(Four years later)

What was it like for him, knowing he was living a lie? What was it like for him, feeling his kind of Hell? There was no way of undoing what was done to him; he was cursed, made a vampire forever, made to stay a vampire forever. Not even the purest of bloods could save him; he would be cursed for all eternity. His soul was damned, nothing he could do could undo that, undo all the black and cold there. He was damned forever, forced to be a vampire for all eternity. The passion he once had, the respect for his job and for his king was long gone, dead along with the king himself. If Valenus did not like his sanity, Merlin would have joined him in death, in certain death.

A woman slowly sat up, Valenus just stayed laid down, watching her closely. Her dark hair, black in the dim light was like a waterfall of curls, her skin was a slightly tanned, beautiful colour and her eyes were so sweet, brown, almost like tree bark.

"What are you staring at?" she asked as she put her dress on.

"Perfection" he replied smoothly.

"You are sweet, very sweet considering" she joked around.

"Considering what?" he asked as he got up and embraced her, moving faster than light. "Is it the fangs, is that it?" he joked, whispering it in her ear.

She turned around, kissing him softly as she asked "do you want a drink?"

"Are you supposed to ask a hungry vampire such a thing? Will it not turn you into one?"

"The bite will, yes, if I survive it but it seems just the act of drinking it is safe besides, being a witch, I am immune" she whispered gently as he kissed her neck. She arched it ever so slightly as he kissed it until finally; finally she felt the cold, quick sting, quick and clean. She bit her lip as he drank her blood quickly.

"Did I take too much?" he asked like a gentleman as he cleaned his mouth. She put her hand on his shirtless chest and shook her head. "I... I never want to do that to you"

"You are fun, even when your fangs are digging into my neck" she joked playfully.

"Nith, please, you do not understand what you are... doing"

"A vampire, an immortal being who cursed himself with a cursed cup he no longer has in his possession? Does that just about cover it?" she replied before kissing him. He held her in his arms as she ran her fingers through his hair.

He held her hands as he whispered "with you, I do not feel like a vampire"

She smiled softly before looking outside. "Daylight soon, I need to work and you need to sleep"

He lay down and rested, dreaming about her, only her until a familiar face popped up into his dreams.

He watched the snow cover the ground, Avana's red hair touch the snow, the colour of blood as she lay on the ground.

'Have you forgotten me already?" she joked as she looked up at him.

'How have you done this? What have you done?'

'You joined us together when you made me, why is it so awful if I visit you sometime? I still love you, miss you. Even though at the same time... I hate you'

'Grow up, Avana, you are better than this!' Valenus snapped at her as she just lay there.

'But I have, I found a new family... my uncles. That is right, I found them and they... they want your head for killing my other uncle. I came, merely as a warning. You can track me and I? I can do the same to you... I can find you and soon, I will end you, I will watch them kill you'

'A spoilt little girl with venomous fangs, oh how you sound like my brothers. What happened to your actual family?'

'I killed... no, I butchered them all, drained every drop of human blood from their veins before I left. My mother was so... happy, she thanked the gods for my return, it was quite... funny, actually, ironic. My father tried to fight me but what is an old man against a vampire? Nothing but I let them play chase for a little while before... boredom took its toll and I... finished them off, snapped their necks for good measure'

'You sided with my brothers and to me that just shows me how disgusting you are. Your blood that night, the reason I did not finish you off was because it tasted disgusting. I should have eaten your mother or your father; they would have tasted better and would have made better company!'

'Better than the poor witch you climbed into bed with? Did she know what you were when you seduced her or is that part of the romance? You used to be so cute, now, you disgust me'

'You disgust me. You think you can use me as a toy? If you wanted me dead, you would not be warning me. Now get lost, before I kill you'

'I think I will kill you, I will take your head and offer it to my new father. At least he brings the people to me, the children... they are the best; their screams are music to my ears. Try it sometime, if you are not too bored'

'I still have my humanity. One day, you will wake up from your little dream world and you know what? You will know and remember what you have done and it will sicken, frighten and disgust you. When that happens, you will be able to search for and find peace or search for it and find nothing but your filthy darkness'

'YOU BELONG THERE TOO!' she yelled as he broke the connection.

He woke up in a cold sweat, chills running down his spine. He sat up quickly, throwing off the large knitted blanket. He could not help it; he had never felt so dead and yet with blood inside him, so alive. His own brothers were after him, nowhere near him so he guessed. Avana was toying with him, she was the cat and he her mouse but the mouse was growing tired of such games. If Avana wanted to play, she would have to play his game, not her own. He made her a vampire and he could easily ask Nith to break their connection, if he had to.

If that failed, he could kill her, kill Avana. He was no stranger to death; he greeted it like an old friend, one that would have to wait for a little while before visiting Alector, before taking him to Hell.

If his brothers were after his head, they would have to try harder. He killed his brother out of love, respect and not some horrible hatred for him. He loved his brother like a brother; he did not want to watch him go insane, become a monster or a mass murderer but it seemed his brothers were already heading down that path. Still he felt it; an uneasy chill in the air, an unmentionable chill as if something awful was going to come to pass.

Nith came to meet him as soon as nightfall struck; he kissed her softly, her lips locking with his until she pulled him away.

"What is it? Has someone hurt you?" he asked in a hurry.

