Something There {OnexOne - Aisha & Whitt}

Demona listened to his soft words and sweet lies but thats what they were lies. The longer she laid there the more bitter she became. She though of all the things she had done for John and how much she loved him and the fact that she had let him beat her was wrong. What she did was wrong to but. Demona raised her fingers to her face and winced as they burshed over the bruises.

" Yeah I am sure butt face will love rubbing up on you. She was like a freaking cat." Demona grumbled. She did not like the woman but Prince Liam had to find a queen to his king before he took the throne. Demona understood that and no matter how sweet his words and his lies she could never be his queen to his king. Well there was a chance that her name still held something but it had been so long since her father had passed. He once told her that their name was nobility next to the king.

Demona let him touch his lips to hers it was almost to perfect but still the bitterness in her grew. Would Liam treat her the same way? Why did it matter Demona retorted to herself. Demona let herself slip further into his touch and hummed. So what she needed to be touched and loved just for now it would be nice.


When his lips left her Demona looked at him and smirked," Ya know your playing with a guard that was suppose to be a man... HUmmm that would be really funny," Demona laughed and rolled away. " Someone walk in and see you with your guard." Demona laughed harder and slipped out of the bed. She held her side and laughed harder as she touched the flood and stood up. " Liam it would be so funny I could hear it down in the yard. Did you know the Prince liked men. Thats why he never tried to find a woman. he needed a man to feed his need."


It was to funny Demona had to forget the pain and the hurt so making light of everything was going to be it. " I have a duty to be tending to and laying in the bed with you is not doing either of us any good. You need rest. I am sure your woman will be back soon. I need to rest as much as I can o that if needed I can take another arrow for you. I jut hope this time its not in the shoulder. It hurts really bad there."

" Where are they?" Demona looked around and found the pants she had stolen from Liam. " Thanks for the close I really needed to get out of those rags I had been wearing." Demona slid into the pants and they fight her perfect. they must have been to small for liam now. He had said it had been a while since he had been riding. She tucked in the shirt and grabbed her dagger off the floor.

" Rest is what the heart needs Liam don't push to hard right now please. I...." Demona looked at herself in the dagger and closed her eyes," I am Demona Morgana. Right now I have nothing but my job. I am not nobility anymore and I can not be your queen. Not sure if I can bring myself to just having fun with you for a while before you marry. The connection with us is to strong." Demona turned away from Liam and walked over to the window. She opened it and the warm breeze filled the room. She would protect him but she did have to protect herself as well.


~!~!~!~!


John growled as the woman confirmed that she wanted what he now wanted. It was a glorious moment. Just to be able to look at the idea of becoming king. Everything about it made him tingle. He wanted the power he wanted the money and the death. John grabbed for her skirt like a bitch in heat but in that moment she grabbed his arms and moved him like he was nothing. John almost looked up at her but she bit into his neck.

" What are you," John choked. He did not pull away he did not scream. " Your a demon. " John smiled widened he had given his soul to a demon and no his coming to power would be complete. John grabbed her legs and brought her up around him with one quick tug. " Power." He growled and hungered for it. Slowly he could feel his life being drained but her teeth and lips. he almost felt fear take hold but if she killed him then he could go haunt Demona. It all turns out well that way. " I do not have the strength to hold you any longer my demon." John let her legs slide back down and then he began to crumple to his knees until her arm held him where she wanted him.

The darkness came so fast. Yet death did not follow just a burning pain that raced in his veins.


John Woke up in a room. He looked around and it was well decorated. John sat up slowly and moved his hand to his neck. Wounds to felt fresh but the pain was not in them but in his entire body. His stomach lurch as hungry grabbed hold of him. He snarled so inhuman like it startled him. But then he stood up. Power was his just because so pain was there meant nothing. " Demon were are you what have I become?" He growled and then laughed his voice had almost dropped and entire note.

John walked to the mirror and looked at himself. he face was paler then normal and you could see that his skin was changing slowly. He was becoming more like Beatrice. " B I have an Idea. that will be us more good since what ever you made me is not human. I want them to find my corpse and bury me. So that Demona and Liam think I am dead. I can tell by how things are changing that it will not belong before I look different more so then not but Demona will be able to tell whom I am."

