Chapter one

1

The heavy rain pounded mercilessly into the dark moonless night.

Her body shivered in the cold of the night as she hid amongst the many trees

The loud sound of thunder accompanied by a clash of lightening enacted a whimper from her mouth,  she's always been afraid of the dark... 

So how had she fallen for the darkness himself?  Allowed him to possess her soul. 

She clasped a cold shaky hands over her mouth  willing herself to be quiet

The sound of footsteps grew closer 

He was searching for her....

This was just like a game of hide and seek for him...

"Where are you my love?"

His loud melodious echoing the whole forest

She swallowed back a cry when she heard his dark laughter

"I can smell you my darling , come to me now my love" he sang loudly in his usual angelic voice

She shut her eyes trying to control her erratic breathing

Her cheeks were wet with warm salty tears

Then everything was silent, even the sound of the rain stopped

There was nothing........

She opened her eyes slowly and met his dark stare

His fangs were out and she could feel rage emanating from deep inside him, the fire of it seeped into her and she was warm despite being drenched

His hair was falling over his face wildly , his nostrils flared in anger, his deadly fangs were out

"Why did you run? Why did you hide from me!" He roared furiously as he pulled her shivering form to his warm body possessively

Despite how crazed he look she still felt safe with him

She knew deep down that he was the one person she should never be scared of

He was the person who loved her the most in the world

His very existence was for her, he had proved it to her times and again.. 

He tilted her chin to meet his red glowing eyes which were now filled with hurt

"Why did you try to leave me! Are you scared of me? I'll never hurt you!"   his voice cracked with emotions as he spoke. 

Tears fell freely as she stared at the one man she loved the most

The man who possessed her very soul

Yet he was different....

"Why did you do it? Why did you kill all those people? tell me !" she cried out with a sob as she took a once over at his bloodied claws and clothes

"It was meant to happen!  I only care about you!! " He growled angrily his eyes turning the brightest of red she'd ever seen before. 

She cried out when he gripped her throat loudly and a slow sinister smile appearing  on his blood stained lips

She knew immediately that he was no longer in control

He would die a thousand times before he allowed a single strand of her hair to be hurt. 

"Don't do this..please "She managed out before he cut off her air supply completely

Tears fell from her eyes

She couldn't allow him to do this

Because she knew that he couldn't live without her....

Her death would end him

But it was too late.....

She let out a piercing scream when his sharp fangs sank into her neck.

She fell to the muddy ground with a loud thud, her breath came out faint, she raised a weak arm up trying to reach to him

"We  still couldn't make it in this lifetime.... I'll find you in my next" she whispered as she breath her last. 

He blinked and his eyes were back to their normal shade of black. 

An agonizing tear escaped his eyes, he fell to his knees on the muddy ground cradling her against his chest. 

"I'm so sorry Ara I couldn't keep us safe in this life. ..I'm sorry " he whispered bringing her knuckles to his lips. 

She was gone from him once again. 

His curse killed her..

His tears fell into her deathly still face

The rain resumed, pounding more heavily than ever as if weeping for the two lovers that were not meant to be in this life time.....

Herak memorized her beautiful features,  he didn't have a long time left,  he would  have to... 

Zarabeth looked up as the book was suddenly snatched from her hands

She faced her mother's pointed glare "Zarabeth is this what you are supposed to be doing? So early in the morning and you are here sitting idle?.....go and join the other girls to gather herbs ..I'm seizing this book until I feel like giving it back to you!" She said in a stern manner 

Zarabeth giggled at her mother's glare, she knew it was fake,  her mother could never be angry at her. 

"Come on mother,you could never do that because I'll be sad, and if Zarabeth is sad mom will also be sad" she kissed both her mother's cheeks sweetly

Moira stared at her daughter, her stern face disappeared into a wide smile as she stared at her daughter fondly

"Go now Zara before the sun will be too bright and scorch  the face of my little star"

Zarabeth giggled to  that, her mother  was surely the best 

"Alright mother, but couldn't you have picked a better time? you just caught me at a very interesting part of my story.....first thing when I get back I'll continue alright?"

She didn't allow her mother to reply before she skipped out the room .

Moira stared at her daughter a little worried, she was turning eighteen in a few days ...

She wanted to tell her the truth about her birth, she didn't know how Zara was going to take it

She let out a shaky breath, she will go to the seer and seek for the gods blessings, she needed the courage only they could grant. 

