Draco studied his surroundings carefully.
He had spent millions of dollars to buy and renovate the uptown skyscraper, but it had barely put a dent in his resources. He was the only one in the building; well, besides the hundred or so "employees" he kept around him at all times.
His apartments were on the top floor, furnished in the Gothic style he liked so much. Floor to ceiling windows looked out over Manhattan, the twin towers, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building. The sky in the east was tinted pink and yellow with morning, the stars in the west becoming dimmer and dimmer.
The walls were stone, as were the floors. Niches in the walls held statues from a long forgotten civilization. The draperies at the windows were black. Everything was black; it was the color of night, his only comfort, and he surrounded himself with it.
He seated himself at his desk by the window, then got back up to pull the draperies across the vast expanse of glass. Draco hesitated just a moment, taking a last look at the city before the sun rose.
Dawn's first weak rays glanced over his face, his hands, over the portrait of the dark-haired woman on the wall opposite the windows, the only picture that graced the walls, the only color in the whole room. After pulling the curtain across, he hit the button on the intercom in front of him.
"Send him up."
An answering voice replied with a hasty "Yes, sir." Two minutes later one of the heavy oak double doors opened and a bodiless arm pushed Darren into the room.
Darren's face has haggard. His eyelids were bruised and bluish, as if he hadn't slept all night. He was weak from blood loss.
Draco studied him with the contempt with which he regarded most mortals. Unlike some of his brothers, he didn't fear and hate them. He pitied them their short, pointless lives; he pitied their weakness before him.
"You know why I brought you here, Darren."
Darren eyed him warily, shifting from foot to foot uncomfortably. Draco motioned him to a chair and they both sat..
"To be blunt, I can use you. You can be a great asset to me, and in return, I can give you eternal life. Does that sound like a fair deal?"
Looking at him quizzically, Darren finally said, "Why do you need me? Why am I so important to you?"
"Only you can get me to Lilith. You're her weak link. You and Daniel."
Darren's face was ashen. He was still partially under Draco's control; his hatred for Lilith was fresh in his mind, if undeserved, and at that moment he would give anything to see her brought down. The mention of Daniel both angered and depressed him, for he thought that Lilith had come between them and Daniel had turned him back on him. Daniel would have come for me right away. But he didn't, and it's all her fault…
"I'm not helping you until you tell me what the whole story is. And if I do help you, you have to promise that you won't hurt Daniel."
Draco's face was somber in the dim light.
"Long ago, I fell in love with a Celtic woman. She had many names, as was the practice in those times, but her true name was Wyntyr. That's her portrait, over there on the wall." He nodded at the painting, and Darren turned in his chair to look at it. Wyntyr's hair was black, and slightly curly at the tips. Her eyes were as black as night, her skin white, her
lips red. She wore a dress of ice blue silk and a red cloak. The artist had painted her sitting on a rock on a northern beach, staring out over the water with an expression of longing on her beautiful face. "It's beautiful," he said.
"You like it? I painted it myself, from memory. It's what she looked like just before she died.
"Although Wyntyr and I were in love, she was knew what I really was and knew we could never marry. She wound up marrying a French nobleman, even though it broke her heart to do so. I still saw her from time to time, when I could. It wasn't easy, for her husband was a jealous man.
"She had three children, a boy, a girl, and another little girl. I knew the first two children fairly well, although their names escape me now. The last time I saw them the boy was ten and the girl, six. She loved her children. Wyntyr died in childbed with the third child, who I never knew."
His face was carefully controlled, his eyes betrayed no emotion."I want to find her again. I have been searching for her ever since her death.
"Lilith's amulet is the key to finding Wyntyr."
Darren nodded, understanding. Silently, Draco asked his question.
Silently, Darren gave his answer.
"No. I won't let you come. You'd be in too much danger."
Daniel ran his hand through his sandy blond hair, trying to be as patient with Lilith as he was with every other person on earth.
"Darren is my best friend. If you go, I'm going. Period. End of story."
"Dan, if something happened to you, I'd never forgive myself. Darren's already in a deep hole and it's all my fault. I don't want your life on my conscience too…and what if I fail? What if something goes wrong?"
