Second Chapter! Woot! I don't have much of anything to say…so here we go!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, unfortunately. If I owned Delos, I would be driving him nuts right now, and Maggie would be deciding wether to bash my head in with a board or hammer or both. Miles would be laughing his head off.

Shadow Sapphire Chapter Two

"Circle Daybreak?" I asked, the two words meaning absolutely nothing to me.

"I'll take that as a no. Circle Daybreak is a group of Night People that want the humans and Night People to live in peace. Well, actually, it's not as goody-goody as it sounds. Most of the Night People there have human soulmates, so they definitely want to protect the human race from the end of the world that has been prophesied. There's a few people that have even gone from absolutely hating humans to falling in love with one. It's not a huge organization, because most people are too scared to join. Joining means breaking both laws of the Night World, which is punishable by death." Delos explained.

"Ah. What are these two laws?" I asked.

"One, humans must never find out about the Night World. Two, we must never fall in love with a human. I've broken both already, so there's no more danger to either of us than there already is." Delos sighed.

"Where is Circle Daybreak?"

"That's a very good question. Last time I checked, they were in Montana. But they are very likely to have moved by now, with the whole Night World after them. They're our only chance of survival, though, so we're going to have to find them, somehow." Delos looked at the ceiling.

"I think it's a good idea. When do you think we should leave?" I wondered.

Delos raised his hand and smoothed my hair off my forehead. "I don't know exactly. Not right away, we need to get things settled a bit here, figure out what to do with everyone else. But not too late, either. Some nobles got away, and they're undoubtedly running straight to the Night World authorities to tell them about us."

"Okay." I murmured, closing my eyes.

"Goodnight, Maggie." Delos whispered.

I lifted my head and body and dragged myself off him, laying down again on my stomach, right beside him, my hip touching his leg. "Goodnight, Delos."

I laid there for a moment, thinking about how incredibly lucky I was to be soulmates with Delos. And I fell asleep thinking happy thoughts about being with him for the rest of my life, eventually becoming a vampire so I would be immortal and could be with him forever.

"Maggie, wake up, love. It's the morning. Time to get up." I heard a voice saying beside me, along with a hand very gently shaking my shoulder.

No, not just a voice. A very, very, familiar voice. Delos. I cracked open one eye to see that I was right. Delos was leaning over me, already dressed and ready for the day. How unlike me. I squeezed my eyes shut for a second, then opened them.

"Good morning." Delos said.

"'Morning." I croaked.

"I take it you're not an early riser." Delos grinned.

"Not at all. I can't believe you're already up. What time is it?" I asked groggily.

"8 o' clock." Delos told me.

"Okay, okay, I'll get up. What time did you get up?" I asked.

"6:30." He said shortly.

"What? Jeez." I shook my head.

"I brought you some of my mother's clothes." Delos informed me.

"Okay." Then I saw what he brought. "A dress. Wonderful."

"Is there something wrong with that?" Delos asked worriedly.

"No! I'm not used to wearing a dress. Just watch me, I'll trip over a hundred times today." I smiled.

"I'll catch you, don't worry." He kissed my forehead and then left the room to let me get dressed.

I crawled out of the bed and walked slowly over to the chair, where the dress was lying. I sighed. I would just be itching to be out of it by the end of the day, I guarantee it. It was actually very pretty, though. Delos chose well. I suppose he would, he knows what I like, after seeing my mind.

It was a beautiful dark blue, with a satiny texture. Long sleeves that became wide and would hang off my wrists at the end. The skirt was floor length and would fit against my legs. Then I unhappily noted how low the neck was. Suck it up, I told myself. I had noticed how every single dress that I'd seen a woman wear here, and the dressed in Delos's mother's closet, were all quite low. Maybe that was the style in the 16th century.

I took my nightgown off and slid the dress on. It fit really well. I strode over to the mirror to inspect myself, and was pleased with my reflection. I looked good, better than last night. My hair was really wild, though. I decided that had to be remedied. After all, we just finished off Hunter and saved ourselves and all the slaves. We needed to look nice today, there would probably be some kind of celebration, right?

I looked around the room, and then decided that Delos probably had a brush in his bathroom. As I walked over there, something fell and hit the floor. I turned around, and I caught sight of a necklace lying on the ground. It must have been caught in the folds of the dress, Delos must have brought it. So I bent and picked it up, fingering the delicate gold chain and marvelling at the beautiful pendant. It was a dark red stone, probably a garnet, and it was really very pretty. I undid the clasp and fastened it around my neck, then continued on my way to the bathroom. I was right, a small comb sat on the counter. Good enough.