John looked at himself once more and grinned. Fangs slipped from his lips and his eyes darkened. Her life would be horrid but her death would be his bliss but first he would drive her mad with fear.

Liam scowled at her, not as amused by her joke as she was, but he was glad to see her laughing. Something about the way that it lit up her face made him tolerate the jab at his pride.

“Anyone fool enough to insult me isn’t going to laugh long,” he told her. “But imagine how jealous they’d be if they knew what was under those robes.”

He watched her slide into his clothes, and he received a small sense of satisfaction from seeing her in something of his own. They fit her almost perfectly, and, though they were masculine clothes, she looked entirely female in them. Pushing out a breath to clear his swirling thoughts, Liam slid up so that he could sit up and rest his back against the headboard of his bed.

He listened to her quietly and watched as she went to his window to lean out. When she’d had her say, he lifted his hands as if to ward off an attack.

“All right. I can behave myself.” He paused. “But, when you get done with your time, let me know.”

He understood that she needed her space. He’d obviously plucked her right out of the future she’d already had planned for herself, and it wasn’t as if he could merely replace it. She was right. There were ties that bound him to other things, and since there was no title attached to Demona’s name, there didn’t seem to be a loophole to work through.

But it didn’t change that he wanted her. More than Beatrice, more than any other woman his mother might toss in his direction. He would keep wanting her. He had to have her. Liam would figure out a way to do so. If he had to break some rules along the way, he would, and he’d just have to convince her that it was what she wanted as well.

Until she decided, however, he’d keep his hands off of her. He didn’t enjoy the idea of bullying women, and though his own needs might become overwhelming at times, he did his best to respect them. Even his own mother, in a roundabout way, was given respect. At least by the simple fact that he eventually went along with what she had to say. Though there was no telling how much longer he’d be able to stand to do so. His restraint was only so strong.

Even now he had to resist the urge to go to Demona at the window and draw her against him.
---
Beatrice had been pleased by his reaction when she’d bitten him. Even more exhilerated when he’d lifted her and wrapped her around him. It was only to bad, that at that time, he was a puny mortal who couldn’t withstand what she was doing to his system. He’d enticed her, and she’d wanted to have some fun with him, but that could wait. His blood had sated her, and, once her job had been completed, Beatrice had easily brought him, single-handedly, to her home in which she could hide him until his transformation was complete.

She watched him from the shadows when he finally awoke, and was again pleased with how he handled his transformation. He was quite a handsome vampire. When he called for her, she stepped forward, a wicked smile lighting her mouth.

“Here I am,” she told him.

She moved in a graceful, almost gliding, manner until she stood behind him at the mirror, staring over his shoulder at his reflection. She lifted a dainty hand and trailed it across his neck, just over where her bitemark was healing and disappearing. The skin was still tender from her feeding, and she felt a small shiver of delight.

“You’re a vampire now, Sir John. An unbeatable, rather handsome vampire that now has the capability to help me take the crown and the power.”

She listened quietly to his suggestion until he was finished, and then she nodded approvingly. He was incredibly sharp and intelligent too it seemed. He would be the perfect man to be at her side for her rise to power. Being a princess of France would be nothing compared to what she could be as queen of Liam’s kingdom.

“An excellent plan. Feel free to move forward with it.” She studied his reflection. “But you should feed first. Pretending to be dead around a bunch of tasty humans will be difficult on an empty stomach.”

She gave him a careless smile. “Tomorrow, I’ll be paying Prince Liam a visit myself, and tomorrow just might be the day that our poor prince meets an untimely end.”

John Smiled and turned around to face Beatrice." Once I craw out of the earth and come back to you I need a newer look. This farmer look is not of power. John tugged at his long hair that draped around his chin. He was going to rule he needed to look more king like. When she said vampire John stood there for a moment thinking. The word seemed familiar in some way. Like old tales. His brows furrowed and he thought. Vampire? A tale his mother told him was that vampires came out from the darkness and pulled in woman and men to feed upon their blood. Like leeches. Did they have anything that could flaw them? Did they only flow with that darkness that created them?