He squeezed her hands in his. "Nothing will go wrong. We'll get Darren back, and then we'll take care of Draco." He smiled his little half smile at her, and Lilith couldn't help but smile back.
Two hours later they were standing outside of a tall office building. Daniel looked around.
"Is this it?" he asked, craning his neck to look at the top floor.
"Yes. Darren is somewhere in there, as are Draco and an unknown number of other vampires. Most are probably young, with a few old ones as a personal guard. Be careful in there, and just follow my lead, and don't meet anyone's eyes. Got it?"
"Got it. But somehow I pictured Draco in a Castle or the sewer or something. You know, like the Phantom of the Opera, living underneath the opera house. Not in a brand spanking new office building."
"Yeah, well. Who really wants to live in a sewer if they don't have to?"
"Point made."
A wall of heat hit them the moment they walked through the rotating doors. It must have been ninety degrees by the doorway, and the temperature rose as they went farther in.
"Can I help you?"
A pretty blonde receptionist smiled up at them from the door. Lilith walked over to her and smiled back.
"Yes, I'm looking for Luke Jacobson."
The woman typed for a moment, glanced at the screen, and looked back to Lilith apologetically.
"I'm sorry, you must have the wrong building…"
She never finished her sentence. Lilith reached over the desk and touched the center of her forehead, muttering something under her breath. The woman slumped over her console, motionless. Lilith grabbed two passes from the pass bin beside the computer and handed one to Daniel.
"What did you do to her?"
"She was newborn, and their reflexes aren't that fast. Their third eyes are also very sensitive. She'll wake up in an hour or so and never remember us being there." Impatiently, she hit the up button on the elevator. So far, no one had seen them, but their were cameras in the lobby, and she didn't know who was watching them.
The doors opened with a 'ding' and they walked in. There was another camera in the elevator, but the little red light on top was out, and she took it as a good sign.
They got out on the deserted fourth floor, walking into a long, dimly lit corridor with doors lining either side.
Lilith ducked into one of the doors, pulling Daniel in behind her. She opened a side door, and hit the switch on the wall. There were no windows. Daniel followed her and shut the door behind him.
"Why are we in here?"
She frowned at him. "You want to look through every room in this building for Darren? I'm going to find him." She pulled the amulet, now whole, from her pocket. On one side there was the strange bird, which Daniel now recognized as a phoenix, rising from the flames. On the other side were…lines?
Lines, at least a hundred of them, no thicker than a piece of hair, each one a different length. Lilith placed the amulet bird-side down and grinned at Daniel. "Heads or tails?"
She closed her eyes and moved her hands over the lines, making high pitched noises in the back of her throat. Daniel watched, facinated, as the lines twisted and changed shape.
When she opened her eyes again, the lines had formed a map.
"It's a map of the building we're in now. This is us," she said, pointing to a tiny sapphire. "And this is Darren," pointing to a ruby. She picked it up off the floor and they left.
They didn't run into anyone in the hallways, although they had more than enough close calls. Lilith said that Darren was on the top floor or on the roof. They made slow progress up the forty stories of stairs they had to climb (they had decided to use the stairs to avoid anyone on the elevator.)
There were only two sets of doors on the top floor, and one of those was the elevator. Lilith put the amulet around her neck before opening the wooden door a crack.
Nothing but darkness lay beyond the door.
She pushed the door open farther, and a shaft of light fell across the floor, hitting the corner of a desk and a portion of the stone wall.
"Please, come in."
A single flame flickered, coming to rest on a tall pillar candle, illuminating Draco's pale face and nothing more.
Uncertainly, Lilith stepped into the room. Daniel followed her, and the door swung shut behind them with a deafening noise.
In the dim candlelight, Daniel could see that the wall behind Draco wasn't a wall at all but draperies of some sort. That's right, vampires can't
stand sunlight…
"I came for Darren." Lilith's voice rang on stone and echoed through what must have been a huge room.
"Then by all means, take him. That is, if he wishes to leave."
