

Valkyrie

The vampire princess

Book 1

Valkyrie – the vampire princess saga

By

PET TORRES

Book one

In the

Valkyrie the Vampire Princess Saga
Copyright © 2013 by Pet Torres books

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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or used fictitiously Have Been and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, or locales is entirely coincidental Organizations

All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any Manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.

Copyright © 2013 by Pet Torres books

For more information

Title: Valkyrie - The vampire princess

Author: Pet Torres

Original title: Valquíria – a princesa vampira

Translation: (2013) Pet Torres books

Reviser: 16/11/2013

Electronics edition: (2013) Pet Torres books

**Books in this Saga**

Valkyrie - the vampire princess, Book# 1

Valkyrie - the vampire princess 2, Book# 2

Valkyrie - the vampire princess 3, Book#3

Dedicated

To my parents

To My sisters

To my nephews

Acknowledgments

To my dear readers

Evanescence band

I got enthusiastic about its melodies.

SYNOPSIS

Valkyrie is a young girl who has been raised only by her mother, who has suffered a lot by getting pregnant without knowing who the real father of her daughter was.

Valkyrie grew up having recurring strange dreams about a man she has never seen in her life.

When she meets Eros, a handsome and attractive boy, mystery becomes part of her everyday life.

Some nights, she sleeps with an owl watching her.

Wondrous revelations come as time wears on, changing her life forever...
CHAPTER 1

It all started in 1991, when my mother became pregnant. My father had always been an enigma for me.

I never knew about his existence; who he was... how he was similar to me and where he came from.

My mother did not like talking about him. She just said he was a big error in her life. Even so, I did not know exactly why she always said that to me.

I grew up in a narrow world, where my mother constantly imposed all the rules of what I should or should not do. I always asked myself if she was making the right decision by educating me that way, since my colleagues were educated in another way. Even so, I never countered her, as I thought she was the only person I had in my life. She was the most important person to me.

The two of us lived in a house, in a town called...

This does not matter. What does matter is that I moved away from towns time and time again, almost always.

It seemed my mother never wanted to establish roots in any one place. I thought she lived running away from something or somebody. Maybe she was fleeing my father...

However I keep in mind when I was seven, I began to have strange dreams and they were always of the same scenes. There was a man in a dark place. It was an empty hall with several cobwebs on the ceiling and the ground was replete with dust.

That was a dark and unknown place for me. I did not get to see his face, but I could hear his voice calling my name.

"VALKYRIE... VALKYRIE..."

It was a far and tremulous voice. It was as if he was distant from me and he tried to communicate with me by telepathy. Every time I dreamed of him, I awakened with heavy breathing. It seemed so real - everything that I had dreamed of.

Nevertheless, I grew up fearing to those dreams. It made no sense for me to have them.

The following day, I told everything to my mother while she made our breakfast. My mother was accustomed to hear me saying her about my dreams, since I was a little girl.

"I dreamed of him again,'' I took a deep breath and said to her as I took a seat at the table. I was in my nightgown and my hair was fixed by a bun.

She glanced to my face.

"What have you dreamed this time?" my mother asked me, intrigued. She stared at my face as I said her.

"The same as always; he just calls my name," I answered as I took my milk. But I had not tasted my milk like I should. I was thinking about my dream. They looked to want to let me know something significant in my real life.
CHAPTER 2

We went into the car and drove to another town. It seemed to be less populous. The town center looked very scenic. It was small and empty. I could calculate on my fingers the number of people that walked around the place.

We stopped driving at a gas station to fill up our car. My mother asked the attendant where there might be accommodation to rent at an affordable price. My mother had some savings that would maintain us for a long time. That was the fruit from an inheritance of our family. The attendant indicated to us a residence which took twenty minutes from the town center.

When we arrived at the house, my mother agreed to rent it because there was antique furniture, however quite conserved. There was a fabulous backyard with several trees. I saw fruits that I had never known and I would get to know them.

We entered into the house and we unpacked our suitcases. Then I went into my room and my mother went into hers. My room was comfortable. There was a single bed, a wardrobe, a dressing table with a mirror, bed-carpet and curtain on the window.

Later on I went to speak to my mother in the backyard. Our backyard was amazing. There were several trees in fruit. I felt its pure air into my lungs.

"You need to enroll me at high school." I said my mother as she was with her back to me. Her fingers touched a red fruit on a tree. I could see happiness on my mother's face.

Her eyes flashed back to me. "I'll do that tomorrow." Finally she said without looking back at me.

It was my final year at high school. I was about to complete my school experience.

Even though I kept running from town to town, I never repeated any year at school. On the contrary, I was considered to be the best student in my class.

CHAPTER 3

I arrived at my new school. I was carrying my new notebook and necessary objects for my first lesson for the day.

I walked through the school courtyard, which was immense. I noticed that every pupil stared at me. They most likely knew I was a freshman. I did not really want to make friends at this point as I wanted to be alone.

As soon as I entered into my classroom, I was introduced to all the students by the school mistress. I was already used to that kind of reception, since I attended several schools in several cities.

My classroom was small and there were only a few pupils. It was better that way. I kept to myself even with many people round me.

At the end of class, I walked slowly to the female toilet. I was menstruating and needed to check myself.

When I arrived at the bathroom door, I saw a girl from my class. She looked at herself in the mirror all the time, as she threw her hair from side to side, trying to look more beautiful.

I stopped looking at her as soon as I noticed she looked at me through the mirror. Then she turned to face me and said, "Hi, my name is Mirta."

"Hi... Mirta." I said in break in proceedings. I had no habit of making friends so rapid at school. Actually took several days to do that.

"What do you think of this school?" she asked me while she looked me over from head to foot. It was as if she thought I was not up to her style and fashion standard.

"... Ok..." I said what came in my mind. But I still looked confused at all. My timidity always made me act like this. I had no opinion why I was so timid in my entire life. I always wanted myself to be sociable with people.

"Let's be friends?" she asked me as she leapt for joy.

"Yes... sure!" Almost immediately I responded robotically. I did not know her well enough for us to be friends so fast. But it would be indelicate on my part, if I did not accept her friend request. Then was sure I should give a 'Yes'.

"Fine!" Mirta gave me a strong embrace, while she commemorated our friendship's beginning. I embraced her too.

"I like you!" In next to no time she confessed looking at my face. So I also looked at her. "You look sincere."

Her lips were so red. I believe she had retouched her lipstick. Mirta looked to take care of her appearance constantly.

"And I am sincere," Lastly I said and looked aside.

Mirta smiled again at me. "Me too, I hate falseness."

We left school together. She talked to me all the time. We had a chat about school and the people in that place, which of our teachers was fine and which was not, what was permitted in our school and who we should trust.

As soon as I came back home, I saw my mother was reading while lying down on the living- room couch as she was waiting for my return.

"How was school?" Presently she asked me with her curious eyes on me. I had hoped this from her. She always wanted to know about my school year.

"Great! There are only a few students in my school," Rapidly I said without complaint even though I confess I had attended some of the best schools.

My mother said as she closed her book and sat up. "It was like I had imagined..."

So I remembered to say her something one moment later. "I met a girl called 'Mirta'. She wants to be my friend."

My mother frowned at my direction. "I want to meet her."

I rolled my eyes as my mother remained looking at me. "Okay, sheriff, I'll bring her here."

For me it was no surprise my mother wanted to know her. She had always taken these precautions with regard to my friendships. She always wanted to be well aware that I was in good company.

Minutes later...

I took a warm bath and put on my comfortable clothes. I remained in my room for hours, writing down in my small diary about my first day in school. I had always been a solitary person. Therefore I had a habit of opening my heart to a piece of paper. I thought that was quite secure. I knew that those words would never go out there, except of course if someone read them.

I wrote about Mirta in my diary. I sensed that our friendship would be special and enduring...
CHAPTER 4

I arrived late into my classroom. Every student looked at me with reproach. Rarely did that occur between pupils. I took a seat at my place without glancing from side to side even though I was dying of shame.

Reinforcing my timidity before everyone, I was called to attention by my female teacher, she loudly announced that there should not be delays in her classes.

I agreed with her words, as I was just nodding my head at her.

During the break, Mirta and I went to the bathroom. We walked together all the time. Mirta looked like a queen in her costly clothes. She was always well-dressed to attend School. It was not constituent of her everyday going to School in ugly clothes.

"What is up, are you annoyed?" Quickly she asked when she noticed a deep sadness in my gaze while I was leaning against the bathroom wall. I felt safe keeping my back on the wall. It looked my guardian.

"Sometimes I feel I am in the wrong place," Consequently I revealed as I was looking down at the ground. My shoulders moved.

"Are you like this just because you were called to attention by our teacher?" Mirta rolled her eyes and sighed after that. She imagined I should be a silly girl. I shouldn't consider it.

"No... I mention... too..." As a result I responded as I was rubbing my forehead. I was a little confused by everything.

Mirta insisted, trying to make me happier. "Do not worry about that. All of us have a right to make a mistake and you did not make it on purpose. "

After that I raised my head and spoke regaining my composure. "Knowing you, is the best thing that has happened to me in this school,"

In fact, she was the 'second best thing' because the 'first best thing' would be coming up. I just did not know it yet.
CHAPTER 5

The following day, I arrived in my classroom before everybody else. It was only me, the board and the desks...

I thought that if I arrived early, at least I would not run the risk of being humiliated again.

I opened my notebook to verify my school schedule. I was staring down at the white leaf, when I heard someone's footsteps arriving into the classroom. Automatically, I cast an investigative look at the classroom door to see who was entering. At that instant I thought that this was some teacher.

Raising my head up, I saw a boy, standing, looking for a place to sit down. I remained still, ashamed for being alone with him in that room. I buried my face into my notebook with the intention of not being noticed by him.

He took a seat at the desk furthest to the back very distant from me. I could not see him. I just listened to his impatient movements as he was beating his pen onto his desk over and over and over. It seemed it was tiresome for him to be there.

I felt suffocated and was begging for someone to come into the room and break the tense atmosphere. I did not know why I felt troubled by his presence. It seemed almost as if he was guarding me. I felt something strange, as if he was there to protect me or something like that.

I rubbed my neck on my right side into a nervous crescent. I felt that he observed all my movements. Then I ran my hand down on my notebook and turned over the page as I pretended to be reading in silence.

No less than two minutes later, Mirta arrived in the classroom and she looked beautiful, as usual. Her hair was loose and her make-up enhanced her fair face.

"Upon my soul! You got up early this morning!" Mirta exclaimed while she placed her pink knapsack onto her desk and glanced away.

I just saluted her with a humble smile, avoiding talking as the strange boy would hear my timid voice. I confess I was frightened. That young man was eccentric.

"We have a new schoolmate," Mirta commented into my ear when she saw the young boy seated in the corner of the classroom.

Even so I remained mute. I could not really say anything as I was thinking that there was a stranger in my classroom. His image had made me voiceless. He was like an adhesive tape on my lips. How strange it was! I was shocked at a guy all in black. But it wasn't his clothes that troubled me. There was something further.

"Why are you silent today?" Mirta insisted and I raised my face in her direction.

"I need to go to the bathroom," Courage came over me and I murmured while I rose from my chair and went to my destination in a hurry.

Mirta grimaced at my back and after that she realized she and the boy was alone in the classroom, so she took the initiative to go in his direction and try to start a conversation. This was something I would never have the courage to do.

"Welcome to the classroom!" Mirta saluted him as she put out her hand to him. However, he remained motionless, that is, he was serious and mute and he did not greet her, making her feel uncomfortable.

"Sorry!" In disappointment, she said and her cheeks became red. Then she turned her back to him, walked back to her place and sat down in her chair. She was angry at the boy's indifference.

During that I remained in the bathroom for a long time where I washed my face, numerous times in the hope of alleviating my tension.

The boy's image hammered my neurons. How much I did detest him for that. Damned boy !

He was tall, his skin was pale and his hair was dark and on his face was the presence of deep shadows around his eyes. He was dressed in dark clothes.

As soon as I achieved some sense of calm, I came back to my classroom. The said room was now filled with students. I had no courage to glance at the corner of my classroom.

Trying to look normal, I entered into the room with my gaze down at the ground as I was avoiding seeing anything around me.

Timidity had always been one of my weak points. I hardly leaned my bum against my chair when Mirta came around making complaints about the strange boy's conduct.

"He is ill-mannered!" Mirta whispered low. "I greeted him and he made no move." She turned up the nose.

Soon I stared at her face. "Who are you talking about?" I asked, not knowing exactly who she was referring to. In despite of my mind was on the bizarre boy's image. He still dominated my thoughts.

"Our new schoolmate," she said then and shook her shoulders.

My eyes enlarged. "Have you gone to talk to him?" I asked, dubious as I thought I would never have that courage. I imagined I would always keep myself away from him, all the time.

"Yes, I have. I always seek to make friends," Mirta thought it was something normal and confessed me and I went silent another time. The idea of having him into our friend group was alarming.

At the end of the final class, I was the first person that left my classroom. Not even I understood why I was in a hurry, for at my home I would not have anything interesting to do.

As I walked by the school gangway I slowed my steps, Mirta was at my side and both of us walked in silence.

After a few minutes, I stopped, paralyzed, listening to a different and strange voice trying to talk to me.

"Hey! Wait!"

I turned around, trying to see who the voice's owner was. Mirta had the same reaction to mine, that is, we stopped motionless.

It was the strange boy from my classroom.

"I think you lost this," Calmly he said while he put out his hand to me, trying to give me back my brooch.

It was the brooch that my grandmother gave me when I was child. I always kept that brooch in my things.

Entirely shocked, I held the object as I was amazed at it, avoiding the boy's face. He began to walk on, moving like lightning, eliminating my chances to thank him.

"He talked to you!" Mirta said surprised and rolled her eyes. My friend held back a smile on her lips.

"How does he know that this brooch belongs to me?" Soon I asked looking at my brooch. I was shocked.

"He might have seen it falling out of your purse," she deduced, shaking her shoulders at me.

Glancing away, I confessed as I could not believe what had happened. "That has never happened. I always leave it inside my purse,"

***

Minutes after...

As soon as I arrived home, I noticed that my mother was not there. Her car was not in the garage. Likely she had gone out.

"She might have gone to the supermarket," I murmured to myself as I put my things on the couch in the living room.

After that I went into my room in a hurry and sat down on my bed, looking down at the brooch in my hand. I caressed it with my fingers, fearing I might lose it again.

It crossed my mind that the strange boy had touched it. There were his vestiges on my brooch. Then I thought that if he was not an honest person it is likely he would not have returned my jewel. But he was concerned enough to return it to me without asking anything in exchange, not even my gratitude.

I rose from my bed as I was uneasy. I felt badly at myself all because I had no opportunity to thank him. The word 'THANKS...!' remained lodged in my throat, the whole day and the whole night, interrupting my sleep.

The next day, I went to school in the hope of having an opportunity to thank him and try to take away my aguish. This sensation seemed to feel even worse than if I had really lost my brooch.

In school, I spent all the time trying to imagine a manner of approaching the strange boy and thanking him for everything that he had done for me. It seemed, however, that I had bad luck. Between classes I had no chance to approach him. It all seemed so hard, even though he was just adjacent to me.

Every time I tried to approach, I was prevented by my own fear as I was thinking I was doing the wrong thing. Maybe I was behaving like an idiot.

I broke out in a cold sweat, accompanied by constant pangs inside me. That had been a reflex caused by my nerves.

Before returning home, I had decided to go to the school library to try to look for an interesting book to read.

Reading has always been part of my life. It's all thanks to my mother who always influenced me to read ever since I was a child.

She always said, 'Those who read, speak and write very well.'

The library had several divisions, with enormous bookshelves that were filled up with books. I walked slowly and looked up at every one of them, trying to find something interesting to read, without needing to remove them from their places.

Then I walked to the third corridor and I stopped walking when I saw something unexpected.

He was in front of me. His back was to me, while he was standing and distractedly browsing through a book. I was not able to take a step ahead, but I was able to just say to his back, "Thanks!"

This was the only word I could think of.

He turned to face me, with the book still in his hands. He looked me directly in the eyes.

That was the first time I could see his gaze. It was penetrating and fugacious at the same time. I felt a cold running through my spine and a big frightfulness came over me. My heart inside me thumped hard.

TUM... TUM... TUM...

"Are you talking to me?" Soon he questioned seriously, still gazing into my eyes.

"... I... eheh," I stuttered. "... I tried to tell you this yesterday, but... you were... so fast... I had no time to..."

I did not know how I was able to say those things to him. I looked so stupid before him. At this moment I felt hate at myself. I should be a girl smarter.

"It's nothing." His voice sounded friendly and that caused me to feel relieved.

He turned his back to me and placed the book back in its place. Then he went away thereupon, without saying anything and without even looking at me again. He simply acted as if I did not exist.

I stood, looking at him as he was going away and after that I ran to check the book he had held minutes before. I got confused when I looked at the book title.

'PLANET NEPTUNE'

Before long I decided to take that book home and try to read it soon. I was sure I would have as much time as necessary for it. Even if I had no time for it, I would ensure I would get to it in some way.

My curiosity was intense. My interest in him was immediate. He was like some fuel in favor of curiosity.

As I began to move on, I stepped on something and then lowered my head to better see what it was. I saw a student card. He had lost it there and on it was his name, a pretty name.

'EROS'

CHAPTER 6

In the school courtyard, I saw my girlfriend Mirta. She was standing, planted like a tree, waiting for me so we could go into our classroom together.

Presently I walked anxiously towards her, with the expectation of telling her about my fascinating discovery.

"I know his name," So I said approaching her. There is trepidation within me. I needed to say her everything.

Mirta smiled at me. "Has he said his name to you?" She asked and opened her eyes wide. I also saw her right hand went in the direction of her lips. Mirta really was surprised at it.

"No, he has not." I glanced down and remained saying her. "I saw it on his student card." My voice sounded kind as I thought of Eros's face in the library.

Almost immediately Mirta raised her hands, asking. "How did you get to see it?"

After that I looked back at her and said her in serious. "He lost it in the school library yesterday."

My friend Mirta smiled and winked at me. "And did you find it?"

"Yes, I did." I frowned at her. I didn't comprehend the why of her happy for knowing that. I thought I should be more contented than her. But I wasn't.

"What is his name?" Mirta asked as she gesticulated anxiously to me. I stared at her face.

"Eros" I pronounced his name suavely on my tongue. His name looked like some sweet.

"Wow, it is a strong name!" she exclaimed enchanted at it and blinked at me.

Moments later, I saw Eros on the gangway. He looked solitary, as always. Some girls looked at him shamelessly, but he did not pay attention to any of them. That had always been his behavior at School. It always seemed he did never need making any friends at School.

In a little while I speed up my pace to meet up with him. I didn't want lose any sight of him. Not even.

"Eros!" I shouted out anxiously, at this moment I felt my body was dormant. It seemed I was going out with him for the first time, albeit I had never gone out with any boy before. Actually I didn't know if my attitude would really be like this.

That had been the first time I called him by his own name.

He interrupted his own steps when he heard my voice. Then he cast his cold glance over my hand still holding his student card. It seemed he already knew that his student card was with me.

However, he didn't stare at my face at any given moment. Eros was really very odd.

"You let it fall in the library," Consequently I said clearing my throat and giving him back his identification. But I tried not to look up at his face at any time. Sometimes his face made me dizzy. His beauty was stunning. Secretly I considered him to be the prettier boy at my School.

"How do you know that this belongs to me?" he asked looking down at it. Rapidly I could analyze his face in full. Soon I felt my legs tremble like a leaf and removed my gaze out of his way.

"You were the one and only who was there yesterday." At this moment I glanced over his Black shirt. He wore Black clothes all the time.

Could it be some promise? − Some sect?

For this reason I shook my head at nothing, trying to break off my judgments.

Eros raised his head and gazed to me. "Now we are even," he said, exultant, but I hadn't seen him smile at any second. "I found your brooch and you found my student card."

Immediately, I agreed with him and gave him a shy smile. My fingers made plane my long hair. I remained gazing to one side as I felt the weight of my books in my arms. From time to time I felt will to throw them out.

"You know my name and I don't know yours," he commented while he put his student card into his dark jeans' left pocket and his eyes shone in my direction.

"VALKYRIE."

My heart ran in a hurry, I tried to pronounce my name so fast that I could barely hear it. I had never said my name that way to anyone, so, timid, nervous and fearful.

"Valkyrie... It is a beautiful name!" at last He confessed me. But his eyes didn't meet mine up till now.

It was strange how Eros and I acted facing each other. I always felt myself tied to something before him. That had constantly stealed my motions.

"Thanks!"

My cheeks turned red but I was happy at his praise at the same time. My happiness seemed like fireworks in the sky. He was so amazing, so handsome and so enigmatic in his black clothes. Soon I left a sigh thinking of him in secret.

"How long have you been studying here?" he asked, staring at me with a sexy smirk. I made a noise in my throat and tried to fix my attention on my answer. I didn't want myself to look like any idiotic girl before him.

"In fact, it has only been four days." I glanced aside. "I just moved here."

"Me too." his eyes met my unquiet fingers, but he continued talking normally and his fingers scratched his chin. "Today is my third day in this school. I came from another town."

"I think we look a little like each other... I mean, in the way of living."

Immediately I sped up my speech to correct what I had said to him. I feared he might not like the comparison. I felt like an idiot every time I was near him.

"Yeah," Eros asserted and nodded his head. "We'll become good friends... That is if you want my friendship, of course." He held back a smile on his perfect lips.

His penetrating gaze inspected my fragile face. I moved backward with his gaze over me. His gaze was something truly strong. So I scratched my forehead with my hand, looking quite giddy.

"Yes, I want your friendship." I didn't hesitate to say to him then. But my silence came over me after that. I didn't know how I should keep our converse in front.

"Well..., see you tomorrow."

Finally he said goodbye, giving me an educated smile. My gaze focused on his white teeth and I thought his teeth were so beautiful like his gaze, his lips and his entire body.

"Bye-bye..." I was not able to take my eyes away from him, while he walked away with his back to me. A force incited me to stay there, as I was admiring him from his back.

In Eros's absence, I went running to tell everything to my only girlfriend Mirta. I was bursting with happiness at my new friendship that had been proposed by Eros.

When I finished saying everything to her, Mirta had a precipitate and absurd conclusion. Soon I listened to her voice.

"Are you in love with him?" she immediately asked me and her eyes shined over me.

"Me? − In love? I don't even know him well." my eyes searched the other direction. I was very confused with Mirta's supposition.

"You don't stop talking about him, and I tell you it is not necessary to know a person well to fall in love with him. You must have fallen in love with him the first time you saw him," she deduced again.

"What a creative mind you have!" I didn't believe the nonsense she said. It was an absurd.

"I fell in love with Christian this way. The first time I saw him in the school courtyard." She confessed smiling. Her gaze looked remote. Mirta should be seeing that such Christian with her mind's eyes.

"Christian?" I asked as I frowned at her, not knowing who she referred to. Actually that name was unfamiliar to me.

"Christian is a boy from the third year. He is considered the most beautiful and coveted boy in this school."

She made a point of projecting his fame and exalting her own ego.

"Does he know you are in love with him?" I wrinkled up my brows at her.

"He doesn't. In fact, I have never had the courage to approach him. He lives encircled by girls and..."

"And...?"

I felt a block in my girlfriend when she talked about that boy.

"I think I have no chance..." she confessed and lowered her head. It seemed Mirta lost her splendor at that moment. That boy had some power to make my friend become nothing in his life. I thought Eros had the same power over me. I also felt like nothing in his life.

"Why not? You are pretty... and intelligent..." I insisted.

"I have many rival girls." she confessed looking back at my face. At the moment she looked less full of life.

I walked Mirta to the sports court. The third year schoolboys were training for a regional basketball championship. Several students were around the court as they were looking at the training.

Mirta was not there to watch the game but who was taking part in the game. She was excited to show me who Christian was, that is, the boy she was in love with.

He really looked very beautiful - tall, athletic physique, his honey hair was thin and his eyes were a luminous chestnut.

Along with his beauty, however, he carried in himself an arrogance which caused me nausea. He looked like a pretentious and spoiled boy, as if he was the owner of the place and also the game at the same time.

I confess he was the best player on the court. He had already scored many times and he was very much applauded by his followers, who screamed his name all the time.

"He's awesome!" Mirta exclaimed, excited.

I kept watching the match, with my ugly-face, dissipating my repulsion for Christian. But for all I knew about games, he wasn't thrilling the crowd with amazing shots, he was someone in the court who wished to attract people's attention.
CHAPTER 7

I woke up, it was after midnight. I was soaked with sweat, which was not due to high a temperature, because the night was cool. I felt freshness in my bedroom.

My body was wet with sweat as I looked to expel the dream I had minutes before. Then I sat on my bed trying to come back to my normal state. My heart was running a thousand miles an hour, and it didn't want to reduce its beat.

I tried thinking of a good thing to frighten away that strange sensation inside me. My dream's real scenes were stronger than me. They hammered my thoughts impetuously.

Eros followed after me through the entire dream, where he took me to a dark place. It was precisely an enormous room with several closed doors.

He opened one of them and called me just gesturing with his right hand at me, for me to go on with him, and then I awakened before I could make a decision.

It was an idiotic and senseless dream, but I didn't understand why I had become so panic-stricken. I got another fright when an owl rested upon my room's window.

I didn't remember I had left my window open. I always closed it before going to bed. I was in doubt if I had rocked into sleep before I had closed it.

The owl stayed still, staring at me all the time, with its enormous, grey eyes. I didn't know any more what was making me tense - the dream I had before or that animal in front of me.

