~Julius's POV~

"Why aren't you drinking your coffee?" I ask him as I reach across the table to lift his chin, smiling to myself at the small amount of stubble forming. Being in the Magie has seemed to depress him.

Moon swats away my hand casually, leaning over the table until his forehead rests on the woven iron designs. "They gave us coffee in the Brothel so we could stay awake longer."

Damn it. "Umm...well...Moon..."

"It's alright, I just dislike coffee now."

He stands in the small blue cafe, walking over to empty the coffee and grinds into a nearby purple plant, it's pot having a sign stating to feed it all leftovers. Cautiously, I wrap my arm around his thinning waist and stare holes into the blue and white patterned tile.

"When can we get my school books?" He questions while hastily removing my arm from him. Why isn't he comfortable yet?! It's been forever since I got him! We pass the fountain and head down a cobblestone path until we reach a rather large store. The wooden door creaks as we enter, pulling at the vines that guard the knocker. Although the outside is ancient and worn down the inside has a squeaky clean finish.

"What can I help you with?" The man behind the desk pipes up, offering a wrinkled hand that clashed with his youthful facial features.

I plop into a vibrant red bean bag chair and return his smile though my eyes remain on Moon. "We are here for school books." I answer.

The small man claps his hands and pulls me back up. "That is my favorite subject! What grade will you be going in?"

"Well it's for my blood servant," I motion towards a hiding Moon. "I'm not sure what grade he will be in, I just know that it's highschool."

The man, Jerry, or so his name tag states, ushers us to follow him through a winding marble hallway, golden gateway after golden gateway separating the sections. Moon waits and stops at a name plate, staring into the purple polka-dotted hallway it leads to.

"No time to stop and smell the name plates!" Jerry yells in his usual manner.

Moon moves along sluggishly as though someone had stabbed him in the spine-repeatedly. He looks back, thinking that we aren't watching, takes a deep breath, and follows Jerry and me to the school section.

Life size pencils cross over our heads, row upon row of matte textbooks overlap eachother until they meet a royal blue sofa in the center. I pat the empty blue cushion beside me and smile warmly at Moon. He only folds his arms and turns his back to me.

"So," Jerry begins. "all high schoolers basically have the same criteria for the most part. You will need the beginner's magic text book..." Jerry reaches over my lap to pluck a corn-on-the-cob-yellow textbook. "Math, English, social studies, science, and both histories are included." Flying into my lap are the red, green, blue, orange, black, and gray textbooks. I hastily fix my hair in the golden reflection of the book titles before giving my full attention to Jerry again.

"Do you plan on taking any foreign language classes? French? Dutch? Norwegian Troll?"

"No." What the hell is wrong with him? Why is his voice so damn...hollow? "Julius is this all? Can I leave now?"

Raising an eyebrow at Jerry, he gives me a crooked smile and a thumbs up. I carry the textbooks with me to the next aisle filled with novelty glittered hearts and arrows. Two fangs create an archway into the restricted eighteen and overs section.

My heart skips a beat as I run my fingertips over the raised golden letters of the book. It's paper fresh and it's scent new. Carefully sliding the book from it's spot I breathe in the scent of 'Mating for Men' and scan the pages. My thumb blocks the pages from fanning any further and I drop to the ground faster than a hot potato- I'm way too eager to read this.

After scanning over caution after caution I leave the restricted section of Mating and search for Moon in the labyrinth of bookshelves. A sprinting tar colored head of hair catches my attention, throwing me off guard as it zips into a further down aisle. Back against the wall I peer into each upcoming category until I reach a rather odd one. Oversized bottles stand guard in the front while a teddy points towards the puzzle piece carpet. A few train toys are strewn about as well as dolls and building blocks and dead in the middle of it all is Moon, surrounded by an eerie circle of books.

I have never seen him so...giddy. His smile reaches his worn down eyes, crinkling at the corners like an elderly man. An almost inaudible twinkling laugh escapes him, his shoulders slumping and rising as he slouches into a bright beanbag chair behind him.

"Moon?" I whisper.

He's a deer caught in a headlight, eyes widening and on alert. The fear in his eyes is unbearable, the minute I turn away he is off, running out the doors and into the streets of the Magie.

"Moon!" I scream repetitively, the sun already setting behind me as I run brick street after brick street. A few men stare at me, the madman of the day, and continue with their evening stroll. As daylight fades to darkness panic sets in and all calm thoughts are pushed aside.

What if he gets hurt?

Is he scared?

What was he reading?

What if someone startles him?

What if...

"Julius?" A shrill voice pipes up. Twirling on my heel expecting to see Lucy I jump at the tired face of Moon, completely altered from what I had seen at the bookstore. "Julius, I just want t-to go home." The moonlight reflects off a rolling tear, cascading on his collarbone before vanishing under his shirt.

