Archive of Our Own

Leon stood firm, back straight, as the large dining room was filled with chatter. Despite being inside, his cloak hadn't been removed, and concealed the hand he kept resting at the hilt of his sword. The Spencer estate was always oddly cold, and he welcomed the thick layers of fur and fabric.

Directly in front of him, the only daughter to the family he contentedly served- and had for his entire adult life- sat, her back to him, her father a few seats away. She was sat next to a woman Leon didn't know, who seemed none too interested in the polite conversation she was trying to make. She had fully turned away from the young woman, who was left to idly shift her fork about.

Leon had to feel bad for Ashley- the girl was sweet, but easily excitable. Not the personality that other high bred families enjoyed. And as she was the only Graham child, her father had been quite harsh about her social interactions.

Leon almost smiled. He found her bemusing, charming- a very sweet little thing. And gorgeous besides, with hazel eyes like a melting forest and scented with pine and fresh leaves.

He glanced away from her then, before his mind could wonder further. It wasn't appropriate to think about Ashley in any desirable way. She would, someday, marry a man from another wealthy family, and live the life expected of someone in her station.

Leon would serve her father, and maybe someday strictly her. Or her husband. Or her children. That was his fate.

Before he could fall into those dismal thoughts more, Ashley's chair shifted back and she stood. Leon snapped his attention to her as she said something softly to those around her- who weren't listening- and began walking away from the table. A quick glance down and Lord Graham's eyes were on Leon, a subtle nod to follow his daughter. He had plenty of other guards with him.

Leon moved after her in quick strides, the sounds of his boots on the polished stone floors seeming to echo once they had left the actual dining area. He watched as Ashley threw open the doors to one of the small balconies and stepped outside, into the dark of the night. He had no more than reached the still open doors when she leaned against the railing of the small area and faced him, her eyes looking so soft, so… sad.

She knew he'd follow. He always did.

"You shouldn't just leave pleasant company," Leon said softly, tugging the balcony doors shut. The air outside was chilled, and he could swear he smelled snow on the air. The night would be bitter- but hopefully they would depart before that.

"Your definition of pleasant is lacking." She folded her arms, rubbing at her biceps, along the deep green silk of her dress. Her hair had been braided and was flopped over one shoulder. She would rarely leave it down since her father had begun insisting years ago it needed to be longer.

Leon didn't argue the point. "My definition of pleasant is… polite."

"Everyone here is drab and dull." She leaned harder against the railing, the subtlest pout to her pretty pink lips. Leon spent far too many seconds just looking at them, even after she'd finished speaking.

"Except you," he offered, forcing his eyes up to her own. Careful.

He danced this dance with her too frequently- spoke too carelessly, too easily, smiled too much. She returned the flirtations, but Leon knew if they were ever witnessed in such a way, it would be hell on Earth for both of them.

And there was no future with this, anyway.

Still, her face lit up a little. "And you," she added, rubbing her arms a bit harder. There was color rising on her cheeks and the tip of her nose. Without thought Leon stripped of his cloak, stepping closer to her and wrapping her up in it. She seemed swallowed by the dark furs, her face like that of a cherub from the stained glass that took up so much space in the church they were forced to attend.

"I think I'm quite dull."

She shook her head, hands gripping at his cloak, keeping it tight around her. He should step back, but he found the thought of any more space between them physically hurt. "You're… charming," she said, "endearing." After a moment, she added, "something like a puppy."

Leon choked, before he laughed, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "A pup, Ashley, really?"

Her smile grew, but a playful glint took hold in her hazel eyes. "Would you rather be a wolf, Leon?"

Heat stirred in him, the game they always seemed to play reaching the precipice where Leon knew he needed to back down. But it would have been so easy to reach beneath his cloak that shielded her, find the dip of her waist and pull her close, press his face into the curve of her neck and drag his teeth along her pulse. To show her how badly this wolf of a man could want and want and want.

Before he could speak, misstep, make a decision that would ruin both their lives, a scream broke through the air. It was blood curdling, had the pit of Leon's stomach going cold and hard. He spun around, drawing his sword at his hip and stretching his other arm out to keep Ashley behind him. He swore the air around them had gone still- and he realized that suddenly, there were no sounds from the forests around them, where the Spencer manor was nestled securely.

Ashley had gone stone still behind him, but whispered his name, softly, into the air. It hung heavy like a ripe fruit.

"Stay behind me," Leon said, reaching for the doors and opening one. The moment he did another scream broke through, and then the sound of chaos. Shattering glass and fine plates, fumbling, chairs falling.

And the chaos of the Spencer house guard suddenly rushing about.

A part of Leon was tempted to simply close the doors- but there was no safe way from the balcony down to the ground. He couldn't risk having Ashley stranded- he needed to get her somewhere safe.

So he stepped into the house, and the chaos met him.

There was a body on the ground, throat ripped out, a serving maid. Her blood pooled around the ground, as a being- naked, skin grayed and thin, thick black veins visible beneath it, was crouched over her, tearing into her mutilated neck with claws and teeth. It was nude, the knobs of its spine visible, protrusions from its shoulder blades like partially formed wings.

Leon would have crossed himself, had he believed in the God they all pretended to worship like good men. This was a demon straight from the scriptures that would bore him every Sunday, send him spiraling into fantasies of how he could pass the time instead- often, sordid thoughts of Ashley and enjoying her in the exact church he stood in false worship.

Too stunned to move, when the creature lifted its head and looked at him- eyes pulsing, the sclera black as pitch- Leon only stared back at it. It screeched at him, mouth full of razor teeth, before it threw itself up and rushed at him. Leon had thought enough to raise his sword, stop it from colliding directly with him, as his feet slid back an inch from the sheer force of the blow.

His body moved on auto pilot, then. The fight was a dance he knew, down in his very sinew. He shoved the creature back, got a good cut in across its chest. It seemed impervious to the pain, however, and pushed back at him.

His boot to its gut had it stumbling back, choking, and Leon drove his sword into its gut. The creature floundered, not reaching for the sword or the wound but for Leon still, this look in its eyes of hunger, a ravenous starvation Leon had never seen the likes of. The devil drove itself further down his sword, trying to get closer, and Leon pulled back, removing the sword and shoving the creature.

The creature's nails raked his body when it next moved, dragging down his shirt and tearing into it, the nails slicing into even the chain mail he wore beneath. He felt his skin open but didn't wince as his torso grew warm, wet as the blood trickled down.

He raised his sword and drove it down, held in both hands now, and severed the creature's arm, midway to the elbow. It screeched- and that was when Leon heard the same screech, echoed back, throughout the manor around him. More, there were more, it wasn't just one devil. An infestation of them, come from the maw of hell for judgment day.

They needed to leave.

Finally as the creature was distracted by its bleeding stump of an arm, Leon kicked its feet out from beneath it, before kicking its head, lining it up with the wall so the full force of his body weight cracked its skull. Its screech turned to a warble, a wet gurgle as the bone drove into whatever mind it had, head misshapen and crushed. Leon stepped back, took only a moment to suck in a breath, before he turned towards the balcony doors.

"We need to go," he said, and Ashley was rushing towards him, a fear so strong in her eyes he swore he felt it in his gut. He wanted to wrap an arm around her- propriety be damned- but he couldn't spare it, and had to accept that she followed close behind him.

They moved quickly to the dining hall, Leon mapping out the fastest way to the ground floor and out to the carriage that could carry Ashley home- but the room had become carnage. Two of these same creatures were feasting, one perched on the table itself, face buried in the torn asunder chest of the woman who had been quite disengaged with speaking with Ashley at dinner. Her breasts were bared, her gown split down to her navel, as the creature had its face buried in the torn open cage of her ribs. Leon could see its throat working as it swallowed, drinking down the blood directly from her now still heart.

The other was holding a man like a rag doll, suckling at his neck. Behind him, Ashley covered her mouth, the smell of blood rich in the air, along with a foul death like stench from the devils. She held in even a gasp, and for a moment Leon was proud of her.

He did take her hand now, carefully stepping around the table, avoiding the other bodies thrown about. He was pleased to see Lord Graham wasn't among them, nor any of his other fellow service men. They had made it nearly half way across the dining hall before the one on the table looked up, saw them, and gave a blood curdling cry. It lunged, and Leon shoved Ashley aside, taking the brunt of the creature's weight and stumbling back, slamming against the wall.

He dropped his sword in the movement, reaching up and grasping the creature's head as it fought with an inhuman strength, jaws snapping wildly as if it wanted to consume him, starting at whatever fleshy bit it could get. Leon's arms strained, sweat beading along his back as he felt more blood gushing from his chest. The creature managed to get an inch closer to him, breath hot and reeking of meat and blood, so much blood-

And then suddenly it was rearing back, a pained cry leaving it, and Leon was able to shove it back. He caught a glimpse of Ashley, holding the weight of his sword in both hands, fear in her eyes but overshadowed by a rage he hadn't ever seen on her.

One of the protrusions from the creature's back- better formed than the first devil's- had been nearly severed, and blood spurted from its back. Leon took the chance to kick it with all his might, sending it spiraling into the large dining table, before he reached for Ashley, took his sword and her hand, and ran at full force out of the room.

They ran from the dining room down a long hallway, to the grand staircase. Leon dragged Ashley, pulling so hard her shoulder must have ached, but she didn't ask him to stop. Her breath was rushed, panting, echoing Leon's own labored breaths.

The large foyer was torn apart- the doors wide open, house guard rushing about. Leon ignored them all, dodging around them until they broke into the cool, winter air of the night.

Down the lane, Leon could see the carriage that had brought Ashley and her father out this evening, still there. His fellow guards were around it, one door open- and he could just see her father inside. They'd waited, at least.

They could have sent someone after the jewel of the Graham family.

"Go!" Leon yelled, pulling Ashley to him and then forcing her in front of him. "Get in and don't open the doors until you're home, no matter what."

"You-"

"Will be right behind you!" Leon ran with her, eyes darting along the dark. He could hear the fighting still, the awful sounds of tearing flesh, the gurgle of ripped asunder throats.

They were nearly at the carriage, when something collided with Leon- not from the ground, but above. It sent him crashing to the ground, sprawling on his side as his shoulder impacted with the hard, frozen Earth. He groaned, as something large, far larger than the others, bracketed him in. In the dark he couldn't properly make it out- but he saw large wings extended into the night, webbed and fleshy, blocking out even the moon.

He saw jaws, opening, saliva dripping from too many teeth, and had just a moment to squirm an arm free, lift it so that when the creature dove from him, it bit into his forearm and not his neck. He gave a pained cry, the bite burning like acid, as the teeth cut through muscle and fat, hit bone. Blood gushed down his arm and his body went hot, sweat prickling at his scalp as his vision blurred. Was it from the pain? He couldn't tell, but his strength alone couldn't shove the thing off him.

He heard his name, yelled- and knew without seeing Ashley had stopped, had turned, had taken steps towards them. She screamed her name again, as more footsteps overtook her own- the sound of the other guards, restraining her, keeping her from running to him.

Leon found he was smiling, at the idea that she would throw herself onto this hell beast. It made his heart swell, for a moment- let him believe perhaps the flirtations had meant something.

He never expected he'd get to die with a smile on his face. But the moment the creature released his arm and reared back, he knew his minutes, seconds, breaths had run out. The strength in this beast was inhuman, as if it were three men crammed into one single layer of leather skin, and its next bite would be his throat.

Except it froze, with the moon silhouetting it, and then without warning simply lurched off Leon, taking flight up into the sky and leaving him there… alive.

It was the last thing he saw, before the night consumed him, and consciousness faded.

**

Ashley tore herself away from the guards holding her, rushing to Leon as the creature took flight, as if suddenly bored with him. She threw herself down on the ground, digging her knees into the frozen Earth, dirtying her dress as she reached for Leon.

He was breathing, God above he was breathing. If she believed in prayer, she would have said one. "Get him in the carriage with us," she said, looking over her shoulder at the other guards-

Who were watching, but not moving.

Her brow furrowed. "Now!" she yelled.

"He can be brought back on horseback," her father said from the carriage, "now get in here so we can depart. You've dirtied a very expensive dress." Ashley turned her gaze to her father, ready to ask if he had gone mad-

But he was looking at her as if she was nothing at all. He seemed… annoyed. But nothing beyond that. Shouldn't he be terrified too?

"I can ride horseback, he can take my place," she offered, hoping her father might see reason. But he scoffed, turned away from her, as one of the guards walked forward, knelt down next to her.

"We'll get him back to the estate and patched up ma'am, no worries." Ashley wanted to protest, but the guard added, "Best not anger your father further."

Ashley glanced at Leon again- watched his breaths- even- for a moment, before she let this battle go unwon. She stood up, taking a step back, so the guard could get an arm around Leon, hoisting him up with a grunt, as another rushed over to assist. Ashley turned and made her way quickly to the carriage, climbing in- but watching out the glass of the door the entire time, as Leon was hoisted onto a horse with another guard, who held his unconscious body secure and took off after them.

**

Once back at the Graham estate, Ashley's father retired with little word- telling a maid he required a stiff drink for the eve after that horror show.

He didn't ask about her. He didn't seek out Leon. She was more shocked about his nonchalance regarding Leon- whom he had chosen as her personal guard. Who was easily one of the best men they had.

Ashley moved away from him quickly- her quarters were in a separate wing of the home, so it wasn't strange that she would not follow him. But instead she rushed through the main floor, tearing out through the back service entrance, into the cold night. She could see her panted breaths as she ran towards the barracks, where the guards lived- where the infirmary was.

She burst in just as Leon was settled on a table. He wasn't conscious yet, and he looked pale in the candle and lantern light of the room. Ashley realized she still had his cloak around her, and wanted to curse herself- he must be freezing.

"We need to dress his wounds," she said, as the two guards that had brought him in headed for the doorway, not sparing even a look in her direction. They were her father's personal men, she couldn't even feign shock that they would leave. She was sure they were heading directly for him.

There was an older woman in the room, who had been nurse to the family since Ashley's own birth. But the woman didn't move at Ashley's words, back in the corner of the room, staring at Leon as if he was on fire. She whispered something, crossed herself, and Ashley only caught the word devil.

Word of whatever horrors had occurred at the Spencer estate had reached home with them, it seemed. She couldn't fathom the rumors that would grow from this… or even how to tell what was a rumor. After all, she couldn't… she couldn't comprehend what she had seen. She'd never believed in the devil, nor God.

"He will die," she said loudly, staring at the nurse, who only shook her head, keeping her distance as her mouth moved in a near silent prayer. Ashley told herself that everyone was on high alert, and that was it. What if one of those… those things followed them back? That was why no other guards had come to see to Leon, why no other help was here to stitch his wounds.

Ashley shed Leon's cloak, leaving it tossed on one of the narrow infirmary beds. "If you won't help," she said, not looking at the nurse now, "then I will tend to him. Get me bandages, hot water- alcohol."

She told herself she could do this. She'd been patched up enough as a child, had watched the nurses tend other guards. She'd read books on medicine.

And it would be better then watching Leon bleed out in her fucking home.

She rolled up the sleeves of her gown, picking up a pair of sheers and cutting Leon's torn shirt fully open. His blood had welled between the bits of chain mail beneath, which had large gaping holes now. What could cut through metal like that?