" Vampire," John rolled the word off his tongue. " I am starving." He growled and grabbed Beatrice by her forearms and pulled her into him. He looked down and the now more real looking woman and grinned," Your inhuman luster now that I am what you are but," He ducked his head so that his lips hovered over hers." Your are so lovely." John watched her face and let his hands slide from her arms her lower back.

" You realize you have created a monster." John pressed his lips to hers and lets his hands slide up to the middle of her back. He smirked in his kiss and ripped the back of her dress open so he could touch her skin. No longer cold like before she felt normal to him. He brought his nails down her back and kissed down her chin line. He wanted to play more but the hungry lurch his stomach and his vision blurred. " So I am guessing like the tales my mother spun I drink blood." John nipped the inside of B's lips and suckled on it for a moment.

John pulled away from her and licked his lips. Ever the blood form his own kind tasted better than any food he had ever eaten. John looked down at B and smiled, " I will be back Beatrice to play with you later. The young boy Liam could never treat you ever close to like you need to be treated." John was in his late twenties smarter, stronger, well versed. " Also I hated the name John but my middle name will do. You can Call me Rais."

Rais spun around in walked over to the mirror." How do I get this blood red look out of my eyes? Also Care to join while I feed. If your not willing to watch my rip someone apart I get it." Rais grinned at the idea of ripping someones arms off and beating them with them as he licked the blood from the stomps. " I will not hold back let alone I am evil just I was well hidden in my dark pleasures."


~!~!~!~!~!

Demona Laid her head on her cot and closed her eyes. Her thoughts flew at her like a assault. That night Demona tossed and turned her mind racing with ideas, pain and bliss. The knowledge that the connection between her and Liam was real made her dreams so light and happy until John showed his face then her nightmares followed.

It was a shame that she wouldn’t appear so surreal to him anymore, but she was happy to find that he still found her alluring. When he pulled her into his arms, she gave a little gasp that turned into a quiet groan as he ripped into her dress. Her eyes darkened to a deep, emerald green, and she kissed him back as he pressed his lips to hers, straining against him.

“Yes, you drink blood,” she told him.

But she wasn’t ready for him to leave her yet. She’d had her fill of blood, and now what she wanted was some quick fun before tomorrow’s festivities.

“Of course Liam would never do,” she agreed. “It is only his blood that I want. Some smell sweeter than others.”

Pouting, she bit into her own lip and pressed her mouth to Rais’s again, sharing some of her own blood. Blood that she’d stolen, mostly, from him. Still, she wanted to be desired more than anyone else. It was a vanity she had. Pulling away from Rais, she stared up at him with a needy expression. It would have to wait, she supposed. Or she could find someone else—a human—to fill her time while he went to fill his stomach.

“You need to feed. We can control the color of our eyes, but it’s difficult to do on an empty stomach. And, being only newborn, it will take some effort on your part.”

She stepped away from him, tossing her red hair behind her shoulders, and shrugged absently. She might have been needy, but she wasn’t desperate. And even to her new mate she wasn’t going to play the poor, lonely woman.

“I’ll go with you,” she told him, “but only to make sure you get it right.”

Her smile was devious, and she brushed a finger across his chin before turning and leading the way out of her house. It was a pretty house, but Liam’s castle would be so much better. The streets were dark outside, and perfect for hunting. They could go relatively undetected out here. That would make the color of Rais’s eyes less of a problem. Beatrice spotted her own prey within moments.

She turned to Rais. “Perhaps you’d like a demonstration?”

Grinning, she sauntered into the human man’s view. He stopped when he saw her, seemingly dazed, for a moment, by her appearance. As if she’d fallen from the sky. To his human eyes, she would look beautiful enough to have done just that. She wasn’t shy, but moved straight to him, touching his shoulder, staring into his eyes.

“Who are you?” he asked, mystified.

But Beatrice ignored him and spoke to Rais over her shoulder. “There are two different ways. Pleasure or death. Shall we?”

She closed in on the man, ducked her head to his neck as he gave a gasp of surprise, and sunk her fangs into his flesh. The man gasped again, but instead of writhing in pain, a glazed expression filmed his eyes, and he began to greedily grope her. After a few moments, Beatrice pulled back. There was blood on her face, and she laughed.

