I was dressed only in my thin night gown. I sat looking at myself in the mirror. I looked at my window. My breath caught and I was about to scream when someone covered my mouth. I felt something cold against my neck and then I felt something warm begin to drip from my neck. I closed my eyes as the pain from the cold thing, that I assumed was a knife, cut into my skin. I let out a soft sob and I looked at the window again.

It was him. He was back. His white skin glowed in the moon's light and his smiled glinted at me. I felt my eyes begin to prick from coming tears and I looked at myself in the mirror. My ivory skin looked as pale as his and my eyes were wide with terror. I felt the the fear climbing slowly into the back of my throat and the anger boil in my stomach.

I could see my shape through my night gown, and I knew that if I stood in the moon light, I might as well have been naked. The thought of them seeing me, made my muscles flex and my heart pound against my chest in dread.

My captor ran his long white fingers and long nails along my neck and collarbone. I let out another sob as he cut deeper into my neck. The blood was coming faster now and there was more. The cut wasn't deep, but it burned and it hurt. I raised my hands to where my captor's hands caressed my cheek. I tried to pull his hands away, but let out a muffled scream as his nails dug into my cheek and the knife cut into my shoulder.

He let go of my cheek and left little crescents where his nails had been. I looked at him with eyes full of anger. Hot tears rolled down my face and he stooped down to lick the blood that was rolling down my collarbone to my breasts. I closed my eyes and waited for his disgusting tongue to be on my skin. I sat there for almost a minute before finally opening my eyes.

I looked into the mirror, saw my own reflection and standing behind me was Tristan. The look on his face was pained and his eyes were black. I knew how hard it was for him to stand there with the blood on me. I knew that he was hungry and that he needed to feed.

His beautiful face turned into a grimace as he turned away from me.

“I'm so sorry that I wasn't here to protect you. I shouldn't have left.” his words drifted to me and caressed my skin. I felt safe again and I stood. I walked to him slowly and leaned against him.

“It's not your fault. I'm sworn to him. He can do whatever he wants with me. That's the payment for the peace.” Tristan turned to face me. He wrapped me in his arms and kissed the top of my head.

“I'd take you away from here if I could. I would in a heart beat. I want to. But, the peace...” Tristan drifted off as he ran his fingers through my blood. My blood looked so beautiful and crimson on his alabaster skin. “...we need it.”

I looked into his eyes as he searched mine. He wanted to take me away from Marcus. Where he couldn't find me. Where he couldn't harm me. Marcus hated Tristan because he loved me. And I loved Tristan. He wanted that love, but because of what he is, he can't love. He wants it so bad, but he can't have it until someone loves him first.

I ran my hands along Tristan's chest and he let out a growl. He ran his hand up my back and wound his fingers into my hair. He searched my eyes and smiled. He licked the blood on my collarbone as I let out a sob. I felt the pain and desire mix as he licked away the blood. He looked into my eyes and I looked back into his green eyes.

“You're good.” He chuckled and kissed my lips softly. His kisses taste sweet and hot at the same time. I ran my hands up his back and onto his shoulders. I felt him set my skin on fire as he ran his fingers up and down my arms.

There was a loud tap on my window and we both looked up to see Marcus. He shook his head at us and Tristan was thrown against the onyx wall. I felt the blood drain from my face and the room was suddenly cold. The glass in the window rippled as Marcus stepped through and stepped into the room. The ground around him iced over with each step he took closer to me.

“I don't want him touching you. Ever.” Marcus stood in front of me pointing a finger at Tristan. “I'll kill him.” Tristan gagged and his eyes rolled back into his head. I cried out and Marcus surrounded us in a wall of ice. I could see Tristan struggling. Trying to breathe. Pain flashing on his face. I fell to my knees and Marcus knelt down next to me.

“Do you understand. If he touches you, he will die instantly. Any man that touches you will die instantly.” I felt my insides turn cold and knew that he had cursed me. I felt the tears at the back of my throat, drying it out. The tears fell from my eyes and turned to ice on my cheeks. Marcus stood and the wall of ice disappeared. Tristan was coughing as he fell to his knees.

Marcus grabbed my arm and pulled me up. His hands were iced over and were hard. The ice acting as some sort of glove. I could feel the frostbite and the bruises forming where his iced over hands touched me. He sneered at Tristan and then looked at me. He leered at me, looking at my body. I looked at Tristan as he stood and nearly fell over. I ran over to Tristan and was going to help him when Marcus clucked his tongue.

“Careful now. You don't want to accidentally kill him. That's my job.” I sat by Tristan as he knelt next to me, wanting to touch, but couldn't. I smiled a sad smile at him as he raised his hand to caress my cheek.

“I'm willing to die, if the last thing I could see was this beautiful being before me.” Marcus let out a yell and stomped. A wall of ice surrounded me and Tristan's hand was caught in it. He screamed in pain and flexed his fingers. He was trying to reach out to me. The ice wall frosted over, so that I couldn't see anything. All I could hear was Tristan's cries of pain. He screamed my name wanting me. He screamed that he loved me and soon his cries turned to whispers.

He was dying and I couldn't do anything to help him. I felt so helpless. Tristan's hand reached out to me. Tears of sadness and of love fell from my eyes, as I reached out to Tristan and grabbed his cold hand. I stroked it and kissed it. Running it against my face and squeezing it in my own. His hand went limp and I cried out in agony as the walls of ice slowly melted.

Marcus stood over Tristan's body smiling.

“You killed him.” Marcus' eyes glowed with fury.

“I did.” he replied in a cold voice. Tristan's body was cold and his pearly skin glistened. He looked as if he was sleeping, but his body was cold and lifeless. I pulled him into my arms. I kissed his hair, his eyes, his nose, his cheeks, his hands, and finally his lips. I placed his head on my heart and cradled him.

“Now, you belong to me.” I looked at Marcus as he held his hand out to me. I smiled at him and he smiled back at me. I took his hand and his eyes went wide. He began coughing and grabbed his throat. I barred my teeth at him as he fell slowly to his knees. His eyes searched my face. Looking for some kind of mercy.

I dug my nails into his hand and blood began to drip onto the black floor. I watched the pain flashing on his face and I watched him take his final breathes. I watched him die. I let go of his limp hand and looked back over at Tristan's limp body. I walked over to him slowly and pulled him into my arms. I began to sing to him, a song soft and comforting.

I wept and I stroked his face, Marcus' blood leaving streaks on his face. I was left to wonder this world without my love, without my Tristan...