Chapter Eight

"When we lose one we love, our bitterest tears are called forth by the memory of hours when we loved not enough."

- Maurice Maeterlinck

___

She opened her eyes. She had such a horrible splitting headache, made only worse by the sunlight streaming in through her curtains. She groaned and buried her face underneath her pillow.

And paused. It didn't feel like she was wearing her nightgown. Slowly, she sat up in bed and looked down at herself. A cold knot of fear began to form. She wasn't wearing her nightgown. She was still in her pale blue prom dress.

She raised a hand to her face, trying to retrace her steps. She couldn't. The previous night was a massive blur and she remembered very little. She didn't even know how she got home.

She threw aside the covers furiously and stood up, trying not to panic. No, nothing could've happened. She didn't feel any different and her dress wasn't torn. She checked herself anyways and was relieved to see her panties still intact. Her stockings were missing, though, and that was a very telling sign.

Too afraid to take a shower, she threw on her pajamas and tried not to look in the mirror. Her mother had spent seventy dollars to get her hair curled and in an intricate style right on top of her head, which now looked lopsided. She pulled her hair loose, not caring about the tears it made, and left her room.

She could hear gunfire from downstairs, and that helped to settle her slightly. She strained her ears a little more and was relieved to not hear her parents. She wasn't ready to break this news to them.

Still, she was surprised to see her younger sister awake this early on a Saturday. The little scamp was sitting very close to the television, playing a first-person shooter. "Good morning, Izzy."

"Good morning, Serenity." The twelve-year-old glanced over her shoulder at her before returning to the game. "How are you feeling?"

"Terrible," Serenity admitted uneasily. She looked at Izzy closely. The girl was very tense for some reason, as if she were bracing herself. "Izzy, were you awake last night?"

"Yeah." She pounded her thumbs into the video game controller, shooting hideous three-dimensional monsters on the screen.

"Did you see me come home?"

Izzy flinched. "…Sort of."

Serenity let it slide for the moment. "Did Mom and Dad see me come home?"

"No, they were asleep."

Serenity walked over and sat next to her sister. "Isabel, how did I get home last night?"

Izzy flushed and wouldn't look at her. "You don't remember?"

"No, I don't," Serenity said harshly, though she kept calm. "I don't remember drinking alcohol but I feel hung-over. And you obviously know more than you're letting on."

Izzy sighed heavily and pressed pause on the controller. "I…I snuck out last night. And I snuck into the house party."

"You what?!" Serenity snapped. "How did you do that?! Remy's house is forty-five minutes from here!"

Izzy shrugged uncomfortably. "I wanted to go and so I went."

"Isabel, there's no place for a twelve-year-old at a senior prom party!" Serenity waved a hand impatiently. "No, never mind. Did I get drunk?"

"…No," Izzy said reluctantly.

"Be honest with me, Izzy. Did I get drunk?!"

"…I don't think you did. But, something…" Izzy looked away.

Serenity reached over and grabbed her shoulders. "Tell me! Did you see me do something bad?! Tell me right now, I won't get mad!"

"Darren Dravers!" she blurted out, and hid her face.

Serenity stilled. "Darren? What did he do?" Darren was one of her oldest friends. He was always so nice to her and looking out for her, like an older brother.

"He gave you something. I don't know, maybe a roofie. I was hiding under the coffee table and he put some pill in your cola. Afterwards you got really sick and threw up on Yolanda. He said he'd give you a ride home, but he took you upstairs instead."

Serenity felt so sick. She reached over and pulled Izzy into her arms. "What happened next?"

Izzy didn't answer right away, and more fear washed over Serenity. Why would Darren do this to her? She knew Izzy wouldn't lie about this. She liked Darren as much as Serenity did.

"He didn't do anything," Izzy said. "I…" her face turned even darker. "He didn't do anything. And he won't bother you again."

"…What did you do, Izzy?" she asked quietly.

Izzy shook her head. "He won't bother you again. Or anyone else, if he's smart."

"What did you do?" she repeated.

"I panicked, Serenity. I didn't know if I should call the cops or call Mom. Somebody from the party gave us a ride home, and…well, you know the rest. But I didn't know what to do." She paused before she continued. "Did you want to call the cops?"

"I don't know." Serenity rubbed her cheek into Izzy's copper hair. "He's my best friend, Izzy. But if he did what you said he did…"

"Did you take a shower?" Izzy asked. "I swear he didn't do anything, but we could still go tell Mom if you want."

Serenity didn't want her best friend to go to jail, but it terrified her that he would do this to her. She didn't know what to do. "Did he hurt you, Izzy?" if he did, then she would definitely call the cops.

"No," Izzy said, although there was fear in her voice. "He sort of panicked, and…well, he won't do it again. And he won't talk to you again, either."

"Hmm…" Serenity let her go and ran a hand through her tangled hair. "If he didn't hurt me or you, then I'll let it go. But I'll talk to him on Monday about it."

"It scared me though. Remember when I puked after the school nurse gave me aspirin, even though I told her I didn't need it? You puked up the roofie, but you were still sluggish."

"Maybe Darren was secretly giving me alcohol in my cola," Serenity mused aloud. "But this is…Mom told me not to go to the party and I still went. I'll just talk to Darren and hopefully that will be the end of it."