I rose from my bed as I was trembling from head to foot. I walked to my window, trying to frighten away that terrible animal with my pillow.

The owl flew to a tree outside the house. It was probably where the owl had come from. I closed my window and pulled the curtains, uniting them. I felt secure after all the precaution that I had taken.

I went back to my bed and I took hours to recover and get back to sleep again.

CHAPTER 8

Chemistry Class had finished. All the students had been released from school. Mirta didn't attend school on that day. I didn't know about her absence's reason.

In next to no time I picked up my notebook and pressed it against my own chest, which was a habit I always had. A mania I acquired since I began to attend school.

Eros and I went down the corridor stairs. In distraction I ended up stumbling over the stairs, where my fall would have been bad if it was not for the rapidity of Eros's hand onto my arm as he caught me in time.

I felt paralyzed by his hand's coldness. How could it be so frozen when the day was excessively hot?

"Take care!" he exclaimed as he put his hand on my left arm. Our eyes met for some seconds. Nervously I blinked at them and turned my face to one side.

"What a frozen hand!" I murmured without thinking. "I mean..." I tried to repair what I had said but I had been interrupted by his sensual voice.

"I suffer from a rare disease."

Our eyes met for a second time.

I sensed he felt ashamed by my thoughtless comment and he soon justified the why of his coldness.

Eros continued saying, keeping his head down. "I avoid touching people for that reason."

Hurriedly I shook my head. "I have never heard about such a disease." I said piously. I was very surprised at his confession. So I left a sigh and remained silent.

"Only one case in one million." Serenely he explained, gazing up at something invisible in the air. "Therefore many people don't know it."

I gave a shrug and admitted then. "I am one of those people."

"It is a torment in my life. I have to live with this." We faced each other and Eros remained saying. "I look like the living- dead."

Our gaze searched each other again. But Eros's Eyes ran to the left. He compressed his gaze in one direction.

"Isn't there any medical treatment?" I asked him as I turned my gaze aside. I needed making this at that moment.

"I have had several treatments and nothing has worked." Eros stared over my face. He looked serene even he talking about his disease.

"Are you always like this..., 'frozen'?" I insisted carefully and bit my lips. Eros kept his gaze away from me. I could note that.

He started saying. "Yes, I am, all the time." His mystic eyes met mine. So I turned my head down.

"Wow!" my voice sounded enraptured. I wanted to say him something could comfort him, but I didn't. I still was quite alarmed at his disease.

"See you tomorrow." He walked ahead, leaving me behind.

"Bye-bye!" I answered discouraged. I thought I shouldn't have commented regarding his cold hand. He could have been offended by me.

On my way back home, I walked very slowly, staring down at the ground, thinking of Eros' hands and how cold they were. How was it possible for a person to be icy all the time even on warm days?

His illness not only bothered him, but also all those who had been touched by him. I was dying to help him and wanted to find a cure or a solution for his problem. I couldn't do anything except feel sorry for him again. I sighed. That made him anomalous.

"He said he suffers from a rare disease," I said crestfallen. At this moment, I talked to my mother about Eros' illness.

"Your father looked like ice, too," For half a second my mother said ingenuously, her forehead creasing over her troubled eyes.

"My father?" immediately I frowned as I was very surprised at my mother's comment. "Did he suffer from that disease too?"

My mother glanced aside. "I do not know. He never said anything about it. In fact I saw him just once."

Her worried eyes met mine.

"Have you and my father never been lovers?" We stared each other for some time.

"No, we have not. I have never said this to you, but I think it's time to let you know everything." Her face looked slightly shocked. Hardly my mother talked about my father. I think she would hate the idea of seeing me near to him.

"Everything?" I asked cautiously. My mother's countenance looked strange. She avoided facing me.

"I had met your father in a nightclub. We left the place together and... how can I say this to you?" she frowned and looked at the floor.

"You slept with him," I affirmed severely. My mother should say me all. I was no child and my mother should see it.

"Yeah, we spent a night together." She sat on the sofa. "One night was enough..." she confessed, sounding repentant at her past.

"And I was born." I stared at her, disgusted. "So that's why you hate him so much!"

"I don't hate your father. I just avoid talking about him. It has been very hard for me, bearing all of this by myself."

I realized she was crying in silence. Her hand covered her lips.

"Being a single mother and not knowing the father of my daughter." She put her fingers on her face and wiped a tear away.

"You should have avoided that situation," I said and my eyes were wide-open and serious.

"If I had, you wouldn't be here in this moment," she said, firmly and her wet eyes met mine. I felt like embracing her at that moment, but I couldn't do it. My revolt took it away from me.

"It would have been better," I said and went to seek refuge in my bedroom. My tears were accumulated in my eyes' corners.

Talking about my father had always been a torment for us. I grew up searching all the true about my father and my mother always denied it to me. I didn't know if she did it, trying to protect me from something all the time.

"Don't say that again, Valkyrie!" She came walking after me. "You are my life," she confessed.

"I didn't say that I am not your life." I sat on my bed and placed a cushion on my lap. "I just think you didn't need to suffer so much... if I hadn't been born," I said and leaned my head to the side.

"I would face anything to have you here with me."

She confessed and hugged me tightly. Her hug expressed her immense love for me.

We remained together for a long time. My mother was everything I had in my life and I was all she had in hers. It became much clearer to me. We depended on each other.

CHAPTER 9

Some students decided to make a luau at the waterfall. I decided to go since Mirta would be there. She convinced me and I agreed to go with her.

I realized they had excluded Eros from this event.

He didn't get along with anyone. Eros was always isolated from people. That's why he hadn't been invited to the party.

Between classes, I walked to the school courtyard and I saw Eros. He was sitting on a wooden bench under a tree. His face was hidden in a book.

I approached him pretending I didn't want anything and I sat down at his side with my hands leaning on the bench.

"What are you reading?" I asked looking down at his book page. His book looked interesting.

"A book about owls," he answered looking up at my face. His gaze was cold, mysterious and seductive.

I shook my head little by little. "Do you like owls?" I couldn't avoid my surprise.

"They are the 'symbol of wisdom'." His countenance seemed arrogant. His words looked so true.

"I didn't know." I confessed, imagining owls had some power to fascinate him in fact. I sighed easily and happy, after all our conversation was just about owls and not beautiful schoolgirls.

"There are many things you don't know yet," he affirmed looking into my dark eyes. I perceived his eyes had some special brightness.

"An owl came to my bedroom window and I frightened it away," I confessed him and glanced aside.

Discreetly he smiled down at his open book. "It is a bird that does no harm to anyone." His fingers squeezed his book.

"But it is frightening... that animal has large eyes..." I said him, trying to persuade him.

He smiled at me and then he looked back at his book's paragraph. That was a way of telling me that his reading would be more interesting than my words.

We remained voiceless for a time, until I had the courage to break the silence between us again.

"There will be a luau this evening at the waterfall. Do you want to come with us?"

"I don't enjoy that kind of thing." He closed his book and glanced away.

"It'll be cool," I tried to convince him to go with us. I didn't know the why but I needed his presence at the luau.

"Who will I know if I show up?" he said, looking back at my face.

"I'll be waiting for you there." My voice sounded hopeful as I held firmly my knees, controlling silently my nervousness.

"I'm not making any promises."

He got up, walked away leaving me wondering if he would go to the luau or not. I remained seated, with no enthusiasm to face my classroom again.

In the evening, when we arrived at the waterfall, everything was so pleasant - being faced with nature's beauty. I loved it all. I felt the gentle wind biting against my cheeks. I was so excited.

We got out of the cars. The guys were looking for a suitable spot to make a bonfire. Delighted, I watched the blazing twigs for a long time.

The folks served us drinks. We sat on the ground and in front of the bonfire. I refused to drink intoxicating drinks as I remembered my mother's words.

I sipped my soda, while listening to the sound of a guitar. They were singing such a moody melody. I stood up to go for a walk around the waterfall. Mirta was talking to Christian at that moment. She looked at me while I was walking away slowly.

"Excuse me," she told Christian and came after me.

"What's wrong with you? Don't you like it here?" she asked me.

I looked at her worried face. "Yes, I do," I responded a little confused.

"Why are you feeling like that?" She wanted to know more. Mirta wanted me to feel pleasure at everything there.

"He didn't come," I told her, looking down at the floor.

"I can't believe you're here thinking of Eros!" She placed her hands on her waist and looked upset at me.

"I just wanted him to be here with me," I confessed and my eyes were gleaming.

"And you always declare you aren't in love with him." She added, thoughtfully.

"He's my friend," I said, trying to sound indifferent.

"I'm your friend too," she said, looking at my face. Her fingers smoothed out my long hair.

"Finally you and Christian are together," I changed the subject almost immediately. I didn't want talk about Eros anymore.

"Have you noticed that?" She said and smiled, her face looked content.

"I have not only noticed it but I'm very glad to finally see you together." I smiled back.

We lingered quietly for a moment. Then a boy approached us. He looked at me anxiously.

"Hello. My name is Douglas," he said, watching me as his hands went into his jeans' pockets.

I looked up at the sky. I had no interest in knowing his name. "Valkyrie," I said, rudely.

That was completely unnecessary, me there, chatting with him. I didn't want him to be at my side.

Mirta went back to Christian and I was alone with him. I avoided facing him and kept my eyes down all the time.

"I'm trying to talk to you since we arrived here," he said and smiled timidly to the side.

I remained silent. He gazed at me all the time and I was bothered by his gaze.

"Are you always so quiet?" he asked me as his hands went into his jeans' pockets.

"I speak when it's necessary," I answered, in a serious tone. My gaze was fixed to everything away from him.

"Me too, I'm shy too," he shrugged. "Do you like luaus?"

"They're cool." My answers were short and he realized I didn't want to talk to him.

"It seems that your girlfriend is having fun with my friend Christian!" he said, staring at them sitting around the bonfire. They were totally involved in a conversation full of intense glances.

"Let's go back to the party," I said and walked away hastily.

"Wait!" he suddenly said and grabbed my arm. "Let's talk a little bit more."

I looked up into his eyes and remained still. An owl appeared, flying silently and landed on a tree trunk, just a few yards from us.

I glared it and realized it was staring at me with watchful eyes, as if it was observing me. It seemed to be the same owl that showed up at my window.

"I hate that creature!" Douglas shouted when he saw the dark bird. He picked up a piece of firewood and flung it against the owl.

"Go away, omen!" he yelled at it.

I tried to stop him from doing that, so he wouldn't hurt the owl. Then I remembered Eros had told me several good things about the owls.

"Don't do it!" I shouted and ran to him.

The torch hit the bird and it flew away, vanishing into the darkness. I felt awful about that and wished to walk away. I turned back and left them.

"Where are you going?" Mirta cried out loud.

"I'm leaving," I said, walking away. Everything looked stupid facing me. I was well at nothing there.

"Are you going by yourself? She asked, desperately. "It's dangerous!"

"What happened to her? Does she feel like that because of an owl?" Christian asked, mocking me.

Mirta came after me and stood in front of me, trying not to let me go away.

"You can't go back home alone, it's dangerous." She held my hand firmly.

"That wasn't funny... what Douglas did." I was so angry.

"He just wanted to frighten the bird. No one likes owls. They bring death messages," she explained.

"I like owls and that's just a silly superstition!" I frowned, outraged. But it pained me to see how rapidly Christian tried to hurt that owl.

"Alright, Valkyrie, let's go back to the party then!" she said and held my arm firmly. I remained motionless and gazing down for some time.

"Okay," I agreed with her after I raised my head. "I'll go back because you're asking me."

Then we walked back to them.
CHAPTER 10

The next day, Eros came to school and his left hand was swathed with a bandage. That soon attracted my attention to him, due to the contrast of his dark clothes and that white bandage on his hand. It was inevitable that I would notice him. I was troubled about him and ran into the gangway, trying to talk to him before we entered into our classroom.

"What happened?" It was the first thing I said instead of saying 'Hi'.

He stared at me. "A little accident," he said in a weak voice and looked down at his arm.

"Are you wounded?" I insisted, shaking my head suavely and after that I controlled my expression. Things made no logic next to me.

His voice persisted. "This is a burn."

"How did this happen?" In a serene voice I asked remembering the owl last night, when Douglas threw a lit torch at it.

My thoughts became confused with the luau scenes and I was not able to pay attention to what was happening around me anymore.

"I was frying a steak," Eros answered and I could come back to my normal state as I listened to his voice again, that is, to reality.

"Do you cook?"

"I have to," he answered almost smiling at me. His voice was low and careful. Soon he gazed down.

"Do you live alone?" I turned slowly to face him as I was surprised again. I imagined he lived with his parents.

"Yes, I do." Eros gazed away.

"You need to take more care," Even so I continued troubled about him. I didn't want to see him wounded any more.

"This was nothing. I'll be better soon." His voice sounded carefree. I was more worried about his state than himself.

"I was waiting for you yesterday." I changed the subject almost immediately, my cheeks turning red.

Eros glanced up over my face. "Sorry, but I couldn't be there." He bit his under lip.

So I continued saying. "I think it was good that you didn't go. Douglas threw a flaming torch against an owl that appeared there."

"Why did he do that?" he ruffled his brow in my direction. He met my gaze for a second.

"I do not know. Maybe he had a bad feeling." My shoulders shook automatically.

"If I were there I would have stopped him." His voice showed anger because of the event.

"I tried doing this, but nothing worked. I confess that I was sorry for the bird."

"Are you starting to like owls?" His surprise was inevitable. He wiped his hand severely across his forehead as he remained listening to my soft voice.

"I am trying to get used to them." I smiled and kept talking then. "This is thanks to you who told me those things about them."

He smiled back and after that his countenance became serious.

"There are many things you need to know." He faced me and his eyes stayed focused on my face. "Just the right time has not come yet ..."

We faced each other for an endless moment, so I asked him. "What do I need to know?"

Yeah, I stared at his face with anger. Our conversations always had an incomprehensible air about them.

We stared at each other for a long moment. "Everything has its time ..." He said and walked quickly, leaving me behind. However, I remained puzzled due to his unfinished sentences.

CHAPTER 11

Before I prepared my bed for sleep, I put on a long nightgown and stopped walking in front of my mirror to tie my hair, since I wasn't able to repose with it remaining free. At the moment I gazed at my image in the mirror, I was stunned because I could barely see myself in it. It was a far and weak apparition. It was as if I didn't exist in fact.

Then I imagined it could be a hallucination on my part.

Again the owl came to my window.

My body trembled due to the impact of my fright, at the same time I saw it there, stagnant and observing me all the time. Seconds later, I walked in its direction and this time I didn't want to frighten it away from there but to protect it.

Eros made me see the owls from a different aspect.

Before, I saw the owl like an awful and foreboding animal. Now I see it like a friend and also a protector that comes to my window to watch my sleep nearly every night.

"I don't want to frighten you," I said and tried to touch it. However, the owl flew to the window corner, preventing me from doing that. "I don't want hurt you."

I think I frightened it even though I didn't have any intention of doing so.

Minutes later, I extended my light body on my soft mattress and made my head comfortable on my pillow. But my eyes were still on the owl, which stayed in the same place for hours, just observing me.

I didn't feel any fear of it, as I remembered Eros all the time and also reminded myself of everything he said to me regarding the owls. His words comforted me in the face of that frightening bird that a large majority of people fear.

Every time I looked at the owl, I felt it was as if Eros was present in my bedroom. Then I sighed deeply while I thought it would be good if he was present there, he could protect me in fact.

After sometime I ended up closing my eyes and fell into a deep sleep in the owl's presence, while this same owl remained inert with its enormous pair of eyes over me.

The first sun rays reached my window soon in the morning and then I awakened with brilliant light over my face and automatically I felt an irritation in my dark eyes.

Then I put my pillow against my face, blocking out the light and I ended up remaining in bed longer than I had intended.
CHAPTER 12

Every Wednesday after class, there was a basketball game in the school gym. I sat down next to Mirta to watch the match.

The game had not started yet. Christian needed one more player to complete his opposing team. He was annoyed because they couldn't start the game with a missing player.

For the first time Eros appeared unexpectedly to watch the basketball game. He arrived after everyone had taken a seat, then he walked in slow motion and isolated himself from the other supporters.

Since he arrived there, my glance was focused on him. It was amazing the power of enchantment he always exercised over me. Mirta nudged my ribs.

"Look who is coming," she said, leaning her head towards him.

"Err... I've noticed," I admitted, staring at him too.

Eros looked distracted and at that moment he had not seen me yet. But I noticed how beautiful he looked this day as always in his dark clothes.

"Why don't you go there and talk to him?" she asked, glancing at me and smiling joyfully.

"What would I talk to him about?" In discouragement I asked with a serious tone in my voice. I was avoiding showing I was really interested in him.

Mirta agitated her shoulders and her eyes shone at me. "Think of something interesting."

"I'm not so creative," presently I jeered and glanced to one side. My cheeks were going red as I thought of Eros.

Mirta tried to smile. "Ask him if he likes basketball." She shrugged her shoulders and glanced to one side.

"Great idea!" I rolled my eyes. My voice sounded wry, so I folded my arms and stared at her.

After that Christian saw Eros by himself.

"Hey! You there!" Christian asked standing in his place and his gaze was over Eros. "Do you want to complete our team?"

Everyone around heard his invitation. Eros realized that everybody was staring at him, as if he was a celebrity. Soon it brought a blush to his cheeks.

I straightened my neck, alert, trying to listen to his expected answer.

"Are you talking to me?" Eros asked, in a serious tone. His eyes became narrow as his right hand touched his chest.

"Yes, I am," Christian answered, holding the basketball. He looked like the king of the court. In fact he always looked like the king at everything.

"Am I designated to play in your team?" Eros asked and his eyes were cold. The idea was offensive to him.

Christian responded. "No, my team is already complete."

"I agree," Eros said rapidly, dropping his backpack on his seat and then he walked onto the sports court.

The game started. Christian was outstanding on the shots, scoring lots of points. The other players supposed Eros was like a fish out of water. It seemed like he had never seen a basketball before. All of his moves were affecting his team. He was doing everything wrong. He held the ball so clumsily. That was pathetic.

I remained quiet and disturbed watching that game, as well as how his teammates were mad at him.

"He is very bad on court!"Mirta commented and I remained quiet. I was pissed off.

In a matter of time, after his perception about the game, Eros found out the perfect strategy to play. He grabbed the basketball several times. It was amazing how quick he could move his body on the court.

We could only see his shadow running on. No one could stop him from going on, not even the best player... 'Christian.'

The supporters changed their idol. They began shouting aloud the name 'Eros', as opposed to Christian.

Christian was furious with all of them. No one had ever detracted from him on the basketball court.

Mirta sat back next to me. She was upset due to Christian's defeat. Unlike me, I was bursting with joy, watching Eros crushing Christian on the court.

The game finished with the effusive victory of Eros' team.

"That's beginner's luck!" Christian told Eros, when he left the court, leaving the ball going down. Eros noticed he was glowing with indignation.

"I have never seen anyone play like that!" one of Christian's teammates vehemently said.

"Shut up!" Christian shouted at him. His eyes sparking with fury.

I tried to talk to Eros while all the players were leaving the court. He had turned back to get his stuff. He was bent when I approached him.

"How did you do that?" I asked at his back and opened up my eyes in surprise.

He turned to face me as he was arranging his books. His Black shirt was glued to his body. His body was well drafted in his clothes.

"I don't even know," he said and his voice was aloof. So he turned back to me.

"You moved so fast on the court! You dominated the game!" I exclaimed, staring at the court.

"Christian didn't like it," he commented and glanced away.

"He's not used to being defeated," I affirmed and tried to keep my gaze away from his eyes.

"He's a jerk." He finally smiled and soon became serious. So I made good use of watching his attractive face for some instants.

Mirta came to me in silence. She was upset and turned up her nose at something before us. I glanced at Eros and looked back at her.

"I'm leaving...will you stay here?" she asked and acted as if Eros didn't exist in her life.

"I am going home, too..." I told her. But my gaze went back over Eros.

Eros frowned and stared at Mirta, at the way she acted towards him. Being very anxious, she left us behind.

"See you tomorrow," I said him as I was walking on.

"Okay," he agreed and stood still, gazing at our backs.

CHAPTER 13

The next day, I was astonished. The main topic at school was about just one person, a phenomenal boy called Eros. We heard comments about how amazingly Eros had played.

Everybody was delighted with him, mainly the girls...

As soon as he arrived at school, everyone was staring at him while he came walking slowly and without a friend, only holding his books. He noticed everyone was admiring him. The girls tried to approach him. However, he stepped back, avoiding them and ensuring they couldn't really touch him.

Christian was angry again. Eros was detracting another skill from him. First - Eros was now the 'best player on court'.

Second - The most attractive boy in school.

Eros continued to avoid the girls' approach. That was an open door for Christian to distil his venom on him and make awful jokes.

"I think he doesn't like girls!" Christian mocked and glanced at everyone there.

Eros gazed at him, frostily. His eyes squeezed in the direction of Christian. He bit his own lip, holding back his hate for Christian.

Mirta and I were watching everything from afar. I didn't lose any sight of them, albeit I wanted Christian to go away from Eros's path at that moment.

"What did you say?" Eros asked, staring at him. His gaze looked cold in direction of his opponent.

"I said you don't like girls!" he repeated, looking straight at him with his ugly face.

Even so I realized Christian wanted to pick a fight with Eros and that made me angry. Christian was sordid. Sometimes I asked to myself.

How could Mirta have a high regard for him?

She always left a sigh for him.

"He is completely ridiculous!" I whispered. I hated Christian's behavior. Feeling broke I walked away quickly, and I was sickened due to that stupid tumult.

"I won't take into consideration what you have just said." Eros said as he seemed unconcerned about that situation.

"That's a compliment to you," Christian insisted and chuckled.

Eros went away politely, avoiding trouble. Not even he glanced back at Christian.

The students were disappointed at Eros's attitude. He had been humiliated by Christian before everybody there and Eros had acted like a coward.

The teacher was explaining chemistry to the class. Everyone was too interested in listening to his explanation. That is until Mirta saw a drop of her blood on her notebook. She raised one of her hands and touched her own nose.

Soon she noticed she was actually bleeding.

"My nose is bleeding!" she said, nervously. "Sometimes this happens."

When Eros noticed a fresh blood smell coming from Mirta, he stood up and stepped out of the classroom. I didn't understand his strange reaction in class. I also didn't know why he had stepped out of the classroom so fast.

In that moment I wasn't paying attention to my girlfriend Mirta because I was paying attention only to him. After some time I escorted Mirta to the toilet, trying to help her. As soon as her nose stopping bleeding, we came back to our classroom.

I looked back at Eros's seat and it was empty, that is, he didn't come back to class after that. I noticed he had left his books on his desk.

The class was over and everyone left their places. I realized the classroom was empty. I walked very fast towards Eros's books and took them with me. I decided to give them back to him personally.

I walked slowly down a deserted street. Several houses were shut. There were few people visible in those premises.

I examined every house as I was hoping to find him there. Then I met an old man who was walking on the street. He lived in one of those houses. I had seen he was holding a newspaper.

"Sir, please can you tell me where Eros lives?" I asked him when I stopped walking in front of him.

"No person called Eros lives here," he answered and smiled after that. His eyes remained focused on my puzzled face. I was disillusioned and dissatisfied at the information given by the old man.

Then I asked another woman who was also walking down the street. I asked her the same thing.

"I've never heard this name before," she affirmed and frowned at me.

I wasn't content yet at all. Then I deduced it could be a mistake. Maybe all those people weren't well informed about their new neighbor.

Optimistic, I asked some more people the same question and I received the same answers, not those I wanted to have.

"He doesn't live here."... "I don't know him".

Afterwards, I went back home still carrying his books in my arms, wondering all the time why he had lied to me about where he lived.

"What is wrong with this? About me knowing where he really lives?

Was he ashamed about his origins?

Or was he married? Could he have a wife and children?

I was sorry for the rest of the day. Eros became an enigma to me, a mystery in my life. I knew very little about him, besides his weird way and his icy skin.

At the same time he had been very close to me, it looked as if he was so far away from me as if he were just a hallucination from my imagination. I was angry at myself as I felt silly that I cared about his life. Sometimes I felt he didn't care about me at all.

I was absentminded at dinner. I couldn't take my eyes away from my meal. Discouragement had come over me, over my life.

"You didn't eat anything!" my mother complained to me, noticing that my plate was still full of food.

"I'm not hungry," I said, gazing at nothing, my food was becoming even colder as according to all my courage had gone away from me.

"What happened?" She said as she knew I wasn't totally okay. I raised my head and our eyes met. My mother looked worried about me.

Without alternative I gazed aside. "Nothing has happened." Soon I tried to hide what I was feeling.

"Don't lie to me! I know you." She looked at my face and asked with her diligent voice. "Have you had problems in your new school?"

Rapidly I responded and gazed down. "No."

"Is it a boy?" she insisted, trying to examine my cheerless face.

I pined away. My sad gazing at the dining-table demonstrated I couldn't answer her question.

My omission made my mother notice what was really happening to me. Behind every problem there was a boy, who was the reason for my sorrow.

After all, my mother had also been a teenager at one time.

"In that case... I can't help you."

She stood up to take her plate to the sink.

I had always been reserved about talking to my mother about certain subjects, mostly when they referred to the guys I was interested in. It was a kind of obstacle where I couldn't express what I really felt and what were my objectives concerning them.
CHAPTER 14

I saw Eros in the reading room. It was an ample room with several tables and chairs for the pupils to set themselves down. He was seated at one of the tables and he seemed to be concentrating on his reading. Then I approached him suddenly.

"Why have you lied to me?" I asked with my eyes over him and my voice booming into his ears.