Taking a deep breath I reply fiercely, "No. What has gotten into you today?! You aren't yourself and-" I pinch the bridge of my nose with my fingertips in a cliche manner. "Is everything okay? Did something happen you aren't telling me about?"

"No..." He whines.

"Then what, Moon? We've only been to the book store! We still need to go to the mall and the grocery store and I-"

"I'm sorry, Julius."

"Then look me in the eye when you say it." I growl, pulling his face towards me with my index finger. A flash of fear crosses his features, eyes widening at my sudden tone but I don't let go.

"Julius..."

•••

"Moon that looks really good, cheer up a bit eh?"

He wraps the yellow shirt around his fingers slowly and disappears into the dressing room. Maybe we should've just gone home. I sink deeper into the teal bench, the stress of Moon's sadness finally effecting me.

As Moon exits the dressing room I enter with the twelve shirts I had picked out earlier. These mirrors don't do anyone justice. I wiggle into a pair of khaki pants, opening the door to find Moon snuggling with a child.

"Isn't she cute?" He giggles as the baby squirms into a more comfortable position.

"Moon, where the hell-"

The door beside me creaks opens to reveal a young woman with blackened circles around her eyes and a weary half-smile. "Thank you for holding Cynthia for me, she really seems to like you."

Moon simply grins as he hands the baby back to her, the sadness returning to his eyes. "No problem." He whispers to himself, folding his hands in his lap.

As the woman walks off I grip Moon's hand in my own. "I'll go to the store another day." A thin smile runs across his lips but vanishes as soon as it appeared. We stroll through the nighttime Magie until we reach the fountain showered in dimly glowering lights. With our hands intertwined we walk past and into the 'mortal' world. Moon keeps his head down as we walk, his other hand shoved deep inside his pocket. "Moon?" I whisper into the night as I unlock the door and release Moon's hand. "I'm going to bed, come up when you're ready."

He simply nods and walks off into the other room. I take the steps two at a time, falling onto my mattress with my shoes still on. Too lazy to kick them off I fold the blankets over myself and stare at the ceiling. How long has that piece of tape been up there? Wasn't I supposed to clean that dead fly up over a month ago? Should I repaint the ceiling?

Too awake to sleep I head back down the steps, the eerie red glow of the clock telling me that it is way past my usual one-in-the-morning bed time. Shit, it's almost three and the lights are still on. As I round the corner I quiet my steps and peek into the next room.

Moon sits in front of the mahogany coffee table, a worn book laid in front of him. The only light comes from a few candles sporadically placed around the room, engulfing it in an odd light. He unfolds his legs and rearranges them into a triangular shape, placing the object in the empty space. His face cracks into a smile as a rosy hand rises and grips the empty air around it. The shape lets out an infantile cry until Moon gingerly picks it back up and cradles it in his arms.

My foot slides against the linoleum releasing a harsh squeak. Shit. Moon turns to face where I stood seconds before, the baby in his arms opening it's lids to reveal a demonic reddish-black iris.

"No..no..no...please." Moon sobs as the foot of the child begins to blacken and wither like a burning flower. The plague reaches it's stomach, neck, hair, until the child turns to ash in his hands. "No!" He screams, breaking the table with his fist, the room trembling as he throws the ashes into the fire. As he picks up a candle, ready to throw it's flame at the curtains I dash behind him and cross his arms, pulling them to his shoulders and holding him in a hug. It's the closest thing to a restraining jacket as I can get.

"No!" He fights, pulling against my embrace towards the book.

"Moon, what's going on? Calm down, please!" I beg, dropping to the floor behind him.

"Please." His body shakes with every plead and cry, his tears pouring down his face and on to my arms. I knock the book away from the table debris and towards me, reading it's contents over Moon's slouched and shuddering shoulders.

There are notes scribbled onto the side margins, sticky notes and pictures on every page as well as two or three highlighted words. Every picture's of a child, every note about how it didn't work. I examine the page closely and find that every page is handwritten by him. Every spell except one.

"Moon these spells are dark, you are hurting yourself."

"I don't care." He spits back, head lolling to the side.

"Were you trying to enchant a log into a child?" I ask, still scanning the notes in fascination.

"Maybe."

I pull him up with me, dragging him up the steps and inside my bedroom. He collapses onto the bed, scurrying under the blankets and into my bare chest.

I wrap my arms around him, pulling him closer. "What's going on?"

"I want a child." He sobs in my chest. "I can't have one though, because of my papers."

"I'm sorry that I can't give you one, Moon. You know I would if I could."

"I know....I'm over four hundred years old, Julius, I've wanted a child for this long and-"

I interrupt him. "Black magic isn't the answer."

"I can't do it any other way!" He screams, hitting his fist against the pillow.

I wipe away a new tear with my thumb, pressing him even harder against me. "Don't cry, it causes nightmares. I don't want you spooked the day before school."

He lays his lips across mine "Goodnight." He whispers against them, wetting my own cheeks with his tears.

"Goodnight."