The penetrating rhythm of the hardstyle house beats echoed in Gwens head, enveloping her in a numb fuzzy feeling. In the small underground club it was sticky hot and wet. The air was soaked with sweat, hormones and alcohol. The walls were rough concrete and moisture from the endless rain outside.

It was the middle of February and Hamburg was an odd place to be at this time of year. The snow had gone, spring was far away, it was dirty, muddy and grey. The short rush from the taxi to the abandoned second world war bunker was enough to ruin Gwens hair and make up. Her hair plastered to her scalp, her mascaras running.

Not that anyone gave a fuck.

Gwen mussed up her hair. In fact, she herself gave a damn. Who cares about her hair or her make up or anything else..

"Look at you." Traver had said to her before leaving. "You have become so boring. All you do is working. And when we are together, you are tired. And when you're not tired, you don't want to go out. What was about the party in the new club last weekend. We had been at the guest list. But no.. You didn't want to. I missed the first VIP party of the year." He mourned.

"You missed the first Bloodbath of the year.." Gwen murmured.

"What?" Traver asked.

"Nothing. Forget it." Gwen sighed.

"That's the word. FORGET IT. "

He searched for his stuff and left.

So now she was here. Proofing herself she wasn't boring. And a little pitiful part of her thought about Traver regretting having left her and crying at her funeral, when she was killed by some motherfucking vampire in this goddamned vampirebar.

Oh, you're pathetic. Gwen scolded herself. Look at you. You're a well trained slayer, rescuing the world night after night. Turning damn bloodsuckers into heaps of ash.. And now crying your eyes out for this stupid guy. Pathetic indeed.

She squared her shoulders and went to the bar, ordering herself vodka with an artificial sweet energy drink.

...

Deacon stood at the balustrade, cigarette in left hand, smoking and scanning the club without real interest.

He, also, did not want to be here. He yearned for his old life before the fucked up LaMagra ritual.

Blade had ruined it all. Deacon had been at the top of the world. All his dreams had come true. Bloodgod, unbelievable power. Ruler of the vampire nation. And then, in a blink of an eye, he made this one little mistake. And everything was gone. His power, his house, his familiars and.. his love. Mercury. The women who was nearly equal in her desires and wishes. The women that stood by his side, when it seemed hopeless. When the purebloods punished him for his urge for knowledge and his modern ideas. The women that understood this needs. The fact, that one woman alone couldn't satisfy his hunger for lust and sex and blood.

And now she was gone. And inside him was a blank space filled with numbness.

When he woke up in the abandoned temple of eternal night, there had been only pain. Days and weeks and months he had laid there, listening to his own screams of pain. And when he was able to leave, he was a monster, a lump of flesh. A body without skin. He ducked off for another imnumberable month until he could walk by without seeing the horror in the other peoples faces, when they looked at him.

Blade heard about his resurrection and wanted to solve the Bloodgod problem for good.

Deacon,to weak to fight, and without allies, decided to start up again, far away. Away from the memories of his love, his pain and his failure.

His failure. He.. fucked.. it.. up...

He grasped the iron rail so hard that he broke two of his nails. It hurt. Tears shot in his eyes.

Deacon took another drag from his cig and welcomed the pain.

...

Gwen took a sip from her drink and scanned the crowd. Women in short skirts and hot pants, men with muscleshirts , all of them tattooed and pierced at every body part she could imagine, and surely also at parts Gwen didn't even wanna think about. On the streets outside at daytime everyone of them would attract attention, but here in the club they were just a dancing mass. Her interest faded. But then she looked up and saw this guy.

Dark blond unruly hair, high cheekbones, lighted by the shimmer of the cigarette as he dragged on it. Gwen was fascinated. Not only by the fact that she was attracted by him, and oh yes she was, but the look in his eyes. He seemed to be so vulnerable and lonely.

This man... He was Deacon Frost. Gwen knew him from the photos in the hunters archive. The files reported about the ritual, his death and the resurrection. And then he disappeared without a trace.

Gwen looked away. She was here to party. To drink and dance and forget. She would care about Frost tomorrow.. When she woke up.. And took an aspirin...

She ordered another drink.

...

Deacon let the waves of pain and memories pass by. He knew this attacks. They came now and then and he has to deal with them.

When his mind cleared, his gaze was drawn to this young girl at the bar. She seemed to stand still while everyone else was moving.

She appeared lost in here. Her black hair still wet from the rain, her make smudged. But her eyes.. So blue, big and blue like sapphires.

He was flashed. He wanted her. Suddenly there was only her face in his mind. Her eyes wiped away the pain from his soul.

...

Gwen thought about leaving. It's been a bad idea to come here. It was no good. She felt pretty rough. And instead of what she thought, alcohol didn't make it better, in fact it got even worse. It was depressing.

Some guy stood right beside her. She didn't noticed him before. Gwen ignored it. On her way to the club she dreamed about picking up some hottie to proof she was still attractive. But now, in the crowd of sweating humans, she was only dreaming about some space and fresh air.

"Hi." The guy said.

"Hmm." Gwen just murmured.

"I'm Deacon." He started again.

Gwen gave him a short glance.

"I see." Jade said, turning away once more. Fuck fuck fuck.. She thought. No, please not. A chat-up from Deacon Frost was the last thing she need to deal with now.

Fuck fuck fuck.. Deacon thought, too. What was the girls problem? Every bitch in this club wanted to be with him, but she make him stand here like a fool.

"I'm the owner of the club.." Deacon began anew, and broke up when he realized he sounded like a complete idiot.

"I know." Jade answered, trying to sound absolute dismissive.

"So, you want to drink something?" He asked.

