Dark Secrets


      Author: Aria


      Chapter 3

      "What's that hideous thing around your neck?"
      Serena looked up from her microscope. "What?" even as she said it, she 
      fingered the amulet that hung around her neck.
      "That thing." Alan pointed it like it was some disgusting creepy crawly.
      "It's my good luck charm." Serena said absently as she went back to work.
      Alan snorted. "It looks kind of old. Not your usual style." he fiddled 
      with some slides before choosing one to examine.
      "I like it." she touched it again then adjusted the magnification on the 
      microscope.
      They worked silently for a while. Serena wondered what Alan was even doing 
      in the lab. He was supposed to be doing important hospital admin things, 
      not hiding in the lab with them.
      "I went to the clubs Friday night," he said casually. "You weren't in any 
      of them."
      Serena had been exploring Darien's house that's why. That would be enough 
      to keep anyone busy for a few days solid at the very least. And when he 
      and she both had a spare moment they would sit and talk. She felt as 
      though she could talk to him about anything, which they most often did. 
      Smiling, she looked over at Alan. "Yeah I haven't gone out much lately."
      He looked at her. "But that was your ritual. What made you change it?" his 
      usually soft voice turned stony when he asked, "It's a guy isn't it?"
      Serena rolled her eyes. The last thing she needed now was Alan on a 
      jealous rampage. "No, it's not a guy. I'm just tired of hanging around 
      clubs," she hadn't told him about being drugged and that being the main 
      reason she stayed away.
      "You'd tell me if you were seeing someone right?"
      She looked at him blandly. "I don't see how it's any of your business."
      "Serena...I..." Alan let out a frustrated breath and stood up. "I've got 
      things to do. See you later."
      The finality of his words didn't bother Serena a bit. It would be a relief 
      to not have him hanging around her so much. But she smiled, still not 
      wanting to hurt his feelings. "I'll see you later, Alan."
      He nodded curtly and stalked off.
      The rest of the day went as scheduled. She did her work, had lunch, did 
      more work and then went home. It was the same as any other day. Mundane, 
      boring, monotonous. No matter how you put it, it sucked. But by the end of 
      the day she was smiling happily and looking forward to another night of 
      conversation with Darien.
      She ran into Alan again as she was leaving the hospital. He looked tired 
      and she felt a little sorry for him. It didn't look like he was going home 
      any time soon. She waved at him and received a small wave back.
      The glass doors parted and Serena walked out into the cool night air. She 
      took a deep breath and was about to walk to the nearest bus stop when she 
      noticed a black sedan sitting nearby. The window was open and she could 
      see the same man that drove her home before sitting behind the wheel.
      She knew Alan had to be standing inside watching, she could feel it. But 
      she couldn't help taking a peek over her shoulder to see if he was. Sure 
      enough he was. And he didn't look happy when she allowed the man to open 
      the door for her and climbed in like it was something she did everyday.
      He'd get over it. It wasn't like she was much of a catch anyways she 
      rationalized. He'd soon find someone fitting of his position. Like Darien 
      soon would.
      The thought sent her heart into her toes for some reason. Serena get a 
      grip on yourself you've only know the man for a few days. It's hardly 
      enough time for you to decide that he's the one for you. She was pushed 
      back into the leather seats as the car pulled away and she stared at her 
      reflection in the dark window. Her mind knew that what she was thinking 
      was true. But how could she explain how she was feeling? It wasn't 
	logical.
      What was she feeling? Serena frowned at her reflection and slumped back in 
      the seat. Did she really feel something for him or was she just reacting 
      to everything he had? And he definitely had a lot. Looks, wealth, power; 
      he had everything a woman could want.
      Of course she wasn't really interested in that. She had her job, her 
      friends and that kept her happy for most of her life. And it wasn't as 
      though her salary wasn't enough. She couldn't think of a time where she 
      had to go without. And there wasn't a time she could think of that she 
      consciously 'wanted' a man in her life. It had always been full enough to 
      keep her going.
      Speaking of friends, Serena fished out her phone and dialled Mina's 
      number. She hadn't spoken to her since the night in the club. Just wait 
      until she heard what had been going on with her. She'd get a laugh out of 
      it.
      Serena put the phone up to her ear and listened to it ring. And ring and 
      ring. She hung up and tried again while figuring out what day it was and 
      how her schedule coincided. She should be at home tonight Serena dialled 
      again and put the phone to her ear. Still no answer.
      Getting a little worried now, Serena leaned forward and tapped the driver 
      on the shoulder. "Can we make a quick stop before we head home?"
      He nodded so Serena quickly gave him the directions to Mina's apartment 
      building.
      He pulled up and Serena sat staring at the building. Everything looked 
      normal enough. Everything except for the fact that it was dark out and 
      there were no lights on in her windows. She knew Mina had a thing for 
      turning and leaving on all the lights in her apartment at night.