“Pleasure. Now death.”

This time, when Beatrice sunk her fangs in, the man screamed. But the scream quickly grew soft and useless, and the man slumped to the ground as Beatrice drained the life out of him. Example complete, she licked her lips and turned to Rais.

“Your turn.”

Rais watched her walk around dher house like a goddess. It was amazing you could tell she was aged in a good why it seemed with these kind of creatures. He wanted her but the need to feed was much more needy. He growled as she opened the door and the warm air slipped around them. The darkness was their lover their night. You could almost feel the pull to leave the one your with to run free alone. A feeling that was until most others.

" Be my guest," rais laughed as she acted like his teacher. He wanted a hunting partner not a teacher. Hunting was the easy part but he watched her give the man pleasure from her bit then his screams filled the air. Rais smiled. The looked of fear and realization filled the man's eyes and he died and thats what Rais wanted to see. Rais titled his head to the side as the body dropped to the ground and She turned around to him.


Rais moved over to her. He still lumbered like a human and it felt unreal in his new body like he was moving wrong. Rais straighten himself a bit and let his body move more like liquid. " Your amazing. Now" Rais turned her into his arms and kissed her roughly. The taste of the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth and he deepened the kiss. he pulled away with a grin on his face. " Let me see if you like what I do if not run or kill me because it will only get worse." Rais promised his small threat.


A lone woman walked in the street. She smelled of sweet perfume and truffles. Her curly blonde hair bobbed around her tight round bosom as she bounded home no doubt after a romp with one of the other nobles. Rais moved in the darkness like the demon he was until he was inches from her. He took a deep breath in. She smelled so sweet it made his eyes roll into the back of his head. He could feel the monster inside take control.

" Excuse me ms." Rais spoke in a very inviting manner. The woman turned around saw him. She walked forward and ran her hand over his arms and replied," Your the guard at the dance. You were lovely then but you look just alluring now. I think I could lower my standards for one night." She giggled and grabbed Rais by the arm and pulled him to her.

Rais looked down at her and realized she had been drinking.He took another deep breath in and groaned," I am sure your so high in your nobility. I must say I am entirely grateful." Thats when Rais growled and pushed her into the wall as hard as he could. Bones broke and the woman screamed. Rais titled his head to the side and licked his lips." Are you truly the low not to keep your mouth shut when not being spoken to?" Rais;s eyes widened and the girl tried to kick his privates. He grinned and grabbed her legs. " Bad kitty." Wit that Rais snapped her leg so that it was backwards and the bone of her lower leg stuck out of the back of her calf.

The girl screamed louder and it became more of a shriek. " O dear," Rais ducked his head into her neck and bit into the flesh softly almost lovingly. The girl's eyes glazed over and she stopped moving in pleasure. Then Rais ripped her a piece of her neck off the bone and spat it to the ground bringing to girl back to her screaming fit. " Your so fair but if they ever find your body they will only see you as some poor street girl lost to the rats. Rais growled and buried his face in her chest and ripped into her bare skin lapping at the blood until the girl's screams faded and nothing was left but a blood mangled mess.

Rais spun around with a evil grin on his face and waited to see what this girl was going to do. If he had to he would fight her and kill her the same way. Woman disgusted him all of them made him sick. All they wanted was sex and power more so than any man. Whores all of them the Human whore. Maybe the vampipre was different but she was human at one point or another. " Beatrice," Rais Called to her and held out his hand like the god she had made him.

Beatrice watched his display in shock. Just around the outskirts of that shock was fear, but that fear didn’t quite touch her. It was a human emotion, a human weakness, and she was far above that now. She was a monster herself really, but she’d never been so brutal. She preferred a more sensual approach to killing her meals. Gore wasn’t something she wanted mixed with her blood.

Still, she could appreciate Rais’s methods in a sort of shock-and-awe type way. He was, after all, the man she had chosen, and she had chosen him because he wasn’t a coward. He was lethal and vicious and just sadistic enough for her to know that he wouldn’t back down from anything she proposed. That was the type of person she needed at her side to overthrow Liam and his parents and take the throne. She could deal with Rais’s thirst for pain if he could help her get what she wanted.

