Hey! For you Mermaid Melody fans who don't know me, I'm Jazlynn and this is one of my first MMPPP fanfics. I usually stick to Kingdom Hearts and I wanted to try something different. Anyways, Caren has always been my favourite mermaid (although her singing voice sucks x.x) and I wanted to write a story focused around her and some mysterious guy. My inspiration for this came from reading the Twilight Series and watching the movie 'Interview with the Vampire'. Enjoy!

EDIT: And, due to popular demand, I'm fixing the names that I didn't have right before. -tosses much love to KookieKrazy and Jewelieishness- Thanks, guys!

Disclaimer: I do not own Mermaid Melody or any ofthe characters mentioned other than my two vampires and Caren's... 'pool adversary'. :)

It Started with Lilacs
Written by: Jazlynn

I was aware of his golden eyes burning a hole in the back of my head. No, I didn't see him enter the pool hall but I knew exactly when he did and I knew exactly where he was right now. I breathed in deeply as I positioned the cue in my hand, lining it up with a white and a striped ball on the pool table. As I made my move, I sensed him shifting in the shadows behind me. I flinched, causing the cue to move awkwardly. Once the white ball was set in motion, it hit my opponent's last solid coloured ball which then ricocheted of the black one, sinking them both. I cursed loudly and my opponent jumped in the air to rejoice his sudden victory. I watched the sandy blonde male high-five his friends and then turn to me with a 'pay up' expression on his face. I sighed in disgust and pulled a twenty dollar bill out of my pocket which I then shoved into his open hand. He laughed again.

"So, Caren, are we still on for next Saturday at the same time?" He asked with all the pride of his victory shining in his voice.

I cringed but mustered to give him a challenging smile in return. I folded my arms over my chest in a smug manner before I made my response. "Damn straight, Mike. I will bet you forty bucks that I am totally going to kick your ass next time."

A chorus of taunts and cheers resounded to egg on Mike to take my little challenge. I knew the smile that he was giving off which meant that he would inevitably accept my challenge but my attention was not directed at Mike. Although I was looking at Mike, my ears had focused completely on him. I could hear him softly chuckling with that deep, rich voice of his. Yes, his laugh would most likely be mute to all the other humans present but I heard him as clear as crystal. Ever since I first saw him, my instincts had gone crazy and heightened my senses to notify me whenever he was around. I could see him, hear him, and smell him. In fact, it was almost as if I could taste his scent. Well, that was four out of the five senses. I just hoped that I would never have to feel him. I already knew whenever he moved and that was enough for me. I was dragged out of my thoughts as Mike gave me his reply to my challenge.

"You bet, Car!" He chimed enthusiastically.

I rolled my eyes. "Alright. So, I'll see you next Saturday then."

With a fake smile, I sauntered away from the pool table and towards the door. Suddenly, I was overcome by my curiosity and I chanced a look at him. I regret looking back at him and I quickly brought my eyes back to the door. He was sitting there in the shadows, his dark hair falling gracefully over his sharp facial features with a wine glass pressed to his pale lips as he continually watched me with his piercing golden eyes. The wine he was drinking was of a fancy brand—the kind that is far too expensive for one like me to even consider buying. Yet, I knew that his drink wasn't satisfying him. It would never satisfy him. I knew that what would satisfy him, he would get from me. What it is that he wanted from me, I do not know. That is the one fact that absolutely horrifies me.

As I exited the bar, I sensed him move from his spot. My eyes widened and when I knew that the door was completely shut behind me, I made a mad dash for the ocean. My heart beat faster and faster with every fast stride I took. I knew that he would try to follow me. I had to get to the ocean. It was my only place to hide from him. I smiled when I reached the railing that blocked people from veering off the cut off and falling into the waters below. I pulled myself over the side with ease and dove into the dark night waters. I felt my human-like appearance shift back into my mermaid form and I let out a sigh of relief. I chanced a look back up at the surface to find that he was right there leaning on the railing, watching me. Terror flooded through me as his golden eyes locked with my violet ones. It was almost as if he saw me as clearly as if I was above the surface. I was sure that I was far enough down so that no human could see me. Also, it was night. I should have been completely hidden by the dark waters. But the way that he smiled at me, oh, it was as if we were playing some sick game of cat and mouse. It absolutely terrified me. So, like I did the very first time I saw him, I fled.

As I swam, something didn't make sense to me. Where I first saw him, it was impossible for him to get there without breathing. I instantly recalled the night when I had been searching for Gaito's castle. I had wanted to save my sister, Noel. I had no luck in my search; however, I did find something. There was a faint violet glow in the dark water. Peaked by my curiosity, I cautiously headed towards the light. The light was coming from a small crevice that I was barely able to fit in. Yet, I seemed completely drawn to that little light. The tunnel I was in twisted and turned every which way until I finally made my way into an open space. I hoped that I wasn't hallucinating because despite wherever that little tunnel twisted to, the light still remained. However, it seemed closer now than ever. I swam towards it and found that I had surfaced in a little cavern. It would have been pitch black had the light not been there. When I saw the source of the light, my eyes widened in shock. On a tiny island in the middle of the cavern, there was a small lilac bush that was covered in frost. It was emitting the strange purple light that had drawn me here. Sitting on the ground beside it was my shadow, who was completely unknown to me—and still very much is—looking right at me with an unreadable smile on his face. Without taking his eyes off of me, he reached for the bush and plucked off one of the blossoms. He twirled the icy flower around in his fingers as his smile turned into a sheer gleam of pleasure in me finding him.