      Serena got out of the car and walked toward the building. It was a moment 
      before she realized that the driver had gotten out and was right beside 
      her. Thankful for his presence, Serena pressed on.
      They climbed the stairs up and Serena led the way to the appropriate door. 
      She spotted the police tape from down the hall but kept walking, like she 
      needed to see it up close to know for sure.
      She stopped dead in front of the red tape and stared incredulously at it. 
      This couldn't be happening. Numb, Serena stared at the bands barring her 
      path and then turned to her companion. "I need to get out of here."
      He nodded again and put a supportive arm around her shoulders, leading her 
      back to the car.
      She let him help her into the car. She sat back and tapped the phone on 
      her forehead. How could she be so stupid? How come she never thought about 
      Mina? It was obvious now that what almost happened to her had happened to 
      her best friend. And she was too busy mooning after a man to realize. 
      Serena couldn't hate herself more at that moment.
      They pulled up to the house and silently entered the quiet building.
      Darien met them in the foyer with a dazzling smile. It soon dissolved when 
      he saw how upset Serena was. "Serena? What's the matter? What happened?" 
      he tried to put an arm around her shoulder but she backed away.
      "Just leave me a lone for a little while, ok?" she snapped. Serena 
      regretted it immediately when she saw the hurt flash through his 
      expressive eyes. "I'm sorry. I just need a moment alone."
      He nodded, blinking away the emotions. "Of course. Whatever you need." he 
      took her coat and led her to the library. "Will you be ok in here or would 
      you like to go up to your room?"
      Serena barely heard him. She slid lifelessly into the soft chair and 
      sighed, "I'll be fine here."
      Darien poured her a stiff drink and walked to the door to give her the 
      privacy she requested. "If you need anything else just give me a shout 
	ok?"
      She nodded. "Thanks, Darien."
      He smiled a little and turned around disappearing down the hall.
      Serena wasn't sure how long she had been in the room thinking and crying. 
      The alcohol had impaired her perception of time and she thought she might 
      have drifted off a few times as well. She uncurled her body from the ball 
      she was in and stood up to wander around the room.
      Torturing herself like this was insane; she had to get her mind off of it 
      just for a little while. Serena took an experimental step before she was 
      sure she could walk without stumbling around. She headed for the 
      bookshelves and looked for something that would occupy her mind for a 
      little while.
      She walked past the fiction section and headed to the other side of the 
      room. In the past she stayed mostly on the fiction side of the room, 
      browsing through the stacks of books there. And that had taken her most of 
      the night. But at the moment she felt like reading something a little 
      heavier.
      She let her eyes wander over the spines and came to a stop along a row of 
      books on blood disorders. Just her thing. Smiling a little she grabbed the 
      first one she saw and headed back to the couch.
      Flipping through it she noticed that it was dog-eared from being read a 
      lot. She also noticed that there were a lot of marks highlighting 
      passages. Ignoring them, she went on to read the bizarre ways they handled 
      things in the past.
      "Serena?" the soft husky voice came from the doorway.
      Knowing the voice, she looked over the back of the couch. "Hi Darien."
      "Are you feeling better?" he stepped partway into the room and she knew 
      that if she replied in the negative her would walked right back out the 
      door again.
      "Yes. I am actually."
      He smiled warmly. "Good. I've brought you something to eat. You must be 
      starved."
      Serena set the book aside and nodded. "Absolutely."
      He walked in with a large tray of food. "I thought we might have a little 
      picnic in front of the fire."
      "Sounds good." she followed him to the fireplace and sat down. Serena 
      watched him quickly set everything up in record time. "You've done this 
      before," she teased.
      He winked a shining navy eye at her. "Maybe." he sat down and smiled. "I'm 
      glad to see you wearing the amulet."
      Serena touched it with her fingers, "I love it."
      He looked at her with those haunted eyes again before dropping them to the 
      food. "I've brought a little of everything. I wasn't sure what you'd being 
      the mood for."
      Her eyes swept over the array of food he had laid out in front of them. 
      "Wow, Marta must have had fun this evening huh?"
      "It's not often she gets to cook for guests. I think she went a little 
      overboard."
      "Well we can't let her hard work go to waste can we?" she was already 
      eyeing the veal cutlet.
      "Bon apetit." he pushed the plate over to her and started nibbling on a 
      chunk of crusty bread.
      They chatted casually over the meal discussing their day. He didn't ask 
      her what she was upset about but she told him anyways, sharing all the 
      emotion swirling inside her at her friend's disappearance. She got the 
      feeling that he already knew, but he listened patiently. Then she cried on 
      the shoulder he provided and she, feeling as if the weight of the world 
      had been lifted from her, fell into and exhausted sleep in his arms.
