This chapter's theme is Number Seven: The Space Between Dreams And Reality.

x

x

x

x

x

It was a quiet night, just like any other. Erutis slept soundly in her guest bedroom, whispy bits red hair falling in front of her face, disturbed by her breathing. Her armor and cape were hung up on a rack Raenef had given her, and the room itself was well decorated with tapestries and jewels, particularly emeralds and greens. The knight liked money and expensive things; didn't need them and could live without them, but liked them. Chris - who, by terms of his religious in-training...ness, had a much more sparse room - was understandably jealous.

Light footsteps outside her door made her stir, shifting around in the queen-sized bed until she faced the enterance. It seemed quite late at night, if the moon was any indication; her first thoughts jumped to Raenef, but that wasn't possible. Raenef would just go to Eclipse. Chris would have rather whimpered in his room before coming to her in the middle of the night, so that only left...

The door gently slid open, a tall, pale figure slipping inside. There he was, in all his half-naked, six foot seven, raven-haired glory. His chest and broad shoulders were bare, the soft sleeping pants that clothed his lower half stark against pale skin. Erutis sat up fast, staring; was she dreaming? She wanted to pinch herself to check, but in case it wasn't, she didn't want to spoil it.

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she looked at him questioningly, moving the covers aside. His name as a question slipped past her lips as the demon advanced, a strangely serene - almost euphoric - look on his features.

"Are you okay, Eclipse?"

"I'm fine," he assured, leaning over the knight. Green eyes widened in surprise. "I came to see you."

"Without your shirt?" Erutis asked bluntly. "I thought you hated humans..."

"I've been watching you, Erutis; you are my lord's best friend and, admittedly...not as horrid as other humans. Perhaps not even horrid at all..." The words sounded alien to the knight; he rarely ever used her name, instead singling her out with a stony glare.

"But why are you..." She trailed off when long, cool fingers touched the sides of her face, and suddenly, his eyes were much closer; she saw now that they were a brilliant violet, even deeper than she'd thought.

"Don't worry." That said, the demon leaned in, carefully laying his lips across hers. Erutis blinked once before settling, shifting underneath Eclipse's pale, almost cold skin, eyes drifting shut.

Slowly, carefully, the demon stablized the human with a hand on the small of her back, overbearing and bracing himself against the bed with his free hand. The knight gasped into his mouth when her back hit the fabric, finding a moment later that Eclipse had taken the opportunity to slide his tongue past her lips.

Hm...he tastes like strawberries...

---

Erutis woke earlier than normal the next day to a dry mouth and tangled sheets. Closing her mouth, she ran her tongue against the back of her teeth, looking out the window and seeing the barest hints of sun. Yawning - and sort of defeating the purpose - she blinked herself awake, feet hitting the cold floor.

Her first coherent thought was of Eclipse. Running a hand through her hair, she looked around the room for any evidence that he'd been around, not expecting anything; she remembered nothing of the night before other than being pushed back. Like she thought, Erutis found nothing, deciding to shuffel down to the kitchen.

That was a strange dream , she mused, looking through the cupboards. I wonder if there are any strawberries... /i>