I didn't to stop to look back and see if the demon was still standing there, watching me. I kept my eyes forwarded focused on the palace. I could see guards up ahead, battling with the thorns. There must have been fifty guards with axes and chain saws, cutting through the black briars and creating an escape tunnel out of the palace. I could see vampires with their clothes torn and tattered, covered in blood and soot, running out of the tunnel into the relative safety of the palace grounds. Relieved and tired, they thanked the guards and took in the devastation of the palace grounds.

Running past them, I ignored the guards warning as they shouted at me not to go inside the palace. I ran through the tunnel and arrived at a small wooden door just as a pair of vampires were exiting the door.

"Don't go in there," one of them warned me. "Prince Luc has gone mad!"

"Do you know how I can get to the East Tower?" I asked quickly.

"You don't want to go there! That is where they are fighting."

"Please," I begged. "I need to go there."

Both vampires exchanged uncertain looks and one of them said, "You can reach the tower by following the corridor left. It will lead you straight to the tower stairs – but I warn you, the tower isn't stable - "

I didn't stay to listen to the rest of the warning. I thanked both of them and enter the palace side door, turning left and following the corridor to the east tower's stair. I arrived at the foot of the stairs and began to climb. Above me, I could hear loud crashes and bangs and the sound of both Casper and Luc fighting.

I tried calling out to them, but I was too far away. My voice just couldn't carry that far in all the chaos. So I ran up the stairs as fast as I could, passing six or seven floors in the blink of an eye. I was so close to the top, I opened my mouth to call out to Luc again when suddenly, I stopped.

The tower shivered as a tremor from its foundations, run up through its walls. My stomach dropped and I sensed that was something terribly wrong. I looked next to, where my hand was lightly resting on the staircase bannister and watched the entire tower wall and the bannister falls away from me.

I fell down on all fours, clinging to the steps, and hoped to God that stairs didn't fall beneath me. As the wall crumbled, sending large chunks of stone and wall down to the ground, I heard the sound of screaming and people running.

The upper walls of the east tower disappeared, leaving only its exposed timber frame and its stairs, which circled upwards, with no walls to support it.

I wanted to look sideways.

I wanted to peak over the now free standing stairwell and look down at the people to make sure they were okay... but I couldn't. Up here I was exposed. The wind was strong and I could feel myself being buffeted against. I had to keep low. If I stood up, I might be blown off the edge.

So now I was crawling up the stairs on my hands and knees, fighting against the wind to reach the top of the. I kept going, scraping my hands and knees on the rough wooden stairs, now covered in dust and debris.

I kept going on my hands and knees until I reached the top of the stairs, where it opened up onto a floor that had been partially destroyed. The roof was missing, but there were bits of walls that had survived in places and seemed to be doing a good job of keeping out the wind.

Cautiously I stepped out onto the floor. I noticed that there were areas of the floor that seemed to be burning. I moved forward, careful not to step on any floorboard that was smoking. Looking around I saw nothing at first, but then I walked around a corner and saw Casper standing in front of me. His back was to me, and in front of him was Luc.

Luc stood opposite Casper, his black eyes staring at him with murderous hate. He stepped forwards to take a lunge at Casper and stopped when he saw me.

Hope burst through my heart as he turned towards me, the blackness of his eyes disappearing and turning to normal. He took a step forward, his hand lifting up towards me. I smiled and walked towards, feeling the link between us reconnecting.

The suddenly, Casper lunged forward wielding a large broken shard of timber and plunged it straight into Luc's chest.

I felt the pain tear through him and screamed as he fell to the floor clutching his chest.

I run to him, dropping down onto my knee and holding him in my arms.

Casper stunned, staggered backwards. "Oh God, I thought you were dead, Mia. I thought all hope was lost. Oh shit, what have I done."

I ignored him, focusing on Luc.

"Tell me what to do," I asked him. "How do I save you."

Luc looked up at me, and smiled, "You're alive."

"I know, and you're dying. Tell me what to do so I can save you."

He smiled sadly at me and he lifted up his hand and gently brushed my cheek. "You can't save me. It's in my heart, Mia."

"No, no, no," I cried, holding on to him tightly. "You can't leave me like this, not after everything I've done to come here and save you!"

"Mia," he gently breathed. "It's okay. Just knowing that you are alive and safe is enough for me."