      She woke to the feeling of being carried and realized that he was carrying 
      her up to bed. Lethargic from sleep, she didn't even try to fight the 
      impulse to snuggle closer to his solid form. She simply wrapped her arms 
      around his shoulders and nuzzled his neck with her nose. She could smell 
      his cologne mixed in with his scent as she wound her fingers in the thick 
      hair at the nape of his neck. She heard him sigh and felt him tremble a 
      little at her touch. She smiled into his neck and drifted off again, 
      intuition telling her that this was where she belonged.
      Morning came and she smiled at the warm sunlight on her face. Stretching, 
      she reached her arms out to either side like she usually did. Instead of 
      the open space she expected, her right arm had hit something even before 
      it got the chance to straighten. She opened up her eyes and found herself 
      staring into the back of a dark haired head. Her smile growing boarder, 
      she wrapped her arms around the warm body next to hers and buried her face 
      between his shoulder blades. She didn't even mind that they were both 
      completely naked. It just felt so right. Cuddling him for a moment longer 
      she decided to get up. She looked back at the body still blissfully asleep 
      and forced herself to keep moving, though the thought of getting back in 
      bed was very, very tempting.
      She stretched languorously and looked around. This definitely wasn't 
      Darien's home. She was surrounded by white. The walls were white; the 
      curtains separating her room from the rest of the house were white. The 
      ceiling, her bed sheets everything was pristine white. Light shone through 
      the curtains brightly enough to light up the room. She could see colourful 
      tapestries hanging on the wall and sculptures that looked like modern art 
      decorating the corners.
      She got up and walked past the vanity and looked down at the ivory combs 
      and golden jewellery tossed carelessly on the surface. She fingered them 
      in awe for a moment; she'd never seen anything so beautiful. The metal had 
      been twisted into intricate designs and polished to catch the light. She 
      looked at the gleaming metal mirror hanging on the wall before and looked 
      at her reflection. Her hair was much longer than she had ever had it. She 
      ran her fingers through the curls that had to have been painstakingly 
      created because her hair was stick straight. She worn the amulet around 
      her neck but now it looked much newer. She gazed at it, tracing the 
      familiar lines with her eyes.
      Curious, she wrapped a sheet around herself and swept the curtain aside 
      with one hand. She walked out into what looked like an open-air foyer in 
      the middle of a house. An incredibly large house. Looking up at the blue 
      sky through the gap in the roof, she heard someone calling to her.
      "Sern'riya, get back in this bed right now."
      She smiled at the sound of his voice and walked back in to see him walking 
      toward her bare-chested and wearing the only thing he ever wore around his 
      chambers, a small loincloth. Letting her gaze wander over the impressive 
      expanse of his chest then up to his face. Darien's face. The blue eyes and 
      the dark hair hadn't changed but this man didn't look any less cultured, 
      he just didn't have the refinement of Darien Hollingsworth. Of course, she 
      thought, anyone would just wearing a tiny scrap of cloth. She tilted her 
      head to the side. "Why? You didn't tire me out that much last night." she 
      teased.
      Growling, he reached over and hauled her up against his chest reminding 
      her just how little clothing there was between them. "When a woman teases 
      a man that way he can only think of salving his pride," he mumbled against 
      her neck. He swung her easily up into his arms and carried her back to the 
      bed to thoroughly prove his point.
      Serena jerked awake gasping for a breath. She ran a shaky hand through her 
      tangled hair. She tugged at it testing its length. It was short again. It 
      was just a dream. Completely unsettled, Serena shoved back the covers and 
      slid out of bed. It felt so real though. She was too jittery to sleep so 
      she decided to get a little midnight snack. Hopefully it would get those 
      images out of her head. They were just too disquieting.
      She settled on a piece of toast and some milk and sat down at the 
      breakfast bar. She nibbled on it absently while wondering why she was 
      dreaming about Darien. She stopped herself. But he wasn't Darien. The man 
      in her dreams definitely looked like him. And she was beginning to think 
      she had feelings for the man in her dreams. Serena laughed out loud. 
      Ridiculous! Having feelings for a man in a dream. She shook her head. With 
      all the things going on she was beginning to think that she was losing her 
      mind!
      "What's so funny?"
      Serena nearly fell off of the stool, but she was caught and positioned 
      back onto it. "Darien, you startled me." She watched him round the counter 
      and sit down. "I was just thinking about a dream I had."
      He looked really interested now. "A dream, huh? Tell me about it?"
      Serena didn't see the harm in sharing until she started to speak. "Well I 
      had this dream where I woke up in this strange place. It was beautiful, 
      all white with the strangest decorations and things." then she remembered 
      what she had been doing in the dream and she could feel herself start to 
      blush furiously. "I wasn't alone. There was a man...in...in bed with me." 
      she looked up at Darien and for a moment she saw him without his clothes 
      on and in a loincloth. "And..." and imagining Darien in a loincloth was 
      mighty distracting. "And..."