"…All right." Izzy obviously wasn't pleased with her decision, but she said nothing to challenge her sister.

Serenity reached forward again and pulled Izzy into her arms. "I love you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah. I love you, too." Izzy still sounded a little fearful. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"…I'm not really sure," Serenity admitted. "But I'm glad you followed me last night. I know a lot of girls get caught in situations like that and it can be so…" she faltered before she continued. "But I'm grateful to you, Izzy."

"I just wanted to have fun. But everybody was getting drunk and acting stupid. It didn't seem so fun to me."

"Well, for teenagers like me it's considered fun."

"But you're not like that, Serenity."

"No, I'm not. But I'm just generalizing." Serenity let Izzy go. "Don't worry about me. This is a crazy situation for me, but I think I'll be okay."

"Okay." Izzy still didn't believe her, but she picked up the controller and began playing again.

Serenity watched her play, and winced when three-dimensional blood splattered all over the camera after Izzy shot a deformed creature with large, sharp teeth. "What game is this? I don't recall Mom renting it."

"Blood Gorge 3," Izzy grunted, pounding the controller once more. "Nate let me borrow it."

Serenity sighed heavily. "Izzy, you know how Dad feels about vampires and these sort of games."

"It's not my fault he's sanguivoriphobic." It was one of the most complicated words Izzy first learned, mostly because she wanted a proper name for Mr. Crane's fear of vampires.

"Well, Thomas Ivan will make a fortune off of troublemakers like you," Serenity said, ruffling Izzy's hair.

"Who's Thomas Ivan?"

"He owns the company that makes Blood Gorge, remember?"

"Oh, yeah." Izzy wasn't interested and kept playing furiously. Suddenly, they both heard footsteps on the stairs and Izzy lunged for the power switch.

Mrs. Crane peaked in on her daughters, smiling brightly. "Good morning! Did you have fun last night, Serenity?"

Serenity hesitated, but then forced a smile. "Yeah, Mom…"

___

Serenity opened her eyes. For a moment, she thought she was back home, back in her bed and maybe even back to normal.

But then she blinked. And she recognized the inn room she was sleeping in some odd village in Romania. But the headache was still there.

She sat up slowly. She hadn't thought of that incident in years, when her best friend from middle school gave her a roofie and…tried to have some fun of his own. The roofie didn't affect her too much, but the alcohol did, and even now, just twelve years later, that whole mess was a big blur to her.

She never got the chance to confront Darren about what he did. By Monday his conscience kicked in and he was overwhelmed with guilt and admitted the crime himself to police. Serenity only contributed a quiet statement about the matter and Darren received a light sentence. By some miracle she was able to keep it from her parents, and she never spoke to Darren again.

So why did she dream of it now? No…it didn't really matter.

It was daytime, she knew; the curtains had been pulled in so tightly that she could see nothing outside, but beams of sunlight filtered through to the floor. Even so, she was tired…and she had a strong desire to return to sleep. But she was awake, and so she fought the urge.

Serenity rubbed at her forehead and swung her legs over the side of her bed. It was the first time she'd woken up alone in such a long time. Every time she opened her eyes she was use to seeing Izzy by her side, or their parents, or the odd doctor or nurse. Now she was alone, something she'd craved for just as long but it didn't make her feel better.

Nothing did. Not this trip, not Izzy's love and support, and not even the fact that Marach had somehow suppressed her suicidal urges. She felt like she was suffocating in the inside, and she just wanted to rip her own heart out to ease the discomfort.

But it was more than that. Something was wrong with her, she knew. But everything was so…strange. She'd felt like fleeing when they arrived here, and she didn't know why. But then she went for that walk…and saw that man…

She stared into his eyes, looking into the depths of his being. She looked for his soul deep within, and she couldn't find it. Instead she found hate and guile…and pain. Sorrow. They all tried to tell her he was a vampire like Fride, but he was nothing like Fride. Nothing at all.

She just knew it.

"Look what his blood is doing to the grass! If he wasn't a vampire, it wouldn't be hurting the ground like this!"

Serenity traced a finger over her palm. It did hurt, and it was a pain so encompassing that she couldn't take it. But her heart…it hurt more than her hand had. Because she believed, she knew he was different. And yet his blood made him no different than the others.

A small keening sound slipped from her throat. "I know…" she slid her hand up away from her palm and gripped her heavily scarred wrist. "I know…"

She looked upwards towards the ceiling. Izzy was just one room above her. But could she understand? How could anyone understand her? Or help her?

"Izzy…"

___

Izzy was startled awake. She let out a short gasp and then sighed heavily at the unexpected heat building within her. A hand—a very warm and strong hand—was rubbing her torso, just underneath her breasts. Cloth separated them, but the friction felt good. Then, that hand slid down, and under her shirt to repeat the same motion, this time on bare flesh.

She groaned quietly, unsure of what was going on. She rolled over slightly onto her stomach, escaping the touch but only for a few moments. The hand followed her and she suddenly felt breath on her neck, followed by several kisses being pressed right over her pulse.

"Kidü, iubita mea." The words breathed across her skin and she trembled. "Kidü, o jelä sielamak."

"Marach…" Izzy opened her eyes slightly, only to find the room slightly dark. Though she was reluctant to do so, Marach had insisted they sleep in the same bed so he could 'watch her closely'. She didn't believe it for a second, but he went right to sleep.