"Have I told you a lie?" His attitude was arrogant and automatically he frowned at me and after this he bit his lips.

"You don't live at that address! I went there and asked every dweller about you and they answered there has never been an Eros living here. "

"I think it is better you don't know where I really live..."

His gaze became more distant and intriguing. That made me unsafe and more attracted to that involving mystery at the same time. That is, I had an urge to uncover it.

His voice faded into silence and after he interrupted it with his tone of voice. "Why were you looking for me?"

I gazed to his face.

"I just wanted to return this to you," I said and put his books onto the table. The noise seemed to irritate his ears. He made grimaces and remained wordless. "You forgot them in the classroom yesterday."

So he said something. "You didn't need to go after me yesterday."

"I needed to!" My fury grew within me. I felt will to sob. But I needed to show firmness before him. "So I knew you lied to me."

"Do you consider this a lie?" He crossed his arms over his chest and gazed on my face.

"What would you suggest it is then?" I stood, asking stubbornly.

"I suggest this is a misunderstanding."

"It is a misunderstanding..." I swung my head. "Your neighbors don't know they have a neighbor whose name is Eros." I looked at his face and exclaimed. "And you call this a misunderstanding?" All my fury became visible in my voice intonation.

"I've never seen you so furious before." His icy eyes searched mine. My countenance became red in anger.

"I detest lies!" I said facing him too. "Even more when they come from my friends."

Then I lowered my head, avoiding gazing at him again. Eros looked to comprehend my disappointment.

"If I disappointed you, I beg your pardon!"

"A lie doesn't become undone with a pardon," I said back. I turned my back to him and went out of the reading room without glancing back. I decided not to come back and tell him the other barbarities that crossed my mind.

Eros with his lie had destroyed a beautiful sentiment that was growing within me.

I decided I wouldn't stay at school to attend day classes. All I desired ardently at that moment wasn't to see him anymore all day. I was dominated by rage.

'Distance from him' would be the best remedy against what I was feeling at that moment.

CHAPTER 15

I awaked during the night. Sleep gave place to an extensive insomnia. Due to that I turned from side to side in my bed, trying to fall asleep again after several tentative attempts without success.

I rose from my bed and went to my room's open window. I had the habit of sleeping with it open due to the owl's constant visit. After all, I got accustomed to its visits, watching over my sleep. Every time the owl didn't appear in my room, I felt its absence.

Then I remained in front of the open window and gazed at the orchard out there as I began absorbing a little fresh air. I saw an image in black between two trees, someone walking slowly.

Eros had emerged from nothing and was in my vision. I turned aside my gaze and stared back at the optical illusion, trying to figure out if this was a hallucination.

Then I saw Eros was standing near a mango tree. He made a gesture with his hand in the direction of my window, calling me to him.

Voluntarily, I went out of my bedroom and walked in a hurry to the garden. I was still in my nightgown and barefoot. I didn't want him to go away before he had really talked to me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, I was enough surprised before him. I didn't anticipate seeing him there.

"I needed to talk to you." His voice was low and cold. His face was closer and so serene at the same time.

I faced him severely. But Eros's eyes tried to make me tranquil. His attractive eyes always had some power over me and my behavior. "How did you discover where I live?"

"I followed you without your permission." His fingers scratched his chin for some instants. But his gaze was fixed to mine.

My cheeks became ruby.

Then we walked to the mango tree and sat down on the ground under it. Silence came over the situation, until he finally spoke.

"You might think I am wacky for walking by the other's home at an hour like this, but I needed so much to talk to you and try to repair that disagreement that occurred between us."

"I am no longer angry at you."

"I don't want to destroy our friendship, and throw out all that I have achieved until now." He gazed at the darkness while I gazed at his face. "You are the coolest person in that school and I don't have anybody except you as my friend."

My voice came out of my lips. I looked at his face. "I don't want you to lie to me again."

"I'll no longer do that," he promised and his voice sounded truthful.

A fussy wind made my skin ruffle. Then I shrank my posture as I felt cold. Eros noticed my necessity to be snuggled up, and then he took out his dark coat and put it onto my back. Then he said to me, "You aren't dressed adequately to be out here."

I was reminded I was in my sleep clothes.

"I think it is better you go inside otherwise you could catch a cold."

Then he got up and held my arm, helping me do the same. Another shudder came over my body and it wasn't due to the wind. It was a different shudder that was provoked by the touch of his frozen hands.

I wished within me that this night could be eternal and he wouldn't go away. He faced me, gazing into my eyes and due to this I could see inside his eyes that another world was waiting for me and through him I would be another creature.

He held my face with his hands and I faced him too, hoping for something more. Seconds later, he had done a silent reading of my aura which was attracted by his fascinating gaze.

He decided to leave my face free, taking his hands away from me.

"Now go in..." that was all he said me.

Once more I obeyed him like a domestic animal.

Then I returned home as I was cautious and happy for those unique moments.

Before I passed over the front door, I looked back at him and saw his departure. He walked slowly and disappeared thereupon.

As if he didn't exist.

I walked up after that and began searching my room with my eyes. Then I rose from my bed, went to the open window and gazed at the orchard. There was no person in it, just a cutting wind that made my window's curtains dance from side to side.

Seconds later, I went back to my bed, stared down at my feet, and I noticed they were dirty with earth and its grains, the same grains of clay from my orchard.
CHAPTER 16

I had been oversleeping.

Every afternoon, after school, I always came home and went to my room, where I usually slept for twelve hours.

I couldn't understand why I was so sleepy.

All this time my mother had been worried about me. She thought I was sick, maybe I could be anemic.

"I'll take you to see a doctor," she said as she was so worried about me. I rolled my eyes. This news irritated me.

"I'm okay," quickly I said, trying to make her change her mind. I hated the idea of seeing a doctor.

"You sleep too much," she insisted. "Tomorrow, we are going to see a doctor."

The next day, we drove downtown to the doctor's office. While we were in the waiting room, I was looking at a middle-aged man as he was in his white medical coat.

My mother was by my side and described to the doctor my behavior over the last few days.

He started asking questions about how I was feeling. I responded to all his questions, irritated, as I thought everything was just nonsense.

A nurse walked me to the emergency room and lay me down on the stretcher. My mother stayed with me. I looked up at her face and noticed she was nervous, pacing back and forth.

The nurse brought the necessary instruments to collect my blood. I looked to my left when I felt the needle of the syringe move into my left arm. The clock was ticking and she was still trying to collect my blood, but it didn't seem to pump.

After several frustrating attempts, she decided to call the doctor. My mother got even more apprehensive about what was happening to me. She knew there was something wrong with me.

The doctor came in, followed by the nurse as she was telling him all that had happened to me.

"What's going on?" my mother asked the doctor, with a weeping voice.

"There is nothing to worry about. We just couldn't find the blood vessels of your daughter," he said prudently.

After three attempts, they finally managed to find my vein.

My blood was dark and thick.

I noticed that something was unusual. The result of my blood test would come within three days.

My mother and I walked out of the clinic and I looked down at my arm. Then I saw swelling and hematoma on my skin.

"Satisfied now?" I asked my mother when I stepped into our car.

"Not yet. I need to check your blood test," she replied.

"I will never set foot in that damn clinic again! Look what they did to my arm!" Then I slammed the car door as I was outraged.

CHAPTER 17

The next day, I went to school in a bad mood, all because my arm was still swollen.

Before I entered the classroom, I met Eros in the hall. I tried to turn back and not face him. It was too late. He walked beside me, side by side.

"Are you still angry at me?" he finally asked. His eyes traced over my depressing face.

"No," I answered, looking ahead.

"Why are you avoiding me?" he insisted, standing before me. He perceived I wasn't very well. Something strange had happened to me.

"I'm not avoiding you."

At a faster pace I tried to leave him behind. But he held my wounded arm, obstructing me.

"Ouch!" I screamed out and stared at his face.

"Are you hurt?" He looked down at my right arm. "What's this?"

"This was an unlucky blood test." I looked away awkwardly and bit my lip as Eros remained gazing at my countenance. Maybe he feeling sorry for me or then I was looking like an idiotic girl, trying to hide my alarm.

"Did they collect your blood?" He raised his eyebrows at me as he insisted. I glanced away at some students.

"Yeah." my voice was very weak as I glanced away.

Soon I looked back at Eros's face. His look gave the impression of being so serene and cold. But he looked inquisitive and insisted.

"Are you sick?"

"I've been sleeping too much and my mother is worried about me...she thinks I'm anemic." I tried to give details.

"That's stuff is nonsense..." he said, glancing at me with a slight smile. Soon he became serious.

"Do you think this is nonsense?" "What if I'm really sick?" I asked, disappointed. Eros looked not to believe me in fact.

"That must be a lack of blood," he said, in a serious tone and his look became graver.

"How? Lack of blood?" I asked perplexed at his supposition. That looked like a joke. So I bit my lip again.

"You need red meat," he explained and gazed away.

"I eat red meat every day."

Ingenuously I gave him details of my meals.

"Try to eat only raw meat," he said, staring at my face. He responded those words in grave tone.

"Thank you for this hint!" I said, ironically and rolled my eyes.

Would who eat raw meat? I thought to myself. I imagined Eros was going crazy.

"I'm serious," he said again.

At this moment Eros and I stared at each other in silence. Soon I felt another chill as I stared at him. Then I became confused. He seemed to understand more about my problem than my own doctor.

Hours later I returned to the school library. I was on tiptoe, in several frustrating attempts to pick up a book that was on a shelf. But I didn't get to even touch it.

It was then that I heard a voice that made me stop. That same voice always made me tremble every time I heard it.

"Let me pick it up for you."

Eros didn't need to be on tiptoe to reach the book. He just lifted up his hand and brought the book among his fingers. When he raised his arm, his shirt sleeve went up and I could see a tattoo on his left arm.

"Here it is," he said leaving the book securely in my hand. Our eyes met. But we remained severe.

Then I held the book distractedly, because my thoughts were on the tattoo on his left arm.

"What's this on your arm?"

Curiosity had been more intense than my own silence at that moment. Eros gazed in his own arm.

"This is a 'symbol of Neptune,'" he answered while he lifted up his shirt sleeve and showed me the engraving clearly.

Then I felt a strange sensation as I was gazing at that design. I imagined I had seen it before at some place, but I didn't know precisely where and when. I didn't remember how.

"You surprise me every day. I swore you didn't like these things," I said as I felt a little giddy. If truth be told that symbol was something memorable to me.

"I didn't make it because I wanted it," he gazed into my eyes and his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "It emerged on my arm."

I gave a shrug. He perceived it and furrowed again. "You always make use of your mood sense to justify all the wrong things you do."

"Do you think this is wrong, someone having a tattoo?"

I turned my gaze aside and answered him. "I think it is wrong - the manner in which they are used."

He ran to say me. "In my case my tattoo makes part of my survival."

"Are you some Mafioso?" I insisted as I tried to keep my look at his handsome face.

So I faced me in grave and asked me. "Do I look like one?"

"Uuuhh, I don't know... sometimes you are so... mysterious," I answered gazing at his face again.

Eros's forehead moved up. "Does this disturb you?" I was faced by his enigmatical gaze.

I confess I almost broke down in my speech with his look. "It does, a little..." I answered and went out of his way. I wasn't able to continue that conversation, much less gaze into his eyes.

CHAPTER 18

Some days later I hosted a dinner for my two school friends, Mirta and Eros. My mother wanted to get to know them.

Eros was the first one to arrive. I went to my home's front door to welcome him. I cared about doing my hair before opening the door for him.

"Come in!" I told him kindly.

"Thanks." He looked tense and glanced out-of-the-way. But I remained silent for some time.

So we moved to the living room and my mother stood up, observing us.

"Mother, this is Eros," I said, nervously.

They stared at each other.

"Hi," she first said.

"How are you ma'am?" he asked and turned his down. Eros looked apprehensive before her.

My mother looked at Eros. Her eyes seemed as vigilant as always. My mother couldn't hide her surprise at him.

"Sit down," my mother gently prodded.

Eros sat on the sofa and my mother sat on a chair next to the couch. I went again to the front door to receive my girlfriend Mirta. I barely opened the door and she walked in, as if she was my family member.

"Where is your mother?" she asked, looking up at my home's decoration.

"There," I pointed a finger at my mother.

Mirta glanced at Eros, with his back to us while he was sitting on the sofa.

"Why didn't you tell me he would be here? I would have dressed in more appropriate clothes," she whispered into my ear.

I looked at her from top to toe and checked out her clothes. Mirta was wearing a miniskirt, her legs were exposed. Her clothing was like an invitation to any man, including Eros, to travel through them.

We finally went to the living room.

"Ma'am, are you Valkyrie's mother? You're so young!" Mirta said this before I had introduced her to my mother.

"How are you? My daughter speaks very highly of you!" she said and stood up.

"I am fine," she answered and smiled genteelly.

Then she stared at Eros, who was still sitting on the sofa. He seemed not at all happy at her presence.

"Hi, Eros!" she said and smiled at him.

"Hi!" he said, seriously.

I didn't notice him staring at Mirta's legs and that had created a feeling of relief inside me.

We sat on our chairs at the dining table when dinner was finally ready. My mother sat at the head of the table. Mirta sat by my side and Eros took a seat opposite me.

"Who are your parents, Eros?" my mother asked after she placed all the food on the dining-table.

"My parents... don't live in this town," he responded, quietly.

"What about your parents, Mirta?" she continued, looking at Mirta.

"My father is a lawyer and my mother is a housewife," Mirta said proudly.

"Mother, we'd better eat," I said.

We all had dinner quietly. Later my mother brought the dessert.

After dinner, we went back to the living room. We sat on the couch and talked about the town and about school, too.

Unexpectedly, we heard the sound of a horn. Mirta skipped quickly and rose from the couch. Eros' gaze stopped on her legs. I felt afflicted as I was jealous because I knew his eyes were focused on something interesting, that is, a wonderful pair of legs.

"It's my father. He came to fetch me!" she said.

I walked Mirta to the front door after she said to everyone,

"Have a good night."

Then I came back to the living room and Eros was talking to my mother. He had the intention to leave, too. I stood near him.

"Good night!" Eros said, distantly.

My mother touched his cold hand and looked into his eyes. She shivered and got a strange feeling.

"Good night!" she said, stunned.

I walked Eros towards the front yard while we walked side by side. It was so fine. For some instants I wished to have more moments like that beside Eros. However I was red as I imagined Eros could sense my thoughts.

"You are leaving so soon," I said, outraged.

"It is late." He stared at me for a moment and gave a shrug. "I'm going to bed early."

"Did you enjoy having dinner in my home?"

"Yes." He nodded.

"And did you like my mother?"

"I think you should ask her that." His voice was troubled as I didn't look at my face. His look investigated other direction.

"Why? Did she treat you badly?" almost immediately I was preoccupied with this subject now.

"No, but my presence bothered her," he confessed and his gaze searched the darkness. He looked to familiar to it.

"She's like that. My mother always tries to protect me from everything. " I was embarrassed and my hand examined my long Black hair.

The silence lasted for a long moment until he finally said, "Have a good night, Valkyrie."

"I can ask my mother to take you home!"

"Don't worry, I'll go walking," he said and kept walking slowly.

Every time I stared at his back, he seemed further and further away. He was so fast.

I locked the front door and went over to my mother. She was standing in the living room after she leaned her face to the window and saw Eros and me in the front yard.

"Your friends are very interesting!" she said in a low voice and her face was anxious.

"What's wrong?" I asked, staring at her face.

"Mirta's clothes are so short!" My mother insisted. Her voice looked strange. Nothing friendly.

"What's the big deal about that?"

"Your friend Eros..." she grimaced and held back her voice. My mother looked thoughtful. I believe she was thinking of our dinner's scenes.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked, apprehensive and rolled my eyes. I didn't let myself get irritated with our converse.

"He's a weird and distant guy... he has an enigmatic gaze... like..."

She didn't finish her sentence and watched me, intently.

"Like who?" I was so intrigued and stared at the objects as I asked her.

My mother delayed to articulate. "Like a person I met once." She gazed to one side. Her eyes met the wall. After that she looked down.

"Like my father?" I insisted, gazing to her.

My mother stared at me and then her eyes met the floor another time. "How do you know this?"

"I guessed."

"He reminds me of your father; not his physical look but his gaze... his icy hand..." my mother said as she looked puzzled at him.

CHAPTER 19

I took a seat at the table in the school cafeteria for lunch with Mirta. Christian came in along with his three friends. They sat apart from us.

I noticed that Mirta could barely eat in Christian's presence and I also noticed he was staring at her all the time. I looked at Douglas. He was sitting next to Christian and I realized he was staring back at me. I lowered my head, turning my hair down to hide my face. I didn't look at him anymore.

A few seconds later I withdrew my eyes to my left and I saw Eros sitting at a table in a corner. As always, he was by himself.

I was dying to escape from where I was sitting and go to him. I bit my lip, trying to control my wish. All the time he kept his head down. Everything around him did not attract his attention. That's what I thought about him.

Eros listened to every conversation that came from the students in the cafeteria including the subject Christian was discussing with his friends.

"Go there and talk to her!" Christian advised Douglas.

"Before the other guy invites her to the rock and roll concert," another boy said.

"I think she might decline my invitation," Douglas said. He was embarrassed.

"Do you want me to talk to her?" Christian asked, trying to help him.

"No, I'm going there to talk to her." Douglas took his courage and stood up as he looked at his friends.

"Go on, kiddo!" they said.

Mirta realized he was coming towards our table and then she said discreetly, "He is coming."

I kept my head down, just staring at my food as I was trying to avoid Douglas' presence. Eros carefully listened to everything and he knew Douglas was walking to my table. He also knew what his intention was.

He thought he should do something to stop Douglas before he could come to talk to me. He raised his head and looked up at the lunchroom ceiling. Then he saw a ceiling fan. It was just above Douglas.

Eros stared attentively at that object and narrowed his eyes, exerting efforts to make something happen. At that moment the ceiling fan got loose, hitting Douglas' head. The boy fell down, unconscious. Everyone became frightened because of that accident.

Several people came closer to him. Christian and his friends were the first to aid him. Mirta pulled my arm and we approached him. There were more people around him.

Eros had the opposite reaction to the other students. He stood up and stepped out of the cafeteria without at least checking how the unconscious boy was.

Sitting on a bench in the schoolyards, I was trying to put my books in order. Mirta came closer to me. She was thrilled.

I looked away from my books and paid attention to her. She was all in pink.

"You won't believe what happened!" she exclaimed and her voice was filled with cheer.

"Considering your enthusiasm, it must be something related to Christian," I deduced.

"He invited me to go with him to the rock and roll concert," she told me and her eyes shone in high spirits.

"That's all you always wanted," I said, with a faint voice and turned my down.

I was really happy for her. However, I thought she deserved a cool guy, someone more humble.

"I've waited for this for a long time!" she confessed and smiled.

"Congratulations!" I said, laconically, looking into her face. I confess I tried to enjoy that news. But I desired Mirta to be happy at other guy's side. Mirta was an excellent girl and I couldn't say the same about Christian.

"What about you?" she asked then.

"Me?" I wrinkled my nose.

"Aren't you going to the show?"

"I don't have company," I said and she could sense the distress in my voice.

"That's because you don't want to go," her hand touched my shoulder as she kept her gaze on my face.

"What are you talking about?" I asked firmly as I looked at her face at this moment.

"I heard Douglas wants to invite you to the rock concert," she told me, grinning.

I returned to concentrate on my books, as I was disappointed. Wow, that was all I didn't want to pay attention.

"What do you think of that?" she insisted.

"I could never imagine that - me going to the rock concert with him," I confessed, gazing down at the floor. That converse was depressing.

"He thought of you."

I shook my head. "Do you want me to accept his invitation? Is it just because he is Christian's friend?"

"Of course not!" She sat closer to me. "He must like you."

"So am I compelled to go out with him?" I asked, looking into her face. Mirta noticed I was annoyed.

"You don't understand... he just wishes to invite you to go to the rock and roll show," she answered, calmly.

"I am so sorry... but I won't go to that rock and roll concert with him." My mind was made up.

"And with whom will you go to the rock and roll show? Will you go with your weird friend?" Her voice was weird.

"You're saying this, not me," I said and looked back at my books.

"Did he invite you?" she insisted.

"No." My voice sounded vacillating and I gazed down. My thoughts were on Eros. But I think I shouldn't be thinking about him in that moment. I thought his mind should be in use with other girl.

"So you invite him. If he declines your invitation, you go with another boy."

"I won't do that," I said, harshly as I glanced up.

"So you will stay at home," she said and shrugged her shoulders.

Minutes later, Mirta succeeded in convincing me to talk with Eros. I had seen him standing in the school hallway. He was looking at the notice board.

I had butterflies as I approached him. I didn't have the courage to stare at him. I squeezed my own hands, trying to tell him what I had arranged with Mirta minutes before.

"Have you heard about the rock and roll concert in the town?" I carefully asked him, fixing my glance on the floor.

"It's the topic of the day." His voice sounded sarcastic and gazed away.

"I... want to go...to the rock and roll concert, but I need someone to go with me." My voice was faintish. I was so nervous before him.

He grinned.

"Do you want to go with me?" His voice become soft and his eyes gleamed. Eros looked colder.

My eyes widened. After all, I was surprised at myself for having the courage to invite him.

He noticed my concern as I was waiting for his answer. He bit his lips and glanced aside.

Soon Eros gazed back into my face. "Have you thought of me just because you have no choice?" he asked, in a different tone of voice.

"Well, actually... no." I sighed, nervously. My fingers ran over my head and I fixed my eyes on the ground. "It's that... I... like your... company."

"I don't think I'm a funny person." His voice was earnest. I raised my head and stared at him.

"So... your answer is... 'No'." I concluded, hopeless, closing abruptly my eyes.

After that I turned my back immediately and he was still looking at me. I thought our subject was over. He then pulled my arm, stopping my movements. I stared into his pale face.

"I didn't say that." He removed his hand from my arm and returned to the place he was before. "I don't appreciate it much... having fun... close to many people."

"You don't have to worry. You have the right to say no. " I said and looked in other direction.

"I know..." He was staring at me and analyzed my disappointed face.

"I'm not upset... I'll invite another boy."

I said that and slowly walked away. He made me feel angry. Intrinsically, I knew he would say 'No', but I had insisted because Mirta asked me. She had encouraged me to talk to him.

He was standing away from me, watching me while I walked away. Then he turned his face to the wall and said something I didn't expect.

"I'll go with... you!"
CHAPTER 20

A forest, with its floor covered up with dry leaves.

The brown color prevailed at that empty and obscure scenario, in which the sound of an angry wind sung a chilling melody.

I found myself lost and frightened. It seemed like I was the only person in that terrible place. I was trying to find my way back home and see my mother again.

I restrained my steps when I realized the wind was blowing much more violently, unleashing all its fury on the trees, which didn't stop shaking. I sat on my haunches and placed my face between my knees, avoiding looking around me.

That was when, in the middle of that agitation, I heard different sounds, as if someone was close. I lifted my head a little and saw that man again, the same man who was always in my dreams, since I was a child.

He was wearing dark clothes.

He stretched his hand so I could walk in his direction. I stood up quietly, looking straight ahead. I stared at him again and his hands grabbed mine. I could feel his frozen fingers on my warm hands.

I looked up into his eyes, trying to find an answer for his frosty hands. I was still looking at him and could see his chest. He had an amulet made of iron around his neck.

There was an engraving on it. I stared at it and then I was taken aback.

It was a 'symbol of Neptune'...

When I opened my eyes, I realized it all had been just a dream. I sat on my bed as I was intrigued about that dream and also about Eros' tattoo. I associated one thing with the other.

"It was in my dreams...I knew I had seen it before!" I said to myself aloud.

I lay down on my bed again, staring up at my ceiling, with my hands touching my head. I was completely puzzled.

"What does Eros have to do with this?"I asked myself, surprised, trying to find an answer. I couldn't understand why.

That strange man was in my dreams almost every night. The amulet made of iron, with the symbol of Neptune on it, was exactly the same as the tattoo on Eros' arm.

Could everything be a great coincidence...?

CHAPTER 21

I stayed in the school library, making a summary to be delivered the next day. At the library exit I noticed it was already night. The sky was cloudy and hoping for the right moment to rain.

Then I advanced my steps, hoping to arrive home in time, before the rainfall. The street was deserted and silent and I began to hurry to reach my destination, as I felt a constant danger.

Later on, I saw Eros was standing at the end of the street and he looked like he was waiting for me to approach. However, his apparition was strange. He was just waiting. Certainly he perceived I was frightened.

"Eros!" I exclaimed, surprised.

"Come with me! I want to show something to you," he said seriously in a determined voice.

I said nothing. I just went with him, without thinking what it could be. The fact I was in his company made me secure and intrigued by what I was to uncover at the same time.

We walked silently to our destination. I thought the place was far, but his company turned our journey into a pleasant one.

The place was deserted and obscure. It was a hiding place amongst the woods. It was similar to the landscape from the dream I've been having for some time.

It was an antique and dispossessed house for somebody to dwell in. It had no electricity and a minimum of comfort that was claimed by a half-witted person.

We stopped walking in front of a wooden door. Eros pushed it and entered the old house. I remained exactly in the same place. I was really afraid to enter into it.

He remained in silence all the time. His unfriendliness intimidated me. For a moment I thought he would hurt me.

"Are you going to stay outside?" he asked, after having crossed the threshold.

I decided to go ahead, since I had come there. I should take that risk. I thought of my mother and knew she was protecting me, somehow. That feeling encouraged me before I entered the house.