She set the sheers down and grasps his biceps, grunting as she tried to pull him up. She needed to remove his shirt and chain mail to get to his wounds. It was… not easy, being one person. Sweat clung to her scalp and along her back as his weight rested against her like a corpse. His shirt was fine to remove- but the chain mail had her cursing.

She hadn't removed it when the nurse returned, who stood still as death at the sight of the lady of the house with blood and dirt on her dress, her hands- the slumped, unconscious and almost half naked body of her personal guard slouched against her.

After a moment she set the things Ashley would need next to her, but rushed away quickly, muttering a prayer beneath her breath. Ashley didn't try to stop her this time.

By the time she got the chain mail off Leon, she was panting, her chest aching- the front of her once pine green gown soaked with his blood. Carefully she laid him back down, grabbed one of the small towels left for her, and began soaking up the blood at his chest.

The gashes weren't as deep as she had feared. After washing them she managed to maneuver Leon enough to wrap bandaging around his chest- again, no easy feat. Once that was done she looked at his arm, sucking in a breath at the teeth marks that sunk so deep into flesh.

She wasn't sure if she should stitch it… she didn't think she could. All she could do was clean it and bandage it, hoping it was tight enough to stave the bleeding. She was still wrapping it when he finally stirred, a little grumble leaving him before his eyes opened, staring up at the dark ceiling.

"Wha…" the word was a broken croak. Ashley perked up.

"Leon? Oh thank God you're awake." He turned his head, studied her for just a moment, before he seemed to realize it was her. He tried to sit up, pulling his arm from her, and grunted at the pain as he did so. "Careful, careful, I just got you bandaged."

He glanced down at his bare chest, noted the bandages- a hint of a pink beginning to seep through- and then looked back at Ashley. Hair falling from her braid, framing her cherub face, cheeks ruddy from the cold outside and exertion.

Blood soaked and drying along her dress, under her nails.

"…You…?" he swallowed, and Ashley wished she had thought to have drinking water brought.

"Me," she confirmed, trying to smile. She wanted to toss her arms around him, elated that he had even opened his eyes. She had been so sure for a moment, while he was laying on the ground-

That he was dead.

But it wouldn't have been proper- she hadn't hugged Leon in years. When they'd been a bit younger she would, but her father had chastised her about it, had insisted she stop when she had come of age. The memory of that conversation had her knuckles ache, from where he had whipped them raw and bleeding when she disagreed.

Leon lifted his arm, looking at the partially bandaged wound. Before he could speak Ashley gently took his arm in her hands, working to finish bandaging it properly. "What… what were those things?" she asked.

She could feel Leon watching her, and when she finished the bandage, she couldn't keep herself from letting her fingers slid up his arm, along his bicep, stroking his bare shoulder gently. It was already bruising, from when he had been thrown to the ground.

He didn't pull away.

"I don't know," he admitted. He turned his head enough that he could glance at the hand at his shoulder, before turning his attention back to her. "You shouldn't have been the one to do this."

"The household is acting as if we've been marked by the beast," she whispered, hearing footsteps outside the infirmary. When the door didn't open, she exhaled. "The nurse wouldn't touch you."

Leon frowned. "Still. It's not-"

"Proper? No. It isn't." She settled more on the bed next to him, and dared to take his hand. It was larger than hers, calloused in a way that made her belly warm and fluttery. "You saved my life."

"I've done that a few times."

She laughed. Somehow, he made her laugh, despite the evening. "Yes, you have. So this was the least I could do." She squeezed his hand, but wouldn't let it go. "It looked like…" Ashley worried her lip for a moment, thinking back to her younger years, the stories her nurse used to tell her, of hellspawn crawling up from a brimming crevice, there to claim the lives and souls of the sinners among them. Her father approved of those stories, often echoed in sermons on Sundays.

She had nightmares for years.

"A demon," she finally admitted.

"Demons aren't real." Leon said it, but he wasn't looking at her still. She squeezed his hand, her thumb rubbing over one of his knuckles. Until tonight, she would have agreed. But what she saw… those monsters…

She was wondering if, perhaps, she had been wrong.

**

Leon slept as if he was dead, that night. When he had finally been able to convince Ashley that he would be alright- after escorting her to her chambers, lucky that the house was buzzing enough from talk of what had happened at the Spencer estate that they didn't notice the way Ashley gripped his hand still, from the moment he stood in the infirmary, across the courtyard, and all the way up her rooms. He'd ensured she was inside her chambers- had asked her to lock the door, before finding one of the house guards and giving him stern instructions to watch her door. Keep her safe. He'd prefer to do it himself, but she had forced him to promise to rest. And he feared he wouldn't be much help, light as his head felt from blood loss.

He crawled into his bed, in the small room in the barracks that was his, had been his since he had come of age and taken up a position at the Graham estate. His head had barely hit his pillow before he was out, in the sort of blackened dreamless sleep he hadn't experienced in years.

When he awoke, it was later than expected. He took a moment to remove the bandage on his chest, and noticed the wounds were in oddly good shape. He smiled to himself, couldn't help but want to think it had been Ashley's care.

Still smiling, he carefully removed the bandage on his arm- and paused. It was in far worse shape, the wound an angry red, and wet. He bit back a grimace and managed to clean it- a hissed breath of pain unavoidable- before he re-bandaged it, dressed, and left his room.

He stepped outside into the back courtyard, squinting against the sun. It prickled his eyes and skin, had him rubbing at the back of his neck as he felt goosebumps rising. Strange. He ignored it- after all, the sun was high, he had slept late, and he had lost plenty of blood the night before.

He made his way into the main house, which was bustling. It seemed that news of the incident at the Spencer estate had reached everyone- there were well dressed men, and if he thought hard enough, he'd remember their names. He just didn't care.

They were distracted by master Graham, who glanced up, took a single look at Leon, and then diverted his attention back to his guests. Odd. Still, Leon was fine with being ignored- if the master of the house had no need for him, he could go about his proper cause.

Keeping watch over Ashley.

He turned away from the men, heading up the large central staircase. When he reached the top, he found one of the maids with an ornate metal cart, wheeling it down the hallway.

He walked quickly, calling out, asking if she knew where Ashley was. She seemed startled by him, leaning away a bit. "Ser," she said, not his name. "The lady is in the library. I'm bringing her coffee."

"Let me," he offered, giving her a charming smile. She seemed to relax, just a tick. She did hesitate, before nodding, stepping away from the cart.

"I need to get coffee to the master and his guests," she reasoned, before hurrying past Leon, back towards the stairs. He gripped the cart, pushing it down the corridors, towards the large wooden doors of the library. They were heavy, intricately carved. Leon shouldered one open, tugging the cart in behind him. He left the cart by the doors, walking down one of the rows of bookshelves, hearing soft mumbling towards the back.

He paused at the end of the shelves, found Ashley standing on a small ladder leaning against the shelves, fingers sliding along book spines as she read them to herself. Her hair was knotted at the base of her neck, her gown a dark plum that he swore made her skin grow.

When he inhaled, he smelled pine and fresh raindrops, a hint of lemon- the oil she dotted on her wrists, behind her ears. It made him feel dizzy.

When he inhaled again to steady himself, it only rushed his senses more. He reached out to brace himself on the bookshelf he was next to, and knocked a stray book off it. When it hit the floor Ashley went stiff, jerking in surprise, and leaning back, off balance.

Leon rushed forward, catching Ashley in his arms damn near effortlessly. She stared up at him, hazel eyes wide, before she laughed. "Oh, Leon, it's you."

She was the first one to smile at him that day.

He returned it, fondly, keeping her in his hold. "You need to be more careful." It wasn't even chastising- he was here, and he'd always catch her. Nor could he mind having her in his arms…

He gripped her a bit tighter, and Ashley leaned her head against his chest, her eyes going so soft, so caring. "You seem so much better than last night. I was worried. I thought about sneaking out to see you. To check on you."

The mere thought of Ashley sneaking into his room in the dead of night was about as far from proper as they could get- yet Leon knew she meant it. And he would have turned her away, right? Smiled so assure her he was fine, but urged her to hurry back to her room. Away from him. Away from a stain on her reputation.

Right?

He… he wasn't sure.

He set her down before he could get carried away, watched her smooth her skirts. "What are you looking for?" he asked, glancing up at the shelf. This corner of the library didn't see much traffic, he could tell from the dust.

"An old book," she confessed. "I swear it's up here somewhere, I swear. That was where I last saw it."

He turned her gently away from the shelf. "Let me," he offered, "can't have you falling again." She huffed at him, and he pressed his hand to the small of her back, felt the warmth of her body through the fabric of her dress. "I intercepted a coffee delivery on my way here. Go pour yourself a cup. What is the book title?"

She worried her lip for a moment- a habit her father often chasitised her on. Briefly, Leon wondered what her lip would feel like between his own teeth-

He fisted one hand, dug his nails into his palm. What was wrong with him today?

"There… isn't a title," she admitted, "but you'd recognize it. Leather bound, dyed an old green- it doesn't have much of anything on the cover, just some faded lettering." Leon nodded, and after a moment of hesitation, Ashley left him, heading for the front of the library and the promise of coffee. Leon climbed up the ladder himself, examining the books- but finding not even an empty space for the book Ashley asked for.

He climbed down, moved the ladder, climbed back up again- but still nothing. He scoured down the entire back wall, but couldn't find a single book matching the description. Everything was properly titled, authors listed, or was clearly an old ledger from years past.

Frowning, he climbed down from the ladder and headed back for the front of the library. Ashley had pushed the cart to a small table, settled down with a cup of steaming coffee in front of her.

There was a second, across from her. Leon didn't need more of an invitation. He sat down, reaching for the cup and wrapping his hands around it. There was already a stack of books on the table. He had to wonder how long Ashley had been at this.

"I couldn't find your book." Ashley sighed, picking up her mug and sipping at it. Leon could smell the nutty flavor of the coffee the house preferred, the fresh cream, even the sugar she had added to hers. It was dizzying.

Overwhelming, almost nauseating. He swallowed as saliva pooled in his mouth.

"No one has touched that section in… I don't know how long. There's no reason to. I thought my father was going to remove those books completely, if I'm honest… Leon?" Leon realized he was staring at his coffee intently and not at Ashley. He lifted his head, and she frowned. "You're pale." Before he could respond she stood up, walking around the table. He turned to her, and she brazenly reached out, took his face in her hands.

He was too shocked to remember to breathe.

"You shouldn't even be up, honestly. You need to rest. How much blood did you lose last night?"

Leon didn't know. Hells, in that moment, the only thing he knew was that Ashley's hands were so soft, that he wanted to turn his head, kiss her wrist. When he didn't respond she leaned closer, over him, strands of her blonde hair falling over her shoulders, escaping the haphazard knot she'd tied it in.

"Ashley," he managed, even though his mouth felt as if his jaw was sewn up tight. Her name was almost painful. When her thumb rubbed along his cheek, Leon knew he was going to make a mistake- the kind he'd managed to keep from making the past few years, with her. The kind that would ruin her life and end his. "I'm fine," he forced out, reaching up and moving her hands from his cheeks. She took a step back immediately, and Leon smiled- forced- and reached for his coffee, taking a long sip.

It didn't taste right, as if it was missing something, but he couldn't pinpoint what. Still, he hadn't eaten or drunk anything yet, and putting something into his body felt good. He drank the whole cup as Ashley lapsed into silence, content to enjoy her presence alone.

**

Days passed, yet Leon noticed the air in the estate seemed to be quite anxious, still. Agitated. Master Graham had visitors nearly every day- men that Leon didn't even recognize. He presumed there was unrest in the entire town surrounding them, considering the atrocities at the Spencer Estate.

The total dead was over twenty. Mostly house staff and guards, but a few of note from other wealthy families. The staff of the Graham estate spoke in less than quiet whispers about it. Leon did his best to ignore the whispers, but they were often accompanied by stares, directly at him. Or Ashley.

They'd been there, after all.

He adjusted his shirt, smoothing out any wrinkles. His chest was completely unbandaged now- barely a mark on him. He'd expected some new scars to join his collection, yet his skin looked better he swore than before the injury.

It was… strange. He'd never healed that quickly. His bruising had all gone down too- the only mark still on him was the deep indentations from teeth on his arm. That might scar.

Unconsciously he rubbed the spot through his sleeve, before he grabbed his cloak, fastening it around his shoulders. He'd heard there was a light snow coming down outside, from other guards as they had mulled through the halls that morning, up earlier than him to get breakfast. Faintly, he could smell Ashley's scented oils, from her wearing it nights ago. It had him smiling.

A smile that fell away as his stomach cramped gently- he should eat, but there wasn't time now. He was expected to escort Ashley and her father to church as he did every Sunday, with a few other guards. He would have to wait until after.

Not that the idea of food was very appealing- it had all been tasteless, lately. Missing something. And more often than not after a few bites he simply stopped. Liquids seemed better- he'd still drunk coffee again, after Ashley had given it to him. But it didn't do much to soothe the ache somewhere deep in his gut.

He strapped his sword to his hip and left his room, heading out into the back courtyard. He squinted against the sun, his head pounding the moment he felt it warming him. The headaches had been persistent for days, but today seemed even worse.

Still, he did his best to ignore it, taking up a horse from the stables and riding alongside the Graham carriage out to the church those with means visited. There was a smaller chapel further into the village that most others attended.

Leon dismounted and left his horse to one of the stewards that had ridden over as well, moving up to the carriage as the door was opened. Master Graham stepped out first, adjusting his jacket, before Ashley appeared, pretty in a pale peach like gown- quite off color wise for the winter season, but she felt like a hint of spring, in these cold days.

Without thought Leon stepped closer and held his hand out to her. She took it, allowed him to guide her down the two steps- and then took his arm fully, her white cloak billowing in the winter wind. "It's quite cold today," she offered, loud enough that the rest of the guard could hear, as if it was reason enough for her to be so close and informal with him.

It wasn't. But he didn't chase her away. She was comforting, and having her on his arm like this- it was a thing of dreams.

He noted that Master Graham gave them barely a look, before turning and heading for the church. Odd- Leon would have expected that he would chastise Ashley. Perhaps he was distracted enough by never ending rumblings from the Spencer estate ordeal.

The church itself was large- a ceiling so high Leon had always wondered how anyone cleaned it. There were brightly colored stained glass windows- images of the crucifixion, of Christ rising from the dead- shepherds and lambs and even one that depicted hellfire, with Satan emerging from it as a giant serpent. He liked the windows- when he'd first started serving the Graham family, he'd stared at them intently throughout entire sermons, never taking in what the priest said, but instead wondering how much more there had to be to these biblical stories. He didn't believe them- he didn't believe in much of anything except this living, breathing moment- but he was educated in the church enough to keep up a good facade. It would have been improper to disagree.

He sat next to Ashley, at the edge of a pew, directly beneath the hellfire window. It cast a red light on him that had him wincing, reaching up to gently rub his temples beneath his brown hair.

"Are you alright?" Ashley asked, her whisper a hush barely audible to even him. Around them, the other wealthy families were filing in. Leon glanced at her and tried to smile, but it was pained.

"Headache," he offered, "I've been getting them for days. It's nothing to be worried about."

