CLAIMER:
Okay, this feels so different writing such a thing. *hehe* This is just to let you know that Angelica, Marius, and Paz belong to me.
A/N: Okay, just to clear up some things: I get the feeling that some people reading this story think that -my- Marius is the Marius dreamed up by the WONDERFUL Anne Rice. This is NOT the case! I only liked the name, and when I tried it out it fit all too well. I will bow to Mrs. Rice's plea and not write anything associated with ANY of her stories/characters. I am nowhere NEAR good enough to write anything based on her beautiful characters...I've tried. Didn't work.
In short: Marius is mine, not Mrs. Rice's. Promise!
As the cloak of night finally settled over Paz and the rest of London, she stopped at the front gate to the cemetery and took a seat on the wrought iron bench outside the gate.
Should she be doing this? Meeting up with Marius? Paz's head fell and she stared at her boot-clad feet. He was certainly not the kind of man she thought she'd ever marry or even become involved with, for that matter. Hell, he wasn't even a man. He was a vampire, a demon, a creature that would suck her dry, given the proper opportunity, but would he do that...to her? Paz wasn't so sure. Of course he'd made romantic advances toward her, but then, he'd done the same for his victims, hadn't he? Still the question remained in her mind: would he harm her if she gave him the chance? It was a possibility. He was a vampire; after all, he yearned for blood...why shouldn't it be hers? Paz stood up from the bench. She wouldn't give him that opportunity.
Before she could walk away a cold hand seized her shoulder. Paz turned quickly.
"Marius."
The vampire nodded and spoke with a trembling British accent. "My love. I had feared you would not come."
"I was just," Paz looked at the slight distance between Marius and herself and took a step back. "going home."
Hurt flashed across Marius' face. "After all these years, how is it that you still fear me? After all I have done for you, you still cower from my touch, my embrace?"
Paz tried her hardest to reply, but found her throat as dry as the Sahara desert.
"Will you not answer me now, Paz? My love?"
The girl stepped timidly toward the creature of the night. "It isn't you I'm afraid of, Marius. It's your nature."
Marius' head sank, and a tear of bright red blood fell from his each of his eyes.
"Then you despise me? I am lost to your heart?" His voice came in a timid whisper, and only his tear-filled eyes rose to search out his love's face.
Paz shook her head. "No, Marius. My heart loves you. It's only my head that questions you. You are a vampire, how could anyone not question the motives of a vampire?"
Marius' eyes fell downcast once again. "I thought you had come for me, Paz. I thought you had come to me, that you would share in eternity with me..."
Paz sighed. "Marius, I...I came to tell you that something has awakened, something that you had shut out of your life for centuries, but now she has returned."
Marius' head shot upward. "What is it?"
Paz looked around the desolate cemetery. "It's a nice night out. Let's go for a walk."
Marius looked at Paz curiously. "A walk?" Marius’ eyes scanned the shadows for any type of threat. "Now?"
Paz simply gazed at the vampire that she knew adored her, although she couldn't understand why. "Yes, Marius. Now." Paz extended her hand, and both she and the vampire took off at a leisurely pace hand-in-hand.
The two ventured in silence for a while, but once they hit the park, Marius spoke.
"What is it that has returned, Paz? Please tell me."
Paz sighed and pulled Marius closer to her side, wrapping one arm around his waist. "You'll freak out, Mar. Promise me you won't go all ballistic on me?"
Marius considered for a moment. It must have been bad. Paz had never held out on him before. "I promise. What is it, Paz?"
Paz sighed. "It’s Angelica, Marius. She’s back."
Marius took a deep breath and tried not to hit the nearest tree. Paz could see it in his eyes. He was furious.
Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