After a long while of combing the many knots in my hair, I was satisfied that it looked good enough, and I opened the bedroom door, only to find Delos coming down the hall. He must have been coming to find me. I smiled at him, and his face softened. He pulled me towards him, catching me in a small kiss before letting me go, just keeping hold of my hand. Delos led me down a few hallways, and then I looked more closely at what he was wearing. I had no names for the old-fashioned clothing, but I can say that it looked damn good on him, and it was sort of fancy. Okay…explanation required.

"What are we doing today?" I asked casually.

"Nothing much. Aradia is going to leave and go back to the witches. Other than that, I have no idea." He said as evenly as I had.

I rolled my eyes to myself. I didn't have a chance in hell at beating him at this game, so I abandoned it and went for the blunt approach.

"What are you keeping from me?" I planted myself in front of him, blocking him from walking farther.

Delos stopped and raised an eyebrow at me. "What do you mean? What makes you think I'm keeping something from you?"

He said it coolly, giving me absolutely no emotion to work with.

"You're so difficult!" I groaned. "I know you're not telling me something. Now what is it?"

"Fine, then. You'll have to wait and see." Delos stepped around me and continued pulling me after him.

"Will you at least tell me where we're going?"

"No."

I made an exasperated sound, and he grinned. "All right, we're going to the ballroom."

"Pardon? Why are we going there?" I heard a small note of panic in my voice. I played soccer. I did not dance.

"As I said, you'll have to wait and see." Delos told me.

I sighed but didn't press him further. I knew when he was determined, and he was determined not to tell me anything else. But then I got an idea. Force obviously wouldn't work. Anger wouldn't work. I was not going to throw a tantrum. What about….persuasion? I stopped walking, forcing him to either stop or pull my arm out of my socket. He chose the first option. I stepped closer to him, and then almost ruined everything by laughing at his suspicious and confused expression. Then I leaned closer and kissed him, right on the mouth. He kissed me back, and I put my hands on his shoulders. Then he pulled away from me and started walking again. "That's not going to work. There's still not a chance that I'll tell you."

"Oh, come on. That was my last card to play." I groaned.

"Exactly."

We didn't talk the rest of the way. Delos left me to stew in my curiosity. Agh. Then he finally stopped in front of two ornately carved double doors. The ballroom. He turned to me and asked, "Ready?"

"I suppose so. Not that I know what I'm ready for."

Delos just pushed open the door, pulling me inside. And I stopped dead. The room was beautiful. Hardwood floor, tapestries all over. Decorated in an old-fashioned way. Then I saw the amount of people inside, and gasped. Everyone was here. Miles, Jeanne, Aradia, everyone. And then Miles stepped forward and hugged me, whispering in my ear, "Happy seventeenth birthday, Maggie."

Birthday? Wait a minute what was the date? Was it really my birthday? I was seventeen?

"What's the date?" I floundered.

"October 17th." Delos said, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Really? When did you do all this?" I stared, awestruck, around the beautifully decorated room.

"I got up at 6:30, Maggie. Did you expect that I just wandered around until you woke up? I would have stayed with you if I wasn't doing this." Delos told me.

"Wow. Thank you." I said to everyone.

"She's thanking us, when she just saved us all yesterday?" Old Mender gave an exasperated eye roll.

Then Delos gave a nod to someone, and the lights turned off. Music started playing, but it was nothing I recognized, of course. I wasn't alive when that was composed. Delos released my waist and settled for my hand. Then I realized what he was going to do.

"No, Delos! I can't dance! I haven't the slightest clue how!" I said wildly.

"Calm down, Maggie. Maybe you haven't before, but I have. And it's not hard. You'll pick up on it quickly." Delos soothed me, tugging me farther out onto the dance floor.

"I'm not so sure about that." I muttered.

But I followed him, incredibly glad that other people were dancing. It wasn't just me and him with everyone staring, like they did it in the movies. Delos turned to me, putting a hand on my hip. I put the hand that he wasn't holding on his shoulder, hoping to God that was what I was supposed to do. Then I saw in the corner of my eye that Miles was leading Jeanne out to dance. That was good. I knew they liked each other. But I didn't get to think on it long, because Delos was moving. I scrambled to try and remember what little I knew about ballroom dancing. I was amazed at the small amount of work I had to do. It was quite easy to just follow what Delos was doing. Then I started laughing. Why had I been so distressed about this? It was easy! Delos smiled, and said, "I told you it wasn't hard."

"You were right." I laughed.

Delos spun me around then, and I giggled. This was actually pretty fun. The skirt of my dress twirled with me, creating a neat effect.

Random Onlooker's POV

I was watching Prince Delos and the Deliverer. Maggie, was it? I thought so. For the first time that I had ever seen, there was happiness on the prince's face. He looked even handsomer than usual, his smile being so rare. Maggie was having a good effect on him. I was still wary of him, of course. Though I did have quite a bit of respect. He had killed his great grandfather just to save the girl. Maggie was beautiful. Her brownish-red hair was sleek and slightly wavy. It fell around her shoulders and rippled when she moved. Her dress made her look so gorgeous, and I could see she was very happy, too. She was laughing, and Prince Delos was smiling. Then he twirled her, and I marvelled at the skill in which he led her. She turned effortlessly, and I was shocked. She danced better than we did, and we had done it before. All in all, what I was seeing was a very handsome man and his very beautiful wife having fun with a very elegant dance.

