Lakena en Kragin-Night: the long-lost twin sister of Darius en Kragin, King of the Dragons and Guardian of the Atlantean Mists. Kena makes a deal with Vampire King, Layel and so seals here brutal fate: The Dragon Queen for the coveted Dragon's Archangel.

~Bargain~

"Please, Layel," Kena groaned, pushing herself to herself up and straining to keep on her feet.

"Let the Dragon Queen go." she whispered pleadingly, her golden eyes losing their light.

Grace grunted, yanking at her chains. "Stop! Please, stop hurting her!" the lovely redhead cried out.

"Hush, Grace. All will be well soon." Kena swayed dangerously, and the vampires hissed as the cuts on her body- especially her neck -bled slowly.

Jason abruptly shoved Kena to the floor and she landed with a hard thud! before he chambered a round and, clicking the safety off, aimed it at her head.

The vampires hissed and bared their fangs, closing in on human and archangel.

"No! No; please, please don't! Don't kill her!" Grace screamed, tears budding in her eyes.

Layel rolled his eyes and jerked the human away and knelt down at Kena's side, leaning in close to her face. Kena groaned again and struggled to a sitting position.

"Peace, woman." Layel layed a restraining hand on her shoulder. "I will not bite you." Yet. Layel smiled coolly at her, showing his fangs. She shivered and, ignoring his words, stood up gradually.

Grace cried out again as Kena moaned and fell into Layel's black-clad arms.

"Kena…" Grace whispered, and Jason put the barrel of the gun to her temple.

"Not a damn word, traitor." He growled, pressing the barrel harder.

"N-no…" Kena moaned against Layel's chest. "Please Layel; don't hurt her. Please, don't."

She looked to Grace, who shook her head, lip trembling.

"Don't hurt my sister…"

Layel gasped, so surprised that he dropped the woman he held.

Grace frowned, confused.

"Sister? You all look nothing alike." Jason stated like a half-wit.

"Not by Carlyle blood," Kena said fiercely.

"By the Gods!" Layel gasped, staring at her open-mouthed.

"I am sired by the en Kragin! I share the blood of my sisters and twin brother, Darius!"

The weakness, gone for the past moment, decided to come back with a vengeance.

Kena stumbled back then and feel to her knees. The Atlantean Vampires hissed, closing in on her.

"The Dragon's Angel! It was you all along?" Jason said breathlessly.

"It was you! It was you who Darius was talking about: the baby girl from his story!" Grace sobbed, tears streaming down her face.

"Oh, my god!" Jason ran a hand through shaggy hair.

"Layel. I beg you; Do what you will with me, but please- please -let Grace go! She is my brother's salvation!" Kena pleaded.

"N-no…" Grace groaned, sobbing. "Kena, please! Don't let him-"

"Grace, shut up!" Kena suddenly roared, leaping up from the floor in one fluid motion.

"Not one more word until you are safe in Darius' arms! If the Queen of the Dragons is not delivered to her people well and in full health, I will give you nothing, Vampire King!" Kena hissed at Layel, dragon-sized black-feathered wings unfurling beautiful at her back, baring her won fangs.

Layel and the other vampires hissed in anger and frustration.

"Let her go!' Layel barked at Jason, who unchained Grace.

She made a bee-line for Kena, and they both sank to the floor as they held each other tightly.

"Kena, you cannot do this! I can't let you! Please; you are killing Darius and the rest of the Dragons by staying; just come with me!"

"I cannot, Gracie. An Archangel's prayer and a Dragon's word are codes of honor. Unfortunately for me, I am both and so am bound doubly tight." Kena laughed bitterly, a few tears escaping her eyes as she kissed the woman's cheeks softly.

"No! Please!" Grace was wrenched away from the queen was wrenched away from the archangel and fought the vampires' firm grasps on her.

"Just go, sweet Grace." Kena smiled softly, more tears falling down her cheeks.

"Tell my brother I love them. And tell Renard…. Tell him that I am so sorry…" she choked on the last words and shook her head as Layel pulled her to her feet and towards the soon-to-be-occupied chains.

"Precaution?" she asked him, ignoring Grace's distant screams for her as she was led through the castle.

"Of course. Your wings will be stripped of their feathers and torn form your back."

Layel and Jason chained Kena, who could not help but let out a whimper.

"I wish were the most vile, disgusting, hideous woman in all of Atlantis: then I would not feel this way of what is to come." Layel suddenly confided, caressing a tear-stained cheek.

"That is a terrible thing to say, Layel." Kena shook her head and gave him a wry smirk.

"I hate that about you. Even as a Dragon, you are too beautiful to be destroyed, Lakena en Kragin. I wish it were any other here before me but you." Layel said sincerely and touched his forehead with hers, eyes downcast in apology.

"I will do my work as quickly as possible. I truly do wish it did not have to be you, my good friend." The Vampire King of Atlantis, ice-blue eyes soft as the sky and swelling with sorrow, kissed Kena's cheeks and forehead then stepped away.

Jason gagged her and gave her a cruel sneer. "Too bad, those pretty cries of yours have got to be muffled."

"Hmm. Can we not play with her first, Mast- " The vampire's throat was slit within seconds and he fell, gurgling, to his knees.

"No one touches my angel!" Layel shouted, and sent the dead vampire flying into the wall with a kick to his chest.

Lakena flinched as Layel turned his intense gaze on her. She shuddered, looking away.

The vampires muttered among themselves, looking from feared Vampire King to legendary Dragon-Angel.

"I will do what you would have me do, Layel of the Atlantean Vampires." Her tortured whisper was met with silence.

"I can't wait to hear you scream!" Jason whispered in her ear, making her whimper and Layel release another hiss from his throat.

Lakena en Kragin closed her eyes as Layel stepped up to her once more. She felt his cool hands cup her cheeks and pull her towards him.

"Please; Try to block out the pain, for I do not think I could bear your screams for very long, if at all. Think of something- someone good. I pray this will be brief..."

She let more tears free and she stood up straight and gripped the chains tightly.

Layel's eye shone with pain and pride at once as he moved to stand behind at her back.

She let out another whimper and began to tremble, laying in wait.

"Peace." Layel whispered, a tear escaping his own eye before bracing a hand on her back and clenched a fistful of feathers in the other.

"Gods save me…" Layel heard Lakena whisper just before wrenching his hand back swiftly.