Ashley frowned though. Discretely she reached out, laid her hand on his leg, just above his knee, palm up. Leon glanced from it to her, then back to it, before she huffed- bemusement in her voice. "Take my hand," she said, "you can squeeze it when the pain gets to be too bad."

He wanted to laugh- what would that do? But he found himself taking her hand regardless, closing it in his own, lacing their fingers together. It fit so well against his palm. His heart hurt over it, and he cursed himself. This silly little fancy he had for her needed to end- she was within a different world. He'd watch her marry into more wealth or power and have children-

The idea of her in another man's bed had him gritting his teeth. The thought of anyone touching her, knowing no one would handle her like gold- it made a rage boil in him.

He squeezed her hand, and felt the anger subsiding slightly when she squeezed back. Maybe there was something to this.

The large doors to the church closed, and Leon caught sight of Oswell Spencer himself, walking in slowly, leaning heavily on his cane. Despite the horrors at his estate, the man himself seemed quite well- or as well as he could in his old age.

"Odd," Ashley whispered, and Leon inclined his head, a silent what left unspoken. "He's… fine. I would have expected him to be… injured, in some way. Shaken, at least- a man his age must have a fragile heart. But he's fine." She frowned, this little crease forming between her blonde brows.

She had a point- and Leon thought on it, when the priest took up at the altar and began preaching. He would have expected the man to seem injured in some way, at least emotionally distraught-

He seemed more stoic than ever.

Leon studied his face, as he felt the heat from the sun beating down on him now, causing his scalp to prickle with sweat. He grimaced, swore his skin was beginning to feel hot, and squeezed Ashley's hand as a bolt of what felt like white hot lightning struck through his skull. Her thumb rubbed soothingly over his knuckles.

But a moment later the throb was back, and he grimaced, sweat beading on his spine now. He felt too hot, like his skin was too small, his skull crushing in. Without realizing it, he was squeezing Ashley's hand again, harder now, hard enough to feel the delicate bones within.

To her credit, she didn't pull away. But under her breath whispered, concerned, "Leon?"

As she did, he saw Oswell turn his head, look directly at Leon- and swore the old man smiled.

Leon groaned then, leaning forward, reaching up with his free hand to cover the side of his face that felt as if the hellflames within the window were licking directly against it. He squeezed his eyes shut, opened his mouth to make a pained noise- but was drowned out when Ashley screamed.

The sound pierced the church, and Leon felt her body drape over him, forcing him to stay doubled over as she clutched desperately at him, screamed again wordlessly. For a moment his pain was forgotten as fear for her spiked. He heard murmuring, Master Graham saying Ashley's name very firmly.

"Devils!" She shouted, sounding damn near hysteric. She thrashed, and as she did, pulled at the hood of Leon's cloak, raising it halfway, before leaning off him. He pulled it up fully as he reached for her, saying her name.

For a single moment she looked at him, then back at the window above, shouting the word again, the red light falling on her now.

"She's gone mad," one of the women in the pew ahead of them said, shaking her head. "Must be losing her mind from what she saw, God bless her."

And another, "Devil got himself into that girl."

"Leon," Master Graham said, sternly, "escort my daughter out of here at once. Take her home."

Leon only nodded, not missing the lack of sympathy in Graham's voice- if anything, he seemed simply annoyed. He stood, pulled Ashley to her feet, who was shaking now, but had stopped screaming. He ushered her out of the pew and back towards the doors, slipping out them as quickly as possibly-

But noting that Oswell Spencer was still watching.

He got an arm around her firmly, not caring if it was improper, and had the steward bring his horse to them. "You're alright," he whispered to her, clutching at her cloak. "I have you, Ashley."

The light outside still hurt his eyes, but with his hood pulled up, he noticed he no longer felt feverish- his headache was dulling, although not dissipating. It let him focus- when his horse arrived he urged Ashley to climb up on it- which she did with a practiced ease, sitting improperly in her gown so it bunched up between her legs. Leon made no suggestion for her to move. He simply climbed up himself, took the reins, and hurried them away from the church.

As soon as they rounded the curve and the church was out of sight, Ashley relaxed completely, and said above the sound of his galloping horse, "You can slow down."

Leon tugged at the reins a bit and his horse slowed as he frowned. "Are you alright?"

She turned to look at him over her shoulder. "Quite fine." He paused his horse then, confused, as Ashley twisted as best as she could at her waist and reached back, brushing her fingers along his cheek. His skin felt tender beneath her touch. "Your skin is hot." She stroked carefully, and Leon was dizzy, gripping the reins so tightly in his hand his knuckles were bone white. "What happened to you?"

"To…me?"

She nodded. "I thought you were going to break my hand. And I swore I saw… I don't know… mist or, or smoke rising from you, like a candle." She withdrew her hand. "I needed to get you out of there."

Get him out? What- "You faked that?"

"Of course." She shrugged a shoulder. "What woman hasn't faked hysteria at one point or another? Men are always quick to think we've lost our minds." Leon could only stare. "But something was happening to you."

"It was just a headache," he tried to reason, giving a gentle squeeze with his heels to get his horse moving again. Ashley frowned, but turned away, watching the road before them as they made their way back to the estate.

The staff seemed perplexed to see them, alone, on the horse, but Leon only offered that Ashley had had an episode, and he had been instructed to bring her home. He asked one of the maids to bring her some tea, and took her directly to her chambers. He shouldn't have been there unsupervised, but the house still seemed to want to keep a bit of distance from the two, and no one followed.

Once inside, Ashley moved to the curtains of her large sitting area and pulled them shut, drenching the room in a cool darkness. Almost instantly, Leon felt the pressure in his head subside. He pulled his hood off as Ashley lit a candle, then moved closer to him.

She took his face in her hands again, turning him slightly, studying the skin that had been right beneath the window. He watched her eyes go a little wide. "You're burnt."

"What?" That wasn't possible- it made no sense. Ashley nodded to a mirror, and Leon moved towards it, examining the skin himself in the low light.

She was right. It was an angry red, as if he had scalded it beneath boiling water. He touched it gently, but the pain was dull- and he swore, right before his eyes, he could see the red fading.

"Leon," Ashley said, stepping closer, watching his skin seeming to heal herself. "Something isn't right."

No, no it wasn't. But if Leon admitted that- then what the hell was happening to him?

**
Leon left Ashley's room before the maid could bring her tea- his exit was quick, abrupt, but Ashley couldn't stop him. She fell down onto the couch and sat there, unmoving, as the maid knocked, then brought in the tea cart.

"Why are the curtains drawn ma'am?" she asked, frowning at the darkness within the room. "A young lady such as yourself should get sunlight regularly. It's good for you."

"Leave them," was all she managed, when the maid moved for the curtains. The girl paused, then simply gave a little curtsy and left her alone.

Leon was sick- even if he wouldn't admit it, there was something wrong with him. He had burned in nothing but light, and Ashley wasn't blind to the fact that he had healed quickly, from his injuries. Hell, she had watched his skin begin to return to his typical complexion right before her eyes.

She wrung her hands together, before standing up, pacing the room. She needed answers, but she had nowhere to go for any except her family's library. And that had yielded nothing.

She stripped of her cloak, thinking she needed to find that old book- she remembered her mother had called it when she was younger a grimoire, and her father had hated it. Maybe he had disposed of the book, without her knowing. She swore he had tried to, when her mother had been alive.

Or maybe he had it.

She moved to her doors, opening them just a crack to peak outside. The hallway was empty, and she carefully moved into it, closing the door behind her. She moved down the long halls, before crossing over the top of the main staircase, towards the west wing- her father's quarters. She had been concerned she might run into a maid or two cleaning, but the hallways were quiet.

They wouldn't be for long. She imagined after the display she'd made of herself in church, her father would be quick to return. She hurried to the door to his quarters and opened it, slipping inside. He'd left the curtains open and natural light flooded in, the sitting area pristine and seeming untouched, exactly how he liked it.

She ignored the doors to his bedroom and private bath, and instead went for his office. When she tried to doorknob it was firmly locked- which she expected. She couldn't remember a time when he hadn't kept it locked.

But this wasn't her first time breaking in.

She turned away from the door and moved to the wall, where an old portrait of her late mother hung, from when she had been younger than even Ashley was, in that moment. Just weeks after her parents married. Carefully she pulled the edge of the frame away from the wall and reached behind it, found the key tucked into a small pocket that had been sewn into the back of the canvas. He had never moved the spare key.

Ashley rushed back to the door, unlocked it, and let herself in. The room had a smell of wood polish, a hint of smoke from the cigars her father would smoke with his company. She headed for his desk, setting the key down as she looked at the books stacked atop it. Nothing out of the ordinary for him- business, lists of final harvests from the fall around the area, livestock headcounts.

The first two drawers she opened yielded nothing- but the third had her grinning. There, beneath some blank letter paper was the book- cover so warn the golden lettering was nearly impossible to read. She pulled it out, gripping it tightly, knowing she'd have to take it with her- there wouldn't be time to read it here. She wasn't even sure what she was looking for…

She was about to close the drawer when she noticed a strange little divot, at the bottom. Her brow creased as she settled the book on her lap and reached for it, was able to pull at the bottom of the drawer with her finger, hooking it into the groove-

And up came the bottom, revealing a hidden compartment. She felt her heart rate pick up as she looked at envelopes, all hand written and addressed to her father, a few flipped over with the wax seal broken. The seal was red and white, a crisp design she recognized.

The Spencer family seal.

She scooped up all of the letters, holding them in a trembling hand as she replaced the bottom of the drawer, and rearranged the papers as she had found them. When it was obvious the stack was far shorter, she shoved the grimoire and her letters onto the desk and stood up, crossing the room and getting on her hands and knees, reaching beneath a leather chair, draped with a blanket. Sure enough, she felt a small cigar box beneath and pulled it out, noting it was empty.

With all of the company her father had had lately, she assumed they had gone through a few boxes. And this had always been his favorite place to stash the empty boxes between the days his office was cleaned- something that always happened when he was present.

Ashley hadn't ever questioned that, and she cursed herself in that moment, wondering if she should have.

She stood up, made her way back to the desk, and tucked the box beneath the papers. They appeared at about the same height now- she just had to hope he didn't plan to look at the book anytime soon.

She took all of the letters, crammed them into the book, and grabbed the key, ready to head for the door, when she heard voices, form the other side.

She pressed herself close to the door, ear against it, and heard her father clearly speaking to one of his guards.

"Arrange a watch for her room. Send for the physician as well- no, I know he won't arrive today, but send for him at least. Perhaps we'll be lucky and my daughter is dealing with hysteria induced by an illness." There was some response, and then the large doors to her father's rooms closing. Ashley held her breath, heard the footsteps coming closer, as if her father meant to come into the study- but they stopped, a few paces back, and then pivoted, one of the other doors opening and closing.

She thought it was his bath chambers, but didn't take the chance to consider it further. She very carefully opened the door, just enough to slip through, before she nearly ran on her tip toes to the main doors themselves. She risked a quick glance through cracked doors before stepping out into the hallway, closing the doors with a relieved exhale.

She couldn't spare more than that moment, though- she had to return to her own rooms before her father's guard did. Book tucked under one arm- and she realized, spare office key pressed to the palm of her other hand- she walked briskly, but tried to seem calm. She managed to pass the main staircase, and was partially down the hallway when she heard one of the other doors open, and a maid stepped out, pausing when she saw her. Quickly, Ashley turned to angle the book away from her.

"Ma'am?" the girl asked, holding a duster. "I'd heard you were unwell like. You ought to be in your room."

"I ran out of tea," she said, feeling stupid. "I wanted another cup. I'm quite cold."

That seemed to perk the maid up- an errand that could take her away from the endless dusting the estate always needed. "I'll get you a fresh pot ma'am." Ashley gave her a bow of her head in silent thanks, and continued to her chambers. Once inside, she took the book and shoved it beneath the cushion of her main couch, then picked up the pot of tea and hurried to her windows, pulling the curtains wide and pushing the glass open, pouring the teapot of hot water out completely into the empty space below. It splashed the roof below her, into the light lining of snow, and Ashley pulled the window shut, along with the curtains, returning the teapot to its place and settling on the couch herself.

She hadn't even caught her breath when there was a heavy knock, on her doors- they were opened before she responded, and the captain of her father's guard stood there, eyeing her from a safe distance.

"Your father bids you rest," he said, "after an outburst like that. You'll have your dinner brought to your chambers, and the physician will be here in the morning to see to you."

He looked… disgusted, that he had to speak to her. Ashley hadn't ever liked the man, but in that moment she felt a hate boiling in her. He wasn't concerned, simply annoyed that he was put out in having to arrange care for her.

There was no need to try and get a rise from him, though. She nodded silently, and with a final look, he pulled the door shut tightly.

**

Leon slept through the afternoon, curtains shut tightly- didn't arise until well past dinner. Not that he had a set time he was expected- if he wasn't with Ashley or on a task for the Master, his time was his own.

A quick look outside told him it was past sunset, the sky no longer even a hint of velvet purple, but gone to the blue-black of winter nights. He sighed, his head for the first time that day not aching at all. He reached up to gently touch his cheek, but the skin felt exactly as it always had- it wasn't tender or warm, and he was sure if he looked at his reflection, it wasn't be even the slightest bit flushed.

He couldn't explain it. He wasn't sure he wanted to.

He reached up for his chest, spread a hand there, over where his wounds from one of those hellbeasts had been. He was perfectly healed as well- something that should have taken weeks. It was a miracle.

Yet, it felt like a devil's gift.

He left his room, needing some air- and, he quickly realized, food. His stomach grumbled at him, and he couldn't even recount if he had eaten anything solid that day.

The barracks had their own kitchen and dining room. Other guards and staff alike sat about eating. Leon inhaled the scent of a stew, and instantly felt his stomach turn, as if the broth itself was of some spoiled, fungal creation. He forced his face to remain neutral, and instead of heading for the large pot that was being dispersed from, he grabbed an apple instead. Something safe.

Maybe his body was simply reacting poorly to food because it had focused so strongly on his healing. Even as he thought it he knew it was bullshit, but he clung to it, deciding that some fresh air would be good for him. Apple in hand, he walked away from the gatherings of men and made his way out of the barracks, into the cool winter night.

He was a few paces into the back courtyard when he realized he had forgotten his cloak. Still, the crisp air didn't feel bothersome, and he decided a quick stroll without it would be fine. He detoured away from the estate itself, heading instead for the gardens, which were now nothing but frozen dirt and memories. He took a bite of his apple, grimacing at how the skin felt like wax, digging at his teeth. He chewed once, twice, but the juice tasted completely rancid to him.

He forced himself to swallow, as he examined the fruit. It was perfectly fine- the inside a few shades away from the snow on the ground, the skin a nice, bright red.

He took another bite, chewed once, twice- swallowed. His stomach rolled. Then, after a few steps, it cramped. He paused, gritting his teeth together, confused and unable to deny that he was hungry. Looking at the skin of the apple had left him feeling ravenous.

He took another bite, before he doubled over, the pain so intense in his stomach it nearly threw him off balance. It felt as if his insides were twisting in on themselves, then tearing in riot.

He dropped the apple, took a few staggering steps, before he fell to his knees in the snow, then doubled over, bare hands planted in the snow as he wretched. It ended in a strangled noise as bile and a few bits of the fruit spilled from his lips into the snow, steaming from the heat of his belly. He gagged again, the last bit of the fruit and sour bile leaving his throat, before he spit into the snow. As he did, his lips pressed to his canines, and he swore he felt his teeth move.