      He leaned forward and raised an eyebrow. "And?"
      Serena stared at him like a deer caught in headlights. "And I woke up." 
      She was sure her face was redder than a tomato.
      She hazarded a look at him, even though she knew he was staring at her 
      still, and gasped. He had moved closer to her. Or had she moved closer to 
      him? At any rate, they were closer to each other and Serena suddenly found 
      it harder to breathe. The same dizzying feeling she had in the dream came 
      over her.
      The warmth came first, flooding her system in a flash. Then the 
      overwhelming need to be held by him. To be possessed by him. Something 
      else crept in with the other emotions, but she shied away from it and 
      pushed it aside. What she couldn't escape was the intense look from 
      Darien's dark blue eyes. The eyes that were identical to the one in her 
      dreams were searching hers. Then they were drinking in the rest of her 
      face before returning to her eyes once more.
      He moved even closer and her breathing stopped altogether. His lips closed 
      on hers and she responded like they had done this a million times. 
      Everything happened like it was reflex. Her arms went around his neck, his 
      around her waist and back. He managed to move around to her side of the 
      table without breaking the kiss and was successful in bringing their 
      bodies closer. Serena marvelled at how hers seemed to fit right into his. 
      A perfect fit.
      She clung to him as much to get closer as for support. He dipped her back 
      to fully plunder her mouth and let his hands have full rein over her body. 
      Serena was wholly enjoying the way his touch made her feel and the way 
      that the room spun when his deep voice whispered something that brought 
      the pleasure to a halt.
      "Sern'riya."
      Serena jumped back. How could he know what the man in the dream called 
      her? "What did you call me?" Restraining her emotions was proving harder 
      than she thought and Serena had to hold on to the table to stay on her 
      feet.
      Darien didn't look any steadier than she felt. He swallowed and took a 
      deep breath. "Serena."
      "That's not what you said."
      "That's exactly what I said." he took a step closer before thinking better 
      of it and taking a few steps away, making his way toward the door.
      A name sprung to mind and she called it out before she could think. 
      "Dal'rien."
      She saw him stiffen and then turn around, a questioning expression on his 
      face. "Why did you call me that?"
      She stared at him, completely befuddled at why she called him that. She 
      decided that it wasn't an issue and carried on. "Why do I know you? I mean 
      really know you?" she crossed her arms over her breasts, which were still 
      tingling from his touch. "And don't try and avoid the question. You know 
      exactly what I mean."
      He looked at her straight in the eyes and shook his head slowly. "I have 
      no idea what you mean."
      Serena stared into the depths of his eyes and wanted to believe him. But 
      she quickly shook the feeling off. What was it about his eyes? "No! You 
      know exactly what I mean. How is it that you and I know each other 
      so...so..." she pointed at their bodies and cleared her throat. "You can't 
      deny that our bodies seem to know each other pretty well."
      He stepped forward and Serena immediately cowered back. Darien was so big 
      and menacing, she could do nothing but shrink away. He leaned in close so 
      that she could feel his breath against her cheek. His voice was low and 
      had a dangerous edge to it. "I'm not worried about whether or not your 
      body remembers me. There is no doubt about that." He ran his hand down her 
      side to prove his point and was rewarded with a shiver from her. He 
      returned his hand to her face. "It's your mind that I wonder about." 
      Having said that, he breathed in her scent and seemed to bask in for a 
      moment before whirling around and striding out the door.
      Serena stood wide-eyed staring at the door Darien disappeared through. She 
      was incredibly aroused, terrified and intrigued all in one. But what had 
      he meant by her mind knowing who he was? And how in the hell did her body 
      know who he was?
      Feeling bewildered and adventurous, she took her food and went back to the 
      study, feeling that there was something there that would help her.
      Serena put her food down on the ornate oak desk in the study. Setting 
      aside the confused mass of emotions she was feeling, Serena immediately 
      started scouring the walls for something she may have missed the other 
      times she had been in there. She looked over the signed manuscripts that 
      had amazed her, the medical journals, and the classic literature.
      Serena grabbed her toast and wandered over to the medical journals. He did 
      seem to have an awful lot of those. Of course that was his field. She 
      gnawed on the cooling piece of nearly charred bread and stared up at the 
      book-laden wall. There were books on every subject imaginable but there 
      seemed to be a plethora of books on blood disorders. That and she noticed 
      the other night his interest in legendary monsters.
      Serena turned to the section and perused the books on werewolves and 
      vampires. He must have been very interested to have so many. Now what did 
      a man with such refined tastes want with books on stupid movie monsters?
