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Surprise!!! So, I finished this one before its turn in the rotation. I was originally planning to submit it later, but since I can't seem to finish the story I was originally planning on submitting, here is this one instead. I hope you enjoy it.

As always, comments are appreciated and requested.

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Continued from 'A Dark Omen...'

Prince Talorn stepped down into the court with sure footsteps, walking forward to where the king was standing with Julianna at his side, not far from where I stood. But my eyes were not on the prince, they were on the man coming into the room behind him. The man had been a Major the last time I had seen him, but now he wore the white cloak of a Master Hunter. Normally, I would have been more than happy to see a Master Hunter, but the last time we had seen each other, he had tried to have me killed. His name was Aldric Galnikin, the eldest of my four brothers. He entered the court slowly, leaving enough of a gap between him and the prince to ensure that all knew he was not connected with Talorn, but he made for the same place. Julianna's father stepped forward to meet the prince, accepting his bow. I tried to make myself inconspicuous among the courtiers that flocked behind the king like so many ducklings, but it was an impossible task. My grey cloak stood out among the more flamboyant clothing of the courtiers, and my white slayer uniform stood out rather starkly against the backdrop of brilliant silk and velvet as well. Aldric spotted both easily enough and motioned me to come forward with one hand. I had no choice. I had to obey his orders. So I came forward so I stood behind and to the side of the king, waiting for the Master Hunter to speak. He looked at me searchingly for a moment, then turned away, looking at the king and waiting for his turn to speak. I had been so focused on my brother that I had missed the start of the conversation, but I listened now, my hand dropping to the hilt of the dagger in my belt.

"So this is my bride?" Talorn asked, his voice pleasant enough. I bristled slightly at these words, but managed to restrain too much of a reaction. "You were right your majesty, she has a rare beauty. She will be a fine addition to the royal family of Reyan." I was forced to restrain myself from taking my dagger hilt in hand just then, because the way he was talking, it was clear that he regarded Princess Julianna as nothing more than a prize, like a jewel to be added to the crown of his kingdom. And, though Julianna smiled, I could see in her eyes, and smell in her scent that she hated everything about her betrothed. But then, the prince deigned to notice me standing there. He looked me over quickly, and I saw interest in his gaze, as well as quickly hidden caution, which seemed out of place to me. "And this must be the man who saved her." He came over to me and gave a perfunctory nod. "We must have a banquet to celebrate her safe return, and Hunter Galen will be the guest of honor."

"Of course!!" Cried the King, "I will set the cooks to their preparations. It will be ready in a few hours." Then, Aldric stepped forward and spoke, the king turning his head back to him as he did so. The prince also turned to hear what the slayer had to say, so I had no choice but to remain standing where I was. There was no excuse for me to get away. Of all the slayers in the room, or in this country more than likely, he was the only one who knew about my curse.

"Your highness," He began and the quality of his voice made me reexamine him. From a distance, he had looked to still be a young warrior in the peak of health, hale and hearty. But up close, I saw that his face was lined with wrinkles and his hair was starting to turn grey. His voice had changed as well since last I saw him, turning a little deeper and richer. "I wonder if I might steal Hunter Galen away for a while. I know him of old and I would like to speak to him in private about the journey through the wilderness." His request had just enough of an edge to it tell everyone within ear shot that he was really only asking out of politeness. He would speak to me in private whether the king liked it or not. While I swallowed nervously, I had to admit, he was good at acting in the court.

"Of course Master Hunter." Julianna's father replied, smiling widely. "I will have a servant show you to a courtyard." He waved and a servant materialized seemingly out of thin air next to him and Aldric spoke.

"Come along Hunter." He ordered and I dutifully followed the servant out of court. As I was leaving, I chanced one last look at Julianna. She was being led out of the room by a handmaiden, presumably to get ready for the feast, but she looked back at me and our eyes locked. I kept her in my gaze until she passed out of sight, and then turned back to the corridor I strode through, preparing myself for a confrontation with my brother. Since the day I had been cursed, he had thought that I deserved to die. I had heard him arguing with my father in favor of my death, and after the battle at the temple where Carrie was killed, he had had to have been physically restrained from running me through with his silver sword. And he had argued vehemently against my being brought before the temple alter where Auré had blessed me. And now, he not only had the authority to command me, he had a private place to kill me if he wanted. A moment later, we stepped out into sunshine in a small courtyard garden with two stone benches sitting side by side. I was surprised to find that it wasn't yet noon; I had thought that we had spent more time than that in the inn. However, my attention was drawn to my brother again a moment later. Aldric dismissed the servant, then waited until he was gone before turning back to me. He smiled upon seeing that my hand had gone to the hilt of my sword and that I was in a fighting stance, the glittering silver and jade of the blade already a few inches out of its scabbard.

