Epilogue

She cried herself to sleep that awful, unfortunate night, wishing she had died, in the attack. Wishing she had died, instead of being left alone, and alive. Prisoner, she was, a slave to be, in the realm of darkness, home to the vampires, and the wicked, cold-hearted creatures she'd ever encountered. No place for a mortal. She stood before the window, feeling very much alone in her new world created of the darkest souls, and grayest destruction. Only when she smelled smoke, and the scent of fresh peppers, followed by spices and tastes, melting on her tongue, all her favorites, did she turn away from the stick, locked, window. Disgust appeared on her face, as she aimed to turn away from the dark presence, lurking in the doorway, of the dark, chambers, she'd been kept in, though she was stopped, as a force grabbed tightly onto her arm. She tried to pull, but stopped, when freezing cold, amber eyes, shattered her windows, breaking through. She knew he was looking into her soul, he'd gotten through her shield. ''Get away from me,'' she shouted, aiming to push him from her. He smiled at the sight of her, an amused grin on his face, though he carried two bowls of steaming hot stew, the warmth from under them, created no indication of pain, or burning marks at all. Who ever he was, hot temperature didn't harm him, she'd have to think of something else....something better.

He studied her face with amused eyes. ''Do you need something?'' she asked, a mouthful of hatred behind her voice, as disgust slipped down into her chest. "Good day to you, too," he smiled, placing the two steaming, hot bowls, down on the table, closet to him. She drew back and met his amused gaze questioningly. ''What'd you want, what make you choose me, why come to the castle, why hurt my friends!'' Lena shouted, unable to hold back the boiling pot of anger inside her. ''It's just how it is, I just felt like it, that's all.'' he said, as he planted his but in one of the chairs, amused, with laughter on his face, as he held back his head, with both his arms. ''Bullshit,'' Lena breathed. ''I don't believe you took me, just cause you felt like it, there's more here.'' ''Maybe,'' he answered. ''But you'll never know.''

She studied his face, then his body, for longer then she'd liked, only stopping, when she noticed him watching. Embarrassed, she turned away from him, still keeping the anger, and sadness she felt, beyond the surface. A mortal vs a vampire, specialized in evil, and torture, she'd have to be insane, not to be afraid. ''You'd better be thankful, I took you alive,'' ''Its a good thing you have a very valuable skill, otherwise your skinny hide would be in trouble, right about now.'' he chuckled. ''otherwise, I'd have no use to keep you.'' There was a moment of sinister silence, then a multitudinous, groan and sigh, escaping him. ''There's something inside you, that can tame the evil from any creature. Your blood, I figured, can be used to cleanse evil from inside a person.'' That is why I took you. can have something that precious, being allowed to wonder alone, especially without a leash.'' he purred. ''I can't offer you anything,'' Lena started, pleading, present in her voice. ''You won't gain anything for locking me up here,''

''Sweetheart, kitten, precious,'' he snarled. ''There's not an evil bone in your body," he said, amused. ''SSS-Sure, there is,'' she stuttered, losing her voice half sentence, as he suddenly crawled along the floor, towards where she stood. The smell of him, smelled of tainted blood, and freezing cold, darkness. She flinched at his touch, death mixed with the flesh, and burning coals, however, he remained cold, all at the same time. Red, wavy, hair, pulled back to reveal as fresh. lived in face, small amber eyes, set delicately within their dark, sockets. Fair skin, and the face of a defender, who once had only love for the people around him. Now lost to the world of spilled blood, and violence, that is the face of Claurin Jasper Walker.

''I have become his weapon.

Stare at the darkness to long, and you just might go blind.''

........