Touching Darkness

by the Lady of the Mists

Chapter One: Arianna the Vampire Slayer

London, England 1858

Arianna Thornton gripped the stake she held tightly as she looked over her shoulder, certain that she was being followed. Her long brown hair was pulled into a braid as she slipped through the streets of London, her blue-green gaze searching her surroundings. It had been two years since all of this had started, two years since she had been approached by Simon Granger, who told her of the dangerous world she had inherited. Two years since she had been told that her life could end shortly because of the life she didn't choose.

But that didn't mean that she was going to give it all up. She was the Slayer, the one girl in the world who had the strength and skill to hunt those who walked the night. And like it or not, she couldn't give it up, because that meant leaving the world without its protector.

But the loneliness that came with it, not being able to tell her friends, her family, her fiancé about who and what she was, that was almost more than Arianna could bear sometimes. She sighed, thinking about the man that she was supposed to marry in two days.

She and Evan had been betrothed since before she could remember, their union being an alliance between their two families, nothing more. But Evan had done something unexpected when the preparations for their wedding began to move forward: he'd fallen in love with her. His confession had broken her heart, because even though she had a duty to her family and would go through with the marriage, she didn't love him. She had never met anyone who could make her heart soar. And if Arianna was honest with herself, she didn't think she could love anyone who didn't accept her for who she was and who would help her fight the war she was involved in.

And honestly, where was she going to find someone like that? Arianna shook her head as she slipped through the graveyard, taking a shortcut and hurrying into the mausoleum, closing the door behind her before she ducked into a hiding place, waiting for the danger to make its way. Whatever she was sensing, it was bound to make its appearance. Either that or she'd wait here until morning when the sun was up. Of course, she'd have to hear a lecture from her father when she got back home.

The door slowly opened and a figure walked in. Arianna's eyes narrowed the moment that she saw the vampire that had entered, tightening her grip on her stake as she slipped further into her hiding place, keeping her attention focused solely on him.

"Come on, Arianna," he said mockingly, looking around the mausoleum carefully. "I know that you're in here. You don't want to keep me waiting all night, do you?"

"Hello, Angelus," Arianna said quietly, her voice calm as she climbed into view, folding her arms across her chest as she surveyed the man—no, correct that, monster—known as the Scourge of Europe. "Long time, no see."

Angelus grinned evilly. "What can I say? I like to keep you on your toes. Did you miss me?"

"Can't say that I have."

"Aww, now you've gone and hurt my feelings," he said mockingly as he advanced towards her. "Heard the plans for your wedding have gone through while I was gone. Congratulations, by the way. Must be a prize to catch your eye." He grinned as they circled one another. "It's a shame that I have to miss that. But assuming that you'll survive to see him, give him my best."

Arianna sighed. "Are you here to kill me or are we going to sit here talking all night?" She placed her hands on her hips, well aware that they weren't alone.

"You know I like you, Arianna. Wouldn't go to all of this trouble if I didn't." He grinned. "I might have a present for you, though."

"I bet you do," Arianna agreed, whipping around and staking the vampire that had been so close to biting her neck. Too close, she thought as she realised just how close he'd been.

She looked at Angelus, annoyance rising through her. "You're trying to get your vampire lackeys to do me in? What, have you lost the courage to do it yourself, Angelus?"

"I knew he would've had gotten you. Actually, he was just kind of annoying me. Figured you could take care of the problem for me." His smirk was enough to make Arianna want to heave. "Anyway . . . where was I?"

"How much trouble you're giving me?" Arianna suggested lightly as they still circled around each other. "You've already done enough damage."

"You don't know the half of it." Arianna stopped where she was, eyeing Angelus carefully, trying to figure out if this was a trick. What was he up to? "I have gotten a little present that I really think you're going to kill me over."

Tremors went down Arianna's spine. "What have you done?"

"Nothing much. Just took a little trip to your sister's house, which is absolutely beautiful, by the way. I like the painting over the fireplace. It's quite breathtaking." Arianna swallowed; there was no way that he could have known about the painting unless he'd been in her sister Vivien's house. "That was your work, wasn't it? It had your initials in the right corner."

There was no way that Arianna could think coherently at the moment. "Angelus, if you've laid a hand on them . . ."

He actually laughed then. "Oh, come on, Ari, I'm not going to hurt them. Not yet, anyway," he added in a quiet, menacing voice. "Just shook your sister up a little bit. And that husband of hers . . . quite a charmer. Of course, think I might have gotten him riled up when I said we've spent quite a few nights together . . . he probably took it the wrong way."