I rested my forehead against his and cried, "Well, it's not enough for me."

He tunnelled his fingers through my hair and replied, "I'm sorry, my love. This is my fault, the darkness was too much for me."

I squeezed my eyes shut and felt the hot wet tears rolling down my face. "You can't leave me. I refuse to let you go. You belong with me and our babies."

"Mia," he exhaled shakily. "Please, baby. I don't want to spend my last few minutes on earth watching you cry."

He twisted in my arms and grabbed hold of the stake deep within his chest and pulled it out, throwing it across the floor. I gasped in horror as blood poured out of him.

Taking my hand I pressed it against the bleeding wound and snapped, "Why did you do that."

"Because I want to be able to hold you without letting that thing get in the way."

He wrapped both his arms around me and pulled me tight against his body.

"Luc," I whispered in protest, but he shushed me.

"Please, baby. Your light is the only thing in this world that chases away the dark inside me. Without it, I feel so alone and scared. Please, Mia. Don't let me go with the darkness still inside me."

I looked down into his beautiful eyes and saw fear, the same fear he had been battling with since he was a child. My heart fell to pieces. I couldn't let him die with the darkness still inside him. I had to chase it away, somehow.

Reluctantly I agreed, nodding my head.

"Thank you, Mia." He replied.

I closed my eyes and felt for the mental connection between us. It was weak and thready, like a fading a heartbeat, but it was still there. I moved along it filling it up with a beautiful brilliant white light that radiated warmth and love. Then I leaned down, brushing my mouth against his cool lips. He moved his mouth against mine, holding me close as we kissed.

It was sheer ecstasy.

A fire began to dance inside me and I slid my hands up the back of his neck and buried my fingers into his dark hair. Our mouths moved together as one, and I could feel our souls connecting in a new way that I had never felt before.

For the first time ever, I saw the darkness inside him. I could see it feeding on him like a parasite. It was stealing his happiness, filling him with hopelessness and despair. I felt the light inside me expanding uncontrollably. I drew strength from his kisses, focused it on the light inside me that I was sharing with Luc.

I had to chase the darkness away, for him.

The light grew and grew until suddenly it exploded out of me - literally. Brilliant white light burst out from me and illuminated the night sky with blinding light. I felt the energy, full of life and love reaching out and settling over the entire palace.

The light disappeared, and I opened my eyes.

Luc sat in front of me staring down at his chest – it was healed.

"Holy shit," I heard Casper whisper.

I looked around and saw tiny flowers and moss growing around us.

Luc looked at me and asked, "How the hell did you do that?"

"Did I do that?" I replied in shock.

Casper walked across the floor and peered down at the grounds. "The thorns are gone and everything, all the plants and trees, they are alive! You brought them back, Mia."

Luc smiled at me and said, "You brought me back to."

"I didn't know I could do that," I replied.

Casper shrugged his shoulders and murmured, "It must be a yin-yang type thing. Luc's destructive darkness is balanced by your healing light."

I got up to my feet and staggered over to where Casper was standing and looked out over the palace grounds. The entire grounds were now filled with greenery and blossoming flowers. It was if nothing had ever happened.

Casper gently knocked his shoulder against mine and smiled, "Hey, your crazy plan paid off."

"Yeah, but I never want to do that again," I sighed.

"So what now?" he asked.

"Now, Luc and I run," I said walking back towards Luc.

Both Luc and Casper looked at me like I had gone mad.

"Luc can't go – he's going to be the King," Casper said.

"Luc and I have to go. Two minutes ago he nearly destroyed the palace and Port Cressida," I explained.

Luc nodded in agreement, "No one will want me to be King after that. I'm not strong enough, little brother. You are going to have to take up the crown."

Casper shook his head, "I can't. That's impossible. Everyone thinks I'm a murderer!"

Luc calmly stood up and said, "We will set the record straight. Once people know the truth, then they will be sure to forgive you."

"Please, Casper," I said. "This is not Luc's destiny. This is your destiny."

Reluctantly Casper nodded, "Fine, but if I screw it up then I'm blaming both of you."

"You won't," I said confidently, as I slipped my hand into Luc's. "Your mate will be sure of that."

Casper's ears suddenly pricked up. "My mate?"

"Come on, I'll tell you all about it. But first I want a bath and clean dress," I said leading Luc towards the stairs.

Casper followed closely behind, eager to hear more about his mate.