Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Angels and Demons ❯ Another Meeting ( Chapter 5 )

A/N: Here's the next chapter! Don't worry, I'll have the other one's updated soon, too! Review please!

 

************************************************************** That night the air was cool and breezy. Dante knew, had he been mortal, he might have shivered. He watched Dramuela as she searched for rats among the tombstones. She was far below him, and he looked down on her from his perch. He sat, surveying the cemetery, on one of the arms of an angel that guarded the cemetery gate. He found his shadow on the ground. It was that of a falcon. He ruffled his white feathers.

 

A strange chill shook him and he looked around. He felt a presence nearing. It seemed odd to him. He fluttered to the ground, changing back into his human form. The breeze whipped his cloak back fiercely, and he shook his silver hair from his face. He glanced at the full moon. It was near midnight.

 

A noise caught his ears and he looked toward the cemetery gate. He could see clearly, even without the light of the moon. He was not surprised when he saw a white horse step through the gates.

 

Sitting gracefully on its back was a girl. The breeze tossed her auburn hair, and she shivered against the cold. Even thought he was far away, Dante saw the silver tears rolling down her cheeks and smelled the salt in the air. He could not help be surprised.

 

He moved through the graveyard silently, watching her. He watched as she let her horse walk to her parents' graves. She stopped it before the stones, sliding from its back. Her feet were barely on the ground when she crumbled to her knees. Dante resisted the strange urge he felt to go pick her up. He noiselessly moved closer, his ears detecting the sound of her sobs.

 

His footsteps were silent and he moved so that he could peer over the top of the tombstone. He watched curiously as Amber sobbed into the grass. He heard the anguish in her voice as she spoke between sobs. He noticed her fist clenched in the dirt.

 

As Dante watched her, the smell of rain drifted to his nose on the chilly breeze. The sound of thunder echoed through the midnight air, and lightning lit up the sky. Amber apparently had no regard to her health as she shivered fiercely, and she made no move to escape the rain. She seemed lost in her pain, oblivious to the world around her. He decided to intervene, if not for her sake but for his conscience. He would feel terrible, or as close to it as possible, if she fell ill as a lack of his inaction. He stepped from behind the stone.

 

Amber looked up at him slowly, her eyes blank. “Dante,” she whispered. Tears continued to fall, staining her flushed cheeks.

 

He looked down at her, his eyes steady. “Get up,” he said quietly.

 

She moved slowly to her feet, her eyes never leaving his brilliant green depths. She felt as if her body was moving of its own accord, as her mind felt so numb and blank.

 

“Bring your horse and come,” he said, turning. The wind whipped his silver hair over his shoulder.

 

Amber slowly took Aato's reins and followed him silently. She wiped at her tears. Where is he taking me?

 

She watched as the wind died down and he brushed his hair over his shoulder. Had he known I was coming? It was almost as if he was waiting for me. She noticed him glance back at her.

 

“Why did you come here?” he asked suddenly.

 

She sniffled, looking away. She did not wish to speak, and she was silent as she mulled over possible answers.

 

Dante turned his eyes away at her silence. The wind suddenly picked up again, chilling Amber. Dante could hear her teeth chattering. After a moment, he began to feel pity for her. He stopped, unbuckling his cloak as he did so. He turned, pulling it from his shoulders. He didn't understand why this pitiful creature made him feel like he did, or why he felt sudden compassion for her.

 

“Here,” he said, draping it around her shoulders.

 

She pulled it closer, surprised at first. “Thank you,” she said softly.

 

He nodded, then led her to a small bunch of trees. Once there, he took her horse and tied it to one of the branches. Then he turned to her. He watched as she slumped to the ground near the base of the tree. He stood before her.

