Chapter Four - Part Three

"Well," I said, taking the time to smirk jovially at his circle of whispering, laughing friends. "I guess I'd have to say that I'm sorry, but your friends were right and you were wrong."

He lashed out suddenly, taking hold of my arm, and I felt the heat of my own rising anger. This guy was big, and he was strong, but he was also human - which was a disadvantage for him and a gain for me. I had squared off with smaller men than him before, but they at least had bigger brains.

"Aw, c'mon. Don't be like that sugar -"

"I'm not sweet. And you'd better get your hands off me." I said, remaining pleasant and patient. "Before I embarrass you in front of your friends..."

But this only made him laugh as his hand clamped down in a tighter, more painful grip. Easily, I shook off him off and then punched him in the gut, hard. He doubled over, and then sank to his knees, clutching his stomach as he coughed and wheezed. And while his buddies laughed, I snagged one of their beers from the counter top, dumping the remaining contents across the top of his head.

"Hey, next time you're trying to get laid, try being a gentleman." I said, winking at him and the horrified look upon his face, before exiting the kitchen.

As I made the short walk back to the living room, hidden speakers began to hum and pound with the bass of Tech N9ne's Fragile. I stood in the doorway, scanning the dancing crowd, until I found Ethan. He stood alone, close by the wall, and was already watching me as if he had been there all along.

I walked across the room to him, where he pulled me into his arms, letting his hands drop to my waist. To the rhythm of the music, I danced slowly against him. Running my fingers through my hair, I lifted it from my shoulders seductively, as I turned to press my back against his chest.

As we danced, I felt my skin come alive beneath the heat of his breath on my neck. And I certainly didn't mind the feeling of his hands on the skin of my exposed thigh. But without warning, he spun in his arms, forcing me to face him again. I half expected and half hoped that he would kiss me then, but for the time being he was only interested in watching me from the front.

We continued dancing until the song was over. By then, his warm body and his hungry eyes had made a decision for me that I hadn't thought I would for a while longer. "Upstairs, second floor." Ethan whispered in my ear, slipping something into my hand. "Five minutes."

He let me go and then left me for the short, narrow staircase in the hall, disappearing upwards. Meanwhile, I looked down to see the small, orange hair tie that he had left in my hand. Suddenly thirsty from nervousness and apprehension, I picked up a stranger's forgotten cup of something purple, and took enough sips to take the edge off. The end of another song came, and then it was my turn to follow Ethan up the creaking, carpeted stairs to the second floor. There were three doors to choose from, and each was closed with a different colored hair tie. And the closer I approached, the more I noticed the sounds of creaking springs and low moans.

The door in the middle was the one with the matching orange hair tie. With a deep breath and a quickening heartbeat, I slipped its partner around the knob, and opened the door.

* * *

I saw a dark, hooded figure standing outside the small pool of moonlight that spilled through the open window. I took my eyes from him for mere seconds in order to close and lock the door behind me, but when I straightened he was gone. Stepping further into the room, I noticed the figure was no longer before me, and that it was suddenly much darker now - even without the dim lighting from the hallway.

"Ethan, I -"

But something cold and extremely soft was suddenly brushing against my face to cover my eyes - a tie perhaps, or maybe a girls' silk scarf. I stood there and let him do it, my heart thumping wildly in my chest. And then a cold, tight hand was curled around my wrist and leading me in the direction of the bed, but I pulled back and he stopped, waiting for me to speak.

"Wait. I don't want you to think I'm always gonna be this... easy. Next time you're gonna have to work a little harder, ok? Because I don't wanna be just another notch in your headboard. I want you to give me something to remember..."

But Ethan remained silent and for several seconds it seemed as if he either hadn't heard, or was confused. I went to remove the blindfold, but I was stopped as cold hands found my face in the dark, and his lips met my own. Instantly, I melted, sagging in his hands like putty, weak and willing. Passionately, I kissed him back, forgetting his cold hands as they explored my body.

