She had heard the gates creak open and then shut, but she had been too depressed to see what was going on. But then a prickling sensation went up her spine and she had the feeling that she had to know what was going on. She had layed the flower she had picked and was gazing at down at on the bench and rose to see what was making her so upset. The grass muffled her footsteps. She crept around the fountain expecting to see some wild rabbit eating the flowers or something. Calisandra hadn't been prepared to see him standing there holding a bird in his hands. As if he was about to....Calisandra mentally shook her head. She was about to say eat it. But no, that was impossible. There was no such thing. She didn't understand why anyone would want to destroy such a beautiful creature or any creature for that matter.

The sun shone through his locks. Shards of wine, blue, and brown blended in together to radiate off his head. His face was so cold and arrogant. Pale skin shimmered with bitterness and rejection. Those dark eyes drew her like a moth to a brightly lit flame. She didn't know why he was letting her see him but it was there. His agony was there illuminating his eyes like light. Etched deeply in them, his despair could be touched. But then something stopped Calisandra from reaching out. Hate.

She didn't know what was more real, the sights and sounds around her or the dark gut-retching hatred that was coursing through him. She could feel it like she could feel a knife prick her finger just only more times over. It was there. That all consuming hatred someone has for a person who had wronged them. Calisandra knew it wasn't directed at her but it still made her cautious.

He stood there now, waiting for her to challenge him. It seemed almost like he thrived on it. The wind blew through his dark hair, ruffling it and making him look like an illusion.

"Well?" Calisandra snapped through her reverie. His arms were crossed over his chest and he was leaning against a tree as if he had all the time in the world. Calisandra would have believed that he was truly relaxed and patient if it hadn't been for the tension she sensed was coursing through his hard, lean body.

She sat down on the fountain's stone bench and lifted her face to gaze up at him. "Well, what?" she asked, running a hand in the fountain's crystal, clear, cold water.

A self-mocking smile spread across his mouth. "What did you think I was doing with that bird?" He straightened from the tree and walked toward her. Unwanted excitement pulsated through her. Calisandra had the most overwhelming urge to run. But the garden was surrounded by stone walls and the only exit was at the twin gates which were in the front. There was no escape.

He came so close that Calisandra was afraid that she was going to fall into the water behind her. He towered over her and bent down so that their faces were a mere inches apart. She could clearly see every bold line and etch of his face. His eyes were not just black as Calisandra first had thought. They laced with silver and gray around the irises. His charcoal lashes meshed together with flecks of silver to give him an even greater beauty. Even his mouth looked regal. It looked hard and unyielding but at the same time, it appeared soft and gentle. His cheekbones were sharp and contributed to his hard features. Calisandra had the strangest feeling inside. It settled low in her stomach, pooling like warm honey. She wondered how it would feel to kiss him.

Her cheeks flamed and her face felt hot. She hoped he wouldn't notice. Her own emerald gaze looked up and found him staring straight at her. More like right through her. His eyes were unreadable and Calisandra wondered what he was thinking. His gaze flickered to her mouth and without thinking Calisandra lifted her hand and reached out. But she stopped in mid-air. Her heart was pounding so hard, he surely could hear it. It looked so tempting. His hair was long and it curled around his collar. It looked so soft.

It was as if he knew what she was thinking, for he took her hand and brought it up to rest on his shoulder. Her fingers grazed his black locks and she felt a shiver run down her body. His other hand reached for hers and he pulled her up from the bench. Her chest brushed his and her breathing became even shallower. Gazing into his eyes, Calisandra knew that she was totally lost. It was a feeling of drowning. She was drowning into his black depths and she didn't know if there was anyway that she could resurface. She didn't know if she wanted to.

Her arms wound round his neck and her hands delved into his silky hair. Calisandra could feel his arms circle her and pull her closer to him. He leaned down and she closed her eyes waiting to feel for what would come next.

At first it felt like a slight brush of a butterfly's wings. Then it became warm and soft, circling her mouth and delving deeper. A thousand sensations assailed her all at once. Calisandra didn't know what was happening. Lightening was coursing through her veins and her body felt like it was one gigantic flame ready to explode. Lights danced behind her eyes and her knees weakened. If it wasn't for his strong grip, she surely would have fallen to the ground. She didn't want to end. He tasted like a piece of a golden sunrise. The smell of soap, a hint of cologne and something definitely male overtook her senses and made her head spin. Calisandra gasped for air and at that moment her heart seemed to have stopped. His tongue slid in her mouth like a thief, tasting her sweetness and tempting her with its charms. At first she was too shocked to respond but then a tentative touch of his tongue with her own sent her careening over the edge. She tore her mouth away and gasped for air. Her chest was heaving and her body was trembling. She was still locked in his embrace and it eemed like he wasn't going to release her ever. His eyes were stormy and filled with uncertianity. His face was flushed and Calisandra was certain that hers was as well. One of his hands slid up her back to stroke her hair. Her own hands slid from around his neck and down the front of his shirt as if to push him away. She didn't know if she wanted to push him away or draw him in closer. Heat radiated from off his body, wrapping around her like a cloak. His breathing was even and didn't seem to gulp in air like she was. Her hands felt the hard muscles that lay under his black cotton shirt. Calisandra made an attempt to move away but his firm grip held her in place.

"No. Don't go." Calisandra's face tilted up and met his enigmatic gaze with her own. She stared at him in confusion, uncertain whether he appeared sincere or taunting.