said quietly.

"You know your problem?" he growled, her blood finally beginning to play with his senses. "You're too pure. You have no clue what it's like to be loved, to a frenzy, so passionately that you can't stop yourself from…"

"Killing people?" Angel finished, turning so she could look at his face.

His pupils were dilated and his irises dark, gazing steadfastly at her neck.

"Yes," he whispered, and something like regret flickered across his crimson orbs, visible beneath the hood. "You sure you want me to clean that for you?"

"I trust you. I don't know why, but I do," Angel nodded, and then tilted her head to the side, letting him get at her neck.

She gasped when his grabbed the side of her neck that wasn't bleeding and then flung his mouth at her cut.

He held her tightly, his one hand clinging to her hair viciously as his mouth moved against her blood, drinking her blood ferociously, his lips moving fiercely against her skin. She couldn't breathe as his heated breath rushed over her skin, coming from his nostrils as he moved his mouth deeply against her cut, his fangs constantly pressing against her neck, but never puncturing her. Her breathing became heavier as he became faster. She knew he was starting to lose control, due to the way his breathing was rushing over her and the way he was moving his hands to pull her closer. For some reason, she had difficulty convincing herself that she wanted him to stop.

The cut stopped bleeding and he pulled his mouth away from the scratch, letting his lips move against her throat and then trace a trail up to her ear.

"You are absolutely heavenly," he murmured against her ear, wrapping his arms around her body and pulling her tightly against him. "Just one touch from you would be enough to satisfy me for the rest of my life."

"One touch would bring about my death," she said, grabbing his hands and trying to pull them away from her, but she was too tired, and she collapsed while trying. "You can let go now."

"Why the hurry?" he smiled against her cheek, his teeth brushing against her skin.

"Because Forrest and Crystal are going to be worried to death about me when they find out I'm gone," she sighed, letting her eyes close.

"They've both been drugged. They won't be awake for quite some time yet," Ghost said, kissing her temple and then the corner of her lips. "Besides," he said, his warm breath blowing against her lips, "I know you have hundreds of questions that I might be able to answer."

"Fine," she yawned tiredly. "What are you? How did vampires come to exist? Can they really turn into bats or turn people into vampires? Why the fascination with blood? Am I really going to die because of my light? How do vampires die, and when they do, what happens to them? There are so…many questions," she mumbled tiredly.

"It is said that vampires are the fallen angels, the demons that plague the earth," Ghost answered. "But that isn't true. I was born of a man and a woman. Both were vampires."

"When were you born?"

"The early 1500s."

"I never would have thought that," Angel said groggily. "What happened to your parents?"

"They were both killed. My father by an adversary, and my mother just from being a weak woman. She was exceptionally weak for a vampire."

"And you were born a king?"

"I'm the direct descendant of the first vampire, one of the tribe of the Anakims," Jaden said. "Yes, I am a king amongst my own."

"And what about the bats?" Angel asked. "Can you turn into a bat?"

"No," he chuckled. "I can't turn into a bat, I can't fly, and I can't turn any one else into a vampire."

"Then how did those rumors come about and how…do you have children if you can't make anyone a vampire?"

"The bats came with Dracula. Bats always surrounded him, it seems, and we have fangs and some of the same habits that bats do. Flying I guess just came with the whole bat superstition. As for how we multiply…"

He sighed, his breath coming out as smoke.

"We have to have children by a vampire or by a human woman. All the female vampires are dead. There have been traitors, for thousands of years, in our midst, that wants only a select group of vampires to remain alive so they can have their own territory without rivals, one of whom you just met. They killed off the females. And while some of us may try to have children by humans, that always ends up disastrous," he shrugged. "The women are killed before anything serious can happen."

"How can you die?" Angel breathed, letting her head fall back against his chest.

"Only by the bite of another vampire…or by you."

"And what happens after that?"

"Our fate was decided long before I came into existence. We're evil creatures without a heart. We are doomed to eternal fire."

"I never thought about that," Angel said, suddenly looking up into his hood. "How awful!"

"I don't want your pity," he scowled as she moved her hand to one of his.