Unsure if he could stand- he was dizzy, so ungodly dizzy, Leon managed to crawl a foot away from his vomit, before he reached up with one hand, dug his fingers into his mouth and felt his teeth. His canines did move then, loose- before he felt something pushing at them, from within his skull. He groaned, the sound turning into a smothered shout as pressure pushed through his sinuses, his cheeks-

And then the taste of blood, welling in his mouth. Leon gagged on it, spit, felt it dribbling down his chin, onto his shirt. In the snow, slick with his blood beneath the moon, were two teeth.

He moved his tongue, felt where one had been- and in its place was a larger tooth- longer, pointed. Like a beast's fang.

For a single moment, he was convinced he was dying, in that snow- especially as his stomach cramped up again, sending him into a spiral of pain. He pitched forward, laid out on the ground, as fresh snow began to fall down along him. With one eye he could just stare up, see it falling around him.

It was pretty.

He didn't ever expect to die somewhere pretty.

**

Ashley clutched onto the trunk of a large tree, easing herself down slowly. It was slow going, even in the boots she had adorned under her peach dress. Her skirts kept tangling in the branches, and she had to be careful not to tear them, lest her little escapade have any evidence.

The moon was high, and the estate felt quiet, around her. When her boots finally crunched in the snow she gave a sigh of relief, reaching beneath her cloak to adjust the small satchel she had. Inside it was her stolen grimoire- but possibly more important, the letters she had found.

She was putting herself and Leon at risk, but she needed to see him, to show him. And she was worried sick about him. She had no idea if he had tried to come see her and been turned away or not- the guard outside her room kept everyone from entering. He even brought her dinner tray in himself, from the maid.

She hurried towards the remains of the gardens- her hood up, concealing herself. She could cut through them to the side of the barracks, and avoid walking straight through the back courtyard, exposed for all to see. But the moment she entered the garden she stopped, noticing a figure laying in the snow.

And then she ran, because that was Leon. She threw herself down onto her knees, her hood falling back, as she reached for him, gently shook him. There was a fine layer of snow on him, but his eyes did open when she touched him, snowflakes caught in his lashes as he looked at her.

And then he smiled. There was blood in his teeth. "Cherubs don't meet the dead."

She frowned- what was he saying? "Leon, what happened? You're freezing." She rubbed his arm, before trying to get her other hand beneath him, doing her best to lift his weight. He was limp for a moment, before he moved with her, sitting up. She reached for his face, found dried blood on his chin, his shirt. "Oh Leon." She rubbed her thumbs along his cheeks, and when he opened his mouth, she noticed his teeth.

Fangs.

He seemed to be coming back to himself, but she couldn't sit here with him in the snow. Hell, he didn't even have his cloak! She stood up, taking his hands and pulling him to his feet. He was unsteady and leaned against her, had her almost stumbling. She grit her teeth and braced him, got his arm over her shoulders. She'd get him out of the cold, into his room-

And then, she didn't know. But she'd figure it out.

It was slow going, Leon's feet dragging with each step. By the time they made it to the barracks the muscles in Ashley's arms and shoulders burned, but she couldn't stop now-

"Kid have too much to drink?" one of the other guards asked, as he stepped outside, holding a lit pipe. Ashley nodded, keeping her head down, hoping he wouldn't recognize her- that maybe he'd think she was just one of the house maids. "Who would've thought." The sarcasm was thick. The man took a puff of his pipe, exhaled the smoke into the air. "Best get him to bed before a captain sees him, or he'll get his ass handed to him. And don't expect he's going to give you anything good in that bedchamber doll- not with the state he's in."

Ashley felt her cheeks flush, beneath her hood, but she ignored the comment and got Leon in through the door. Thankfully the hallway leading to his room was empty, and she managed to shoulder his door open and stumble them both in. It was dark, and she bumped into a small table as she tried to navigate to the bed, but finally found it and got Leon slumped onto it, before moving to light a candle. The room flooded with a warm, flicking light, and Ashley took Leon in properly.

He was pale, paler than she had ever seen him. He was conscious, looking at her through his lashes, which were wet from the smelted snow- as was his hair, his shirt. She couldn't believe he wasn't shivering. She stepped closer, reached her free hand out, not holding the metal candlestick. She tipped his chin up, ignoring the tacky blood that clung to it, and noted his eyes were bloodshot.

When he moved, a moment later, Ashley expected him to push her away- but he turned, nuzzled into her hand. "Don't look at me," he managed, "I'm-a-mess."

Her gaze softened and she stepped closer, pulling him in so that his face pressed to her belly, her cloak opened enough that the blood on his chin smeared on her gown. "Nothing could ever keep me from looking at you, Leon." His arms lifted, slowly, as if they weighed as much as mountains, and carefully encircled her, holding onto her tightly. She stroked his damp hair back, before reaching to set the candlestick down. Once she had she got both hands into his hair, gently guided him to lean his head back.

She could see the points of his teeth. They hadn't been like that earlier. "I don't know what's happening," he whispered, his voice cracking at the end. "Ashley, I- I can't eat, the sun, my… my fucking teeth."

Ashley pulled him back against her, held him tight as he clutched onto her, as if the world was tilting, slowly, and he might fall into the abyss. She gripped at his shoulders, steadying herself, before whispering, "I might."

Leon leaned back then, and she sat down next to him on the bed, pulling the grimoire from her satchel. "I found my book." She opened it in her lap, flipping through the pages. "In my father's office."

"Why would your father have it?"

"I…" she paused, then shook her head. She'd get to that. She paused on a page, tapping it. "I've been thinking about the stories my mother used to tell me- that gave me nightmares. This is one."

She turned the book, watched as Leon's eyes flashed over it, reading quickly. She flipped the page after a moment, to a grotesque drawing of a beast- with two sets of upper fangs, protruding from its open mouth, its nose flattened in like that of a bat. She had slept under her covers for a week when she had first accidentally seen it.

Yet the stories of demons and hellfire had still scared her more. She swore most of her childhood had just been fear.

"The vampire," she whispered, and Leon glanced up at her.

"Isn't real," he added, "Ashley, it's a superstition, a tale to scare children. Just like wolfmen, like demons, like… God."

She didn't argue the last bit. She didn't think there was any sort of loving God watching them- if there was, it was far from loving.

"Then explain what we saw, at the Spencer estate. Explain it to me." Leon opened his mouth, before he snapped it shut and looked away. "You can't."

"We have to be rational."

"Oh fuck rationality, Leon- you're dying! One of those things bit you." She reached for his arm, shoved his sleeve up- and there was what had been a wound, now little dimpled scars. "You healed already, which is inhuman." When he didn't argue she released his arm, then shoved the book off her lap, stripping of her cloak, dropping the satchel to the floor. She rolled her sleeve up then, reaching for a knife that was on the table she'd set the candlestick on.

"Ashley- don't." Leon spoke but she ignored him, pricking the point of the knife into her arm and and dragging it slightly, wincing as she opened a cut less than an inch long. It was small, but the blood welled up her skin- and she watched the way Leon's pupils blew.

He wanted it. He couldn't hide it.

Ashley stepped between his legs, dropped the knife to the floor. It clattered as she held up her arm, offering it, and Leon looked up at her, disheveled, his hands shaking as they fisted on his thighs.

"You can't tolerate anything else but this," she reasoned. "Leon, please. You're weak." After a moment he lifted his hands, gently took her arm, and brought it to his mouth. The touch of his lips had Ashley's breath catching, her heart stuttering, something she had dreamed about for years now.

They sealed over the wound, and she felt him suck gently, before his tongue ran over the cut, gathering up the blood. The moment he did he groaned, deep and guttural, his fingers digging into her skin and pulling her closer. She stumbled, got a hand on his shoulder, leaned over him as he sucked greedily at the small wound, getting every drop her body would give him. She knew it wasn't much- but it was something.

And it proved her point.

He pulled off her arm, panting, pinkened saliva stringing from his mouth to her arm. She whispered good as he tried to catch his breath, squeezing his shoulder. He looked up at her, a defeat in his eyes she wasn't sure she had ever seen.

He believed her.

She pulled back, grabbing her cloak from where it was piled on the floor. "Stay here," she whispered as she situated it over her shoulders and pulled her hood up. "I'm going to take care of this, Leon. Take care of you."

**

He should have told her to stay- no, no, that wasn't right. He should have told her to go but not to come back- but the argument was dead before it even reached his throat. Ashley snuck from his room, told him to get comfortable, promised to be back.

When she was gone he reached up, rubbed his lips with two fingers. His mouth had a warm, coppery taste- it was the most delicious thing he'd ever experienced. Just a bit of her blood, and he felt as if a fog had lifted from him.

He reached for the grimoire, envelopes spilling out of it. For the moment he ignored them, scanning over the section again. He'd heard of vampires, of course. Everyone had. They were a fearful story to tell children in the dark of night. No one believed in them.

Except… that was a blatant lie, and he knew it. He had met plenty of superstitious folk within the estate alone who believed in demons and angels and any sort of monster that could be considered an abomination to God. He'd grown up with people who believed- hells, some of his closest childhood friends believed. Their whole families did.

He bared his teeth, touching one of his fangs again, before he set the book aside and stood up. He was a mess and it wouldn't do to stay this way. Ashley didn't need to see him like this more than she had.

He stripped of his shirt, pausing to look at his arm in the candlelight. The only scar from that night was the bite. He balled it up and tossed it aside, pouring a bit of water from a jug into a basin and splashing his face, washing the blood from it. When he was done he sat, still shirtless, on his bed, and picked up the grimoire again, reading it over. And over.

And over, until Ashley returned.

He had no idea what time it was when she let herself back into his room, holding an old metal pitcher in her hands. Her fingers were tinged red from the cold.

"We lucked out," she said, shaking her hood back. "There was a hunting party earlier- they killed an elk. It takes so long to bleed them dry- it's still warm."

He didn't ask how she knew that- he only stared at the pitcher. He could smell it, the blood inside- warm indeed, heady in a way that made him salivate. Leon swallowed thickly, as Ashley moved around the room- picked up a glass, poured directly into it. The blood was thick, but fresh, and even though a small, rational part of Leon knew he should be disgusted, he found more than anything he was simply ravenous.

Ashley set the pitcher down and handed Leon the cup, her fingers brushing his. He looked at it for a moment, then up at her- but she only said one word. "Drink."

And he did.

He pressed his lips to the glass and tipped his head back, taking a mouthful of elk blood. He swallowed, barely able to taste it at first, his body reacting immediately- his stomach twisting, growling- but the nausea that had hit him when he'd tried to eat the apple was absent. He swallowed in desperate gulps, until the glass was empty and he was panting, trying to swallow air his lungs had been denied.

"There's more, it's okay," Ashley soothed, taking the glass and emptying the rest of the pitcher into it. This time she sat on the bed directly next to Leon, holding up the glass to control how quickly he drank. Her other hand went to his back, rubbed along his bare spine, as she forced him to drink slowly.

When the glass was gone she set it aside, then took Leon by the arms, leaning back into his bed, pulling him down with her. He should have fought, but the desire to was gone. Fuck propriety, he wanted to curl into Ashley, her comfort-

Her… understanding.

And he did, getting an arm around her and nuzzling into her neck, breathing in that fading lemon and forest scent, swearing he could hear her pulse within his neck. She rubbed between his bare shoulder blades, and Leon gave in, dragging his lips across her pulse in the poorest attempt at a kiss.

Ashley sighed, and he did hear her heartbeat rise, slightly. She rolled them over then, so Leon was flat on his back, staring up at her-

And then she was kissing him.

He melted into the bed, what felt like a lifetime of desire bubbling up in him then, spilling over his brim. He reached for her, got his hands on her waist and returned the kiss, languid movements of his lips against hers, until he felt the tip of her tongue trace his lips- and then it was in his mouth, and he felt sordid and filthy because he tasted of blood-

She didn't flinch. She didn't push him away. She kissed him, blood and all. Shame and all.

"Ashley," he breathed, as she pulled back, pressing her forehead to his.

"Don't say it's not proper," she whispered. "I don't care. I think the only thing I actually care about is you."

His heart hurt, he felt so… full, suddenly. He was smiling, new found fangs on display, and couldn't stop himself from kissing the bridge of her nose.

"I'd ruin you," he whispered. He would, her reputation, her social standing- her very life that she knew, would be torn asunder. For him. For a man. He should push her away.

"You could try," she said, stroking along his jaw, enjoying the soft bit of stubble that was growing in. "You'd fail, but you could try. I decide what ruins me, Leon."

He didn't argue that- to do so would belittle her, and that was the last thing he wanted. So he kissed her again, slow and aching, shivering when her tongue rolled along the tip of one of his fangs, yet she only pushed closer, let him envelope her into his arms and keep her flush to his chest.

**

Ashley dozed, the most comfortable she had ever been in Leon's small bed, nestled into him. Despite her gown she tangled her legs with his, and when she came to, she had rolled onto her back, had him curled into her, head pooled on her breasts, breathing softly.

She blinked away sleep slowly, stroked along his bare spine, soft fingertips finding so many scars. One was quite thick, felt like it was ancient, as if he had received it his very first day of life. She rubbed it slowly, memorizing the texture, wondering if she'd learn the stories of each scar. She'd always wanted to know them- she knew a few, from over the years, but there were so many she had never seen.

Leon stirred against her, rubbing his cheek along the soft cotton of her gown and sighing. She wanted to let him sleep for eternity, to simply lay here and hold him. But she knew, from the shade of the curtain, that dawn was close- and she couldn't stay here. Not now, not yet. She couldn't prioritize her desires over… over whatever hell was being raised in the Spencer estate.

She hadn't even told Leon about the letters. She glanced at the floor, found the grimoire had tumbled there in the night, the letters scattered about. As she looked, Leon lifted his head slowly, looked at her with sleep-hazed eyes, soft as down fur, affectionate as a lamb.

He looked at her like she was his shepherd.

"Hi," she whispered, and when he leaned up, kissed her softly, she knew pure euphoria.

"Hi yourself," he whispered, before pulling away and sitting up. She joined him, brushing back some of her hair that had freed itself. He took one of her hands, pulled it to his mouth to kiss her knuckles. She felt the tip of one of his fangs- it would take time to get used to them, she was sure.

She found she didn't mind at all.

"How are you feeling?" He moved her hand from his mouth when she spoke, rubbing her knuckles with his thumb instead.

He took only a moment to think. "Better than I have since that night." He glanced at the glass at his bedside, flakes of dried blood clinging to it. A shadow crossed his face- a look of shame creeping in.

Ashley angled herself between Leon and the glass, catching his eye. "Good. Your body has been starving this whole time. I won't let that happen again." He quirked a brow at her I, and she lifted her chin confidently. "Trust me."

"I do." He squeezed her hand. "But this shouldn't be your problem."

"Maybe if you'd had your cloak, you wouldn't have been bitten." She couldn't deny she'd been thinking of it. "Maybe the beast's fangs wouldn't have broken skin. Maybe… maybe instead I'd be the vampire."

Saying the word again felt strange, but there was simply no way to deny the truth now. "I wouldn't ever have let that happen." The determination in Leon's voice had her feeling flush.