Reluctantly, I broke the kiss to remove and then carelessly toss aside the jean jacket that I had borrowed from Addy. Without it, I was left wearing a strapless black sundress that I knew eventually he would remove. I reached out a hand and firmly grabbed the thin material of his hoodie. He let me draw him in, and I felt his solid chest beneath my hands before I was swept into the air and shoved hard against a wall.

He had set me down on the surface of a dresser, and whatever items that had been atop it were swept aside by him until they hit the floor. His mouth traveled up the tender, exposed skin of my neck, kissing my chin before finding my lips. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and threw my arms about his neck, as he changed his mind about the setting and carried me to the bed. He lay me down, gently, and straddled my waist.

He made attempts to withdraw from the kissing, but I pulled him back every time, unwilling to let him go. But eventually, he removed one of his hands from my hair, running his fingers idly up the inside of my thigh, across flat stomach, and then up to my throat. And there was a final kiss, before his hands began to squeeze, unforgivingly so.

I lay beneath him, momentarily confused, as my air supply was effectively cut off.

"Please don't scream. It'd be a shame to have to kill you now." came the sound of an unfamiliar, husky voice in the dark. And as my heart fell into my stomach, the feeling of his hands at my neck was replaced by the sharp presence of something metal and equally cold.

Whoever this was, it wasn't Ethan.

* * *

Given the circumstance, I could guess that the stranger knew exactly who and what I was. And instantly I understood that he had used the blindfold because otherwise I would have figured out much sooner that he wasn't Ethan.

I felt his weight shift and then it was gone entirely. He stood, leaving me free to sit up. Shaking with anger and humiliation, I wrenched down my dress, trying to compose myself.

"Can I at least take off the blindfold?" I said, through gritted teeth.

There was a small click, and I sensed lights being turned on in the room.

"Feel free." the stranger replied pleasantly, sounding almost friendly in this sudden change of events.

Fumbling with shaking fingers, I undid the blindfold until I could fling the tie across the room in fury. But Tidus Romaine stood before me, unwaveringly calm, like the eye of a storm. And hands that had once curled around mine and pressed them deep into the sheets, were now crossed indifferently over his chest. But though he seemed relaxed, one hand still gripped the small hilt of a lethal-looking knife that was slightly longer and thicker than most. I could only guess that it was a dagger, as I had never seen one before.

I opened my mouth to speak but Tidus cut me off in his careful, even tone. I noticed that he was dressed in an outfit surprisingly similar to Ethan, but I had failed to notice the subtle differences. For instance, he had no hat, and he was wearing the same Vans as the first time that I'd seen him.

But more than anything, I noticed that Tidus appeared young, in his mid-twenties, but on the other hand, his eyes were ancient. And they shined with secrets and memories that I knew were much older than my own. He wasn't just some drunken frat member, clumsy and human. He was a vampire.

"Speak, but don't scream." he reminded. "I could carve out your throat before anyone would hear you."

"What do you want from me?" I said, heavily eyeing the knife.

He considered me for a few tense moments before answering. He looked down at the knife, and then twiddled it in his hands, considering things and terrifying me.

"I'm in a tough spot, if you can understand. You see, a friend of mine, has this crazy idea that you're somehow going to kill me. And the thing is, this friend is never wrong."

"Well, they are this time." I said, feeling fierce because of my fear. "And by the way, your friend sounds completely insane."

He didn't move, but I watched his eyes briefly travel up my legs, which were still stretched out across the bed.

"But she's a witch." he said at last, recovering. "And maybe you can say different, but I've never met a witch to have a vision that didn't come true."

I stared at him in stunned silence for several seconds before I could manage to find any words.

"You're lying." I whispered, looking back at him, aghast.

He said nothing, only shook his head slowly, solemnly.

Now I decided to get up from the bed, but carefully. He was at the perfect opportunity and with all the right equipment to finish me in seconds, I knew. And he could have the deed done long before Ethan, Adelle or some other poor soul would stumble upon my body.

"What witch?" I asked, as he fingered the edge of his knife.

"Her name isn't important right now." he said quietly.

"So what, are you going to kill me now?" I said, standing still despite my quaking fear. "Because you should probably know that I won't die quietly. I'll be sure to attract lots of attention before I go..."