A lone figure sat upon a fresh grave in an empty cemetery. It was a typical night for her. Dig yourself out of your grave and sit staring at the moon. She had been doing this for the past two years now. Her endowment had been the gift of life and then she had gone and gotten herself slaughtered by a slayer. Where had her common sense gone? It is second nature to all of her coven that you don't walk right onto their grounds even under the guise of a human. But no, she had been dumb enough to do exactly that. And now she was banished to live forever as the elemental of the Oak Haven graveyard. So much for the haven part. It was more like a concentration camp. Those of her kind were forced to hide from the slayers who would search for them by day as they slept. She was now one of their prisoners. She couldn't be in contact with any of the other vampires even if they hadn't banished her and she had to protect the Oak Haven graveyard. She was to capture and secure any vampires who passed the wrought iron gates of the cemetery. Graveyards were typical resting places for vampires. She had been given the life of an elemental as opposed to being dead. She didn't know which was worse. If you're an elemental you get to be half alive but you have to murder your own people and be a servant to those who killed you. If your dead you, well, your dead.

Thorne's elfin pointed ears picked up his footsteps long before he was in viewing distance. She was a rule breaker even though she wasn't truly herself anymore. They both risked a lot for him to come here. She risked the half a life she had and he risked becoming an elemental himself fated to forever betray those like him. He sat behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She leaned back against his chest.

"Cameron, I don't know how much longer I can do this. I sit here wasting away what little life I have doing what? I wait and wait and you're the only vampire that ever comes and I am not going to hand you over to them," she whispered.

"Thorne, there's nothing you can do. Just think; you only have to wait until the rebellion can overthrow Faeden. It can't be too long," he replied.

"It will seem like an eternity though. I sit here and wait. Wait for the slow acting poison to kill me." A tear slid down her cheek. It was the blood tears that are characteristic of vampires and their elementals.

Cameron sighed. He knew what she spoke of. All elementals eventually die because they are given a toxin which takes years to kill. The lord's men do so to keep the elementals from learning to much and trying to overthrow them. He felt a teardrop fall onto his arm and held her closer.

"Cameron, I can here them coming. You're going to have to go back," she said, her voice barely audible.

He kissed her lightly on the cheek and replied, "I'll be back." And with that he was gone into the night. Soon after his footfalls faded into the night, two of the lord's men came up behind her with torches.

"What do you want," she questioned her tone cruel. She faced away from them and the light of their torches.

"Have there been any intruders tonight?" asked the taller one.

"What do you think?! There haven't been any intruders for two years. Why would tonight be any different?!" she pulled her knees up to her chest and folded her arms across them. Laying her head on her arms she sobbed, the tears leaving rivers of red on her cheeks. Her long silver hair fell to cover her face and arms.

The two men left without any further words. She listened for their footfalls to fade. Once she could no longer hear them, she stood up and pulled a ribbon from around her neck. The ribbon was tied to an old fashioned black key. She unlocked the vault and walked inside locking it behind her. Within this vault was her coffin. That night, she fell asleep on her side letting the tears fall.

Cameron paced his room thinking about Thorne. It was obvious she was growing weary of her post. He had seen many an elemental go mad from their ongoing vigil. He knew that wouldn't happen to Thorne. She was too strong for that. Or at least he hoped she was. He pulled back the heavy curtains on his window. Outside the night sky was growing lighter. He would soon have to seek his sarcophagus for the night.

The next night, Thorne could be found leaning against her vault. She missed being able to leave the cemetery. She wished it to be the way it used to be. She could walk the town's streets and look in the shops. She could spend time with others and not worry about being caught. She could have a normal life. But now, if she left, she would be hunted down again and her life would be ended there. It wasn't worth it. Cameron kept telling her that the rebellion would rise up against Faeden and she could leave the graveyard without worry that he would come after her. He would be too busy fighting the rebellion. But in her heart it told her a different story. It kept telling her Give it up girl. You're going to die before that ever happens.

She pushed herself away from the brick wall of the vault and turned to look at the small inscription on the stone.