"But if it had… you'd do the same for me." Leon didn't deny it, nor would Ashley have let him. "Let me take care of you for once, Leon. You've always protected me- let me be the knight, for once."

She felt foolish after she said it, but the sentiment held. And Leon- he smiled at her, easy, full fanged- and tangled their fingers together. "I don't make a good princess, Ashley."

"I don't think either of us do. I break too many rules."

"Your gown wouldn't look half as fetching on me."

She smacked his bicep playfully as he chuckled, before she tossed herself at him, shoving him down to the bed, laughing with him until they dissolved into a mess of slow kisses, a few wandering hands. It was hell to pry herself from him after that, but Ashley did- she donned her cloak and satchel, kept the grimoire but left the letters with Leon.

"Read them," she said, as she was pulling her hood up. "Come to my room later." She paused, before adding, "and don't be alarmed by what you hear." He looked at her questioningly, but she couldn't explain- she now had a torn and blood stained dress to hide, and facade of hysteria to keep up. She was sure it wouldn't look good from the outside.

She departed after one more kiss- a bit too long, lingering in a way that had her wanting to climb back into Leon's bed, to let him slip the aforementioned dress from her body and let her forget this hellish mystery. She crossed through the gardens as quickly as possible, through a few large trees to the one that reached her balcony, and began climbing up it. By the time she had reached the balcony she was panting, a sheen of sweat along her skin. Sneaking out had been much easier than sneaking in.

She managed to pull herself to her balcony and hoist over the railing, before she let herself into her chambers. Outside her door she could hear the stirrings of the day beginning- whatever guard stood at her door was speaking with someone. Possibly a maid, inquiring about bringing her breakfast.

She hurried into her bedroom, stripped off her cloak and stowed it away properly. She removed her satchel, this time taking the grimoire and slipping it beneath her mattress, where it could remain secure.

She looked down at her dress- dried, brown blood stains that had rubbed off from Leon's chin, water stains from the snow, a few tears along the edge. She couldn't simply hide the dress itself, she would need a reason for the distress.

She left her bedroom, removing a rather sharp letter opener from her small desk. She looked at it for only a moment, before she grasped her hair, dug the knife through it, slicing and sawing off the heavy strands until it fell in a heap at her feet. She shook her head, feeling so light without all of her hair, and then grabbed the bodice of her dress and pulled, tearing some of the seams and buttons along the back.

When she pulled it off her body, she grabbed a few of the tears at the bottom and tore them as well, even dragging the letter opener across the fabric to ruin it further. Once it was tattered, she looked down at her arm, and sucked at her tongue, reopening the cut she had made on her arm the night before for Leon. Blood welled up quickly and she dropped the letter opener, dragging her fingers through it and then staining her dress further, before making a mess of her slip, her hands, even smearing some along her chin.

She had to look deranged. Undone. Utterly bereft of her reason.

Once she was done, she took a deep breath, and she screamed.

**

Leon spent the morning sitting on his bed, reading the letters Ashley had left with him. And once he was done, rereading them, because he was sure he was hallucinating.

They were all from Oswell Spencer- written in his own hand, Leon would bet, not dictated to another. They spoke of alchemy, a black magic that sounded as if it came from a biblical horror-

And monsters. Creatures that he was fascinated with, studying, keeping Graham updated on.

The last letter was dated a few days before the dinner at the Spencer estate that had started this- The dinner will be a success, do not worry. Trust in me.

Had… had Master Graham known about those monsters? Had Spencer let them lose on purpose-

But Ashley had been there. He had endangered his own daughter, and to what end?

He tucked each letter back into their envelopes, before tucking them into his pocket safely. He didn't want to go out in the sun- but he needed to try and see Ashley. Time felt like a luxury they didn't have.

He tucked himself beneath the hood of his cloak and moved as quickly as possible from the barracks to the main house. So long as his skin didn't touch the sunlight directly, he felt alright- a good thing to note, he was sure.

Once inside he let his hood down, stepping through the kitchen as he had taken the service entrance. He was barely inside when he heard two of the staff girls speaking, softly.

"Gone utterly mad she has. Blood everywhere I heard."

"Doesn't pray enough, I bet. Devil got into her heart and let her live." The girl crossed herself. "This whole house'll go to the devil."

Leon stared at them long enough that they turned, both looking alarmed to be overheard. They quickly turned away from him, and he bit his tongue, choosing instead to hurry further into the house, swallowing down concern.

Ashley had said not to be alarmed by what he heard. He had to trust that she was alright.

He found a guard he barely recognized outside her door, looking bored. When Leon was close enough he turned, gave him a cursory nod. "Wouldn't recommend taking a stroll along this side of the house, Kennedy. No telling when she's gonna wail like a banshee again."

Leon paused, tried to keep from wrinkling his nose. Why could he smell this man's sweat? Did this new… existence mean everything would be so heightened? He could smell cheap wine too, like the man had downed half a damn bottle before taking up his post.

Honestly, it would be nice to drink himself into a stupor to forget this. But he didn't have that luxury.

"Granted, I guess you've seen her at her worst. You're her personal guard, right? Master Graham never seems to let you go anywhere else."

He nodded. "Let me take a turn," he offered, nodding to the doors. "Since she's my responsibility."

"Graham'll have my head. He said no one but the captain can assign a new guard. No one goes in or out. Or even lingers." He waved his hand.

Leon dragged his tongue along the tips of his fangs. He was lucky no one seemed to look at him long enough when he spoke to notice them. "He doesn't have to know. Grab a drink and come back after."

The guard shifted from foot to foot once, before he moved away from the door, patting Leon on the shoulder, telling him he was a good man, and heading off. Once he was out of sight, Leon hurried to the doors, opened one a crack so he could stick his head in.

He didn't see Ashley. A quick look around the hallway again, and he stepped inside, closing the doors behind him, hoping no one would have a need to walk by anytime soon.

"Ashley?" he called, and heard shuffling, from her bed chambers, before she emerged, the grimoire in one hand.

Leon paused. Her hair had been sheered short, bobbing at a slight angle around her face. It accentuated her cheeks, which had always been a little plump- angel like, to him.

He must have been staring, because Ashley reached up tentatively, plucking at her hair. "I might have caused quite a scene, this morning." She paused, glancing away now. "I've always wanted it short anyway."

Leon moved closer, until he was in her space, breathing her air. He reached up, toyed a few of the shortened strands around one of his fingers. "I like it," he managed, voice a little hoarse. Her eyes turned to him and she smiled, and he felt his heart becoming liquid, melting into the crevices of his ribs.

His hands moved into her hair, pulling her close so he could kiss her. She sighed against his lips, her free hand reaching for his shirt, clutching at it gently. He lost himself in the sweetness of her mouth, felt his blood beginning to go hot in his veins, the tips of his fangs dragging against her lower lip. He felt her quake, heard the softest sigh from her-

And had to pull back, before he let his body overrule common sense.

"I don't have long," he said, glancing down at the book she held- and noticing there was bandaging, poking out from beneath the sleeve of her gown. "You're hurt."

"Just a bit of theatrics," she said, "I'll be fine. I had to seem hysterical, after all. Father had the physician visit this morning…" she shuddered. "He barely wanted to look at me. Said I'm to be kept locked tight in my room, sedated when I'm agitated." Leon frowned, and Ashley nodded to the table by her couch. He turned, noticed a cup of coffee, left untouched. "I assumed they'd added something to it."

Leon stepped away from her, moved towards the cup and lifted it. On instinct he inhaled and underneath the nutty scent of her coffee, he could smell something bitter, that had him scrunching his nose.

"I can smell it," he mused, and Ashley walked over, sat down on the couch.

"Fascinating. And I'm not going to lie, helpful." Leon set the cup down and gave a flourished bow, glancing up through his lashes and the fringe of his hair.

"Glad to be of service."

She laughed. Ashley laughed, and for just that second, the world was right. He straightened then, refusing to let himself drown in a false sense of complicity, and reached into his pocket, pulling out the letters and handing them to her. "You read them?" Leon nodded. Ashley piled them neatly on the book, her fingers rubbing along the broken Spencer family seal. "Thoughts?"

"Nothing good." He folded his arms, feeling a bit too restless to sit next to her- and worried if he did, he'd simply pull her into his arms again, kiss her breathless and risk their safety for a moment of the most simple bliss.

"Master Spencer is up to something," Ashley said, "that night was… orchestrated. And my father knew. He… he fucking knew." She flexed her hand, began gripping the letters, the envelopes crinkling. "Leon, we have to destroy those monsters. What if they…"

"Escape and turn an entire town into beasts?"

Ashley nodded. "Not that you're a beast, Leon."

He flashed his fangs. "I can be." It was spoken like a promise, not a threat. Ashley's own smile was wicked in return, but she didn't take the bait. He was glad one of them could be sensible. After a moment, he offered, "I might know someone who can help." Ashley perked up at that, an excited "who?" rushing from her lips. "A friend, from before I came to work with your father. Her family…" Leon paused, trying to figure out how to explain. "They've always believed in these things. I never did, but… I guess I was wrong."

Ashley moved the letters and offered Leon the grimoire. "Go see her, please. And take this- show it to her. I'd… like to know what she thinks of it." Ashley paused, before she admitted, "I don't know why my mother had it."

Leon nodded. He couldn't deny, it was strange that the last Lady of the House had such a thing- and that Master Graham had allowed it in his God fearing home. He glanced at the door, knowing their time was running out. Before he spoke, Ashley reached out, took his hand- squeezed it, like she had in the church.

"Stay out of the sun, go see her at dusk. And then… come see me tonight." She turned her head, looked at the large door that led to her small balcony. "You can get to the balcony from the tree- I'll leave the door unlocked."

"Won't they check on you?"

She shook her head. "They'll think I've taken my medicine and I'm sedated." Another squeeze to his hand, before Ashley stood up, leaning up to peck Leon's lips. It felt so natural, the affection. "Now go, before we're caught and we have to solve yet another problem."

**

Leon waited until dusk as Ashley had suggested- while the reddened and purple sunset still made his skin tingle, it didn't leave patches of his skin smoking. He took a horse from the stable and road with his hood up, causing even that faint discomfort to disappear.

The ride into the town wasn't too long- thirty minutes if he rode hard, which he did. The streets were alive, the tavern bustling, folks mulling about now that their daily toil had ended. He drew some eyes- but Leon knew they were looking at the fine saddle of his horse, wondering what well-to-do family had sent someone into the common folk.

He used to give the same look. Hells, he still did, to his own fellow guards.

Towards the west end of town he found a home he used to visit as a boy, bundles of drying herbs hanging from the roof on long rope so they could easily be checked. He dismounted, tied his horse to a post, and walked to the door, knocking on it three times- then pausing, and knocking twice more.

He could hear commotion within, quick footsteps- and then the door was pulled open quickly, a frazzled looking Claire standing there with her hair escaping her ponytail. "Leon?" she asked, eyes wide, and before he could even speak stepped aside, "by the old gods get in here!"

He stepped inside, hit with the same smells he remembered from his childhood- herbs, an ever mingling aroma of what felt like endless notes, the warm scent of a fire, spices he couldn't name.

The door had barely shut before Claire threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Leon didn't hesitate to return the embrace, before smiling to himself and lifting her up, actually spinning them around once. She laughed, called him a show off, before he set her down.

"I haven't heard from you," she said, motioning for him to follow her into the home. "Started to think you'd forgotten us."

"Never." He glanced around the room they had walked into, realizing the house felt… quiet. "Where's Chris?"

"Out on a hunt. Dire wolves in the deep wood, they've been going after sheep and cattle, and just recently took a boy." Once, Leon might have simply brushed the idea off- a wolf that large, damn near the size of a horse- and taking a child, not devouring it? If Claire meant ate, she would have said as much. She used her words carefully.

He didn't brush it off, this time. He couldn't, now.

Claire was studying him. "You're too quiet." He tried to smile, but it was notably forced- and he watched the moment she took in the curve of his canines.

There was no reason to avoid the topic. "What do you know about vampires, Claire?"

She went pale. "Oh Leon." To her credit, she didn't shy away from him. "Tell me what happened first."

He did. They sat on a small couch and he described what happened at the Spencer estate- and what had been happening, over the past few days. The changes. The hunger. The… relief, when he'd felt Ashley's blood drip over his tongue.

When he was done Claire sat in silence for a moment, rolling the story over in her mind. "There's been talk that something happened up in the hills, but I hadn't seen anything to give cause to its truth."

"It's not just talk."

She nodded. "No, it's not. I know… enough about them. I don't think anyone since my grandmother dealt with one. They're hard to come by." She stood up, walking over to the fireplace. Atop the mantle were a number of ornate boxes. Leon remembered staring up at them as a child with Claire and Chris, before their parents would shuffle them away, saying not to touch things they didn't understand. "In fact, never once in my whole life have there been credible sightings of one."

Claire took one of the boxes down, walking back to Leon and carefully opening it. The inside boasted a large fold of fabric, supporting two items-

An old hunk of wood, fashioned into a stake- and a hand. It was far from human- the same grayish skin Leon had seen on those hellbeasts in the Spence estate. The fingers were elongated, hosting claws at the end that looked more like iron than nail. It was dried, but oddly intact.

"Grandmother kept it as a trophy." Claire sat down next to Leon, avoiding touching the hand herself and instead picking up the wood. "You need this- Rowan wood. It kills them."

"I killed one- destroyed its head." Claire chuckled at that, shaking her own, setting the stake back.

"You hope you killed it. Did it look like a man?"

"No." Maybe something that had once been a man, but those creatures had been just that- creatures

"Then if you left it alone, it very well might have healed. Once they look like this," she gestured to the hand, "this is the only thing that does more than slow them down for a time."

Leon glanced back down at the hand, before glancing at his own, flexing it in the warm firelight. "Claire… am I going to become that?"

Her face grew serious, and she closed the box, setting it aside. "I remember my grandmother telling me that if the source of the curse is taken care of, then the progression stops. I believe if you can kill the creature that turned you- that probably created all of the vampires you saw- then you'll stop the transformation. But…" she paused, then reached out, took Leon's hand. "What's done cannot be undone, Leon."

Leon hadn't allowed himself to think about the possible finality of what was happening to him- but it settled like hot bricks in his gut. He'd never be who he was- the sun would always burn, he'd… he'd always need blood. He'd always be at least partially a monster.

"At least you can't spread the curse," Claire offered, taking her hand back. "Not unless you are fully turned."

He tried to take comfort in that. Tried. "Alright. So I need some fancy wood and a lot of luck."

"You would find a way to make it sound easy." Claire stood up, moving to replace the box she had taken down. "I'd be quick, Leon," she admitted, "once you begin to turn, it's… it's fast." She turned back to face him. "Let me help you."

"I'm not dragging you into this."

"No, you're not. I'm offering, because if I leave you alone with this you'll surely make a fine mess." Her hands rested on her hips, and she looked at him in a loving way, yet as if he was an insolent youth. "I can tell you how to where to find a Rowan tree. I can help you fight them. You can't go alone. Besides," she inclined her head slightly, smiling now, "this rich blooded girl that has you wrapped around her finger is intriguing."

Leon choked. "I- I didn't."

"You don't need to say much- the way you said her name alone was enough. And do you think you can keep her from helping? Don't even try to answer that, Leon- your answer will be wrong."