"And I don't want to destroy you," Angel said, closing her eyes as she squeezed his hand. "There's something about you that tells me you aren't fully evil. And I don't want to be a murderer. I have no clue how I'm supposed to kill you, and I never want to know."

"It has to do with your light," he said, running his fingers through her tousled hair. "Do me a favor," he said, moving his lips to her ear again and whispering, "Keep it safe."

She didn't seem to hear him, for she was fast asleep, curled up comfortably against him, his cloak and body keeping her warm and shielded from the snow.

"So precious," he whispered, running his icy fingertips against her cheek as she breathed against him. "So pure and innocent. If only you could avoid the danger that awaits you."

Angel woke up, how much later she didn't know, to find herself in her room at Vladimir's, tucked carefully under her blankets. She was so warm and comfortable, that she spent some time snuggling up in her pillows, breathing in long, deep breaths of satisfaction. She had slept so remarkably well. Perhaps it had all been a dream…

No, it hadn't been. The imagined pressure on Angel's lips reassured her of that. She had been forcefully kissed, she had been hurt, and she had been frightened out of her mind.

"Why did he do that?" she asked, tears welling in her eyes as her fingers brushed against her lips. "How could he have? And I'm still in his house!"

She gasped and swung off the bed, noticing that she was still dressed in her gown. Hurriedly, she ran to her wardrobe, pulled out a pair of jeans and a dark green shirt, and then changed clothes. She needed to get out of here. She was still in Val's house, and while he wasn't bothering her now, once he knew she was back in the building, he could possibly do worse than before. He had stolen a kiss, a kiss that was one of the most precious things in the world to Angel, but she refused to let him steal anything else.

Quickly, she grabbed all her clothes and threw them into her suitcase.

There was a knock on the door just as Angel was finishing closing her suitcase, and she walked to the door and spoke.

"Yes?"

"Angel, this is Forrest. We're getting out of here. Now."

"I'm all ready," Angel said, throwing the door open and then carrying her suitcase out of the room, much to Forrest's surprise.

"You…already knew?" Forrest asked worriedly, rushing down the hall with her towards the front doors.

"Check this out," she said, pulling her collar down low enough for him to see the scratch.

"Angel!" Crystal cried as Angel and Forrest rushed out the doors to the awaiting cab.

"I'm okay," Angel said. "Let's just get out of here."

She jumped into the car, and then driver immediately drove away from the estate.

Memories of the previous night rushed to Angel's mind like a torrent. She recalled how Val had snuck up behind her and touched her, and she puzzled over why she had waited for his hands to get to her neck before she attacked. Had he really entranced her, or was that just her way of getting him close enough to fight back? And when he kissed her… Oh, she remembered that perfectly! Fresh tears sprung to her eyes as she remembered his force, his cruelty, and his dominance.

But then Ghost had saved her. For some strange reason, he was keeping her alive. And then he had cleaned her wounds without killing her. His touch, that deep, yet soft touch, had been so wonderful. There had been something so special about it, so safe.

"Angel?" Crystal asked quietly, seeing a tear stream down Angel's cheek. "Are you okay?"

"I'll…I'll be fine," Angel whispered, resting her head against the window. "It was a rough night."

"Care to explain what happened?" Forrest asked.

"No. Not now. Maybe after we get home, but not now," Angel said, shaking her head.

Forrest did the nicest thing anyone could have ever done for Angel. As soon as the girl stepped into the John F. Kennedy Airport, a pair of muscular, powerful arms engulfed her, and she was pulled close against a solid, warm body.

"Oh Angel, you sweet, precious thing," Jaden whispered against her cheek as she threw her arms around him and held him close, letting the tears of fear, worry, and grief fall. "Forrest called me before you got here."

"I'm sorry!" she sobbed, making his shirt wet with his tears. "I didn't mean to come home and be like this!"
"It's okay," he said quietly, rubbing her back and then letting his fingers trace worriedly across her neck. He couldn't see her skin at all, but he felt the abrasion beneath his sensitive fingertips. He wanted desperately to know what had happened to her, but he knew now wasn't the time.

