Chapter 10

Markus picked head up off the edge of the tub, only to bang it back in down frustration. He waved his hands through the blood around him. He could feel in seeping into him. He was regaining his strength very quickly.

A slight knock was heard. "Come in" he called. He lifted his head to see Lilith shutting the door behind herself. He smiled. She stopped halfway to him. "Come closer my child"

Lilith came to his side and knelt. "I heard what you said to mother" she said in a whisper. "And what she said to you"

Markus nodded. "It seems we may have lost each other"

"Can't you fix it?" Lilith asked her light voice suddenly sharp. Her blue eyes pleaded him.

"I don't know" He leaned his head back a moment. "I truly don't know"

Amelia had sent Lilith to Markus and then retreated to her room. She clenched and unclenched her fists as she paced her room. She had been planning for Markus' awakening and rehearsing what she would say since she had sent both her male companions into the deathlike sleep. But this had not gone as planned. Her pain and anger had colored what she had done and said. Now she had said she was done with him. "What was I thinking?" she asked her self as she stormed to her dresser. She had never wanted to remove herself from him but now she didn't know how to undo what she had done.

Amelia reached inside of the ornate box on the top of the dresser and pulled out a familiar dagger. She ran her fingers over it. Perhaps she could bring herself to do it again.

The image of her daughter's face, flashed through her mind.

Amelia threw the dagger across the room. It stuck into the wall, near the door, just as the door opened.

"Go away" Amelia growled, turning.

Markus stood there in a black silk robe over his blood stained ceremonial robes. "Amelia" He whispered, one eyebrow raised, as he pulled the knife out of the door. "Lilith …has made me think that perhaps I shouldn't let you go just because I can't think of anything to say to stop you"

"I don't want to separate myself from you Markus" Amelia turned and walked to the balcony. "I just…I was…am so angry with you for leaving me. I wanted to hurt you." She shook her head. "But I don't want to be alone for eternity"

"I wish I had never made Viktor" Markus said, leaning over the rail next to her.

"We all regret something in this life, now don't we?"

"I regret a lot of things"

Amelia turned her head to him. "Us?"

Markus turned too. "No"

Amelia nodded and turned back to look out over the land of the Mansion.

Markus' hands gently climbed up her back. She smiled as his lips touched her shoulder.

"Forgive me, if only for tonight?" he whispered, nipping her earlobe.

Amelia turned, kissing him. "I forgive you"