The whole day had been spent carefully packing. By the time the familiar tap was at his door, Daniel had been able to fit his better clothes and his few sentimental effects into one shabby suitcase. His lover came in, tossing his hat on the table. He firmly grabbed Daniel, holding his face still so he might kiss him and kiss him again and once more for good measure. Daniel laughed when he was finally released.

"I must admit I never expected to see you ever welcome me like this, let alone agree to be mine." He gave a curious half smile.

Daniel raised his brows in surprise. "And why would I not be pleased at your visits? You're all I have had to live for recently."

"You do say the most charming things. Ah, I see you packed a bag. A shame you spent such time preparing when it will not be needed."

"Why would it not be-"

"Come here." The man pulled him forward and Daniel eagerly let himself be embraced.

"Stop that! Surely you can wait until we have started on our journey some!" He laughed as he swatted at the hands that were undoing his shirt.

"This isn't a prelude to something sweeter, not yet at least. We can take nothing through the gate but the flesh we wear. No clothing and no bag of books either, I am sorry to say."

Daniel stepped around the table, putting it between them. His shirt was hanging loose now and he pulled it around him, suddenly cold. "Gate? I am afraid you have lost me."

"The gate, Daniel. The portal." He pulled on a chain around his neck and showed Daniel a locket. It was made of some grey metal and was of a blocky, ugly design.

"What is that?"

"A traveler's locket; a proper one. To think that it had taken that massive, hideous pile of stones and centuries of bloodletting to make its equivalent."

Daniel started to tremble. "No. No, it can't be. You aren't-" But when he looked at his face, really looked, he saw that it was.

"Younger and more handsome." He grinned and it was something half feral and half mad. "For you."

"Alexander." Daniel whispered. Then he spun and ran for the door, was at it in two paces and flinging it open…to be greeted by the dark beyond. He shrieked and fell back.

"Go ahead. Run from me. Whatever is the problem?" Alexander came up behind him and looked into the pitch blackness. "Ah, I see your landlady is too cheap to put out lanterns on the landings." He clapped Daniel on the back. "Come now, you faced the horrors of the Shadow, my own miscreations hunting for your blood, surely you can run down a darkened hall. It's only a few meters, the stairs are to the right." Daniel closed his eyes and hunched in on himself. "No, then?" Alexander gave a theatrical sigh and closed the door. "Come and sit down, old friend. You do not look very well."

Daniel let himself be led to the chair. A shove from Alexander had him seated in it. When he opened his eyes again it was to the surreal image of an Alexander forty years younger bustling around making tea.

"I saw you die. I thought I saw you die. The Shadow came and then you screamed."

"I made it through the portal in the nick of time. I'm sorry if that disappoints you."

"You screamed!" He emphasized the word.

"It did clip me a bit." He rolled up his shirtsleeve and showed Daniel the scar on his forearm, the one Daniel had often wondered at, had playfully pressed kisses on when they had been naked and cuddling. He felt sick. "I, too, must admit to being surprised to find you alive and well. You figured out all it wanted was its Orb back, eh?"

"Agrippa told me."

"Is he well and truly dead at least?"

Daniel didn't answer.

"Such an annoyance and not even a useful one it turned out." Alexander poured a cup and set it in front of Daniel. "Drink that and get yourself under control. We'll be off as soon as you've finished." He poured one for himself and sat on Daniel's bed.

"Where are we going?" For a panicked moment he thought the former baron meant to take him back to Brennenberg.

"Home, of course. Your new one." He picked up the locket and gave it a shake.

"You mean…you were serious about that? Why?"

"For reasons I have already stated." He snapped. "If you want me to give you a long list of your virtues, I will gladly do so, but I do prefer it to be when we are both exhausted and sweating in our bed."

"Your wife-"

Alexander snorted, his lips curled up in a snarl. "Ah, yes. My lovely wife. I was faithful for centuries, but alas, she was not." He rested his chin in his hand. "I killed her, you know. Her and her new lover. I was furious. You have no idea how hard it was to resist you, to stay true. How every time you asked me an asinine question or tilted your head when something confused you-which was often-I had to use every ounce of my will not to throw you over the nearest table and fuck you senseless."