Then he crooned with a sickeningly sadistic voice, "I guess that means… I'm 'it'."

I don't know if it was the fact that he was talking to me or if it was the fact that he was constantly watching me that made me turn tail and flee. All I knew was that I needed to get away from him. His voice had been engraved in my mind and I saw him every day since then. Now I acted as if my very survival depended on staying away from him. So, I fled when I could and I ignored him whenever I absolutely had to. My gut instinct was telling me that he wasn't human. I also knew that he didn't work for Gaito. Gaito usually got his Dark Lovers or the Black Beauty Sisters to do his dirty work. Plus, this man would've also mentioned something about me being a Mermaid Princess if he worked for Gaito. So what exactly was it that he wanted from me?

Feeling safe enough to surface, I made my way up to the human world. I didn't see him anywhere around me and I let out a sigh of relief. This man was making me more paranoid than I was about getting captured by Gaito and failing to save my sister. As I looked at my surroundings, I found that I was near the beach as well as the Pearl Piari where Lucia and Hanon lived. Normally, I avoided those two but, I felt desperate to find some sort of sanctuary. I no longer felt very safe in my apartment when I discovered him looking up at me through the window at night. That was a very unnerving thought. So, with a deep breath, I headed towards the shore while constantly looking around me. I wouldn't allow myself to be caught off guard by him.

Moments later, I was on land and back in my human form. I was feeling more relaxed now so I knew that he wasn't anywhere around me. I made my way up to the entrance of the Pearl Piari feeling quite awkward. How would they react to me showing up at their place near midnight and asking them if I could stay there for a while? Well, they'd probably welcome me with open arms. Lucia and Hanon always seemed to be those types of people. I was pleased to find that there were still lights emitting from the main floor so that I wouldn't wake anyone, yet, I still felt awkward as I knocked on the door. I waited not that long before the door opened to reveal Lucia's sister, Nikora, looking at me with worried eyes. I must've looked more scared than I had originally thought.

"Caren! What brings you here? Are you alright?" She asked worriedly while motioning for me to come inside.

I gladly took up her offer as I made my way into the small hotel while shaking my head in the process. I was glad that I got in when I did. I was beginning to tense up again which meant that he was coming to find me. Instantly, Lucia and Hanon ran over to me with a bubbling curiosity in their eyes upon my arrival.

"Caren, you look pale." Hanon commented worriedly.

Lucia then cut in to ask, "Did something happen to you? Were you attacked by the Black Beauty Sisters?"

Once again, I shook my head. "To be quite honest with you, I'd rather be attacked by the Black Beauty Sisters or, sadly enough, the Dark Lovers."

I was trying to add humor into my voice as I mentioned the Dark Lovers and how they have been totally inept at capturing Lucia, Hanon, Rina, and I. However, I noted how my voice was very quiet. They would believe my fear. They would know that there was something more frightening dwelling out in the world as we spoke. Figuring that I wouldn't just leave my sentence open for discussion, I asked a question that I already knew the answer to.

"You guys don't mind if I stay here for a few nights, do you?"

"Of course not!" Lucia replied immediately. "Common, I'll show you to your room!"

To be honest, I was quite surprised that I already had a room at the Peal Piari. I figured that I would at least have to get checked in as a hotel guest. Then again, Lucia and Hanon wanted all the Mermaid Princesses living within a close distance. They must have had extra rooms in case one of us wanted to stay.

As soon as we entered the room that was going to be mine, I ran to the window and pulled the curtains shut. However, I wasn't quite fast enough. He was there below and he was watching me with amused eyes. I began to shake as I held the curtains tightly together. He had seen me. He knew exactly where I was. I wasn't even aware of Lucia calling my name behind me until she came over and tapped my shoulder. My eyes went wide and I jumped up into the air from shock. She looked at me with worried eyes.

"Caren, what's wrong?" She asked with no trace of that joyful tone that she often spoke with before. She was worried about me.

Slowly, I backed away from the curtains, pointing at them accusingly. In a quiet voice, I spoke. "There's a man below and he was watching me."

Lucia looked at me, still with worry, as she made her way to the curtains. Slowly, she pulled them open to peer outside. "But, Caren, no one is down there."

"What?" I ran to her side and looked down to where the man was once standing. Sure enough, he wasn't anywhere to be seen. I looked at the empty spot in disbelief. "There was a man there. He was looking right at me."

"Caren, maybe you just need some sleep." Hanon suggested as she entered the room, overhearing my conversation with Lucia.

I shook my head in disagreement. Slowly, I closed the curtains and then made my way to sit down on the bed. "You don't understand. I don't need sleep. I know exactly what I saw. There was a man there. He has been following me for the past week and I feel the constant need to get away from him. I feel more threatened by him than I've ever felt threatened by Gaito himself."

Lucia and Hanon came and sat by my side on the bed. It was almost as if they were trying to protect me from the devil that followed me around. I knew that it wouldn't work though. What with the way that he constantly looked at me, it seemed pointless for me to try and hide.

"Caren, you'll be safe here." Lucia promised sincerely.

"Yeah, we won't let him come near you." Hanon added with as much conviction in her voice as Lucia's.

I wasn't really in the mood for their promises that I knew would be unintentionally broken. So, I simply smiled with a hopeful expression on my face and said the first thing that came to my mind.