The Lord Faeden does not care to know your name,

Does not care to feel your hurt.

The bright and morning star does not choose to light your way

Because of what you've done and who you are,

You are a flower quickly fading,

Here today and gone tomorrow,

A wave tossed in the ocean,

A vapor in the wind,

You are an elemental, to survive solely to protect this cemetery from the evils of your kind.

She slapped her hand over the inscription and leaned against her arms. The blood tears fell from her eyes as she delved into her thoughts. She thought about the day that started all this. She was so wrapped up in her memories that she didn't hear the person coming up behind her.

Memories

A girl walked across the lawn of the command center of the Underworld Creature Slayers. It was early evening and almost dark outside. She had a black cloak covering her. She moved through the shadows close to the building. She was next to a window and she could hear what they were discussing. She could only hear small pieces of the conversation but from what she gathered they were debating on the best way to get rid of the Underworld Coven. She had heard that name somewhere. As she was striving to remember why that name seemed so familiar, the window opened silently. One of the slayers grabbed her cloak and tried to hold on to her. She let the cloth come off her shoulders as she ran from the window. She could hear their footfalls behind her as she ran back to the cave where her vampiric body was hidden. She had possessed the body of some girl in a village nearby. It was dark now so it would be safe for her to repossess her own body without risk of the suns burning rays. She darted between the trees hoping to throw them off. She was about a hundred yards from the cave when one of them grabbed her. He picked her up easily and carried her back to the command center throwing her in one of the cells that they had in the basement. She sat in the corner her knees pulled up to her chest waiting, but for what she didn't know. It wasn't long before they carried in the long black box that was her coffin. Inside was her true form. Her eyes were wide as she sat quietly in the corner wondering what they were going to do. Then a man came inside her cell and grabbed her arm yanking her to her feet. She glared at him but kept quiet. He stared her in the eye. She stared back somewhat confused. But then she felt something. It felt like ribbons were wrapping around her trying to squeeze her out of her stolen body. And then she felt her eternal soul being drawn out. She left the stolen body and was slammed back down into her own inside the coffin which was now open. She lay there dazed for a moment. When she remembered where she was, she jumped out of the coffin and ran out before any of the slayers could figure out what happened. She climbed out the nearest window she found and went back to the cave. In the back she kept her sword. It was an old war sword that her mother had given her before she had died. She pulled it from its scabbard and turned to meet whoever had come after her. It turned out to be a woman dressed in green. She carried one of the thin swords the slayers used. Her long auburn hair was pulled back from her face. Thorne backed up to give herself some space, but only succeeded in finding the back wall. She was at a huge disadvantage now. The slayer locked onto this and came running at her pinning her against the wall. The slayer smirked wickedly before being thrown to the ground. Thorne ran past the slayer but because she decided to throw the woman off her, the thin slayers blade had made a deep gash in her arm. Blood ran down her pale arm and dripped off her hand. She turned to face her attacker once again now that she was away from the back wall.

"You know it's a sad story when a mother will teach her daughter to hate a perfect stranger," Thorne taunted.

"Unless that perfect stranger is a demon like you," retorted the slayer.

"Oh, go to Hell why don't you," she replied.

"Why not you instead. You're the one that belongs there," she threw her sword catching Thorne's leg.

"I was like you once. But then it got dull. Just like your sword," she threw the blade back at her and ran out of the cave. When she knew she was out of viewing distance she jumped into a tree and sat down on a limb her back to the tree trunk. She laid her sword across her lap and looked at the gashes in her leg and arm. She stilled herself when she heard them coming. She held her breath when they stood beneath her tree. She thought she would be ok until a drop of blood fell from her arm and landed on the blade of the slayer. The man behind her rounded and shot an arrow into the tree piercing Thorne's heart and pinning her to the tree. She fell back against the tree and her eyes closed in the deepest sleep there is. Death.

Memories

Stupid mistakes. That's what brought her down. Her own misjudgment of her abilities and those of the slayers. It was her fault she was stuck here in this cemetery for what little life she had. She pushed herself away from the wall and came face to face with Cameron.

