Chapter 16: A Moment that will Last to the End (reposted)

"Come Marcus, do not tell me you are yet tired. The night is just born!" Marcus shot a glare-turned-grin at his twin brother. William looked as innocent as possible before tossing a wicked smile back at him. "Or have you grown weary in your old age, older one?"

"Ha! Older by only a few moments, Will. Be careful your teasing." They halted their horses as they crossed the threshold. Castle Corvinus loomed in the dying sunset, the darkly painted skies a picturesque back drop to their life-long home.

The guards and villagers bowed as they passed. It was not hard to recognize the Princes; their fiery copper locks that curled gently and blue eyes that pierced everything in their scope made them even more fearsome and mystical in their subject's eyes. They crossed the small square and through a large set of doors and into the main hall. The servants had almost completed the preparations for this evening's feast. Roasted stag and heavy wine perfumed the air as they made their way up a side stair to their quarters.

"Do you suppose she is pretty?"

"What would you care, brother? You take to anything willing to part its nimble legs," Marcus jeered, shoving him with a laugh. William shoved back and looked at him seriously.

"Marcus, if father is so determined to make alliances through marriage, I would prefer to be with a woman I can stand to look at 'till I die." Marcus plopped his arm around his younger brother's shoulders.

"Little boy, do you think he would make you miserable? He has gone out of his way several times when you found the would-be princesses and ladies to be of great distaste. He loves you far too much to press you into misery for all eternity. Now go change. You stink of horse."

"Speak for yourself."

"William! William!" Marcus hollered into the dark night. "William, where are you!" He shivered as the early winter wind cut through the thin velvet of his dining tunic, the light snowflakes sticking to its surface. A light flickered behind him as several guards finally arrived.

"My lord," the captain said, bowing his head. The clank of the armor around him fueled his pain into anger.

"Search the entire country-side! Report to me as soon as you find him!" The guards split off into pairs and he kicked his horse harshly. The stallion reared up with a whinny and pressed forward at lightining speed. The sound of pounding hooves revived his battle spirit and he drew his sword out, just in case.

Too many times rivals tried to take their home. William, ever vigilant, left just before the feast, promising his future bride a brief absence as he checked out rumors of someone, or something, in the hills. When only one guard returned, bloodied and dying late in the evening, Marcus nearly flipped his chair with his speed and force.

No one would kill a Corvinus and live. Especially his beloved twin.

"William!" His voice echoed over the mountain sides as his eyes strained to see through the post-midnight sky. "Brother!" He rode up to a plateau, looking out over the edge to get a better view. The slope below wasn't very steep, but one wrong step would cause you to tumble down into the thick forest below.

"WILLIAM!"

A rush of noise behind him caught his attention. He dismounted his steed, ushering him to the side silently. He drew out a long dagger for his left hand, the broad sword in his right. He listened again, not disappointed as the noise came again, much louder and prolonged. His eyes found a darkened cave to his left and he lifted both of his blades.

"I am Marcus, Prince of Hungary and son of Alexander Corvinus, ruler of these lands. I demand you show yourself!" Moments passed and nothing happened. Impatient and pissed off, he ran to the cave's entrance and peered into complete darkness. "Show yourself!"

A rush of wind and a wave of movement caught him off guard. Bats, large, hungry bats, flowed like a river from the cave, causing Marcus to drop his blades as they came at him. He swiped at the masses that flew toward him, cursing their existence as they crashed head-long with him. They seemed never ending, a wave of darkness as the blood-thirsty creatures screeched out of the cave and into the snowy night.

Marcus stumbled backward and felt gravity go loose for a second before pulling him down violently as he fell of the plateau. Slamming into the rocky mountain side, the air rushed from his lungs, preventing his screams of pain. He slide down, tumbling over corse, rocky dirt before reaching the forest's pine needle floor. Various branches and shrubs smacked against him until finally, his momentum died. He stopped completely, flat on his back somewhere in the woods.

He rested a few moments before forcing himself to sit up. His left wrist hung his hand unnaturally and he knew it to be broken. The wet of blood on his face was not a shock; he assumed he bled even more than that. He wiped his face with his hand, finding it to be mild compared to old battle wounds.