"Thanks, you guys. I feel a lot safer now." I tried to say genuinely. I could hear the hint of sarcasm that crept into my voice but, thankfully, they hadn't heard it. "I guess I should take your advice and get some rest. Maybe I just need to clear my head a little bit."

Taking the hint to leave, Lucia and Hanon got up and walked over to the door. Hanon smiled reassuringly at me before leaving to go to the room that was temporarily hers. Lucia looked at me positively and forced a smile onto her face.

"If you need anything, Caren, just come get us. Don't even worry about waking us up, either. We're here for you." And with that, Lucia left to go to her room.

I got up and shut the door behind her before going back to my bed and flopping down onto it. I kicked off my sandals and let them fall to the floor beside the bed. Maybe rest was all I really needed. As my eyes began to flicker shut, I noticed that I hadn't turned the light off. I would have to do that before I fell asleep. However, I was too tired to get off the bed, so I just laid there and waited until sleep overcame me.

--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--

When I awoke, something seemed different. It didn't feel as if I had slept very long. I yawned tiredly in the darkness around me and then shivered as I felt a cool breeze float over my body. It was then I remembered that I still had to turn off the light. Grumbling, I forced myself to sit up and I swung my legs over the side of the bed.

Wait a minute. The light was already off. Yet, I distinctly remembered not getting up and turning it off. When another breeze hit me, I glanced over at the window and my eyes widened in horror. It was open. All of a sudden, I felt sick to my stomach. I couldn't move. My body felt as if it was frozen in place by the fear that overtook me. Eventually, I mustered the strength to move and I slowly pulled myself up to my feet. As if in a dream, I walked over to the window and peered outside. He wasn't below the window anymore but I could feel his eyes piercing me. My mind reeled as it tried to force away the reality of my situation. I knew exactly where he was. I felt my heart begin to race in my chest and it felt as if it would burst. I felt the hair on the back of my neck raise and my arms acquired goose bumps. My eyes were wide with fright. I felt the hair by my right ear gently being raised by his fingertips and his cold lips were at my ears.

"Hello." He whispered softly.

That was it, I couldn't take it anymore. I felt a sudden rush of adrenaline in my body and I took off towards the door, my lungs full of air that I was ready to use to scream for Lucia and Hanon. Yet, his body seemed to be right beside mine as I ran and his hand was hovering close to my mouth. The next thing I knew, I forcefully hit the wall beside the door with his cold pale hand clamped over my mouth. My eyes were wide as he glared at me. I struggled to get free from him but his hand stayed right where it was and he hadn't moved so much as an inch. My face was beginning to hurt from how he held me there. He wasn't even using his other hand which was hanging limply at his side. I quickly realized that he was abnormally strong and he only needed one hand to shut me up and keep me pinned to the wall. I felt so helpless in that moment and I wanted to cry. Tears were even welling up in my eyes. My adversary's expression softened as he saw my tears begin to fall yet he still kept a sternness about him that meant that I should listen to whatever he had to say.

"Do not speak and I shall release you." He stated in his alluring, rich, accented voice.

I tried to nod my head as best I could under his grasp and, slowly, I felt his hand lift. I still had air in my lungs to scream and I now had the chance. After all, he just said not to 'speak', right? As soon as I opened my mouth, I felt my body being thrown onto the bed. The air I was going to use ended up whooshing out of me in a gasp as I landed on the bed. Not even half a second must've passed before he was straddling my figure on the bed with his hand firmly clasped around my mouth once more. His eyes were extremely fierce and looked as if they had been glazed over with ice. I struggled more violently this time, absolutely loathing the position that this man had taken. Fear surged through my body making me quite alert as he leaned forward.

"Now, now," he started. Anger dripped from each word that he spoke, "I told you that if you didn't speak, I would release you. You disobeyed my order when you agreed to my terms. That does not please me in the least, Caren."

Tears streamed down my face as I continued to struggle under my captor's grasp. I didn't even seem to care that this man knew my name and was speaking to me as if we had known each other for a long time. I wanted away from him. I longed to be with my sister in Gaito's captivity rather than have to be here under the hawk-like eyes of my predator. I figured that he was going to kill me right then and there. Then there would be no hope for my sister.

"Caren, I want you to listen to me now." He started again. His voice took on a lighter tone but it still held a bit of sadism in it. "I am having a party tonight and I would very much enjoy it if you would come. You see, I've been planning this little party for a good week now and, well, you happen to be the guest of honor. I had so been hoping to bring you to my mansion earlier this evening but you ran away from me. Now, how was that supposed to make me feel, Caren? Hmm? No one ever rejects me. Now, I must go make some final preparations but I shall meet you at the place we first met in half an hour. Got that? Half an hour. Do not be late or I shall be forced to send some of my guests after you and, mark my words, they will not be as gentle with you as I am being now."

The next thing that I knew, he was gone. My body failed to move and my eyes seemed to stay wide open. I was trembling and tears were noiselessly gliding down my face. The words that the man spoke still were not registering in my mind. I had been so ready to die in that moment that it baffled me that I was still breathing. Well, I had somehow evaded death and now I had to face the decision of walking right back into the deathtrap that I had gotten out of, or I could run away and have my death easily catch up with me. Either way, I knew that my life as I knew it was over. I think I knew that the moment I laid eyes on him. Well, I had half an hour to think about his demand. Or did I have less time now? I really didn't know considering the amount of time it took for me to fully recover from his attack. So, did I go meet him or did I go tell Lucia and Hanon about what happened? I really didn't want to drag those two into what I had gotten myself into. If I couldn't handle this, I knew that they would just crumble. So, my options were lowered down to going to meet him or running away.