Inside it, there was nothing, just a huge room and a large mirror in the corner of the room. There were also dark curtains on the window.

Eros sat on the floor as if he were meditating, with his back to me. I remained standing and was motionless, just watching him with his back to me.

"Did you want to know where I live?" he asked, with a chilling voice. "So, here is my house."

He remained with his back to me.

All I could do was to stand in silence. All the words fled from my mind. A huge rat ran across the floor and I screamed out at the top of my voice.

"A rat! I want to go back home!"

My hands started to shake. My heart accelerated. I didn't feel safe there. Everything sounded strange next to me. I wanted to run away.

"Not before you see something!"

He said that and stood up quickly. I didn't have any time to get out of that house. He was quicker than I'd imagined and my arms were stuck in his cold hands. He glared at me, with a supernatural stare in his face.

I had never seen any person with such features. His face was pale, with a strange gaze on it. He suddenly changed his expression.

His eyes became gray. Around them there were dark rings. His lips were red and between them there were big, sharp teeth.

I was desperate and didn't have any energy to try to escape from his claws. I closed my eyes, trying to block my tears.

"Now you know what I really am," he said and let my arms go free. He flinched back.

I needed so much to open my eyes at that moment to stare at him. His attitude made me understand what had just happened. He didn't intend to hurt me. He just wanted to reveal what he was, as well as what I was about to become.

Gradually he approached the mirror. I stared at his back as he was in his black clothes.

"Look at this mirror!" His voice sounded very confident.

So I looked down at the mirror and I didn't see his reflection on it. I could only see the opposite wall. He lightly touched his hand on the mirror's wooden frame and images were reflected through it.

That was an exhibition of my entire life.

My mother appeared in those images, almost twenty years ago, in a nightclub that had been the night she'd met my father and conceived me.

My birth...

Then the images showed me when I was seven, when I started dreaming of that strange man.

My adolescence...

On the day I met Eros in the classroom. The mirror showed me how my brooch vanished from my purse.

Eros had planned everything. He had used his vampire powers to remove it out of my purse with only the power of his mind.

When he lost his school ID inside the school library, this was done on purpose. He wanted me to find it.

He did everything because there was a purpose behind his reaction. He wanted to be with me almost all the time.

Mirta's nose bled and Eros left the classroom after that. It was because he couldn't handle the smell of blood.

The last image shown in the mirror was the symbol of Neptune on the amulet and on Eros' arm.

Then, the mirror came back to normal.

"All your life is in this mirror," he said and his voice suddenly became serious.

I was confused after having seen those images in the mirror. They seemed so real... My life in a mirror... It all seemed to be like a dream, or, instead, a nightmare from which I wished to wake up.

"I'm not here by accident," he confessed while he approached me. His supernatural face didn't scare me anymore. Even though, I was attracted to him that was so strange to me. I had desired a monster.

"I came to get you and take you to your father," he claimed, his voice quiet.

I shivered, perplexed. I was wordless.

I should have asked him several things. Nothing came into my mind, just grief after knowing the entire truth about my father and me.

"Your father is our master...our guardian." His voice was mournful.

A storm was formed outside the house. Lightning and thunder emerged, sprung up outside the window.

"You'll be one of us soon." He glared at me and I remained voiceless. "It's in your blood."

He stared at me again.

"You'll be a... vampire..." he said, quietly.

Everything made sense to me at that moment. There was no doubt. I was definitely the daughter of a vampire and soon I would be just like him - I would be of his kind.

"I wish I wasn't born..." That was all I said.

Now I knew everything about the mystery in my dreams, about my past, about my vampire father and also about Eros.

Then I walked in the direction of the front door and stepped out of that house. At the same time I was embarrassed at all that Eros had just told me.

It was raining harder. It didn't matter if my body got wet. I didn't care about anything else.

Everything made no sense to me.

Death would be welcome in my life.

I walked slowly through the streets, barefoot after I had taken off my sandals. Eros followed my steps while he was transformed into a vampire. He could jump at great heights, over the roofs of the houses, so I couldn't see his quick movements.

I stopped walking on a deserted street and opened my arms extensively at the same time as I was inviting death. I saw an intense brightness in the sky and I fell on the floor, totally unconscious.

Eros came down from the roof of one house, through a double jump. He was soon on his feet again, quite close to me. He picked me up in his arms and he was watching my livid face due to the rain.

He stepped inside my bedroom through the open window and held me in his arms like a rag doll. He gently placed me on my bed and noticed that my dress was entirely wet. Then he used his mind's power while his hand was sliding along my cold body. He made all the water evaporate from my dress and also from my body.

When he finished his vampirism process, he seemed exhausted since he had used almost all of his powers trying to ensure I didn't catch a cold.
He stared at me to check if I was really fine. He knew I would only wake up the next morning. Then he jumped out of my window and disappeared into the darkness.

CHAPTER 22

At breakfast, my mother noticed my glum expression seeing as I gazed down all the time. Though I tried to give the impression of being perfectly fine, my mother knew I wasn't.

She knew me so well and knew all my feelings, even when I was in love with someone. She wanted to know why I was unusually quiet. I couldn't tell her all I knew. I didn't want her to know what I would become.

She had always been naïve and never knew about my father's true origin. Why should she know about everything in those crucial circumstances? That wasn't correct. She didn't need to suffer along with me. I should spare her from suffering.

"Don't worry about me... Everything's good," I said, before getting my stuff and walking away.

I went to school. Eros was the first person to walk in my direction. I looked at his face and he looked satisfied. He was staring at me with a sexy grin. His duty was over. Now I knew the entire truth. I glanced at him furiously.

"Did you sleep well last night?" he asked, sarcastically.

"Yeah, and I slept more than I should," I answered sarcastically too although my face was angry.

"Days for us are usually short... though nights are long..." he said proudly and looked into my eyes.

"You said I'll be a vampire soon." I looked back at him. "When will it be?"

"Soon," he said and stood in front of me. His gaze met mine. "You didn't say anything to anyone, did you?"

"No, I didn't, not even my mother knows," I answered and lowered my head at that time. Eros remained looking at my figure.

"Not even she can know anything," he informed me and glanced away. He looked thoughtful.

"Is there something I could do to avoid this?" I asked, with a decreased hope.

"To avoid what?" he seemed confused at my question. Soon he wrinkled his forehead at me.

My eyes met his. "To avoid becoming a vampire."

"... No..." he looked to the side thoughtfully.

Each time it became more difficult for me to accept my sad fate. It wasn't this luck I had desired for.

After some seconds I asked him curiously, "How did you become a vampire?"

"That's a long story. I have no time to tell you about it. I'm going to history class," he responded and walked forward.

"I'm not in a good mood to do anything. I don't even know why I came to school today."

"Being a vampire is not so bad." He looked at me strangely.

"If it was a good thing, everybody would wish to be a vampire," I said, defiantly.

"Have you taken a look at your back today?" he asked with a modest smile on his face.

I frowned at him as I was puzzled.

Why was he asking me that?

Soon I ran to the school bathroom and took off my blouse. I turned aside and saw the symbol of Neptune reflected in the mirror, towards the left side of my lung.

I still didn't know how that tattoo had been drawn on me. At that moment I remembered Eros' words telling me.

"It appeared on my arm."

I had a feeling that the same thing had happened to me.
CHAPTER 23

The rock and roll concert was on that day. Hours before the event, I went to Mirta's house. I brought some clothes in my backpack. My mother carefully took me by the hand and led me to our front door. Then she hugged me tightly for a while.

"Don't drink strong drinks, don't smoke and behave yourself," I was well advised.

"You know I don't do these things," I said.

"That's alright, daughter," she said and hugged me again.

That hug was longer. I'd never hugged her that way. I felt a pang of remorse, as if I wouldn't see her anymore.

"I love you, mother," I said, with a tormented voice and feeling a pain that I knew was inside me. I loved my mother so much and this moment I needed to show it to her.

She confessed me. "It's nice to hear this."

I felt she was smiling over my shoulder. My love was all she wanted in her life and she had it forever. Without needing to give me anything in exchange.

"I don't know if I'm the best daughter in the world for you, but you're the best mother in the world for me," I confessed and held her hands firmly.

"If I could have other child, I would like to have another daughter like you," she admitted and we had another embrace... which lingered more than the first one...

Hours later, I arrived at Mirta's house and we went upstairs in the direction of her room. Her house was large, beautiful and comfortable.

Mirta was almost ready and her make-up was finished. She helped me to choose my clothes, after I had gone several times in front of the mirror while I changed again and again.

After we were ready, I made a silent comparison between us. Mirta was dressed to kill, in a short, tight dress and her beautiful thighs exposed. She was a dazzling in gold, with her shoulder-length hair, her skin was delicate and eyes were light brown. The color of her lipstick was redder than her dress.

I took a look at myself. I was dressed totally different from her. I was wearing doll style shoes, a sheath dress and pink high heels, with ribbons on them. My makeup was light, despite the red lipstick on my lips, the same used by Mirta.

I untied my long, black and curly hair. My eyes were almost the same color as my hair. My skin was blushed with a scarlet tone. We went downstairs as soon as we heard the sound of Christian's car horn.

This same night, we arrived at the club. The place was crowded with people. I stopped next to the front doorstep, at the same time as I decided I would wait for Eros there.

"Won't you go in?" Mirta asked me, when she saw me standing in front of the club entrance.

"I'll stay here waiting for him," I answered, looking all around. I really hoped to see Eros there, before me as I had imagined during my last sleepless night.

"He should have already arrived. If he hasn't shown up until now, that's because he won't come," she said firmly.

I was overwhelmed with despair. Mirta was right. He would probably not come. Even so I waited for him for half an hour... and he didn't come.

Then I walked into the club, alone. There was a lot of excitement in there and finding Mirta and Christian would be a tough mission for me. I thought it would have been easier and much less disappointing if I'd stayed home.

I was in that concert for a reason, because of someone who didn't even care about showing up. He didn't deserve what I felt for him. After all, he was a monster... a vampire. He should not have a heart. At least he should not feel anything for me.

It was too late for me to explain this to my own heart, since it was ruled by him. That was very clear. Every time I saw him, my heart palpitated strongly.

I glanced up at the private booth on the second floor. I saw a dark shadow identical to Eros. He was staring at me. It seemed to be him, in his dark clothes.

Even as I was staring at him, he got out of sight and was no longer there where I saw him. My glance was everywhere, looking for him in that club.

At that moment a soft voice came out of the crowd.

Even with all that boisterous noise, I could distinguish his remarkable voice at my back.

"I was looking for you," he said, placing one hand softly on my right shoulder.

Then I turned to face him and saw his face so close to mine, while I stared into his dark gray eyes. It seemed we were the only ones in that place. This sensation made me feel in heaven.

"I thought you wouldn't come," I confessed with a gleam in my eyes and turned my head down for some instants.

"I said I would come." His voice was so persuasive and I gazed back into his face.

He gazed back all around for a long moment and saw everyone around him. He could hear everyone's heart beating. It enticed him as if he'd been invited to drink human blood.

"Let's go," he said and held my hand tighter, leading me through the crowd. We went to the booth, where there were half a dozen people.

When he held my hand, I had the same feeling when he touched me for the first time, avoiding my fall to the ground. His hands were frosty, but the touch of his cold hands on my skin as always made my body catch fire.

Looking down at the stage, I could see the rock and roll bands performing.

I saw Mirta in a corner. She was kissing Christian on his lips. I watched Eros to see his reaction. He was examining that type of behavior of the couple.

Mirta was in her red dress with beautiful bare legs.

She really attracted his attention. Eros stared at Mirta all the time as she was in her red dress. She was so alluring...and seductive. Her neck was the main highlight.

Then he quickly looked away at the stage. On his side, there were humans with blood running through their veins.

In his inner soul, the pulse of those people looked evident for him. He could listen to the beats of human hearts and he was racked with torment.

He was defenseless from his appetite for fresh human blood. I could feel the gentle, soothing touch of his lips on my neck.

That was a way to keep him under control. I had a half-breed blood, half human and half vampire. Through my smell it made him stop wishing for human blood.

I didn't attract his attention in that aspect. But I couldn't avoid his eyes as they changed color, nor his sharp teeth breaking out of his lips.

"Eros, are you all right?" I asked, not understanding his strange reaction. I'd never seen him acting like that, uncontrollable.

"The scent from your blood calms me down," he said. So he set his face against my neck. I felt his icy breath, almost ceasing. That was a different breath from a normal person, from someone who wasn't a vampire.

His face came back to normal.

"Let's get out of here!" he suggested.

Eros snatched my arm and led me into the throng.

We walked through the people, pushing them, with many of them staring at us angrily.

Eros frowned at me, impatiently, and pulled down a group of people in front of us. We walked out of the club within a few minutes. That was much easier than when we entered it.

Then we reached the street, walking side by side on the pavement.

"What's the matter with you?" I asked him as I took a deep breath through my nose. Eros glanced at me.

"I can't stay in the middle of so many people. The blood of some of them enhances my appetite for human blood." Eros looked confused at all.

"Have you bitten many people?" I asked, curious.

"Enough." His voice was aloof as he kept his look away and our converse became silent.

We walked on a deserted street in silence. There were only some cars badly parked. The street looked dark.

After that, we heard a blaring noise of people coming after me.

"She must be there!" That was my doctor's voice.

"We'll catch her," other man said.

I didn't understand why the doctor was after me.

"What does he want from me?"

"Let's run!" Quickly Eros ordered.

We ran and stopped in a different street. I glared at him and he stared at my frightened eyes. There were five men along with the doctor.

They reached us, we were trapped. Eros stopped and looked from side to side, between me and the gun.

The doctor was pointing his gun in my direction.

"What do you want from me?" I cautiously asked.

"We want you to come with us," the doctor replied, and made a friendly gesture in my direction.

"Why?" My voice was frightened.

"You have a rare type of blood. We need to examine you," he stated, gazing in my direction.

"No! I'm not going with you!" I said loudly. I was resolute about my destiny. I glanced up apprehensively. I was very afraid. That doctor looked to make some hurt to me only with his presence.

"Either you come with us, or you will die right here," the doctor said.

I had no choice. After all, I would die sooner or later. But I thought I should die with dignity.

"I prefer to die now," I said, in an outbreak of panic.

Eros stood in front of me, trying to protect me from them. His body remained before mine. I could feel him closer to me. For some seconds I forgot I was in danger.

"You won't get what you want. I won't let anyone hurt her," Eros said and his face was very grave.

Eros fought the six men. He didn't use his vampire powers as he struggled like a human being. For a few moments he dominated the fight, until he was beaten and fell on the ground.

"Run! Go away!" Eros yelled, in panic, looking towards me. My alarmed eyes met his. I desired to hold his arms and run into them that moment.

"I can't leave you alone here with them," I said, fearfully.

"Go way!" Eros vociferated.

I had no choice and did it as he asked. I ran away.

I heard shooting from the doctor's gun. I stared back at them, alarmed, and I saw Eros lying on the floor. His eyes were shut... he was dead.

I tried to go back and die with him. I realized those men were pursuing me and then I ran even faster.

I reached a street with several exits. I moved quickly towards one of them and saw a giant tree. I climbed it and stayed hidden on a branch. They walked from side to side but didn't find me.

Then they walked away.

"We'll catch her," the doctor said aloud.

I listened to everything they said.

I descended the tree hours later, when I was sure that they weren't close to me and I wasn't in danger anymore that night. During my escape I had lost my shoes. My dress was torn to shreds and I was dusty. My hair was untidy. I didn't care about that.

I realized that Eros was really dead when I climbed the roof of a house. I stayed there, sitting and looking straight ahead the darkness in that horrid night.

Eros was dead, that was all I could think of. I remembered again the noise of shooting and Eros's body on the ground.

Before long I cried in a deep despair. First I thought that in my life I just depended on my mother to survive. Now I realized that Eros had become a part of my world too.

What would I do without him?

I figured out I would never see his face again, nor would hear his voice. Wouldn't touch his cold skin, wouldn't feel his gelid touch on my skin.

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard footsteps on the roof. I looked slightly to the side and saw his image, standing in front of me, with three wounds on his chest.

"You're dead! I saw them killing you!" I said and my eyes were wide opened, shocked.

I thought I was talking to a ghost.

"Did you forget I'm immortal?" he asked and leaped over, in a unique, double jump and came quickly in my direction.

I stood up quietly and verified the shooting holes on his chest. I touched his dark T-shirt; pressing my fingers against the three wounds in his dead flesh.

His blood was dark and thick. He didn't bleed like humans. His blood was gummous.

I was sure he wasn't an illusion. He had really survived, he was an immortal. It would be impossible for a human being to escape that ambush.

For the first time I understood that being a vampire had some pros and immortality was one of them.

"In a few hours I'll be totally recovered," he said, while removing the three bullets from his chest with his fingers. He contorted his face in pain after removing the bullets. The bullets fell on the floor, clinking.

When I looked into his dark eyes, they changed color. Now his eyes became light-gray and there were dark rings around them.

His teeth sprung slowly. He needed to show his true nature by doing that.

I faced his light grey eyes without fear. It occurred to me that his supernatural look was even more irresistible than his human face.

How could a creature from the darkness be dreadful and beautiful at the same time?

I interrupted my thoughts after I heard him say something.

"You're in danger!" He was so worried.

"What should I do? They'll certainly come after me, and you're also in danger," I deduced, watching his face.

I hadn't realized that I was very concerned about him, instead of myself. I wouldn't forgive myself if something bad happened to him again.

"You'll have to come with me." He stared into my eyes. "You might behave like a human, but you can't do all they do," Eros warned me, with a harsh voice.

"Where will we go?" I stared at him, confused. Nothing made good judgment to me.

"We will go to the place from where I came," he communicated, looking up at the stars in the night sky.

I watched his gloomy face.

"We will go to our planet," he said and turned to face me.

"Your father is there. I came to Earth to take you to him." His voice seemed almost indifferent. His face looked shady.

"All this scares me," I confessed and closed my eyes, shaking my head. Everything looked so out of the ordinary. I had a vampire father that was on other planet.

"Neptune is our planet. There's no danger for us there. And if you stay here... they'll try to kill you," he said, afflicted and his gaze met mine. Again I turned my head down.

"I can't leave my mother," I said, looking down at the floor and shook my head at times.

"It will be just for a while," he insisted as his gaze was over my image.

"She needs me," I insisted, opening my eyes and staring into his face.

"Your father needs you too." His voice became softer, nearly changing my mind.

"Why didn't he come to see me instead of ordering you?" I asked, and saw his face which was very serious.

"When he figured out about you, it was too late. Your father, by being our master, needs to recover his energy and the only way he managed to do that was to be asleep for a long time."

"Can't he come back to Earth as soon as he wakes up?" I asked.

"He wants you by his side... in 'Neptune,'" he softly said, touching my cheek with his hand. "As long as you're with him, your mother won't be aware of anything, she will be sleeping profoundly."

"What will you do to her?" I was frightened. I panicked, afraid that something crucial could happen to my mother.

"Trust me," he said in a friendly manner.

It was impossible not to trust him.

After a few seconds of silence, his supernatural vampire aspect metamorphosed into an owl and it flew away.

I looked at him, surprised by with his transformation.

Then I realized that it was him all the time, the owl that stood almost every night on my window. That was him protecting me.

Now I could understand why he was fond of owls, reading books about them. I remembered that day in which Douglas tried to burn that owl.

That was him; he was there, not in a human form, but in a bird's aspect. And so he had came back to school, the next day, with his hand bandaged, due to the burn on his hand.

Every time he surprised me more with his mysteries. When everything seemed revealed and clear to me, something unexpected always happened.

CHAPTER 24

My mother slept with her window open. She never imagined that she would have a visit in her room. Eros entered through the open window as he always did in my room. Then he watched her sleeping. He walked to her bed with the utmost care, avoiding waking her. He put his hands over her face, in a ritual that made her imprisoned in a deep sleep, until my return to Earth.

The owl flew over the town before it returned to the spot where I was standing. When it flew over a street, it saw Christian's car parked in front of Mirta's house.

By that time the rock and roll concert had already ended and he left Mirta at her front door.

He kissed her sweetly on her lips. Then she walked in and he turned back to his car. When he opened his car door, he got scared with the hedgehopping of the owl over his head.

"Creature from hell!" Christian murmured.

Before getting into his car, he saw Eros standing around him, all in black. He didn't know how Eros appeared out of nowhere.

"You, what are you doing here?" Christian asked and his face was sober.

"It's nice to see you again," Eros said and his voice was tremendously sarcastic.

"I don't like boys, my business is girls," he said and got into his car.

Eros dragged him out of the car with the strength of a bull, letting Christian feel frightened and unprotected.

"My business is girls too," Eros said clasping his neck and looking into his eyes.

"What do you want from me?" Christian looked scared.

"You have always bullied me in school." He stared at his eyes again. "Your insults and unfunny jokes made me very angry."

"I was just kidding," he said, trying to defend himself.

"But I was not," Eros said and tightened his throat.

"Do you want to kill me?" Christian asked, coughing a lot because of the choking.

"Not yet," he whispered.

Then Eros strangled Christian hatefully.

"Now you know who you're provoking, and if you keep chasing me, I'll do worse things to you."

He threw him on the floor and assaulted him, kicking his face.

"Stay away from Mirta or be considered a weird dead guy," Eros threatened him gruesomely.

A drop of blood ran down Christian's nose. His blood's smell incited his enemy.

Eros quickly left the place before his predator instinct could command the situation.

He could have murdered Christian right there. Eros wouldn't take the risk of being easily surprised by any person.

Then I was wrapped up into the smoke and vanished.

Even far away, he couldn't control his lust for blood. He was in the mood to go back to suck Christian's blood. He pressed his hands against each other, twisting his whole neck, trying to control his predatory bloodthirsty instinct.

A huge dog, with dark hair, was coming in his direction. Eros threw a cryptic glance at the animal. After it had been mesmerized, it came towards him.

After having sucked all the blood out of his prey, there was nothing left of its body except bones and its head.

CHAPTER 25

Eros came back to the roof, where I was waiting for him in big anguish. I didn't know the right decision to make.

I could go away with him to Neptune and would leave my mother alone, or I could stay in Earth and I would lose a big chance to meet my father.

That was something I had waited for my entire life...

"Are you ready?" he asked and stared into my eyes again.

I didn't answer him, seeing that I was still disturbed.

Being prepared to go away with him was something I hadn't set in my mind. Both sides of the coin were rough to measure. My choice became very difficult.

Eros reached my hand. I remained still, sitting, frightened by his reaction, watching him with my cautious eyes....

Maybe it was the last time... maybe I wouldn't see him anymore.

"Come", he begged and his voice was soft. Then he came closer, opening his hand slowly.

I stood up and then lifted my hand in his direction.

He held my hand between his, pulled me to face him and hugged me tightly.

For the first time our embrace represented a lot in my life. I was sheltered by his body. All the bad feelings disappeared from inside my bosom.

Subsequently I was doing the right thing by going with him to finally see my father. Even being a monster, he was still my father.

Eros stared up at the sky at the same time as he was waiting for the right time for our departure.

Strong winds emerged around us. When I looked up at the gloomy sky, a "symbol of Neptune" arose in a dark blue color. We were dragged by some invisible force coming out of that symbol.

Eros and I were still embracing and then both of us disappeared into the night sky, with a few scattered stars.

The symbol went out of sight and everything came back to normal. The wind headed towards another route.

Eros was the connection of all that had happened to me.

Soon I would be in Neptune, beside my father...

Chapter 26

Neptune is the last planet in order of distance from the sun.

It was named after the Roman god of the seas. Its symbol is a trident of the Roman god.

It is the fourth largest planet in diameter and its interior is composed of ice and rocks.

It has the strongest winds in relation to other planets in the solar system, due to its great distance from the sun.

Its temperature is about 7000 ° C.

The sky is covered by misty clouds.

The sunlight does not reach its surface...

My journey to the planet Neptune was very long, due to its extensive long distance. I arrived at the strange territory in Eros's arms. However, I was unconscious.

I had no energy, not enough to take my trip from end to end even though I was completely awake. I closed my eyes from the beginning of my travel and I opened them towards the end.

After all, I was still human. A poor human that was about to know the secret world of the vampires. Well I didn't know if it was good or bad for my existence. I was just a girl that had dreamed of meeting her father.

We were in an enormous living-room that could accommodate hundreds of families. That living room was dark. Clarity was possible only through lit torches on the walls. These walls were made of rocks.

Eros walked slowly with me in his arms, as if he was taking a trophy, one which he would deliver to my father. He did not need to make any kind of effort for me to remain in his comfortable arms.

Besides Eros, there were two more people in the hall and they stood, watching Eros approaching them.

They were my father's servants. Their names were Valeska and Bizak.

I had been carefully put on a smooth stone. The stone was dark gray and it looked like an antique marble that made me remind my grandmother's house. I remained there until I had woken up completely.

"You managed!" Valeska said to Eros as she looked at him in surprise. She imagined Eros could fail in his mission.

"She will stay this way for a few hours," Eros said and stared cautiously at my soft face. He perceived I would remain that way for a long occasion. My forces had been consumed during our trip to Neptune. But my forces had been inspired for a good motive.

"She is beautiful!" Bizak confessed as he was enchanted at my beauty as a human girl. His gaze was fixed on my image all the time. He had no speed to remove his eyes from my representation.

Eros stared at Bizak with his narrowed eyes. He thought that was no time for stupidity. Soon he squeezed his lips and looked away. He knew Bizak was a stupid vampire and sometimes he was worthy of being ignored.

"She barely arrived here and you're coveting the girl," Valeska alleged with a twinge of jealousy. Her lips won a horizontal line.

