There comes a moment in our lives when we wish for the relentlessly ticking hands of the clock to stop their doomed venture and freeze us for eternity in its bottomless embrace; whether the reason be a timeline we do not wish to leave behind or a dreading period whose ominous arrival we detest. For her, it was both.

The solace she had discovered in the arms of her loving husband three months prior was something she couldn’t imagine letting go ever whilst on the other hand, she was well aware of the fact that none of this was going to last forever. No matter how desperately she wanted it, she didn’t belong in that time. She had to return; the reality had splashed her face like ice cold water the morning she woke up after their first night together only to discover that the markings on her back had fainted for the second time. They looked more like a smudge than a tattoo now, narrating to her that the spell was going to be completed any moment, one more move and she’d be transported back into her own time.

The dreadful feeling of being alienated stayed with her since then; even in her sleep, the voices didn’t stop haunting her. She had to leave, go back to the place where she originally came from, leaving him behind, all alone.

He, too, had seen the scarcely visible linings on her back, but it seemed like he purposely avoided talking about it; she could tell it by the way she often caught him staring longingly at her. He looked at her as if he was afraid of her vanishing in thin air any given moment. Even though the burden of his works had increased too much after Cyrus and Ruth’s unforeseen arrival in their town, he never let her feel neglected amidst this chaos. He knew their days together were numbered so he made sure to always be there, watching her silently with his deep longing emerald gaze.

Another complication they were forced to face was the numerous bodies found littering the town every other day, sickly pale to the point that any onlooker could immediately conclude that they had been drained of blood down to their bones, and there was no doubt about the culprit. The only vampire who was present in the town besides Ares was Cyrus. Drained bodies left and right, even getting blood for Henry was proving to be more and more difficult with time, leaving no chances for Ares to feed himself. Starving his own self to feed his family, burning midnight oil to protect what was rightfully his in the first place, it wasn’t getting any easier for the aloof vampire prince.

The nights he wasn’t locked inside his study, he spent them holding her close to him in his broad arms, cocooning her in his unusually cold warmth. When his fingers weren’t holding a pen to graze against the smooth texture of paper, they would generally be found caressing the white of her skin or stroking the tip of his brush to carve these features of her, reproducing her reflection captured by his magnanimous gaze on a clear canvas. Now she knew what lay behind the third door in his bedroom in future; her portraits. The room was covered from floor to ceiling with her countless traces.

At times like these, she felt like he was trying to remember her shape, the nooks and crannies of her features, furiously rubbing color laced fingers on paper as if possessed by some unknown fear—fear of having to live without her for many centuries to come.

It was evident that the more time they spent with each other the more scared he got of it becoming their last memory together.

Things were rapidly getting out of hand, taking a turn for worse when the news spread out and the lord of the town was summoned to report to the King and his officials regarding the numerous unnatural deaths occurring in his land. Ares and Gabriel had planned on labeling it as animal attack yet the town’s people, as if they had been waiting for the this moment, struck while the iron was hot and started various rumors about her, naming her a symbol of misfortune that brought bad luck to their town.

Leaving her behind that too without Henry to guard her had proved to be a difficult task for Ares. Taking her with him was equal to exposing her to numerous people, a risk he wasn’t willing to take. Surprisingly Gabriel had offered a hand to help in their difficult times which Ares had ended up reluctantly accepting.

“Is Eve asleep?”

Gabriel’s grave voice caused her pale fingers which were entangled in Eve’s soft locks to stop stroking their way out of the silk tendrils as she slowly raised her head to lock eyes with his steely gaze. She had been so immersed in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed his presence at all.

“Yes.”

“If Ares and you had a daughter, she would look like Eve, ironic as Eve is much older than you originally.”

Lowering himself in the couch opposite to hers, he folded one leg on top of other, giving her a meaningful glance.

‘Ares’ child?’

His unexpected remark caused her brows to furrow as her free hand immediately went to the soft flesh of her abdomen resting underneath her cotehardie,

‘What am I thinking? I just had my periods last month.’

