Sorry about the wait! Anyways, introducing two new charas. They're from a non-fan fiction book I've been working on in my spare time: Raven in the Fog. Doubt it'll ever get published, but it's amusing for me to fool around with, just the same.

Mouse: Jason fell in love with Marie a few months before she was killed--or, supposedly killed! dramatic back-ground music And both Jason and Marie are demons, always have been. After I'm finished this, I'm gonna write a story about Jason's history . For now, I'll just use the basics about his past; in the other book, I'll go into detail.

For all the awesome reviewers: Thanks! I hope to finish this book by sometime next month--sooner if I can. Don't know how long it's gonna be, but I'm guessing it will end at roughly between twenty and twenty five chapters.

December

Five weeks later

Gabriel smiled as he set down his quill. He had used up nearly six dozen sheets of paper ( and half had ended up ion crumpled balls on the floor) , but he had finally finished it; his concerto.

Organizing the music sheets that lay in chaos across his desk, he realized that it was nearly Christmas. He had forgotten about such holidays, as he had never celebrated them (even as a child), but being around Elizabeth had reminded him.

I should get her something…but what? A book? No, she has plenty of those…a dress? No, she doesn't really care for fashion…

His hands went subconsciously about their work, gathering up the paper and putting it to the side in a neat stack.

She does really care for her horse… that's it! I'll get her new tack for Star!

Gabriel had noticed the worn, old appearance in her horse's tack: the saddle blanket was becoming threadbare in spots, and the saddle itself was wearing out, along with the bridle and reins. It had once been well made, he had seen, but despite the obvious care she had given it, was in need of replacement.

He got out of his chair, stretching his back and flexing his long fingers. Now he knew what he was going to get her, how would he get it? He spirits dampened slightly; he couldn't just stroll into the village and browse the shops.

Unless…he could always just don his many-layered black clothing and cloak; in this weather, it wouldn't be unusual or attract to much curiosity…his height would, of course, but what could he do about that? Crawl on his knees? He grinned. No, his cloak would do just fine.

He strode to the door, still smiling. It was nearly ten o'clock, and he wanted to catch Elizabeth before she went to bed. He had been writing the whole day.

Funny, how I first thought I would avoid her the entire time, and now I can't go even a day without seeing and speaking to her.

He was lost in his thoughts as he left the North Wing and approached the stairs. A loud bang startled him back to his surroundings, making him stop.

As he looked around, he saw that the noise had been the door--one had been thrown open and had bashed against the wall.

That's odd…I always bar it. What could have…?

The demon! It must be him! He's back!

Gabriel stared a the figure who staggered into the center of the room, ready to fight…

…then realized it wasn't Lord Jason.

It definitely was a demon, though. Just not the one he was expecting.

He was tall---six and a half feet and powerfully built, but at the same time thin--though shorter then Gabriel. Then again, pretty much everyone was.

The demon's hair fell down to his waist. It was dark black, tangled, and matted against his back. His skin was blacker than Gabriel's fur, and the same tone all over, giving him the appearance of being dipped in black paint. He had long, lethal claws, and fangs that protruded over his bottom lip. And his eyes…such strange eyes…the whites were the red of freshly spilled blood, and seemed to glow in the dim room. The right iris was an inky-black, while the left was an unnatural pale purple. He wore a pair of ripped, worn breaches, that were a dull grey.

Most startling, though, was that the demon was holding a person…a young woman…in his arms.

She looked to be the same age as Elizabeth, not quite yet an adult. She had dark blonde hair, soaked from either rain or snow (and most likely snow, since it was December), that hung down to the middle of her back. Freckles covered her slightly tanned skin, giving hr a childish appearance. The dress she was wearing was blue and obviously of fine make, and may have once been very elegant, but had now faded to the same dull, non-descript grey of the demon's breeches.

The reason he was holding her was apparent--she was unconscious. An ugly gash bled sluggishly across her forehead, only half-healed, and dark bruises mottled whatever skin was visible.

"Please…" it was the demon. His voice was a raspy, harsh baritone, as if he was recovering from a bad cough, or had inhaled a great amount of smoke from a fire. "…please…you've got to help her…" He limped another few steps forward, his eyes trained on Gabriel (with no shock or revulsion, he noted; then again, most demons could care less about such things), and Gabriel saw for the first time the deep slashes that covered the demon's entire body, along with horrible burns across his arms and some of his chest. "…help her!"