He snapped his mouth shut, before he remembered the grimoire. He reached into his cloak, producing the book and holding it out. "She gave me this- wanted you to look at it."

Claire took the few steps to him, taking the book in her hand, testing the weight. "This is… old." She flipped it open, pausing, eyes darting along the pages. "She had this?"

"Said it was her mother's."

Claire hummed, holding one page between two fingers, seeming to stroke the paper. "I… I don't know what to make of this, Leon- except that I wouldn't expect the God fearing rich blood's to tolerate something like this in their home. Let alone to keep it." Leon didn't argue that- it was odd. Master Graham had always been very firm on church goings, and proper standing in the church. Leon couldn't fathom how he had ever found himself with someone who had owned this- but he knew nothing of Ashley's mother. She was dead long before he joined the house guard. "I'd like to read it."

Leon nodded. "Keep it- I guess I'll get it back when we go hellspawn hunting."

Claire's smile helped lift the dread from his gut.

**

It was well into the night by the time Leon made his way back to the estate, and then snuck himself to Ashley's window. The tree was an easy climb, and when he hopped over her balcony railing, he found the door unlocked, as she promised.

He let himself inside, closing and locking it behind him, heading for the door that was her bed chambers. He pressed his hand to it, leaning close, and in a voice that felt like it was trembling, asked, "Ashley?"

He heard her footsteps, and leaned off the door just in time for it open. Her room was dark except for her curtains, which were flung open against the moon and starlight. Wordlessly, she took his hand and guided him the few steps into her bed chambers, closing the door tightly behind them.

"Did you see your friend?" She asked, as she reached up, unfastened his cloak for him, removing it and leaving it tossed aside. He nodded, reaching for her then, hands going to her waist, sinking into the soft fabric of her nightgown. The scent of her skin had him dizzy, and the way starlight cast faint blues along her-

He was kissing her, before he could stop himself. She smiled into it, got her arms up around his neck, holding on tightly. When the fingers of one hand wove into his hair, her nails gently scraping at his scalp, he swore he could purr.

She pulled back, pressed her forehead to his, breathing in the same air from his wretched lungs. God, the share even this bit of space with her felt like a blessing. "Leon," she said, softly, her fingers still toying in his hair. "Take me to bed."

He nearly groaned. It took every bit of willpower to keep from hoisting her up. "Don't ask that of me," he whispered, "I don't think I could ever say no."

He wanted her, he wanted her so badly his core ached, but- but he wouldn't be her ruin. He wouldn't.

"Why do you think you can't have me?" She leaned back, just enough that he could see her hazel eyes. "Why do you think you'd do anything but elevate me?"

He swallowed. "I'm just a man, Ashley. If… if even that. And you're…"

"A pretty bird in a cage. Open the door, Leon. Let me see the sky." One of her hands slid from his shoulders to his chest, splaying directly over his heart. Could she feel it? "Let me love you, and damn whatever hold you think my father's reputation has over me. I don't want it. I never did. But you…" she smiled, so softly, appearing like the very first ray of sunlight, from the storm clouds. "You, I want. You, I choose."

That single moment might have been the best in Leon's life. He pulled her close, held her tightly, closed his eyes and leaned down to press his face into her hair. He wasn't sure if he was trembling, or simply losing touch with reality, but he didn't care. Ashley wanted him. Ashley chose him.

He was becoming a beast of nightmares, and she chose him.

He picked her up then, cradled her in his arms, crossed the room to her large bed and laid her down, gently. She wasn't porcelain, but that didn't mean he didn't want to treat her as if she was. Once she was laid out he climbed onto the bed himself, bracketing her in and kissing her again- this time, abandoning any pretense of control. He pressed hard to her yielding lips, tongue sliding along her own, groaning into her when she pushed back, when her tongue found his fangs.

It made his cock ache, confined in his pants. He nearly bucked over it.

Ashley's hands ran along his chest, sliding over his shirt. But when her hips lifted, pressed against his- when he could feel the shape of her thighs through her thin nightgown, he growled, something primal in him clawing to the surface.

He pulled off her kiss, arched up and grasped her nightgown- forcing himself to take a breath, to not tear it.

But Ashley's smile was more devil than the beast that bit him. "Do it."

He obeyed- God, it felt good to obey her- pulling at the fabric so it tore down her neckline, all the way to her navel. Her small breasts were exposed, her nipples pert, hard already. He released her nightgown, leaned back into her to kiss her neck, as she tipped her head back. Her throat was bared, and a hunger rose in him as he heard her pulse.

He had other needs- he could forget hunger.

He kissed down to her clavicle, one hand moving up to cup one breast, kneading it gently. Her nipple pressed to his palm and she sighed, eyes falling shut. Carefully, he moved to the other, kissing her nipple gently, before letting his tongue roll over the hard bud. Her hips shifted, and he did it again, before taking it into his mouth, sucking gently.

Her hands kept moving- finding his hair, his shoulders, sliding down his biceps. She was moaning softly by the time she was grasping them, her nails dimpling his skin through his shirt. He wanted to kiss every inch of her, learn every secret, let her body learn his.

He moved off her breast, kissed down her belly until he reached where the tear in her nightgown ended. He pushed it up her legs, bunched it at her thighs, before she was pushing at his shoulders. He got up onto his knees, watched her sit up and pull the torn fabric up over her head, tossing it aside.

She- God, she hadn't been wearing panties. She was nothing but skin and sin before him. Wanting to bare himself too, to be as much skin as she, as open as her- Leon tugged his shirt off, tossing it away.

Ashley reached out, splayed a hand on his bare chest and dragged it down, slowly. Her fingertips traced the grooves of muscles, met scars, and Leon's breath hitched, when she passed his navel, hit the buckle of his belt.

With one hand she began opening it, the other moving to rub his thigh, comforting. He realized he had been holding his breath as he exhaled in a rush, as she leaned forward, kissed one of the scars along his side. "Some night," she whispered, "will you tell me about each one?"

"There's… there's a lot," he managed, as his belt was undone, the buttons of his pants following. He was straining against his underwear, more aroused than he was sure he had ever been in his life.

"Then we can take more than one night." Her hand left his thigh as she kissed a different scar- faded, older than the time he'd known Ashley for. "One scar a night, perhaps?" Leon bit at his lip, his fangs dimpling the flushed skin.

"There's always… more." He nearly punctured his lip when Ashley freed his cock from his underwear, wrapped her hand around the base and stroked ever so slowly, pushing her thumb up against his glans.

"And there will always be more nights." She moved her mouth to kiss the muscles at his belly, and Leon felt them twitching, beneath her lips. She stroked him again, and he gave a loud, unabashed moan, his hips trying so badly to jerk towards her.

"Ash… Ashley." He reached for her, grasped her shoulders and carefully eased her back. She released his cock, damn near had a pout on her pretty mouth. "I can't… I don't think I'll survive you teasing me." He nodded towards her pillows instead. "Lay down. Let me… let me just…"

He didn't have the words. He wanted to worship her, write an entire bible in her skin with his tongue, sing hymns to the most high myths praising her.

She leaned back, into her pillows, and Leon was for once glad she hadn't been feisty about it. He climbed off her bed for a moment, long enough to finish stripping, aware she was watching, her eyes raking over him, taking every bit of him in. He climbed back on the bed before he could let the hungry glint in her eyes go to his head, spread her milky thighs and tried not to be distracted by the downy blonde curls at their juncture.

He kissed her lower belly, stretching himself out, easing himself down. He could smell her- his synopses firing off, connecting the scent to her desire, her need, her, her, her-

He growled into her mound, her curls beneath his mouth, before he dragged his tongue along her pretty cunt. Ashley tipped her head back, sighing, as he repeated the action, over and over again, until he was pushing past her labia, getting a real taste of her.

He lost himself. He groaned and pressed his tongue into her, his nose rubbing against her clit, hearing her squeal in surprise and glee. Her hips bucked, and he let her writhe, arms hooking beneath her thighs, holding the curves of her hips, enjoying the way her flesh dimpled beneath his fingers. She bucked over and over again, riding his tongue, arching back into her pillows, breasts bared with each ragged breath.

His name left her lips, and he moved his tongue from her sweet entrance to her clit, rolling over it. When her mewls turned to guttural moans, her entire body shaking, he sucked at it gently, pulling her even closer to him. Trapped beneath him, his cock was aching, leaking enough precum he could fool himself into believe he'd found orgasm already. He writhed himself, felt one of her hands reach down, grasp his hair, pull at it. His scalp prickled and he bared his fangs, the tips poking gently at her soft, sensitive folds.

"Leon- Leon I'm- I'm so…" Ashley was stammering, and he could only offer one mumbled word, "come," into her, before he was suckling at her clit again, tongue flicking over it in precise, even movements.

She listened, for once she listened, calling out his name, her free hand reaching up to slap over her mouth, muffling the noise so as not to alert the guard outside her doors. She pulled his head closer and he let her, would have suffocated and drowned in her very core if she let him. Her cunt gushed against his chin as she came, and the moment she released his hair he was moving lower, pushing his tongue back inside her, needing a taste.

"Fuck," he muttered, around his own tongue, as she squirmed.

"Leon- oh hell- it's too- much." He forced his head up, staring up her body. She lifted her head enough to see him, and he had to wonder what she saw. His lips were parted as he panted, fangs on full display, pupils blown and hair astray from her hands.

Whatever it was, she liked it. She lifted enough to bend at her waist, try to grab his shoulders, to pull him up. He moved, crawled over her, between her legs, arching one of his own to hook her thigh and spread them wider. She wrapped one arm around his neck, the other reaching between them as he braced on his hands, taking his cock back in hand and stroking him once.

"You're sure?" he whispered. Her answer was a kiss, as she guided him to her, rubbed his cockhead along her wet cunt once, twice, before easing him inside.

He groaned as he entered her, partially breaking the kiss himself as he was overtaken by a sweet softness. He paused when his hips were flush to hers, the leg that hadn't been hooked by one of his lifting so she could hook it on his hip.

He moved off her mouth, wanted to hear her as he thrust. And oh, he was rewarded. Ashley whined his name, held on tightly as her body rocked with his. He nuzzled into her neck, was too overcome to even kiss her- he could only nestle there, groaning and gasping as he took her, as she took him, her hips moving to meet each thrust of his own.

He wanted to tell her how good she felt, but words felt impossible. Especially when he felt little sparks, hints of lightning along his spine, and he drove into her faster, pushed himself deep into her body.

Her nails raked along his back, and he winced into her neck at the burn, but oh it made the next thrust even better. He was so close, and he tried to cling to the pain to stave off his orgasm- was relieved when one of Ashley's hands left him to reach between them, to rub desperately at her clit.

Her walls trembled around him, and Leon damn near roared her name like a beast, the sound lost in her hair as the knot in his belly snapped, his orgasm crashing into him like a fallen redwood. He thrust with abandon, trying to push deeper with each wave- and he felt her, around him, coming with him, sobbing his name as tears pricked at the corners of her pretty eyes.

When Ashley collapsed, Leon fell with her. He had just enough sense to try and support himself on one elbow, but his weight pinned her as they panted. He lifted his head enough just to see her, saw she was staring up at the ceiling.

Smiling. Ever smiling.

He grinned at that, kissed her jaw, her round cheek, then the corner of her eye, where he tasted her tears. When he pulled away she turned, kissed the bridge of his nose, had his grin growing even more until his cheeks ached. "You're alright?" he asked, and she laughed, breathy.

"More than alright." She did push at him lightly, just enough that he pushed himself off her- tragically pulling from her welcoming body- and rolled to the other side of the bed. She followed, curling up into his chest, and oh. It felt perfect to get his arm around her, hold her warm body close.

For a time, they just lay there. Leon was content with the silence, gently stroking the line of Ashley's spine, feeling her gentle breaths against his chest. He wished he could stop time, for a moment. Revel in this without the fear that it would end.

But time was a luxury. And they had indulged more than they should, he was sure.

"We can kill them," he said, after a time. Ashley glanced up at him, but didn't lift her head. "That night… I didn't. But Rowan wood to the heart."

"A stake in the heart like the old fables." Ashley did lift her head then. "Your friend told you?" Leon nodded.

"She wants to help."

"I think we need it." Leon opened his mouth, but the look in Ashley's eyes had him shutting it quickly. "Before you say it, you're not going this alone, Leon. You and I. Together."

"It's dangerous."

"Living is dangerous. I'd rather die with you than not." She sat up properly now, and despite her nakedness, she held herself like a queen, chin firm. "We do this together."

It wasn't negotiable.

Leon sighed. "Stubborn." He sat up himself, releasing her to brush his hair back from his eyes. "Fine. I'll ask Claire to help us. She's the best… for a lack of better terms, monster hunter I've ever known."

Ashley snorted a laugh. It might have been unbecoming on anyone else, but Leon found it adorable. "You know a monster hunter and yet you didn't want to believe?"

He shrugged a shoulder. "Needed to see with my own eyes I guess." He paused, licked his lips, almost dreading the next bit- but she needed to know. Deserved to. "I can't go back, Ashley. Whatever has happened to me… there's no undoing it. I can stop it from getting worse but… I'm always going to be a devil."

Ashley studied him, before she reached out- pinched his cheek. He grimaced and brushed her hand off, rubbing his assaulted cheek, one of his fangs poking out. "Good. I think the fangs are fetching."

Well… well…

He blushed. He fucking blushed. And Ashley, she just continued as if she hadn't agreed to love him as a monster. "Did you look at the grimoire?"

"I left it with her," he admitted, "but I trust her, it's safe." Ashley nodded, and Leon felt a sudden gnawing, in his belly. Oh, he hadn't… fed, since Ashley had given him blood. He'd have to get used to that, figure it out… "I think I need to…" he gestured towards his mouth, his fangs, and then waved his hand. "Feed. I should… find… I don't know, honestly. Do I just snack on a squirrel?"

He felt ridiculous, but he truly didn't know. Ashley glanced at her window, pursed her lips for a moment.

"I have a better idea. Sit back." She leaned forward, patted one of her pillows, and Leon scooted back, settling against them. The moment he did she was rising up, swinging a leg over him and straddling him, resting against his now flaccid cock. His throat went tight, as she settled in close, tipped her head to the side. "Just bite me."

Absolutely not. "Ashley, no. I'm not… hurting you."

"It's easier than making you hunt like a dog. Just a little. I'll be fine." He stared at the curve of her neck, and couldn't deny that he felt himself salivate. Her blood, that brief taste- it had been better than the elk, he couldn't deny it. He found himself leaning in, breathing in the scent of her sweat along her neck, that ever faint lemon that she liked, and his fangs itched.

"It's okay," she whispered, as his arms encircled her, as he kissed her pulse, felt it humming against his tongue. "It's okay." He pulled his lips back, hesitated for a moment with the tips of his fangs against her neck…

Then pressed in, felt her skin split like silks. Her breath caught, her heart rate spiked, and he sealed his mouth over the two small wounds, letting the blood drip into his mouth. He groaned the moment it was on his tongue, rich and almost sweet. She was a lemon cake on a summer eve.