Slowly, I slid off my bed and rose to my feet. I was still feeling a bit shaky and didn't have my balance fully back yet. A flash of yellow crossed my path of vision and I thought that I might fall back but, obviously, that wasn't what was intended for me. I felt something hard ram into my stomach and any air in my lungs had been pushed out. My eyes went wide as pain surged from the area I had been hit. It was unbearable! Slowly, my vision began to fade to black and I fell forward into the arms of an unknown individual. However, I clearly remember the feminine voice that spoke to me before I blacked out.

"Sorry, love. Time's up."

--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--

When I awoke, I was confused. I had no idea where I was and I was in a great deal of pain. My stomach hurt like hell. When my mind was somewhat clear, I realized that I was lying on a bed with a canopy of black lace surrounding it. From what I could see through the lace, the walls of the room I was in had been painted a lavender colour—very much like the colour of lilacs.

I forced myself to sit up and I hissed upon the pain that emanated from my stomach. I clutched it in a vain attempt to make the pain go away. Instead, I discovered that my attire had been changed. Instead of my regular outfit, I was now wearing a dress that looked like it might have come out of the medieval age with a modern twist. The upper half had a corset-like design to it and was made up with black velvet. At the front, there was an area that was made from a lavender coloured silk which was covered by black lace. Also, three buckles held the top firmly together and prevented the dress from sliding off my body. The fact that it was strapless was the next thing that I discovered about it. The skirt part of the dress was made from a light material with the same colour purple and it reached to my ankles. On top of that material was more black lace that reached almost to the end of the light fabric.

I noticed my shoes next and I panicked. I was wearing fancy black sandals with straps that reached halfway up my calf. However, that wasn't the part that scared me. What scared me were the ridiculously high heels that were on the shoes. How was I supposed to walk in shoes like those! I felt sick once again. My death would come by shoes.

A scent distracted me from my shoes and my eyes were finally drawn to my hair. Someone had taken the liberty of brushing it, making it somehow ultra-soft, and loosely braiding it while intertwining lilacs in it. It hung over my right shoulder and was tied at the end with a lavender satin bow. Overall, I looked amazingly beautiful.

I heard a door open and my eyes quickly darted to the source of the noise. A blonde woman had entered the room. She was wearing a completely black dress that was, by no means, as fancy as mine. Her hair was piled messily on top of her head and she wore a black headband that had some sort of black veil coming from it which covered her golden eyes. She approached me and pushed back the lace curtains. She held a glass full of some vile looking green liquid to me.

"Here, drink this, love. You'll be needing the strength for tonight."

I looked at her and then at the green liquid. I was feeling rather queasy and I really did not want to drink what she was offering me. It looked poisonous. Still, I remembered what happened the last time I disobeyed the creatures that held me captive. The first one stalked me for a week and then demanded that I come to his party and the second (who, I'm sure, was the one I was speaking with now) punched me in the stomach. Warily, I took the glass from her cold pale hand and put it to my lips. The moment the liquid touched my tongue, I withdrew from the glass in disgust. The blonde woman giggled at my reaction.

"I know, it tastes vile but, please, it'll heal your injury. Oh, and by the way, I really am sorry about earlier. Couldn't have you struggling while I brought you here for my master, now could I?"

I looked at the woman curiously. "Your master?"

She nodded. "Aye, my master. I doubt that he's told you his name yet, but you know, love, you should consider yourself quite lucky. He'll only reveal his name once he's decided his prey's fate."

I tried to drink the disgusting substance while the blonde woman spoke to me. I managed to get the liquid into my mouth and was cringing, unable to swallow, when she mentioned her master's 'prey'. I gulped then and almost chocked on the liquid as it went down my throat. Still, the fact that I might be my stalker's 'prey' was not a good thing. How could I be considered lucky! The blonde woman seemed to notice my worries for she quickly picked up speaking where she left off.

"But don't be alarmed, Miss Caren. My master has never made such a hype about his prey before this. And if you were like his normal prey, you would be dead right now. Now finish drinking that, put on these, and follow me."

I cringed once again as I chugged back the rest of the drink. It wasn't pleasant but, somehow, I managed. The blonde woman took my glass and threw a pair of satin gloves onto my lap. I quickly put them on and stood up to follow the woman out of the room. I was shocked to find that my stomach no longer hurt. I felt so rejuvenated and I felt like I had more strength now. So then the drink did have some positive attributes.

As I followed the blonde woman out of the room, I couldn't help but notice the knot forming in my stomach. I was scared. I had no idea what to expect now. I knew now for a fact that the man who wanted to see me was not a human and that his word would seal my fate. Wait, scratch being scared. I was absolutely terrified. I was afraid of the death that might be awaiting me. I didn't want to die. The knot got tighter and tighter with each step I took.

As I walked, I couldn't help but notice the interesting colour scheme throughout the mansion. All of it was black and lavender. Occasionally, I would see a little crystal table that looked like ice with a basket of frost-covered lilacs along the hallway. They grew more abundant as we reached the end of the hallway. What I wasn't prepared for was what was waiting for me at the end of the hallway.