"No but I... I think you must... I think you best... go back" she whispered.

"Go back to where? You are not making sense" he replied with confusion stamped on his pale face.

"To Isolla... I fear for her" she replied gently, handing him a small dragon pendant.

"If she lives, she would be an old woman, they will come for her but you... they may come for" he warned, holding her hands.

"I know... I will take that risk... I know a way... to stop them, all of them" she replied hesitantly, her eyes filled with tears.

"If I can stop my brothers, I will" he promised.

"I know you will" she whispered very softly.

He vanished as she threw him through some kind of portal. He could barely stand at the end but there she was, older and wrinkled, grey skin and pale eyes. Her blonde hair was now as white as snow, her skin wrinkled. She was just laid there, still beautiful. If he had a heart, it would be beating rapidly, synchronising to her heartbeat. If he could take all the years away, he would.

She coughed softly; in a raspy voice she asked "who is it? Who is there?"

"My name is unknown to you but I am here... here to collect you" he replied as he walked like a man, towards her, holding her hand.

"I know you... your face... I remember it" she whispered. She stretched her hand, touching his face, stroking it softly. "So cold and yet so warming. I know it... from somewhere"

"I am sorry this happened to you" he whispered, holding her hand as he stroked his cheek.

"Age happens to us all; I have lived... a good life. Have you come to take me?"

"You will go soon enough, I promise" he replied softly as she coughed a little. Looking into his eyes, she smiled a little. "I do know you, I know you... you... you saved me"

"My lady, what do you mean?"

"How many times have I asked you not to call me that, my name is Isolla... please use it" she replied sternly. She looked wide-eyed and afraid, her eyes filled with confusion. "I know that... I have said that... to you... I have said it to you before"

"Yes" he admitted.

She smiled, sitting up slowly as she whispered "we were so young back then... you... you are still young. Did the gods take you? Is that why you are of this age?"

"No... not the gods, I wish they had. You must not dwell on that, Isolla, it will not help you"

"Oh Valenus, stop fussing, please!" she begged before gasping. "I know you... I remember you... you... saved me... I remember. Where did you go? Why did you leave?"

"To protect you, keep you safe, Isolla" he whispered.

"Take me... in your arms, Valenus, take me" she begged as she wrapped his arm around her.

"Where to?" he asked as he watched her carefully.

"I want to be outside, the moonlight... I want to feel the moon shine on my skin... not these four walls" she replied as he lifted her up, carrying her outside. He could feel her weight, so light, like lifting a feather. He carried her softly to the lake just outside, a small lake with the moon's reflection sat within it. "I can feel it... all that hope, all that love... I can take it with me... to where I shall go"

"Stay with me, I can help you... I can take care of you" he whispered.

"No... I am not meant to stay" she replied weakly.

"Then let me go with you, help me reach the place you are destined to go" he ordered.

"Valenus, you have work to do here, you have to... fulfil your... purpose. Please do not give in, not to the dark, I can sense within you"

He cuddled her, holding her as he cried, she wiped his tears away as he whispered "all I did, it was all for you"

"I love you, Valenus" she whispered before she took her last breath.

He lay her down on a bed of straw, flowers and petals, sending her down the river where she could be free. Freedom was her power, it was what she wanted, what she needed. She was gone, her pain and suffering was too. She remembered who he was before her sweet death, in a place she wanted to go in... in the moonlight.

"Valenus, we meet again" a familiar voice whispered in the air.

"Dinabron, are you doing Clant's dirty work for him? Somethings never change" Valenus snapped angrily.

"We have your witch, do not worry she has not been harmed but... she will be. Where is the cup?"

"Check Clant's backside" Valenus snapped out of fury.

"You think you are funny? How about we drain the little witch dry? Will you still find it funny?" Dinabron asked aggressively.

"You do have her" Valenus snapped, calling their bluff.

"Valenus... forgive me" Nith begged as Clant held her, tilting her neck as he emerged from the shadows.

"Oh look Dinabron, you can now check his backside or shall we have Avana check for you?"

"Shut it, Valenus. The cup for the woman" Clant ordered.

"I do not have it, I lost it" he lied as he looked into Nith's eyes.

"He... he is telling the truth" Nith promised.

"Then he is of no use to me" Dinabron replied coldly, holding a stake up.

Valenus did his best to deflect the blows but the pain, the burning pain as the stake touched his skin, a stake dipped in silver. He screamed, burning slowly before eventually being defeated. Forced onto his knees, he looked up at the moon, accepting his fate.

"Valenus forgive me... what I will do... it will affect all of you, not just those" Nith whispered apologetically, her eyes filled with tears.

"Do it, I forgive you... my death... it was meant to be" he whispered.

"What will happen... it will not be death" she whispered as she closed her eyes, her eyes turned ember, bright almost yellow as she opened them. She threw back the vampires, encasing them all, even Valenus.

"For many years, my spell will last" she whispered as she pulled the stake off him as he turned into rock, solid rock.

"I... understand and I... forgive you" he promised as he was engulfed by rock, solid rock covering him, sealing him inside.

"Rest in peace, my love" she whispered as she kissed his rocky tomb before throwing it into the water, separating them. Valenus's was buried in the lake by the woman he once adored, a final act of love and compassion from a kind woman.