My Sacrifice
"Kneel down", I say for the second time. I see fear in eyes, the fear of going to 'Him'. She should be afraid for she brought a mortal into our bloodline, and without permission. I put on an impassive face as I feel the stake dig into Coraline's chest. Coraline gasps and she gives me a look of utter betrayal when I twist the stake in deeper. It hurts me in the inside to see her in pain, but I am only doing this to protect her. 'He' himself was to come for Coraline personally, but I knew he would kill her if it came to that. I came instead to protect her of the misery of what he would have done. I have been protecting Coraline for a long time now.
Being mortal in our time was not easy, for our weak bodies succumbed to illness easily. That is how I came across Coraline. She was at the time a courtesan for my brother, and was well cared. She became sick and very ill, and the illness was unknown at the time and very deadly. I at first never particularly cared for the women until the doctor began to bleed her. In our time whenever someone was ill physicians often bleed someone believing they had 'too much blood' even though Coraline seemed to be fine blood flow wise. The first time I smelled her blood though was one of the most rememberable times of my life. The scent of her blood was like sugar filled cakes, and it was intoxicating. I began to visit her whenever she was asleep, for one of my brothers has already tried to take her blood twice. I also had the doctor stop bleeding her since the dimwit began taking too much blood. I became quite attached to her, but she never seemed to notice me. My brother though was furious when he found out I was watching her, and was prone to jealously. The next night when I went to Caroline I saw her barely alive with fang marks scattered over her body. She was dying quickly, and I wanted her to live. I would have changed her that instant, but I can't change her without consequences from 'Him'. I did the only thing I could at the moment and took Coraline to see 'Him'.
When I arrived two minutes later I could already smell my brother in 'His' chambers. My brother beat me to 'Him' and was telling 'Him' all about Coraline. "She is not royalty, a courtesan, and basically a leech in society." I heard my own brother say, but he was right to a degree. When I opened 'His' chambers my brother smirked at me, and left me snidely saying, "You can have the left over's brother." I place Coraline on 'His' bed and ask 'Him' if he could turn Coraline for me. 'He' refuses vehemently at me the first time I ask.
"I know what your brother did Lance, but he is right about all the facts spoken. I am dearly sorry, but I would turn her for a price Lance. It is a deep price for I would want everyone to know the price of me turning someone now in this warring time."
I hear 'Him' sigh after he speaks sedulously and silently. I begin to look down at Coraline's face to see her become a deathly white, for me there is no choice, but one. I finally say quietly,
"Take what you need my lordship, but what is the price you desire?" I ask anxiously. I finally see 'Him' turn around with a small silver dagger, and already begin calculating what 'He' wants to do. All conclusions do not look to end well for me. 'He begins to walk closer to me with the grace of a panther, and a predatory look of a lion.
"Your right eye," I hear as I felt the dagger blade dig in my right eye slightly only the tip, but that enough to make me yell out in pain. It was the most painful thing I have ever felt. Grasping my right eye I recall everything I felt every second of the blade coming in my right eye. The sharpness coming, piercing my eye, coming out with a frightening 'squelch', and having blood stain my vision. I collapse on the floor cradling my eye, and trying not to yell out in pain. Heaving from the excruciating pain I finally look up to see Coraline in 'His' arms, and with his fangs in her throat.
It ended up I didn't loose sight in my right eye. I did though have my right eye change color due to blood staining my iris, and the silver of the blade caused my right eye not to heal properly. My eye healed quickly for only about two centimeters went in, but I lost my right eye to some degree. I would forever have a reminder of the cost of having Coraline being turned by 'Him'. When I saw Coraline the next day she did not remember me or my brothers. The changing had been hard on her for she was already weakened, and the fact my brother drained a good amount of her blood did not help. I tried to approach Coraline, but she often got nervous around me, and stared at my right eye. The cost of her life and my sacrifice.
I remember trying to make advances only to have Coraline laugh at them, or to think lightlly of them. She never knew that I was her guardian, and I hope to keep it that way. I only hope 'He' will not change anything to keep me from protecting her even if I must be the person she despises most in this world. As long as I can keep on protecting her even by her hating me.
"Nothing in the world is permanent, and we're foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we're still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it. If change is of the essence of existence one would have thought it only sensible to make it the premise of our philosophy." -W. Somerset Maugham (1874 - 1965)
Authors Note: (First off I do not own 'Moonlight'.)I decided to write this story since I really wondered about Lance's and Coraline's relationship. How did they meet? Did either of them have a romantic history? Also what role does 'He' have and play? Since I am the type of person that has to name everything I will hopefully give 'He' a name. While writing this I noticed that there is not one story about them, nada. I usually see Lance as 'the bad guy' and I usually side with the underdog, so I really thought to do a story with him as the good guy. For grammar and spelling I tried my best and if you have anything to point out, comments, or questions please review or PM me. Date published 8-15-11