With a confident smile on her face, Beatrice stepped toward him and took his hand, understanding that this was a test, and though she didn’t appreciate being the one tested, she appreciated his guts to try. She had a feeling that he was going to make her life more interesting.

“We should go back and… rest.” Her lips quirked. “It’ll be morning soon, and you have a long day of pretending to be dead in front of you. And I have a date.”

---
Liam woke with a start as his mother barged into his room the next morning. He barely had time to grumble or hiss at her to leave before she’d made her way to his windows and flung back his curtains. He blinked against the harsh morning light that spilled in, opened his mouth to protest, and then froze.

As his mother said something about him sleeping the morning away, Liam cast an anxious glance toward Demona’s cot. She was turned toward the wall. His mother wouldn’t notice her one way or the other. She was too busy drowning him in his orders for the day.

“Well,” she snapped, finally pausing just at the foot of his bed as she noticed that he’d yet to move, “are you going to get up sometime soon, dearest? She’ll be here within the hour.”

This caught Liam’s attention. “What?”

Elizabeth Gray folded her arms across her chest. “Beatrice is to meet you for a walk today. Your father and I fully expect you to court her properly, Liam, and no getting out of it. I warned you that you would have to settle one day if you didn’t choose.”

Liam stared at her as if he didn’t quite see her. He was going to have to spend the entire morning with Beatrice? He grimaced. He didn’t think he could stand that chilling, anxious feeling she gave him for that long. Let alone the rest of his life. If his mother expected him to court and wed her, she was a fool. He glanced again toward Demona.

“I’ve already spoken to your father.”

Liam glanced sharply back at his mother, feeling like she’d just hit him with a ton of bricks. Though the statement seemed innocent enough, he knew what she was implying. His father wanted him to choose Beatrice. The choice was already all but made. He felt a sick wave of anger and rebellion rush through his stomach, but said nothing. Looking away, he was glad that Demona wouldn’t know what she meant.

“She’ll be here any minute. Get dressed, and get to the gardens.”

With that, Elizabeth left, slamming the door unceremoniously behind her. Liam winced, but said nothing still and slid off the bed to hastily get dressed. He couldn’t bare to look at Demona, so he spoke to her over his shoulder.

“I’m sorry you’ll have to endure this. Hopefully it will be over quickly. You don’t have to follow us if you don’t want to.”

He finally glanced her way, attempting to smile, but he barely managed it, so he quickly fled the room, down the stairs, and out the side door into the garden. He only had to wait a few minutes for Beatrice to arrive. She looked as supernatural and frightening as she had the night before.

“Prince Liam,” she greeted him in her sultry voice. “I’m glad to see you again. Shall we?”

She extended her arm, and Liam had no choice but to tuck it through his. He surpressed the shiver that wanted to course up his spine at the feel of her skin, and forced himself to walk.

Demona tossed and turned until the queen burst through the door and yelled at Liam. Butt face was back. Demona sat still for a few moments until the door slammed shut. She was about to turn over when Liam walked over. He spoke a few words and then vanished himself. Great. She was his guard and all he wanted to was run around with out giving her a dang moment to follow.

With a sigh Demona rolled over and grabbed her mask. She wrapped it around her head and then tucked it into her shirt. She walked across the room and shut the window. Stupid bird left it open. The would have been good to come back to someone in the room. " Well I guess its time to save him again if he really wants it. his mother seems very happy about the red head. Maybe Demona as a distraction was a bad thing but she really had nothing else to do with her life.

Demona walked over to her sword and cross bow. She fitted herself with her weapons and then walked out of the room once her cot was made. She entered the garden and was surrounded by the smell of roses and water lily again. Like last night. Her heart dropped but she remembered the feeling as the raced through the yard hand in hand. God why did she need him so badly?

Then a woman's voice filled the air. It had to be her Beatrice. Demona moved through the garden and then close to them. Demona lowered her head and spoke," Prince Liam after yesterday's attack it would seem to be in your best interest to have me around." Demona said in a low gruff voice. She looked the woman and wanted to scream at her. She only wanted Lima for the power of the crown. Nothing more. Bitch.