He ran his tongue over the wounds, coaxing the blood, as Ashley held onto his biceps. "Good… good, Leon, that's… that's it…"

Her praise had his belly going tight. The blood he swallowed seemed to go straight to his cock, as he felt it twitch heavily beneath her. She felt it too, the way she shifted a little. One hand left his bicep and she moved just enough to expose him, to wrap her hand around him.

He moaned, vibrated her skin and bones, as she stroked him. Everything felt good, like it was humming with lightning bugs just beneath the surface. He hardened in her hand, leaked precum over her knuckles, began trying to thrust up into her as he lapped at her neck.

She squeezed his bicep, and he lifted his head, feeling drunk, bleary eyed. He straightened up, caught sight of the red smears against her skin, as Ashley gripped his cock, lifted herself up slightly- and then settled with him back in her body again. He groaned, pulled her hard to him and went back for her neck, suckling at the wound as he fucked up into her.

She clung to him tightly- not riding him, but letting him take, mewling and sighing as he hit the nerves deep inside her. One of his hands splayed on her back, the other awkwardly sliding between them as he pulled from her neck again, lips smeared crimson, panting wet breaths. He found her clit and rubbed it quickly, the corners of his lips curling when she moaned.

Her hands moved up to his shoulders, grasped them- and then she began to move, taking charge of the rhythm. Leon lifted his hips to meet her, but otherwise let her set the pace, riding him in deep movements. The wounds at her neck were still bleeding, and one sent a bead of blood sliding over her collarbone, down along the curve of one breast.

Leon came before he could stop himself. He dropped his head back, the image seared into his mind, shaking as he pulled her down and held her there, so he could hump desperately into her.

He realized she was whispering, her voice calm, almost sleepy. "That's it… good… good."

The word good had him feeling feral.

Heart still hammering damn near painfully against his ribs, he leaned over, tongue tracing up the track of blood on her breast, before he lifted her off his cock- which was soaked from her desire, and splayed her on the bed.

He gave her no warning as he dove back between her legs, hungry again for her pleasure. He gave her no leave, when he silently promised himself to spend the hours until dawn, feasting between her thighs.

**

Ashley barely slept. Leon hadn't left her bed until dawn was almost fully upon them- a risk, but one neither of them seemed able to deny. She lost count of the times they coupled- of the orgasms she had, against his tongue, around his cock.

He wasn't her first, but no one had ever felt like him. She hoped no one would, that she'd never know more.

She rose from bed slowly, body pleasantly humming, a deep seated, subtle ache between her thighs that made her want to crawl back into bed and revel in the memories. She couldn't allow that, though. There were things to be done.

She dressed herself, a simple dark dress that was rather plain, but easy to move in. She'd bide her time, that day- and then come nightfall, she'd descend via the tree, meet Leon, and together they'd ride for the Spencer estate. This was coming to an end, if it was the last thing she would do.

Leon had set out to fetch his friend, to find a Rowan tree so they could fashion some stakes. She hated him running about during the day, but it was inevitable. She just hoped he would be careful. She hoped her blood had been enough…

She reached up, rubbed her neck, the small wounds covered by the collar of her dress. She had… liked it. She'd liked the bit of pain, that extra connection. She liked knowing she was giving him life.

She smiled to herself, feeling silly, a girl in love, with the fluttering of butterflies in her belly- then her bedroom door opened.

It was loud, and she stiffened, barely biting back a gasp. She turned to face the door, and found her father standing there, one of his guards directly behind him, blocking the doors as they fell shut again.

"Father?" she asked, as he strode towards her- and then, with no hesitation, brought his hand back and slapped her, the back of his hand colliding with one of her cheeks. She stumbled, both the action and force unexpected. She felt a single line of blood drip down her round cheek- one of her father's rings had cut her.

"Foolish child," he said, looking at her as if she was indeed a child again, and not a grown woman. The way he'd looked at her when she was younger, and she was enjoying one of her mother's tales. "Where is it?"

She straightened up, made no move to wipe the blood from her cheek. "What are you going on about?"

That earned her a second hit- but this time she reached up, grasped his arm, dug her nails into his sleeve, wishing it was his skin. He bared his teeth at her.

"The key."

Ashley fought to appear calm, but she couldn't hide the slight widening of her eyes. It was enough to give her away. Her father turned, nodded to his guard, who moved into her room- shoved over a vase so it broke, the flowers within scattering, and began ransacking her quarters.

"I know you were in my study. The spare key is gone." He pulled his arm from her hold, straightening his jacket slightly.

Silently, she cursed herself. She'd fled so quickly she hadn't had a chance to return it. Nor had she had the freedom to sneak back.

"And some other interesting items were missing…" He began walking about her room, pacing towards the windows with the curtains pulled shut. He ripped one open, and she was blinded, reaching up to cover her eyes. "Your mother's grimoire."

He turned, silhouetted by the light so abruptly that he appeared nothing but a looming shadow.

"And some very… dear correspondence messages."

She lunged for her doors then, thinking she could get there before her father, throw them open, run into the halls. She might be able to get out of the estate- into the woods.

She ripped the doors open, only to be met by another guard- this once facing her closed doors, grabbing her the moment she had them open. He pinned her arms to her sides with ease, but she kicked, throwing her body weight at him.

He didn't flinch, only carried her back inside.

"I don't want any commotion," her father said, ignoring her and speaking to the guard holding her, and now the first, who had reentered the room, the stack of hidden letters in hand. He hadn't found the key to his study yet. "Ensure her travel is discreet."

Ashley could barely roll the word over in her mind, before the guard not holding her was walking over, handing the letters to her father and pulling a small flask from his belt, a small piece of cloth tucked with it. He poured a colorless liquid from the flask onto the bottle as he reached Ashley, before he fisted his hand in her hair and brought the cloth over her mouth.

There was a faint sweet smell, lingering over something like freshly cut hay- and then the world faded from Ashley, leaving her in a timeless nothing.

**

Leon swung the axe at one of the branches on the Rowan tree, chipping away at the mark he'd left in it. Claire had suggested they not chop the tree down entirely, not wanting to completely diminish the resource.

Leon had removed his cloak, his sleeves rolled up as he lifted the axe again, bringing it down. This time it cut through the remain branch, which fell from the tree with a crack, hitting the forest floor. He stooped to grab it, hosting it over his shoulder and making his way towards Claire. She was sitting on the ground, against another tree, sharpening a piece of one of the branches he had already cut down.

He was glad for the tree cover, it kept the sun from his skin. He dropped the branch on the ground, moving to chop it into a few pieces. Claire already had a small pile of the stakes next to her, sharpened to a point.

They had been working silently, fallen into a rhythm. Leon didn't mind- his head was still full of Ashley, remembering every inch of her, every little twist of bliss to her face, every look she gave him. He found he could still taste her- blood and cunt both, if he focused hard enough.

"Will you stop smiling so foolishly?" Leon broke from his trance, glanced over at Claire, who was staring at him.

"I'm not."

"You are. It is damn near sickening." She said it all with a smile. "You've been smiling like that since you came to me this morning. I know the look of a freshly bed tossed man." Leon actually felt a bit of heat rise to his cheeks. His lack of denial had Claire all but grinning. "Careful, wouldn't want to get caught in her bed."

"I won't," he managed, reaching up to brush at his hair, which was falling into his eyes. He blinked hard as he did, feeling them itch. He rubbed at one with the back of his hand, frowning- wondering if maybe he was reacting to the wood.

Then his eyes began to burn.

He dropped the axe, shutting them tightly, grunting in discomfort. He heard Claire stand up, drop her knife- then felt her hands on his arms, steadying him. "Leon? What's wrong?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't form a word. It felt as if someone had poured the poorest of whiskey into his eyes, then forced them open to stare into the sun. He sucked in a breath, forcing them open, his vision blurry from pained tears. When he turned to glance at Claire, the concern on her face dropped to understanding-

And Leon remembered the eyes of the beasts, from that night. The black sclera, surrounding what little color remained of them.

He was turning further.

"You're alright," Claire said, her voice calming at least. "I promise Leon, you're alright."

He wanted to believe her. But he was running out of time.

**

It was nearing dusk, by the time they had finished. Leon's vision had blurred so badly at times he'd been forced to stop working at all, sitting with his head pounding while Claire worked on the stakes. He hated it- but the closer he got to nightfall, the better he felt.

And when they rode up towards the Graham estate, his hood up to conceal his face and guard him from the lingering bits of golden sun, he was feeling better. Physically, at least. He'd seen himself in the reflection of Claire's knife- his eyes were black, the only color his blue irises. It was an unnerving stare to see.

Ashley had loved the beast in him, but he feared each little transformation would test that, would break that resolve. He couldn't pass as just a man, now. He never would.

They planned to hide out in Leon's chambers until nightfall, when Ashley would sneak in- then they'd ride for the Spencer estate. Claire had urged him to reconsider- to go during the day, but they needed the cover of night, even if it meant the vampires wouldn't need to worry about the sun.

He wouldn't need to, either.

He pulled his horse to a stop when he noticed some of the house staff gathered together, away from the house, talking. The cook was smoking, he could smell her pipe from there.

And he realized, he could just hear them.

"-tell ya, it was real strange like-"

"-was mad, she was-"

"-why go way of the west roads for the mountains?"

He glanced at Claire, who was paused on her own horse, following his lead. "Something's wrong." She tensed, so smoothly that if Leon didn't know her, he wouldn't have noticed.

He dismounted his horse, walking right for the group. They could see enough under his hood as he drew closer to recognize him, and one of the maids turned pale. Did she notice his eyes?

"Something's happened," he said, sternly, matter-of-factly. The group all exchanged looks, before the cook took a long drag on her pipe, billowing the smoke out towards him. She seemed the be the only one not alarmed by him.

"Miss Ashley's been removed from the home," she said, "matter of her hysteria is what we heard. Taken to the mountains for some air, supposedly."

Leon's gut went to ice. It was a lie- not from this woman, he knew,but from the source. Besides, he'd heard one mention the west roads. Those didn't lead to the mountains- they led towards the Spencer estate.

He turned on his heel, striding back to his horse. He hoisted himself up, turning to look at Claire. "Ashley's gone."

"Gone where?"

"The Spencer Estate." He said it without hesitation- the direction, the letters- it wasn't a coincidence. Oswell Spencer had Ashley, and he had no idea to what end.

**

Ashley woke with a pain in her head. She grimaced, lifting her head slightly, opening her eyes. The room was very low lit- a few lanterns burning the only light. And cold, a wetness in the air that had an underlying scent of mold, of stone that never dried.

She looked around, slowly, her vision blurry at best as she blinked away her unconsciousness. Vials and beakers, various bottles- books open, papers strewn about. Tables lined with…

She swallowed back revolt at the gore. She wasn't sure what sort of organ or hunk of flesh some of this once was- but now, it was shapeless.

"The hellcat wakes."

Ashley's head whipped towards the voice. She could just see someone, sitting just past the lantern light, in a large chair. She watched as he slowly rose, grasping a cane to balance himself, before walking towards her with the ease of someone who had never known want or fear.

"Master Spencer," she said, taking in his shape as her vision cleared. She pushed herself up, lunging forward- only to be pulled back abruptly, her air cutting off and agony spiking through her throat.

She sprawled on her back, gasping, as the old man laughed.

"You've got the hellfire in you, your father was always right about that." Ashley reached up, felt around her neck- a thick leather strap was bolted together, forming a collar, chaining her back to the wall.

She sat up again, slowly staggering to her feet, watching him watch her. "You kidnapped me."

"You wound me," he said, placing his free hand on his chest, "that I would do something so inhospitable. Your father delivered you to me- to help with that hysteria of yours. We'll have you right as a spring rain, dear Ashley."

She balled her hands into fists, glancing around her. There was nothing within reach- and Spencer was a few paces outside the length of her chain. All she could do was stand there.

"We can do this the easy way. I just need some of your blood, my dear." He paused to offer her a smile. It made her gut cold. "You can be a part of this- a part of a building family legacy."

Ashley bared her teeth like a chained dog. Spencer scoffed.

"Your father did say you were quite a ruin, now. But you always were. Fine, the hard way." He moved towards the door, grasping the old iron handle and pulling it open, moving with it. When he did a lanky creature burst in, giving a screech that had Ashley flinching.

Gray, leathery skin, shirtless now- misshapen bones under tight skin bursting from its back. One of the vampires.

"I'm sure it will leave me a little," he said, as the creature turned towards Ashley, bared its teeth. "And I'm sure there will be enough of you left for me to work with."

He stepped out the door, pulling it tightly shut behind him. As he did the vampire rushed towards Ashley. She ducked, throwing herself to the side and spilling onto the floor as it slid past her, directly into the wall. It seemed unphased, turned to glare at her with pure black eyes, mouth dripping in a foaming, thick saliva.

She planted her feet firmly, glancing towards the rest of the room quickly. When the vampire lunged again she threw herself flat to the floor, so it soared over her- the nails of its misshapen, bare feet cutting into the fabric of her dress along her back, blood welling to the surface- but it stumbled into one of the tables, knocking items to the floor.

It was clumsy- it was probably starving. Ashley could use that to her advantage. When it righted itself and ran blindly for her, she was able to pull her chain tight, knock it back off balance. It stumbled, and she reached up, grabbing the chain hooked to her neck.

Her heart was hammering. She was terrified- but she would not die here. Not alone, not a prisoner.

The vampire lunged again and Ashley dropped painfully to her knees, using the chain to trip the beast. It stumbled, crashed into a table, the sturdy wood snapping beneath the force and spilling its contents around them.

One bottle shattered, and Ashley heard a sizzling noise, as something instantly boiled against the stone floor. She didn't pause to think- she just hoped- grabbing one of the bottles that had rolled near her. She pulled the cork out and threw herself down on top of the thrashing vampire, upending the bottle directly over its face.

The moment the liquid met flesh, the skin boiled up, acid eating into it and causing welts to swell. The creature screeched, and Ashley, when the bottle was empty, smashed it on the ground, before taking it by the neck and stabbing one of the ragged points into the creature's neck.

It floundered beneath her, nearly bucking her off. She reached for its shoulder, grabbing the leathery skin- it felt cold, looked like the skin of a dead man, resting in his coffin- and twisted the glass, forcing it in deeper.

The creature swiped at her, dragged claws down her arm. More blood welled up and she gave a sharp yell, falling to the side. The vampire rolled, clawing at its face now, the flesh of one eye completed melted over.

Ashley grabbed another bottle, threw it with all her might. It struck the creature's chest and burst, the flesh going gummy as the acid took hold. The vampire shuddered, slipped on its own blood on the floor, and stumbled, flailing. It struck its head on the stone, the bone crunching in, as if it was brittle. It went limp, falling as nothing but dead weight, as Ashley stood heaving for breath.

When it didn't move after a moment, she let her shoulder relax. She turned to look down at her bleeding arm, wincing at the burn that radiated from her back as well.

Struck by an idea, she rushed for the vampire, avoiding one of the broken bottles with acid pooled around it, and got down on her knees. They ached- she was sure they were bruising. She grabbed one of the creature's limp hands, holding one of its claws, and pulled it towards her neck, dragging the sharp nail over and over the leather, feeling a groove forming slowly.

It wasn't dead- she knew that. Leon had said, they needed to be staked with Rowan wood. She had to act fast, before it recovered.

She needed to warn him. She needed to warn everyone.