Other candles flared to life, spaced sporadically, dispelling some of the darkness, but not all. The area around Draco was still shrouded in shadow, the only light near him being the solitary candle on his desk.
"What do you mean, if he wants to leave?"
Draco grinned wickedly. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"
More light, this time illuminating Darren, standing by Draco's side. "Hello, Daniel. Lilith." He smiled at Daniel and nodded in Lilith's direction without looking at her.
"Come on, Darren, let's leave now." Daniel reached for his arm, but Darren stepped out of reach.
"Darren…what…?"
Darren's now-green eyes sparkled with a malevolent happiness that made Daniel draw back in horror.
"He made me one of Them, Daniel. I'm a vampire now. An immortal!" He threw back his head and laughed. "How can I leave the one who made me? Stay with me. Draco can make you a vampire too, and then we could be together for the rest of eternity. Just like Lestat and Louis."
"You're delusional, Darren!" Daniel spat at him. "You're not listening to reason! Lestat and Louis weren't real. They didn't really exist!"
"Darren, Daniel's right. You have to listen to him…"
"Shut up, you stupid bitch! It's all your fault he doesn't want to be with me anymore!" Filled with rage, Darren ran at her and pushed her into the wall. He wrapped his hands around her throat and squeezed.
"Dammit Darren! Get off of her!" Daniel punched him in the head. Darren turned on him and slashed at his face with his now razor sharp nails, leaving a thin line of blood on his face.
Daniel's eyes darted about the room, not sure of what to do. His gaze came to rest on the curtains. I'm sorry, Daz. I have to, there's no other way…
He moved to tear down the curtains, but was blocked by Draco. In less time than it took to blink, Draco's hand was around Daniel's neck, lifting him straight off the ground. Through a haze of pain, Daniel felt cool steel pressed to the side of his neck.
"Darren. Stop this nonsense."
Immediately Darren let go of Lilith, who sat up gasping. She looked at Daniel in horror. Draco's blade had bitten into Daniel's skin close to the artery; crimson blood dripped down his clothing onto on the floor.
"Admit it, Lilith. You love him. Do you really want me to take his life? Ask yourself that. Is his dying for you really worth it?" He searched her face for an answer.
"Give me the amulet, Lilith." He held out one hand to her. "I promise I'll set him free if you give it to me." Lilith, don't! Daniel screamed at her in his head, but even his thoughts were drowned out by the pain.
She looked around her, at Darren and Draco, and at Daniel, bloody and brusied. She saw no escape; there were no other options.
Slowly, she reached into her pocket and brought out the amulet. She held it up to the light before throwing it at Draco's feet.
"There it is, Draco. You have the amulet. Now let him go."
Draco bent and picked up the crest. He took the knife away from Daniel's throat.
Daniel took an uncertain step towards her, his eyes unfocused.
In one fluid motion, Draco grabbed Daniel's shoulder, spun him around, and plunged the dagger into his chest, all the way up to the hilt, then pulled it out. Daniel screamed and collapsed on the flagstones. Lilith and Darren ran to him, trying in vain to staunch the flow of blood.
"You said you wouldn't hurt him!" Lilith screamed.
"On the contrary. I said I'd set him free…and I will. I'll set him free of his pathetic earthbound body."
"You told me you wouldn't hurt him! Now heal him! I know you can!"
Darren was frantic, yelling at Draco, Lilith, the walls, anything, his voice taking on a hysterical edge.
"Darren, Darren. Calm down. Nothing can save him now, not even I. There was a poison on that blade. Very strong, strong enough to kill even you, being newborn." Before Darren could react, he had sliced him across the chest with the same knife he had wounded Daniel with.
Darren looked at him uncomprehendingly. He felt a fiery sensation spread from his chest to the rest of his body. He felt like he was burning up inside.
Draco turned away, going to his desk with the amulet. He wasn't paying any attention to them.
"Damn you, Draco. Damn you straight to Hell." Lilith spoke bitterly, more to herself than to the man in front of her, holding what she had tried so hard to keep from him.
"I only had one chance. One chance, one night, all gone now. Damn you." Darren fell to the floor, unconscious beside her. Daniel was tossing and sweating, burning in a final fever.