Gabriel ran down the stairs and stopped hesitantly before the demon who held out the girl. He looked near collapse. Gabriel lifted the girl from the demon's arms, taking care not to scratch her with his claws or jar her.

"The villagers…stoned her…thought she was…a witch," the demon rasped. Blood dripped from his body onto the floor, making bright abstract shapes on the rose painting, as if an artist had spilled paint. Gabriel opened his mouth to ask the demon who he was (or something, at least), but he continued with a half-mad air, mumbling dis-jointed words. "Gotta help…Alison…I…promise…I'll leave…just as soon as…I know…she okay…I'll leave!"

"Don't worry, you can stay, Monsieur--?" Gabriel half-expected the demon not to hear him or not to answer. He had read that some demons, (like Lord Jason, he thought dryly) were constantly on the brink of insanity--others still didn't give a damn about what people said or asked, and ignored them as if there was no one else in the room.

A good deal, though, were much like humans, though a bit better mannered. This demon luckily turned out to be one of them, polite or not, Gabriel couldn't tell (yet).

"…Kal…my name is Kal…" he swayed and paused a moment, seeming to struggle to remember something. "I am Kalendrakk."

"Kal, do not worry, we will care for…Alison, and the both of you can rest here." He scanned the demon---Kal-- he corrected himself. "You look as if you are in need of help as well," he stated, somewhat sarcastically. How Kal could still be alive after sustaining such injuries was no mystery--demons were extremely hard to kill, and didn't die easily, but even so, he would probably die if the bleeding wasn't stopped.

Like I would have, he thought as his mind briefly reflected on the time Jason had injured him in the library; the time Elizabeth saw him face-to-face. Was that really two months ago?

"No!" Kal half-shouted. "I'll be…fine…just help Alison!"

"Okay, don't worry," Gabriel repeated, coming back to the present. He turned his head in the direction of the East wing. "Elizabeth!"

He would need her to help on doctoring the two…he could take care of minor wounds, such as Alison's, but Kal looked as if he'd been hacked away at with a butcher's knife.

After a few minutes pause (broken only by the demon's harsh breathing and the monotonous drip drip drip of blood), Elizabeth came through the door, smiling slightly. "Gabriel!" she said happily, then when she reached the small group, "What…?" Her smile disappeared, replaced by surprise. Her eyes flicked from the unconscious girl he was holding, to the demon, then back to him. "What's going on?"

"Help Alison…" Kal repeated. Elizabeth stared at his unnatural eyes for a moment.

"Your hurt," she said, unnecessarily.

He shook his head, looking frustrated, and pointed to the girl. "Alison." The was now a trace of anger in his voice.

Elizabeth laid a calming hand on Kal's forearm, and once again Gabriel felt a sense of wonder. Nothing can scare her, can it?

There was a hissing sound and the smell of burnt flesh filled the air as she yanked her hand back. There, on Kal's arm, was a burn in the shape of her hand. Looking at it, Gabriel saw it matched the burns the demon already had. He turned his gaze back to Elizabeth.

Now her eyes held fright. "Oh my God…you're Kalendrakk, aren't you? The raven demon." Her voice held a mixture of terror and awe.

"…yes…but it…doesn't matter…please!" His eyes slid to Alison's un-moving face.

Her eyes softened, and she turned to Gabriel. "Put her in the room in the West Wing," she said. He nodded, though he shivered inwardly. Unknown to Elizabeth, the room she spoke of was once occupied by his sister Michelle. The other sister's room was directly across the hall.

Stop it, Gabriel! That was a long time ago! He broke his train of thought away from Michelle (and her whip) and focused on what Elizabeth was saying.

"…I'll go get the medical supplies," she continued. Not that long ago, she had discovered bandages, medicines, and the like in a small box. Since then, she had brought it to her room. "Just in case we need it."

Gabriel smiled at her before starting off towards the West Wing motioning with his head for the demon to follow him. Kal--who was Kalendrakk--limped silently behind him, leaving him once again to his thoughts.

Why did he come here? How did he find the castle? (not that it was hard to find…but mostly everybody had forgotten its existence) Who is this Kalendrakk? Elizabeth seemed to know him…or, at least, know of him. For not the first time, Gabriel regretted being cut off from the rest of the world…not only during those thirteen years, but his entire childhood, as well. He had never left the castle grounds, and what he knew of the world and the people in it, he had learned from his books.

