Ok, this is officialy a one-shot for Kiki's-stories-of-awsomeness who is working on an amazing story called "Roll Call" with DCreed right now. Hope you enjoy it Kiki! -JMichelleW

I made a choice. In the face of adversity and pure, damned evil I found my courage. The townspeople, those fools, they should have known. Abha was such an obvious target, but no one had ever even tried to protect her. No one had listened to a word I had to say.

In the middle of the night Abha had been stolen by the mountain castle's demon. My poor little, dark skinned, ebony haired, Indian niece. She was only twelve years of age, but already she took after her mother, my brother's wife, Abhishala. Abhishala, came from a prosperous family in India who had sole rights to untapped oil refineries, and she looked like it to. She was always dressed in fine silks and radiant jewels and, though a little pretentious, was a loving mother that made sure her daughter had nothing, but the best. Abha was already watched by boys her age for her exotic visage, which is what worried me in the first place.

In a town that never changes she was a jewel, and her mother's family relations a source of added riches. The problem of sticking out in our town was that you were bound to draw his attention. There was a demon that plagued our town and it wasn't odd for someone to be taken and never seen again. All we could truly hope for is that the victims at least stayed dead. I knew Abha was in danger.

I had tried to warn my brother and my sister-in-law countless times, but Abhishala had just laughed at my wild imagination, and I guess brother's six years of traveling had taken the memory of how truly terrifying our little town could be. It even came down to trying to force my father's hand on the situation when I noticed the bats and the moving shadows near our home, but that blew up in my face. I had gotten slapped, and confined to my quarters, and that was the night she was taken, ironically.

We had all woken to the broken cries of a distraught Abhishala. Upon seeing that Abha was gone the entire town, it seemed, started to search for her. They wouldn't find her though. Abhishala had taken to clutching at me as she wept in Abha's room. I could plainly see everything was just as it had been, nothing gone or broken, no signs of entry or exit at all. I knew when I saw this that he had her, and if that was true they would all eventually give up on finding Abha.

I jolted to my feet frightening my sister-in-law. "What are you doing sahelii!" she had about screamed.

I wrapped my hands around hers making sure my eyes did not waver from her own. "I will find her my sister-in-law. I will send Abha back to you alive and safe, but I must go now!" I ran out of the room with Abhishala screaming after me. I acquired a horse and ran it out of the stable. People dove out of the way to avoid getting trampled. The only distinct voice I heard was that of my brother John's screaming, "where are you going you stupid girl!?" He was worried. His voice had cracked in distress.

Abha, Abha, oh little Abha I am coming. No one would listen to me, no one paid attention to me, and no one would have let me do this, but no one else would have done it themselves and there was no time! I had wrapped a heavy cloak around my shoulders for it was a full day's ride up into the mountain (I couldn't gallop my horse the entire way!) The chill of the air bit into my skin and my backside was numb from the jostling of the horse. The skin around my eyes stung a bit and my throat was trying to close up for I had almost broken out crying, but I didn't. To cry would mean I had given up on Abha.

When I could see I was close to a decrepit, stone castle on the edge of a canyon I felt my heart squeeze into itself and drop into an apprehensive hole. The lair of the beast. I had no trouble getting through the wrought iron gates or even the front door, with its ostentatious knockers, for that matter! They both had just swung open like an unforeseen invitation of death. I tied the horse up outside, it would be taking someone home at least. I could see through the open doorway darkness, that was about it. Looking one last time at what was now the setting sun I watched the colors of burnt out orange fade to crimson and bleed into the sky. I felt that urge to cry again, I was truly frightened.

I swallowed it down and took a last breath of outside air. A weeping girl doesn't do anyone any good. Oddly enough the self propelled door stayed open after I entered, tempting me to flee, daring me to go on. I took the dare and when I finally found Abha, decision making time came.

She was weeping in the corner of a room with one window, looking like she was trying hard to become one with the floor through all her whimpering. Her face was temporarily ruined from the tears and I had never seen anyone look so pitiful in my entire life. "Abha!" I reached out for her, but she flinched away, dazed and confused. "Abha it's ok. It's me, Aunt Alicia. It will be ok."

When she saw who I was she clung to me with more force than a child her age ought to have and cried all the harder. I tried to shush her, for with each wail my stomach dropped. Where was he? Where was the count?

