Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. They are the property of Hajime Kanzaka and Shoko Yoshinaka.

Chapter Eleven - Halo

A Song by Depeche Mode

Centred Italics – Lyrics

Black – Any Narrative

Dynast walked through the halls of his castle. They were as cold as ever, but he didn't bother to light any of the fireplaces. He felt the cold a little, but at this precise moment, he just wasn't thinking much about his own comfort. There was no fiery young woman to protect or to preserve, so it might be as cold as diamond sleet for all he cared. It wasn't that he was depressed or angry about Lina being so forcefully removed from the castle. The plain truth was that although Dynast had not expected Zelgadis to barge in at that exact moment, it did wonders for his own plans. It made for a far better situation when Hellmaster made his entrance and declared his punishment; that Dynast would be exiled to his own castle for X amount of years. It wasn't that Dynast cared if he were punished either. He didn't care, and in truth, had completely expected to be imprisoned like this from the start. It didn't matter to his plans at all.

Now he was walking up a rounded staircase that led him to one of the spires of the castle. The further he got the more difficult the stairs were to negotiate with, as the rock was crumbling to nothing, but he insisted on traveling to the top of the tower by placing each of his boots on the appropriate stair; one foot after another. For some reason it didn't seem at all right to teleport to the top. He wanted to walk with his own feet – perhaps to prove to himself how sincere his intentions towards Lina really were. He would travel her way by keeping his feet on the ground once more – for one last time.

He remembered her now, thinking of the crimson tide of her blood. Ah, how he longed to hear that powerful little sorceress scream. The waiting was terrible as they traveled together, but what a scream she had! He had waited and waited until the time was right, and his timing was always flawless. He had proved himself right with his last moments with her before Zelgadis appeared. Those moments were fresh in his mind, and her incredible soul unforgettably stained on every edge of his senses. He wanted her beside him again.

At last, he came out on the top of the tower. The air was deadly cold around him, but he opened his mouth and said the words that were on his mind.

"You wear guilt
Like shackles on your feet
Like a halo in reverse"

Lina woke up the next morning to a little itch behind both of her eyes. A faint light from the window lighted the room a little and she could make out a few things in the room. She saw that there were furs and blankets around her, but she had kicked them all off during the night. She thought of starting another fire in the grate, but decided to go have a bath in the hot springs first and send a servant to light the fireplace for her. The cold hadn't bothered her last night as much as it bothered her on the way up north, but Zelgadis seemed to keep himself by the fire constantly, so she would have it lit in case he came to visit her.

The floor was freezing as she tried to get out of bed, but there was no use for it if she was going to get to the baths, and she ended up running all the way to the hot springs on her tippy toes.

When she first let herself into the water it hurt a little, but she forced herself to endure it, because she remembered that she had always liked hot springs in the past.

At first, as she tried to relax herself, she thought only about Zel. She was naturally suspicious as to whether or not he was really Zel or Dynast. In the end, she concluded that it had to be Zel. Dynast could have never faked insecurity – mazoku are not insecure.

She thought about Zel's kiss and the blackness that had followed. She touched her lips with her fingers, remembering how hard he had been on her. Maybe that was all it was, she had never been kissed before, maybe that was how it was done. He was really beautiful. She remembered how much restraint she had to exercise not to tell him how ultimately provocative she thought his body and mannerisms were, since she was discussing the topic. How could he have ever thought that he was not capable of attracting a woman? Totally ridiculous!

The water was finally starting to warm her up a little bit and she started to take in her surroundings, when suddenly something caught her eye. There was a mark on her chest. It was about six centimeters long and a little under one centimeter wide. It was pure white, and somehow reminded her of a scar, but she had never had an injury exactly over her heart.

She was trying to remember. It was hard to remember – she almost didn't want to, but the memory was coming to her unbidden.

"I can feel
The discomfort in your seat
And in your head it's worse"

Lina had been standing by the window with Dynast. His arms were around her and he was whispering things into her ear. He had turned her around to face him; to bring his mouth close to hers. Dynast's grey eyes seemed to become darker and darker. She thought he was going to hurt her, and she felt his hands on her back. One of his hands was holding something . . .

What was he holding?

He brought his hand around slowly and showed her what it was. The sight of the jagged metal blade shocked her. What was he planning to do with that? But, then he told her.

"I can't have you all to myself unless you're really mine. Humans belong to no one but each other. Just remember, mazoku are the same," Dynast said smoothly – like milk.

He was too swift for her to stop him and before she knew it the dagger was not only in her chest, but protruding from her back. She was coughing blood . . . but his arms were still around her, and he removed the dagger with one motion. Then what did he do?

"There's a pain
A famine in your heart
An aching to be free"

This part she could not remember. The next thing she did remember was coming out of the bath with a towel around her and he gave her a white dress. It had not been long after that that Zelgadis had come to rescue her. But Dynast . . .

"Can't you see
All love's luxuries
Are here for you and me"

Her head became very fuzzy again. Why should she care what happened to Dynast? He hadn't come after her, had he? No. Zel was the one who cared for her. She loved Zel back too so, why should she care what happened to Dynast? Why should it matter to her in the least? Why did she want to see him so bad suddenly? She didn't love him so, why was she feeling like this?

Lina's eyes were hurting now; everything was blurring. She lurched out of the hot spring to dry off and get her clothes on before she passed into darkness again. She tried to focus on the thought that she didn't want to be naked if she lost consciousness again. She dried off slowly with the only towel she could find and pulled on her undergarments even though she feared her head would crack against the floor for how dizzy she was becoming. She tried, but she was unable to keep herself together another moment and fell to the floor.

Brilliant white!

"And when our worlds they fall apart
When the walls come tumbling in
Though we may deserve it
It will be worth it"

Lina did hit the floor, but it was not the floor she was expecting. It was not the cobblestone of the area around the hot springs, but very cold carpet. Her head suddenly felt uncommonly clear and she lifted her eyes to see where she was.

His grey eyes arrested her, but she saw that it was Dynast who sat happily on his throne. He rose to his feet as she attempted to stand. His eyes were unwaveringly set upon her as he suddenly began singing. What was he singing – his voice so deep and ringing - it was the voice she heard before.

"Bring your chains
Your lips of tragedy
And fall into my arms"

He stood in front of her now. The pull of him was irresistible; she wanted to be near him so badly and she had no idea why. Why did she want to be here? She was thinking rashly, trying to come up with an explanation for the impossible.

"What am I doing here?" she cried. "Why did you bring me back here?"

"Oh, Lina-chan," he said, placing a hand on his hip. "You came here on your own."

She gritted her teeth, glaring at him. Looking down, she spotted the white streak marked on her flesh, and she remembered the sight of the bloody gash that was practically a crater in her chest only the day before. The sight had been hidden from her mind until now, but she saw the blood spreading and spraying in the past of her mind's eye.

"What did you do to me?" she asked, her voice hallow.

"Surely, you remember by now. You must remember your blood, and everything around you becoming extremely quiet until you heard the wild beatings of your new mazoku body. Tell me about how much it hurt and how new you felt when I welcomed you out of the water," Dynast said, not taking another step towards her.

With his words, her very last doubts trickled away from her. He had no love for her; he had made her his servant – no, his slave.

"And when our worlds they fall apart
When the walls come tumbling in
Though we may deserve it
It will be worth it"

Author's Notes: hehehehe . . . I love it when Lina goes mazoku! I don't know why it makes me ridiculously happy, but it does. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review!