"You don't want to leave the castle…especially not to socialize with those filthy peasants, do you Gabriel?" Lady Monique's voice hissing in his ear, followed by Michelle's.

"Oh, no, Mother, I think he belongs with those filthy peasants!" she cackled. "I'll cure him of that, though, wont I?" Her whip whistled through the air, black leather--well polished of course, for it was her favorite ("And most expensive, Gabriel!")-- gleaming dully from the crystal chandelier, looking to Gabriel like a snake as he cringed and mentally prepared himself for the blow, because "You must never run, oh no, only cowardly bastards without a name run!" and never cry, either--

He stopped, snapping abruptly back to the present (yet again), startled to find himself outside the bedroom door. His feet had carried him there without his conscious thought. Shifting his grip on Alison, he opened the door and walked into the room, Kal entering after him.

Except for a rather thick layer of dust that covered all the furniture, Michelle's room remained unchanged. The walls were painted a rich crimson, and the furniture (which consisted of an armchair, two couches, a low table, a wardrobe, a vanity table and a bed large enough for five people to sleep in) were all made of rosewood and upholstered in soft, golden-yellow fabric. The floor was covered by a carpet of the same red color as the walls.

Well, what would you expect? He snapped at himself as he put Alison down where Michelle had once slept. She's been gone for thirteen years, over a decade!

And she's not coming back, he re-assured himself firmly. He grinned wickedly as Kal stood on the other side of the bed, across from him. So sad, that his blood is dripping all over the carpet. It's ruined now, isn't that nice, sister dearest? He felt slightly guilty, worrying about his own problems when there were two people who had obviously been through a lot, but he couldn't help it.

A few minutes later, Elizabeth hurried into the room, carrying the box. "Sorry!' she said. "I forgot where I put it!" She closed the door carefully behind her, avoiding eye-contact with the demon--not that she had to worry; Kal's eyes were fixed on Alison.

"That's alright, ange. Let's fix these two up, then."

Elizabeth nodded. "You care for the girl; I'll take care of Kalendrakk." As she handed him some bandages and warm water (to clean the wound out), he could tell that she wasn't very happy about it.

Who is he? And why does he frighten he so? He wondered.

Fifteen minutes later, both strangers were doctored; Alison still slept, and Kal had been sent into the room across the hall to also rest. He had needed hundreds of stitches on both his arms and his torso--his legs weren't as bad. There was little Elizabeth could do for the burns, Kal had said--they were for some reason almost untreatable.

Later, as Elizabeth stared distantly across the room (they both remained in Michelle's room, should the girl wake up), Gabriel asked about the demon.

She sat up, looking at his familiar face. "Didn't you ever hear about him?"

He shook his head, looking embarrassed. "No…"

"My mother used to tell me stories…she said that there was a raven demon, Kalendrakk, who was a horrible, heartless murderer…it was said that he killed over two score of humans--men, women, children…and he laughed while he did so. She said that he was invincible, and that while he was captured many times, he always escaped. 'He has no heart, and is devoid of all emotions,' she said. 'He cannot feel love, nor joy, nor pity.'" She looked down at her hands. "Except, she read this to me from a book she had found; a story book. So I thought it was just a faery tale." Elizabeth's eyes became distant, remembering.

"Mommy, that's scary!' she giggled.

"Don't worry, darling, it's only a story…make-believe, see?" she opened the cover of the book to reveal the title of the book and the author, Xeth something-or-other.

"But it has to be the demon from the book!" Elizabeth looked up. "When I touched him , it was as if I'd put a red-hot brand to his flesh, and that only happens when something that is pure evil is touched by good!" Her mouth twisted wryly. "Though I'm not sure I'm in line for sainthood."

"You should be, ange. But I don't think we should do anything drastic; after all, he came in her half-dead, not half and hour ago, begging for us to help a human girl."

"You're right. As always," she admitted. Her eyes flashed as she remembered another part of the story. "The book also said that there was a Princess that finally captured him in the end, and he became her protector! Do you think…" she gestured to Alison.

"I don't know…" he trailed off and looked at Alison, who was staring to stir. She was waking up. "Ange, perhaps I should leave…before she wakes up…you know." He unconsciously traced his finger along one of his curling horns.

"No. If it bothers her, she can leave," she said coolly, putting a hand on his wrist. He sighed and sat back in his chair (he had stood up and was preparing to leave).