When we reached the end of the hallway, we were at the top of a grand staircase that lead to a magnificent ballroom. The room itself was white with black and lavender sashes adorning the ceiling and walls. Placed evenly along the walls were the same crystal tables with lilacs in white baskets. The far wall was completely glass and on the outside was a forest of frost-covered lilac bushes that were emitting the same eerie light that had drawn me to my fate in the first place. In one of the far corners opposite to the glass walls was an orchestra, their instruments filling up the room with their entrancing melodies. The dance floor was scattered with beautiful men and woman who were all wearing black. I must have been the only one to be wearing any colour in the whole room! They weren't dancing though. They were circled around the bottom of the staircase behind the one who had me brought here.

I instantly felt drawn to him and my body seemed to float down the stairs. As I neared him, he offered me his arm and I gratefully accepted, allowing him to lead me into the middle of the dance floor. I gazed into his golden eyes and I felt as if everything around me seemed to fade away. All I knew was that I was in his arms and we were dancing to a beautiful melody.

As we danced, he spun me around and around and he held me close to him. At times he would dip me low to the ground and pull me right back up into his arms. I couldn't help but notice how wonderful a scent he had as we danced. It was glorious and intoxicating. I wanted to breathe his scent. Oh, he was just magnificent! I smiled as if in a dream and he let out a low chuckle. He dipped me and leaned forward to speak softly into my ear.

"Enjoying ourselves, are we?"

I hummed dreamily in response, an obvious yes. He just softly laughed and brought me back up into his arms. The melody slowed and became minor. Our dance slowed and he leaned forward once more. His cold lips softly caressed my neck and a shiver ran up and down my body. As my heart rate increased, I could feel his lips twitch up into a smile. His lips moved up my neck and towards my mouth with each quickened beat of my heart. His mouth hovered above mine for a slight moment before he spoke again.

"Nervous, are we?"

I did not speak nor did I even have the chance to. His lips pressed gently against mine and I felt as if I could soar. My eyes closed so that I could focus on his kiss and memorize his lips. He tasted like heaven and I never wanted the kiss to end. However, when it did, I found that his golden eyes were fierce as if they were hungry for more that I could offer. I found myself pressing my body against his and I kissed him this time. His hold on me became more aggressive and I felt as if he were crushing me. I forced myself to pull my lips away from his and I gasped for air. He gently pulled himself away from me before leading me off the dance floor towards a table full of food that I had not noticed before.

"Caren, you look famished. Let me get you something to drink." He whispered to me with a hint of danger in his voice.

I felt threatened once more as he led me towards the table. My instincts were kicking in again and they were telling me to get away. However, my body was moving of its own accord and there was nothing I could do to escape the trance that I was in. When we got to the table, he handed me an already full glass of what appeared to be some sort of red wine? I took the glass from him and pressed it to my lips. I wasn't nineteen yet so, legally, I wasn't able to drink. I had no idea what wine was supposed to taste like so I didn't know what to expect. The liquid tasted salty and almost metallic, yet, in a way, it was satisfying. My senses were going wild at this point in a negative way but I ignored them. I was content being in the arms of this mysterious man.

When I was finished my drink, I was taken back out to the dance floor and was in his arms once more. I felt light-headed and when he spun me around a few times, everything started spinning. My eyes were blurred by black, lavender, and wicked pearly white smiles. I became dizzy and the last thing that I recalled before passing out were his evil golden eyes.

--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--

When I awoke, I was alone. Everything was dark around me except for the glow from the frozen lilac forest outside. The dance floor was completely empty and there was no trace that there had ever been an extravagant ball. My breaths were staggered as they came out and I tried to pull myself up to my feet. Unfortunately, I was still wearing those ridiculous high heels and I stumbled back down to the pristine white floor. I heard a dark laugh and my head shot up to see him standing at the top of the staircase with his arms folded over his chest. His expression showed great excitement for some upcoming event that I was oblivious to. It sickened me to think of what that might be.

He took a few steps down the stair before stopping to look hungrily at me. He then continued to walk down the stairs towards me. A dark smile never left his face as he spoke to me. "Let us play a game, Caren. It's called Hide and Seek. I'm sure that you've heard of it before."

My eyes widened in horror with each word he spoke. I tried my hardest to struggle up to my feet which turned out to be a difficult task. My heels were posing a definite problem and now my body was shaking in terror. I didn't want to be here. I wanted to be back at home in the Antarctic Ocean. I wouldn't be in this situation if I was still in the Antarctic Ocean. Now, all I was able to do was watch as he walked slowly down the stairs and listen to the words he had to say.

"Once upon a time, you found me. Now it is time for you to hide and for me to seek. You know what that means, don't you?"

He finally reached the bottom of the stairs and he approached me. My eyes were wide with horror as he slid his arm around me and jerked me close to him. I couldn't speak as he watched me while licking his lips. My death was nearing and it was a frightening thought. I just wanted it done and over with while another part of me longed to survive and was trying desperately to think of ways to escape. My body wouldn't stop trembling and that seemed to make my captor smile even more.

"It means that you need to go and attempt to hide somewhere within my vast mansion. You have ten minutes, my love."