"It's good to see you too, Galen." He said, humor creeping into his voice. This reaction was so different from what I had expected that I was unsure of how to react, but I did take my hand off the hilt of my sword, allowing it to slide back down into its sheath. "Its been a long time my brother."

"Last time we met Aldric, you tried to execute me." I said, still in fighting position, my hand near to my sword.

"Yes, and it took me years to know what a fool I had made of myself." He said, holding out his hand to me. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior. Can you forgive the foolishness of a young warrior?" I wanted to say no, to throw his kindness and courtesy back into his face, but all at once, the memories I had of my brother before I had been transformed came back to me and I smiled, then clasped his arm at the forearm, pulling him into a hug. He returned my hug and then we released each other and he sat down on one of the benches, looking up at me as I remained standing. "I have heard a great many tales among the Slayers since I took on the mantle of a Master Hunter. Seems that you have been causing plenty of trouble for our enemy in the time since we parted. How have you been? Still holding up under the curse?"

"Yes I have, though it hasn't been easy sometimes." I replied and he nodded in acknowledgment. I sat down on the other bench and continued. "But I have been away from any other Slayer for so long that I have heard no news. How is our family doing? What has been going on since I left?"

"Some good news and some bad." He replied and leaned back, stretching his back while he sat. "Taldrin was killed last year." I frowned and lowered my gaze. Taldrin was my next oldest brother, and it was sad to hear that he was now dead. "But most of the news is good. Father is a member of the ruling council now, and Torian was just inducted into the ranks of the Master Hunters. The slayers have razed four temples of the demons to the ground, and we have been holding our own against the enemy. Membership in our training cadres has actually increased a great deal recently. In short, the endless war goes well. But what is this that I hear about you killing Redamarc?"

I smiled and related the tale of my most recent journey, from the day I had watched the ambush of Julianna's party on the road, to the ruins of the cathedral. While I talked, I studiously avoided mentioning that Julianna and I had not only fallen in love, but had become lovers as well. I left off the tale with the impression that the princess and I were friends, but nothing more. I also left out of the tale that I thought the demons were looking specifically for Julianna. And then something else occurred to me to ask.

"So if you don't mind me asking, why are you here?" I asked and my brother's look turned dark.

"We are here because some of the seers of the priesthood had a disturbing vision." He said. I frowned. The seers may believe that their visions were portents of the future, but we slayers usually disregarded them as no more than vague warnings at the best of times. "Their vision was of the entire country of Gulnia burning, its people enslaved to the dark will of the demons. The ruling council normally would have disregarded such an extreme vision, had not so many seers from so many temples all had the same vision at the same time. The priesthood dispatched a large group of priests to come and investigate and the ruling council decided that we could not let them go alone. So, I was told to lead a whole battalion that would come as escorts. We have been here for three days and we have found no sign of corruption at all. I had thought that this was nothing more than just a wild goose chase until your tale about the alter in the cathedral. Do you really think that it is a dark nexus?"

"I would bet my life on it." I answered, and he nodded. I hesitated to mention my suspicions, but now that he had explained his mission here, I didn't think I had a choice. "But there is something else as well. One night, about a week ago, we were just entering Gulnia when we were attacked. It wasn't much, just three winged demons and six mujina, but they acted very strangely. The winged demons sought to keep my attention on them while the mujina looked like they were about to carry off Julianna."

"That is strange. I have never heard of demons acting in that way." Aldric said, his head up, his eyes looking contemplative. "I will have to meet with the head priest and my commanders." He pushed himself to his feet and then spoke to me on his way out of the courtyard. "See you at the feast, but mind the sun."

"I will." I replied and remained sitting on the bench for a while, pondering once again why the demons would want Julianna so much. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice the handmaiden that had come into the courtyard at first.

"Hunter Galen?" She asked and I looked up at her, startled. She was a young girl, most likely not older than thirteen or fourteen and apparently shy. She was looking down at the ground, her cheeks red with a blush. "Forgive my intrusion, but I was told to bring you this by my lady, the Princess Julianna." She held out a note and I smiled at her.

"Thank you very much, young lady." I replied, speaking politely. She smiled and looked up as I took the folded note from her hand. "Please tell your lady that I sent my best wishes to her."

The girl nodded and walked off, back into the castle. I unfolded the note and read its neat script carefully. It had been a while since I had read anything, but the skill came back readily enough. The note was only a single line, but it brightened my day considerably. 'Midnight, in the castle gardens.' Was all the short missive said, but those few words brought a smile to my lips. The gardens would likely be deserted after dark and I knew my transformed self would go unnoticed. I grinned once more and rose to my feet, walking off down the corridors to find a place where I could wash up before the feast...