"Well, I think he forgot whose daughter she is," Eros said. His voice was insensitive and then he turned his back to them and stepped out of the living room, leaving me under the curious stares of two eccentric figures.

***

Soon after that, Eros walked slowly into the huge corridor. He was going toward my father's extensive bedroom. He looked excited to communicate to Vincent about my presence in the interior of his castle and prove to his master he had not failed in his mission.

He stopped walking in front of a huge wooden door and knocked on the door announcing his arrival to his master.

"Come in!" a voice coming from inside the room ordered him.

After that Eros opened the door and entered the room. Slowly he closed the door behind him with his mind's power.

Taking a quick look, he saw Vincent sitting on his armchair. His armchair had been sculptured especially in favor of him. This armchair had been made of stones.

"You're back!" Vincent said as he looked at his loyal servant. Soon his master smiled to him. But his servant remained serious.

So Eros stopped, standing still in the middle of the bedroom, seeing him sitting still on his usual seat.

My father was in his rough-cloth robe, in a wine color. It was huge and when he walked his robe's fabric would drag on the ground.

"I just arrived now," Eros informed his master as his pale hand rubbed his chin. He looked content and tired for having returned to castle.

"My daughter?" Soon Vincent asked inquisitive, still holding Eros's gaze.

"I brought her with me," Eros answered. My father's questions make him so tired.

Immediately Vincent rose from his armchair and he looked vibrant at the news. At last my father was happy, because I was finally in his castle. My father always dreamed of seeing me there, so close to him.

"I always knew you wouldn't disappoint me! It was not by chance I chose you for this. No one would do it as well as you." Vincent praised him as His gaze ran over Eros's picture again.

"She is still unconscious, but soon she will return to herself," Eros supposed, looking useful with his information. Vincent looked to have a high regard for him even more.

"Where did you put her?" his master asked, his voice showed his apprehension. My father wanted to make himself sure I was protected.

Eros sighed and explained with his fatigued voice. "I put her in the great hall. Valeska and Bizak are with her."

"I'll wear appropriate clothing to receive her," Vincent said, walking forward after his glance ran over his own image.

"I'll rest. It has been a long time that I have not done this." Eros gaped and exited his master's bedroom.

Soon my father was only in his big room again. But now he was happier for my arrival there.

Chapter 27

When I opened my eyes, I saw two bizarre creatures looking at me with their curious eyes, as if they had never seen a human being in their lives.

A young girl approached me first. She was the owner of an explicit sensuality. She was in her provocative tight dress, in an intense red color and her make-up was as heavy as her dress. Her appearance made me remember my friend Mirta.

Her fire-red hair flowed down her neck. Her huge eyes were gray and her mouth was fleshy. Her skin was pale. In fact, she was a beautiful vampire.

The boy beside her, I confess he also had his charm. He was strong and tall, his pale face was attractive as was his brown hair.

Girls would definitely look at him. His eyes had the same characteristic, similar to Valeska's eyes. They were gray too.

I looked at all the corners of that living room and I missed something. Then I frowned at them as I was trying to find definitively what I was looking for, with my impatient eyes.

"How are you?" Valeska asked me as she looked to care about me.

My brain did not assimilate her question yet. I was still lying down. Then I lifted my head slightly and pronounced slowly...

"EROS,"

"Keep calm! He came with you," in a little while she said in a friendly voice.

"Where's he?" I glanced around and asked feeling a discomfort that would not leave me unless Eros was there next to me. I needed his presence at that moment.

"He is talking to Vincent," the boy answered. His voice was gentle.

Nevertheless I slowly got up as I was a little dizzy. It seemed my body was out of my control. I also realized I was barefoot and dirty, wearing the same dress from last night at the rock and roll concert. I just thought I was dreaming.

"She looks dizzy," the boy said, looking at his companion for some time. But they remained serious.

"It is normal for her to look like this," a voice coming from the corridor said behind them.

An eccentric man came to where we were. As soon as I looked at him, I felt like I already knew him. He was the man from my childhood dreams. Although I did not see him clearly in those dreams, I knew it was him.

He was very well dressed. He was in his wine-colored tunic and he also had rings on his fingers. His nails were extensive, his long hair was black as night and fell to the middle of his back. His pale skin and his gaze were stunning.

My father was a handsome man. Now I knew why my mother had not resisted him that night. I thought I would come across an old man. He looked like a man of about thirty-five years. A man in his prime.

Almost twenty years later he looked the same way. My mother on the other hand, had some smile lines and a few wrinkles, not to mention a few gray hairs that were lost in her scalp, those which she tried to hide from view with hair dye.

I waited for this day for so long. That is, I wanted to be face to face with my father. I just thought this day would not be like this, in this place, on another planet.

He was distant from me and looking at me.

"My daughter!" he exclaimed, motioned and stretched his arms for me to come between them. I hesitated to do so. I had not got used to the idea that he really was my father.

"Come on and give me a hug!" his voice insisted.

Some seconds later I walked toward him. My steps were slow and it seemed I would never reach him. Before I realized it, I was surrounded by a paternal hug.

"You're part of me, Valkyrie," his gaze ran over my face as he said that to me.

But I continued hugging him for many minutes, until he let me go and looked intently at my face again. His quiet gaze looked so occult. Soon he smiled. "You look like me."

During his words, I smiled at him without thinking of anything. It was fine and strange for listening to my father's voice.

"Your mother also helped you to be beautiful," he said, still looking at me and his hand held my chin for a short time.

"Won't you say anything to your father?" Valeska asked as her gaze came in the direction of me. I watched her and remained voiceless.

"Leave her!" my father ordered and raised his head toward Valeska. "I'll have all time in Neptune to hear her," Vincent said, upset and turned his gaze to me.

Valeska remained silent. Her mistake seemed like it was an offence to Vincent's ears.

" ... My father ..." gazing into his eyes, I said and my eyes were troubled because of the accumulation of my tears.

"What a soft voice!" Vincent exclaimed as he was enchanted at it and he smoothed his hand across my forehead. I tried to smile and gazed down.

After that, my father introduced me to his two servants.

VALESKA AND BIZAK

My father was very pleased to point out that they were part of our family and they were there to serve me too.

"Everything you need, Valeska and Bizak will be around to serve you," he said and put his hand on my shoulder and compressed it softly. I tried to gaze up at his face as he ordered to Valeska.

"Valeska, take my daughter to have a bath!"

Valeska nodded. "Yes ... master."

Valeska took me to a place I would call a type of bathroom.

All castle rooms were extremely exaggerated, even the bathroom. It was approximately the size of the house where I lived with my mother on the planet Earth. There were no showers, taps or toilet. I was surprised at everything.

I saw only lit torches and a huge hole in the ground. It looked like a lake with dark green liquid. This would be my bath water.

Valeska took care of everything. She even helped me get rid of my dress. Then she took me to the hole with water, which I called 'the lake'. My feet froze after I touched its water.

When I felt the water covering all my body, my skin became lumpy. I was shocked. I had never had a bath in water as cold as that.

"It's too cold!" I muttered as I felt my chin tremble.

Valeska smiled wider, showing her teeth. "You feel this way because your blood is hot!"

So I realized that they had no problem with it. After all, they were as cold as the water in which I took my bath.

After that I came to a bedroom that was intended for me. My bedroom had huge curtains on the window and my bed was made of stone. There was no mattress. It looked like a marble table, that is, plain and cold...

"There's no pillow? ...Not even a bedspread?" I asked her as I glanced at all with my critical eyes.

"We do not need anything like that," her shoulders shook as she responded naturally.

"Do you lie down on top of it?" I asked as I believed it to be a marble table. I could not avoid my disappointment at all.

"There are several ways to sleep here. When you have become one of us, you will find yours," she replied as she was staring at my frightened expression.

I felt fear to hear those words, that in a little while I would be like them, whether I wanted it or not.

I had no choice, that is, I just should accept my sad fate.

She put me into a salmon-colored long dress. Its fabric was heavy and harsh. When she was zipping my dress behind me, she saw the picture on my back - the 'Symbol of Neptune'.

"You have it on your back!" her eyes were upon my picture at the same time as she exclaimed.

I can say I felt discomfort again coming over me.

"My picture is situated here," her smile opened. Valeska said that and showed me her tattoo. It was on her neck. I could see it as soon as she lifted up her hair, keeping it away from her neck.

"All of us have one like this," Her voice said, as she turned to face me.

"Why do all of us have it?" I held my gaze on top of her and asked.

"It was born on our bodies when we were chosen by your father to be part of his lineage," she explained and looked at me with enthusiasm. "And it also protects us from the light, so we can go out in the daylight on the planet Earth".

"Now I understand why Eros was attending school in the mornings," I said looking at the wall, as I was recalling scenes of Eros in school.

"That would never be permitted if he couldn't contain the symbol of Neptune on his body," she affirmed.

Valeska was proud of being a vampire. She tried to do everything with passion and served my father diligently. She was grateful to him for all he had done in his life and mainly grateful that he turned her into a vampire.
Chapter 28

We returned to the main room in the castle. The place was empty, my father and Bizak were not there. Then we stopped in the center of the room without knowing what to do. I was trying to make myself familiar to that place.

"Where are they?" I asked, looking from side to side. At that moment I need to see some of them. But my eyes saw just stone walls and large candles.

"Probably they are resting. If you let them, they sleep all the time." Valeska smiled suavely as her lips were very red. "A good sleep helps to restore our energies and we 'vampires' need too much," she explained calmly as her eyes ran to my figure before her.

"Where's ... Eros?" my throat looked blocked as I hesitated to pronounce his name. I looked insecure as thinking about Eros. He had the power to confuse my mind. His image, his gaze and everything about him always made me bemused.

"He is reposing, too," Valeska responded and cast me a suspicious look. I feared her eyes for some instants. I alarmed she could read my mind. That looked so foolish when I perceived she had no power to do it.

Forward Valeska asked me to accompany her to the other room of the castle. She wanted to show me something. However, she would not tell me what it was.

We walked in silence through the castle corridor. A deep silence united to us. However our steps were heard weakly.

"Make no noise; we vampires have very acute hearing. We hear any noise at several miles away and hate to be interrupted when we are asleep," she warned me.

Even so I did exactly what she said and then we walked softly on tiptoe, as if any person would surprise us at any instant. She stopped in front of a dark door and I stopped walking behind her. My gaze ran aside as I tried to be myself and proceed as I had always done in the Earth. After all I was in my father's castle and not in a dangerous place. I imagined my father and Eros would never desire me the worst.

"Not a word," her forefinger touched her lips while I was warned before she opened the door and went inside.

We entered a dark room with no light whatsoever. There were only walls and some strange objects. If I could describe them I would say they were things from other world. But thinking about it better, Neptune was other planet. It was totally dissimilar to Earth.

In the dark I could not exactly see it with any clarity. We stopped in the middle of the room. Valeska looked up at the ceiling and gestured with her head at me. Consequently, I did the same and I looked up at the ceiling just like she did. What I saw amazed me. I remained motionless.

Eros was sleeping with his head down as his body was hanging from his bedroom ceiling. His hands were crossed on his chest. His face looked so attractive.

At that moment he looked like a bat sleeping with its head down.

Valeska pulled my arm to her so we left his room at that moment before he could wake up. But I confess I wanted to stay there for some more time and gaze at Eros. He was perfect. His sleep was wonderful.

We stopped walking in the hallway, as soon as we got out of Eros's room. I leaned my body against the wall, thinking of that creature with his head down. Everything he did, in my view, was fascinating.

"What did you think of how he sleeps?" Valeska asked me as her eyes shone with light. I remained voiceless for some time. It seemed I was trying to find the correct words to describe that magical moment.

"I was surprised. I've never seen anyone sleeping like that...with their head down like a bat." I honestly answered and glanced down at my hand. I wanted to smile, but I couldn't carry out it. My lips were dormant.

"You know that's 'vampires' because normal people will never sleep that way," said Valeska, looking proud of it.

"Sometimes I forget you are ..."

Our gazes met.

"Creatures from Darkness," her voice interrupted me and completed my phrase with her right words. Valeska looked to be a fearless vampire. She had a strong personality.

I nodded at her as I thought of something unimportant.

"How did you become a vampire?" asked her, looking back at her pale face. Valeska smiled at me with amusement and responded, moving gradually her red lips.

"The right question is... when did your father turn me into a vampire?"

We progressed toward the hallway while she narrated her facts. She spoke calmly enough. I continued gazing at her with my surprised gaze.

"I had always been a troubled person. I had never lived well or got along with my parents ... and with my brothers. Then one day ... I decided to leave home ..." she explained everything and shook her hands.

"Did you abandon your family?" I asked as I sounded astonished.

"Yes, I did and I do not regret it. My family mistreated me all the time".

Valeska knew how to narrate her version. She described her painful life with her family. Her eyes didn't show any regret for her life like a vampire. She felt a pride at her life in that castle.

"I did not have anywhere to spend the night. I was under a tree at an abandoned place ...and then Vincent came out of the darkness and gave me a chance of life I had not had before." She looked up at the ceiling and smiled at it.

"Weren't you afraid?" asked her again. I needed to insist on that theme.

"Of becoming a vampire?" her head shook bit by bit. She asked smiling at me and said, "Oh, I love this life."

Chapter 29

I was lying on the hard, cold stone which would be my new bed. I felt uncomfortable. I missed my soft mattress, my pillow and my blanket to cover me from my waist down.

My discomfort was greatest due to the fact that I had laid down without looking at Eros's eyes.

Since I came to that palace, I saw him no more. We had no contact after my arrival there, except when I saw him sleeping in the shape of a bat, but this meeting I did not take into consideration.

I thought about my mother, how she would be in that moment. The homesickness clutched my chest like a mill, as I wanted my mother to be here with me. A tear rolled down my face. Then I automatically stopped it with my own fingers.

When I realized the sleep would not come to visit me soon, I got up and walked to the open window. I did not see anything out there, only the ground covered with snow and a wind accelerating around the castle. I could almost touch the dark clouds through my bedroom window. However, I had no idea at what altitude I was and I estimated more than ten meters.

Even so I stood near my window until the darkness had gone away and a dark gray sky with its dark clouds emerged. The weather was cloudy and I realized it was another day. It had dawned and I had been standing at my window the entire night as I remained watching the infinite darkness.

After that I left my room and came to the main room, where a silence reined around the place. Everyone was still asleep.

Presently I walked through three different corridors. The last of them took me to the castle's central door. I decided to open it carefully, not making any noise to wake the others in the palace.

Soon I came across the outside of the castle. It all was very different from what I was accustomed to seeing on the planet Earth. I put my feet onto snow.

Without fear, I walked over it and ran into a huge forest, which seemed endless. There were large stones lost on the whiteness of the snow. I saw several brown trees with their branches completely dry. There was not even a life in that place, no green plant, no flower, no grass...

I continued to walk without noticing I was more and more distant from my father's residence.

My steps became strenuous due to the ice freezing my feet. I felt very cold. The temperature in the castle was nice, but outside of it, it was impossible not to experience the feel of a lot of frost.

With fascination, I stopped walking next to a lake with dark water. Its shade was a gray and navy blue. I touched my sensitive toes on it, causing small ripples in the lake, becoming a growing mill into it. I could see my face reflected on its water as soon as I looked into it.

It would be the last time I would see my own image. I felt a twinge in my chest, a strange pressure. It was as if something strange would happen to me that day.

But I did not know exactly what.

Afterward, I walked back as I was frightened at everything I had seen on the lake. Its water had turned into blood.

To top it all off, I had another scare when I turned to one side and saw Bizak in front of me. He had probably followed me there.

"Why are you scared?" asked Bizak, in a careful tone.

After his request, I looked back at the lake and its water returned to its normal color. It was just a mirage. I blinked.

"I saw blood in the lake," innocently I said him and I felt as if my breath were being torn out of my lungs.

"Blood in the lake?" immediately he looked into the water as he didn't seem convinced by my words. Bizak knew it was some fruit from my imagination.

"It's so cold here! I'll go back to the castle," I said and felt a discomfort through my feet. They were anesthetized due to the ice on the ground.

"Your feet are turning purple," he said, looking down at them.

My lips packed together. "I had not noticed them," I answered, looking at them too.

"Hold my hand firmly! I'll take you back to the castle, without you needing to step on the ice," Bizak ordered and put out his hand.

At that moment I could see the symbol of Neptune on his left wrist. I could only stare.

"It is not necessary," My voice trailed off. I replied with my eyes on his picture. Bizak perceived my fear.

"I promise I'll not hurt you," his smiles tried to smile as he insisted with humor.

So I stared at him for a few seconds, until I made the decision to trust him. I held his hand with firmness and immediately I saw our bodies floating on the snow. It was like magic. We arrived at the castle door within seconds.

My feet touched on the ground and we walked on. He gazed at my silly face as I was surprised at his vampire tricks.

"How did you do it?" quite astonished I asked him, keeping a smile on my lips.

"I took a magic potion. What a pity! It lasts...only some seconds," he answered with humor. His attitude that morning made me see him as a new friend.

Every vampire had their exploits, charms and uses and what Bizak had just done was one of them. We extended our conversation while we walked to the main room. Bizak laughed at his own humorous comments.

We became quiet as we were met by Eros' presence. He was leaning against his seat. He was rigidly observing our behavior. Then he knew we came from a fun situation.

I lowered my head and didn't face those accusing eyes again. Bizak looked at my face and he realized I was taken aback by Eros' disapproval. He noted Eros had influenced me in some way. Eros exerted a power over me.

Only one enigmatic gaze on me and it was enough for me to change my behavior. Then I closed myself to everyone who was around me. I was wordless.

"Why are you up at a time like this?" Bizak asked him as he was surprised to see Eros out of his bed so early.

"My body got accustomed to the routine schedule from Earth," he joked at him. "You also aren't accustomed to staying up at this time, having fun and floating on snow."

At that moment it had became clear to me. Eros had seen everything that happened between me and Bizak from the outside of the castle.

I felt a fatigue at his words.

Irony did not blend well with Eros and it made him frightening.

"Valkyrie's feet were frozen," Bizak justified, proving to be helpful. Eros frowned at us.

"You have practiced the day's best action!" currently Eros reinforced his satirical joke.

"I think you're the one and only here that deserves applause for everything you do," Bizak protested, enraged at him. "You're the only number one!"

Then Bizak walked away from there before a discussion could be formed between them. This meant that I was alone with Eros in that huge living room. Then I could clearly hear my footsteps while I approached him.

"Is it just my impression or do you two hate each other?" I asked him as I was staring at his obscure face.

"The word 'hate' is a compliment," Eros affirmed ironically, his glance ran to the side.

"What's wrong with him?" not persuaded, I insisted and he could hear the doubt in my voice.

"What's wrong with them?" his gaze met mine as he pronounced my question again changing the pronouns.

But I shook my head at him as I was confused at his many insinuations. Eros noticed I showed no interest in his frivolous comments. He got up from his seat and held my arm firmly, bringing me to him. At that moment I could see his face up close. His expression looked arduous.

"I don't know why. But I do not trust them yet," Eros answered and looked away.

"Them?" again I stared at him, requiring a clearer response from him. So I frowned.

"Bizak and... Valeska... I think there's something confusing about them ..." he said seriously as he looked back into my ash-colored eyes.

"They seem ok," I said softly, even gazing at his severe face.

His hand touched his brow. "That's the problem. They do not look like what they really are," he alleged.

"You're making me confused..." My shoulders contracted. I said and looked around him. Eros made me believe I was lost in a nest of snakes.

"Stay away from them and principally you must stay away from Valeska," he said and freed my arm. Then he walked to another room.

Eros seemed to be sorry after he had said those things to me, after he had seen the great fear in my eyes. I tried to say something to him and tried to get details about all he said to me. However, I was interrupted by his absence, because he wasn't there. Eros had vanished like smoke into the air.

Valeska almost immediately appeared in the living room.

"You're here," she said with her dull smile. Then I stared at her face in a different manner from other times. I was looking for some detail, something that could resemble things assumed by Eros just moments ago. I always trusted him, but his suspicions were unacceptable. I saw Bizak and Valeska like candidates to be my good friends.

Maybe this was the problem Eros had, he was jealous of my friendship with Bizak and Valeska. Possibly he would be afraid they could take his place in my life.

"Vincent asked me to take care of you. Today is a big day!" she said and grabbed my arm, leading me to another room.

"Come with me, I need to dress you."
Chapter 30

I spent hours in the care of Valeska. It was all recommended by my father. We were locked in my bedroom.

While she was choosing a perfect dress for me to be dressed in during the night, all I knew was that there would be a celebration in my honor. It was a kind of welcome at my father's castle.

Valeska took care of all the arrangements for the ceremony. Minutes before the event, she came back to my bedroom and helped me put on my dress and she also helped me finish my makeup. As soon as she completed her task, she came out of my bedroom.

After that I stood for a moment, walking from one side to other with so much mystery hovering around me.

Suddenly I remembered the blood on the lake.

I thought that mirage could be a warning in relation to what was to happen later. That thought helped to make me even more nervous. I should not be afraid. After all, I was inside my father's castle... I also was with my friends. What harm would they do to me? I thought about it and began to feel more relaxed.

After a half hour, I left my bedroom. My intention was to go to the main room where the event would happen. I had difficulty in walking with my dress dragging on the floor. My feet stumbled on the fabric.

When I arrived at the main room, everyone was there, except my father. I stopped at the front of the huge hall.

As soon as I entered, I noticed everyone looking at me, that is, Valeska, Bizak and Eros, I immediately lowered my head.

Valeska, with her friendly manner, offered me her hand, so I walked to her.

"I have never said this before, but you look beautiful in this dress!" she said as I approached her.

I put my face down again as I was embarrassed at her praise. I also knew Bizak and Eros had heard her praise too.

However, I did not want to be in the spotlight that night. Throughout my life I had always passed unnoticed before people and even though it seemed that history would pivot at this time, it was something out of the question for me.

"This red dress suits you," Bizak said, gazing at me from head to toe. I went red.

But Eros said nothing since I arrived there and his silence made me feel ridiculous in my clothes.

I was in my red dress and I was wearing heavy makeup on my face. Valeska used strong colors, making me look like a female dancer in a nightclub, not to mention anything about my red lipstick and dark shadows around my eyes.

My blood-red dress was beautiful and in my opinion, it was outrageous. I had never dressed like this. But there is a first time for everything...

My father came into the main room. His eyes came over me as I was standing next to Valeska.

"My child, you look beautiful!" he said, holding my delicate hands. His gaze shone in my direction.

Then he kissed them in an affectionate manner. I fixed my eyes on his tender act.

Despite the fact that he was a monster, it was just moments before he seemed so human, so distinct. I forgot completely I was now living with a vampire.

"Today is your big day!" My father said, looking in the direction of my neck.

Hearing those words, I glanced at everyone around me. At that moment I could see in their expressions they knew what would happen to me that night. They were not allowed to speak about it, not allowed to spoil the surprise.

My father let my hands go and then he walked to a huge dining table. There was food and drink. He held some cups and filled them with a red liquid.

This liquid had been made by vampires. It was a mixture of blood and alcohol.

He handed the cups to everyone, except me.

"You still cannot drink it," my father said and raised his glass, making an invitation to toast the occasion. "Let's make a toast!"

One and all stood holding their glasses.

"We'll make a toast to celebrate my daughter's new world!"

He stared at me. Vincent was satisfied at my presence in his castle.

"VALKYRIE, THE VAMPIRE PRINCESS!" he exclaimed and everyone then touched his cup on theirs.

I stayed in the same place, watching everything, since I was not allowed to share that toast and that drink with them.

Valeska went to the dining table and walked back to bring me a cup with an unknown liquid.

"This you can drink," in high spirits, she said and smiled at me. "It's a red fruit juice."

I tasted it and frowned as I sensed its strange taste. It was nothing like anything I had tasted before.

"Do you like it?" Valeska asked me.

"It's different ..." confused, I answered as I could not describe my sensation. My fingers touched my red lips.

My father was standing next to Eros and Bizak as they was sipping their drinks and chatting. I could not hear the theme of their conversations. Their talk seemed interesting and it was stamped on their faces.

Valeska stole my attention as she started a conversation with me.

"After you become one of us, you will know how exceptional it is," she said.

I could see on her face a pretentious gaze, with intent to convince me that mortality was no fun.

"You can have everything you wish for ... You can realize everything you want to," she continued with a gentle voice. "What have you wished for?" She asked me as she was supposing what would be my answer.

I did not answer her. I just stared at Eros with his glass in hand as he was listening to my father all the time. My eyes devoured him and this answered her question.

Valeska knew perfectly what Eros represented to me. After all she was a lady and every lady knew when another lady was in love. She just wanted to confirm her suspicions, those which should be affirmed by my lips.

She gazed at me and then she gazed at him and again her astute gaze came on my face.

"Eros is your big wish," she declared.

At that moment I expelled the juice from my mouth, which I had choked on. It was a shock to hear this coming from her, to hear such claims from her lips. Everyone looked at me and they frowned.

"This always happens to me ..." I tried to disguise that constrained situation.

I had no courage to face Valeska. She knew perfectly well the reason why I choked on my juice. I did not speak for cowardice of what was really happening to me. Valeska moved her investigative eyes on me. She noticed I would not say anything to her, not at this moment, at that instant, perhaps ... on other day.

We remained for hours in that festive mood, our cups were never empty. I could not stand to take more juice and look many times in Eros 'direction and not get his attention, not even a glance ...a smile ... or his approach.

My father walked behind me and put his cold hand on my right shoulder. I retracted my body's muscles as I was feeling a shivering sensation. My time had come. This was the most expected moment of this night.