Shaking her head to clear it of any lingering thoughts, she directed her gaze back at the middle aged man slumped in front of the fireplace. His eyes almost looked transparent, the grey in them burning like embers buried deep inside a coal mine.

“Can humans and vampires reproduce?”

“Yes, if the human is powerful enough to carry the child. How do you think Felix was born?”

He had answered without turning his head towards her. His eyes were still staring blankly at the pit of twisting firewood.

“Ruth is a human?”

“Witches are human with magical abilities. They live, age and die like humans.”

‘Die like humans? Then how did I meet her centuries from here?’

“Your face tells me the Ruth you met in future was no longer a human,”

Pausing for a moment, he slowly turned his head around to meet her eyes to confirm his suspicion,

“Mm. Interesting.”

“Why?”

“Because witches detest vampires, mating with one must’ve been difficult in itself but then getting turned into one as well. She must’ve been desperate to resort to this.”

“What are you trying to say?”

Her legs were getting numb from sitting in the same place for hours but the thought of waking Eve up kept her glued to her seat.

“Cyrus bonded with Ruth without her consent, capturing her younger twin Deborah as well in the process. He wanted to keep her at his side at every cost, probably to obtain an heir out of her. Two witches against all the royals, that could not have worked out better. Eventually Ruth got pregnant with Felix, it was a ray of sunshine cutting straight through her dark soul, but in the end it proved to be a stab in her heart as well. Felix was a Hybrid, weaker than others which urged him to do all kinds of stuff to please his father and obtain his approval somehow. I had long left the land by then, but I guess this was the same reason Felix met his demise. His hunger for approval drove him to it.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because as much as I have gathered, Deborah was a good person; Ares is the reflection of her goodwill. Ruth being evil doesn’t add up. There is something more to it than meets the eye. At first, I had thought revenge to be the fuel driving Ruth but her leisure movements tell something otherwise. They are after something peculiar, something which had driven Ruth to side with her biggest nightmare, Cyrus.

“What do you think they’re after?”

“You.”

Sinking her teeth into her bottom lip, she gingerly pushed Eve’s sleeping head away from her lap, letting it fall on the smooth velvet adorning the couch.

“Oh,”

An indiscernible sound left her lips as she supported her weight on the arm of the couch, using it to help herself stand straighter. It felt like countless insects were crawling all over her legs,

“I got news from my sources. Ares would arrive at night.”

“Tonight?”

“Yes.”

Relief washed all over her rigid body as a small smile touched the corners of her lips,

“There is something else you need to know,”

‘Pandora’s box, I tell you.’

Despite the situation, a grin was threatening to find its way on her face. She had unknowingly become quite close to the man in the months they had spent together. She was still wary of her but to some extent both she and Ares had started trusting him.

“Ares has given up his lordship.”

“What?!”

She’d have fallen down if it weren’t for the couch supporting her weight.

“Tonight is the fourth new moon. Henry’s transition will be completed. Ares plans on taking both of you away. A lot of people have started suspecting you as the culprit and despite the fact that he may not have much time left with you; he’s willing to sacrifice all he has ever earned on you. He would not be able to forgive himself if something were to befall you by the hands of his people.”

‘Oh, God. Does that mean the time has arrived? Is this why Ruth had been silent all along? They were waiting for this opportunity. They were waiting for Ares to leave his title so that when he’s burnt in his castle, no one pays much attention to it.’

Her breathing was turning frantic making her clench the neckline of her velvet dress,

“I need to go.”

‘Isn’t this why humans try in the first place? because actions matter more than the results. Whatever happens in the end, it’s enough to reassure myself that I tried, I tried.’

“Wait- Credința!”

Not looking back, she leapt towards the doors of the castle, barely missing the wooden surface by an inch as a strong hand grasped the hold of her elbow,

“What are you doing? Cyrus might be out there.”

She had never seen much expression in those steely eyes but for once, they didn’t look apathetic to her; worry could be seen lining those familiar grey hues.