She would pray that her daughter will always be wild free and happy for the rest of her life

That her life will be filled from sorrows ....

Zarabeth let out a huff , the other girls didn't wait for her ,now she had to walk alone in the woods to gather the herbs they would need to make medicines.

The air around was fresh and a little windy,  just how she loved it,  she needn't search for her friends,  she could manage this all by herself. 

She straightened down and began to search for herbal plants that were requested by the her mother and her good friend Tila

A chilly wind went past and it became eery  silent,  even the birds had stopped singing. 

Then suddenly the whole sky went dark...

So dark that she couldn't see her fingers in front of her face. 

The chilly wind changed into a raging storm that swept her off her feet, her basket was ripped off from her, all the herbs she had collected fell and scattered with the strong wind all over the place

She let out a piercing scream of sheer terror

Amidst the storm she could faintly hear the sound of a voice,  it was both soothing and scary. 

The intensity of the strange voice scared her even more than the raging storm

She held her hands to her ears trying to block the sound but it got more intense until she felt like she was going crazy

Ara.... The faint voice whispered 

Her heart was pounding so fast, she was sobbing uncontrollably as her whole body shook with terror

She felt a gentle touch on her shoulders and a sharp scream escaped her mouth .

"Zara its me!" 

She peeked her eyes open slowly, it was sunny bright everywhere...

She blinked in confusion

But just now......

She met Allegra's face who was looking at her , concern and fear written clearly on her face

Zara looked at her hands to see that she was still gripping her herb basket tightly....

But just now.....

There had been a storm that had flung it off from her...but why was it so bright and sunny now?  It was...

"Whats wrong Zara why were you screaming and crying?" Allegra asked searching her gaze around, probably looking for the source of her fear. 

Zara stared at the face of her best friend unable to utter a word, she  hugged Allegra tightly as if her life depended on it. 

"you aren't fine, you are burning up, I'll take you home "

She could only nod still shaken by what had just happened

Had it been just her imagination...?

But it had seem so real

The voice had been calling for .....Ara.

Perhaps the book was starting to get in her head?

*

*

Moira stared at the shaman sitting leg crossed in front of her

How had this old woman knew she was coming?

"You came to seek happiness for someone but I say to you, she'll be ripped off from you! " The old woman said shaking her head looking upwards as if seeing something the others couldn't. 

Her words sent a jolt of fear into Moira

"Great seer what do you mean, what will happen to my daughter?" She asked her voice laced with fear

The blind old woman in front of her bursted out laughing

"What's to happen must happen! Destiny can never be changed! Her path to her destiny has begun!" She said in a frightening voice still looking upwards at the sky

Moira clasped the shaman's old wrinkled hand in desperation. 

"Nothing must happen to my daughter, you are the greatest of our healer tribe, you have to do something!" She cried frantically 

The shaman shook her head sadly 

" Dark days are coming! Destiny is about to repeat itself! Nothing can be done!....Night must surely come"

A chill shook Moira , what could it be that their great seer couldn't find a solution?

oh great one !please protect my Zara from evil  ,she muttered out the short prayer. 

"When she sees you, she'll cling to you tightly, fear clearly written in her eyes, her words will be that she got frightened , then you'll know I speak the truth..you can go...go I said!! "

Without another word shaman left and entered into her inner hut, ten thousand years has past,  night and his fated lover would soon unite... Even destiny couldn't stop that... 

*

*

Moira returned home with a heavy heart , ignoring the greetings she got from her fellow healers, she was deeply thinking on the shaman's words, the more she thought about it ,the more scared she became.

Zarabeth was escorted back home by Allegra, she saw her mother from the other side of of their thatched roofed home , she let's go of Allegra's hand and ran towards her

She embraced her mother tightly seeking comfort, she didn't know why but she was still shaken badly by what had happened earlier

Something told her that it wasn't a figment of her imagination

Moira's heart stopped as she stared at her daughter's frightened face

The words of the shaman echoed in her head.

She took in a shaky breath and struggled for another

"Zara...my child, why is your herb basket empty?" She asked her heart racing wildly

"I got scared mother, I'm sorry" Zara replied against her mothers shoulders

She looked up confused when her mother stifled a cry

"No! It can't be!" Moira whispered fiercely

Zara was scared at her mothers reaction , why did she sound so frightened?

"Mother....what happened? Why do you look so flustered ?"

Moira didn't reply her questions 

She kept on chanting while shaking her head frantically in refusal 

"No ! No! No! This can't be true!"