Jaron stood in the middle of the room and looked longingly to the window. But it was too late, the sun had already risen and only the heavy curtains protected him from it`s deathly blaze.

Serena watched him from the door, she remembered how she first met him on the lonely street, immediately being spellbound by the darkhaired stranger whose inscrutable eyes and velvet voice seemed to weave a net of enticing darkness around her. She remembered how he had found her in Mira`s house, how she had got lost in his cheeky smile, could feel the dragging pain again, when he had started to suck her blood, leaving her in a state of confusion, arousing something inside her she didn`t even know she had. It was wrong, so wrong. But it wasn`t her fault; after all he forced her, she didn`t enjoy it, it was just because she was in his hands, but she fought him, she resisted him, she waited patiently for the moment she would escape, cause that was all she wanted to do, break free, escape. And now she could, she could go, she was free, he would let her go. She leant her head against the doorframe and remembered how she had awaken the night before; how he had leant over her, in his eyes a burning gleam she`d never seen before. She closed her eyes and could feel again how tenderly he ran his fingers through her hair, how warm and soft and right his lips felt on her skin. For a moment she had gone weak, for a moment she hadn`t resisted and then he had repulsed her.

„I hope you`re satisfied.“ She said a bitter tone in her voice.

Jaron turned round. „Serena, I thought you had gone.“

Serena entered the room, but stopped after a few steps. „Why didn`t you finish what you started?“

He stared at her, an expression of burning hunger flickered in his eyes, and was gone as soon as it had appeared. „You should better go.“ He sighed.

„It was your chance. You could have taken my blood, and I would not have been able to...“ her voice died.

His dark eyes penetrated her green, seemed to look down to the bottom of her soul, and for a moment she thought she had seen some warm gleam in them, some sign of affection, but she knew it was impossible. She broke the mute exchange and looked away from him feeling tears burn behind her eyes. „But that wasn`t about the prophecy, was it?“ she asked. „It was all about power.“

Jaron looked surprised. „What do you mean?“

Serena dodged his look. „You said I would crawl to you and beg to be killed.“ She abruptly turned her head and stared at him, a fiery glance in her eyes. „I`m here. You won.“ She said with flat voice. And screamed: „I hope you enjoy your victory.“

Jaron`s eyes got wide. „This is nunsense.“

Serena stepped towards him, till their bodys almost touched and leant her head back, proposing her throat to him. „If this is what you want from me, take it.“

Jaron stared at her pulsing carotid, he raised a hand and drew an invisible line down her throat. He could feel her shiver under his soft touch and the overwhelming hunger almost broke his brain, but then he shove her vehemently away. „Go! Get out of here!“ he thundered.

Serena looked up to him, tears filling her eyes, and shook her head wildly. „I can`t! I cannot go. I can`t get away from you; you`re everywhere, your face is haunting me, your voice is filling my ears, your touch is burning my skin. I cannot get away from you, you are inside of me, you`re in my mind, you`re under my skin, you`re in my blood.“ She started sobbing helplessly and Jaron pulled her into his arms. He stroke her hair and when she calmed down, he lifted her chin sinking his eyes deeply into hers. „I don`t want to hurt you, Serena.“ He said softly.

„Jaron,“ she whispered. „You don`t know what you do to me.“

He took her head in both hands, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. „I can imagine.“ He said hoarsely.

„But it`s wrong.“ Serena tried to detach and get back to her senses, but he shook his head, a little smile playing in the corner of his mouth. „Not this time, cherie.“ His hands slid into her hair, fondling her neck, his breath brushed her face lightly, and suddenly all thoughts stopped. Maybe it was wrong. Maybe it was dangerous. But who could ever care, looking into his eyes, being held by his arms, feeling his body so close? With a sigh she closed her eyes and felt his lips brushing her mouth, lightly like a feather, sensitizing ever fibre of her body, stirring up an almost painful yearning inside her. She wrapped her arms around his neck trying to press against him even closer. Their kiss deepened, got bold and passionate, and ended abruptly.

„What?“ she opened up her eyes and tried to get back to reality. Jaron leant against the wall, his head turned away from her, breathing heavily. Serena stepped towards him, a concerned look in her eyes. „What`s wrong, Jaron?“

He didn`t answer.

