Away the sorrow,

Away the pain,

For one night's moon,

What was lost I shall gain.

Heart that was broken,

Mend and shine,

Reveal to me what once was mine.

Before my eyes,

Let come to be,

The heart's desire stolen from me.

With willing blood,

Now I have swore,

Only death shall steal my love once more.

Kalabar's fingers trembled under the last fading lines of the spell, the meaning behind the words choking him. In a moment of blind love for him, Delilah had used magic she did not fully understand. He personally had never even skimmed through this particular book of spells. These were the words of a sorceress long ago plagued by a broken heart and killed by her own hand from madness. The spell had been intently designed to be permanent. There was nothing he could do. He was helpless.

Nothing….nothing….nothing…

There was no means to reverse the spell. Delilah had sealed his fate, and hers, with her own blood. If he attempted to correct the spell with his own blood magic, it was more likely that he would empower the spell even more.

Hopeless…

Slamming the tome shut in disgust, Kalabar fell back into his chair in defeat. He had half a mind to burn the treacherous volume.

"What can be done then to reverse the spell?" Delilah's gentle hand found his shoulder. Kalabar trembled slightly at her faint touch. Even after his horrendous crime against she still dared to touch him and look at him with nothing but love. She was far superior than anything he could ever hope to be.

"The spell was not only strengthened by blood magic, but also by the combined forces of the full moon and All Hallow's Eve. That level of potency can not be stripped away with any counter spell."

Kalabar looked around at the familiar furnishings of his study; his books, his papers, and odd trinkets. The room had always been a private sanctuary for him to find peace, now it felt defiled. His gaze then moved to stare as he swirled the last remains of his brandy. As the amber liquid danced gracefully in its glass dome the light of the fire reflected through, transforming the fluid into the exact shade of Gwen's eyes.

"Only death can end it."

Kalabar did not plan to rise from his chair so forcefully that it threatened to topple over; nor did he plan to stride towards the fireplace to throw the offensive brandy into the flames. The sudden ruse of heat as the flames rose up greedily to consume his offering felt like the closest thing to scrubbing himself clean of his sins.

"I deserve death."

Kalabar turned his back on the flames to look back at his sister who was still rooted to her spot next to his chair. He could not look at her without being stabbed by shame. The glint of firelight next to her clasped hands brought his gaze down to his desk. His letter opener, delicately crafted to mimic a miniature dagger, at so innocently- no, invitingly- down on the polished oak. Kalabar's intense gaze upon the object caused Delilah to frown in concern.

"Surely, you are not thinking about doing something so foolish?"

"Do you not see?" Kalabar's voice deepened to where his words growled. "Every full moon I will see her standing in your place. Your body will be her body to eyes, hands, and mouth. I will need her till I can have her." Kalabar shook his head forcefully. "No. I will not be made a slave to this spell. I will not hurt you. I'm better off dead!"

Surging forward he reached out desperately for the letter opener.

"No!" Delilah snatched up the potential weapon and protectively held it to her heart. "I am not losing you too!"

"I will be a monster!" Kalabar screamed back. "With my death you will be safe!"

He tried to take the object from her but for once his delicate sister had the strength of several men. The slap that made contact with his cheek was sharp and swift. The hot burning sensation on his flesh stopped his frenzied attempt to fight her. Delilah had never struck him before. Stunned speechless he watched as hot, angry tears fell down Delilah's own cheeks. Then she spoke in a voice that cracked with emotion.

"I have lost my mother. I have lost my father, and now you are going to leave me all alone? Your death will not ease any pain, it will only cause more. I love you, brother."

"Delilah…please!" Kalabar tried once more to take the letter opener from her but was greeted once more by another sting on his flesh.

"I am so sorry for what I have done to you….to us both."

"Delilah…."

"And I forgive you for what you did!" Her words ended with a choked sob, like she was struggling to keep her own pain inside. The letter opener fell to the floor with a soft thud as she grasped Kalabar's shoulders as he fell to his knees. "But I will not forgive you if you harm yourself. I have no one else in this world. You promised that you would always be there for me, and I promised to always be there for you. I have to believe that there is a way we can get through this. Together!"

Kalabar turned his face away in shame, it was too painful to look at her angelic face. Laying his head against her chest her arms cradled him.

"I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I am enslaved by my love for her. I'm so so sorry. Please….please still love me."

Of course she forgave him. Of course she still loved him. Those golden eyes that had stared back at her in the night had not been her brother's. They belonged to a vile creature plagued by lust and need, that now lurked within the shadows of her brother's mind. Waiting patiently for it to be called out once more by the light of the full moon. If only she had not used that wretched spell!

All she had wanted was to ease her brother's suffering; and now she had worsened it tenfold. What a cruel trick of fate that had led them to this. Delilah was not naïve, she understood that no spell could fix their situation. That thing would come back again for her. Despite that looming threat, a life alone in this mausoleum of a home was more unbearable. They would find a solution. There had to be one!

They would be a happy family once more.