      She slumped down on the sofa and munched on the rest of her toast and 
      chased it with the milk. There was something she wasn't getting. What 
      linked all these things together? She curled up on the couch and mulled 
      over it for a moment, trying to piece things together. What was the 
      missing link?
      Wracking her brain, Serena fell into a restless sleep while staring into 
      the fire.
      She woke up curled up in a ball against the supple leather. Serena 
      stretched and sat up, her mind immediately starting exactly where it left 
      off. She looked at the clock and saw that she had had at least a few hours 
      sleep and she did feel a little more refreshed.
      Serena took another brief glance at the books before heading to the 
      kitchen to find something more to eat.
      She managed to make a small omelette much to the dismay of Marta who 
      insisted that she should have something proper. Serena declined as 
      politely as she could and made her way back to the study once again.
      She looked at her watch and sighed, she was going to be late for work! She 
      ran to the phone and thought up a few excuses on why she couldn't come in 
      today. Serena was intent on spending the day trying to figure out Darien's 
      secret. She waited while the phone rang. Alan picked up on the fourth 
	ring.
      "Hello? Dr. Heston speaking."
      "Alan? It's Serena." She started coughing on impulse.
      "Serena? Are you ok? You sound terrible."
      "I don't think I'll be able to make it in today. I'm feeling absolutely 
      horrid."
      "Of course! I'll make a few calls." She could hear him shuffling through 
      papers. "Just get plenty of rest."
      "Thank you, Alan. I knew you'd understand." She hung feeling a little 
      guilty for lying to him and using his feelings for her against him. She 
      eyed the wall of books. But it was all for a good cause.
      She still couldn't think of a link by lunchtime and decided to take her 
      mind off of it for a little while with a book. Serena picked up an arcane 
      looking tome entitled The History of the Vampire. It looked interesting 
      enough.
      It was dark by the time she looked up again. She began to understand why 
      Darien had so many books on the subject; it was so compelling. The 
      different sorts, the convoluted histories, it was so interesting to read 
      about such frightening creatures. She was engrossed in the growing pile of 
      books on the table.
      Leaning back on the back legs of the chair in a manner that Darien would 
      definitely disapprove, she flipped through the final pages of a book 
      chronicling the life of the supposedly 'original' vampire. Someone they 
      traced back to ancient Egypt. Serena tossed the book aside because it was 
      too sensationalistic. "Drivel."
      "I agree." Darien walked in looking as handsome as always and as usual, 
      carrying a tray of food. "I read halfway through and had to put it down."
      He seemed to be in a good mood. But she reminded herself that she didn't 
      know that much about him and after that episode last night it was best to 
      keep her distance. "It was pretty strange. I mean how did they manage to 
      account that much of someone past, especially when it was so long?"
      He had a mysterious smile on his lips when he nodded. "I bet most of it 
      was purely fictional."
      "It would have to be. There is no way that anyone could know that much 
      about someone unless they were told firsthand." She snorted disdainfully, 
      "And they don't exist anyways. They were a ploy by the movie industry to 
      make more money."
      A dark brow rose at that. "And what about all those people throughout 
      history that have claimed to have seen one or the accounts of them 
      attacking people?"
      "Attention seekers. Delusional. Call it what you like." She shrugged. 
      "There can't possibly be anything like that walking around the planet. 
      It's not medically possible."
      Darien's gleaming smile let her know she was in for a debate. "Really? And 
      why not?"
      "Because it's just not possible. There is no medical way that something 
      like that could exist."
      "You mean because you've never read about them in the New England Journal 
      of Medicine they don't exist."
      "How could they? Something that's dead cannot continue to 'live'. It would 
      deteriorate."
      "Say they have a special healing ability."
      "Impossible. If they did, they'd have been dissected a long time ago and 
      the regenerative agent would have been sold to Hollywood."
      "Say if they were like a secret society. No one knew about them."
      Serena pointed at the books and smiled wryly, "No one knew about them?"
      His grin grew broader showing his amusement. "Say those," he pointed at 
      the pile of books on the table, "Were a smokescreen?"
      "What give the masses false information so they're looking the wrong way? 
      What would they have to gain?"
      They were nose to nose now, neither one of them about to back down. Serena 
      could feel his breath mingling with hers. She could see his eyes searching 
      her face and eyes. "What are you looking for?"
      "Nothing." He backed away and pushed the tray of food forward as he often 
      did nowadays. "I've brought you something."
      "Thanks." She pulled a wing off of the roasted chicken and nibbled at it 
      delicately. "Do you actually believe that vampires and werewolves really 
      exist?"
      He leaned back and took a drink out of one of the matching glasses he'd 
      brought in. "All I'm saying is to keep an open mind. There is a lot out 
      there that we don't know about."