It was then he looked closely at his hand, squinting as he studied the skin. Tiny marks, made by teeth and claws covered it. He pressed his fingers to his face to find that more of these same marks littered his cheeks, forehead, and neck.

A soft groan brought him back. He looked over to his right and gasped. "No."

Pushing past the pain, he got to his feet and limped quickly. There, in the pristine white snow, lay a bloodied William. His skin had been slashed into ribbons on his arms and legs. Deep teeth marks ran up his sides and one large bite was in his neck. Marcus sank next to him with anguished tears in his eyes.

"William, William, brother," he whispered, touching his face gently. A warmth permeated the chill on his skin and he knew his brother was alive.

The sounds of hooves came close and Marcus gathered the strength to fight the pain, screaming, "We are here!"

Marcus blinked twice, forcing those memories back. He adjusted the long overcoat, watching the jewel-encrusted leather slide over his shoulders fully. The strange moisture in his eyes faded quickly as he carefully studied his visage in the long mirror.

The Elder's court ensemble looked remarkably fashionable despite the difference in centuries. He wore the outfit traditionally with the exception of the pants beneath the long skirts. On his chest sat the crest identical to the one resting on the wolven form of his twin brother. William. He growled, moving away from the mirror swiftly. The nearby glass decanter provide him with a large goblet of chill blood as he stared out the window of the new coven house.

Well, new to my blood children, he thought, abrief smile after such memories. Where Viktor transformed his castle into the coven house, Marcus followed suit. The Castle Corvinus was in ruins when he found it, centuries of neglect and disrepair took a great toll. With what few stones remained, a construction crew used the original foundation and built a grand mansion in its place. With elbow grease, and monetary enticements, the house was completed in less than six months. The Old World vampires, most of which have been around since Marcus last reigned, sought refuge here. The rooms were not completely full yet, but he anticipated they would be soon.

His grand suite was located where his original room once stood, overlooking the mountains and streams nearby in the west. The view of sunset was perfect in this room; the room across the hall had the advantage of sunrise. Turning from the window, he gazed at his closed doors. He hoped silently that William would still be as enraptured by sunrise as he was in his mortal life; that his new room over the place of his old one would be to his liking.

"Enter," he replied to a soft knock at the door. His smile grew as a familiar and sensual scent filled his nostrils. Arms wrapped around his waist and cool lips kissed the back of his neck. "Is everything ready?"

"Yes, my lord. Your brother is waiting for you." He turned and pulled Erika into a fierce kiss and broke away leaving her completely breathless.

"I arrive in the morning. Then, we will begin." She watched as his blue eyes flickered black and he changed into his Hybrid form. His wings extended down then out, taking at least eight feet in each direction. He stared down at her with a wicked smile of razor sharp fangs. "You have served me well," his deep, scratchy voice said, his clawed hand coming up to stroke her cheek.

"I hope to please you, my lord," she teased innocently, kissing his palm.

"Be ready," he said, leaning close to lick the supple skin of her neck. In a flash, he turned, throwing open the window into the new evening and flying out. Erika rushed to the window frame, watching as he grew smaller and his shrill cry echoed across the land.

"MOMMA! MOMMA!"

Selene pounded up the stairs, her heart beating so fast it felt almost ready to take flight from her chest. She fumbled with the door handle, cursing it loudly, before bursting into the master bedroom. The bed was empty, the sheets torn to shreds. She looked about wildly before moving into the room completely.

A harsh sigh, verging on a anguished cry, escaped her as she flew to Nyssa who sat balled up in the corner of the room. Her tiny fists were balled up before her eyes, shreds of the sheets in her tight grasp. A first, she refused to put her hands down, pulling herself into a tighter ball as Selene gently tried to lift her. "Nyssa, its momma," she whispered, brushing away the now limp, dull brown locks.

She untucked her face, blue eyes almost red with tears. Immediately, she flung herself in Selene's arms and wrapped her in a vice grip hug, face pressed into her neck as she sobbed loudly. Selene sat back on the floor, rocking and soothing her as tears trickled down her own face. "It's alright, Nyssa. You're safe here."

"Momma...I..I..I not know..."

"Shhhh, its okay. There are no vampire here, just us. You and me. Just us."

"Oh momma," Nyssa cried as she buried her face deeper into Selene's skin. "Momma, no let go please. No let go."