I thought I heard noise, but it was just paranoia. I was so fearful I was almost mad at Abha for being so weak. I couldn't get her to even stand; her legs were fear-locked. I personally was shaking. It didn't matter though, not when three words were let loose into the devouring silence of the castle with a deep, slightly accented voice. "Good evening ladies."

I spun around towards the sound with Abha still locked in my arms as she went as still as death. On the wall the shadows seemed to converge into a center where pale features fazed through it. I felt terror in a degree I had never experienced before. The Count was here.

Paler than a corpse, probably a good seven feet tall, covered in black from his expensive clothes to his curly, loose hair and eyes that shone like blood lit on fire burning out at all to see were how I would initially describe him. The monster, the demon, the unholy, the king of the dead and the unnatural, eternal hunter of human kind. What had I done?! I, a mere human girl thought I could protect Abha from him, thought I could protect anyone from him!? "What do I owe the pleasure?" he finished.

I would like to say that I fearlessly and immediately jumped to protect Abha, that my contempt for this thing and love for my niece left no room for hesitation. Well... you have never seen Hell and watched it stare back straight at you. I think I almost ran, almost. I couldn't though, dear Abha was buried into my side and I was reminded why I came here. All the memories of talking and running and laughing, all the memories of her beautiful smile and cheeky little comments. She had so much of her life to live out with family and friends that cared and provided for her. She had more to look forward to than I ever would.

I pulled the fragments of myself closely enough to find a steady voice, though admittedly more quite than usual. "I have come to make a deal with you vampire."

He had stayed quite patient throughout my entire psychological breakdown, in fact he had been unnaturally still. He did not fidget and he did not breathe, it was like watching a marble statue. As soon as the words left my lips though his unchanging features stretched out into a maddeningly large grin full of sins I didn't even want to contemplate. "Oh?"

"A change of dinner targets. Abha gets to leave, I stay here," honestly I trembled as I spoke. His eyes focused more clearly on me, amusement almost making them laugh.

"What a selfless and utterly naive concept to suggest." I knew he was a monster, but the comment was still like a slap to the face. "Tell me, young woman, why would I make such a deal that would ultimately cheat me when two delicious morsels are easily obtainable right now?"

My hand rose to rest above my heart as he loomed ever closer, towering like a darkened pillar over us. "I appreciate the consideration of my appetite, but I believe you have no grounds or authority to bargain. Maybe you can try again in the next life." I was beyond fury. How dare he! How dare he! I had spent a lifetime being rejected and undermined in authority, but he was the reason I was driven to such actions, the reason I was willing to sacrifice my entire being, soul and all, to save someone else. In rage and in a rising will to survive I yanked the silver crucifix off the chain I had been secretly fondling against my chest and threw it directly at his face.

He howled in pain as skin smoked and sizzled. I grabbed Abha and about carried her out of the room in an attempt to escape. I was panting from the rush of adrenaline and I could see the still open door in the light, early hours, of the night. The two of us were so close, but my terrible fate returned.

He appeared again, without warning. He moved like the shadows themselves did his bidding. All my unchecked momentum was caught by iron clad hands of a corpse; still, it was enough to throw Abha towards the door and past the creature. He snarled in my face, skin sewing itself back together, my feet no longer able to touch the ground, the manic look growing in his eyes. I was panting hard and at the edge of sobbing while my stomach dropped into a bottomless pit. I hoped I wouldn't feel the pain for long. I hoped for a quick death blow. I just had to say my final words, "Abha run, get out of here. The mare will take..you...ba...?!"

In the middle of my dying words he had pivoted us both so I could see Abha had left quite some time ago. She hadn't deliberated at all. I had been left to die by the hands of the monster, so she wouldn't have to.

The snarling stopped and I was gently put back on my feet. The beast was probably the only reason I continued to stand, for the life had been drained from my soul in that moment. His grip became gentle as he pulled me right up against his surprisingly solid frame. My head fell forward as I felt I was drifting away from existence as I knew it, but he wouldn't let me. Again I registered the surprising quite as a long fingered hand went under my chin and slowly pulled it up so that I had to look at him. I wonder, did I look even more pitiful than Abha to this being made of marble, fire and the deceased?