"Guess what?" he asked smiling.

"Not possible. Are you sure? I mean really sure." Thorne questioned as they sat on her grave a couple minutes later.

"I'm positive. A.J. told us all this evening. The rebellion has enlisted the help of the Underworld coven and now is strong enough to overthrow Faeden. All we need is you Thorne," he pleaded.

"But they banished me and you know they won't let me anywhere near them. Plus, why do they need me?"

"They're letting you come back in exchange for the information you have. That's why they need you. You know more about them than we do."

"What information?"

"You know the ways of the slayers. All the rest of us were too scared to go anywhere near them. You are stronger than us. When we sat cowering from them you stood up and challenged them," he explained.

"And got myself killed. It wasn't a courageous action; it was a stupid one, Cameron."

"Come on, Thorne, I can't do this without you."

"Fine. What have I got to lose anyway? Just half a life."

Cameron stood and helped her to her feet. He gave her an encouraging smile and took her hand, leading her away from her grave and towards the coven house. She followed somewhat hesitantly. Any other day she would have been dead the moment someone saw her. Now they all turned their heads and then continued with their conversation. They were discussing ways to bring Faeden and his army down. They argued about whether to take Faeden down first and then face his army which would be disoriented. But then another brought up that with that idea, they would have Faeden and the entire army fighting against them all at once before they brought him down. One on the end proposed the idea that they take down the army and then Faeden. The room grew silent. It seemed so simple.

"And we're supposed to be super intelligent thinkers." Cameron whispered in Thorne's ear.

She slapped him lightly on the arm. She walked to the head of the table.

"We have to remember that Faeden is a shade. He can disappear and rematerialize somewhere else. He has dark magic which we lack. The best way to take him down is to have somebody possess him and force his soul into the netherworld. Then the person would repossess their own body leaving him dead. The hard part is getting someone that is able to do so and finding a way to Faeden while getting him to stay solid long enough to take over," she explained.

The started discussing this in low voices. Who would be strong enough to hold power over Faeden? Certainly none of them. There was only one of them that could do that. And that was…

"Cameron," one spoke up. They all turned to the black haired boy standing next to Thorne.

"Guys, I don't think even I could do that," he replied.

"You can try," said one small coppered haired dignitary.

"Fine then, what are we waiting for?" he asked.

The next night Thorne found Cameron in his room. She stood next to him and looked at the sword in his hand. It was an assassin blade, tainted black with red streaks running down it. He tilted it, making it catch the light. Its edges were jagged and serrated, making it look all the more menacing. She was confused as to why he had it.

"Cameron, what are you planning to do with that?"

"Well if our little experiment goes wrong I don't want to be caught swordless."

"Oh. Cameron, do you really think you can do this?"

"I don't know. We'll have to wait and see."

She had a worried look in her eyes as he walked past her and out of the room, leaving her with a puzzled and forlorn look. She sighed and looked at the floor before leaving his room and going down the hall to hers. She sat on her bed looking around. This had been her room before she had been caught and it was just as she had left it. Her walls were black and her carpet was a dark purple. Her bed had the same shade of purple covering it. Her black dresser still rested across from her bed and the tinted mirror hung above it. There were no pictures, nothing suggesting of family because she had none. She stretched out on her bed and stared at the ceiling thinking of how much she had missed this place.

She eventually dragged herself from her thoughts and got up. She went through the maze of hallways and walked outside into the intricate garden. All the flowers were in bloom and the white blossoms contrasted sharply against the dark sky. Shorter flowers covered the ground surrounding the pathway. Many colors meshed together to create a panoramic view. Her footsteps were silent, traveling toward the lake. The huge willow tree stood in its place, overlooking the lake. Its long vines trailed in the water and created a shelter for a small stone bench. She stretched out on the bench lying on her side. Her fingers made ripples in the water as they glided over the surface. She looked at her reflection in the rippling pool seeing her own pallid figure. Her long silver hair fell across her shoulders, splaying out on the bench. She got up to kneel beside the water, looking down. Her reflection was marred as a red teardrop fell into the water, diluting itself. She opened her eyes seeing the red streaks crossing her cheeks and the figure behind her. She looked closer unable to see who it was through her blurred vision and the moving water.