~!~!~!~!
Rais smiled as she turned into his hand and moved into him. He could see the human shock in her eyes at his anger but that only made him more happy. She should be scared she should fear him no matter how old or young she was. he was willing to do anything and enjoyed it.

~!~!~!~

Sir John's body was found near the river. His body was pale and he was dead. A local farmer had found him. The news spread like wild fire and soon came ringing into the castle like a marching band.

Demona looked up and touched her sword as and man race out to them. It was only another man in her unit. His face was pale and beaded with sweat. Demona raised and eye brow rose as the man spoke. " Sir John...." The man's voice cracked as he tried to caught his breath," Sir john was found dead at the river side your highness."

Demona gasped and looked at the man then to the ground. Her heart dropped and tears wanted to well up in her eys but she had to stay in character.

They hadn’t walked far before Demona caught up with them, and Liam was immensely relieved. The conversation with Beatrice was strained—at least on his part. And there was something comforting about Demona’s presencethat put him at ease. At least, as much as he could be with Beatrice’s chilled arm wrapped through his.

“Of course,” he agreed, “you’re right.”

He felt Beatrice stiffen as he accepted Demona’s request to follow them, but he didn’t care. He’d feel safer with her there, and not because of the arrows she might deflect, but because it meant he didn’t have to be alone with Beatrice. Like Demona, the red-head wasn’t exactly subtle about what she wanted, and Liam was still getting used to overpowering women.

However, it seemed the diversion he had been hoping for came in the form of a messenger from Demona’s unit. He lifted a brow as the man—winded—attempted to explain what was going on and dropped himself at his feet. At the mention of John, Liam cast a quick, worried glance at Demona. Her face was downcast. He couldn’t tell how the news affected her, but he was certain it had been a sharp blow to the gut.

“I see,” Liam said grimly. “Thank you for telling me. You may go.”

Liam waited until the messenger had left, uncertain as to what to do. He wanted to comfort Demona—knew that she needed it—but couldn’t dare to risk it with Beatrice for an audience. He could only stare helplessly at her, wondering what it was that she needed now that he could openly give her.

“I…” he paused, licked his lips. “I understand if you need to go, Dameon. I know that you respected him. You can send someone to temporarily replace you if you need it.”

He didn’t want her to go. He didn’t want her to mourn for John. He didn’t want her to need him, or to weep for him. Still, he couldn’t be selfish when it came to this, and he knew it. After all, his fate was most likely at the hands of Beatrice, or some other woman like her when it came down to it. He clenched his teeth and attempted an encouraging smile in Demona’s direction that looked as fake as it felt.

Demona just felt her heart pound in her ears and the salt in the tears burn. She wanted to cry scream kick. She closed her eyes and her chest felt tight. He was dead no nothing. He was angry with her and died. Demona looked up at Liam and nodded ," Your my main priority Sir. I will not leave my post I am sure they will have the ceremony tonight. He was one of the highest knights. She would follow them around while they chatted.

The ceremony would be grand Liam and the king and queen would be there while his body was buried. Demona could watch but she would have to go out after dark. DEmona just stood there in silence like a good guard.


~!~!

The smell of piss and rats made Rais squirm but laid still and would deal with all the mess of this horrid night. he would enjoy crawling out of the ground while Demona vistited him tonight.

(( short because this is the freak area that aways gets dang well short))

The rest of the walk was surprisingly uneventful. At least, if Beatrice said anything of interest, Liam didn’t hear her. He was too busy concentrating on Demona, sending her covert glances when he felt Beatrice wasn’t staring at him. He couldn’t make out her face, as it was covered, but he had a feeling that she was in pain. It was the way she was caring herself and the silence she held as they walked. As if she was a million miles away.

Liam felt pity, but not sympathy. He wasn’t upset that John had died. He would have liked to have had a hand in it, actually, after what he’d seen the night before when John had raised his hand to her. It had only been too bad that he hadn’t been able to, in fear that John would blab Demona’s secret to everyone. But now it looked like karma had returned the favor to Sir John, and Liam thought it was his just desserts.