Alison moaned and propped herself up on one elbow, feeling her bandaged forehead with the other. "Kal?" She turned her head and caught sight of Elizabeth and Gabriel. "Who are you?" she asked them guardedly. Her dark blue eyes were wary, but she showed so surprise or fear of Gabriel's appearance.

Elizabeth introduced themselves. "I'm Elizabeth, and this is Gabriel."

"Where's Kal?" Her eyes widened, and fear flickered faintly in them. "Oh God, is dead? Where is he!"

"Calm down, he's right across the hall-" Elizabeth started, but Alison cut her off.

"I have to go to him! It's all my fault-!" she jumped of the bed and bolted across the room and out the door. They both hurried after her, following her into the opposite room.

The room was an exact copy of Michelle's--only this one was done in royal blue and violet. Alison had stopped at the bed, staring at Kal, asleep. One arm was across his chest, the other hanging over the edge of the bed. She reached down and brushed a tangled lock of black hair out of his face. "He hardly ever sleeps…" she said quietly, then turned around. "You…bandaged his wounds? Helped him?"

"Yes, of course," Elizabeth replied. Gabriel hung behind her silently, leaning against the doorframe.

"Thank you so much," Alison said, and Elizabeth saw relief written all over her face. "If he had died…" she trailed off and shook her head. "You helped him, even knowing who he was?"

Elizabeth smiled. "We weren't going to let him die, just because of who he was."

But why didn't you? A darker part of her mind whispered. He's killed hundreds of people, and may go on to kill more.

It's not my right to decide who lives and who dies! She snapped at the voice. That's wrong! I'm no murderer, and never will be!

"..Allie?" Everybody looked at Kal, who was staring at Alison.

"Everything's fine, Kal, go back to sleep," she murmured.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered before closing his yes. His breathing deepened and became more even.

"Damn them!" Alison hissed. She turned away from Kal, eyes glittering dangerously. "Damn them all to hell, where they may burn for all eternity!" She wiped the back of her hand across her eyes.

"If you don't mind us asking, what happened?" Gabriel asked, speaking to her for the first time.

Alison began to pace back and forth across the floor. "We were just staying at the village for a few days, at an inn…and I went out to get some food, we hadn't eaten for a few days, so I had to…and then a man grabbed me but the arm, so I was surprised, and I used my magic by accident to burn him so he would let me go! The next thing I knew, they all began calling me a witch, saying I was the devil's handmaiden…then I blacked out." She paused and touched her forehead, then continued. "When I came to, I was tied to a post, and they all began throwing rocks at me, trying to kill me! A group of them were on either side of me, and they had muskets and a few even had scythes…so I couldn't escape. Kal, he can read my thoughts, so he knew I was in trouble and came to save me. He fought off all the stoners and the men with weapons…but when he was untying me, a few sneaked up on him and attacked him! He fought them off the best he could but…he's blind."

Elizabeth blinked, surprised. Blind? But how could that be? He had looked at both her and Gabriel, and walked without the aid of a cane…and the book never mentioned him not having his sight!

The book might've been wrong, she told herself.

"Anyways, I blacked out again , and the next thing I remember, I'm here." She stopped her pacing and sat down in a chair next to the bed. "And it's all my fault…if I hadn't insisted we stop--!" she broke off. "Thank you both again for your hospitality, but when he wakes up, we'll both be going. It's not safe for him here." She sighed unhappily. "It's not safe fro him anywhere."

"We're sorry," Elizabeth said. For a moment, she wondered if her father or Giles had been one of the villagers who had either hurt Alison or Kal. If they were, she doubted she would ever think the same of them ever again.

"No, don't be. It's not your fault, or your problem." She lifted her gaze to Gabriel. "And I'm sorry about your curse. If I had the magics to break it, I would, but what powers I have are small. I wish I could repay you both, for helping us."

"How…do you know?" Gabriel asked.

"I can read minds…a gift I picked up from Kal." She looked at Elizabeth. "You."

"Yes?"

"Take care of him," she nodded her head toward Gabriel. "I know what it's like to care for one who is cursed…" her eyes drifted back to where Kal was sleeping. "…and I also hope to break my Kal's curse, someday. Best of luck to the both of you."

Elizabeth understood this was both a thank-you and a dismissal, so she motioned to Gabriel and they both left the room, closing the door silently behind them.

As Elizabeth lay awake in bed, she thought about what Alison had said.

She too wants to break a curse…

…but how can I break Gabriel's when it can no longer be broken?