Blood Vengeance [COMPLETED]

Chapter Twelve - Dream Me Real

Selene stripped off the 'ridiculous' clothes she wore, laughing inwardly at the way Arthur had derided them. She threw them to the floor and climbed under the sheets, feeling the cool cotton against her skin. She let her head drop onto the pillow and within seconds she fell asleep.

*

Selene blinked and rubbed her eyes, unsure as to whether she was still dreaming or not. The room was so warm that she had tossed the covers off as she slept, and she lay naked in the middle of the bed.

She looked up towards the window, the moonlight still streaming into the room, relieved that it was not yet morning. But as she watched a glistening smoke rose up from the floor and swirled into a tall column, taking on human form.

A man solidified, standing at the window, his back to her. He stood as still as a statue, unmoving.

Selene pulled the covers up and sat erect, blinking again.

"You don't need to cover yourself, Selene."

"Turn around," she demanded, in a burst of false bravado.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Hector?" She whispered the name.

The figure was silent, continuing to face out the window.

"For weeks I have looked for you Selene, gathered the strength to come for you, and now I find you, here, in my brother's bed."

Selene climbed out of bed, pulling the sheet around her, and, swaddled, she teetered towards him.

"I came here for you though, Hector. Only for you; to find you."

His shoulders shrugged, a mere ripple inside his jacket.

"Hector, look at me," she pleaded, reaching out to touch his arm as he stood with his back to her, but before she made contact her knocked her arm away and she stumbled backwards.

"I'm in hiding now Selene. I can't reveal myself. I am searching for the witch who can remove my soul from inside you. When I have found her I will return and claim you, and we will be together whether you want it or not."

A wintery hand clutched Selene's heart and her temperature dropped despite the heat in the room. Hector's words were colder than she had imagined they would be when they were reunited. She longed for him to turn and look at her, to see his face, to feel his arms around her.

"Don't give yourself to him Selene. Not to Arthur."

"Hector I won't, I never will. I promise. I'm yours." Her voice rose and almost broke as she reached out both hands to him and let the sheet drop to the floor. But as she reached his form, he disintegrated, becoming nothing more than a swirling, glittering mist.

Selene began to weep and fell to the floor, as crumpled as the sheet she lay on.

*

"Zero, wake up."

Selene heard the words, but they meant nothing to her; sleep still claimed her mind.

"Zero."

She opened her eyes to see Arthur Stanley peering over her, his dark eyes full of concern.

"Why do you call me Zero?"

"Because that's your name now. Are you alright? What are you doing down here on the floor?"

Selene glanced down and saw she lay naked, but that Arthur had curled the edges of the sheets around her to protect her modesty. But from what? she thought. From him? Surely he had walked in and found her naked anyway; he had seen it all already; he had probably fucked women with bodies identical to hers.