"There are more vampires in the city now," he spoke to Forrest as the man and Crystal passed him. "They've been watching me."

"They're after her," Forrest said, indicating Angel. "That's one of the reasons I called you to come here. She needs someone with her at all times. Someone at night and somewhere during the day. She was attacked in England. I know that only because someone left me a letter, written in scarlet, ordering me to take better care of her. She was with Ghost. I don't know what they did, but she was with him. And Vladimir is one of the vampires. This girl is about to go through serious torment, and she needs someone to protect her. I know you're blind, but you have a sixth sense of sorts, and you can hear and pick up on things better than any of us can. Would you be wiling to protect her? Crystal is needed at the office frequently, so she can't always with be with Angel."

"My poor Angel," Jaden said, pulling back slightly to look into her eyes. "You've been through so much. I'll protect you with my life, don't worry."

"There's no stopping them," she whispered, a lone tear streaming down her cheek.

He caught it with his fingertip and then brushed it away.

"Let's go get you some coffee. I don't intend to leave you alone at all during the day. Tomorrow night we have our first play. Do you think you'll be able to handle it?" Jaden asked, taking her arm and leading her out of the airport, her suitcase thrown over his shoulder.

"I think so," she nodded, wiping her tears away.
"You aren't wearing a heavy enough coat for the weather. Here," Jaden said, putting her suitcase down and pulling off his leather jacket. "It'll keep you warm."

"Jaden, you're the sweetest guy I have ever known," Angel said, pulling the jacket on.

"Mm… Forrest is the one that called me to come," Jaden smiled. "When we get to Starbucks, I want you to tell me everything that happened."

"Don't worry. I will," Angel nodded.

Night fell again, and Val stood outside of his immense home, gazing at his snow-covered property from his balcony.

That woman, the one with the light, had escaped him. Ghost had, once again, interfered with his plans, and he was furious. How dare the mutt ruin his advances! How dare he stop Val from taking his pleasure! That slimy, low-down, good-for-nothing bloodsucker!

Ah, but that moment of kissing her had been rather heavenly. If he had been given the chance, he would have gone farther, pushing her to wear down her defenses and enjoy some physical pleasure before he killed her. He could have even gotten her, with a bit of coaxing, to give her the necklace, showing how terribly weak that human girl was.

There was a sound from above Val's head, and he smiled smugly, leaning on the railing.

"Back so soon, Ghost? Did you enjoy your time with the girl?"

Ghost dropped down behind him, having leaped from the roof, and then he stood up tall and didn't say a word.

Val, still smirking, turned to face him, and he was caught off-guard when the man grabbed him hard by the throat and slammed him hard against the wall of the house, making Val's teeth click painfully together.

"You idiot! How dare you take from her what is rightfully mine!" Ghost screamed, pressing his hands hard against Val's shoulders.

"What? Her kiss?" Val laughed. "You poor moron. Since when did you think that belonged to you? She's been saving it for that blind boy. I've been watching her. I know a good deal about her. And since when are kisses and romance reserved amongst us? We romance before we kill. You aren't any exception to that."

"As the lord of the vampires, I am the one that shall be the woman's downfall, not you. Don't forget your place," Ghost hissed. "You thoroughly terrorized her. She's going to be even more adamant against us now."

"Hence the reason I myself, personally, am also going to New York," Val nodded. "Why don't you relax a little, Ghost, and leave the killing to someone more…professional?"

"You keep this one thing in mind," Ghost hissed, pressing his face closer to Val and pushing his hood back, so Val could see his glowing eyes. "Angel is mine. I will be the one to woo her, and I will be the one to destroy her. Have I made that perfectly clear?"

"You're weak, Ghost. She's making you as limp as a dead body," Val laughed. "I'll give you a little more time to work on her, Ghost, but I'm going to let my men toy with her a bit, to keep her spirits high for when you finally find her. Maybe, with a little bit of added pressure, she'll completely succumb to us, like you want her to. She just needs to be scared a bit more, that's all."

"You hurt her again, and I will kill you," Ghost said, pulling back.

"I'm horrified," Val grinned, watching Ghost disappear.