**DISCLAIMER: The concept of the Night World
and all related characters belong to L.J. Smith, not me.**
Author's Notes: Hi everyone. This takes place in the
Night World universe but there's not going to be much going on with L.J.
Smith's characters. These are all mine. Also, it takes place before Circle
Daybreak is formed and therefore before the Night World books take place.
Please send some feedback or review! Enjoy reading!
*******************
"In love the paradox occurs that two beings
become one and yet remain two."
~Erich Fromm~
Amulet of Artemis
by: The Silver Princess
"Its even weirder than normal. They used to stare,
now they're outright gaping," Elise
remarked to Xander. He shrugged quietly, distant.
She frowned. "Is something the matter?" she asked
worriedly.
"Oh,"
he started as if just noticing she was still there. "Nothing." Affectionately,
he draped his arm over her shoulders with a loving squeeze.
Elise frowned suspiciously, unsatisfied with his
vagueness, and she was not about to be put off by a romantic gesture. She opened
her mouth to insist on a straightforward answer.
"Hey,
guys!" Leilani hollered from the other side of the hall, effectively silencing
Elise's forthcoming demand. She squirmed her way towards them. "So study
session at your house?" she asked, turning towards Elise.
"Sure," she said affirmatively.
The three walked companionably towards Elise's home.
"Godde . . . uh, God!" Leilani
exclaimed, stopping suddenly. "I left my biology book in my locker. I so
cannot get another incomplete on homework. Wait here, okay?" Without pausing to
hear their consent, she took off flying back towards the school. Elise and
Xander shared an amused glance as they watched the fiery-haired figure retreat
into the distance.
"Do you think she really forgot her book?" Elise
asked skeptically.
"Not a chance," Xander replied immediately. "She
almost never forgets anything. No, I think this is a case of sisterly meddling.
This morning she mentioned thinking that we didn't have enough time together
alone."
Elise laughed. "Well, the least we could do is
fulfill her wishes," she said all too lackadaisically.
Xander grinned wickedly and, catching her by her
wrist, pulled her to him. She snuggled against him. Holding her chin, he raised
her face and kissed her.
Elise floated happily but then frowned mentally,
wishing she could feel that connection with him again. Oh, it was a wonderful
kiss, but that magical touching of minds seemed cut off.
Without warning, somebody knocked into them and sent
her reeling from the safety of his arms. Her head hit something, immediately
sending a throb of pain into her skull. She looked up, a sharp retort on her
tongue for whoever had knocked her down.
But it wasn't Leilani. All lightheartedness fled from
her disposition. She gulped, frozen as that horrible man who had assaulted her
now attacked Xander.
She couldn't move. Even the analytical part of her
mind, so helpful when she was attacked was petrified at the sight of Xander
struggling with a madman. Somehow, it couldn't be happening.
The fight was eerily silently. Neither Xander nor
that lunatic cried out or yelled. They just grappled silently and perilously as
two lethal cobras. Her head pounded and throbbed. That must be why she thought
she saw colored fire flicker around them.
Before Elise could even follow the movement, the man
got the upper hand. He slammed Xander against the trunk of a close-by tree. His
head made a wet smack and Elise saw
blood, bright crimson against the dark red-brown of his hair. She saw Xander
look up with his blazing emerald eyes unfocused at the man towering over him.
The ground trembled, and she jerked to her senses.
Suddenly, she was no longer dazed and disbelieving. She scooped up her
forgotten backpack, and holding it by its straps, she swung it at the gold-eyed
man, knocking the breath out of him. The momentum of her bag swung her around
and overbalanced her. With a small shriek, she toppled over to the ground.
Tears sprung to her eyes as she hit the hard pavement
of the sidewalk and lost her breath, giving the assailant time to recover. With
Xander now out of the picture, the man slowly strolled towards her gasping
body.
As he looked at her with that mad grin, she glanced
over at Xander. Oh, please say he's all right. He's all right, right? Oh,
god. She looked up at the man.
He saw that she was aware of him and came in to
attack. She squeezed her eyes shut in mock defeat. Now or never. For you,
Xander, she thought ferociously. I'll kill anybody who dares hurt you.
Through slitted azure eyes, she saw the attacker stand over her. NOW!
With all her strength, she snapped her leg up,
catching him hard between the legs. As the man oomphed and doubled over, she crawled to Xander.
He looked up at her dazedly. "I'll be okay," he
whispered painfully. "Go."
"Not on your life!" she said indignantly. She pressed
a firm hand against his head cut. "Now, be quiet." She kissed him gently, tears
finally squeezing from her eyes. Oh, god. What would she have done without him?
She looked over her shoulder and saw the man slink
into the forest. Good riddance, she thought. "Shh," Elise murmured to
Xander. "Everything's going to be just fine," she said tearfully.
* * *
Xander felt his heart constrict painfully every time
he recalled Elise's tears and the danger she went through trying to protect
him. It was through luck more than anything that she had survived. More than
ever, that witch meant business. He had been out for Xander's blood.
"Xander, you okay?" Elise asked worriedly. She had
come over after he missed school to see how he was. He nodded inattentively. It
was his fault. She would have been home, safe and sound if she hadn't been with
him. His initial instincts had been right.
"Could you just give me some privacy?" he found
himself asking brusquely.
He glanced at her face and saw her frown, about to
ask another question. Immediately, he amended, "I'm just a little tired, you
know."
Instantly, her exquisite cobalt eyes turned
sensitive. "I'll let you rest then," she smiled softly. She leaned forward,
gave him a gentle peck with those lovely rose-colored lips, and quietly left
the room. His last glance of her was her gorgeous glittering gold hair.
He had hurt her; only the excuse of his injury had
saved him. But perhaps it was better that way. He would have to—he gulped
convulsively—break up with her, would have to see her tears and not comfort
her. But better to see her tears than her blood, he thought harshly.
Glimmering
teardrops gathered in his fiery emerald eyes. He wouldn't think of himself. He
loved her and therefore couldn't endanger her. He'd have to keep her away from
him.
But not yet,
he thought.
**Hi, everyone. I'm sorry for the delay in posting, but summer vacation traveling made things a trifle difficult. So, FYI: I'm going to be gone all July, and I won't get to posting anything until August. Chao 'til then!**