She made a sign in the air before her with her right hand. "Halish di zi e, a di shuta dia, la dia, zhan who."(*)
This time, there was no blood. The first change was in her skin. She held up her hand and watched as it became coolly translucent, more sheer than silk. Brown hair became silver, starting at the roots and going to the tips. Her clothes changed from a riot of color to gray. Silver eyes looked down sadly to the two men on the floor.
She put her hands over Darren's heart and spoke, an incantation in a forgotten tounge. His wounds healed and his breathing relaxed. A moment later, his eyes fluttered open, a rich cobalt.
He sat up and looked around. Daniel was lying on the floor, on the other side of Lilith. Draco was leafing through a thick book that looked to be very old. He put his head in his hands and started to cry.
"Oh my God…What have I done…"
Lilith sighed. "Leave it, Darren. It was out of your hands."
Anguished, he looked at her, then at Daniel. "Lilith, I'm so sorry…Dan… It was your only chance, and I wrecked it for you…"
Lightly, she touched his sleeve. She smiled. "Watch."B
Gently, she gathered Daniel into her arms. Silver light flowed from her hands, closing the his gashes. His fever cooled, the poison leaving his body through her hands. Wind blew through the room, picking up her hair, mixing it with Daniel's, silver and gold. Lilith gave off a silver aura, a halo of silver light. Her light filled the room.
The wind tore the curtains from the windows. Darkness had fallen outside. Hadn't it been morning…
Darren shook his head. This whole…thing must have taken longer than it seemed, he thought.
Lightning flashed. Darren could hear Draco behind them, shouting into the storm.
Daniel's eyes opened, gazed at Lilith adoringly. He raised a hand to her face, tracing the line of her cheek.
"Lilith, I love you."
She smiled at him, the smile of an angel. She leaned down, kissed him softly on the lips. "I have to go now, Daniel. Stay with Darren. I'll be back soon." Gracefully, she stood and turned to face Draco.
Draco had begun to open the Gates. A large portion of the wall was gone, in its place a portal of some sort. Beyond it was dark, tall gates dimmly visible. Horrible sounds came to them, the moans of the dammed.
"WHO DARES TO OPEN THESE GATES?"
A woman materialized from the mists that surrounded the gates and crept into the room. Her black robes swirled around her, spangled with stars. She carried a tall staff at her side. As she stepped into the room, she pushed the hood of her cloak back, revealing long, dark hair and deep maroon eyes. Her gaze fell on Draco, standing before her.
"Ah, Draco. We meet again." She smiled, but her smile touched only her lips and not her eyes.
He bowed formally. "My lady Kyoko."
"Why did you open the portal to the gates?"
He hesitated for a moment. "I seek only to find the soul of Wyntyr, whom I love, but who was mortal and died."
Kyoko's face softened with pity. "Draco, she is not here."
Draco sighed. "Somehow I knew she wasn't there. But it was my last hope - I have searched everywhere else. Tell me, where is she now?"
"Wyntyr was not human, Draco, surely you must have known that. She didn't possess a soul. In order to attain one, she had to spend three hundred years as an air spirit, and only then could she gain access to Heaven."
Draco looked at Kyoko, confused. "But she was human. I was with her. She was a human."
The Guardian shook her head. "No. She was of the sea. Sea people don't have a soul, but they live longer than humans do."
"Why do you call her Wyntyr?" Lilith asked softly.
"That was the name she gave me to use."
"Because you couldn't pronouce her real name…"
"How did you know that?"
Lilith just smiled and stared at nothing, lost in memory. Finally she spoke. "You must have a picture of her. Let me see it."
Draco pulled the cord of the curtain in front of the portrait, revealing the painting. Lilith studied it closely, looking at it with a dreamy expression on her face. "She sang to you, didn't she. But not in a language we speak."
"She couldn't speak at all. She was mute because…"
"She had no tounge." Lilith turned to Draco, whose mouth was open in astonishment. "She spoke with her hands. Draco, the woman you call Wyntyr was my mother."
Silence.