Until now, that is.

"What are you doing?" she could only think the words because she was fighting the urge to react further to his touch. But even then it was difficult to maintain focus.

"I'm just enjoying the pleasure of my lifemate's company."

"Does that include groping me?" But Izzy felt foolish. She could just as easily push him away, or even hit him but she wasn't doing so. She just continued to lay there, and though she didn't turn to him she didn't stop him.

"I cannot help if I want to touch you, Isabel," Marach murmured against her skin. He leaned upwards so that his breath brushed against her ear. "You are quite irresistible."

Irresistible? Her? It wasn't likely. Sure she'd been hit on a lot in the past, but such things only brought up unwanted memories of high school. Of the ugly rumors she had to live with right until she graduated, and the boys who openly propositioned her as though she were a whore…

Maybe I really am too easy, she thought miserably.

"But you're not a whore, dragă, and when I compliment you I am sincere."

Izzy snorted and rolled over onto her back, forcing Marach to draw away from her. But he simply moved back, placing both of his arms on either side of her and leaning over her. "Isabel?"

"You may think you're being sincere," she said coldly. "But you can't fool me. I've seen your thoughts and you made your intentions clear to me. What makes you so different from them?"

Marach stared at her in silence for a moment. He couldn't help but feel offended that she would compare their bond to the heartlessness of teenage humans, but he didn't get angry. It was easy to remember that she, too, was human and everything was still so new to her.

He leaned down, just stopping short of kissing her. "Do my feelings really bother you?"

Izzy turned her head away slightly. "I…don't know. I'm grateful to you for all that you're doing for us, even though we just met. But I'm…" she hesitated, but then decided that nothing worked better than the truth. "I don't have a lot of experience with…this."

Marach didn't lean away, but he remained stationary for a moment. She was a normal woman with a fairly normal life, but it was because of her normalcy and the few tragedies that she suffered that such treatment at such a young age left such an impression upon her.

"How about some of THIS?!"A boy grabbed his crotch in Izzy's direction, right outside of a classroom.

"I've got a five, how much will that get me?" Four boys cornering Izzy at her locker, one waving a five dollar bill in her face.

"Eww, don't touch me! I don't know where your hand's been!" having bumped into Izzy, a girl wearing a heavy layer of makeup on her face jumped away from her and wiped her hands off on her friend, who looked equally disgusted.

It didn't happen all too often, but each time the treatment from both boys and girls hurt Izzy. And it not only poisoned Izzy's thoughts towards sex, but she became incapable of accepting compliments or flirts, even if the speaker was being sincere.

"You're not a whore, Isabel." He gently nuzzled the side of her face. "And I have never denied I desire you. I love lying beside you, and I love the feel of your body against mine. But I won't lie and say that is not enough. Even now I restrain myself because I know you believe I'm moving too fast. But I want to make love to you." one of his hands slid over the bedspread and cupped the other side of her face. "I want to join with you and give you pleasure. I want you to tremble…" he rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip. "And I want you to scream beneath me."

Izzy slammed her eyes closed. Her heart was hammering harder and her breathing fell heavy. Her body began to ache, tightening in response to his alluring words, almost straining towards him. Acting on impulse she entered his mind and encountered the fantasies he entertained himself with about her. Her face inflamed and she felt light-headed. Was it possible to desire someone so unconditionally? No…it couldn't be. That sort of stuff only happened in soap operas and romance novels.

Marach laughed huskily and slid over, stretching out completely on top of her. She could clearly feel his desire against her and swallowed thickly. "It is real, iubita mea. And when I join with you, you will understand just what I mean."

His confidence was irritating, but it almost made her blood hotter. He leaned closer again and captured her lips. And Izzy couldn't turn away. She returned the kiss, more aggressively than she intended, and her hands slid up his back. Marach took one of her hands and pushed it underneath his shirt. The flesh was very lean underneath her hands. And smooth…her fingertips tingled and muscles shifted beneath the skin.

Marach broke the kiss suddenly and drew away from Izzy. Izzy immediately felt the loss and sudden dejection. Did she do something wrong? More than that, what was she doing? She was supposed to be not ready to do anything with him!

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly, slowly sitting up.

Marach stood up from the bed. "Serenity's awake."

"W-What?!" Izzy jumped off the bed. "Right now?!"

Marach nodded curtly. "She's not supposed to be. She was supposed to have slept in until nightfall, but…"

"I have to go and see her." Izzy started for the door, but Marach blocked her path.

"Not so fast," he said. "Serenity woke up without my call. She's not a psychic and she wasn't able to fight the sleep influence before. That means somebody else nudged her awake."

"You mean Parn?" Izzy looked towards the window. "But it's daylight out!"

"And he's Serenity's lifemate. Even lifemates that haven't spoken the boding words or shared blood have a natural connection. His power is at its weakest now, but if he wanted to push his lifemate out of a sleep compulsion it should be an easy feat for him."

Izzy couldn't help but wince. She didn't want to think that some monster like Parn was linked to her sister, but she knew she had to face reality. Parn and Serenity were connected, and as tragic as it all was it only made Serenity more in danger. And Marach looked so worried that his compulsion had been broken like this. She could sense he was mulling over what else Parn might use against them.