Maggie POV

I ended the turn and gave a Delos a huge grin. Then he started doing other different moves, and it wasn't as easy as before. Then the song clearly began building up for a big finish. It was getting faster and faster, meaning Delos was leading me faster and faster. He spun me in a series of turns, and then the hand he had on my hip shifted to my back and he let me fall down close to the floor before he caught me. My head was hanging backwards, my face to the ceiling. Just as he caught me, the music came to a dramatic end. I smiled up at Delos, and then I realized that his arms must be breaking. But he was a vampire, I suppose…. His lips curved up, and then he leaned forward and kissed me. Right in front of everyone. If it wasn't clear that we were together before, it sure was now. Then he took my hand and pulled me back onto my feet. I leaned my head on his chest, my arms resting on his shoulders. He put his arms around my waist, holding me up.

"That was fun." I whispered.

"I thought so, too." He murmured.

"But tiring. Sheesh, if it was tiring for me, I can't imagine what you must be feeling." I said.

"I'm a vampire. Remember that. Though I don't think you're likely to forget." Delos muttered.

"Hey, Maggie! Come dance with me!" Miles called.

I smiled at him, and let go of Delos. "Do you mind?" I asked.

"Of course not, Maggie. Go." Delos encouraged, giving me a small push in Miles' direction.

I walked over to Miles, and he took my hand and started dancing with me. "How ya doing, birthday girl?"

"I'm good. Thanks for all this." I nodded around the room.

"No problem."

"So, you like Jeanne, huh?" I smirked.

Miles turned pink and looked down at me. "Got a problem with that?" he threatened playfully.

"I think you guys would be good together." I told him.

"I'm glad you think so. Hey, look." Miles cocked his head in the direction where I'd left Delos.

I turned my head and laughed. Delos and Jeanne were dancing. Delos looked like he was determined. Jeanne just looked slightly amazed and a bit embarrassed. Then Delos said something to her, and her body relaxed and her face visibly cleared. I was glad she didn't hold a grudge against him.

"Where's a camera when you need one?" I laughed.

"Not here, that's for sure." Miles chuckled.

"No kidding. We should take Delos into a city. He'd be so lost." I shook my head.

The song ended, and I went back to Delos. "Are you hungry? There's some food over there." Delos told me.

I was about to say I was fine, but my stomach betrayed me by growling softly. A normal person wouldn't have heard it, other than me, but Delos wasn't human, and I knew he heard it easily.

"Come on." Delos ordered, bringing me towards a table I hadn't noticed before. There was all sorts of food all over the table, and I took a bit of everything. I noticed that Delos didn't take anything, and I frowned.

"Delos! When was the last time you hunted? You must be thirsty." I cried.

"Not unbearably." The look on his face told me that he didn't want to have this conversation, but I could also tell I was right, so I was not giving up.

"But you are. As soon as this is over, you're going out hunting. You have no choice in the matter." I scolded.

"Calm down. I'll go hunting when I need to."

I turned my eyes to the heavens, but I said nothing more.

For two more hours we danced and talked to the other former-slaves that I hadn't met yet. And finally the party ended and Delos and I left the room.

"What now?" I asked.

"Whatever you want." Delos said, staring into my eyes.

"Helpful." I muttered. "I have no idea what's in this castle. I spent only one day in here before, and that was in the dungeon." I gave him a look.

He winced and said, "I am sorry about that."

"I don't blame you. I was ready to knock your head off when you weren't seeing what I wanted you to see." I grinned.

"Have you ridden a horse before?" Delos asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, I used to take lessons when I was younger. Is there one I can ride?" I asked him.

Delos snorted. "Of course there is. There's every kind of horse imaginable in that stable. I used to spend a lot of time in there. It was the one place I could escape from my father. Let's go."

And that was how I found myself sitting on a gorgeous dark grey mare called Tesket. I had been worried that I would forget everything I had learned back home, but it came back to me surprisingly well. But I would never compare to how good a rider Delos was. He sat straight and easy on his dark stallion, holding the reins and talking to me while he skilfully steered the horse around trees.

"He's so pretty. What's his name?" I asked, watching the horse's sleek coat shine in the sun.

"Jasper. He may be pretty, but he loves to misbehave." Delos said, rubbing Jasper's neck.

Delos led Tesket and I up a hill that overlooked the entire forest. It was a beautiful sight.

"Do you know how to canter?" he asked.