Only Kyoko was not surprised. "Didn't you know that, Draco?" she asked softly. "Didn't you realize that the girl you cursed was the child of the woman you loved?"
His voice was a strangled whisper. "No." He began to notice the similaritites between Lilith and Wyntyr: the shape of the eyes, the firm line of the chin. The way their hands seemed to flutter, speaking of things that could otherwise never have been said.
"Wyntyr has been waiting for you for almost three hundred years, Draco. You had been searching all the wrong places…"
He turned once more to Kyoko. "Please, tell me what I have to do…"
She considered for a minute, her ruby eyes unreadable. "There is one thing," she said slowly, measuring her words, weighing them against one another. "If you give up your body, then your soul can be reborn, and Wyntyr's can be as well. You would be together for a lifetime, and when you died you could choose to live in Heaven, or you could be reborn again. Or, you could wait for her to be reborn, and make her a vampire. I wouldn't
suggest the latter, though. It's up to you."
Draco took a deep breath. "I want to be reborn."
Kyoko nodded, and raising her staff high above her head, began to sing. "Futatsume no kotoba wa kaze, yukute wo oshiete, kamisama no ude no naka
e, tsubasa wo aoru no…"(**)
Draco smiled at Lilith, his body growing lighter and lighter, as if he was no longer bound by gravity. Do you forgive me? Yes…
Draco was gone.
Kyoko turned now to Lilith. "What you did was noble," she said. "But there isn't an easy way to lift the curse Draco put on you."
Lilith straightened her shoulders and tilted her chin up. "I know."
"The only thing I can do is make you alive again for a few minutes, long enough for you to die naturally. That's the only thing you can do. The curse will be lifted, but…" she stopped, glancing from Lilith to Daniel.
"I know." Lilith's voice was a slight whisper, barely audible. "I'll never see him again."
Lilith looked at Daniel, hand raised to touch his face. She stopped, knowing what would happen if she touched him. Involuntarily, she stepped back, a single tear sliding down her cheek.
"Do it. There's no other way."
Kyoko aimed her staff at Lilith. A beam of dark energy hit her in the chest. In a matter of seconds, she was once again alive.
Daniel wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.
Kyoko cleared her throat. "So Darren, you ever wonder what a three headed guard dog looks like?"
He shrugged. "No, not really…"
Kyoko pulled him through the portal and over to the gates, just out of sight of Lilith and Daniel.
Lilith laughed. "Kyoko's nice. I owe her one."
Daniel laughed with her, pushing a loose tendril of hair away from her face. He kissed her, then hugged her to his chest as if he would never let her go.
"Daniel, there isn't any other way. I want to stay with you, but when you die I can't follow you. It's better this way."
He managed a small smile through the tears in his eyes. "What ever makes you happy, Lilith. Jaqueline. Angel." He kissed her once more.
Kyoko returned with Darren, who, incredibly, was carrying a postcard that said "I went to the Underworld and back and all I got was this lousy postcard" with a smiling demon on it, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses.
She placed a gentle hand on Lilith's arm. "It's time."
Lilith laid down on the flagstones, leaning against Daniel. Darren held her hand. "Thanks for everything, Lilith," he said, his voice choked with tears. She smiled up at him. "No problem. Hey, thanks for the chocolate."
Darren laughed.
Kyoko placed her hand on Lilith's heart. Her last words to Lilith were heavy with sadness. "Fear not, the time is coming.
Fear not, your bones are strong.
Fear not, good friend, help is nearby.
Fear not, Anubis is a gentle companion.
Fear not, the hands of the midwife are clever.
Fear not, the earth is beneath you.
Fear not, little mother.
Fear not, mother of us all." (***)
Lilith's breathing grew slower, deeper, as if she was slipping into a mere light sleep. Her eyes fought to stay open.
Daniel held her tighter, crying openly now. "I love you, Lilith. Don't leave me…"
She gazed up at him. "I love you, Daniel. I'll never forget you…I'll never leave you. Never…is a…promise…"
Her eyes closed. Her hand, holding Daniel's, slipped from his fingers. A tiny smile played over her lips. Goodbye, Daniel, she thought, and sank into welcoming darkness.