"I have no experience with this," he admittedly quietly, running a hand through his hair. "Vampires who find their lifemates generally kill them. But…but if Parn can break my influence over Serenity, he can also use her to hurt us. I have to see if he's controlling her now, and—"

"If he's controlling her now, what will happen if he sees you?" Izzy asked. She waved a hand impatiently. "No, I have to be the one to look in on her. He won't go on the defensive if I'm the first one in."

Marach quickly shook his head. "Absolutely not. I refuse to use you as bait to see if your sister is possessed."

"Then he won't expect me to be coming in, will he? If he thinks he's safe, then we'll be able to trap him." she raised a hand when he started raising another objection. "Look, this is my sister, okay? You'll be one floor above us, just trust me."

Marach knew she wasn't going to budge on this, and if he tried to impose his will upon her it would only complicate their relationship. He didn't say anything for a long moment, only reaching out with his mind to see if he could sense Parn or any vampires nearby. He couldn't. There was very little he could argue with Izzy over. "All right, iubita mea. I will keep my distance, but I will be there with you. If anything should happen I will act immediately."

Izzy stared at him for a long moment. She was oddly touched by his demeanor. He was uneasy that Serenity had woken up against his order, but he was trusting in her. "Thank you, Marach." For good measure she stroked a hand over his cheek, even as she felt the urge to kiss it.

Just a few short minutes later she was outside Serenity's door. The inn was so quiet for being during the day. Marach had said they'd put up powerful shields to isolate them from possible danger, but Izzy felt uneasy about interfering in other people's lives.

Despite her earlier confidence, she knocked on it hesitantly. "Serenity?"

"…Come in." her sister's invitation was slow and reluctant, but Izzy took it at face-value and pushed open the door.

Serenity was seated on the side of the bed facing away from Izzy. Her head looked like it was lowered. Izzy closed the door behind her and approached her sister carefully. "Good morning," she said.

"I think it's the afternoon," Serenity said, glancing at the heavily covered window.

"Well, whatever." Izzy took a seat next to her. "How are you feeling? Did you get a good night's sleep?"

"I…don't know." Serenity rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand in confusion. "I don't remember very much."

She didn't remember? Izzy almost collapsed with relief. It was make things much easier if she didn't remember.

"But I remember him."

"Him?" Izzy echoed, her relief fading rapidly.

"Parn, I think that's his name." now the relief was completely gone. "I felt him, and…" Serenity trailed a hand over her own cheek. "He talked to me, Izzy."

Izzy leaned against her slightly, not knowing what to say. "I'm sorry, Serenity…"

"No, no, it wasn't bad."

Izzy leaned away from her again. "What?"

"He didn't hurt me, or anything like that. He just, you know, talked to me. Asked me questions about myself."

"Isabel, this is bad!" Marach said suddenly. "If she revealed too much to him, Parn and Cassander and whoever they work with could go after your family!"

"Serenity, what did you tell him?!" Izzy demanded, grabbing her sister's shoulders. "Please don't tell me you actually talked to him!"

"Well, why not?" Serenity asked defensively.

"Because he's a vampire! He could use whatever you told him against you! Against US!"

Serenity merely waved a dismissive hand. "You have it wrong, Izzy. He just asked me questions about me, nothing sinister."

"Like what?!"

"Like my birthday, my hobbies, and what I was doing with my life." Her lips quirked up slightly. "When I told him I was a doctor, he sounded so proud of me."

Izzy slowly let her go. "Marach, what does this mean?"

"He's trying to gain her trust. I don't why he's doing so, because he gains nothing from it but personal pain. Seeing her, talking to her only forces him to reflect on what he's done." Marach paused for a moment. "Maybe he has some sort of tolerance against this truth?"

"Serenity, don't forget who he is," Izzy implored her, trying to sound soothing. "He may be nice to you, but he's not being sincere. The whole time he was sweet-talking to you, he was mocking Marach and me. He's not looking for anything out of you."

Serenity only shook her head. "I don't believe that. You don't understand him, Izzy, the way I do."

"And you understand him?!" Izzy snapped. "From having just one conversation with him?!"

"You don't understand!" Serenity shrieked. She jumped from the bed and swung around to glare at Izzy. "What do you know about the pain he's suffered?! All the trials and tribulations and for what?! He's in pain, Isabel! Every waking moment of his life he's suffering!" she choked on a sob, trying to catch her breath. The fight drained out of her and she collapsed back onto the bed. "You don't understand. This is all…he loves his brother so much, but…he…" Serenity quickly shook her head, more tears leaking out. "He's in pain. It's such a horrible, horrible pain, Izzy. I don't even have words for it…"

"Whether or not he's in pain," Izzy said quietly. "He put himself in that position. He gave up his soul, Serenity, by his own choice."

"No—"

"Serenity." Izzy put a hand on her back. "Please…don't get upset, please? I don't know what's going on, but he did try to hurt me last night. If for nothing else, try to remember that."

Serenity sniffled again, wiping at her cheeks. "Oh, Izzy…I just don't know what's wrong with me! And you're not even trying to understand this!"

"You're just tired…and hungry," Izzy said, rubbing Serenity's back soothingly. "You aren't thinking clearly."