„Please look at me and tell me what`s wrong with you.“ She said touching his chin softly. He turned around and she almost jerked. He looked like she had never seen him before. His skin was grey and brittle, his eyes were sank in, glimmered inside their sockets with demonic blaze.

„O my God!“ she exclaimed. Jaron tried to smirk, but it turned out to be rather a grimace. „I think now it`s me who`s afraid to die.“ His mouth formed the words with difficulties, and his melodious warm voice wasn`t more than a hoarse croak.

Serena was shocked. „What can I do?“ she whispered.

He shook his head. „Nothing, it`s just, just...“ he looked down to the floor, avoiding her glance and continued under his breath. „I need to drink.“

Serena lifted his chin, sinking her eyes deeply in his. Then she bent her head. „Drink“.

Jaron looked at her, licking his lips longingly, trying to resist, but the hunger was too strong, too overwhelming. It flooded over him like a wave, drowning his human side far beneath the surface and the demon inside him howled triumphantly. He dragged the girl roughly in his arms and sank his razor sharp canine teeth into her skin, beginning to drain her blood greedily.

Serena moaned, feeling dizzy and weak. The dragging pain was almost more than she could bear, and suddenly she felt herself gliding towards blackness. Darkness surrounded her, circled her, touched her with velvet fingers, pierced through her skin, penetrated her, filled her completely and made the world fade away. She didn`t notice how they sank onto the bed, lost in the tightest embrace, she didn`t hear Jaron`s scream, didn`t saw the cross on the bed glowing green, hissing and crackling, when it touched his back.

Slowly the pleasant haze dissolved and left him in agonizing pain. Jaron opened up his eyes, unable to remember when he last felt that limp.

„Oh my God!“ a familiar voice screamed, obviously trying to cut through his eardrum. „What have you done?“

He turned his swimming head into the direction the voice came from and saw Mira and Orysa standing in the doorframe, staring at him in shock; no not at him, he corrected himself, they stared at the girl that laid motionlessly beside him on the bed. Like lightning the rest of merciful oblivion vanished. He didn`t notice the girls anymore, didn`t saw Orysa raising a wooden stake, her eyes glittering like saphirs, dark and hard, didn`t saw Mira grabbing her wrist, an expression of wild determination in her pale face, didn`t saw the bitter struggle they were fighting without words. It all faded away, didn`t mean anything to him, nothing mattered but what he had done, what he had done to the girl that had trusted him, that had given herself up to him. He leant over Serena, layed his cheek against her cool face, pulled her into his arms and cradled her softly. Then he layed the limp body carefully on the bed, got up and walked slowly towards Orysa, who still directed the cross at him. Both girls interrupted her silent quarrel and stared at him. He stopped a few steps before them and his eyes locked with Orysa`s.

„Do what you came for.“ He said.

Orysa nodded silently, tensed her muscles, ready to jump, when Mira suddenly knocked the stake out of Orysa`s hand. „NO!“ she said fiercely, kicking the stake that it slipped across the floor and landed under the bed. A strained silence grew between them.

„Jaron?“ a voice whispered weakly.

Jaron swirled and literally flew over to the bed, where Serena opened up her eyes and pulled herself into a sitting position. Mira and Orysa exchanged a confused and worried glance and Orysa slowly started walking towards the window.

Jaron embraced Serena carefully. „I thought you were...“ he didn`t finish the sentence.

„Dead?“ she managed to smile. „I just feel a bit weak as if I lost a bit more blood than during my normal donation of blood.“ Her eyes locked with his, and a cheeky grin grew on his face. „You shouldn`t offer your blood so lightheartedly. Some people could take advantage of it.“ He turned serious. „Serena, I, I mean you know, I....“

She layed a finger on his lips like he had done the night before. „Sht.“ She pulled him into a long, deep kiss.

Suddenly the curtain were ripped into and a blazing beam of sunlight hit them. Orysa and Mira stared at the embracing couple, who had got lost in their kiss, while the sunlight was caressing their silhouettes. Orysa gasped, her eyes wandered incredulously to Mira, who started whispering: „The glowing cross will burn the demon, but the blood of the girl will make the man wandering unharmed in bright sunshine.“

And the cross layed forgotten on the pillow, the eery green light fading away.