Icy tendrils of hair dripped down an alien visage. Cold, solemn eyes of a faraway atmosphere hummed with darkness, with hunger. The long, altered lines of a face twisted together, a gaunt shadow of hollow bones to flash in the sudden light. Spindled, cold fingers burned. The wicked, twisted smile crawling across the marble smooth face shrieked a fiendish triumph. All else was lost, so far away, so very distant.

The cool touch brushed her face as shadows drew deeper, their slithering, laughing lines to cackle in her mind. Dark whispers broke the silence, too close to be imagined. The wake of her tired screams left them all snickering. The skittish, broken path of their creeping steps severed the long winded howls that rock the chilling void. Swarming, damp and lifeless, the air runs nails along a tear-choked throat.

Intense and dark, the black ice of his eyes stare through the shadows, the hollowness, and the memories. So few of them brought the light and happiness she expected. So few of them show what she had always wished to see from them. There was no comfort, no solace; as if everything had been screaming 'no' since the beginning of it all.

The gentle wind swept through silver grass, and hitched in the midnight black of a cloak worn in darkness. A soft, warm touch brought feeling back to a world of the dead.

No.

A tortured look of angered bewilderment splashed across his face, furious and amused and lost as hell. His eyes changed from blue to black as the crimson wall came down, and left them both in breathless wonder at the top of the world. For a moment, those angry, hate-filled eyes were soft, and he turned to her. For the first time, there was kindness, however guarded.

No.

The empty shadows flickered with broken, damned souls, and screeched a terrible silence straight to the bone. Frigid, empty air marbled with the vivid colors of blood and dark flesh. The swift, silvery shard of night raced toward her chest as even her prince raged for her head.

No!

There, standing by the summer lake, basking in the warm golden sun, seeing each other for the first time. The heavens above poured that honeyed light so thick it felt like swimming in dreams and stars. That quiet, gruff voice had sounded so…dispassionate. Lost.

Removed.

No!

The emptiness filled all things. There was no comfort, no light. For a sad, quiet moment, it all made perfect sense as her frost white enemy ghosted from the lingering darkness. His demonic, violent eyes lap and whine, and that cruel smile twists the edge of his bloodless mouth.

"What do you think, my beautiful queen? Will your precious hero save you?" His chilling utterance gave words to the knowledge growing within her belly; the vacuum of fears and hopes and life. For a small moment, she contends to regain the strength to fight –if not for happiness then for freedom. It fades, almost as if it had never begun, as if it had not had a place to start.

"No." She whispers, forcing her sensation less legs to stand. The whisper of forbidden silk hisses a welcome to the shadows. The man comes forward, soft as snow and just as deadly. The time to shrink, to cry, to rave, has passed. Nothing waits in the blackness but ghostly white, and the whispering, scratching noise of companionable pain.

"You know, then." The horror grew larger, removing himself from the inky blackness to dominate the world in perfect, hypothermic winter. She did not back down, did not shy away as his hand slid across her face.

"Yes." The tears slipped free, silent and unafraid.


AN: For those of you who are still horribly confused, this will be a two shot at least, possibly three. I'd like to thank my new editor, Temporary Insane, and the good oldies, DaBlackRose and my baby sis.

Also, Soulbound chapter 12 will be posted tomorrow night for you viewing and reviewing pleasure. As much as I'd like to be that writer that can live without your wonderful comments, let's face it, I'm not. Hope you've all had a great Valentines.

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