"I am thinking clearly. You're the one not listening clearly."

"Serenity…" Izzy started slightly when she heard a slight rattle. She looked up to see a platter on the table. Curious, she got up from the bed and walked over. Two steaming bowls of soup greeted her, along with a fresh loaf of bread and a basket of fruit. Izzy felt her stomach clench, but at the same time it growled. These cramps had put a damper on her hunger, but she was still hungry. "Did you do this for us, Marach?"

"You both are very hungry. Eating will give you your strength back."

Izzy smiled and glanced over her shoulder. "Look at this, Serenity. Doesn't this all look good?"

"…It smells good," Serenity offered, although she didn't get up from the bed.

Izzy stirred one of the bowls gingerly, enjoying the aromas. It was a very thick broth, and it was loaded with vegetables, particularly lima beans and potatoes. She stirred it for a few moments before she realized something about it. She looked across the other food prepared for them, and the omission was evident. "Marach?"

"Yes, dragă?"

"Not that I don't appreciate this gesture, but you gave us a vegetarian soup. And I don't see any meat here."

"I don't like the idea of eating meat. It's not necessary for you to eat."

"Not necessary? Marach, do you realize the nutrients that are in meat?! It gives you plenty of protein that plants can't offer you!"

"We Carpathians are not in favor of slaughtering animals for consumption. They are as part of the Earth as we are."

Izzy rolled her eyes. "You're just giving me more reasons to not turn. You guys just don't understand the benefits of eating meat."

"Whether or not you realize it, meat consumption on the scale humans do is a relatively new thing. Most livestock use to be seen as the gift to gods only, and people survived on plants and chickens."

"Huh. And nobody survived very long, did they?"

Marach merely 'tsked' at her and Izzy sent him a mental glare. She made a note to buy both herself and Serenity T-bone steaks once they were out of this mess. "Here, let's eat together."

Serenity finally looked over at her. Her eyes still had red rims but she slowly rose from the bed. "That does look good. Did Marach bring it down?"

"More or less." Izzy took a seat at the table and began cutting the bread.

Serenity nodded slightly as she sat across from her. "Good man. Maybe he does suit you."

Izzy glanced up. "Really?" she hadn't meant to say that. She wanted to say 'What?', but that didn't come out.

"Well, it's not every day a man, especially a virtual stranger, will make lunch for a woman he likes and her sister."

___

Thirty minutes later, Izzy excused herself from Serenity's room as her sister got ready to take a shower. Eating the food had been harder than she thought it would, but Serenity ate hers easily enough and so that helped to put her at ease.

She sighed softly and let go of the doorknob. Serenity wasn't listening to her; she wasn't seeing reason. She didn't even know Parn, so why was she defending him?

"Because they're lifemates, Isabel." Marach spoke the words softly and carefully. "It is difficult for her to accept that her promised one is evil, and when he dies the pain will be insurmountable. Gregori is a master healer though and he is definitely the one who can save her."

Tears burned Izzy's eyes as she leaned against the door. "Marach, is there any way we can save him? Any way at all?"

"If there was a way, iubita mea, I would have done so by now. But he is gone, Isabel, no more than a shadow of his former self. We simply have no choice but to kill him because he is a monster."

"But…" Izzy closed her eyes. "But Serenity…"

"We will do everything in our power to ensure she makes it out of this and to get her life on track. But her life will never return to normal so long as Parn is alive."

"No." Izzy shook her head. "No matter what you guys do, her life will NEVER return to normal."

Marach said nothing to this. Looking to distract herself, Izzy pulled out her cell phone and checked her messages.

21 missed calls. Dad. Mom. Hailey. 2 voicemail.

Izzy had to blink back her tears. They called her twenty-one times? A tiny moan escaped her throat and her knees felt weak. And two voice messages…she didn't have the nerve to listen before, but now she knew she owed it to them to hear their voices.

Hailey, a close friend from college, was first. "Izzy, you little bitch! How could you go off to Europe without telling me?!" Izzy couldn't help but laugh at her playful anger. "You'd better bring me back something good, and I don't mean some cheap plastic model of the Parthenon! Get me some ouzo if you can!"

Izzy was still laughing when the message ended. That was definitely Hailey, always loud and spontaneous, even though she switched her major three times in two years.

"She certainly sounds like a piece of work," said Marach. There was laughter in his voice too, and he sounded pleased that Izzy was happy with the message. "I would certainly like to meet her."

"You would love her. She can be so crazy." Izzy realized she'd openly invited Marach into her life. Shaking her head, she went on to the next message.

"Isabel, this is your father." Izzy felt her throat tighten at his voice. Especially at the worry in his voice. "Where are you girls? Are you in Romania or Greece or some-odd country? This itinerary list is vague. Why haven't you called us in a while? You know how much your mother worries about you two. All right, and me too.

"But hey…are you in trouble? Is something wrong? Are you mad at me because of Serenity? If I did something wrong, I'm sorry for it. I don't want my little girl to not call me in anger. Please, just…I know you both are adults, but you both are also my only children. Give me a call as soon as you get this. I love you, okay? Bye-bye."

Izzy pressed a hand over her mouth, but she couldn't stop the tears. She hit the replay button and listened to Mr. Crane's voice again. It was just as heartbreaking as the first time.

