text: A brilliant white flash cut across the dark sky, briefly lighting up the graveyard. The gravestones stood resolute against the downpour; some having weathered the storms for centuries. Sheets of rain pelted down, suffocating the grass as it drowned in a river of water. A rhythm of sopping thuds echoed through the cemetery in between the cracks of thunder. In the corner, a lone, dark figure scooped mud from the pit and tossed it out. The pile of dirt slowly grew beside the hole. Shovel crunching against rocks, he dug deep into the earth. The storm would only give him a few more hours of cover. Moving with renewed vigor, his muscles bulged as he picked up speed. The dark clothes he wore were soaked through, clinging to his body like a second layer of skin. “After all this time, you finally found someone to redeem you, Brother.” A voice sounded from above. Marius glanced up. Lightning lit up the sky once more, revealing the ghostly figure. Ignoring him, he continued digging. An explosion of thunder concealed the metallic thwack as his shovel slammed into something other than earth. When it bounced out of his hands, he dropped to his knees, leaving the tool where it landed. Another flash of lightning gave him enough light to drag away the last layer of mud with his hands. The wooden top of the ancient chest peeked out at him. Gold encrusted edges of the box glinted with each flash of light. Digging a trench around it, he searched for the handles. Upon finding them, he grunted, using every ounce of strength he had in him to wrench it from the earth. Muscles straining, it finally gave way with a squelch, rainwater quickly filling the hole. Tossing the large trunk out, Marius ran his muddied hands through his hair, pushing it away from his face. Quickly climbing from his excavation, he hauled the heavy chest into his arms, rushing back to the pathway. The SUV was quietly idling with the headlights turned off as to not disturb the darkness. Opening the cargo area, he moved everything aside to make room for his plunder. Grasping the key dangling against his chest, he yanked it away, breaking the chain. A whimpering came from the backseat. Shoving the key into the ancient lock, “I know, Sweetheart. I’m coming.” The hinges creaked and the wood groaned when he flung the chest open. Shoving aside the worthless mementos that he had saved all those years ago, he rummaged to the bottom. Finding the secret locking mechanism, he opened the hidden compartment. An old cloth bundle was all that lay inside the slot. Stashing it away in his belt, he grasped the other bag of items. Marius left the back open as he rushed to the side door. Laying across the backseat was a beautiful young woman. Her dark hair was plastered against her pale face, drenched with sweat and rain. The man climbed inside, gently adjusting her to lay across his lap. The woman moaned again. “I know it hurts, Fallon. I’m right here though. I’m going to get you all fixed up, okay? Just stay with me.” Her blue eyes opened, searching for his. “I’m...t-trying,” she murmured. Moving her hand away from the crimson towel, he peeled it back to look at the wound. The once white cloth was forever stained red with her blood. The deep laceration was still seeping. He had only a few more minutes before he lost her forever. Digging into the duffle bag, he grabbed another towel, replacing the used one. They had both been lucky that Marius found her still alive. One of his brothers, Ezekiel, had already wounded her by the time he had shown up. Marius subdued him long enough to escape, knowing Ezekiel would not stop until his duty was complete. Marius and Fallon were officially marked for death. “Remember when we met?” he asked, trying to keep her mind focused on his words. She nodded, giving him a weak smile. “As soon as I saw you in that ballroom, I knew.” As he recounted their first night at the benefit in Paris, he pulled more supplies from the bag. Before he could worry about bandaging the wound, he had to get the transfusion started. Rolling out the tubing, he hooked it up to the needle. Tightening the tourniquet around her arm, he hoped he would be able to find a viable vein with amount of blood loss she had endured. Pouring alcohol onto her wrist, he sighed in relief upon finding one. Quickly and efficiently, he inserted the needle. Taping it in place, he took off the band and turned his attention to the other end of the tubing. Her eyelids drifted closed as she lost consciousness, indicating he was running out of time. “You know, there’s some things that I never told you. Things about myself, where I come from.” He murmured, yanking the bundle from his belt. Unwrapping it, he revealed a leather-sheathed weapon. Uncovering the dagger, he sliced into his wrist. A deep golden liquid poured out. Biting the blade between his teeth, he quickly replaced the steel with the needle, inserting it into the wound. Almost immediately, his skin closed around the needle. Relief washed through him as he watched his blood snake through the tube. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back against the seat. The rain thrashed against the SUV in waves, rocking it in a foreboding tempo, like the slow beating of her dying heart. “What is it about her ?” his ghostly companion asked, appearing in the front seat. Opening his eyes once again, he stared at the ghost of his brother. In life, they had looked a lot alike. Tall and broad, with dark hair. His brother’s once golden eyes were watching him curiously, now the milky white of the dead. Glancing back at the woman cradled in his arms, Marius’s gaze softened. “I don’t know,” he admitted in a whisper. “I just knew the day I met her that I couldn’t live without her.” Zephyr nodded knowingly, “They’ll come after you for this.” After a long pause, Marius glanced back at his brother, “Do you ever regret it, Zephyr?” “Not for one minute,” he smiled sadly. “I knew it would be you to come after me. You would give me an honorable death.” “I didn’t want to believe that you had betrayed our kind for a human woman.” Zephyr sighed, “I fell in love. What you’re doing is a betrayal to our kind.” “Giving her my blood is the only way to save her.” Marius argued. “I know. You of all people know how they will see it though.” “What do I do now?” “You fight for her. I didn’t reach my Abigail in time. You were given a second chance, Marius. Do everything in your power to protect what you have.” Zephyr’s form started to dim. “I’m sorry, Brother. I didn’t understand what it was like. What it meant to fall in love.” “I know. But you do now. What you choose to do with it is up to you. You can change your own fate and those who come after. Or you can endure the same doom as me and all our brothers who have fallen before us.” Zephyr smiled softly before disappearing. Eyeing the black dagger, he thought of the lives he had taken. The dagger had once been a beautiful gold, engraved with the words of the Ancient Ones. A symbol of the purity of his kind, it was never originally meant for war. It was more of an adornment for the rituals and ceremonies of his people. The short hilt had been literally shaped by his hand, his fingers still fitting it perfectly. The pommel had originally held the purest diamond in existence. Now, the stone was the same inky black as the night sky. The souls of the dead and the blood of his brothers had darkened the blade over time, marring it beyond recognition. Like the charred remains of his soul, it was now only a representation of his past. Marius would take up the blade once more to redeem himself. This time, he would use it to protect the one he loved most.