Slowly, he moved away from me and I found myself frozen on the spot. I couldn't move. I felt completely immobilized. Yet, once I glanced his way, something clicked inside of me and I ran. I ran up the flight of stairs and down the hallway and anywhere that I could. This was my chance to escape. I had to escape. The adrenaline that rushed through my body made me run faster than I thought was possible. I knew that I had to survive. If I didn't, I would never be able to rescue Noel. I had to do everything in my power to escape. I twisted around corners and darted down hallways in a vain attempt to find the main entrance. I was having no such luck. I wasn't even sure how much time I had left to get away. I couldn't have been running for very long before I heard his silky voice echo throughout the halls.

"Caren, where are you?"

My heart skipped a beat, thinking for a moment that he might've been right behind me. In my moment's hesitation, I fell over my heels and went tumbling to the floor. I let out a quick gasp when I hit the ground but I recovered quickly, and was up on my feet once more. I had to get away. I had to.

When I turned another corner, I saw a sight that made my heart soar with joy. There was a set of large doors and the area I was now in looked like a main hall. I ran up to the doors with tears in my eyes and pushed them open. My eyes beheld the lilac forest that I had seen before in the ballroom and I felt overwhelmed. I was outside of his mansion. I was almost a free mermaid. I quickly shut the doors behind me and then I felt as if I was flying through the forest. When I looked up, I saw no sky. His mansion must have been in one of those underwater caverns that I had first stumbled upon him in. That thought made me happy. Water was my safe haven. I could easily get away in the water.

I stopped mid-stride when I discovered something about the lilac forest. I had just run in to another area of his mansion. There were two doors in front of me and they had a beautiful décor carved on them. This must lead to some important room. Yet, from what it looked like, this lilac forest was surrounded by his house. When I glanced around, I even saw the ballroom that I had been in before. My heart fell and I knew that I was done for. He had me trapped. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I realized this. Any chances of my survival had just been shattered.

I heard the doors behind me open and I panicked once more. My will to survive kicked in and I pushed open the doors in front of me. I ran inside and made my way up a stone stairway that spiraled upward. I ran and I ran, stumbling quite a few times. Nevertheless, I wanted to get away from him. I came to another set of doorways at the top of the staircase and I pushed them open.

All that I found was a bedroom. However, it was much larger and more glorious than my room had been. There were a few black couches that lined the walls and there was a balcony. In the middle of the room against the wall opposite to me, was a huge bed that looked like it might be very comfortable to sleep in. It, like my bed, had a canopy that was draped with black sashes. All in all, the room had a very gothic theme to it.

I jumped when I heard the door slam shut behind me and I quickly turned to find him standing there. He was laughing. I just watched as he laughed for what seemed to be a long time. There was still hostility in his laugh and that scared me. I wanted to break down and cry but I knew that I would only draw unwanted attention to me. So I stood there and waited for him to finish laughing. He was still somewhat laughing when he began to speak to me.

"Oh, Caren, I really don't think that you understand the meaning of this game. You're supposed to hide, not go wandering straight into the spider's web."

He walked towards me with dark eyes and a sadistic smile. I just looked at him in horror and backed away from him. I wanted nothing to do with him. I didn't want to die now. I still had so much to do in my life! He approached me quickly now and very soon, I was trapped between him and a wall. He pressed himself against me in an affectionate manner before lowering his lips to my neck and kissing me. That sent shivers of terror down my spine and it began to click in my mind as to what my predator was. I also knew what it was that he had offered to me as a drink. I began to truly feel sick as I thought about that. I thought that he was going to bite me but, instead, he pulled away from me a little bit.

Still with a dark tone in his voice, yet a lighter expression, he spoke. "I'm sorry Caren. I've been very rude to you as of late. I seem to know much about you and you seem to know very little about me. Please, allow me to formally introduce myself to you. I am Mathias Samuel Mason—King of the Night Dwellers. Although, you might know me as a vampire."

I knew it. He was a vampire and I was his prey. He was going to kill me. I finally understood why he had been following me for the past week. But now I was going to die. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. I would simply have to accept the fact that I was going to die. Well, he had decided upon my fate now that he told me his name. I felt some satisfaction in that at least. Mathias… I liked it. At least my killer would have a decent name. However, Mathias was not done speaking and I was forced to listen while I waited for my death.

"You know, Caren, ever since I first saw you, your scent has compelled me to want you. You must know what scent you possess by now. However, since you won't speak to me, I'll tell you. You smell like the lilacs that have been placed all around my mansion. But not just regular lilacs—frozen ones. I haven't been able to figure out quite why. I do know one thing though. I've seen the blood pulsing through your veins and I want to see if you taste better than you smell."

My eyes widened in terror and, although I knew my attempts would horribly fail, I tried to escape. I lunged for the doorway. I was forced to stop as Mathias was suddenly in front of me, blocking my way out. I let out a gasp and ran to another area of the room. Yet, like before, he was right there at my side. I screamed loudly as I felt him pull me down to the ground. I cringed upon the force that I had struck the floor with. Mathias tried to pull me towards him, but I continued to struggle to get away from him. He seemed to laugh as I squirmed my way away from him. It was then that I knew that he was toying with me. He was prolonging my death as if to make me suffer even more!

