This chapter contains descriptions of blood and violence and such. Fairly warned be ye, says I.

They glided effortlessly across the floor as if they had danced together a thousand times before, but really, it had only been once, many, many years ago.

Somehow she knew that the room would have been spinning even if they were not, it all seemed to be a blur, a meaningless backdrop behind him.

The music stopped, but he released neither her hand nor her waist. She stood there, transfixed by the smiling face framed by golden hair.

"I am so glad I finally got to dance with you again," he said as he pulled her even closer.

She could feel the desire in his gaze warming her to her very core, his eyes lush and green like the places he had once promised to show her, lined with long perfect lashes that almost seemed wasted on a man.

She looked away.

"Where did everybody go?" she asked as she looked around the ballroom, and noticing that the other guests had left.

He put his middle and index finger to her chin and turned her head back toward him. She stared up at him with flushed cheeks and half-lidded eyes as he leaned closer and pushed up on her chin, causing her head to tilt back.

The way he kissed her was so passionate and yet so decadently unhurried.

With one hand around her waist, he pressed her body against his, using the other hand to softly caress the skin left bare by her backless dress. Her arms found their way around him, palms resting on his lower back.

Hypnotized by sensation, it was some time before any thought came into her mind.

There was only one thought that could possibly break the spell she was under.

This is wrong. I love Haji. Her mind cried as she pulled her lips from his and halfheartedly tried to escape his embrace, only causing him to tighten his hold on her body and redirect his kisses from her lips to her neck.

Her lips parted in a silent, breathy moan as his lips gently pinched and caressed her skin, his fangs occasionally grazing her flesh.

She was loosing herself. She sighed his name.

She gasped and her fingers fanned against his back when he suddenly sunk his teeth deep into her neck.

Her eyes shot open when she realized that he was drinking her blood.

"Nooooo! Stop!" The scream echoed throughout the room.

Saya sat up in bed and panted as she wiped the sweat from her brow. She was awake now, but she heard it again, someone screaming.

"Noo! Stop! Nooooooo!" It was coming from somewhere outside of her room.

She jumped out of bed, Haji stood up from his chair in the corner and they both went running down the hall towards the origin of the screams. Tracing the noise to the back patio, Haji and Saya flew through the open sliding glass door. A bare light bulb above the backdoor illuminated the scene.

Dave was lying on the patio with a massive puncture wound in the center of his chest, blood dripping from his mouth as he coughed. A growing pool of blood surrounded him, and a still smoldering cigarette lay beside him. Ruka was kneeling at his side sobbing as Aka frantically tried to slow the bleeding. Nathan stood a few feet away, his face wrinkled in disgust as he used a frilly handkerchief to clean his blood soaked right hand.

Ruka turned to Nathan. "Why?" she screamed in anguish. "Why?"

"Don't cry dear, you know how to fix this," Nathan said comfortingly.

By this time the rest of the household was now bearing witness to the scene, Lewis was the only one to whom it occurred to call 911.

"Ojisan, how could you?" Ruka sobbed.

"So you can make him yours, my darling. It really is for the best, his mortal life will end and then you can give him a superior one. I've just given you a little extra motivation," Nathan replied casually.

Ruka shot to her feet and flew at Nathan in a rage only to be effortlessly pushed back, her feet leaving muddy skid-marks in the lawn. She immediately charged at him again, her eyes glowing blue with fury as she let out a fierce but woeful battle-cry. Nathan unflinchingly slapped her hard across the face, sending her flying backwards across the patio until she hit the side of the house, leaving a large dent in the metal siding.

Ruka slid down against the wall, until she was sitting limply against it. Nathan approached her. She weakly glared up at him.

"You can fight me or you can save him, make your choice, but time is running out, my darling," Nathan said as he disappeared into the night.

Dave wearily turned his head and looked at Joel. "Here's your lesson for today rookie," he paused as he coughed. "Chevaliers can be useful sometimes, but their loyalty isn't to the shield or the human race. No matter how trustworthy they might seem, they always have their own agenda. Never let your guard down unless you want to become a pawn in one of their games -" Dave coughed again, this time causing some blood to gurgle up from his lungs. He cleared his throat hoarsely and hocked, spitting the blood out beside him.

Ruka looked off in the direction to which Nathan had fled, her hands formed into tight fists as she stomped on the patio in her frustration, leaving a large crack in the pavement. It only took her a moment to decide her next course of action. She limped over to Dave and knelt beside him once more, cradling his head in her lap.

"Dave, I can save your life, if I give you my blood, you wont die."

"I've read the diary, I know what will happen," Dave said through his gritted teeth.

Ruka used her own fingernails to slit open her palm, and moved it toward his lips.

He slapped her hand away. "No."

"Dave please -"

"No Ruka," he slowly turned his head and looked at his father, who had just knelt by his feet. "I would become something that shouldn't exist."

"But you have to live!"

"Who says I'm going to die?" He weakly lifted his head and looked at his wound. "Okay, maybe I'm gonna die."

"I can't loose you, you've always been there for us. What would I do without you?" Ruka frantically cried.

"You'd fight." He took in a ragged breath. "You'd fight until every last one of them is in hell, where they belong."

She insistently moved her bleeding hand to his lips once more, but he firmly grabbed her wrist and pushed it back toward her, until it was pressed against her chest.

"No. Ruka, please don't. I'm begging you. I'll - You'll be okay."

He released her hand as his chest slowly deflated.

The elder David lunged forward, seizing his son's hand.

"Junior?"

"Junior?"

"Junior!"

The rest of the team looked on in disbelief as the siren of the approaching ambulance became audible.