 

Amber looked up at him, her eyes taking him in fully for the first time. He was clad in black leather, and his arms were bare, save for the dragon tattoo that snaked down his left bicep. She could see the outline of his strong body against the full moon. He stood firmly against the cold wind, letting it blow his hair across his line of sight. She noticed that his green eyes glowed slightly in the pale light. She looked away, pulling the cloak tighter around her. She shivered at the sound of the rain that began to fall.

 

“You don't like the rain?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.

 

She shook her head, not meeting his gaze.

 

He watched her for a moment. “I am curious,” he said softly. “Why did you come here tonight?”

 

She looked up at him. “I needed to,” she said quietly. She looked at the rain. “I don't know if you can understand, but I needed to see them. I need to know that this is real. That this is not a dream I'll wake up from.” She looked back at him. “I'm really alone now.”

 

His face was stoic as he processed her words.

 

“Do you know what it's like to lose someone you love?” she asked, her eyes blank as she stared out across the cemetery.

 

He was silent. Then he turned his back to her. “Yes,” he said finally. “But not in the sense you mean.”

 

She stared at him, confused. “Someone you've loved has never died?” she asked.

 

He looked at her over his shoulder, crossing his arms. “No,” he said. “But the number of people that I have forgotten…” He sighed deeply.

 

Amber stared at him. “Is being a vampire lonely?” she asked, her voice a whisper.

 

His eyes were suddenly troubled. “I am more lonely now than you will ever be,” he said quietly. There was a slight hint of anguish in his voice.

 

Amber watched him as he watched the rain fall. She thought about what he said. She may feel alone, but she had people who still cared for her. Dante had no one, not even Dramuela. He was a doomed being, destined to walk the planet for all eternity. She felt pity for him. Even with all his power, he could never fit in anywhere.

 

He looked at her suddenly, making her wonder if he sensed her thoughts. “Tell me about yourself, Amber,” he said quietly.

 

She sighed. “Well,” she said, thinking, “I live alone with my servants. They take care of me, but I feel alone. I miss my father. He died just recently. That's why I come here. And today I found out that my servants think I should marry.” She wasn't sure why she felt so compelled to open up to him. “I think they wish for me to marry the Baron.”

 

Dante was turned to her now. “The man who came for you the other night?” he asked.

 

She nodded.

 

Dante's eyes held her. “You were afraid of him,” he said simply, his eyes confused.

 

“I'm not afraid,” she said half-heartedly. It was true. She wasn't. “I just don't like him.” She no longer seemed cold, and her mood seemed a bit lighter.

 

“He seems powerful for a man,” Dante observed.

 

“He is,” Amber said. She yawned suddenly.

 

“You shouldn't be out so late,” Dante said, watching her.

 

She laughed softly, hugging herself and looking at the rain again. “You sound just like them,” she said. “They think they can tell me what to do.” She looked at him. “But they can't.”

 

“They?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Everyone at home,” she said. “Even the Baron. He came to dine with me today. He told me that I should marry.” A little smile came to her face. “I laughed at him.” She shook her head. “They all act so concerned. I don't think they believe that I can handle Inverleigh by myself.”

 

Dante watched her, slightly surprised. “You should not scoff at him that way,” he said. She was complicated for a human girl. Her behavior suggested ignorance. But her words said otherwise.

 

Amber looked at him. “The Baron?” she said, with a disbelieving smile. “Why shouldn't I? I don't need him. I'll be fine on my own.” She hugged her knees to her chest. “I won't let any one closer than I need to.”

 

He gazed at her, understanding what she meant. Then he looked away, continuing his thoughts on the Baron. “He's powerful enough that he'll get what he wants,” he said.

 

“How do you know?” she asked.

 

“I can see it in his eyes,” Dante said, sitting next to her. “I can smell it.” He looked at her. “It's woven into his very being. He would be a dangerous man to cross.”

 

Amber shook her head. “You don't know anything about this,” she said sourly, even though in her mind she knew he was right.

 

His face grew stoic, not allowing her to see how much of a blow that was. “I was a man once,” he said coldly. His tone became low and insulting. “I think I know something about how the fragile human mind works.”