      Serena snorted and looked at him sceptically. "Sure there are things that 
      we don't know about. That's a given. But vampires and werewolves? Please!" 
      she looked over at him and saw that he was studying her again in that 
      unnerving way of his. "I can't believe someone as smart as you believes in 
      supernatural creatures who can fly and...and..." and, as she was doing at 
      an increasing rate around him, her speech ground to a halt. He had moved 
      closer, so close that she could almost feel him against her. Serena didn't 
      know what bothered her more, the fact that his closeness was able to turn 
      her mind into mush or the fact that he was able to get around her defences 
      without even having to work at it.
      His full lips curled at the edges into a lazy smile. "And what if I told 
      you that I've met one?"
      Serena was lost in his eyes once more and barely even heard the question. 
      But she managed to answer, "I'd say you were duped big time." she tore her 
      eyes away from his and cleared her throat. "What did he do to convince 
      you? Turn into mist? A bat?" she almost started laughing, but he cut her 
      off.
      "And what makes you think it was a man?"
      Serena almost choked on her chicken. Something about the comment just sent 
      flames of anger flaring through her blood. But her voice remained calm 
      when she looked at him again. "So what did she do for you? Make her 
      clothes disappear?" she replied sarcastically.
      "She gave me a gift." was his easy answer. He lifted a tray of stuffed 
      mushrooms. "Try these they are incredible."
      She didn't feel like eating any more. "I don't like mushrooms."
      "Of course you do." he lifted one to her lips but she shoved his hand 
	away.
      He was right she did like them. "How do you know so much about me?" her 
      eyes narrowed. "Have you been spying on me? Are you of those perverts?" 
      she got up and walked over to the phone by the doorway and picked it up. 
      "Tell me how you know so much about me or I'm calling the police. I mean 
      it."
      Darien sat and looked at her for a moment, obviously amused by her 
      outburst. He stood up and walked over to her, taking the phone out of her 
      hand and replacing it in the cradle. "You are not going to call the 
      police."
      Confusion had her mind reeling. "How do you know so much about me?" she 
      could feel tears start to form in her eyes making them burn. "Why do I 
      feel like I know you?" she had asked herself the same question many times 
      only to be answered by her throbbing head.
      His reply was to pull her into his arms and to hold her gently and 
      murmuring words of comfort.
      She relaxed into his embrace and let his strength seep into her. Feeling a 
      little steadier, she leaned back and looked up at his intent face. "Please 
      tell me what's going on? I feel like I'm going crazy."
      She could see that her words had some impact on him and he looked as 
      though he was really struggling with himself. But he shook his head. "I 
      cannot. It's up to you to figure things out."
      "Figure what out?" she leapt out of his arms. "This is crazy! There is 
      something really weird going on here and I want to know what it is!" her 
      tone changed from anger to pleading. "Please Darien. Tell me what's going 
      on."
      He stared into her eyes and she felt an amazing calm come over her, that 
      and incredible drowsiness. The last thing she remembered seeing was the 
      haunted look in his eyes, only slightly masking the pain.
      Serena opened her eyes again to see the white room once more. But the calm 
      she felt the last time wasn't there. In its place was an unsettling 
      feeling in the pit of her stomach.
      The other side of the bed was empty and cold.
      She closed her eyes again but sleep eluded her. She rolled around trying 
      to get comfortable but couldn't find any contentment alone in the tangled 
      sheets. Getting up and swinging her legs over the side, she decided it was 
      time to face the day. Feeling increasingly despondent, she called in her 
      maids to help her get dressed. She waited for them and sat as still as 
      stone until they finished. Looking the mirror, she nodded her approval and 
      the women left her alone again.
      She stared at the mirror, into the eyes that matched the blue of the sky 
      on a summer's day. Her hair gleamed like spun gold and she was dressed as 
      well as any queen but she felt like a child playing dress up. It wasn't 
      right. This wasn't her.
      She threw a vase at the mirror hard enough to leave a large dent in the 
      metal. Tears flowed down her cheeks and her sobs drowned out all other 
      sound. Including the sounds made by the shadowy figure behind her.
      She felt a presence behind her but it was too late. She turned and large 
      hands closed around her throat, choking the life out of her.
      Her screams weren't any louder than a whisper and her attempts to get free 
      were useless. The man was too strong.
      Her efforts got weaker and weaker as she slid increasingly lifeless to the 
      polished stone floor.
      Her last thoughts were of Dal'rien and how she wouldn't see him again.
      Serena bolted upright in her bed struggling to get a breath. She could 
      still feel the calloused hands around her throat.
      Coughing hoarsely, she got up and walked to the bathroom that adjoined her 
      room. Serena turned the tap on and watched the water for a moment. "Get a 
      grip. It was only a dream," she reminded herself. Cupping her hands, she 
      collected as much water as she could in her trembling hands and splashed 
      it over her face.