Slowly, she began walking down the hall away from Serenity's room, her hand still over her mouth. She closed her phone, but she couldn't escape. Of course their parents were worried. They really hadn't called in days, and that message was two days old. What were her parents feeling now? Should she call them? What would she say? How could she possibly explain to them the real reason behind Serenity's sudden suicidal tendencies?

What do I do? Her hand slid up and she began sobbing very quietly. Oh…I don't know what to do…

Arms suddenly slid around her and she was pulled into a comforting and protective hug. Love and warmth flooded her mind and she felt lips at her ears.

"Iubita mea…" Marach breathed, stroking a hand through her copper hair. "Do not distress. I am here with you. It's all right…"

"How is it all right?" she sobbed, burying her face into his neck. "My sister is bound to a vampire and my parents are out of their minds with worry! What do I do, Marach? What am I suppose to do? How can I possibly do any good in this? Oh…" she suddenly felt sick and tried to pull away, in case she threw up on him.

But Marach refuse to let her go. "You're having a panic attack, Isabel. Here, breathe with me. In and out, slowly." He took several deep breaths and let them out, directing her to do the same. "Your heart is beating too fast, dragă. Please, do not do this to yourself. You'll only make yourself sick."

Izzy forced herself to take those breaths, to try to get her heart rate under control. Serenity had often lectured her enough about the unnecessary stress anxiety put on the heart. So much was going on to continually keep her on edge. But Marach kept pushing at heart, washing away the anxiety and pain with comfort. It truthfully didn't make her feel completely better, but it helped to settle her heartbeat to a steady rhythm.

After another long moment, she was calm again. "…Thank you," she said. She closed her eyes, taking comfort in the strength of his will and the arms that surrounded her. "Marach…I hardly know you, but I don't know how I would be able to do this without you." she opened her eyes briefly. "I haven't been able to do it without you."

"Shh, don't discredit yourself." Marach kissed her temple. "You just took on too many burdens for you to handle. I'm shouldering them with you, as are Falcon and Sara, and Gregori will aid us greatly. Have faith, Isabel, in me and in my people. I will keep you both safe and cherish you."

More tears gathered in her eyes, but not from stress or grief. It was gratitude. "Thank you," she said again. She tried to move away to wipe her face, but he refused to let her go. She resorted to wiping away her tears on his collar, but he didn't voice any complaints. "I really appreciate this, Marach. I'm so grateful to you! You're here, and you…" she hiccupped. "You've never asked anything of me, not even sex, and yet you've done so much in such a short time! I just…I'll never forget this. I swear I won't!"

"I know iubita mea." He finally leaned away from her and kissed her on the lips. "But I do ask one thing of you. Try to be happy, and regain some of your spirit. You've put your life on hold to save Serenity. You need to take care of yourself, and that means being positive."

Izzy looked at him. "That's all? But…how can I be happy at a time like this?"

Marach smiled at her. "I'm here. I will be the one to make you happy."

___

Night was approaching fast. Izzy wanted to take a shower, but Marach refused to leave her room, much to her own irritation. She resorted to locking the bathroom door (though she knew that couldn't possibly stop him) and jumping into the shower for a very quick wash.

Marach didn't enter the bathroom, but that didn't mean he didn't leave her alone.

"I didn't realize you had a birthmark on the small of your back."

Izzy screamed and whipped around, nearly slipping in the bathtub. Nobody was there. "You pervert!"

"I am your lifemate, Isabel. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"I'm NOT ashamed!" and to her own shock, she wasn't ashamed he'd somehow seen her naked. But she didn't dare tell him that. "Just stay away!"

"I'm not in there with you, am I? Although that IS a shame—"

"No, no, banish that from your head!"

"But you had no problem kissing me earlier."

Izzy thought it would be better to ignore him and so she didn't speak to him anymore. But she still felt his presence, as though he were watching her right there.

She was quick out of the shower and she changed into loose clothing while inside the bathroom before returning to her room. Marach was waiting there for her, sitting on the bed. "Do you feel better?"

"…Yes," she admitted. "But I don't want you spying on me. Got it?"

Marach shrugged. "If you wish, but you can hide nothing from me."

"You—"

Marach's face suddenly clouded. Izzy stopped herself and walked over to him. "Marach?"

"Rahat!" he swore violently in Romanian. In a flash he was off the bed and out of the room, the door slapping against the wall long after he was gone.

Izzy didn't need to wonder what was wrong. She tore out of her room and ran down the stairs. The door to Serenity's room was wide open and she picked up the pace. "Serenity! Marach!"

"Jelä keje terád!" Marach shouted from inside the room. Izzy ran inside, but stopped dead on the threshold.

Marach was physically fighting with Parn at the foot of the bed. Serenity lay sprawled on her back across the bed, her expression dazed and confused. Izzy's eyes immediately dropped to the smear of blood across her mouth and chin, and the way her skin swelled underneath the fluid. "Oh my God! Serenity!"

"Stay back, Isabel!" Marach yelled, punching Parn full in the face. There was no blood around his filthy mouth, but she saw the gaping wound on his chest. And she had a sinking feeling Marach didn't cause it.

Shock flooded her system. Then panic. She ignored Marach's order and ran over to her sister, kneeling next to her on the bed. "Serenity, are you all right?! Speak to me!"