"Thank you, I'm fine." Jade nodded to her drink in her hand.

What, for fucks sake is wrong with me, Deacon wondered. I'm behaving like a schoolboy.

"Will you at least tell me your name?" He almost begged.

"Why should I. You will have forgotten it by tomorrow." she refused derogative.

"Well, fuck you." he hissed with sudden anger. " Why are you so damned arrogant that you didn't even talk to me. "

In a split of a second his face changed, it morphed cruel and demon-like. And the most scaring thing was this eyes. They turned burning red. Gwen had to work up her nerves to stay cool.

"Because I heard about you. You are the one to be called arrogant. Narcissistic, maniac, misogynist. And I won't be the next silly ho in your bed. So you can give it up and leave now." She spit at him.

"Well, at least you are talking to me now." He said calming. His face has relaxed and his eyes went back to blue. " Well, you heard the rumors, huh?"

"I did." Gwen smiled coldly.

"And when exactly you stopped having an own opinion?"

"Sorry what?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Why don't you find out yourself? Maybe I'll surprise you." Deacon suggested.

"Maybe.." Gwen capitulated. " You won't stop bugging me anyway, right?"

...

Deacon led her out of the main floor, up on the balustrade to a seating group, where the music was a little faded and they could talk. Up here it was less crowded, only chosen guest were allowed to come here.

Deacon sat down next to her on her left side on the flat table , lay his elbows on it, head in one hand and watched her.

"Your eyes are amazing."

"Oh please, no, Deacon. Don't try to flatter me with such a lousy chat-up line." Gwen sighed. "I just started to like you."

He laughed. "Glad to hear that. And it was not a chat-up. It's a fact. I'm three hundred years old and I never saw eyes like yours."

While talking Deacon looked straight I'm her eyes. Watching her close. Gwen never met a man like him. Somebody who seemed to be completely with her.

"You're three hundred years old?" She asked surprised. Although she knew that he was a vampire and definitely not the in his thirties as he looked, he wouldn't have guessed that he was that old.

"Am I too old for you?" he smiled.

"You are waiting for me to be stunned. But I have to disappoint you. I know what you are. " Gwen smiled back. "I heard about this place. A vampire bar."

"So your lucky. You not only met a vampire, but the Lord of the House." He winked at her.

"Do you really think you impress me with telling this? Are the other girls so stupid that you got them laid just because of this?" She looked doubtfully at him. "And have you really winked at me? That's ridiculous."

Deacons eyes seemed to blur. Like red liquid waves inside them. "You want to piss me off?" Deacon snarled.

"What is it with your eyes?" Gwen asked, ignoring his anger.

Deacon shook his head. "Long story."

"I'm free."

"And maybe you would even understand it." He pressed his lips together. "But tonight I don't wanna think about this. I want to be with you. I never met someone like you."

He took her hand. Electric sparks flows through them, little shocks that made Jade twitch. Looking up to him, her face was just inces away from his.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked, letting loose her hand.

She looked puzzled.

"You're hand. It's scarred." He took it, looking closer at it. A large cut running from her small finger to her wrist.

"Oh no.., that had happened months ago. Just an accident."

He turned her hand, kissing her palm.

"Dance with me." He whispered.

Jade shivered. "I can't." She pulled her hand away.

"You can't? Can't dance? You have to left feet?" He mocked her.

"No, I.."

"You got a boyfriend?" he guessed, but still with a smile.

"No." Gwen looked at him with sad face. "He left me.. I.. Whatever." She stopped herself.

"So, what is the matter? Why are you constantly reject me?" He asked in despair."I wanted you from the first second I saw you. I kinda thought you had to feel the same. Have I been so wrong?"

Gwen couldn't look at him. His finger touched her chin, lifting her head. "Am I wrong about you?" He asked again. Gwen shook her head in silence.

"Then dance with me." He pleaded.

...

Gwen let him lead her to the dance floor. The House beat was thrilling. Their bodies moved in perfect rhythm . His hands wandered from her arms down her spine to her waist, pulling her closer.

The music got slower. Vocals joined in.

Our hearts are like firestones

And when they strike, we feel the love

Sparks will fly, they ignite our bones

But when they strike, we light up the world

Their eyes met. Hypnotic. She wasn't able to free herself from his gaze. She didn't want to. Shivers went through her body. His breath on her face, his hand on her back, his chest on hers. Their waists pushing against each other.

When his lips searched hers, he found them and she opened her mouth for him.

I'm a flame

You're a fire

I'm the dark in need of light

When we touch, you inspire

Feel the change in me tonight

So take me up, take me higher

There's a world not far from here

We can dance in desire

Or we can burn in love tonight

The kiss seemed to last forever. And Gwen was perfectly happy. In this very moments there was nothing in the world but Deacon and her, no worries, no doubts. When he let her lips go, she felt like awaking from a peaceful dream. Her eyes searched his and he returned her loving .

"I crossed oceans of time to find you." He whispered soundless and kissed her again.

I'm from X, you´re from Y

Perfect strangers in the night

Here we are, come together

To the world we´ll testify.

When the music faded and the beat turned hard and fast as the next song began, Jades opened her eyes. Suddenly she felt cold and ill.

"I have to go." She mumbled and loosened herself from Deacons arms.

"No." His voice was husky. "Why?"

"I can't stay." She breathed. She couldn't speak. Uncryed tears made her voice break. She turned to leave.

Deacon grabbed her arm. "I don't even know your name. How can I find you?"

"Don't try to find me. This may not be."

He looked at her searching her face for a sign of hope. Then the pain returned to his face and the lost expression Gwen noticed the first time she saw him.

She broke free from him and nearly ran out of the club.