      No matter how many breaths she took she still couldn't breathe properly. 
      Serena had to get some air. Her face still dripping, she walked back into 
      her room and flung open the windows so she could feel the breeze whisper 
      into her room. But it still wasn't enough. Serena looked out of the window 
      at the serene courtyard and sighed. It looked so peaceful. Then she had an 
      idea. Surely he wouldn't object to her taking a little stroll to clear her 
      head.
      Serena pulled on a coat over the nighttime attire she had adopted since 
      moving in, sweats and a t-shirt. As quietly as she could manage, she 
      quickly took the stairs two at a time and headed out the side door that 
      she had noticed on the far side of the kitchen the day before.
      Outside the air was crisp and cool. It took a moment for her eyes to 
      adjust to the dim light. When they did everything looked as if they had 
      been dipped into varying shades of blue and silver. The trees were navy 
      silhouettes that melted into the blackness of the shadows like much of 
      everything else. Slivers of moonbeams sliced through the darkness writing 
      delicate patterns on the ground. It looked like a strange alien world.
      Serena took a deep breath and sighed, feeling a little better. She stood 
      for a moment taking several breathes before starting to walk around the 
      house. She hadn't been outside before and was curious about her 
      surroundings.
      There was a patio outside of the kitchen furnished with a table and 
      matching chairs, plants and some gardening utensils that looked as if the 
      gardener had forgotten about them. A few steps led off of it onto a large 
      neatly mowed lawn. Trees lined the perimeter and grew back into the 
      darkness so there was no telling how deep the woods were. Worn, carved 
      stones embedded into the grass provided a pathway around to the other side 
      of the house. Serena wasn't bothered with that right now. She was happy 
      just where she was taking in the fresh air.
      She pulled the coat tighter around her against a cold gust of wind. And 
      that's when she saw the movement in the trees. Serena blinked and looked 
      again, sure it was the wind and the darkness playing tricks on her. But 
      she saw it again.
      Serena took a cautious step back toward the house, trying to be as 
      stealthy as possible so that she wouldn't attract attention from whatever 
      it was that was there. But it was too late. Whatever it was, it lunged out 
      of the foliage and charged towards her.
      Screaming, Serena ran from the shadow and back onto the patio. Running 
      across the polished wood, she slid straight into the gardening tools and 
      tripped.
      Serena kicked at them still screaming as loud as she could, she crawled 
      toward the door. Knowing that she wouldn't make it, she grabbed the first 
      thing she could find, a spade. The thing that was following her was going 
      to have a fight on it hands if it came close. With both hands on her 
      meagre weapon, she closed her eyes and waited for the worst.
      She opened her eyes when nothing happened.
      Serena looked around and the night was as still as before. She could hear 
      nothing but her own laboured breathing. Sagging with relief she pulled 
      herself up, preparing to go back inside when a hand closed over her 
      shoulder.
      Reflexively, Serena swung around, slashing Darien across the shoulder with 
      her spade. Blood immediately started to flow. Horrified at what she had 
      just done, she instantly dropped it and pressed her hand to his wound. "Oh 
      my god Darien! I'm so sorry!"
      He shook his head and stared at her like his shoulder didn't matter. "Are 
      you ok? I heard you screaming." he put his hands on either side of her 
      face so tenderly that Serena was struck dumb for a moment.
      "I don't know what happened." she shook her head. "I think it was all my 
      imagination."
      "What was?" he stared deeper into her eyes.
      "I thought I saw something. I saw something charge at me." Serena laughed 
      weakly. "I must be going out of my mind."
      He was gently guiding her back into the house. "Why do you say that?" he 
      quickly pulled out a glass, filled it with water and handed it to her.
      Serena smiled her thanks and took a sip. "I've been having the weirdest 
      dreams about you."
      He was very interested in what she had to say now. "Dreams? About me? Tell 
      me about them."
      Serena smiled groggily as the warmth of the room started to make her 
      drowsy. "I'm in a house that's completely white. It's modern, but it's 
      not. I don't know how to explain it." She waved it away, moving onto more 
      important things. "And you're there." she said disjointedly. "At least I 
      think it's you."
      "What are we...you doing in these dreams?"
      Serena blushed as the first dream came back to her. "I and the man in my 
      dreams were...well...being intimate." she could feel her face heat up even 
      more when he looked at her with he penetrating eyes of his. "But tonight 
      he...you...he wasn't there. I woke up alone and feeling absolutely 
      horrible about something. And then I was attacked. Well someone strangled 
      me, to be exact." she rubbed her hands uneasily around her neck, feeling 
      hands wrapped around it again.
      Darien was silent, staring off into some unknown part of the room.
      Serena stared at him. He looked as though he was watching something 
      happen. She waved a hand in his face. "Hiya? You still with me here?"