 

Amber looked at him, offended. “Fragile?” she asked. “Humans are fragile? You were one, too.”

 

He nodded, smiling grimly. His comment hit exactly where he had intended it to. “Humans are weak,” he said, his voice softening. “But some can handle adversity well.” His eyes shifted to meet hers briefly. “Like you. You feel terribly alone, yet you refuse help from others of your kind. That strength is admirable.”

 

Amber felt herself blush. She looked away as lightning split the sky. She didn't realize he could have that much respect for her, especially after insulting her the way he did. But she guessed she deserved it, after being so rude to him.

 

“So tell me about you,” she said. She looked at him, her heart pounding at her thoughts. “You remind me of some one I knew. Who were you as a human?”

 

He stared at the grass. For a moment he felt like being sphinx-like, and giving her a cryptic answer, but the feeling faded as he thought about what she was asking. “I'm not sure,” he said finally. “I don't really remember who I was. Some times I have memories that surface that are not mine, but I don't recall anything past when my Blood Mother, Morgra, brought me back from the dead.”

 

Amber gazed at him intently, fascinated. “How did you come into this existence?” she asked, suddenly curious.

 

He glanced at her, seeming surprised at first, but the look faded as he smiled. His fangs flashed as lightning lit the sky again. “Morgra bit me,” he said, growling her name. “I died, and then oddly, I woke again. At first, I knew not where I was, but then I saw her. Bitter anger burned in me toward her for some reason. It was as if the human side of me wished desperately for death. But she came to me, and told me to drink the bitter concoction she had made. I refused at first, but she forced me, saying she had chosen me for a reason and would not allow me to die. I was amazed at her strength as she forced me to drink.

 

“Once I had regained my strength, I began to notice the changes in my body. I was super-naturally strong, I could change my form, I could see in the dark. All my senses were heightened to that of a predator. I was swift and deadly, my fangs were sharp. But, as I looked into the mirror one day, my reflection was gone. It didn't matter what I looked into, I did not appear. My main thought was that if I could see my face, perhaps I could remember who I was.”

 

“Did you ask Morgra?” Amber asked, drawing him from his thoughts.

 

He nodded. “She said she did not know,” he said. “But I came to realize she was lying. It was too late, though, for she had already moved on. It was impossible for me to track her.”

 

“How did you know she was lying?” she asked.

 

“When a vampire bites some one,” he explained, “he can sense everything about that person. Even now, my conscience is touching yours. You can't feel it, and most humans can't, except for soothsayers and others of magic, but I can sense your thoughts.” He suddenly grinned, which he knew made Amber uncomfortable. He looked at her. “And if I were to bite you, your thoughts would become mine. And I would know you down to every last fiber of your being. There would not be a thought you could hide from me.”

 

Amber watched him warily, uncomfortable under his electric eyes. He looked away, for which she was silently grateful, fading into his thoughts again.

 

“Perhaps that's why Morgra chose me,” he said quietly. “She sensed a greatness in me that I wish I did not have.”

 

Amber saw sadness cross his eyes. She touched his arm, and she was shocked at how fast his eyes shifted to look at her. She was also surprised at how cool to the touch he was. But he did not shiver.

 

“How did you come to be here?” she asked.

 

“I was drawn here,” he said. “Soon after Morgra changed me, I had visions of this place. So I came here. I don't know what is here that I'm looking for yet. But something called me here.” His eyes gazed around the cemetery.

 

Amber stared at him. As he spoke, her thoughts had shifted to studying him. He resembled Gavin perfectly, and she began to wonder. Maybe he was…

 

“Gavin,” she whispered, unable to help it.

 

He looked at her. “What?” he asked. His eyes were wide and unreadable.

 

“Oh, sorry,” she said quietly. She felt embarrassed. “I was just thinking.”