Cameron sat down behind her draping his arms over her shoulders. She leaned her head back onto his shoulder, taking in a ragged breath. Cameron pulled her close to him, comforting her with silence. Across the lake they could see two swans slowly gliding across the lake. Cameron stood, taking Thorne's hand and pulling her up with him. They walked hand in hand back along the winding path back to the coven house.

That night Thorne lay within her coffin, watching the darkness slowly fade into the morning. She had to admit it, she was scared. She didn't want to lose Cameron. She knew of Faeden's power and she wasn't positive that Cameron could match it. It was then that she made the decision to follow him to the castle, whether he allowed it or not. She figured it to be the latter of the two. As the sun rose and her mind shut down in the seemingly dead sleep of vampires, she vowed to somehow be of help to Cameron, emotionally or physically.

Dusk came quickly as the sun gave way to the overpowering force of darkness. Thorne changed and went to find Cameron. After looking in his room and outside by the pond, she sat on the front step trying to think of where he could be. In the nearby forest a snowy owl hooted and looked at her with bright yellow eyes. She stood and walked to the forest following a narrow path. Her footsteps were silent as she scanned to area around her. It was the same forest which she had been caught in two years before. It was easy for her to find her way back to the very tree which she had been killed in. Climbing into the old willows branches she found the one with the blood stain on it. The bark had peeled off that particular spot and the hole where the arrow had penetrated it remained.

She stretched out on the limb and looked up at the night sky. The stars seemed to shine brighter now that she was free. She felt the branch bend as Cameron climbed up next to her.

"They said I could find you here."

She sat up and looked down smiling. He leaned against the trunk of the tree and she scooted to lean against him. His arms encircled her and they both looked up at the moon.

"I wanted to come back."

"Why? It doesn't bother you to be this close to the very people who caused you so much misery?" he questioned.

"No, and it's not really their fault. It was mine. I made the decision to come that close and risk that everything."

He sighed and closed his eyes, content to just lie there for a moment. Thorne could feel Cameron's heartbeat against her back. It was so much faster than her own. The deadly toxin slowed hers until it was only about an eighth of the speed of his. She looked at the moon, her mind wandering.

"Thorne, you alright?" he asked. He could tell when she was giving up. She would get that dull look of a dying soul in her eyes and lie so very still. Her heart rate and breathing would slow until it was barely detectable.

"Hmm?" she hadn't even understood his question. She had only heard his voice and felt the vibrations against her back.

"C'mon Thorne. We need to get back. Tomorrow we make our attempt to overthrow Faeden." He took her hand and lowered her down to the ground and jumped down himself. He walked back to the coven house, pulling her along. She was still out of it and not aware that she was alive. Her soul often took to wandering and she would have to be looked after until she once again realized she was still alive. Thorne stopped and refused to move. He turned and looked at her.

"Thorne?"

"I'm fine, Cameron. I just, well… are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yeah, kinda have to, don't I?"

"I'm just a little scared that it won't work," she whispered.

He pulled her close to him. Her head rested against his chest and he looked down at the top of her head. Her silver hair caught the moonlight and made it glow. His black bangs fell to cover his eyes.

"It'll be okay, Thorne. What can he do anyway?"

Thorne thought of everything that could happen. It only made her pull him closer to her. The tears began to fall again as she thought about the fact that he could die. He would be gone from her and she would have no reason to live anymore. As she stood there with her eyes closed, the blood tears continued to fall. Cameron picked her up and carried her back to the coven house. Before they retreated to their coffins for the night Cameron held her hand in his and looked at her.

"Don't worry, it will come out alright," he said, his voice hopeful.

Thorne nodded and slowly pulled her hand from his, turning to go into her room. Cameron soon did the same.

Please Review. I'm still new at this so please be kind. This is one of my favorite stories that I am working on. I will continue the story, so don't worry.