Once Bitten

21

Halloween was always Dorian's favorite holiday. He remembered the games his family would play and the parties thrown fondly. The new found tradition of costumes and commercialization also had its appeal. Though Cat explained why she ran from him at homecoming and said everything was okay between them he wasn't sure it was. Even as he climbed on to her balcony he knew she'd been forcing herself to not think to far into the future. It was transparent from her actions. She threw herself into everything and he couldn't shake the feeling Cat was simply aping her sister and not really being herself.

As he opened the French doors that lead to her bedroom her costume confirmed it. She was a sexy witch, with a black feather trimmed conical hat, bare midriff, tiny top with a fishnet shrug, a short tutu skirt edged with more feathers and knee high black boots. Her makeup was dramatic and made her look like a completely different person. He'd seen pictures of Esme and there wasn't a doubt in his mind that thoughts of her sister inspired what he was looking at.

At first she jumped but then she went right to the television and turned it on, the newscast drowned out their conversation to prying ears.

"Nice costume. But a little bit on the obvious side though, don't you think?" She asked with a smirk. The smile she flashed him was priceless and coaxed out his own.

"Is it?" He glanced down at the dove gray tailored suit with its high starched Victorian collar and pointed lapels.

"You're a vampire aren't you?" She asked as she went back to putting the finishing touches on her makeup.

"No, I'm Dor—" He fell into abrupt silence as he picked up on the news cast.

"You're what?" She turned and scrunched her nose at him.

"Shh." He walked over to the television and turned it up louder.

On the screen an anchor stood in front of Ace of Cups. "The body, discovered last night by family had been stuffed in the closet for at least two weeks. Making the situation that much more eerie, the woman's body was found completely drained of blood," the anchor said more but Dorian tuned it out, turning to Cat who didn't seem too phased by the news.

"We'll find some other w—" she cut him off.

"No. We won't."

"You can't mean to give up, surely?"

She fanned her eyes which glistened with unshed tears she attempted to hold at bay. As he drew her into his arms, he wanted to assure her she'd be okay, that it would all be okay, that they'd find someone else. However, he knew chances of that were all too slim. So as he clutched her to him and she started crying, he tried not to think about the fact that he was part of the reason there were so few witches—or how sweet her blood would taste laced with all that sorrow.

"I don't want to die." Threadbare and brimming with emotion Cat's voice made Dorian's heart ache like never before. A different vampire would have offered her immortality then and there, but that wasn't him. He'd fight for her humanity.

"You won't. Not from this."

"Maybe not from this but... I think whoever keeps sending the dead crows did this."

"Cat, she was drained."

"So?"

"A drained witch is..." Because didn't want to make more of those tears fall he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. "I'll try to figure out what happened to her. Chances are this had nothing to do with you at all. This sort of this tends to happen."

"Great, so one day that'll be me?"

"No, I'll never let that happen to you. Ever. I..." he pursed his lips. "I love you."

She gasped and moved back from him and looked up into his eyes. "You love me?"

"Yes, which is why I'll do whatever is in my power to keep you safe. Trust me. We'll figure this out. Okay?" He cupped her face in his hands and placed a kiss on her forehead.

She swallowed and frowned, her mascara an eyeliner running down her cheeks in dramatic glittering black rivulets. "I want to believe that you will, but... Dorian, my whole life has been one long lesson that the only person you can ever depend on is yourself. How can I stop doing that? When I reached out to Libby, I tried. Look where that landed me! She's dead and I'm... I'm being torn apart by my powers." She sighed and wiped her eyes. "Let's not forgot the whole crazy sending crows after me... because life would be too easy if I only had to deal with magic mumbo-jumbo. Right?"

Instead of reassuring her again, he merely held her close again. It was all he could do. There was a possibility that her powers would take her life, but he'd do everything he could to prevent that. Though what it was exactly he didn't know... so he tried to do what he thought would be the best the best thing to do—distract Cat from her problems as best he could.