"It's your time, Valkyrie," my father said. "You'll have everything you wish for."

His three servants were approaching him, as they were side by side, standing and watching us. The three of them knew what my father predestined as soon as he said those words.

'IT'S YOUR TIME.'

But I continued without understanding why there was so much mystery all around me.

"We cannot wait any longer. If we don't do what must be done, you will die," my father continued. "You must join us while you can."

Eros and I faced each other in silence. I didn't know what to do or what to say at that moment.

"MAKE YOUR CHOICE! Which one of them will suck your sweet blood?" Vincent asked me.

Before me, his three servants were standing, only a short distance away. They were in order, Eros, Valeska and Bizak.

At that instant I felt a great fear which I could not kill. I was about to become a vampire and live my immortality in the darkness among them and away from my mother and the planet Earth.

"Who have you chosen?" my father insisted.

My bleary eyes watered as a spring of tears appeared. I wished for only one person. My father and his servants saw perfectly my choice through my motionless eyes.

"EROS!"

My father said out loud.

"I cannot do it," Eros shook his head at us, refusing my choice.

"She chose you!" Vincent said, a flash of anger in his eyes and his voice rose.

"I cannot ...." Eros murmured and shook his head another time. But he didn't look at me.

"Do it now!" his master ordered in irritation.

I stood, scared, awaiting the elected one to end all suspense and do what should be done.

Eros walked, dissatisfied in my direction. He did not want to stick his pointed teeth into my neck. There was a reason for it, I didn't know what.

No vampire would refuse an invitation like that. Valeska and Bizak would do it with pleasure. This, however, had been assigned to Eros.

My father moved backward to see Eros in front of me. He was almost ready to get his first bite in my flesh. He grabbed my shoulder and carefully removed my hair from my neck with his other hand. I stared up at his face and saw his eyes changing color.

He put his lips on my neck.

My heart's beating and my heavy breathing came up to his ears like a pleasing melody, an invitation to sink his teeth into my trembling flesh.

Then I looked up at the dark ceiling. A strange feeling came over my body. A burning sensation went through my flesh. It seemed I was on fire. Then I closed my eyes and abandoned myself to Eros' pleasant bite.

Being bitten by a blood sucking monster should be somewhat unpleasant and Eros made it ... tasty. My body writhed for a few seconds, followed by light moans, almost impossible to hear. I leaned my hands against his neck. It was a way for me to endure my pain.

My eyes rolled like a spiral, changing color. It was the effect of his bite on my body.

But Eros had lost his control. His bite should not take so long and he looked at my blood with an insatiable lust. The more he sucked my blood the more he wanted to suck it to the last drop. His agitation was so great he squeezed my ribs with debauchery.

He had not only sucked my sweet blood, but my thoughts. At the end of his bite he had visions about me and he searched my unconscious. Several images of me wanting a kiss from him, every time I wanted to be kissed by him.

All the kisses I had imagined of him from when I met him in school, they were all revealed to him. Even a kiss I had imagined hours before his bite including the moment my eyes ran over him when I first got to the hall. His bite revealed everything I felt for him, that is, my wishes and my unbridled passion for him.

After seeing and feeling all my emotions, he felt sick. A torment invaded his soul, preventing him from continuing sucking my blood.

Then he walked away from me, keeping his fist to his lips smeared with my blood.

I fell to the ground as I was helpless. I felt a weakness running through my body. I could hardly see anything before me, but I could see everyone was transfigured in their gray eyes. They had the appearances of vampires.

Seeing Eros delighting in my blood, whet their thirst for blood. They wanted to do the same thing, except my father who had no courage to stick his teeth in my flesh at the moment.

He could bite anybody in the world, except me.

After all I was part of him.

My neck left was with two-small holes from Eros' teeth. My blood still trickled down my neck.

Then my father knelt beside me and held my head to get my lips against his wrist. He made a small cut into it with his huge nail, unifying my taste to a few drops of his blood. I wanted more and held his wrist and sucked his blood as much as necessary to trounce my thirst for blood.

Drinking his blood was required in order for me to go on with my immortality.

Chapter 31

I slept three nights in a row. A deep sleep devastated my being. I needed to replace my energies since they had all been sucked up by the bite of Eros.

When I opened my eyes, I felt my body was different. I had a feeling I had never known before.

There was emptiness inside me. I did not feel my heartbeat. I was one of the living dead. I looked up at the ceiling and at the dark corners of the room. At that moment I realized I was in my bedroom, lying on my cold bed.

I sat up in bed and looked down at my hands. My skin was pale, there were no signs of blood running through my veins and the color in my eyes was not dark any longer. They had become gray like the eyes of my father, Eros, Bizak and Valeska. Around them, there was a dark circle. I realized I had turned into a vampire in fact, a poor immortal, who was bloodthirsty.
***

Hours later

I walked to the main room. My father was there, standing in a corner, waiting for my appearance. He knew I was hungry and would need much blood.

"How do you feel?" his voice serenely asked, Vincent was staring at my face. His eyes looked to admire my image like a vampire.

"Strange," my right hand ran in the direction of my forehead and I answered confused.

"It's normal for you feel this way," he justified and smiled shortly at me.

Afterward he walked quickly.

When I looked at him again, he was already near me, by my side. He held my chin to see my face better. All I did was look at him too. My father looked fascinated at my transformation. It was an honor for him. I had become a real vampire.

"You came to be a beautiful creature!" his tone of voice sounded different from other times. He was thrilled. "Perfect!"

But I remained silent, looking into his gray eyes.

"You might be hungry!" Vincent said and held my ice-cold hand. Our gazes met and he remained waiting for my sweet voice.

"I need blood," finally I whispered. My tone of voice sounded low.

To facilitate I was led by him, who walked forward. My father was taking me to a place I did not know yet.

We went through several dark, silent corridors. There was nobody besides us.

Bats flew over our heads. They were frightened by the noise of our steps. Three of them began flaying against me. I lowered my head, trying to avoid colliding my face with their bodies. My father walked normally as he looked familiar with that species.

We stopped in front of a rock wall.

Vincent stared at it for a few seconds, in his a serious posture.

After that the wall answered his stare. Then it divided in two parts, opening a passage to another place, which was no more part of his castle.

We went through it and automatically the opening closed and again there was an entire wall with no crack. I looked back over my shoulder as I was scared and watched the closed wall.

It was pure magic.

My father walked on and I did the same. We were in a town built of stones. There were small cottages. These emerged from the smoke into the air. The gray scene resembled a horror movie. I walked beside my father as I was looking around the dark ground.

"Where are we?" I looked back at the dark houses.

"On the ground of those who kill our hunger," his voice alleged with deep wisdom. Vincent remained serious.

"Do people live in this place?"

My eyes increased. I was surprised that a place like that actually had humans living there.

My father laughed at my sense of stupidity for some time. I looked up at his countenance, having fun at my lack of culture. Suddenly my shoulders compacted.

"No human would live in a place like this for many hours," he explained to me. "Those who live here we call 'pre- vampires'."

"Pre-vampires?" I frowned at him. I had never heard those words before in my life and what they signified.

"This is one of them," he said, motioning to a creature approaching us.

I looked in the same direction. I saw something moving under a huge black cape, its face was covered by a great hood. It was an unknown figure for me.

My father had made it stop walking, using only the movement of his hand toward the creature.

I looked at Vincent without understanding his behavior, what he wanted me to do with the prey.

"Come closer!" he ordered me. "This is your meal."

I did what my tutor suggested to do, and then I approached the creature with no speed as I felt a panic.

I came closer to it. I could see its horrible face and it looked like a disfigured human with its round eyes, white and huge teeth, its skin was peeled and without vivacity. It looked like a deformed vampire.

My thirst for blood ran high. I lowered the hood of my prey, grabbed its neck carefully and put my nose on its neck. I smelled its blood and I stuck my teeth with all my will into its bloodstream. I closed my eyes, savoring its red liquid. The more I extracted from it, the more I wanted to drink it. The creature went limp in my arms, fainted, in its last breaths. Vincent grabbed me by the shoulders as he was terrified. He prevented from me sucking its last blood drop.

"Enough!" his voice shouted at me. He separated me from the fainted body, which went straight to the ground like a dead corpse. "Let's get out of here!" Vincent ordered.

Right now I was led by him, who laid his hand on my shoulder.

"What will happen to this creature?" my eyes ran up at his face. I asked as I was sorry for what I did to that poor soul.

"It will die in a few minutes," he responded, gazing way.

"Aren't they immortal like us?" I asked, interested.

"That is why they are called pre-vampires." My father said and looked intently on the road to me. So I continued mute.
Chapter 32

Vincent ordered Eros to his bedroom. The same came to the site immediately. He walked, afraid, toward his master. Eros knew something had happened after my father had claimed his presence at that moment.

He noticed my father's rude attitude.

Then Eros stood before him and kept his silence for some time as he gazed down at his own black clothes. His breath had been oppressed by his apprehension.

"I'm here," he let him know, after his firm posture before his master.

Vincent stared at him from head to foot for some instants and his stare fixed on Eros's serious face. His good temper looked to be away from him after Eros entered his bedroom.

"You were almost perfect in your mission," Finally Vincent alleged and his voice could reach Eros's ears.

"What are you talking about?" He wrinkled his face at his master as he looked worried about his comment.

"It was not in our plan for Valkyrie to fall in love with you." His voice sounded heavy as he imagined Eros could have caused damage to me. My father didn't tolerate that thought. He didn't order Eros after me to make that type of thing.

"It was not in our plan that I manipulate her heart," Eros said back and his voice looked hard. He thought of his own defense, since there was no one to do it for him.

They faced each other in seriousness. Their words were choked in their throats. They exchanged gazes in fury. That room was witnessing a verbal wrangle.

Eros glanced to the left and held his right hand toward his lips. "I also have no power to do that," he justified, looking back in the direction of Vincent and after that his hand went down and touched his leg.

"But it could have been avoided!" My father said irritably and turned his back to him, avoiding looking at his servant at that moment. Vincent looked to be furious. His voice won altitude every time he talked to his vampire servant.

"Tell me! How?" Eros also became revolted at his master. His pale face became red in anger and his voice could be higher than my father's tone.

"I trusted you!" He turned back and stared at Eros. His voice sounded filled with remorse. His throat made a strange noise. Maybe Vincent wanted to throw down that castle with his indignation. Eros had awaked that feeling in him. So my father didn't know to work with it.

"There is no reason for you not to trust me any longer." He faced him too. "I have not laid a finger on your daughter."

"The worst thing you did, you molested her heart," Vincent said aloud.

The room walls nearly shook during his tone of voice.

"If it weren't for that damned love she feels for me, she would not be here," Eros confessed and walked to the open window and looked at the stones on the ground. The inactive stones didn't hear his words. "Or do you think she would just come here to meet a father who was never present in her life?"

"You did everything premeditated. You made her fall in love with you in order to bring her here," Vincent said even more upset at him.

"Wrong!" He went away from the window and walked to the middle of the bedroom and opened his arms. "I never wanted this love, but since it exists ... I took the opportunity to complete my journey," he confessed, sighed and descended his arms, looking to be dissatisfied with that discussion.

"My daughter does not deserve it," he grumbled and gazed down, looking to be defeated by his own despair. In that occasion I was the thing my father took care of. So he saw Eros like a risk in my life. Vincent didn't see his servant was even loyal to him.

"You also would do the same or worse." Eros assumed, staring at him over again. At this moment my father raised his face and stared in the direction of Eros.

"Get out!" Vincent ordered, annoyed and his forefinger rose toward Eros during that.

Facing that scene, Eros walked toward the bedroom door without looking to the sides, keeping his posture straight. Vincent had not convinced him he had taken the wrong attitude. Eros was safe in his idea. He didn't fear his master's fury.

Basically, Vincent knew he was right, but to have been his daughter in such a situation made him angry.

The master of the vampires had kept his gaze on his room door, as it was closed by his servant, isolating him in his quiet bedroom. Eros walked back through the long corridor, keeping his head bent. For some instants he thought of him going away from that castle and me. After all I had been the motive of his discussion with his master. At that moment Eros saw me like a girl that was there to disorder his life. He always lived at that place with harmony. But now everything looked to have fallen on his head.

He was feeling like a vampire good-for-nothing.

Eros wished to devastate all at his front. Nothing could make him feel better.

Chapter 33

Valeska buttoned my dress from the bottom up, with her eyes upon me. In her unconscious there was a desire to be in my place, to be the legitimate daughter of the most powerful vampire in the universe. She had always dreamed of it. But in real life she was just a loyal servant of Vincent.

She noticed I did not have this conception. I always envisioned being born and breathing my last breath like a human.

Everything I was living at that time was not to my liking; living in that dark, deserted and cold place, I being a blood slave and victims lost their lives.

"You are quiet!" she whispered suavely and continued touching my dark clothing.

"I am in fear of what I've become." I admitted with my face down. What I saw in front of me were only my pale feet in contact with the cold ground. My thoughts were miserable and unhappy. I really didn't look like any princess, daughter of a vampire king.

That gigantic castle symbolized nothing in my life. But I was glad I had met my father in fact. I imagined that was the best part of my journey there.

"You have yet not realized how much all this is good!" Valeska said in high spirits as her nails slid by my shoulder.

"If I knew it would end up like this ... I would not have come to this castle," my head descended as I confessed her. I should face that life like mine. I had decided to be there to meet my father.

"Why are you here?" soon she looked at my face. Her big gray eyes came across mine. But I couldn't look at them for extensive time. "It's because of Eros?"

"I am here because of my father." My voice sounded powerless as I gazed to the side another time. My words showed my design. But I perceived Valeska looked not persuaded. So she insisted like bosom friend.

"You know you can confess everything to me," her voice was polite. Valeska wanted to see me talking to her without fear. "There's nobody here to hear you besides me."

She glanced aside and saw a lot of gray walls. At that moment I kept my eyes bent. I couldn't face things before me.

"I do not want to talk about it," resolute, I said as I looked up at the wall. An illuminated torch attracted my attention for a short time.

"Eros is your torment! I see it!" she affirmed, forcing my confession. I stared back at her face and remained quiet. My heart ran quickly within me just as I paid attention to her words. It was as if Eros could be before us and have the sense of hearing our converse.

"Does he know it?" she asked then, in hope of hearing my reply.

"No."

"Why don't you tell him how you feel?" Valeska insisted. Her gaze shone toward me. She looked to love talking about that. Valeska quickly discovered my weak point. That was a big discovery in favor of her.

"I'm afraid." Confessed her some time after and my afflicted eyes ran about everything there. To talk about that subject was something I didn't desire at that occasion.

"Why afraid?"

"I'm afraid of his reaction," Finally I said, in anguish and my hands passed lightly over my long black hair. My eyes went down again. Sometimes I felt angry at myself for being so shy. I should raise my head, look for Eros and confess him my love for him.

"And if he feels the same for you?" Valeska insisted. I tried to fix my attention on her question.

"If he feels the same for me ... I must expect him to express his feelings for me."

"Eros will never do it," Valeska shook her head as she affirmed rapidly. She looked to be familiar with Eros. That was possible because they lived collectively in that castle. Maybe Eros should have had some strong feeling for somebody and Valeska came to know about it. Even so she preferred not to declare about her affirmation.

"How do you know?" my eyes expanded. I asked astonished as I feared he could never confess me his feelings.

"I've known him for a hundred years ... He's never confessed his feelings to anyone."

At some stage in that I glanced down, "Do you really think he feels something for me?" I asked with brightness in my eyes.

"I cannot say ... but he behaves different in front of you as if he was favorably impressed by you," she supposed and gave me a short smile.

So I gazed up and about. Those words came from Valeska's mouth. They encouraged me to face my fears and confess to Eros, all I felt for him. These feelings were born inside me the first time I saw him in my classroom.

Valeska made me feel different. She gave me courage to face everything with vigor and determination. She had convinced me that Eros could give me his love in return. That he could feel for me all that I really felt for him. I would need to tell him about the existence of my love for him.

Then I imagined it would not be an easy task but also not impossible.

Chapter 34

I sat at the dining table next to Valeska. Eros sat facing Valeska and Bizak was at his side facing me. My father sat on a chair near the table's edge.

The menu was just raw meat.

Finally, I tasted the drink made with blood. My father demanded a toast among us. It was the first meal I shared with them in that exotic style, where the blood was the main dish. We were all with our gray eyes and sharp teeth.

The glare reflected from lit torches on the walls of the corners made us see each one clearly. The first person that I faced was my father monitoring our dinner. Then I looked at Valeska, who whispered into my ear after she ran her curious eyes over Eros.

"Remember what we talked about," she said quietly, just for me to hear.

I said nothing and looked at Bizak. I noticed he was facing me with his huge eyes.

Automatically I swerved my look to his left and saw Eros keeping his head down. He was quiet all the time. He avoided looking at everyone sitting around the dining table.

I looked at a jar on the table, near him.

"Eros, can you hand me that jar?" Soon I asked.

He looked up into my gray eyes. I gazed fearlessly at his face as I believed in the possibility he also felt something for me. He made the jar come up to me only with the power of his mind. I was shocked at how quickly the object came towards me.

"You can also do it Valkyrie," my father articulated as he saw how amazed I was.

"I cannot do it," serenely I said.

"Try to do the same," he insisted.

He put the jar back in its original place, in the same way as Eros has placed it in front of me.

"You can do it!" my father persisted.

I tried not to disappoint him and did what was suggested to me. I stared at the jar, placing all power in my mind as I tried to get something to happen. After several unsuccessful attempts, I gave up, embarrassed.

"I cannot!" I whispered.

"Okay dear," my father said. "When your powers become more precise, you will not fail at it."

Even saying these words, I noted my father expected more from me. He wanted to see me like a big vampire who was worthy of being his daughter.

"I also took time to learn how to do this," Bizak commented at smiled lightly in the direction of my chair.

It improved my mood, listening to Bizak saying he went through the same difficulties as I did. It was a sign the problem was not just with me.

I would eventually be able to. It was just a matter of time.

***

After the dinner we went to a salon called the 'Melody Room'.

My father snapped his fingers and a melody invaded the room. It was in absence of musical instruments and musicians. But the music was perfect.

The sound of the violin clearly sounded into our ears. It was a soft music and pleasant to hear. Vincent went with the melody. He ran through the room, grabbed my hand and made me dance with him. We went off the ground, our bodies levitated. I was a little dizzy from so much moving in a circle, but it was fun. Our heads almost touched the ceiling of the castle.

Valeska and Bizak did the same and joined us to dance too. Eros remained standing in the corner. He seemed to be in no mood for festivities. I noticed he had scowled all the time. Nothing made him relaxed.

Several melodies paraded through our eardrums until the hour came and we had to go to bed.

Then everyone was sleeping in their bedrooms.

I was the only exception. I stayed in the great hall for a few moments.

Silence reigned in that dark place.

I walked toward the balcony of the castle. I saw nothing in that darkness but an uncontrolled wind. Soon I closed my eyes to feel it with more spirit on my face.

I opened my eyes when I felt a cold breath blow into my ear and then my heart ran in a hurry at his unmistakable presence.

Eros was behind me.

In the first moment, I had no reaction as I kept my gaze straight ahead.

"You're still awake?"

I recognized his voice, and then I turned to face him.

"I thought ..."

"This could be Eros," he completed. His voice sounded light to my ears.

My lips squeezed. I glanced down.

Bizak looked at my face and noticed my disappointment by not being who I expected.

Actually, I went to the balcony in the hope Eros would appear and I could reveal my love for him. We could be alone, just he and I.

I lowered my chin being disappointed at not being true when I felt the presence of Eros there, behind me, breathing into my ear. All I wanted at that moment was to be with him.

"Everyone is asleep ... Even ... Eros," Bizak said still looking at me. His gaze was so light gray.

"I think we should do the same," finally I said, trying to escape.

But I was prevented from moving forward when I felt his cold hand clutching my arm. At this moment my stare met his. Nevertheless I remained voiceless. Bizak looked to know actually my feelings for Eros.

"If Eros was here you wouldn't be in a hurry to sleep," his voice insisted and consequently he released my arm. Soon I pulled it back to me.

"I do not understand. Why do you rely on Eros and suspect me?" his head vibrated for some time as he asked.

"I've known Eros the longest," merely I responded him.

"Eros knows perfectly how to dazzle people," Bizak whispered and his gaze met the darkness.

"What do you have against him?"

"Me?" He put his hands on his head and took two steps forward, going against the wall. "Nothing against ...just I see he is featured in everything he does. Everyone notices him!"

He raised his arms up into the air.

So I approached the wall, remaining close to Bizak. Our conversation became interesting. After all, it was all about Eros. I longed to know more about him.

We stared into the darkness, as we remained silent for a time. Both had different thoughts. Then, I felt his hand on top of my head. It was sliding through my hair with the greatest of care.

"He'll make you suffer ..." he said, looking at my expression without any reaction on his part.

His assertion challenged my expectations about what Valeska made clear to me hours before. I was again unsure in relation to the feelings of Eros.

After that Bizak turned into a snake and it was dragging on the floor of the balcony. Its swift movements made it disappear immediately. I stayed there for some time, hoping Eros would wake up and come to me.
Chapter 35

I spent my last few hours of rest in despair. My doubts and concerns chased away my sleep.

I was lying on my back, watching the ceiling of my bedroom with precision, where I deposited several images of Eros, several scenes imagined by me.

In my imagination Eros corresponded all I felt for him. How easy it was to love that way.

I got up the next morning. My window curtains were open. I changed my clothes and I was in my long, wine -colored dress.

I walked through the castle. Everyone was sleeping.

I decided to take a ride in the vicinity of my father's dwelling. The overcast sky punished my vision. I walked to the edge of the lake. It was one of my favorite places, since everything there was so adventitious. I looked at the lake's water. I could no more see my reflection on it and at that moment I realized I was no longer human.

I was condemned for all eternity to never again be able to see my own image. I did not exist any longer...

I moved away from the lake as I was anxious and then I walked toward the forest of dry trees. They were burned by the snow. The landscape consisted of dark colors. I was standing on a rock and I looked up at the immense sky.

Seconds later, my vision had detected a black figure coming down from the heights. It was so fast I had no time to follow its movements ... This same thing was already at my side. It fell on its feet upon the rock. Our eyes met and there was a silence.

"You're awake so early!" A male voice said, breaking the silence between us.

"I could not sleep last night," I said retracted as if he could know the reason I could not close my eyes last night.

"What disturbed your sleep?" he asked looking at the lifeless trees.

His question sounded unimportant to him. It was a way to continue our conversation.

"Oh...I...in fact ... I went to bed thinking about how ..."

Soon I looked at his face and he stared at me waiting for me to finish my sentence.

Our gaze met. I became dumb. The courage fled from my heart. Confused, I shook my head.

"I would talk to ... you."

Even so I kept my head down as it was difficult trying to declare my love for him. Eros remained peaceful, gazing toward me.

"What's so important that you have talk to me about? To the point it has made you restless."

He proved to be compassionate.

"The love I feel ...for you ..."

My stare met his during my words. I felt a strange reaction in my body as I said those words. It was kind of relief mixed with despair.

"So that's what you wanted to tell me?" he asked looking to his left and shook his head softly. His indifference shattered all my expectations with regard to his feelings. Soon I bit my lips.

"I already knew ..." He acted with more coolness and fixed gray his eyes on my pale face.

"Did you know all this time?" quickly I raised an eyebrow. I asked as I stared at him. However, he continued looking in the other direction.

"I always knew ... from when we were on Earth," he confessed to me and bowed his head.

"And why have you never told me anything?" But I insisted and asked, crushed. My head shook as well.

"I thought it was not necessary for you to know I was aware of it," he explained and his voice sounded as cold as much as his indifference.

"It would have made things easier ...I would not have lost so many nights of sleep trying to find a way to tell you this," My head turned to the side , I looked at him as I revealed.

"It would have been worse." His voice was insensitive and his gaze was away.

For a second time I frowned at him as I was confused. Yeah, things needed to be said, but not that way. Basically Eros was compressing my heart and my feelings. That wasn't right.

"You would not only lose your sleep at nights ... but also would have lost your taste for life!" His voice sounded aggressive and he faced me gravely.

"What do you mean?" negativity came over me as I asked him.

"I cannot return what you feel for me." His voice was filled with anguish.

I sensed it hurt him to say those things. He did not want to see me suffer. So he did not let it show that he knew everything. He, being impartial, would have been easier for him than trying to convince me to give up that platonic love.

"Why?" I demanded. Things were not clear to me yet. What was his objection?

"Only humans are attracted to me," soon he answered coldly.

"I was human ..." I whispered unhappily and turned my head down.

"Now you aren't any longer," he replied impatiently. "You have to forget me!"

All I saw in that moment was Eros as he made a giant leap and his body of vampire -man turned into an owl. Then it flew into the sky and disappeared rapidly.

I lowered and crossed my arms over my chest as I was clinging to my despair and my pain.

What I feared had just happened.

I was not in him as he was in me.

Chapter 36

I arrived at my father's room without his consent. I went in the direction of his bedroom door. I was furious. My father was surprised at my presence, and then he rose from his chair in a hurry and gazed in the direction of my image.

He knew I was not well at all.

Soon I stopped walking in front of him, in a position to defy him. At that moment I didn't see him like my father. I had forgotten that detail.

"What happened?" he put his hand on his chin and observed me gravely. My arrogant approach made him perplexed.

But I faced him even more. My cheeks were red in fury. "You told me I could have it all!" I mocked him as I glanced around.

He wrinkled his nose and remained silent. So I insisted, trying to look back at him. My father looked not to want to pay attention to my words.