“You… You were a hunter before. You have sharp senses, you can sense whether Cyrus is near or not, right? I need to talk to Ruth. Something might happen, I need to stop it.”

Her hands were flying in every direction making her look like a mad woman,

“Please. He doesn’t deserve this… Please.”

Her fingers were clutching the fabric of his brown tunic tightly as her big doe-like eyes continued staring up at him, unraveling their desperation to him,

“…Okay.”

After a moment he gave her a slight nod, letting out a silent sigh before lifting a finger up to his lips, motioning her to remain silent as he moved in front of her to reach a nearby window. Slowly he moved a corner of the drape away, his eyes rapidly scanning the deathly still area before narrowing and turning into slits,

“There is someone outside, not a vampire though. Their movements aren’t as swift. Appears to be a female from the stature.”

“Ruth?”

“Cannot be stated with surety.”

“I’ll take my chances.”

Jerking her arm out of his grasp, she hurriedly went towards the door, parting it to stare at the tall trees lining both sides of the castle. Cool autumn wind was rustling through their leaves, but no other sound could be heard. She couldn’t see anyone outside.

“Ruth?!”

As she had already expected, no one answered her but that didn’t stop her from shouting out her next words into the air,

“Why are you doing this? He’s your nephew! Your sister brought him up. She gave up his life to save his.”

Nothing.

“He loved Deborah as his own mother. He often talks about him. It was Cyrus who convinced others to kill Deborah. He was trying to get rid of Ares. He used Felix’s death for this purpose too. You know that in your heart. Don’t you? Ares was not the culprit but the victim here!”

A silhouette gradually materialized from behind the tree, urging her to continue going on with her impromptu talks,

“Don’t listen to Cyrus! Don’t do this. You’ll regret it. I know you will.”

The silhouette didn’t seem to be coming any closer. It continued lingering near the tree’s bark.

“You called yourself an unfortunate witch doomed eternally to pay for your sins!”

‘If Gabriel was able to sense magic’s essence on me, then so should Ruth.’

“Can you sense it? I know you can. You did it because you regretted your actions.”

She didn’t know what else she could say to convince Ruth without disclosing too much information to Gabriel or more importantly Cyrus, if he was listening on their conversation from a distance.

“You’re going to regret it, Ruth.”

The words had come out like a hopeless sigh. She had pressed her lips to stop their trembling. Although she was aware of the fact that things were predetermined, the thought of not being able to make things better was eating her inside out.

Her internal turmoil came to a halt as she watched the rigid silhouette leaning against the tree suddenly straighten up before starting to saunter towards her. Little lamps hanging near the door cast a dull yellow glow on the black figure approaching them, transforming the murky outlines into definite colors, a pale skinned woman dressed in a red cotehardie, she looked younger than Faith could remember from her memory but her eyes on the other hand were completely devoid of emotions. She appeared to be a lifeless doll whose limbs were attached to multiple invisible strings, pulled by someone behind the curtain—Cyrus.

“Tomorrow night, it happens. Leave the town before that.”

The witch’s voice sounded as monotonous as her impassive face. She had stopped in front of the patio and Faith had decided on maintaining that distance as well. Although Ruth wasn’t a vampire and didn’t need to be invited inside, going too close to her didn’t seem like a wise option either.

“What happens tomorrow night?”

“Staked and burnt.”

‘Staked?’

Her eyes seemed to have popped out of her skull after hearing the witch’s words,

“D-Don’t you mean turned to stone?”

“Staked.”

‘Doesn’t staking mean killing a vampire?’

“No, you turn him to stone. You plan on doing that. Don’t you?”

“No mercy for a killer.”

“He didn’t kill your son! Cyrus has brainwashed you, woman. Wake up!”

She was close to jumping over the threshold to hold Ruth’s shoulder and shake some sense into her but before she could set her plan into action, Gabriel grabbed her arm giving her slight shake of head, disapproving her actions silently.

“Ruth, please.”

