Fallen Ones don’t
breathe, not in the strictest sense, but they do maintain the pretence,
processing air and simulating the rhythmic rise and fall of the chest that
humans associate with breathing. Those who get close enough to touch a
vampire’s wrist, however, will feel no pulse.

No pulse means no heartbeat, and yet a part of me is quite
sure that my very dead heart felt some sort of tug when Seth broke down
earlier. I felt sorry for him. That’s why I followed him here, to his small
dark little apartment, where I helped fix up his wounds.

“Hold still, Seth, or you will only rip open the cut even
further!” I knew it wouldn’t hurt him more, his human form has a pretty high
pain threshold, but a part of me was pretty sure that I wouldn’t be able to
resist the smell of fresh blood being spilt.

“Fine, Aralynne, but whatever you’re doing is hurting more
than the cut!” he hissed through clenched teeth, but I knew he didn’t mind. He
appreciated the company.

“Oh come on, don’t be such a big baby! Now, what were you
saying earlier? Do you truly think that I can’t rely on my regular method of
destroying vampires when facing this Moloch, Dimitri?” true to my original
plan, Seth has started opening up about his work for Dimitri. As expected, I
was spot on about his reasons for wanting Cara, and yet, despite our years of
feuding, Seth has agreed to help me destroy him.

“Aralynne, Dimitri has been around much longer than you
have. He has had a close eye on you for months now. He knows all there is to
know about you.”

“Probably because you told him, huh?” my voice fell, and the
bitterness could clearly be heard within it.

He noticed the change in my mood, and protectively placed
his hand upon my cheek. It was warmer than I expected, but quite pleasant.
Remorse lurked in the dark centres of his eyes.

“I could only tell him what I knew. There is so much to you
that is still secret, even to me, and I’ve known you hundreds of years.”

“Maybe because you didn’t stick around long enough to figure
out the rest of me.”

My words stung, that much was obvious.

“Aralynne... I know I’ve hurt you in the past...probaby more
than I ever could imagine, and I won’t bother trying to explain my actions
but...I just want to be forgiven. These past few days with you have been
absolutely amazing... it was like we finally grew closer again, but they made
me realise just how much I missed you... I missed us...”

I was silent, not because I didn’t know how to respond, but
mainly because I didn’t want to interrupt him, scared of ruining the moment
with the insults and built up insecurities that were sure to tumble from my
lips the moment I open my mouth.

“I guess... I realised how much I love you, how much I’ve
always loved you, despite our past. The moment I walked away, I realised how
much it could truly hurt to lose something you never really had. Yet, I find
myself wanting to change that.  There is
no point in trying to deceive my heart any longer. It depends upon honesty for
its survival, and my darling, I’ve been around long enough to know that you are
the one I want to go through time with.”

Without even the slightest hesitation, and without warning,
I leaned in and placed my lips upon his, feeling that they could express
whatever I felt at that moment so much better than my stumbling words. Yes, I
kissed him- my long time enemy, my friend... I guess there was no real word to
describe exactly what he was to me, but I didn’t care.

His warm hands eagerly clutched at the skin of my lower back
as his lips formed to mine, hungrily tasting what they have been denied for far
too long.

Ancient lovers believed that a kiss literally united their
souls, since it was said that the spirit could be carried through ones breath.

This was...different. It wasn’t like the brief kisses I
shared with Zayden at all. This was filled with...something else. It was filled
with hunger, the raw emotion of a love that must’ve always been lurking beneath
the surface, waiting for either of us just to be brave enough and accept it,
and let it take us over.

I no longer feared the pain or destruction he might bring.
For those all too brief moments, it felt as if the last part of my human side
awakened again.

I felt whole again. I knew that.... this was the way things
were supposed to be.