Sarafan Priestess

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Once back at the stronghold, Rasha immediately went to her chamber and flopped onto the bed, sighing out of exhaustion and shock. The door opened slightly and two priests, Rahab and Raziel, looked in on her. She didn't hear the door open, but as they took a few sneaky steps toward her, she suddenly said, "Can I help you?"

"Nah, we're just wondering how are you after that battle?" Rahab said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

She took one look at his hand and brushed it off. "I'm fine, now leave me alone."

"Got it. I'll leave you alone. Let's go Raziel," he said beckoning to him.

"I'll stay with Rasha for a little. I'll be down in a minute," Raziel said, glancing at her form.

Rahab shrugged and left. Both warriors lay on the bed, Raziel lying supine with his hands behind his head in a casual gesture and Rasha on her stomach, her face buried into the sheets.

"That's the first time I ever killed someone. I feel strange. I felt some sort of pleasure in killing the Vampire. Is this normal?" she asked him.

"It's normal for me. I don't know about you," he replied, ruffling her hair with his hand, getting a yelp and a slap on the arm.

"Leave my hair alone. I like it the way it is," she said hotly. But Raziel wasn't looking at her. He was staring at her full pink lips. Rasha noticed and dug her face back into the bed, but he stopped her. He pulled her up into a sitting position on his lap, making sure she was comfortable on the plates of his scarlet battle armor. She sighed and buried her face into his chest, exhaling softly. His gloved fingers ran through her hair and she shook her head, trying to get him to stop. He laughed and began to mess up her hair even more. She yelled and gripped his wrists tightly, her face beyond angry. He leaned in and kissed her full on the lips. Her angry expression immediately dropped and her eyes became wide, but she accepted his kiss, leaning into him and pushing him onto the bed. She lay on top of him, still kissing until they broke for breath. A beautiful smile graced her lips as she leaned in for another kiss. Raziel broke away from the kiss abruptly.

"May I tell you something?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said, looking at him.

"Then how can I tell you?" he said pouting.

"Maybe you should use your intuition," she said, raising her eyebrows at him.

"It doesn't work around you. My mind is always a jumble... I can only think of you."

"Raziel, don't..."

"From the moment I saw you as a little baby, all those years ago, not a day has gone by when I haven't thought of you. And now that I'm close to you again, I'm in agony. The closer I get to you, the worse it gets. The thought of not being with you makes my stomach turn over - my mouth goes dry. I feel dizzy. I can't breathe. I'm haunted by the kiss you should never have given me. My heart is beating, hoping that kiss will not become a scar. You are in my very soul, tormenting me. What can I do? I will do anything you ask...if you are suffering as much as I am, please tell me," he pleaded.

Her face became deathly grave. "I can't. We can't. It's just not possible."

"Anything's possible. Rasha, please listen to me..." His voice was almost begging.

She stood up and walked a few paces away from him in anger.

"No, you listen. We live in a real world. Come back to it. You're a Sarafan Priest. I'm a Priestess. If you follow your thoughts through to conclusion, they will take us to a place we cannot go... regardless of the way we feel about each other," she said.

"Then you do feel something! There's an extraordinary connection between us. You can't deny that," he said, following after her.

She backed away. "Raziel, it doesn't make any difference. Priests aren't allowed to marry their own. You swore an oath, remember? I will not let you give up your responsibilities... your future, for me," she said.

"I was destined to be a Sarafan. I don't think I could be anything else. But you are asking me to be rational. That is something I know I cannot do. I wish I could wish my feelings away... but I can't."

"I am not going to give into this. I'm not going to throw my life away. I have more important things to do than fall in love," she replied hotly, her eyes beginning to take on a fierce gleam.

"It wouldn't have to be that way... we could keep it a secret," he said, his voice quiet.

"Then we'd be living a lie - one we couldn't keep even if we wanted to. All the other priests saw it. I couldn't do that. Could you, Raziel? Could you live like that?"

"...No, you're right. It would destroy us," he said, going to the open door and exiting, slamming the door behind him. Rasha sighed and flopped on the bed again, but there was a sound at the window. She looked up and saw a winged vampire looking at her with yellow eyes. A scream escaped her throat before the Vampire clamped a hand over her mouth and silenced her. The door burst open and the Sarafan stood there, brandishing weapons.

"Janos Audron. How dare you invade the sanctity of our citadel. Prepare to die!" Raziel said, coming at the Vampire.

Before he could reach him however, the Vampire took flight and bore Rasha away with him.

"RASHA!!" Raziel yelled as he ran to the window and watched as Janos got away with her.

Rasha was dropped unceremoniously on the floor and the Vampire known as Janos Audron stalked over to the door and locked it, trapping them both in the same room. Rasha watched him with wary eyes.

'This is it. This is how I'm going to die. Locked in a room with a Vampire and no one can rescue me,' she thought grimly.

Janos walked over to her and lifted her chin gently, making her look at him.

"Rasha, daughter of Selene. Welcome to my aerie. May you find solace in its womblike warmth," he said in a thick accent.

She smiled. She had to give him credit. Before he killed her, he would seduce her. She hated it.

"I have brought you here to tell you the truth," he said, pacing circles around her.

"The truth?" She was confused.

"About your father."

She backed away from him. "What do you know of him?"

He turned to her. "If you must know. Rasha, I am your father. I speak the truth."

She was shocked. "What? That can't be true! My father was a Sarafan Priest! He died in a battle with the Vampires. Raziel told me so!"

"Ah, but Raziel lied to you. He did not know who your father was, and your mother would not tell him. It was I your mother fell in love with...and I for her. She was the loveliest of her kind."

"If that is so, then bring the Spirit of my mother before me and let me hear her own story of my father," Rasha challenged.

"As you will," he said, turning to a mirror on the wall. He caressed the mirror and muttered a few words under his breath before turning around and beckoning her to it. She approached slowly and when she looked in, she saw the face of her mother. She screeched and fell backwards.

"Rasha, everything Janos has told you is the truth. He is the one who sired you. Although you are human, you still have Vampire blood in you," she said, coming out of the mirror and floating in front of her stunned daughter.

"Did the others know?" Rasha asked.

"No. I'm afraid not. They think that your father was a priest who went into a battle and died. But no, your father is a Vampire. You have some extraordinary powers of your own, derived from Janos himself," the apparition said, gazing lovingly at Janos. He sent a smile in return.

"Now, I must return to the Underworld. Send the Priests my greetings," she said as she drifted through the floor and disappeared.

Rasha sat there for a minute comprehending everything that had been said. Janos watched, but suddenly Rasha whirled off the floor and grabbed him by the collar. She slammed him into the wall, an expression of fury on her face.

"You have been keeping my mother's spirit imprisoned here instead of letting her rest. You're sick. You can't be my father. I won't accept it."

"You have no other choice child. Your mother spoke the truth. You must accept it," Janos said, still gazing at her with gentle eyes.

Before him, Rasha broke down and dissolved into tears. She let him down and backed away, sitting in the chair behind her. For some reason, she knew he was her father. Something in her could tell.

Back at the stronghold, Raziel and the other Sarafan Priests were leaving on a search for Rasha. Raziel was blazing mad that Janos would just swoop down and take her away. What did he intend to do to her? He didn't want to know, but he was going to find her no matter what.
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