Still, he cared for Demona. He didn’t know how it had happened so quickly or why, but he was uncomfortable with the feeling of her pain. He wished that he could say something of comfort—embrace her even—but their secret made him keep his distance, so he endured the rest of the morning with Beatrice in anxious annoyance.

When he was finally able to courteously part ways with her, he did so with her assurance that she would see him again—that she’d been invited back by his parents. There was even a chance that she would come to pay her respects to the guard that had died, as she mentioned that she’d met him briefly at the ball the night before. She said something to the effect of his death being a horrible tragedy, went on to say that he’d seemed like a great man, and departed with Liam scowling at the back of her head. He didn’t exactly want to hear anyone praise John now.

But that seemed to be exactly what he was in for for the evening, seeing as how those that spoke at his funeral would certainly not be slandering him. Liam squandered the day away watching Demona out of the corner of his eye as she followed him around while he commenced with his duties. She barely said a word, and it disturbed him. If there’d been a rift between them before, Liam could feel it growing, and he wanted to close it.

By the time evening approached and the hour of the funeral drew near, Liam finally found a private moment with Demona—just after he’d dressed in his formal best for the funeral. Dropping his voice, he laid a hand on her arm and spoke softly to her.

“I’m sorry,” it was the first time he’d been able to tell her all day. “I know you’ve been through enough, and I wish that I could comfort you at the funeral, but I won’t be able to. Still, I’d like to be by your side during it, all right?”

It was all he could manage to say to her before he was called off again. As the prince, he had to make an appearance at such a high-ranking guard’s funeral, and he did just that, standing in the crowd with Demona at his side, though he didn’t know who was supporting whom at the moment. He felt more like her guard than she his. He wished he could shield her from the pain as the priest commenced with the blessings and a few men took turns delivering short eulogies.

When it was all said and done—Liam had barely heard a word of it or looked at John’s pale, dead face: his attention had only been for Demona—Liam turned to her with a small frown on his face. He wished that he could see through her mask and discover what she was thinking, how she was feeling.

“Would you like for me to stay with you? I imagine you’ll want to come back later, in private. Do you want me to come with you?” he asked.

All the while, Liam never spotted Beatrice in the crowd, though she lurked—during the entire ceremony—just outside the circle of the audience, a devious smile on her face as she watched the prince bend to talk to his supposed guard. They would play all too easily into her hands. Her smile widened. She could smell Liam’s blood from here, and she filed it into her memory, wanting to keep the scent with her forever. It was the smell of her victory.

She glanced toward Demona. The woman was only a minor obstacle. She would be easily dealt with by Rais, and then the fun would begin.

Demon watched as everyone cried and begged for his life back. A few woman knelt next to his body and acted more like his wives then friends. Almost made Demona sick to watch. She knew he had them but never really said anything. She was to loyal to her king to care what Sir john did on his time off while she slept and trained. The ceremony began and Demona looked up and out into the dark sky. His life was gone and all she had left was her job. If she lost her control now she would not have that either.

AS they were able to come to the casket Demona walked next to Liam and looked at him for only a moment. John looked peaceful happy. Nothing seemed wrong with him not at all. No one knew why he had died. Maybe of a broken heart so said or a poison some others whispered. Demona winced and thought about the night before. Had she broken his heart? Was she the reason he was dead.

With out thinking Demona turned and looked away. her mind was filled with dark thoughts of what she had done. She had killed him? No it was a stupid idea the woman of the villages liked to tell their kids so they treated their men right. Old wives tales.

" I thank you Liam I will come back very late in the night and if you want you could come with me." Demona waited for Liam to walk before she followed. It was going to be a long time before she let any man close to her heart again even though she already felt close to Liam. She could not endure something else like this.

~!~!

Rais laid in the thing they made for him. His eyes closed and his face in a gentle smile. Peaful they had called it when they made his look like that. Stupid he felt but what ever it took to make Demona's life a living hell. For all eternity. Rais Almost jumped out of the casket with that idea. He would turn Demona into a vampire so that he could torture her for the rest of her life. Taking everything she ever found pleasing. Liam would go first. Of course B wanted him for herself and Rias would have to deal. Myab whiile she was not looking Liam might break his leg before she gets her hands on him. he can be known as the gimpy king.

