****REWRITING IN PROCESS****
A thousand years ago, seven stars sat illuminated in the night sky, surrounded by the moon, wrapped around its comfort and loving embrace, secured in the safety net that always provided them protection.
Too soon, it all...
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*Warning; long chapter ahead!*
Darcy pushed open the door to the Grill and relished in the warmth containing the inside space that swaddled her like a babies blanket, wiping away the dusks chill. The soft pop tunes mingling with the rowdy bar-goers met her ears, and her eyes overlooked the crowd as she wove her way through and took a seat at the bar.
"You know I can't serve you, right?" The barman said as he approached her on the other side of the bar.
Darcy removed her gaze away from the occupants of the establishment and turned to him with a tired look. She nodded. "I'm good. I could kill for a coffee, though."
The barman raised his eyebrows and checked the time on the clock that was mounted on the wall behind him, noting it was 9:30 pm. "A bit late for a night-time coffee, isn't it?"
"Nah. It's never too late to indulge in a coffee," Darcy mumbles, dropping her head on her folded arms.
Alaric had been sitting in a booth marking his books when Darcy had practically stumbled her way through the Grill. He packed his possessions into his bag and made his way over, taking a seat on a stool next to the raven-haired woman.
"Put it on my tab... I'll pay," a voice announced from beside Darcy. "I'll have another beer, too."
Hearing his voice and the legs of the stool scrape along the floor caused her to lift her head. She sent him a sleepy grin. "You don't have to, but thanks." She glimpsed at the barman before he left. "Make it extra strong with two sugars and a splash of milk."
Alaric shrugged, drumming his fingers on the bar. "Consider it a token of thanks for having my back earlier."
"Is this how it's gonna be? I give you an apple, and you buy me a drink?" Darcy allowed herself to chuckle briefly before it fiddled out into a yawn.
"Why not? It could be the start of a beautiful friendship," Alaric grinned. The barman returns, placing their drinks on the counter. "Thanks," he nods, nursing a sip of his beer.
"Cheers to that," Darcy returns his grin, knocking her mug against his tumbler, then settles it back on the counter after taking a long gulp and releasing a blissful sigh.
"So, what brings you here at this time of night?" the hunter/teacher observes her as she rummages through the inside of her jacket and discreetly pulls something out and conceals it in her lap. "And not attached to Salvatore's backside."
"Oh, you know, infuriating family members and the avoidance of sleep? I kinda needed a pick me up," Darcy shrugs, twisting the vile around in her palm and detaching the cap. "And you make it sound like we're never apart."
"From my observations, you're very much like two salivating dogs chasing around their bone," he smirked before the expression washed away to confusion. "Aren't we supposed to rejoice in the act of sleep, not avoid it?" Alaric said. He twists in his seat and meanders his eyes around her face, his features wrinkling in worry upon noticing her current state. Her face was devoid of her usual tan complexion, showcasing the pale undertones of her skin stretched taut across her cheekbones, darkening the bags honed underneath her eyes, making the blue stand out against the bloodshot red that encircled her irises. Her lips that she usually coated in ruby was barren of any colour and cracked as if she was dehydrated. The only unblemished appearance was her raven hair, not a curl out of place, tumbling down her back.