      He nodded. "Of course." he took her hand in his and rested them both on 
      the breakfast bar. "So you had a bad dream and you went outside for some 
      air."
      "Yes." she nodded with a yawn.
      He patted her hand, "Next time you decide to take a midnight stroll I'd 
      appreciate it if you came and got me." He put up his hand when she started 
      to protest. "Trust me. I'll feel better knowing that you're not out there 
      alone." He winked mischievously. "And it saves me getting woken up."
      She nodded absently. Serena was thinking about the dream again. It felt as 
      though it had actually happened. But she was getting so tired that the 
      thoughts gave way to a yearning for sleep. "I promise." She yawned again. 
      "I think I've gotten enough air for one night."
      He smiled at her and nodded, looking a little anxious. "Goodnight then." 
      He gently squeezed her hand before picking up the coat he had slung on the 
      counter and hurrying out of the room.
      Serena turned around, stopped then turned back again. Why did Darien have 
      a coat with him at this time of night? Was he was just getting in from a 
      late date? Serena nodded to herself. It was possible. Why wouldn't he be 
      out on a date?
      Shrugging the irritation she felt at the thought aside, she walked out the 
      door to head back upstairs. She stopped when she heard footsteps. There 
      shouldn't be anyone up at this time of night. Maybe Darien was still up? 
      She wanted to help him clean out that wound she'd caused. .
      Serena followed the sound until she reached the foyer. She took a peek 
      around the corner and saw the hem of a dark coat whisk out the door. That 
      was Darien's coat.
      Curious and her fatigue forgotten, Serena followed and looked out the 
      window to see Darien striding down the driveway.
      She waited until he was out of sight before following, making sure she 
      kept her distance.
      He moved quickly down the street and then into the forest off to the side.
      Definitely curious now, Serena followed. Wherever he was headed he was in 
      a hurry. She had to practically run to keep him in sight. Dodging branches 
      and trees, she dashed through the brush. She slowed to a halt when she 
      lost sight of him. Damn! Where'd he go? Serena looked around while trying 
      to catch her breath at the same time. She couldn't see him around 
      anywhere. It was hopeless; in the darkness she couldn't see a thing past 
      the end of her nose.
      She stood looking around her for a moment but she couldn't see anything 
      except for the movement of the trees. Feeling like an idiot she turned 
      around to go back the way that she came but found that the vegetation had 
      swallowed up the path she had taken. Serena stared stupidly into the night 
      and walked straight ahead figuring she would eventually hit the path 
      again. She was wrong.
      It must have been an hour before she sat down on what she thought was a 
      rock. It was impossible. She was lost. Serena looked up at the sky and saw 
      that it was lightening a little. A few more minutes, maybe an hour at 
      most, and she could see to find her way back. Until then she was stuck on 
      this rock hoping that wild animals wouldn't attack her.
      She brought up her knees and rested her arms on them and her head on her 
      arms. Serena had only been sitting for a minute when a deer came out of 
      the woods a little ways from her. Enchanted, she watched it wander through 
      the trees. She'd never seen a wild animal this close before.
      It tiptoed through the grass and found something to nibble on. Serena 
      breathlessly leaned forward to watch it delicately chew on a blade of 
      grass. Afraid to move she sat as still as she could watching the 
      magnificent creature eat and wander around. Serena watched open mouthed as 
      it stepped a little ways away from her then perk it's ears up at a sound 
      that Serena couldn't hear.
      A black blur rushed out of nowhere and tackled the deer.
      The scream was frozen in her throat as Serena watched the animal being 
      dragged to the ground. She heard a familiar voice murmuring over the 
      animal before grabbing it by the head and biting into its neck.
      Serena clamped her hand over her mouth to stop from both screaming and 
      being sick as she watched the life being drained out of the animal. The 
      man bowed his head after taking his fill and whispered his sorrow to the 
      animal before breaking its neck and ending its pain.
      Serena stared at Darien as he turned around. His eyes had turned a 
      terrifying icy blue that almost glowed in the predawn light. Blood from 
      his feast oozed from his lips and down his chin that he was now struggling 
      to wipe clean. As he did the colour of his eyes returned to its normal 
      shade. But his eyes didn't have that self-assured look they usually did. 
      Instead they looked shocked, ashamed. They widened when they locked onto 
      her and without a word he fled into the trees at an alarming rate.
      She reached out her hand to him, but he was gone before she even 
      straightened her arm. Her eyes kept moving from the dead deer to the spot 
      Darien had been standing in as she just tried to comprehend what she had 
      just seen. Darien just killed a deer after drinking it's blood. She 
      repeated it to herself again and again. But she refused to put it 
      together. There was no way that Darien was a...was a...
      She looked down at the deer again.
      There was no way that Darien was a vampire.