As I got up to my feet, I could feel him arms encircling me. My eyes widened even more and I tried my best to pull away from him. Yet, as I tried to make my escape, I tripped on my accursed heels and I fell onto one of the couches that lined the room. In a flash, he was on top of me, leaning in close to my neck. I struggled as best I could to get away but I was failing horribly. Tears began to stream down my face as his lips touched my neck. I didn't want to die! I still had to save Noel! However, like before, he was kissing my neck and moved up towards my mouth. When our lips met, he kissed me passionately. Yet, unlike our last kiss which seemed to be full of… 'love', this one was full of pain and agony. However, this time, I wasn't under his trance. I was fully aware of the predicament I was in. Mathias was going to kill me. He was just treating himself to a little bit of fun before he decided to end it. After a moment, his lips moved away from mine and he forcefully pulled me up in his arms.

"Caren, you seem uncomfortable. Perhaps the couch isn't the best place to do this, hmm?" He crooned with that same dark tone in his voice.

Before I had any time to react, he had me on his bed and was straddling me while holding me down. His lips met mine again and I struggled harder than I thought I originally could to get away from his kiss. I screamed loudly and this seemed to only make him laugh again. He looked at me with a perfect smile, a smile that seemed to me, to be twisted in every way possible. It horrified me to even think what he was thinking. Now I wasn't so sure if he was going to kill me anytime soon. It appeared to me as if he had other plans. He slowly lowered himself so that his mouth was near my left ear.

"Caren," he softly whispered in a sadistic voice, "tell me what you want more than anything in the world. Give me the pleasure of taking it away from you."

A thought occurred in my mind as he asked me this. He wanted me to beg for my life. I knew that was what he wanted. However, I wasn't going to give him that satisfaction. What use was begging if I knew that he wasn't going to let me go alive? So, instead, I painted my voice with the same dark tone that he was using and I gave him my reply.

"What I want most out of anything in this whole world," I began, making sure that he was listening to every word I had to say, "…is to kill the stupid bastard who imprisoned my sister to be a part of his sick collection of mermaid princesses."

I knew that I was revealing my identity in saying this but, did it matter if he already knew? Besides, I was going to die anyways, right? Either way, it felt good to think dark thoughts about killing Gaito. Oh, that would be so fulfilling. As I thought about this, I didn't even notice the confused expression on my predator's face.

"Well now, I've never heard that one before." He mused silently. Suddenly, his lips twisted up into a smile and his eyes were full of some sort of mischief. "Suppose I could give you the ability to kill this person. What would you be willing to pay to get what you want?"

I watched him carefully, wanting very much to play a little game of my own to see how much I could twist around the words of this vampire. "I thought you wanted to take away what I wanted most."

Mathias looked at me quizzically, thinking out his next response. "It is very rare that I find a creature that is so willing to take away another's life. Then again, from myths and legends that I've heard about your kind, you can be quite cruel."

I quickly responded to that with a statement of my own, referring to myths and legends. "Well, what I've heard about… your kind, you can't be out in sunlight or else you'll die."

Mathias let out a small chuckle. "I suppose myths and legends don't tell much about what creatures are really like. However, you still haven't answered my question. How much are you willing to give up to kill another creature?"

I stared at him silently, not quite sure what he was getting at. He was going to kill me, though, wasn't he? I didn't think that he would try to bargain with me about one of my darkest desires. However, Mathias seemed to be growing impatient as he gave me a suggestion.

"How about, in return for me giving you the ability to kill this man, you give me your life and your soul?"

I stared at him in shock. How could he possibly give me the ability to save my sister if he was going to kill me? I couldn't even fathom the thought. I still found it unbelievable that I was even alive. Mathias leaned forward to kiss me and all of a sudden, I felt as if I was under his trance again. I pulled myself forward so that my lips would meet his and I wrapped my arms around his neck. He held me tightly and then, surprisingly, the notion of giving Mathias my soul didn't seem so bad. It would be as if I was his and his alone. So, in a daze, I moved my lips away from his and murmured a small 'okay'.

All at once, Mathias' lips were on me once again, kissing me fervently. My skin tingled as his cold lips scaled my neck and I closed my eyes to relish in the moment. I felt his kisses move down towards my chest and I let out a small giggle. I could feel him smiling as his lips lingered on my chest and then I felt him kissing my neck again. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that I was on some sort of drug. Then again, maybe that was exactly what Mathias was to me at the moment. His kisses seemed to make me totally give in to him. Yet, I was in complete and total bliss.

I felt his lips part and then I felt something sharp jab into my neck. My eyes widened and I let out a gasp of air. Mathias bit me. He wasn't going to let me go. He was going to kill me like he had originally planned. How could I have been so stupid and naïve! I could feel the blood rushing into his mouth as he sucked on my neck. This was it. I was going to die. I waited for death, yet nothing happened. I felt more light-headed with each second that passed. Then, I felt a cold liquid rushing through my veins. I felt Mathias move away from me and then I realized something. The cold that rushed through my body created a burning sensation, like lightning was pulsing throughout my veins. It hurt. It hurt a lot.

I let out a shrill scream that echoed off the walls of the room and came back to me, letting me know just how loud it was. I thrashed around as if that might help ease the pain and make it go away. All that I seemed to accomplish was decorating Mathias' room with random spirals of crimson red. I continued to scream and thrash around until it came to the point where Mathias had to hold me down so that I wouldn't hurt myself.

"Kill me!" I yelled. "Make the pain go away!"

"Caren," Mathias spoke calmly, "please, the pain won't last much longer. I promise. You don't have to wish for death. I'll be honest with you. You are dying. But I promise that you will never have to suffer like this again. I have given you a special gift. I have given you the gift of immortality. You only have to suffer through death once and then you can live forever by my side."