***

The feast itself looked to be grand. The throne room had been transformed in the hours I had been away from it. Four long tables had been laid out on its floor and the large platform where the throne was had been laid with another, smaller table, the throne in its center, two chairs on the left and three on the right. I was directed to sit in the closest chair to the throne's left, Aldric seated beside me. Julianna and Talorn would sit on the throne's right with Julianna's little sister, but they had yet to arrive when the Slayers took their seats. The rest of the court, and the nobles that lived within riding distance of the castle, were arrayed at the four other tables, with those of the highest social ranking nearest the throne platform. Naturally, the Slayer officers, even the lieutenants and ensigns, were seated at the middle two tables, nearest the throne. Beside them were the head priest and priestess of the expedition as well as a trio of officers from other demon hunter organizations who had happened to be in the court when the banquet had been announced. I sat down in the chair that had been set aside for me and found it very comfortable, seeing as how I had spent the last score of years out in the wilds. While we waited for the royalty to arrive, my brother and I sat and watched the courtiers squabble about who was more important than who, and therefore who sat closest to the throne. It was an old game that we had played when our father took the family to a royal court, long ago, before I even entered training.

"They look like a bunch of puffed up peacocks, don't they?" Aldric whispered to me and I grinned, nodding. We watched them bemusedly for a while, then the herald reentered the room and everyone got to their feet. It was only polite, after all, to rise when royalty entered the room. A moment later, the footmen pushed the doors open once more and the king entered, dressed all in crimson and royal blue velvet and satin, his golden crown practically glowing in the torchlight. Following him came Talorn, dressed in subdued and yet elegant black velvet, and behind him walked Julianna, though I hardly recognized her. She had taken off her travel-worn tunic and breeches in favor of a dress of silken green cloth. It was not covered in lace and gaudy fabrics like many of the female courtiers dresses were. Instead, it had silver thread cunningly worked into its trim, embroidered in the symbols of the priesthood. Though simple, she wore it so well, and she was so beautiful herself that the effect was more striking and regal than anyone else in the room, including the brightly dressed king. Her hair had been washed, and had had oil combed into it, giving it a bright luster, and then pined up on her head in rippling fashion, some of it being allowed to trail down her back. She had an emerald studded tiara in her hair and a necklace of gold around her neck, but that was the extent of her jewelry. Following behind her was a girl who looked to be about fourteen or fifteen, and she was similarly dressed, though her gown was royal blue with crimson satin trim. She looked a lot like her sister, though as the group of four made their way forward, I found my gaze drawn back to the one among them that held my heart in thrall.

I watched her walk between the tables and the silent people at them with a kind of awe. Now she looked like the princess she was, and I had to restrain myself from having my mouth hang open as she walked up. She walked a few steps behind her betrothed, which befitted the customs of the court, but I could see that while many tried to catch her gaze while she walked, she only had eyes for me. Her liquid brown eyes were locked onto mine and I smiled at her. She knew what I thought of her without having me say it, so we watched each other as she approached, but I turned my eyes away when the king reached the throne platform and turned before seating himself on the raised seat.

"Please, be seated." He called when the royal party had seated itself. And then, with the tolling of a bell, minstrels began to sing and servants entered with huge platters of food and pitchers of wine. All of the food was excellent, the kind of fare one would never taste outside of a royal feast. The flavors of the food were all exquisite to my palette, which, as a consequence of being a werewolf, was much sharper and more discriminating than a human's. But, as I ate my fill of the rich food, I found myself wishing for normal food.It was all good food to be sure, something that probably took hours and hours to prepare but it was not what I liked. However, when I grew bored of eating the strange food and drink set before me on the table, I found myself already tired of the proceedings. Performers had come out and danced and juggled and told stories and poems to the crowd in the space before the throne platform, but I ignored them all, for my eye was on the only thing in the room that interested me. The elegant woman in green and silver seated to my right, someone that I wished I could stare at, but I could only risk a few fleeting glances. I found that she looked as bored as I felt. She had her eyes downward, staring at the table before her. She wasn't eating anymore than I had and, though her sister chattered away happily next to her, she was, for the most part silent. After a while, her eyes flicked towards me and we stared at each other once more, but we dared not hold the stare for more than a few seconds.

But soon, I could feel the day ending, and the night coming on, and most of the eating and drinking were done by now, though the fest looked hardly to be ending any time soon. I looked to my brother and he saw the concern in my gaze and nodded slowly. Usually, guests were supposed to remain at the feast until the king retired for the evening, which, given his jovial demeanor, would be a while yet, but then again, Slayers had their own rules. My brother started to lean across me to speak to the king in a low voice, but Julianna leaned in first.