His face was blank, no more snarling and gnashing like a rabid dog, but a stare that drew you into the depths of his eyes. I felt myself pull closer to those eyes as if I could find a safe hole to hide in, eyes that held more depth than the deepest ocean. One arm encircled my waist while the thumb of the hand near my face drew soothing circles on my cheek. "My dear lady, she left you behind."

I flinched as his words pierced my soul. "You rode in cold for a day to find her. You risked the darkest nightmares to save her. You sacrificed yourself to protect her and she thought no more about it than the loss of one lamb in a large herd." I could feel the tears gather as the hole in my chest opened up.

I glanced away as one hand rose to grip his wrist. "You do not have to tell me that"

"It isn't just that though is it?" He pulled my gaze back to his with just his voice, a voice that was deep and had a tambre like rich wine, like I had no choice in the matter. "You have always been ignored." I froze at those words.

"your father wanted a second son, not a first daughter," I was pulled so close that my soft body had to shape to his. "Your mother never acknowledged you in any area as a woman," his lips drew towards my ear, his cold breath lighting my face on fire. "Your sister-in-law thought only enough of you to call you sahelii, friend, not bahin, sister." His nose traced down my jaw as one of his hands kneaded the flesh right above my hip. "Your beloved niece valued you so much that she, not even once, called out your name, even when you stood right before her as her valiant savior." His long fingers proceeded to ghost up my spine and I shook through and through. "And what was it your brother said? Where are you going you stupid girl?" The dam of tears broke with a little half gasp half hiccup noise.

He knew, he knew it all. How he knew I knew not, but it didn't matter, because he was right. Nowhere in the world, any place or anytime, was I valued. I tried for so long to stand with them, to stand apart, to just be seen standing like I existed to all of them. Why had they not seen? Why did they refuse to see?

My head tilted back in surrender as his lips found my neck, wet tongue sliding across tender skin, and my tears continued to flow freely. "Of all the women to scorn they pick the jewel, the ultimate prize." What was he talking about!? His face removed from the crook of my neck to stare back at me, solely on me. I almost missed his attentions until his gaze made me go weak.

I had to ask, "why?" I don't quite know what I was asking in my broken voice. Why did he let Abha go? Why was I still here? Why was he telling me this?

"To ignore such beauty, to make a woman so filled with life and compassion and all those other emotions and virtues I am unable to carry anymore feel like she is anything but a queen should be a mortal sin." His voice was a gruff whisper that ran so deep it rumbled within my chest. An answer in his own way.

"I wonder, if you shine this brightly just as you are now, would you burn a'blaze for the whole world to see if you were filled with hate. Confidence. Passion." It was at that moment his lips captured mine. He was controlling and overpowering all in one kiss and I found I wanted it. He spoke of seeing a value in me that no one else ever saw and he proved this with his kiss. It was a kiss filled with wanting. His hands roamed up and down my sides as if to memorize me and one hand found my hair and let my golden, blond locks loose to cover us both. I wound my arms around his neck and pulled myself as close as was possible to him while he lifted me into the air. He had yet to break this addicting kiss. I probably needed the air, but all the same I didn't care if I got it as long as he never let me go. Every time his cold touch found my skin I would burn for him in response.

When he finally pulled away it was altogether an eternity and to short. He supported me as I almost fainted, my sight a little fuzzy. He kept me close and his lips once again brushed the shell of my ear. "Will you let me treasure you beautiful Alicia? You will become a monster of the night, damned in the eternal afterlife yet to come, but I will forever be with you my bride. You have always been the only prize."

I shed one last tear in joy. I realized he was never after Abha. She had been my bait. What did it matter if I was damned? What did it matter if I became a beast? It wasn't like I had ever found happiness in the light of humanity! In the oncoming darkness, this terrible beast had promised to forever be with me and to never let go.

I could think of no other answer I wanted. With a trembling voice I whispered, "yes."

He kissed my cheek then immediately sank his unholy fangs into my neck. Beyond the smell of blood and cold death, beyond the shivering of my body, I remember the bite inspiring a sensation like no other that swept throughout my entire body.

I became his forever and when I woke up there was nothing left of Alicia all there remained was me, and him. And his first words to me as he kissed the back of my hand were, "how do you feel my bride?"

With a sinister fanged smile I replied, "thirsty, my Count."

Well there you have it! It's a little cliche, but I enjoyed writing it. Please Rate and Review -JMichelleW