 

“That's the second time you've said that name,” he said, becoming curious. “Who is this Gavin?”

 

Amber sighed deeply. She would have preferred not to talk about him, but since she opened her mouth, she saw no reason to avoid the topic. “He was my best friend,” she said. “And I loved him deeply. I still do. But he left to go with King Richard the Lionheart to take back Jerusalem. Somewhere along the way he vanished. No one really knows what happened to him.”

 

Dante watched her. He knew she was broken-hearted over him still. He didn't need to know her thoughts to understand that. It was in her eyes and her voice. This Gavin obviously meant a great deal to her. He opened his mouth to speak to her, but a sudden flash of memories stopped him. A shocked look crossed his face.

 

Amber saw it, even though it was brief. “What?”

 

He avoided her gaze, lost in thought. “Nothing,” he said quietly, becoming reserved.

 

The memory had been of her. She had been crying. She was sitting under a willow tree, next to a river, and whatever had been said to her had really hurt her.

 

He looked up, noticing that the wind had died and the rain was slowing. The night air was still frigid. He glanced at her.

 

“You should go soon,” he said emotionlessly. “While the rain has let up. I think there is to be more.”

 

A saddened expression came to her face. “Must I?” she asked.

 

He nodded, hiding a smile. “Yes,” he said quietly. “The Baron will be missing you.” He stood, then offered her his hand.

 

She took it, noticing the slight hint of edge to his voice when he said that. He helped her up, and she started to pull his cloak from around her shoulders.

 

He stopped her. “Keep it,” he said softly. “You need it more than I do.”

 

Amber pulled it closer. She met his gaze, her eyes questioning, but grateful. She walked to Aato.

 

“Let me help you,” Dante said. He easily lifted her off the ground and put her on Aato. “Now go home.” His voice was quiet and his face was unreadable.

 

Amber watched as he untied Aato and led him through the graveyard. They were to the gate, and Dante released Aato. Amber watched him turn.

 

“Wait!” she blurted suddenly.

 

He was about four steps away and he paused. He turned slightly.

 

Amber felt her heart nearly stop. He was beautiful against the moon as the clouds parted. The light set his silver hair aflame. Why does he torture my heart so? What is it about him that makes my heart stop? She stared at him until the darkness submersed him again.

 

“Yes?” he said at her silence, seeming unaware of her inability to speak.

 

“Where did you come from?” she asked quietly. Her voice shook as emotion swept her up. She knew his answer might change the way she thought about him.

 

He smiled. “The east,” he said. “Near the Arabian citadels.”

 

She stared at him. He sensed her riotous thoughts.

 

He laughed. He knew she was thinking about Gavin again. “Perhaps,” he said to her, seemingly reading her thoughts. “Perhaps.” Then he vanished into the dark.

 

Amber stared at him, shaken. Did he know she thought him to be Gavin? She turned Aato quickly, frightened. She spurred him into a gallop. The quicker pace caused the light rain to pelt her skin, but she didn't care. She felt the need to get away from him as quickly as possible.

 

By the time she reached Inverleigh, she was thoroughly soaked and chilled. She left Aato in the barn and stumbled to her bed, her mind chaotic. She couldn't understand why, but he drove her to insanity. She was certain that he acted purposely. She knew he was trying to test her. Trying to find her weaknesses.

 

She felt an irresistible pull to him, and she was certain he felt something, too. Something was trying to tell them something. It was trying to bring them together.

 

Amber threw her wet gown on the floor, pulling a dry blanket around her shoulders. She walked to her dresser and pulled on dry clothing. Then she picked up the wet stuff. She hung her gown up to dry, but paused at Dante's cloak. It was dry.

 

A chill shook her. She thought back to the way he'd laughed when she was leaving. It made her feel like some one had doused her in cold water, and she felt sick. With out realizing it, she pulled the cloak around her shoulders, then crawled into bed. She soon succumbed to a deep sleep.