As Dusk Falls

Chapter Six

That night, Aurelia had a very vivid dream.

In the dream, she heard a sharp rapping at her window, but she wasn't scared. She was strangely calm, as though she had been expecting it. She stood from the bed, her quilt pooling onto the floor, as her bare feet padded across the smooth, cold wooden floor. She moved like somebody in a trance, wide gray eyes transfixed on the curtains.

She pushed them back, unlocked the window, and stepped away, making room for the boy to step into her room.

He jumped over the ledge, landing gracefully on his feet, slick as the shadows that surrounded him. His hair was silvery white, and chin length, his skin ivory, his eyes a glowing sky blue, with slitted feline pupils. He was strangely beautiful, but in a dignified way, like a sculpture of one of the great Greek heroes.
"So we meet again...it has been years," he smiled warmly, comfortably, as he sauntered towards her bed, gracefully sitting at the foot.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Aurelia snapped, eying him with confusion and disdain. He was familiar in a distant sort of way.

"I forgot how pleasant you are...you've always had such a sweet disposition," his voice was absolutely dripping with sarcasm.

"Maybe I am actually very nice, but you bring out the worst in me," she lied, arching a skeptical eyebrow.

He chuckled. "Please, join me," he patted the mattress beside him. When she just eyed him disbelievingly, he rolled his eyes."I swear I will not purposefully seduce you...if you fall madly in love with me,it's no doubt because of my natural charm and exquisite good lucks."

"Arrogance doesn't suit you," she said, smirking.

"Everything suits me, I'm beautiful, " he said, returning her smirk.

It was her turn to roll her eyes. She crossed the room, and plopped down a good foot away from him. He turned around to face her, crossing his legs, and without thinking, she did the same. It felt strangely routine; the two of them sitting in her room, with the moon as their only source of light, sitting indian style on her worn comforter, facing each other.

"I had a reason for visiting you, other than to relive the joy days," he said, all of the arrogance and amusement slipping from his expression, replaced by a dim sort of grim determination.
"Yeah? What?" she asked, resting her cheek against the palm of her hand.

"Darkness runs in your veins," he paused, gauging her face for a reaction. "Do you know what that means?"

"That I'm the spawn of Satan?" she suggested with a smirk. He shook his head, and sighed, but she saw amusement glinting in his crystalline eyes.

"No...Darkness infects one of two ways- either you're born with it all ready inside you, or you have the "disease" transmitted too you. You, my friend, are the embodiment of both," he smiled, revealing a row of shiny, incredibly sharp teeth.

"Wait, what the hell do you mean?" she asked.

"As you know, there are many forms of Darklings...vampires, fae, demons...etcetera, etcetera...you were born with one Dark disease lying dormant in your veins...I bet your parents never even knew it...and a few years ago, you were bit by a vampire. For the first time in our history, somebody houses two dormant diseases."

"So, how are the diseases awakened?" she asked. She still felt calm- everything within her felt completely peaceful. They may as well have been discussing lunch.

"The catalyst is interaction with another Darkling...which is why I have stayed away from you. You do not deserve the torture of this life...but tonight, despite my wishes, despite my guidance from the shadows, you made contact with a vampire...I have failed you, and I wanted to apologize."

"It's not your fault...besides, maybe I want to be a Darkling," she smiled, tilting her head to the side. "Being a human is pretty boring."

"The transformation is long, and painful...and no, that was not an innuendo...it will probably start soon...like, tomorrow, possibly. And it starts off slow and subtle, but it escalates...oh my god, stop smirking at me, that was not an innuendo!" he threw his hands up in surrender, and Aurelia chuckled.

"I'm sorry, you're just so cute," she said, and then widened her eyes in surprise. Even though this was a dream, she was shocked at the slip. She had never called somebody cute before. Sure it wasn't much, but...her cheeks were reddening.

And even though it was hard to tell in the dim lighting, she thought she could see him blushing as well...which, dammit, made him even cuter.

"Well...people usually refer to me as "ruggedly handsome," or "sexy"...I guess cute works as well," he smirked.

He looked at the clock on her bedside table. 4 AM. "I have to go soon, I don't want to be out after light...Aurelia, promise me something," he paused, staring at her earnestly.

"What?"she asked.

"Never be too trusting, not even of the ones you love the most...there are people in your life that are using you...I want you too be happy....the way you used to be," his expression was desperately child-like.

She was about to tell him she was happy; not too worry about it...but there was something in his eyes that made her feel so...at home...like she could trust him.

"Yeah, well don't get your hopes up," she looked down.

He placed a finger beneath her chin, and pulled her face up until her eyes met his. "Goodbye for now, Aurelia," he said, with a sad sort of smile.

"Good night, Arian," she replied, not even realizing the way his name slipped off her lips, despite not remembering it just an hour before...but the sentiment didn't pass by Arian. His eyes shut, as a feeling akin to a summer breeze fluttered through him. Bliss.

He reached into his coat pocket, and pulled out a beautiful black rose, alive but colored dead. With a flourish, he placed it into her hands, and smiled as her own face lit up.

"It's amazing," she breathed, running her finger along the ebony petal.

When she looked up to thank him, he was gone, the window shut tight behind him.

She curled up beneath the covers, and fell asleep with Arian's midnight rose clasped tight in her hands.