I wasn't sure that I was able to hear him through my screams but whatever he had said to me, I believed. I had just sold my soul to a vampire and now I was his and only his. I would never be able to live my life like I had planned. Yet, I would be able to save my sister like I had wanted. That was a thought that brought me such joy. It was a thought that made the pain somewhat bearable. And so, for the very last time, I let sleep overcome me and my world faded to black.

--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--

All eyes were focused on Mathias and I as we entered the room full of humans. It was strange, really. The last time I had been around these humans, they seemed like equals. Now they were nothing more than prey. However, I wouldn't kill any of them. No, I came here in search of someone who had become my victim a week prior to this evening. My golden eyes spotted him standing by the pool table and I sauntered over to him, making sure to flaunt my heightened vampiric beauty on the way. Mathias silently followed me like my shadow and wrapped an arm around me when I stopped.

"So, Mike, I believe that we made a deal, did we not?"

Mike gave me a cocky smile before grabbing a cue off the pool table. "I hope you brought forty bucks with you, Caren."

I gracefully took the second cue and glanced flirtatiously back at him. "Did you?"

I took my stance at the opposite end of the table and positioned the cue, readying myself to make my move. Mathias stood by my side, slowly running his fingers up and down my back in a relaxing kind of way. In the week that followed my turning, I quickly found that I could not live without him. We shared a special connection—a connection than ran deeper than any kind of love that these humans believed that they could have. It was more than I could have ever wanted. Mathias was my perfect king and I was his perfect queen. It would remain that way for all eternity.

Pleased with how I had my cue lined up with the white ball, I made my move. The white ball shot forward and hit the triangle head on. All the balls scattered and ricocheted off of each other and the sides of the pool table. Mike watched in sheer amazement as, one by one, the balls fell into the pockets. The last ball fell into a pocket and Mike's jaw followed suit. I just won forty bucks. Cool.

With a smile, I walked victoriously over to Mike and snatched the money from his hands with inhuman speed. Mathias gave me a warning look and I smiled back at him to show that I wasn't going to reveal what we were. I was about to turn back to go to Mathias when I suddenly remembered something. I bet Mike forty bucksforty bucks that I would kiss his ass. Well, all I did was beat him at a game of pool. The bet hadn't technically been fulfilled. So, I slid my foot gracefully under Mike's and smiled gleefully as he fell to the floor. I then proceeded to kick him once in the butt.

"See? I told you that I was going to kick your ass." I chirped happily before turning back to return to Mathias.

A chorus of laughter erupted behind me and Mathias smiled, quite amused by my actions. When I got to him, he wrapped an arm around my waist and led me out the door. When we were outside, the sun was setting and we stuck around to watch it. I was quite glad that our kind was not like the mythological vampires. We seemed human to everyone around us. However, what the humans didn't know was that we could run as fast as a car, have the strength to kill a fully grown grizzly bear, see and hear things a lot further than a normal human could, and that we were immortal—to look forever like we did when we were first changed. I could live with that, and so could Mathias. We were perfect for one another and we would remain that way for eternity.

There was one thing that I wasn't quite ready for. However perfect my life was, when I would finally rescue Noel, I would have to face the fact that she would die and I wouldn't. I would forever be the ruler of the Antarctic Kingdom whereas Noel would have an heir to her throne. Ah, yes, there was another downside to being a vampire. I would never be able to have children. I would never be able to experience the feeling of being a mother. Despite having Mathias with me for eternity, a child was one of the great sacrifices that I unintentionally gave. Sure, being a vampire was great but, both Mathias and I found that there were some things that we both missed about being human, well, mermaid for me.

Mathias' father had been the very first vampire. Apparently the devil had given his father powers and, in exchange, his father had to take away human life or create another vampire. Mathias was the first that his father had changed and he wasn't given a choice to live. Mathias told me that it took him nearly a thousand years to take his new life into stride. And, despite the fact that he's been a vampire for a thousand years, I was the first person that Mathias turned. All the other vampires had been created by his father or were created by the vampires that were created by his father, and so on. In a way, it made me happy. It was as if Mathias and I were soul mates. We would forever be one another's.

As the sun sunk below the horizon, Mathias and I walked down the sidewalk towards the ocean. The moonlight seemed to dance on our pale skin and it was as if we almost sparkled. We truly were glorious creatures at night. That was one of the reasons why we called ourselves Night Dwellers. We were, after all, more alive at night. We don't sleep when humans do, in fact, we don't sleep at all.

When we reached the beach that was secluded by large rocks, I dove into the water, allowing my body shift into my mermaid form. I was glad for this. I could keep my life as a vampire secret. I was half mermaid and half vampire so I could live both lives without a single soul knowing. Well, almost every single soul. Mathias knew and he loved me even more for it.

When I surfaced, Mathias was already in the water and embracing me. We kissed each other passionately and everything around us seemed to fade away. It was just him and I beneath the moonlight and it would remain that way for all eternity.

And, to think, it all started with lilacs.

Well, there you have it. This is what would happen if Caren met a vampire before she rescued Noel. I worked hard on this so please review and tell me what you thought. By the way, I know how many people view my story so I really would not like to have a ratio of one review per thirty-five people. It doesn't take much to say 'I like it', 'I love it', or 'I hate it'. Although, if you didn't like it, I wouldn't mind hearing a reason why.

Many thanks go out to KookieKrazy and Jewelieishness for being the first two people to review! I love you guys!