Arianna glared at him, anger rising through her. More than once, her family had noticed that she had been missing from her bed during the night and she had barely managed to avoid being detected. She suspected that her brother, Thomas, knew something, but he kept his mouth shut about it and soothed their father before his temper got out of control.

"Are you specifically trying to cause problems for me?" she demanded and he grinned even more wildly. "Angelus . . . I swear, one day, I am going to kill you."

"One day, Arianna, you're going to be standing by my side," Angelus taunted and he walked away from the Slayer, his hands placed calmly into his pockets. "You'll see."

"The only way that'll happen, Angelus, is when you get a soul," Arianna called after him. "And maybe some manners."

"We'll see." Angelus walked away from the crypt. "If you'll excuse me, I have some unfinished business to attend to before dawn. And I daresay that big sister of yours is going to be mightily angry with you tomorrow morning, so I suggest that you get some sleep. You might need it."

--

"How could you be so irresponsible?" Vivien Brandon, Thornton as was, was glaring at Arianna as the younger of the two sisters sat at her vanity, brushing out her long dark hair while sunlight poured into the room, warming her skin. "Honestly, Arianna, I don't know what's gotten into you . . . sneaking out in the middle of the night to be with that man . . ."

"I told you, Vivien," Arianna said, her tone sharp, "he's just a man who wants to cause trouble. He means nothing to me and I most certainly have not been sneaking out to meet with him. That is the last thing I want to do."

Vivien studied her carefully, trying to detect any lies, which Arianna knew she wouldn't. Every word that she was saying was the truth. The only kind of the relationship that existed between her and Angelus was enemies to the core and she would love nothing more than to drive a stake through his heart.

"All right," she said at long last, "but you have to at least tell me where you've been sneaking out to these past few years. Arianna, if you have done something . . . unseemly, then it has to stop. You're getting married in a few days and the last thing that we need is for you to ruin everything by this. What has been going on?"

"You would never believe me," Arianna replied quietly. And she knew that her sister wouldn't. She barely believed it, sometimes.

Vivien scoffed. "Oh, please, Arianna. Don't pretend that it's some big secret that you would have to be crazy to believe. Maybe not that horrid man, but you have met someone, haven't you? It's bound to happen, you're nineteen and young. You don't think that I fell in love before I married Edward? I did, but I knew better than to let my emotions get in the way of my duty."

"When have I ever not done my duty?" Arianna replied. Vivien paused. "Perhaps I'm not the most perfect daughter that Father could have had, maybe I do things that no other girl will consider doing, but in the end, haven't I always come through? Haven't I always done things for the best of my family?"

Vivien slowly nodded as she headed towards the door. "I suppose you have," she admitted, pausing at the door. "Just make sure that it doesn't stop. Evan and you are meant to be together. And he loves you."

"I know." Arianna sighed as she laid her brush down, staring into her mirror for a moment. "I just don't love him." She stood up and headed downstairs to meet and greet with the family and friends that had come in town for the wedding, some of whom she hadn't seen for years, but the one that she needed to talk to was standing at the food table, chatting with one of her scholarly cousins.

"Arianna! Congratulations, cousin," he said as he kissed her knuckles. "I wish you both many happy years."

"Thank you," Arianna told him before looking at her Watcher Simon Granger. "May I speak with you for a moment?" He nodded and they both headed outdoors, where they wouldn't be disturbed.

"How did everything go last night?" he asked conversationally, as though they were discussing the weather.

With a small sigh, Arianna turned to face her Watcher, her face set in stone. "Angelus is back," she said flatly. Simon's face paled considerably, but he said nothing. "I knew he would come back eventually, but I didn't think it was going to be so soon. Simon, he's planning something, I just don't know what. Something possibly very dangerous."

"Angelus is dangerous to everyone he touches," Simon said calmly, placing a reassuring hand on the apprehensive Slayer. "Keep an eye out, Arianna. With Angelus back, it can only mean that he will be trying to keep you off balance."

"He also has an invitation to Vivien's house." Simon froze at that and he turned to look at her.

"Are you sure?"

"He knew exactly where the painting that I gave to her for her last birthday was placed; there's no way that he could have known that without an invitation." Arianna sighed, running her hand over her face. "Simon, what am I going to do?"