I nodded. Delos urged Jasper into a smooth canter, and I rode along beside him. I loved cantering, and Tesket had nice gait. It was smooth and fast. We rode for a long while, but it only felt like minutes to me when Delos settled back into a walk and took us on a narrow trail through the trees that emerged at a small stream. We dismounted and let the horses drink from the stream. I flopped down on the grass. Delos sat beside me, and we stayed there and talked for probably more than two hours. Then we got up and went riding for another long time. We were still out when it started to get dark. Then we decided we should get back before everyone else thought we'd gone off and died or something.

I reached up to take Tesket's saddle off back at the stable, but two arms beat me there. Delos.

"I can lift a saddle, you know." I grumbled, feeling useless.

"So can I. Much easier than you can." Delos answered. "Come on, let's get back to the castle."

We walked back, our arms swinging between us. Delos explained about Circle Daybreak over dinner. Jeanne and Miles thought it was an excellent idea. They would have to come, too, because Jeanne was human and knew all about the Night World, and apparently Sylvia had broken the law by making Miles a shapeshifter. They would both be killed if they were caught.

And then Delos and I were walking down the hallway towards our room. Yes, our room. I was forcing myself to think of it as being ours, not his.

"This day went fast." I sighed.

"That's what happens when you're having fun the whole day." Delos said.

"I guess so." I agreed.

This time we ignored the bathroom and changed with our backs to each other. It was easier. I heard Delos fall into the bed, and when I turned he still had his back to me like any decent person would. I clambered into the bed beside him, and he rolled over to face me. Then I realized something.

"You didn't hunt today!" I exclaimed angrily.

"No, I suppose I didn't. I don't need to, I'm fine." He said stubbornly.

"Fine." I gave in.

Then I leaned over, my hand reaching for his as he reached for mine. When our skin touched, I found myself in Delos's mind again. It was different this time. The icicles were gone. That was good.

It's because of you. Delos thought at me.

It's not just me. You did this, you changed.

I started looking through his thoughts, trying to find out if he'd been lying to me when he said that he wasn't thirsty. Then I found it. He was lying. He was really, really thirsty, and he still wouldn't tell me.

DELOS! I thought/shrieked.

It's not that bad.

Delos, I'm in your mind, and you're lying! You are thirsty! I exclaimed.

Then I shot myself out of his mind. It was almost painful, the sudden separation. I ignored it and sat up, then scooted over closer to Delos. Then I laid back and tilted my chin back. I grabbed Delos's face and pulled his mouth towards my neck.

"Maggie, what are you doing?" There was a note of distress in his voice.

Good. He could see my pulse and smell my blood. It wouldn't be long before he cracked. I wasn't afraid like you'd think I'd be, when I was inviting him to bite me so he could satisfy his thirst. I knew it wouldn't kill me.

"What does it look like I'm doing? You're incredibly thirsty, I'm full of blood. Come on, Delos." I pulled his head closer to my throat until his mouth was gently touching it. Right over where my pulse was.

"No, Maggie.." he whispered.

"I'm not scared, Delos. It's not like it'll kill me. I'll be fine." I coaxed him.

"No…" I could see him fighting an incredible internal battle. Every sense and fiber in his body was screaming at him to bite me. But his mind said otherwise. I knew I was going to win, but it would take a while, so I decided to speed up the process. I bit my lip, hard. Blood oozed out, and Delos stiffened. He didn't have a chance now that blood was running. I lifted my hand and ran a finger across my bloody lip, then wiped it on my throat, beside his mouth. Delos was trembling, his shoulders shaking with the effort of not biting me. Then I visibly saw his instincts win out over his mind. He stopped trembling, and he shifted onto his stomach beside me. He put an arm across my waist, but it wasn't restraining, it was comforting. His other hand came up to hold my head. Then I felt the double sting of fangs embedding themselves in my flesh. Then I felt blood running out and into his mouth. I relaxed now that I had won. He drank for twenty minutes, and then he finally managed to pull himself away, wiping his mouth. He sat up beside me, and then gave me a death glare.

"What?" I asked.

"That was not right. I shouldn't be treating you like prey. You're my soulmate, not a food source! There was absolutely no reason for you to do that." He said icily.

"Oh, please. It didn't hurt me, and I don't mind. It's better for you to be fed than starving." I argued.

He groaned, and put his arm back over my waist, and laid his head on his pillow.

"Don't be mad at me, Delos." I pleaded.

Delos lifted his head to say, "I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself. I'm mad at what I am. I wish I were human."

"That wouldn't help anything." I told him.

He grunted in what I took to be reluctant agreement. Then I fell asleep.

Two chapters! Wow, this one was long compared to the first one. And I realize a mistake I made. They don't have bathrooms there, they have chamber pots. How could I forget faithful ol' Chamber Pot Emptier? But pretend for the sake of the story.

Thank you to wolfgrl101 and NOtalka for reviewing!

*SanraitaFang*