"Alexander, please!" Daniel flushed.

"I'm sorry if I offended. You really are so very delicate."

"So you've come back…for me? I still don't understand."

"Yes! That's the head tilt I mentioned! Enchanting."

The beginnings of a plan were forming in Daniel's mind. If he could keep him talking until morning, if he could distract him until then, he would be able to flee. "Please answer the question."

"I have already answered it. The days we had together were sweet, even if it was a bitter sweetness. I had found a companion at last and an entirely too charming one at that; I was thankful for it. It was a pity I ended up breaking you."

Daniel shuddered, remembering the rituals, the tortures.

"But you ended up fixing yourself rather admirably. And I find myself once more in the market for a wife."

"You hate humans."

"I do. We can fix that about you though, no need to fret about it."

"I would be a constant reminder of this world." He began, desperate now.

"And I will not have gone through all those years of torment without something to show for it." He grabbed Daniel by the wrist and brought his hand up to lay a kiss against his palm. "You will be a very suitable prize and hard won."

"This is not going to happen."

"I think you will find it will. Now finish undressing. Or do I need to do it for you?" Such eagerness in that voice. Daniel closed his eyes.

"My father-"

"The man who thought of you as an embarrassment? Who would rather pay to shut you away and forget about you than help you? He's paid for his many sins against you. I saw to that."

Daniel sprung to his feet, cast around for some sort of weapon.

"Do not be tedious about this, Daniel. I have such a lovely celebration planned for our wedding night."

"I swear, if you try to take me I will- I will-" He snatched up a knife that had come with his dinner plate and held it against his throat.

"You look ridiculous."

"I would rather die than be with you!"

Alexander did not seem fazed by this. "You said you loved me." He gently reminded.

"I know."

"You promised me you would let me have you."

"I did, but-" Daniel felt tears run down his cheeks. "I didn't know. After what you did- what we did- how can I…"

"Everyone deserves a happy ending. Weren't you expecting one when you crawled forth from the castle? Was this what you envisioned it would be like?"

Daniel shook his head. "Stop, please! I-"

"You deserve much more than this cesspit of a world. And I do love you. Let me convince you. Give me the chance."

Daniel shook his head again, but lowered the knife. "I cannot. You say I deserve it, but I do not. I was a monster and I thought I had paid for my sins, but…" He looked sad, lost. "An amnesia potion and a night of horrors weren't enough to redeem me. This existence might seem wretched, but it is fitting. I am sorry if I…led you on. To be fair I would not have spoken so if I had known-"

Alexander sighed. "I cannot persuade you then?"

"I am afraid not. Leave me to my solitude again. I-" He searched for the right words. "I thank you for these last few weeks. They brightened my dreary life for a while and I will cherish the dream that was inspired by them, even if the reality was far from ideal."

"I know when I cannot win. May we shake, at least? Part on an amiable note?" He offered his hand.

Daniel hesitated and then took it. Long fingers curled around his and Alexander smiled.

Epilogue

Mrs. Todd bustled up the stairs. She was running a bit late this morning and she hoped that the boarder of room 14 wasn't too put out at his breakfast being tardy. When she rounded the corner and stepped onto the landing, she halted. That was strange. The door to number fourteen was wide open. She wondered if the resident had left for once, maybe went down the hall for a bath. She approached it cautiously, her mind coming up with thrilling and ghastly scenarios for what she might find inside.

It was a bit disappointing in the end. A normal room, if a bit on the cluttered side. Books and papers piled up in every nook and cranny and an unmade bed. There was one thing that was curious though, and she would tell anyone who stood still for longer than five seconds in her presence about it: in the room were two sets of clothes- shoes, pants, shirts-thrown down, crumbled to the floor, as if the people who had been wearing them had suddenly vanished into thin air.