"For now, don't worry about anything. Angelus will attack, as he always does. Be prepared, we'll continue training, but tomorrow, you will be getting married and I want that to be a happy day for you. You haven't had very many these past few years."

Arianna opened her mouth to argue, but then decided against it; he was right, anyway. "All right," she said at long last, drawing her shawl tighter around her. "Shall we go back inside, then?"

"Yes, the hostess cannot be absent for very long." Simon smiled as they walked back inside of the house.

As she stepped on the porch, Arianna was sure that she felt someone watching her and she glanced behind her, searching the surroundings carefully before looking towards the sky. It was a slightly overcast day, so vampires could go out if they could avoid direct sunlight, but the sun still peaked out every once in awhile, so only a very brave—or dangerous—vampire would dare such an attempt.

Dismissing it as her imagination, Arianna headed inside with her Watcher to continue the festivities of her last day as an unmarried woman . . . and unknowingly, her last day as a human.

--

Arianna hardly recognised herself when she stared into the mirror, gazing at her reflection. The gown was pure white, almost radiating in the weak sunlight, and flowed around her like a waterfall. Her long brown hair hung free and a circlet of white flowers rested around her head. The girl that stood before her bore no sign of being the mythical Chosen One, but rather just a young woman on her wedding day.

And that's all today was supposed to be.

A knock came on the door and Arianna looked up to find her brother standing in the doorway. "Oh, forgive me, Princess, I was looking for my sister," Thomas said, shaking his head in amazement. Arianna couldn't help but smile at him. "You look beautiful, sister."

"Thank you," Arianna said, hugging him as he bent over her. "Is Father really not coming?"

"You know him. If he can avoid anything to do with his children, then he will. But don't worry, I'll be happy to escort you down the aisle."

"I wasn't worried," Arianna said with a smile up at him. "I knew that I could always depend on you." He smiled as he tucked her hand underneath his arm and led her out towards where the ceremony was about to start. Her bridesmaids were all standing in a row.

"But you did know that you were running a tad late?" Thomas told her, with the old teasing grin.

"The bride is never later, everyone else is simply early," Arianna reminded him. Thomas laughed as the music started to begin and her bridesmaids began their long walk down the aisle.

"By the way, do you really think you're going to pull this off?" Thomas whispered to her. She looked at him, bewildered. "The Slayer thing. You really think you can continue it and be a wife as well?"

"How do you—"

"Simon told me, after I started asking too many questions. That's not the point, though. The point is that, how are you going to explain to your husband about being gone night after night? Arianna, you know that marriage is about sacrifice and maybe you should think about—"

"I can't do that, Thomas," Arianna said, her voice quiet, but sharp. She glared at her brother. "The Slayer is part of who I am and I can't just stop. The only way that I could give up being the Slayer is if I get killed. One Slayer dies and the next one is called." Thomas's eyes widened as he heard that. "And if I don't fight, then I would be sacrificing something. The world. It would be left defenceless. Is that what you want?"

"It's not about what I want—"

Before either one of them could continue the argument, while the music was continuing to play, they all heard screams coming from the church. Arianna's blood froze; those were the kind of screams that came from people who'd just seen the true faces of vampires. She'd heard it often enough when hunting them after dark.

She looked behind Thomas, towards the open window and her heart sank; she'd forgotten that today was a dark and stormy day. The entire sky had blocked out the deadly sun, allowing vampires to walk around during the day.

"Go find Simon," Arianna ordered her brother before she raced into the church, grabbing a torch as she ran, finding the entire church filled with vampires. Waving the fire at the nearest vampire, she turned him into flames and then to dust before moving on to the next one.

"Now, this looks like fun." Arianna spun around to find Angelus behind her, a menacing smile on his face. "Now . . . I am finally going to finish this for good, Arianna. Time to dance."

"You're right," Arianna agreed as they circled one another. "It is time that this was finished." His human guise slipped away, replaced by the demonic one.

This isn't going to be easy, she thought miserably as she spun around in her wedding dress, striking at Angelus every way she could and he delivered equal blows. Both of them blocked every move, every blow, every strike. Neither one of them were winning, but neither one was losing.

But then, Arianna made one critical mistake. She heard a scream of pain that she recognised and turned in the direction of her sister. And Angelus took her distraction and turned it to his advantage.

Arianna gasped as she felt his fangs pierce her neck, trying to strike at him, but not in the position to do so. She felt herself getting weaker and weaker . . . and the last thing that she remembered was the taste of blood in her mouth before everything went dark.