"Everything I wanted would be in my hands!" My voice became elevated.

"Do you doubt it?" He asked and took his hand away from his chin and condensed his gray eyes in my direction.

My gaze challenged his. "Then why can't I have 'the love of Eros'?" My voice sounded angry at this moment. I glanced to one side as I had Eros's image in my mind.

"You are angry because of this!" He smiled at it all as his gray eyes ran quickly around.

"You never gave yourself the luxury of feeling it! You're a monster!" I shouted at him and curved my head. Soon my depressing eyes met the floor. I was frustrated at everything.

"Valkyrie, love is the compassion of mortals...We do not need it," he confessed and sat back on his armchair looking quite annoyed. But he kept his posture like a master of the vampires. He also had forgotten he was my father. In that moment he saw me like a vampire that should be strong and invincible. That is, I shouldn't be worried about stupid feelings like Love.

"You shouldn't have done this to me!" I shook my head and compressed my lips in anger. "You commanded Eros to come after me." I lowered my head, nearly crying.

"You ruined my life ... now I'm a monster!" I said between my teeth as I saw my father was responsible for the whole thing. I imagined he had designed just his happiness and not mine.

"I had no choice. You're my daughter," Vincent responded. His voice sounded cheerless. At that moment he gave me his gaze of father.

"Now I am condemned to this hell!"

I screamed and shook my head from side to side in the manner of denial, as I made my way in the direction of the door to step out. My father stopped me, closing the door quickly, using only his thought's force. I stopped walking and turned my body to face him. I saw him sitting waiting for me to be calm. I held back my tears. I did not want to cry in front of him.

"That's how you repay your father?" He asked, rose from his chair, walked to his open window and looked up at the cloudy sky. His day was going not good. He hated to argue with me.

"I gave you immortality!"

"And you took my happiness!" Rapidly I screamed again.

This made me release all my anger at him. I couldn't forgive him at that occasion. So I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate on something good. But it was in vain because I continued annoyed.

"Is your happiness found in a trivial love for a vampire?" He asked sarcastically. My father desired to make me see his world without indigence. The master of the vampires wanted me to be like him and think of everything like him did.

"I lost my mother ..."

Soon I lowered my head as I said him that.

"It's not her who you're thinking about now!" He affirmed to emphasize my bitterness. My father looked at me. "You're too young, you'll have many passions," he confessed filled with wisdom.

After that Vincent turned back and snapped his fingers, making the door open.

"Now go!"

His voice sounded like a vampire master and not like my father's voice. I stared in his direction as I remained voiceless. So he looked away. Looking thinking of something depressive. Maybe he imagined he would never meet a daughter like me, so stupid and foolish.

"One day you will thank me for everything I have done for you," he confessed, still keeping his back to me. His wine cape protected his backside. His long black hair practically touched his waistline. My father was a very handsome vampire.

At this split second, I turned and crossed the passage without saying anything. My silence was the correct attitude on my part.
Chapter 37

Staying at the castle at that time, it was something irrelevant to me. My desire was to fade away and disappear forever from that place and never see anyone, not even Eros.

My life had lost purpose from the moment Eros told me those things, telling me to forget him, as if that were possible. The only way I found to destroy that love that was killing me was to leave. I had to leave to exist.

I walked against the lake. All my despair I deposited there, staring at it. That dark and still water...my life looked exactly like it.

A strong wind touched my pale face. My hair followed its steps, wildly. I felt like I was anesthetized. I did not pay attention to what was happening around me.

My first tears of blood rolled down my face and I didn't feel them.

I took several steps forward to dip my feet into the lake water, where I moved on, walking slowly. My body was consumed unhurriedly by the dark water of the lake. It came up to my waist, but I continued walking and it covered my face ... my head...

Afterward I disappeared completely.

Hours passed by and I did not react in the depths of the lake. I wanted it to make me close my eyes forever.

A huge snake, seven feet long, came creeping around the lake, entered the water and went to the bottom, moving with agility. It came against my loose body, as I was swaying from one side to the other. The serpent entwined its body around mine and took me back to the edge of the lake where I was dragged back up to the surface. The snake transformed from a crawling animal and took the form of a vampire.

Bizak took me in his arms. I stood with my head down, as I was unconscious.

My loose arms shook with his steps. He could move with such speed. Although he was a vampire, he preferred to walk without haste and keep me in his arms for more time, enjoying my splendid face. Our clothes were soaked with water. Pasted to our bodies, my dress in ivory was stained. The material had darkened due to the lake water.

Bizak took me back to the castle. The dry trees swayed from side to side and among them was an owl which was watching all our movements.

It watched Bizak walking ahead as he carried my body.

The owl flew up in the other direction, against the cloudy sky and disappeared into a gray smoke that appeared in the air.

***

Minutes later...

Bizak took me straight to my bedroom where I was placed under the care of Valeska. She changed my clothes and put me into my bed to rest. I slept less than I was expected to.

When I opened my eyes, I could see her sitting at my side, looking at me. At a glance I had a vision of my mother as if she were there beside me.

"Mom!" I murmured and looked up at Valeska.

"It's me....Valeska," she said and approached me, put her hand on my head and stroked my hair affectionately. "How are you?"

"...Well..." with difficulty I responded.

"Bizak took you out of the lake," she said as her gaze was on me.

"Was he there?" I asked and sat on my bed after that. My body was dolorous and my heart too much.

"Yes." She looked at me. "What did you want to do? Die?"

Nevertheless I did not answer her question. I put down my face as I realized everything had gone wrong.

"You cannot die ...You are 'immortal'!" She asserted and her voice was serious.

"There must be a way..." but I declared, staring at her face.

"Why do you want to die?" she asked.

"My life makes no sense ..." My eyes ran around. I confessed as my thoughts were on Eros and his hard words. He knew perfectly how to ruin my life.

"You're like this because of him?" She faced my unhappy demeanor. "Did you talk to him?"

"Yes, it was even worse than I thought," I confessed her, even not looking at her face.

"What did you tell to him?"

My sigh invaded our converse first. "All I feel for him."

"What did he say to you?" Valeska asked. She was anxiously awaiting my answer.

"He told me I must forget him," I responded and my eyes met the ground another time.

"So you do it!" she said, rose from my bed and walked across my room.

"He does not deserve your love. He does not deserve anyone's love," she declared coldly.

"Why do you say that? You encouraged me to go talk to him..."

I was confused at the change of Valeska's behavior, with her assumptions involving Eros. The day before, she seemed to want to join Eros and me.

"I thought it would be different with you..." she finally said.

"Different! What?" I asked, perplexed.

"He would be attracted to you, even though you are a vampire."

"Why didn't you tell me this?"

"I didn't want to discourage you," she sat on my bed again and held my hands. "You've fallen in love with him. I had no courage to tell you all that I knew."

"Why are only humans attracted to him?" I asked in agony.

"Didn't you ask him this?"

"I had no chance, he flew away."

"I also don't know, he never said why."

"I should have declared my love for him when I was human. Maybe everything would be different now," I murmured.

"Or not," she challenged. "You don't know for sure if he was attracted to you when you were still human."

"You're right. If I was human I would not have the assurance of his love," I agreed.

***

Hours later...

We shared dinner without the presence of Eros. It was the first time that his chair was empty after my arrival at that castle.

Inside me, I knew why he didn't appear at dinner. He didn't want to face me. Probably Eros thought I was being a burden in his life. Those thoughts made me feel worse. I had lost not only his love but his friendship.

The zeal he had for me when we were on Earth. All his approaches had always been very important in my life.

Perhaps I wouldn't have them any longer.
Chapter 38

Vincent requested my presence in the main room of his castle. When I arrived, my eyes widened in surprise in the direction of the wild animals that were in his company.

My father was sitting on his armchair and on his lap was a white tiger. Between his feet was a huge snake wrapped around them and on his right shoulder was an owl.

Well, the snake I knew it was Bizak. The owl also, it was the unmistakable Eros. But the white tiger, which was white in name only, because all the wild animals in the castle were as dark as night, who was it?

They took a human form, so I approached my father little by little.

Valeska was the white tiger.

It was as I had imagined.

The three servants of my father remained standing at his side, looking like stone soldiers that couldn't step out of their places.

"You have called for me?" I asked.

"Yes!" my father said with a tranquil voice. "Do you like my collection of wild animals?" his arms moved together with his question in the direction of me.

"That's why you called for me?"

"Don't you like what you see?" He shook his hand and lowered his hands.

Gravely I asked. "Can you get straight to the point?"

My father's face became crucial. "I want to see what you can become."

So I looked to him and asked. "How can I do this?"

His shoulders trembled. I should discover it by myself. "Think of an animal that you wish to be."

"Uh ... what should I do now?" I asked, thinking quickly.

"Did you think of one?" he asked.

"Yes!" I responded rapidly.

Vincent got up and stood in front of me.

He held my arms gently.

"Close your eyes and control the strength of your mind, with the purpose of your desire to be accomplished."

I did everything my master - father ordered me.

Then I narrowed my eyes and focused on what I wished to be.

Seconds later, my body became a dark image, an animal with fur and yellow eyes.

I had turned into a black panther.

"Magnificent!"

My father and master exclaimed, pleased with my choice. I was an extraordinary animal.

Everybody in there was watching my performance.

I walked from one side to other, rapidly, my claws held firmly onto the ceiling wall. I only stopped making my acrobatics when I felt tired.

Then I stopped walking in the middle of the great room and came back into my human form.

It required an extraordinary amount of energy and I had little left.

Chapter 39

At that moment I walked toward the halls of the castle. The silence was a constant presence there. I locked my steps and put my hand on the wall, trying to keep my body up. I felt weakness. I needed blood. I needed to consume the blood of the 'pre- vampires'.

My thirst for blood was such that I was having mirages of blood everywhere, on the wall, the ceiling and on the floor.

After that I decided to go through the door that separated my father's castle from the 'pre- vampires' town.

I disobeyed my father's orders. He told me I should always be accompanied by someone and I should never walk alone there. I paced through the deserted streets of the place and saw no creature walking by me. In that case I continued my journey. I was attentive to everything around me, and then I looked from one side to another as I still was apprehensive at my surroundings.

Forward I saw a nightclub, a kind of club.

There were several of them. I did not think I would be running a risk of going in there. I thought only of blood. I stopped walking at the nightclub door and put my black hood over my head to hide my face. My eyes had changed color and my teeth grew out so I easily sensed the smell of blood.

My eyes closed at all and breathed deeply to better feel the irresistible aroma of blood.

Finally I plucked up the courage and entered the site through the main door.

It was a dark and narrow place. It was packed with pre- vampires. They would gather there to dance and drink. They had the same human needs. I slowly infiltrated the crowd, looking straight, so they would not notice my face. Further along there was a female pre- vampire doing acrobatics on a swing fixed to the ceiling. She was in little clothing. It was part of her show to let her coveted body be seen.

Several creatures paid attention to her show. I continued walking and stopped in an aisle where there were only two creatures talking together. I thought that was a suitable place to satisfy my appetite for blood. I remained standing in the corner waiting for the right moment to strike.

But I was waiting for my prey to be alone. I had no practice in hunting the animals. When I did it the first time I was in the company of my father.

Everything had been perfect.

At that moment I looked at the entrance to the aisle and saw another creature approaching me. It didn't seem to be one of them, that is, a pre- vampire.

Its face was covered like mine. There was a black hood on its head.

I turned my face down and stared at the floor. It was a way I found to go on unnoticed by the stranger approaching. But it did not help me because the figure in black stopped walking in my direction, very close, and then I could see its dark shoes. I had no desire to raise my head up and see what it was.

Consequently I thought I had been discovered. I just did not yet know by whom. It was when a withdrawn voice revealed to me the owner of it.

"Valkyrie!"

Before long I lifted my face and stared up at its face, its gaze more precisely.

That was the only look that had the power to intimidate me, so I did not react. My thoughts began noticing the forms of his face.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, surprised. His gray eyes ran on my image in black. "Are you alone?"

"I need blood ..." I responded. My throat almost closed.

"You cannot stay here!" Eros turned his back to me. "Let's get out here!" He said looking straight ahead. I fixed my eyes on his perfect image. I always loved seeing Eros before me. But I never confessed it to him. Because I knew He would think I was an idiot.

Even before we walked on, we were surprised by a handful of pre-vampires, coming toward us. Now we were their target. Eros moved backward and I did the same.

But the creatures were getting closer. Eros used his mind's force as he launched upon them a strong wind that made them move backward.

This delayed their approach, but it didn't make them stop coming again.

Eros took me by the waist and went up with me. We were up high and we flew over the pre- vampires, since we were not in the aisle, but in the hall, where everyone was.

We went down among them, everything seemed normal. Then we realized they turned against us.

They came upon us, and this time it was not half a dozen, but hundreds of them.

"Why are they this way?" my eyes increased. I asked holding firmly Eros's black cape.

"I don't know," he answered with his eyes upon the crowd of pre-vampires.

They wanted me. It was clear when five of them held my arm, pulling me to them.

"We just want her!" One of them said with a distorted voice. The pre- vampires didn't possess their voices equal to ours or humans. They spoke growling, as if they were dying at that moment.

A choir was saying the same phrase at the same time:

"WE NEED HER."

I felt them pull my cape in despair, a group of them tried to bite my arm. Everyone was coming at me at once.

Everyone in that room was trying to do the same.

They wanted my flesh, my blood...

Eros pressed me against him. He only believed in protecting me, since they did not want to do anything with him.

"Do something! We need to get out of here!" Eros ordered impatiently. His eyes squeezed toward them.

"I cannot!" in big terror I screamed without trying to as my fleeting look was around.

"You can do it!" his voice was dense. He insisted.

After his words, I closed my eyes and let my mind act for me. A flash filled the room, like a burst of fireworks. A navy blue light had left everyone stunned. They staggered from one side to the other, almost blind.

Even so I did not know how I did it. It was all very fast. I realized Eros and I were already outside the town of pre-vampires.

We were safe on top of a huge rock in the woods in the vicinity of my father's castle. Both standing, relieved to have escaped from those cannibals in time.

"I do not understand why they wanted to devour me," I said observing Eros looking at the horizon. It seemed he avoided looking at me.

"They want your blood," Eros confessed, in the same position.

Eros kept his silence for some time. "They were told you're the daughter of Vincent!" he continued. "Just I don't understand how."

"And what does it means to them?" I asked.

"Eternity!" he stared at my face. "They want to drink your blood to be like us."

"Because they're not eternal?" I asked.

"They are only creatures that will last a hundred years, nothing else. They have no powers like us and they have no eternity," he explained.

I approached him. I wanted to look at his face as he spoke although part of his hood was covering his face, but the colors of his eyes were expressive.

"To become like us ...everyone must drink the blood of your father...or you."

He stared at me reinforcing what he said.

"Why does Vincent transform them into 'pre- vampires'?"

The name 'Vincent' sounded best to ask that question, instead of using the words 'my father.' I was referring to the creature that turned human beings into those ugly creatures and not to what generated me.

"If they stay here in their human forms, they would not survive for many hours. This is where Vincent bites them and makes them as they are, that is, mortal creatures that exist for a short time." He paused. "Vincent doubles their lifetime, making them resistant to certain things."

"So do only my father and I possess powers to turn people into vampires?" I asked, surprised.

"Yes," he said and walked to the side, out of my way. "Now do you understand the power you have?" he asked.

"I feel like a monster!" I whispered.

"And you are," he said looking back at me.

I felt revulsion within me, for being a monster.

I sat on the floor with my knees to the side. I was weak. I still needed blood. My body reacted strangely and every moment that passed I lost vivacity.

Then I put my hands on the stone to support my discouraged body. Eros realized there was something wrong with me.

"I need blood ..." soon I confessed unconsciously.

Eros didn't think twice. He approached me and was standing in front of me. He extended his left arm, wrapped the cuff, leaving his pulse exposed.

"Drink it!" he ordered and held out his wrist for me to drink his blood.

"I cannot!" I shook my head at him, reinforcing my words of denial. I was afraid something bad would happen to him and I would lose him forever.

"Drink it! I fed a few minutes ago," he insisted and his voice was inflexible.

Eros had killed his thirst by blood with a pre- vampire, shortly before he was with me in the hallway of the club.

"My blood still runs hot in my veins!" he said.

"I'm scared...of losing ... you," I confessed, gazing into his gray eyes. I felt our gaze remained fixed to each other for some instants.

"Nothing will happen to me! Just I'll be a little weak!" He turned his look away from me now.

"No."

"Come on!" he ordered.

At that second I looked at his wrist for some seconds, until I had the courage to do what he had ordered me.

My lips touched his cold fist. I was encouraged by the fresh blood that ran in his arteries. Within moments my sharp teeth penetrated his flesh.

His blood ran down his pale skin, marking around my lips. I was sucking his sweet blood with such despair. I couldn't hold my lust for blood.

Eros was writhing around. He felt great pain and discomfort at my bite and then he pressed his lips followed by his short groans. When he sensed it was time to stop me, he brutally pulled his wrist away from my lips.

With his other hand he held his bloody wrist and pulled the site of the bite. It was a way to prevent his blood going down and diminish his pain.

So I sat down, reinvigorating my energy as I felt better. I was delighting in the blood that ran through him.

When I felt fully conscious and powerful, I looked at him.

His weakness controlled his body. He was worn for minutes, until he returned to his normal state. Immediately...he was again the same as before, with his erect posture, as if nothing had happened to him.
Chapter 40

Everything was fine. I had the strength to stand up and resume my routine.

Before we returned to the castle and joined the others, I wanted to discuss another subject, questions that were saved in me and I needed answers.

"Why aren't you attracted by our species?" my voice forced its tone as I asked him.

Eros did not expect me to mention this subject. His face responded to my question more quickly.

He grimaced at me, continuing grave.

"The warm blood flowing in the vein of humans is a challenge for me. It makes me hot too!" he responded looking to the side. "Their heartbeat ...Everything is fantastic!"

However he continued. I sensed an excitement in him when he described his expectations. It made me not feel well.

How I hated being a vampire!

I had none of those features described by him.

"We have nothing of it! We're cold! Our hearts don't beat any longer ..." he said without enthusiasm and his gaze met nothing away from me.

After that I lowered my head lamenting all things said by him. How difficult it was to hear that.

"It means you are lost to me," I supposed disappointed and bit my under lip.

In next to no time he moved closer and touched my arm with his cold fingers. I raised my head up and gazed into his supernatural face.

"See it! I feel nothing when I touch you! We're cold!"

My head bowed. I lost the ground with his words.

He dropped my arm and made a short retreat.

"There's something more I need to know ..." I begged.

But he waited attentively for my next question. This moment he would be prepared. I moved in front of him, looked into his gray eyes to prove the veracity in his answer.

"Have you already felt attracted to me?" I stared at his eye's pupil. "When I was human?"

Discomfort invaded his stance. He had no enthusiasm to answer me. Little by little Eros shook his head.

"What difference does it make now? Why do you want to know that?" he asked me.

"I need to know!"

He sniffed before answering.

"...Yes..."

His answer seemed honest, and then I could see it in his fearless eyes.

His 'YES' came to my mind as a good thing and bad at the same time.

Good \- because I knew one day he'd wanted me and I had been present in his thoughts...

Bad \- because I would never be desired by him again, everything had been in the past.

"When?" intolerant, I ordered, wishing he could go into detail of exactly when he felt desire for me.

"Twice..." his voice was low and so sweet.

Even so I insisted "When? Tell me!"

He walked toward me, in silence. I had no idea what he would do. Now it was his turn to stand in front of me. He stared into my eyes, raised his hands up and held my head. Then an energy that accompanied his hands made him show me the two times I insisted on knowing.

They were going through my mind as if I was again reliving those magic moments.

THE FIRST TIME occurred at the Rock and Roll concert.

When he touched his face on my neck, rubbing his lips on my delicate skin, it was a way to keep him under control. My blood was exchanged, half-human and half- vampire, that way my smell would stop him craving human blood. I didn't attract him in this aspect.

"Are you okay?" I asked seeing his strange reaction. I had never seen him that way, uncontrollable.

"The smell of your blood makes me calm," he responded as soon as his face came away from my neck. I felt his cold breath, almost stopping.

THE SECOND MOMENT came minutes before I become a vampire.

He put his lips on my neck.

My heart's beating and my heavy breathing came up to his ears like a pleasing melody, an invitation to sink his teeth into my trembling flesh.

Then I looked up at the dark ceiling. A strange feeling came over my body. A burning sensation went through my flesh. It seemed I was on fire, and then I closed my eyes to allow myself to abandon in Eros's pleasant bite.

Being bitten by a blood sucker should be somewhat unpleasant and Eros made it ... Tasty.

It was easier for him to make me see the scenes, what had happened. If he could describe them, they would not come across as perfect.

At the end of the images in my mind, he removed his hands away from my head.

More than ever I wished to become human again, that was my goal, to stop being a vampire. I just didn't know if it would be possible and what it would cost me...

One thing was certain. I was willing to pay some price to have that privilege.

Becoming human and winning the presumed love of Eros.

"I would exchange my immortality for your love!" I said, even more passionate.

Eros said nothing. Just put his hands on my face, making a circular motion and I saw that as a manner of affection. The expression on his face seemed loving. He was grateful for the deep love I felt for him.

Perhaps no one loved him in such a way as I loved him.

He removed his hands from my face and went up into the air. Then he disappeared almost immediately.

I stayed there for some time, memorizing all our conversation.

Chapter 41

So I put my feet into my father's castle. I was approached by Valeska. She was standing in the main room. I came up to her humbly.

"Where were you? I was looking for you!" she asked and smiled at me.

"I went for a walk."

I hid the facts from her. I did not want anyone to know I was beyond the vicinity of the castle, disobeying my father's orders. It couldn't arrive to my father's ears or then I would be lost.

"Why were you looking for me?" I asked, looking at her face. Valeska glanced to the side before responding my question.

"It's nothing important. I just wanted to have a chat..." her shoulders vibrated during her answer. She almost gave a forced smile.

"I also need to talk to you," I said and bowed my face. My cold hands met each other for some moments. I felt I needed to expose my thoughts to somebody.

"What is worrying you?" Valeska asked as she approached me even more.

She put her hand on my shoulder excitedly. So I gazed up in her face.

"Come to my bedroom....there no one can hear us." she said lowly and glanced around. After that her hand held mine and we walked together by the castle corridor.

Then she opened her bedroom door and put me inside. She came in and closed the door again. Her room was like mine, it had the same objects. We sat on her bed, facing each other.

"I've been with Eros," like that I confessed to her as my head remained curved. My words sounded weak outside my mouth.

"How was it?" she asked, perplexed. Her hands touched her red lips. Valeska wanted to know everything. Our conversation needed to go into details.

Rapidly I left a sigh and answered with my sorrowful voice. My gray eyes observed my pale hands. "I asked him all I needed to know."

Her eyes expanded to me as she insisted in apprehensive voice. "And did you get answers?"

"Yes!"

My 'yes' sounded bitter. I curved my head again. My pain jogged my chest. I could feel it intensely within me. So I thought of Eros all over again. His face looked so perfect in my mind. It looked intact and untouched.

"Tell me everything!" she said enthusiastically.

So I continued saying with no contentment. "He felt attracted to me when I was human." My gray eyes met up hers. Valeska remained gazing at my miserable face. She looked unhappy for me.

"Did he declare that?"

"Yes."

"What a pity it is not possible any longer!" Valeska exclaimed and her hands touched her waistline. Her eyes fixed on mine.

"There must be some way, somehow I can undo this curse," I supposed as I heaved a sigh.

"What do you want to do?" her hands were away from her waistline and she asked.

"I want to find a way of becoming human again...to quit being a vampire," I said determined and my eyes shone in optimism. I needed to get it back into my life.

"Are you even willing to go on with it?" Valeska faced me surprised.

"Yes, I am, and today more than ever. And you will help me," I responded, serious. I had to find to an antidote for my life.

"How?" her eyes became larger.

"Don't you know anything? Isn't there some formula to reverse it?"

Her forefinger contacted her lips as she thought of something quick. "I know someone who might be able to help you with it," she finished in anticipation.

"Who?" I asked looking toward her.

"He is a wizard who lives on top of the rocks."

"How do I go to him?"

"It is not easy!" she warned me. "He has ferocious dogs. They protect him night and day and they don't allow anyone to approach him."

But I didn't fear her presage.

"I am immortal and I have no fear!"

"You run a risk of returning wounded and even disfigured," she stared at me sternly and continued saying. "Or even without your head."

Valeska's words didn't take away my thoughts of going to see the wizard. I was determined to pay some price to become human again, even if it would mean my flesh.

***

That night Valeska gave me all the necessary coordinates for me to put my plan into practice. She told me everything she knew about that wizard, though she never saw him in the flesh, but she had heard about him, since his existence on the planet Neptune.
Chapter 42

I couldn't sleep that night, waiting for the right time to leave my father's castle and go toward the top of the rocks. Valeska and I had a secret.

She swore not to tell anyone, not even to my father. If he missed me, she would find a way to invent some excuse to buy time until my return to the castle.

Before I left the castle, the only person I had contact with was her. Valeska made me some recommendations as she accompanied me to the edge of the lake.

"When you get there, tell Odik who you are. Surely he will help you," she told me and held my hand strongly, conveying confidence and courage for me to move on. It was all I needed in that moment.

"Good luck!" She smiled. "All will be fine."

I wanted to believe all would be fine, but something deep inside me said otherwise.

When she released my hands, I left her and then I walked toward the forest of dry trees. I disappeared into its midst. I was far from the castle and away from everyone.

Thus I could see huge brown trunks.

I was not sure if I was on the correct track.