**

The sun had set completely by the time Leon and Claire arrived at the Spencer estate, riding their horses hard as the air turned crisp and heavy, wet flakes of snow already falling. They dismounted, Leon leaving his cloak behind, finding the cold didn't bother him. He drew his sword, advancing quickly, Claire hurrying to keep up with him, both with stakes strapped to their bodies.

He kicked the door open, found the room in utter chaos- more so than even nights previously, when he'd been bitten. Bodies were strewn about the foyer- house staff, torn into pieces damn near unrecognizable.

For whatever reason, it seemed Spencer was done hiding his beasts.

"They're all growing," Claire said, her eyes darting around the room. "You said the one that bit you had wings, right? If left to feed and thrive, all vampires grow like that."

"Great." Leon gripped his sword, leading past the foyer. He could hear screeching, up the grand stairs- and sure enough, moments later, a towering vampire slunk out, damn near gnawing at the spraying stump of a poor man's neck. It lifted its black eyes, took one look at Claire and Leon, and dropped the body, screeching and bearing blood soaked teeth. It jumped over the railing, its half formed wings flapping uselessly, as it landed on all fours, charged at Leon.

He raised his sword, let the creature bite down on the black with its teeth instead of his neck. If these things could even tell that Leon was… becoming one of them, they seemed to not care about feeding on their own kind. Leon shoved the creature back, readying his sword to strike.

Claire was faster. She swung a hefty mallet, the head a hardened steel, heavy enough to have some men struggling to even lift it, and struck the creature in the head. It screeched, falling off kilter, to the floor, and without hesitation Claire jumped on it, pulling a stake from her belt. She hit the creature in the nose with the mallet- bone and cartilage shattering- before lining the stake up with its heart and driving in, using the mallet for the additional force to break through thickened muscle.

The vampire spasmed, arms and legs flailing out, before it went completely limp. Claire grasped the stake, ripping it out from its creature's chest, sliding it back into her belt as it dripped nearly blackened blood down onto her pants.

Leon had to smile. "You're impressive to watch," he admitted.

Claire shot him her own grin. "Sweet talk me later, Leon." They both turned at the sound of glass breaking, and Leon watched as Claire braced herself, her stance immovable.

They were coming in through the grand windows now- raining glass down as the creatures, wings now formed on some of them, flew down with an awkward gait, like a child just learning to walk. Leon caught one with his sword, slicing through the membrane of a wing, sending it spiraling to crash into the ground. He spun on his toes, drove his sword into the belly of another, as he heard the wet sounds of bone cracking from Claire's mallet.

It was a dance, between the two of them- Leon knew vaguely where she was, but only occasionally did they cross as partners- once for Leon to slice the arm clean off a vampire that reached for Claire, again for Claire to drive a stake through one's heart through its back as it snapped for Leon's neck with hungry teeth.

The room spun. It smelled so strongly of blood and ichor that Leon was nauseous. But when the maelstrom settled, he was still standing, as was Claire- both dripping with sweat and blood, clothing torn from claws and teeth, but alive.

The ground was littered with them. Leon wondered where Spencer had hid them all. He didn't have a chance to even voice the question- Claire was quickly gathering up some of their stakes, still in the now limp carcasses. In the distance, a roar could be heard, ending in a vibration that had Leon's heart seizing. He reached up, clutched at his chest, baring his own fangs, blue and black eyes tearing up at the sudden pain.

Claire moved to him, pressed a hand to his back. "Breathe through it- I think it's just the sire. The first- it probably turned many of these, if not all of them. It's calling to you."

Leon shook his head, forcing himself out of the stupor, straightening up. He'd find Ashley first, then deal with… that.

He'd have to, tonight. He wasn't sure how much longer he had before he looked like one of the wretched corpses on the ground- until his consciousness faded into nothing but beastly instincts.

They hurried away from the bodies, rushing down one of the halls. Most of the doors opened to sitting rooms, all empty and ghost-like- as if most of the estate hadn't been lived in, truly. When they reached one heavy door that was locked, though, Leon paused.

They had no idea where Ashley was, but faintly- he swore he could smell her. The memory of her. Pine and lemon and her blood. She had to be close.

He stepped back, gritted his teeth, and kicked the door with all his might. It shuddered, and he heard the sound of old metal in the lock bending. Another kick, two, and it burst open-

Just to have a rush of someone throwing themselves out, swinging a heavy, iron candelabra. Leon dodged to the right, watched as she moved in a blur, short blonde hair and a dark gown, stumbling one step forward and nearly losing her balance.

"Ashley," he breathed, dropping his sword. The metal clattering on the polished stone floor as she whipped round, lifting the candelabra for another strike. The moment she saw them though it fell from her hands, crashed in a damn near deafening sound on the floor.

He swept her up, pulled her to him and enveloped her. He heard his name, and then felt her arms around him as well, clutching at the back of his shirt. The scent of her blood was heavy now, and he realized, his hands splayed on her back, that her dress was sticky with it.

"You're hurt."

She lifted her head, squirmed about so she could reach up, cup his face. "And you're here." He watched her pause, as she took in his eyes, the whites gone, but didn't shy away.

Leon felt the tip of his sword, press to his side, and turned his head. Claire was holding it, frowning at him deeply, a crease in her brow, as she kept the point delicately against his waist. "Don't drop your sword again in front of me." He took it back, releasing Ashley, who turned to Claire. "You might have caved his skull in with that candelabra."

Ashley looked pale. "I… I didn't know it was Leon."

Claire held up a hand to silence her- and then smiled. "It was a compliment. I'm Claire." She reached out, took Ashley not by her hand, but gripped her forearm. "Princesses are normally in towers. That looks more like a dungeon." She nodded towards the dark maw of a stairwell Ashley had climbed up from.

"I think it was. Spencer… he… it was a lab of some sort. There's a vampire down there." Claire plucked a stake from her belt, wordlessly turning and descending to ensure a final, proper death for it. "Leon, my father gave me to Spencer."

"What? Why?" He moved away from her, just enough to pick up her dropped candelabra. It was better than nothing. He offered it back to her, and Ashley gripped it with a sureness that had his chest swelling with pride.

"I don't know. Those letters… we knew my father was involved, but…" She shook her head, as below them they heard the death cry of the vampire she had left behind. "He wants my blood."

"We'll just have to ask him why." They turned, watched Claire emerge from the dark stairwell, wiping blood off her stake on her pants.

Ashley squared her shoulders, nodded- and again, Leon was proud of her. The thought of her being here, with him, about to face down beasts of nightmares was terrifying- yet there was a comfort in having her there. He'd want her to be the last thing he saw.

The three moved through the house, heading for the back courtyard. The Spencer estate boasted large statues, carved from granite and marble alike, angelic figures with arms and chins upturned to the sky. With the snow falling down around them, they seemed even more holy, peaceful.

The courtyard was teeming with creatures, though, shattering the peace. Leon could see them, crawling around, half formed, useless wings flopping about their bodies. But perched atop the highest angel, one was watching him with an awareness beyond the others.

Its wings were massive, blocking out the moonlight when they flapped once. The vampire that bit him- probably the one that started this all.

"It's mine," he said, as he felt Claire turning, watching their backs as the other vampires began to close in. She only nodded, as Ashley got both hands on the candelabra.

There were no words- the three moved forward in unison- Leon rushed towards the statues, cutting down the first vampire his sword found. Behind him, he could hear the dance of quick footsteps, the swish of Ashley's dress, the crack of candelabra and mallet on bone, through skin. He trusted them both to stay alive. He had to.

The vampire leapt off the statue, swooping down on sure wings, and before Leon could even raise his sword, threw him across the courtyard. His back slammed into another statue and he groaned, pain sparking up his spine, to the base of his skull.

The creature landed on its clawed feet, the nails curled, clicking on the stone of the courtyard as it walked. Unlike some of the other vampires it was fully nude, far more monster than man- its head damn near bat like- resembling the drawing from Ashley's grimoire. On the night air it smelled like a freshly opened tomb. Dust and old bones and the hint of fetid mold.

Leon staggered up, and when the monster moved towards him, he feinted left, before dropping right, rolling onto his back and lifting his sword so it could slice right through the beast's arm. The limb fell, twitching and bleeding, as the vampire turned on its heel, seeming uncaring. It flexed its shoulder, then leapt, pouncing on Leon before he could react. Its clawed feet gripped him, and with a flap of its wings they ascended, moving up into the sky quickly.

Leon squirmed, tried to swing his sword- but the vampire caught it in its remaining hand, pulling it by the blade from his hand and chucking it to the ground. Its claws poked through his shirt, broke skin, and Leon groaned, felt muscle and sinew giving to the iron like nails.

He reached for one of his stakes, pulling the bloodied wood from his belt. It was still slippery, wet, and when he tried to stab up, the vampire dove down, had him losing his grip and dropping it. It clattered, forgotten, as Leon grunted, his shoulder impacting with one of the angelic statues.

Before the vampire could gain altitude again, he grasped at the statue, wrapping his arms around it and holding on. His biceps strained as his body lurched, the vampire trying to tear him away, before the winged beast was pulled back, Leon's stubbornness winning out. The vampire crashed into the statue, and both it and Leon tumbled down, crashing into the stone beneath.

Leon felt bones shattering in his shoulder. He groaned, pushing himself up on his good arm, as the vampire began to right itself. It would have, too- if Claire hadn't run up on it, smashed her mallet into its shoulder, knocking it back. Leon took advantage, rushing towards it, jumping on the beast.

It grabbed at him with its remaining arm, only for Ashley to to throw herself on it, wrapping her arms around the lanky limb and pulling back, using her body weight. Leon pitched forward, splayed a hand on the beast's face to catch himself, digging his fingertips into one of its eyes, ignoring the screaming pain that erupted in his own broken shoulder. It screeched, so loud he swore the bone of his skull cracked.

He pushed through the pain, grabbed his remaining stake at this belt. He lifted it high, and with a wordless yell, he drove it down, through the bests skin and ribs, deep into the thick muscle of its heart. It spasmed, but he held on, twisting it deeper, his own fangs bared in a wordless sign of dominance.

When it went limp, Leon swore he felt a knot inside him that he hadn't even realized was there relax, loosen, until his insides felt liquid like. He looked around, the courtyard littered with corpses, the falling snow already coating them. The air was suddenly silent, except for the panted breath shared between the three of them.

And a set of eyes that had seen too much, damn near everything, watching him. Leon stood up, turning to face Oswell Spencer, as the old man simply stood his ground, unmoving, leaning on his cane. He'd risen from a bench, further down in the courtyard.

He'd watched the entire thing, like an opera.

"Impressive," he noted, eyes flicking along Leon. "A shame you won't evolve into greatness- you could have been stronger than that one. It slept for a hundred years before I woke it- imagine." He smiled, and Leon wanted to think it was lunacy in the old man's eyes- but they were lucid. It was pride, and nothing more.

Leon bent down, picked up his dropped sword, holding it out, directed at Spencer. "Talk." He wanted to know why. Why the hellbeasts, why Ashley- why all of the needless bloodshed and death.

Spencer smiled, but he didn't speak. One moment he was looking at Leon, and the next the point of an arrow was piercing through his mouth, coated in blood and bits of gore. The old man pitched forward, and Leon watched him crumble to the ground. The arrow had pierced his entire skull.

Leon tensed, whipping around in a circle, but with the thick snow even he couldn't see. He tried to smell the air, but the blood was so thick around them, it masked nearly everything. He wanted to think he smelled jasmine, flowers- but he couldn't be sure.

"Inside!" Claire yelled, breaking Leon from his thoughts. He didn't argue- they had no idea if the arrow was a seraphim blessing them or another threat. He reached for Ashley, running quickly and pulling her along. Claire was paces behind them, but they all reached the safety of the estate, moving far away from the door after Leon kicked it shut.

He turned his attention to Ashley then- she had blood smeared on her cheek, some of it drying in her hair- bruised, but alive. In one piece.

His heart soared. He pulled her close, pressed a kiss to her temple, breathing her in, smiling. He didn't let her go, even when Claire began to speak, holding up the arrow.

She'd taken the damn time to pull it from Spencer's corpse.

"I think we should leave before we get the chance to thank anyone," she said. "Ashley, I saw his lab…I don't know what he was doing, but I don't very much trust anyone else if they find it."

Ashley hesitated. "But there might be answers… I mean… why… how did he even find a vampire?"

Claire was silent for a moment, before simply shaking her head. She didn't have answers. Leon squeezed Ashley, the action causing the bones in his shoulder to grind together. He had to agree with Claire- he didn't trust anyone finding this, what they might do with it…

After a long moment, Ashley nodded. Leon watched as Claire smiled then, her eyes dancing.

"Then we burn it. All of it."

**

The fire raged into the morning. Ashley was sure it would burn for days- but there would be nothing left of the Spencer estate. Or the corpses of the monsters they'd slain.

She was sitting in a small room of Claire's house, stripped of her torn and bloodied dress, in borrowed clothes. She had to admit, she rather liked the freedom pants gave her. Her father had always required her to dress properly.

Her father.

She clenched her fist, thinking of him. He'd known. He was a part of this. She had no idea how, or why- but there was no denying it. What had he hoped to gain from it? Did he know why Spencer wanted her blood?

"Maybe he'll think I'm dead," she whispered to herself. Lost in the fire of the estate. She closed her eyes, as stretched out next to her Leon stirred. He was laying on the small bed, bandaged up despite his protests, stripped of his shirt and boots. She felt his arm snake over her, grip her waist, and she opened her eyes, knew he had to be staring at her.

The room was dark- so dark she couldn't see more than outlines. Outside, the sun was high. This was the safest place for Leon. The safest place for the both of them.

"Ashley." He said her name softly, reverently. She turned towards the sound, felt the bed dipping as he sat up- and then his free hand, brushing back her hair. "I can see you. Even in the dark, I can see you."

She thought of his eyes, black as pitch, with just those startling moonlight irises. She could only imagine how he was seeing the world now.

He kissed the bridge of her nose, and she placed her hands on his bare chest, sliding them up to his shoulders, before hooking them around him. "We can't go back," she whispered.

Leon hummed, a kiss to her forehead now. He couldn't go back to being human, and she couldn't go home.

Home.

It really wasn't home, was it? It didn't feel like it, now. There wasn't much to miss- not when Ashley felt more alive, as she was, in that moment. Where she was.

"I'm sorry Ashley," he whispered, his voice a rumble near her ear now. "I'm so, so sorry."

She turned towards his voice, found his cheek and kissed it. He had stubble growing in, and it scratched against her lips. She liked it. "You said you can see me now, even in the dark." Leon nodded. "Good. Then the dark is our new home."

He pulled back. He was looking at her, she had to believe. Looking into her. "Ashley-"

"Our," she stressed again. "I told you to let me love you. I meant it that night. I mean it now. Beast and all- there's no one like you, Leon."

His mouth found hers, and she sighed, let herself grow lax against him, in his arms. It would be alright. They'd start over, start new- be born again like a holy myth. They'd find a way.

Maybe she'd get answers, maybe she wouldn't. She'd have to live with that- but live she could. Finally, for the first time in her life.

He whispered her name into the kiss, his hands tangling in her hair, whispering half sentences against her lips. But the word love was there, and she trusted that. Ashley had never once doubted Leon- she wouldn't start now.