Serenity didn't say anything, or even move. She simply laid there, the shallow movement of her chest the only indication she was still alive. Izzy wiped the blood off her face with the bed sheet, but it still took a long moment for the burns to heal and blood to expel out from her lips and chin. Izzy wiped this away too, and that seemed to be enough.

Parn roared suddenly, and shoved Marach away. He looked over at the sisters quickly. "Adio, dragostea mea!" He didn't attack Marach again. He ran at the partially open window and literally smashed through it, sending glass and pieces of wood flying everywhere.

"Falcon!" Marach shouted, rushing to Serenity's side. "Parn was here and he gave Serenity blood!"

"We're on our way," Falcon assured him. "I'm afraid we can't afford to go after Parn right now. We have to see if he infected Serenity somehow."

"Falcon and Sara are coming," he said aloud. He leaned over Serenity and brushed her blonde hair out of her face. He looked at Izzy briefly. "Never fear, iubita mea. I'll help her anyway I can. Kidü, Sisar," he commanded sharply.

Serenity's glazed eyes cleared suddenly. Her face suddenly twisted in horrible pain and quickly sat up. "UGH! Uuuuuh!"

"W-What's wrong?!" Izzy cried. She tried to grab Serenity's shoulders, but her sister pitched sideways, past Marach's reach and straight onto the floor. "What's happening to her?!"

"I don't know," Marach said uneasily, jumping off the bed to grab her. "Sisar, you must calm down!" he put a heavy compulsion behind her voice.

It didn't work. Serenity grabbed at her stomach and screamed in pain, her body shaking in horrible spasms. Izzy crawled off the bed and sat in front of Serenity, grabbing her shoulders. "Serenity! I'm here! You'll be okay!"

"Falcon, Serenity's reacting to his blood," Marach reported grimly. "Is this because of those parasites? Or…"

Fear suddenly gripped him. "Falcon, could he have converted her?!"

"…I don't know," Falcon answered belatedly. "But Destiny proves it's possible. Keep her stable, we're right outside the inn."

Serenity's face was ghastly white, almost translucent. Izzy tried to hug her, but Serenity was shaking too badly. "I'm here. I'm—"

Serenity vomited blood all over Izzy. Izzy screamed and jumped backwards, away from Serenity. Serenity began dry-heaving and Marach grabbed her in his arms. "She's coughing up blood!"

Falcon and Sara were in the doorway. Falcon rushed to her side. "Hold her down! If he converted her, it won't be pleasant!"

"Convert?" Izzy said quietly, staring down at the blood covering her shirt. "C-C-Conver…" Her own face grew pale.

Serenity retched again, splattering blood onto the floor. Both Marach and Falcon held her bent over, her head towards the floor. Serenity began vomiting again, but thankfully it wasn't blood. It looked like fruit and bread…the contents of her stomach.

"If he's converted her, will Gregori be able to help her like he did Destiny?" Marach asked, though his eyes were on his visibly stunned lifemate. Sara had gone to Izzy's side and was talking soothingly to her.

Falcon didn't answer for a long moment, watching Serenity vomit for a few more moments. No more blood came out, thankfully, but it was definitely an uncontrollable sickness. "I…don't think she's changing."

"Really?!" Marach could've died from relief. He looked at Izzy again but Izzy was watching Serenity, fear and horror very evident in her face.

"If he'd converted her, there'd be more blood than this," Falcon said. "It'd be coming out of her pores even. But it looks like it just made her sick and she threw it back up."

Marach eyed the blood on Izzy's shirt. He reached over and touched it. It didn't burn to the touch, like the blood that seeped out of Serenity's hand. "No. This isn't vampire blood. It might be hers, but if she's not changing…" he let out a shaky sigh, feeling the numbing shock of this situation in Izzy's mind and wanting to comfort her. His every instinct commanded he tend to his lifemate, but he also knew Serenity needed help too.

Serenity stopped vomiting, but her breathing was ragged. Marach helped her to sit up and pulled the hair away from her face. "It' okay, Sisar. It's over now."

Serenity said nothing, as though she were in the same shock as Izzy. And she was an even bigger mess than her sister. Sara crawled over to Serenity's side. "I'll wash her up. You can take care of your lifemate, Marach."

Marach nodded. "Thank you, Sara." As he stood up, he noticed that Izzy was slowly walking out of the room, as though in a daze.

"We'll be fine," Falcon said, managing a rue smile. "But we'll need to leave immediately to find Gregori. He broke through our safeguards, so this place is no longer safe for us or for the civilians. I think this shows these girls can't be infected with non-parasitic vampire blood—as I'm assuming this is—but we have to make sure our enemies don't find this out."

"Absolutely." He spared one more glance at Serenity before rushing out the door. Thankfully, he didn't have far to travel. Izzy had taken a seat across from Serenity's room and was curled up on the floor. With a wave of his hand Izzy's bloody clothes were gone and replaced with clean ones. "I'm sorry for alarming you, Isabel. I had thought…" he faltered behind kneeling down in front of her. "I made you a promise. I swore I would watch your sister. I failed to do this. I'm very sorry."

Izzy still looked very stunned by the situation, but she looked at Marach directly. "You…"

"What is it?" he asked.