Rais did not breath he had no need to but every once in a while rais would take a shallow breath to see where Demona was her blood was sweet like nectar. he could take her and the mix of Liam next to her. The smelled like the same flower almost but the mingled with one another to smell perfect. It made Rais growl. Their death and torments would be his pleasure.

Soon the casket was closed and then tossed into a hole. The box landed with a thud and Rais just laid there as the dirt was sloshed down upon him. He would have time to dig out not like it would take him long anyway with this now strength. He just laid there with his hands on his chest and his eyes closed peacefully until the moment the dirt stilled. It would be a while but might was well start moving. Rais smashed his fist into the toop of the wooded casket and then pulled back and whole. Thats when the dirt poured in around him. He was sure B was around and would help him get ready for Demoan to arrive. He wanted to scare her out of her mind and needed to be out of this hole before she got there.

~!~!~!~!

Demona walked Liam back to his room and locked the door. Be it his mover or someone else no one knew how to knock. She ripped her mask off and tossed it to the floor. The hot thing had head in so much today it felt like a cage around her face. She moved across the room and swung open the window to let the cool night air wash over her. The man was dead her heart was broken and all she could do was stand there. No ears nothing.

" I am so Alone Liam and its all my fault." Demona felt her throat tighten and finally tears started to pure down her face. " I should have left when John wanted me to but I was hard headed and stayed on as your guard." Demona turned and walked over to Liam she needed to be touched to be held.

With one big sniffle she launched her arms around his neck and held tightly to him.

Beatrice waited until the crowd had dispersed, which took more time than she would have liked. Especially since a few of Rais's old mistresses saw fit to sticking around and sobbing theatrically for some time. If everyone present hadn't picked out the whores for what they were by now, then they must have been blind. Beatrice merely sneered at them. Brainless fools. So there wouldn't be anyone to keep them warm at night now. What would they do? Rais was hers now. And for that, they were probably lucky. He wouldn't be as interested in their bodies now as he would be in their blood. And she'd seen already what he'd do for blood.

Once even the gravediggers were gone, Beatrice took one of their discarded shovels and began the process of digging Rais back up. It wasn't hard for her, as her strength was more than twice a human's, but she looked almost absurd involved in manual labor with her slender form and dainty hands. Still, appearances were deceiving in the case of Beatrice, and it took her no time at all to reach the wooden box in which Rais had been buried.

Dropping down into the hole, she wrenched the nailed wooden lid back and stared down at the vampire she'd created.

"Nap time's over, dear," she told him. "Now, the real fun begins. I imagine your human will be along soon to mourn over you, and you don't want to disappoint her."

With an overly sweet smile, she climbed easily back out of the hole, pausing only once to speak to Rais over her shoulder.

"I'll be around, but, remember, Liam is mine."

And then she disappeared.
---
Once again, Liam was at a loss as to how to comfort her. The only plus side of this bout of tears was that they were alone, and he was able to hold her. As she flung herself into his arms, Liam drew her in and murmured soothing words to her, stroking her back and listening to her.

"I'm sorry. I can't say that I liked the man, but I'm sorry that it's hurt you like this."

He was sorry for that, though it was hard to be sorry for anything else. Especially since it was his arms into which she walked and not John's. That was immensely satisfying to him, though he would have never admitted it out loud. He could imagine the way that Demona's face would have come alive with fury if he had. Though it was an alluring image, he didn't want to provoke anything at the moment.

At the moment, he only wanted to do what would be best for Demona, or, at least, what would make her happiest. As happy as she could be until she'd let him be the one that made her happy. He wasn't certain how he would prove to her that he was more worthy than John. He wasn't certain why it seemed so important that he did.

"Everyone should be in bed now. I'll walk you there, all right?"

With gentle hands, he took hers in his own and turned to quietly lead them out of the castle and back to the burial ground. He stopped several feet away, not close enough to see the grave site, and turned to her. Inside, his emotions were combatting with one another, but he felt he was making the smart and mature choice.

"I'll be right here, all right? I'll give you some privacy with... with him. If you need anything, just call for me."

Reluctantly, he released her hand.