"Never," Selene whispered, kissing her daughter's head repeatedly. For a while, they sat on the floor like this, cradling each other in a furious embrace. Selene felt her heart beat slow down, taking a calm rhythm as it took in the truth of the situation: Nyssa was awake. She was fine; scared but fine.

She pulled back slightly to look into Nyssa's face. "Hey," she smiled, her ever present fangs bright against her red lips. "You're safe. We left the house and now we're somewhere they can't find us."

Selene moved through each the next motions slowly and savored each one. She gave Nyssa a bath, lovingly washing the pale skin. She gently washed the dark curls with shampoo and lavender oil, removing tangles and smoothing it with a mother's touch. Selene smirked to herself as Nyssa played with a pink rubber duck. How times have changed. Hands trained for killing beasts now soothe a child. Viktor wouldn't even recognize me.

She watched as Nyssa let out a soft yawn, rubbing her eyes. Despite being out for nearly three days, Nyssa was tired. She gently lifted Nyssa from the tub and wrapped her in a blue towel. As she gently dried her hair, Nyssa wobbled a bit on her feet, a combination of hunger and fatigue.

"Momma," she yawned again, "I'm sleepy."

"Alright princess. We can go to bed soon. But just wait." She pulled a grey bell-sleeve pajama top over her head before lifting Nyssa into her arms. "We have to make a phone call."

The phone rang just as Michael got into the car.

At first, he didn't register it, his mind deeply engrossed in thoughts. He had to talk his way out of an escort to get to Selene and Nyssa in the mountains. He knew Selene wanted that place a secret; somewhere they could always escape. Thomas fought him over it for a good twenty minutes. None of the lycans or vampires liked him going alone, especially when the Dealers and Marcus seemed to have tabs on their every move.

About the fifth ring, he jolted back to reality and picked up.

"Corvin."

"Hi daddy!"

"Nyssa? Oh princess, how are you?"

"I feel better now. Momma gave me a bath and brushed my hair and she went to get me a drink."

"Good, good."

"I miss you!"

"I miss you to, princess. I'm actually on my way to you right now." He covered the phone with his other hand as the engine came alive. He quickly put the car into gear and floored it out of the garage. Easy there, Michael. Last thing you need is a ticket. "How's your head?"

"My head?" It must have healed completely by now.

"Nevermind." He strained briefly to the sound of someone in the background. "But you feel good?"

"I feel pretty, daddy." Michael laughed quietly to himself as the sweetly innocent voice imprinted itself in his memories. Every moment spent with her was carefully catalogued and placed in a safe location within his memory. He could recall holding her for the first time after she was born; her tiny hand closed around his finger slightly as he rocked her to sleep. Three years of separation was pain beyond imagination. He pressed down on the gas unconsciously; he wanted to be with his mate and daughter. He strained to hear the noise on the other end of the phone. A voice near Nyssa told her to climb under the covers.

"Is that momma?"

"Yeah! Talk to her?"

"Please and thank you, princess." The phone exchanged hands and he smiled as he heard Selene sigh. "How are you?"

"Better. Its easier to breath when you know your child is conscious."

"And how is she?"

"She said she remembers up to locking the door to the bathroom. I'm thankful she didn't remember anything more."

"Okay. Listen, I'm on the highway right now. I should get to you guys about nine, maybe ten."

"Did you bring-"

"I'm not an idiot, Selene."

"Just checking," she laughed. "When she's finished feeding, we're going to lay down for a while. She still tired and I know she won't sleep once your here."

"I'm not that much of a disturbance."

"She hasn't seen you in almost two weeks, Michael. She's very excited that you are going to be here soon."

"Alright. I'll be there soon. I love you."

"I love you. Here's your daughter."

"Hi daddy," Nyssa mumbled out; the sippy cup was still connected to her lips. "You get here?"

"In a little while. I can't wait to see you. So finish up and get some sleep. I'm going to want you all to myself when I get there." He smiled brightly as a contageous giggled came across the phone line.

"I love you, daddy."

"I love you too, my princess Nyssa. Sweet dreams."

A/N: I kept forgetting to post this, but I've recieved over 100 reviews and more than 12,000 hits to this story. I cannot express how happy that has made me. Thank you.

until next chapter,

anthestria