Chapter Five

More Talk, a Kiss, and the Truth

"So, what are you guys gonna do now?" Mariah asked. Winter shrugged and Midnight looked up from her reverie, up towards the heavens. Kai and the others gazed at her questioningly.

"I don't know. We can't go back to Holiday, the company's crawling with people like Vlad. That's why we have so many 'helpers.' Volunteers. They get paid. We're the payment." She snorted with disgust. "Could we... maybe... stay with you guys? We'll stay out of your way, and help around."

"Yeah. I can clean your rooms. For 50 cents of course." Tannis gave a squeak as Midnight rapped her on the head with a pencil. "What? What the heck was that for!?"

"You guys can stay as long as you like, no payment necessary. Right, guys?" Max asked. Everyone agreed. Midnight grinned.

"Thanks, you guys."

Kai flashed her a little smile before returning to the brooding, scary team captain of normal. Midnight noticed Butterfly, Finn, and Tannis gazing up at him in adoration.

"So, we stay with the others? Yay!" Wing clapped, then hugged Ray around the knees. She seemed to have a crush on him.

"This calls for a celebration." Mr. Dickinson cried genially.

"With food?" Tyson exclaimed. Everyone stared at him for a minute.

"Yes, Tyson, with food." Mr. Dickinson left, followed by Tyson and Rei to make sure he ordered the right food, and Max to keep from being bored. Gary was busy being referee to Kevin and Li, who were sparring. Mariah, Winter, and Julian were all in a corner talking. Kai had already left.

Midnight looked around, trying to find him.

Ah-ha….

And there was Kai, gazing out at the Pacific Ocean over the balcony. Midnight, not wanting to interrupt, began slowly backing away from the entryway, but stopped when Kai spoke. "It's beautiful, isn't it? The sea, I mean."

"Yeah, it is. Mind if I join you?"

"No." Midnight, hoping he meant no, he didn't mind, walked casually up to the banister. Kai didn't bat an eyelash. "So, what is it about the sea you like?"

"I like the colors, how they're always changing. The sea is always different, it's never the same for longer than a split second. It reminds me of you in some ways." Kai murmured.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You're kind of mysterious, and you just... confound the mind, confuse the senses."

"I do that to you? I'm sorry." "Are you? Don't be. Confusion can be a blessing in disguise, sometimes." He said. Midnight turned to look at him, wanting to say something, but unsure how.

"Kai, sometimes I feel... I don't know, but with you, somehow I always feel safe." Midnight whispered. Kai shivered with wonder.

What is she? he wondered silently. She's so strange... no, not strange. Different. Not to mention divinely beautiful.

"Really? I'm always feeling unsafe with you. It's like the floor could drop out from under me at any moment, and it would shatter something like a dream, and I'd wake up."

The bond between them twinged, and he slipped an arm around her shoulders. He couldn't not touch her, not now.

"Sometimes, we have to wake up, Kai. Sometimes, it's necessary to face reality."

Kai smiled a little and shook his head. "No, not with you. You have some kind of... I don't know, some kind of power, that makes life a living dream. I never want to wake up from it."

"And, I don't want to either, but do we know what we're rushing into? Winter once told me that love is a leap only the inspired can take."

"Midnight." Just her name, only that, rolling off his tongue like the sweetest honey. She melted into him. Resting her head on his chest, his arms around her, she drew a shuddering breath. He was so perfect...

"Kai, I don't know if I can leap, even if I am inspired." Midnight whispered softly. He lifted her chin up, and she stared into his eyes, so sweet, as pure as dusk. She lost all fear. Kai loved her. There was no way he could look at her like that and not love her.

I'll be there to catch you, you know. My Auramdas….

She gazed up at him for a brief moment, and then closed her eyes. She felt his warm lips against hers. His tongue, slick and warm, traced over her lips and teased them apart, sweet and inviting. He kissed her, and began drowning in the sensation of lightning crackling along his skin, heating his blood. Midnight returned his kiss, giving Kai the impression of innocence and wisdom spun together in tangled web of love, lust, and secrets. He broke off.

"What is it, love?" he whispered kindly. "What's the matter?"

"I haven't told you everything. I... I'm not who I seem." Kai's heart jumped. She couldn't possibly be... the thoughts in his head echoed with truth.

"You... you're not human!" Kai exclaimed in a whisper. "If not human, than..."

"You know who and what I am. You know."

"Is that what you were worried about?" Kai asked, incredulous. Midnight nodded. "I could care less if you were a banshee from Hell, Midnight. I honestly could. Midnight, I love you." Kai blinked, taken aback by his own words.

"You don't regret saying that, do you?"

"No, Midnight, never."

"You promise?" Kai nodded. She smiled.

"So, what's it like? Being a vampire?" "Sometimes, it's the most wonderful thing, other times, it's a curse. Often, it can be scary. I hate it."

"I think I understand. Midnight, you won't have to be that way anymore."

"I've been doing it so long, I don't know if I can stop myself. Kai, I-"He silenced her, kissing her lips with a compassionate gentility unlike any Midnight had ever know. She broke away, smiling a little at his puzzled glance. Kissing his jaw, her lips whispered over his throat until a blinding, wondrous pleasure pain coursed through his body. The vampire girl had never tasted such ecstasy, such enticing sweetness. Kai clutched her to him, and gave a little gasp as she sank her fangs deeper into his skin. He moaned, quaking with pleasure. How could this feel so... heavenly? Her mouth on him was driving him nuts.

My darkness... my beloved midnight darkness…. Kai whispered into her mind. Withdrawing her fangs, Kai brought her lips to his again, and tasted his own blood upon them. He ravaged her lips and mouth with his teethe and tongue. Sucking and coaxing her tongue into his mouth, he bit down, drawing blood. Dara whimpered against his lips. There was so much pleasure in the sound. This could go on forever...

"Kai! Where are you, Kai!?" Tyson's voice rang, startling them both. Kai swore to himself.

"Count on Tyson to have a talent for bad timing!" Midnight whispered, trying to make him smile. He smiled, kissed her, and then walked back toward the door.

"Don't come back in for a couple minutes, or through a different entrance." Kai instructed. Midnight gave him the ok. Vanishing into the mist, she floated to the ground below, slipped under the door, glided quietly to the room, and then reappeared silently.

"Hey, guys!" Everyone smiled but Winter, who frowned disapprovingly. Kai gave her a wave. Things would be like this for a while, she knew. But, she had had a talk, a kiss, and the truth.