"You…the way you handled her was so…" Izzy shook her head. "I panicked. I got her blood all over me. But you stayed right there with her and held her through that whole thing." She looked at him again. "Thank you. You made that situation a lot better than it could've been."

Marach stared at her. She wasn't jealous over his care of Serenity. She was genuinely touched he referred to her as his 'sister' and that he jumped right in to help her once he realized Parn had breached the safeguards. She was so distressed about what just happened and she might even be in shock. But her focus was on his care of her family and she was flattered by it.

A lump formed in his throat and tears burned at his eyes. How could someone be so unselfish with affection? Her family really was the most important thing to her. He was so proud of her, and he could feel his heart swell. He wanted to crush her in a tight, protective hug, but instead he very gently gathered her into her arms. Her calm showed she probably was in shock, which meant once the shock faded it wasn't going to be pretty.

"Thank you," he said, kissing her forehead. "And I swear I will never fail you again. All that you cherish I shall cherish too. And all that you are…I will cherish above all else."

Her body began to shake slightly, and he knew she was coming completely around. He rocked her gently, speaking to her quietly and overflowed her with his love and his fierce protectiveness of her. He couldn't bear to see her suffer, and it hurt him just as strongly to see Serenity in such a state. But he needed to be strong above all things. He held the lives of these two precious women in his hands, one of which was the light to his darkness, and he couldn't afford such carelessness to happen again. He was all too thankful he chose to bed with Izzy this day. He wouldn't dare think what would've happened if the two women had been left alone.

After several minutes, the shaking stopped but Marach didn't let go. Finally, Izzy spoke to him. "Marach?"

"Yes, iubita mea?"

"You made me feel better, didn't you?"

"I can do no other but ensure your happiness. That includes saving your sister." He leaned back and cupped her face in his palms. The color had returned to her face but her lilac eyes were red. She was so sad, but also relieved…and grateful. "We must leave very soon, draga. The vampires will definitely come now and the people of this village will be in danger while we're here. And we must definitely get Serenity to Gregori. We don't know if Parn did something terrible to his blood to taint her, but Gregori will know."

Izzy nodded, remaining silent. Suddenly, she leaned forward and kissed him full on the mouth. He was taken aback for a moment before he pulled her in tighter for a deeper kiss. When they broke apart his body felt hot and tight and he wanted her right then. But self-control and common sense ruled. This was not the time or the place to complete the ritual.

"Thank you, for my sister," Izzy said. She pulled herself out of his arms and stood. "And I'll try to be a little nicer to you."

Marach managed another smile, though he produced a black coat from midair to cover himself up. "I appreciate that, iubita mea."

___

Once Sara and Falcon cleaned Serenity up, they packed up the car an took off immediately. They fixed up the broken and stained room that Serenity had stayed in with a few simple thoughts, and the people of the small village were none the wiser. None of the people in the inn even noticed a distance. Or anything out the ordinary from the day.

They drove for hours. Izzy clung to Serenity who was staring out the window in silence. Serenity didn't say a word about her episode and she reacted to very little again. At least she wasn't acting catatonic, but Izzy felt like a wall had been erected between them.

Izzy found herself missing Marach's warmth. The Carpathian was riding shotgun to Falcon, who was behind the wheel. Sara was sitting beside them. She didn't look afraid and that was greatly reassuring for Izzy. She wasn't hungry, thirsty, or in need of a bathroom. She just wanted out, away from the vampires and all this insanity.

"I'm sorry, dragă."

Marach. Izzy closed her eyes and leaned against her sister. No…she didn't mean any of that. Sure she would love to be rid of vampires forever, but so much else happened. She met Falcon and Sara and their wonderful children. And Marach…she didn't know how to handle him, but he was there, with her all the time even if it wasn't directly by her side, and he helped Serenity unconditionally, never complaining or asking for anything. He was truly something else.

"I am not as noble as you think." Though he did sound a little more relieved. "I do this all because of you, Isabel. All because of you."

It was deep into the night, and the words around them were so dark. Izzy felt exhausted. She leaned against Serenity and closed her eyes, briefly, but was startled awake when the car came to a rough, abrupt stop. She quickly sat up, seeing nothing but more dark woods beyond the glare of the car's headlights.

"Stay in the car," Marach told Izzy quietly. Falcon and him got out of the car and stepped away from it hesitantly, leaving the three women in the car. Sara didn't look concerned at all, but Izzy held Serenity to her tightly. Serenity just continued to stare out the window in a vapid stupor.

Suddenly, a powerful whirlwind swept through the woods, shaking the car slightly. Izzy cried out and clung to Serenity tighter, and even Sara looked a little concerned. Falcon and Marach squared their shoulders, ready for whatever might threaten them, or most importantly their women.

The wind settled abruptly. A few feet in front of the car stood a lone man. Izzy stared at him, dumbstruck. She'd never seen anyone like him before. He exuded power like an aura. He was standing there casually, but he emulated danger and ferocity. Dark hair fell long and past his shoulders, like Falcon's, but his eyes were piercing silver. They didn't look natural to Izzy and she pressed herself deep into the seat.

But neither Marach nor Falcon was on the defensive. They both approached this stranger very casually and only then did Izzy know that this was the man they sought.

"So, you have arrived," Gregori Daratrazanoff greeted them.