But I could use my vampire powers to reach the site quickly and without having to go through so many difficulties, but I was afraid to spend them unnecessarily in case I might need them later and they would not work.

To use the vampire powers requires much of us. It is a mental and physical strain.

Forward I walked across the forest until I saw the huge rock, with various tips. One was the most pointed and in there lived the sorcerer.

After that I felt a relief when I saw I was close and I was about to come before Odik. I was hoping he could really help me.

I climbed the rocks with no difficulty, so I turned into a black panther and arrived at the desired location. Soon I turned back into my human form.

From a height, I looked down and saw I was at an incalculable altitude.

Soon I stepped on a flat stone. It was the territory of Odik. I was in the surroundings of his home.

Subsequently I looked everywhere and saw no dog around, maybe they were hunting or sleeping...

His hiding-place was a cave. There was an entrance, a hole in the shape of a giant egg. Looking from the outside I could see inside. It was dark and silent.

With no trepidation, I went into the hole and saw a corridor inside the rocks.

Several rats were on the ground and bats flying down from the ceiling. They didn't scare me since I was familiar with them now. My footsteps made no noise. I took care not to draw the attention of his dogs as I did not know if they were around.

My concern was only with them. As for the sorcerer Odik, I should not fear him. Valeska had told me not to.

Inadvertently, I stumbled on a huge rock. I fell down with my face on the ground. My body hitting the surface made noise enough to scare the dogs.

Then I raised my head up when I heard scary roars. I saw two dogs in front of me. They were watching me and ready to attack me. They were horrible and deformed.

They looked like monsters in the form of dogs. Changing their color, they were black and gray at the same time.

Both advanced on me while I defended myself moving my arms to my face. They sought to find a way to sink their hard teeth into my skin. I rolled from one side to the other and then they were above me.

A radiant energy in sky blue color came out of my body. I put it up and the two dogs were thrown away from me. Both of them were unconscious.

I had to use my vampire powers.

Forward, I saw a creature in a dark hood. His hood was covering his face. This creature was standing away from me. My presence was bothering him. His expression was not a greeting of welcome. I could see his state of mind.

What Valeska had described did not fit with his reality. It was not like I had imagined.

"Who are you?" he asked me as he was still quite a distance from me. His awful eyes squeezed in my.

"I am Valkyrie," gazing to him, I answered motionless. My heart remained disconcerted within me. But I tried to look serene before the sorcerer.

"What are you doing here?" his voice insisted.

I faced him. "I need your help."

"My help?" he asked astounded. His rotten lips softened as he stared back at me.

"You need to hear me," rapidly I said, my voice was begging. I blinked and glanced down. My apprehension was immense.

He tried to turn his back to me, but he continued facing me. "I do not allow strangers here! And you put my dogs to sleep!"

"They wanted to devour me!" I explained.

"Go back to where you came from! I cannot help you!" He shouted impatiently at me. His voice was solid as well as his residence walls.

"Not even when you know whose daughter I am?" I asked and faced him once more.

The sorcerer stared at me questioning my face for some time. His forefinger kissed his gloomy lips.

"What are you saying?" curiously he asked me and his eyes ran through my body in black clothes.

"I am the daughter of Vincent! You might know him!"

His eyes shone to me. "You are daughter of Vincent! Why didn't you tell me this before?" He whispered, interested.

His expression changed and he smiled at me with his pointed, dark teeth. His mouth was almost worse than the mouths of his dogs.

"Come on!"

He made a brief gesture with his hand so I was behind him. We walked up to his witchcraft room. A dark place with many strange objects, fine for his spells. There was also enough dirt present. A dark dust rose up when he reached for his objects. It might have been hundreds of years since he hadn't cleared those things.

"I didn't know Vincent has a daughter!"

He said, looked into my eyes and smiled again with his dark teeth. His image was horrible. "What's your name?" he asked.

"...Valkyrie!" I answered, suspicious of him. My eyes ran silently on his bizarre image.

"Valkyries are respected goddesses of war!" He explained and smiled kindly to me.

So I smiled weakly, compensating his unnecessary comment and remained quiet.

"Why do you appeal for my help if you're the daughter of Vincent?" Finally he asked.

"Because my father would never consent to my desire," I answered without doubt.

The sorcerer nodded, "What is your wish?"

"To quit being a vampire," I responded.

"Are you aware of what you are asking me?" dubiously he asked me as his eyes monitored my body for some time.

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here," I said, ill-mannered and squeezed my dark lips. I was there to be helped and not questioned that way.

He smiled reduced. "Now you speak like your father."

My eyes met his. "If you know him so well, then you know what it costs me to come here."

"He does not know about your whereabouts," he commented and looked away.

"Why did you say that?" I asked, becoming frightened at his words.

"Do not take into account what I just mentioned," he said and shook his head at himself.

"In relation to my wish, can you help me?" I insisted.

"Ex-vampires don't exist." he affirmed and stared at my pale face. His eyes ran over my gray eyes.

"So you cannot help me," I said, discouraged and looked down the ground. My optimism had been put into the earth as a dead body.

"Well... I can try," he said after an instant.

"What will you do?" my head moved up.

"I have to prepare a formula, but it will take hours to get ready. It might be ready when night falls," he explained as his fingers moved to one side.

In my countenance remained a concern. If I stayed out all night, my father might miss me and maybe Valeska would not be able to foil him in time for my return.

"Some problem?" the wizard asked, seeing my worried expression.

"I hope this can be done in the time you mentioned" as a result I responded with my decisive voice.

His fingers put in motion in my direction. "So come on, I can start the process."

"Where will you take me?" I asked questionable as I glanced around. The dirty dark walls drew my attention to them at this instant.

"I will take you to a safe place."

He grabbed my arm and directed me to a circle. Seconds later, a steel cage from the top came down and I got stuck in it. I could see everything around me.

I was frightened as I was imprisoned in that place. I gripped the cage bars and touched my face against it.

"Why have you imprisoned me here?" I asked loudly.

"Take it easy! Being here, you will be safe from my dogs," he said quietly and didn't grin at me.

"This is not comfortable!" soon I whispered, glancing up and about.

His index finger went toward his wizen lips. "Be quiet! I need concentration to prepare your formula."

At this moment I felt within me a prognosis there was something wrong with that wizard. I wasn't sure about his true intentions, if he really had some intention to help me.
Chapter 43

Night came quickly. Everyone was present in my father's castle, except me.

At that moment my father requested my presence in the mysterious living room. A few torches burnt smokily from sconces on the dark walls.

"Go get Valkyrie! I haven't seen her today."

"Valkyrie hasn't returned yet from her walk," Valeska said to my father, with her wide eyes, she was afraid of being discovered by him. But her fear could be hidden by her prudent attitude.

"Walk?" he insisted. His forehead compacted.

"She mentioned ... the woods," Valeska said slowly. Her words stumbled in her mouth. Her eyes looked full of fear. Our secret had been kept with her and me. But she didn't know how long it would remain just between us.

"She should already have returned," Vincent murmured, concerned about my absence there. My father knew I had no habit of acting that way, going out of his castle without letting him know. I also imagined I was always close to him or to the castle rooms.

"We can go after her," Bizak mentioned as he was standing alongside Eros. His arms were crossed over his chest under his wine shirt.

"Do it!" Vincent ordered them and his fingers stroked his lips in immense nervousness.

"She might be back?" Valeska questioned and made an effort to smile serenely at her master.

"You two go to look for her now!" Vincent ignored Valeska's useless comment and not even he did look in the direction of her.

***

After some time, Eros and Bizak were looking for me immediately. They entered the woods since Valeska had mentioned I went there. They took hours exploring the dark place, walking through several trees. They two were separated. They followed different directions, to facilitate their searches.

Bizak jumped from one tree to another. It was better to see the entire region. His vision was broad from the top.

He had no clue as to my whereabouts. After much searching, he returned to the castle with a vague answer.

"I didn't find her," Bizak told Vincent, who was sitting on his armchair.

Valeska was at his side and she remained silent all the time, hoping that no one would find me in time.

During that, tired of exploring the woods, Eros stopped walking in the middle and he was motionless. Eros did not know what direction to take, where to look for me. After all, he and Bizak had looked everywhere.

He had a strong connection with my thoughts. This happened a few times. It was imposed telepathy.

In his mind came a scene in which I was next to the dwelling of the wizard.

Then he concluded I would be there.
Chapter 44

My throat was dry, as I was agonized to be imprisoned in that cage. The sorcerer hadn't honored his word. The hours imposed by him to be ready the formula had been exhausted, it was more than necessary.

I'd be lost if he didn't remove me from the cage.

Odik had prepared no formula yet, it was all swindle. He returned to the site after an extensive time away, with his empty hands.

"Why did you imprison me here?" soon I questioned him. My body was exhausted as I remained in the cage.

"Aren't you accustomed to it yet?" he scoffed at me. His irony came over.

"What have I done to deserve this?" my voice insisted as my fingers surrounded the iron bars.

"You, nothing ...but your father...." His voice affirmed and his stare looked angry at something.

Immediately I frowned. Things were starting to make sense. He wanted to avenge my father by using me.

"What has my father done to you?"

"The problem ...is... he 'hasn't'."

I narrowed my eyes. I couldn't believe what was happening.

His eyes stared toward me. "I wanted the immortality of the vampires," he said, approached the cage and put his terrible face next to mine. "I would just need to drink your father's blood ...nothing else."

Odik walked around the cage slowly.

"And he denied it with all contempt. I had to resort to another method of immortality. I invented a way to live for long. Up until now I have had no success."

He stopped walking and focused his attention on me confined in the cage.

"You will be my new attempt."

He laughed long and it startled me.

"And when it finally happens, I will need you no more. Then I will throw you to my dogs to satisfy their hunger."

"So you do rapidly what has to be done and finish it!" I pleaded and blinked in fury.

"I have no hurry and seeing you in this state. ...I think it compensates all my wasted time," Peacefully he affirmed and removed his eyes from my image.

"Destroy me soon!" I yelled at him and tried to agitate the iron bars with my hands.

Even so the wizard ignored my screams and walked to the next room, leaving me alone over again.

***

Minutes later...

I had used all the force of my mind as I had invoked my vampire powers to try to step out of there.

Thereafter I contracted a vast fatigue and it made me powerless. The circle on the floor blocked all my powers, nothing happened.

Onward, I heard a noise from the corridor. I thought the wizard was returning to the site. A dark creature approached me. Finally, I recognized it.

"Eros!" I exclaimed and stood up. My gaze shone in the direction of him.

"Valkyrie!" he said smoothly, his gaze met my pale face. Eros perceived I was tired and I was imprisoned in the cage for some extended time.

"How did you know I was here? Did Valeska tell you?" ingenuously I asked him. Eros gave me a grave quick look.

"We have no time for conversation." He needed a way to get me out of that cage. Then he walked away and took several steps back, in order to use his powers against the cage.

"Protect yourself!" He ordered before unloading a wave of lightning against the steel cage.

Two dogs came up behind him.

"Take care! They're behind you!" brusquely I screamed when I saw the dogs moving toward him.

Eros turned his body back and was surprised at the sudden jump of two dogs over him. Then Eros was thrown on the floor. They advanced on him with the instinct to devour him.

At that second Eros was fighting with two dogs on the floor. He used his vampire powers to get them off him.

Odik returned to the site and saw Eros in the fight with his gigantic dogs.

"Devour him!" The wizard screamed at them.

I felt a deep desperation watching that scene and I could not do anything to prevent the dogs hurting Eros. I shook the cage with all the force that came from my distress. I had to save him. He was there for me. I put him in danger.

"Let him go! Do what you have to do to me!" I cried deeply, as if my prayers could save him from some danger.

Suddenly Vincent appeared at the scene, flying over the room. His wine long cape flew in the company of his body.

When I stared up and saw my father, hope painted the face of defeat. I thought everything was not lost yet. At that split second I nearly smiled.

"Father!" my voice cried.

Vincent flew up to the wizard Odik and held his throat firmly with his hands. His intent was to strangle him.

"I'll do to you what I should have done centuries ago!"

Vincent raised his hand and a metal bar flew up his hand. He pulled out the head of the wizard with it. The body fell to the ground without its skull. The wizard's head rolled on the ground like a ball.

Vincent looked at Eros struggling with two dogs on the ground. Energy went out of his hands and hit the dogs, throwing them onto the wall. They were destroyed and dissolved like ashes.

Eros got up from the floor. His clothes were torn, and there were several bites on his arm. He was very hurt.

I fell to the ground, relieved to see everything ended well. That wizard no longer existed and those devouring dogs were gone. Eros was safe.

"Stay down!" my father ordered.

Quickly I buried my head onto the ground and closed my gray eyes, protecting me from what would come next.

My father stared at the cage. Red rays came out of his eyes, hit the metal and melted the cage.

So I looked up and saw I was free. I got up and ran to hug my father. My face touched his firm chest. My fear was having no power over me now, because I was in my father's arms.

"How did you get here?" Vincent asked as he hugged me. His hand smoothed out my hair.

"It was my fault!" I replied with my face hidden in his costume. My voice oscillated in alarm another time as I thought of Valeska.
Chapter 45

We returned to the castle. For me, returning was faster than the trip there. The three of us were standing in the living room. I was dirty and Eros was much wounded.

My father demanded an answer from me about what had just occurred.

"How did you learn of the existence of a wizard?"

In panic, I cast a worried stare upon Eros, before answering my father's question. My lips moved slowly on my face. I feared my own answer. But I had no way to avoid it. Things needed to be informed to my father. He was the master, the king and owner of our acts there.

"Valeska told me," finally I said low and turned my head down. I had no bravery to face my father.

"Valeska!" He said angrily. His eyes met the room ceiling. His forehead packed mutually. "Did she know everything?"

"She only wanted to help me," rapidly I said, trying to save her. Valeska was just my allied. So I had to economize her from being punished for my cause.

"Be quiet!" Vincent ordered screaming at me. His voice sounded grave, high and cold. I had never seen him like that. He never treated me that way. Soon I curved my head again. My eyes meet the soundless floor.

Vincent felt like punishing me as well. But he thought of he could do it later.

"Bring Valeska here!" he ordered Eros.

In next to no time Eros left the main room, but before it he gazed in my direction. After that he returned in the company of Valeska. She walked slowly at the side of him. Her eyes were with no splendor. Her face was gloomy.

"Does my master desire to talk to me?" Valeska asked, frightened. Her voice was near to the ground. She really feared that something terrible could happen to her.

"Why did you tell Valkyrie about the existence of wizard Odik?" he asked, upset. His gaze scrutinized Valeska in full.

"She asked for my help," Valeska answered with her head down. She couldn't face her master after everything that had happened to me.

"What help?" he insisted, keeping his look at her.

"She wanted to become human again." Valeska responded as she raised her head and glanced toward her master's face.

"And you put her in danger!"

Vincent threw Valeska against the wall, using his vampire power. Her body slipped on the smooth surface and stopped on the floor.

"I just wanted to help Valkyrie," she said with difficulty as she was sobbing.

"You betrayed me!" Vincent said and knocked his chair down.

Bizak ran into the main room when he heard the noise. He stopped next to Eros, without understanding what was happening.

"And I don't accept traitors in our midst!"

Vincent grabbed Valeska's arm, pulling her up. His eyes squashed in fury.

"You know our rules! Do you know what will happen to you?"

During that Vincent dragged her to other room of the castle.

"Valkyrie, stop your father! I did this because of you!" Valeska pleaded as she glanced to me over her left shoulder.

Due to that I tried to do something and made a move to leave the place and go after them. I was desperate to alleviate the suffering of Valeska.

But Eros held my arm firmly. My stare met his. So I could not go after them. I stayed in the living room with Eros and Bizak, as we were awaiting the return of my father and Valeska.

"What will my father do to her?" I asked, scared as I felt Eros's arms round me.

"At the very least .... He will extinguish her," Bizak said, with his head down as he looked unhappy about it.

Forward, Vincent took her to the shooting room. A small, empty place where there was only a metal chain.

He chained her, with her body hanging down from the ceiling.

She had no defense.

"Vincent, do not do it! I didn't do any harm!" she shouted as she felt tears come quickly to her eyes.

"I gave you immortality and will take it from you now!" he said holding a metal sword in his unopened hands. His eyes examined her face once and again.

"Don't do it!" she pleaded with her eyes closed, fearing the worst. Her vampire body vibrated in panic.

"Immortality is over for you."

Vincent held his sword with both hands and placed it at the head of the young vampire. It took a blow on her neck and her dark blood dripped on the floor. Her head rolled on the ground.

Valeska's immortality had been interrupted at that moment.

***

After some time, Vincent returned to the main room holding Valeska's head by the hair. I embraced Eros as I was frightened at my father's barbarous attitude.

"This is the end of everyone who betrays me!" he said and threw Valeska's head down. It stopped near Bizak's foot. He looked down at it and remained mute. But Bizak looked revolted with Valeska's death. He wanted to say she had no fault about what had happened to me. The vampire desired just to help me. So Bizak gazed down another time and determined to speak nothing. His words would be useless, because they would never bring Valeska back to life.

"Get rid of it!" my father ordered with his bitter voice. I closed my eyes for some time as I imagined Valeska could be alive and everything had been just a nightmare.

My father did it without stimulus. He had Valeska as a strong ally, a faithful servant and I had broken that covenant between the two. My stupid desire had ruined everything.

I should have died in her place. Yeah, I thought of it. But now it was so late. Valeska was lifeless and I would never forgive myself for it. My own forgiveness was excluded from my life.

Bizak held her head and left the scene as he looked horrified at Valeska's punishment.

Chapter 46

Some days later...

Vincent went back to sleep for an indefinite time.

He needed to sleep infinitely to restore all his vampire energy and strengthen his master-vampire powers. Fresh blood was not enough for it. He also needed to feed his own sleep.

The castle was even more empty and silent at this moment and it made me remember Valeska's absence all the time. I looked to see her in the castle rooms.

Now only Eros, Bizak and I gave the air of our grace through the rooms of the castle. From five, three were left. My father had fallen asleep rapidly and nobody knew when he would wake up. Maybe it would take months or even years.

***

In due course, I decided to walk through the woods. I was trying to forget the horrible scenes that stuck in my mind about Valeska's death. Inside me, I carried the blame for the destruction of this woman. Everything would be different if I wasn't there. She would still be alive.

I stopped walking when I saw Eros curved down on a rock. He looked to the other side as he seemed distracted by something.

When he realized someone was there, he turned and looked at me. His lips packed together. But his voice didn't come out of his lips. Maybe he had nothing to say me at that moment or not needed to speak me anything.

"I cannot stop thinking about the way in which Valeska died!" I confessed walking towards him and perceived his face turned hard.

"She deserved it," he said resigned and glanced down.

But I insisted. I had to expose my bitterness. "It was my fault. If I was not here, she would be alive." Soon I stopped waking in front of him and gazed into his countenance.

"She died because she betrayed the trust of Vincent." Eros explained and exhaled noisily. My look remained on his pale face. The hood over his head hid a part of his pale expression.

"She just did what I asked for," at last I said.

Eros gazed back to my face. His tone of voice looked not cheerful at all. "She wanted to destroy you, so she let you know about the existence of Odik."

"You never liked her!" shook my head. He was making me even from bad to worse.

"I just never trusted her," he alleged as his gaze ran away and reached some dry trees far-off.

"I will go away from here," My head curved as I confessed him after a deep sigh. My confession looked like my departure someway that hurt inside me. So I remained looking to the ground under my feet.

"You cannot do it! Your father?" he asked, looking at my face. His attention was imprisoned by me. Eros really looked worried about my decision.

"He knows how to live without me," soon I said as looked up and faced his face as well. My lips folded up.

"This is your home now," his arms opened to the sides as he insisted, glancing around. Everything there belonged to me, my father and our class of vampires.

But my words were precise and said them after a bite on the corner of the mouth. "I cannot live here, after everything that happened." After that I confirmed my silence and he continued gazing on my face.

"Put the notion in your mind that Valeska didn't like you. She was jealous of you, she always wanted your destruction," he confessed and his voice sounded annoyed with something.

"How do you know that?" soon I asked as I stared at his face and met his attractive eyes. I desired secretly myself to go never away from them, not even for one second or two.

"I sensed that about her, so I always told you to stay away from her."

Subsequent to that I lowered my head reflecting the words spoken by Eros. Perhaps he was right. He always knew how to make use of his words to try to make me see the right thing to do in my life.

"Drop this idea that you want to go away. Here you are safe, in the company of your father." He stared at me gravely. I stared at him too.

"On Earth you will be in danger. You cannot live with humans!" He believed this and I could see he was troubled.

"What about my mother?" I asked. "I miss her!"

"You will have to continue to exist in your mother's absence." There was a short pause. "As I live in loneliness." his voice was low.

My eyes enlarged at him as I listened to his declaration. For some instants Eros looked to have a human heart. "Do you feel lonely?" I asked, surprised.

"Yes, for centuries."

During his words, I looked at him tenderly. I had the desire to end his loneliness.

Forward, Eros got up, took two steps and kept his back to me.

My mind was flooded with scenes that occurred on planet Earth some time ago, on the night of the Rock and Roll concert, when the doctor chased me with the goons.

Then another scene - I saw everyone dead, their bloodied bodies, lying on the street.

"Was it you?" I asked, alarmed.

Even so I returned to reality and saw Eros still standing in front of me.

"Did you kill them?"

"Did I kill them?" He frowned at me. My question looked like a puzzle. "What are you talking about?"

"I am talking about the doctor and his men. I saw them dead." My head vibrated. I declared, disappointed.

"Yes, I killed them," soon he confessed without regret. His gaze looked normal. I held to be true he would make it over again.

"Why?" I demanded.

He looked at me from head to toe and responded in fact, "To ensure your safety."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Eros gazed away. "I didn't think it was necessary."

Eros knew perfectly well I would never have come to Neptune knowing about the carnage he had caused.
Chapter 47

Hours later, I wanted everyone to fall asleep.

From the time when I wanted to be certain that I would be safe to put my plan into practice. This night couldn't pass without me doing what I had to do.

Soon I put on the same dress that I had brought with me from Earth. Valeska had left it in the corner of my bedroom.

Ahead I left my bedroom and closed the door behind me. I walked toward the corridor in pure silence, as I was trying not to make any noise and wake up someone in the castle.

I stopped at Eros' bedroom door.

At that moment, I decided to open it and go in. I wanted to see him one last time, even if he was asleep. I looked up at the ceiling and he was there, sleeping with his head down like a helpless being. I looked at him for quite a few minutes. I said goodbye to him in my mind. I was going away from him against my own will. At much cost, I walked back to the hallway and closed his bedroom door with my bleeding heart.

I moved on...

At that moment I entered my father's bedroom and I redoubled the care I had when I entered Eros' room. I walked to the bed where my father had been asleep for days. His tummy up and his hands crossed on his chest, like a manner of defense.

I looked at his face for a moment. I had found him and by my own force I would separate him from me. I thought that my mother would need me more. She was alone in the world and my father had Bizak and Eros by his side.

My anger for not being able to become human again, had caused me to make that decision. It would be impossible to live in that place next to Eros, and I would never have his love. I would always look at him and wish to be human. It would be the worst torment of my life. Keeping away from him would be the best thing to do, since the love I felt for him had cost the life of Valeska.

With all my heart I touched my lips lightly on my father's forehead as I was trying not to wake him.

After that I left his bedroom with more haste than when I entered it.
Chapter 48

Valeska told me all what was needed to return the planet Earth when we were hidden in the room where it was allowed. She explained to me everything she knew about it and enough for me to know how to do it one day if I would need to return to the planet Earth.

Quickly I entered that room and closed the door. I looked up at the ceiling and saw the symbol of Neptune turned off.

Forward I stepped into the circle on the ground. It was necessary for me to be in it, to get it right.

Then I looked at the symbol again. My eyes were gray. The strength of my eyes made the symbol of Neptune turn on. Then a blue light, the same that appeared in the sky when I was on Earth with Eros, came out.

A disconcerting wind traveled fast through the place and rocked my body into a windmill.

I was completely sucked by that energy deposited to the wind. It was floating upwards, towards the symbol on the ceiling. The same was broken and opened a passage into which I was flung.

The passage closed and it transported me to another dimension. I wasn't on planet Neptune any longer, with my father...

Soon I would be back on planet Earth and ultimately find my mother again...

THE END
Books by Pet TorreS

Valkyrie the Vampire Princess Saga

Valkyrie the Vmapire Princess

Valkyrie the Vmapire Princess 2

Valkyrie the Vmapire Princess 3

Valmont the Vampire Prince Trilogy

Throne of blood

Heir of blood

Reign of blood

The Black Wolf's Mark Series

The Black Wolf's Mark

The Black Wolf's Mark II

The Black Wolf's Mark III

The Black Wolf's Mark IV

The Black Wolf's Daughter Series

The Black Wolf's Daughter I

The Black Wolf's Daughter II

Tear of Princess

The Spell

The antidote

Tiger's Obsession Series

Tiger's Obsession

Robbed Virginity

Ardent Affection

Forced Penitence

Renascent Soul

Illusory Love Series

Illusory Love I

Illusory Love II

Illusory Love III

Illusory Love IV

Vampires Adversaries Trilogy

Vampires Adversaries

Andromeda

Omega

Wolf Academy Saga

The Oath

The compassion

The revelation

The sacrifice

The purification

The unification

The rupture

Love or friendship Series

Love or friendship

Love or friendship II

Love or friendship III

Other books

Arranged Marriage

Ornella

Illusionism Obscene

Leione's Diary

Blood Moon

Emengarda

Destiny with Blood

Violet

Love Wave

E 2000