Gripping the door-frame with her whitening knuckles, she lowered her head on her hand. Ares hadn’t fed properly since their arrival. He refused to take blood from her repeatedly which had resulted in him being starved for a long time. He wouldn’t be able to take on all the villagers and Cyrus alone in this condition.

“I turned my boy to stone to save him.”

“What?”

Her head shot up at the unexpected turn their conversation had taken.

“They had scraped his heart, but failed to puncture it. I turned him to stone before he could die.”

“Felix is alive?”

If her eyes were popping out of her sockets before, they were close to falling off on the ground now.

“And you need the person whose blood he had last tasted to bring him back.”

Gabriel who had remained quiet by her side all along suddenly broke his silence with his own conclusion,

“That is why you haven’t killed Ares till now. You need his blood to bring your son back.”

'Did Ares' blood entered Felix mouth during their last fight?'

A small moment of quietude followed Gabriel’s remark and by the way Ruth had turned rigid in her place it seemed like he had struck her nerve.

Suddenly the woman looked behind her as if she had sensed something unusual before turning her head back towards them, giving them one last look as she whispered her next words,

“If I get the blood, I shall show mercy.”

As soon as she let the words out, her body disappeared from their sight altogether.

She didn’t have much time to ponder over the situation as loud neighing of stallions pierced the bone-chilling silence left after Ruth’s departure. She could detect a pair of midnight black horses running furiously pulling an adorned carriage behind them.

‘He’s here.’

“He would never agree to this. Giving birth to evil through his blood, all his sacrifices up until now would go to waste.”

Ares’s arrival had almost made her forget about the man standing next to her still holding her by her elbow.

“Let me go, Gabriel.”

Tugging her arm out of Gabriel’s grasp she was about to step out of the door when his grave voice stopped her in her tracks,

“Credința, you’re my flesh and bone, as dear to me as my own daughter. I shall never wish for you to commit a sin that you end up regretting for the rest of your life,”

Slowly, she turned her head back to meet his gaze which he took as a sign to continue speaking,

“I have been through this before. Sins which are confined to your own self are easier to forgive than those that get others involved in your blind cruelty. These are the ones that cut too deep, it scarcely heals completely.”

She could see where he was coming from. Ares and Henry both had suffered at the hands of Felix; they even had to leave their homeland behind.

‘All their efforts would go in vain if I ended up helping Ruth revive him.’

“But he’s my husband...”

Despite her utmost attempts, her voice came out quivering,

“He would not want this either.”

Before she could answer him, a loud thud resounded through their empty surroundings causing her to whirl around and stare at the black blur kneeling on the ground near the carriage that was now parked in front of their gates. The coachman was nowhere to be seen.

‘He drove it himself?’

“Ares?!”

“No.”

For the umpteenth time that night, Gabriel held onto her wrist, stopping her from crossing the door-frame,

“What the hell are you doing?”

“He does not want you to come out. Look.”

Her frowning gaze followed his only to land upon the cloaked figure stumbling towards them while slightly shaking his head. His eyes were fixated on hers as he continued moving his head side to side ever so slightly while supporting himself against multiple objects to reach the wooden doors as soon as he could.

The closer he came, the clearer she could make out things she hadn’t been able to notice before in the dark. His hood had been thrown back to expose jet black hair tangled on top of his head, framing his sickly pale face in a mess of inky tendrils. His skin was glistening because of the sweat beads trickling down the side of his temples accompanied by a red liquid that painted his plump lips with a crimson tinge. The blood didn’t look to be someone else’s. It seemed like his own that was oozing out of his mouth to dribble down his chin.

‘What in hell?!’

The moment he stepped near the door, she leapt forward to grab his torso, trying to support him as much as her small frame allowed,

“Ares, are you okay? What happened?!”

He had crumbled down in her embrace, his legs giving out beneath him as he hastily leaned his back against the wooden door-frame to brace himself. Through the bloodied mess tainting his lips, she could hardly see their original color which seemed to have turned purple much like the night he was stabbed with a silver rod.

“I was hungry; my hunger turned me irrational,”