Prologue

Julyette sat in the claw-foot tub, toes just barely peaking past a cloud of bubbles. He glanced at the onyx and silver ring that wrapped around her second toe and smiled. She'd been talking, but Damon muted her out. He hadn't seen her in decades, but here she was, still as beautiful as ever. Her flawless mocha cream skin was still radiant as the day he'd first met her. Sicilian black hair cascaded down in waves and into the bubbles that floated atop the bath water. He damned those bubbles for hiding her body from him, she'd never permitted him to see it, not even in a dream.

He knew that he'd eventually wake up from this dream, but he wanted to savor this like a vintage wine. Julyette had declared that she'd never speak or see me again, and he allowed her to leave thinking that she'd eventually return. She hadn't. She kept true to her word. But now he had her in a dream, and he was fine with that. He could do all the nasty little things he'd wanted to do with her in reality that she hadn't allowed him to.

"Damon," she whispered with a longing that made his body burn. Her cold gray eyes flickered up to his. "You're not listening to me.."

He licked his lips consumed by an insatiable lust. "That's because we've talked enough all these years, don't you think?" He pulled off his shirt and dropped it to the floor. He wanted to tell her happy he was to see her again. How everyone in Mystic Falls had been beyond boring. How she should come pay him a visit, even if it was a short one (because everyone knew that she got jealous of his womanizing antics quickly). And more importantly, he wanted to tell her something that he'd probably never reveal to her or anyone else: how much he'd missed her.

But all the talking could wait until after they physically shared their emotions. All he wanted now was to take her where she was, and then on his dream bed, and then again in the dream kitchen. Maybe, if he could manage to sleep longer, again on the dream roof beneath the dream stars.

Julyette heaved a heavy sigh that blew some of the bubbles to the floor. It was then that he noticed that while he was feeling animalistic and incredibly turned on, a despair washed through her. He paused in his tracks. "What's wrong?"

"Don't try and help me."

He was confused, startled even, all until he realized what was happening. A smirk formed on his lips. "You're invading my dreams, aren't you? Naughty," he replied. "But I forgive you considering you wound up naked in my bathtub."

"I'm going to make this quick. You're going to try and help. You're going to get involved and this thing will end up getting you too."

"What thing?"

"Don't get involved. If you see me, it isn't me. Kill me and forget me."

"Kill you and forget you, got it," Damon mocked. "Thanks for giving me permission." He began to unbutton and unzip his black jeans.

Julyette laughed unlike herself. It hadn't been her normal one that was so bright it could cause everything else to pale. `The one that could reach out and momentarily warm his frozen heart. This was filled with a grief and an anguish that he'd never seen from her. He'd seen her angry, delighted, jealous, greedy, vengeful, and coy... but he'd never seen her so utterly woeful.

And it enraged him.

"Why do I suddenly not feel as turned on?" Damon asked rhetorically. "You invade my dreams, you little witchpire, and then you don't even deliver on the goods. Instead you just drone on and on and on. Are we going to have hot dream sex or not?"

Then he thought about it, really thought about it. He shouldn't be giving her the satisfaction of sex with him. Not after all the grief she'd put him through by just disappearing. He'd given her life after death. He'd saved her from mortality, and how did she thank him? By swearing she would never speak to him again and then fulfilling that promise.

"Actually," he started as he sat on the edge of the tub. "I think I will kill you the next time I see you."

"Promise?"

He placed a hand over his chest. "Swear to God."

She grabbed his hand, and he allowed for her to hold it. Allowed for her to bring her petite, soft lips to his knuckles and planted small kisses there. "Words just can't describe how much I..."

And she was gone again, vanished without a trace. And he was renewed with a diabolical hate that hadn't been present when he first found her her dreams. How could she leave him... again? Betray him... again. She was just like everyone else.

And he would truly have to fulfill his promise and kill her.