"Father," She began and he looked at her with a smile on his face, a look unaffected by her look. She had composed herself to look strained and tired, though I sensed she was acting. "I had a very long and hard journey these last weeks and I am very tired. May I retire early?"

"Of course my dear." He replied, his cheeks rosy from a little too much wine. "You may go." Julianna rose from her chair, and accompanied by a pair of handmaidens, walked from the room, unnoticed by all save the royal party. My brother took the moment to lean in and speak.

"Your majesty, I beg your pardon, but we Slayers have duties to perform that will not wait." Aldric said and the king waved the hand containing his goblet of wine in a grandiose sweeping motion that sloped some of the dark red fluid within out onto the table.

"Of course, of course." He said, rather louder than was necessary. "Your tireless work for our safety never ceases to amaze. Many could learn from your example."

With an unobtrusive motion to his officers, Aldric got up and led the way from the hall, the Slayer officers joining him quickly. I knew most of the court and the nobles would be happy to see us gone from the hall. Despite the fact that every person acknowledged and honored our profession, they considered us too arrogant and often too pious for our own good. Once we had departed the hall, I bid my brother goodbye with a nod of thanks and he led his officers down another passage. I followed the scent of flowers through the halls to an opening into a vast portion of the castle grounds that was covered with gardens of flowers and a great hedge maze. I saw some Slayers standing unobtrusively around the corridors on my way out and I knew that my brother, despite the little credence he gave the seer's vision, was none the less diligent in his preparations. The garden was, for the most part at least, clear of people. Sunset was breaking overhead and I ran quickly to the cool darkness of the hedge maze, kneeling as I felt the curse surge to the fore.

The spike of horrid pain returned, spearing deep into my soul as it had so many times before and I doubled up. Without Julianna at my side, I could not hide from the pain and I twitched as I felt myself grow once again. My skin was splitting and my clothing with it as fur spread over my body in a wave. I grunted in familiar pain as my tail suddenly grew from my spine, and my face contorted once more. To my surprise, the transformation was till more painful than it should have been, as if the nexus was affecting me still, even this far away from it. Finally, when my lengthening ears finished their migration to the top of my head, I shivered and rose to my feet, wrapping the cloak tight around me to hide my altered form from any casual observer on the wall. Anyone looking hard enough would see that I wasn't human, but I did not think it likely that anyone would look that close. The concern of the guards on the walls was the outside of the castle, not the inside.

Now that night was upon the world, things grew more quiet. I could still hear the singing and chattering voices from the banquet hall, but I shut it out for the most part, wandering among the sprawling gardens for a few hours. I passed no one who was out and about in this part of the castle and I found myself relaxing for the first time that night, the cool night air banishing the uncomfortable feeling that being packed in a room with so many strangers brought. It was then that I knew beyond a doubt that I could not live in Julianna's world. The banquet had been stuffy and hot and filled with strange scents that were confusing enough to be unsettling. All I had wanted to do once it started was leave. Out here, in the quiet of the outside world, I found myself finally at ease. I sat down on a bench and looked up at the stars once more. They still gave me comfort, even though my mind was filled with the feeling of foreboding that was still strong in my mind. I sat until the moon was high above me, and midnight was approaching. I rose from the bench and tested the air with my nose, finding a familiar scent on it. I smiled, for the scent was that of my love.

Quickly finding the scent trail, I rose to my feet and walked off, following the invisible trail with ease. The trail led me on a winding path through the walls of the hedge, through many junctions and twists and turns. It was very dark within the maze, the moonlight gracing only the tops of the hedge. Any human wandering the paths of the maze would have soon been so lost and turned around, they wouldn't have been able to get back out until morning. As it was, being a werewolf, the tiny amount of moonlight that shined into the maze was more than enough for me to see by. Besides, the scent trail was enough of a guide. It hadn't struck me before just how strong a sense of smell werewolves had, but following Julianna's scent through the maze was so easy, I could almost see her walking through the hedges, leading me onward.

My thoughts were interrupted a moment later when I rounded a corner and found myself suddenly within a clear space in the hedges, edged by walls of grey stone that topped the height of the hedges. It was obviously the center of the maze. It was a garden all of roses and violets, their scent overpowering all others. It was so strong that I reeled backward from the scent. Once I had recovered, I noticed that there was a large fountain in the center of the garden which bubbled away quietly, with four stone benches of white marble in the center. No guard on the walls could see into the courtyard, and no sound penetrated through the hedges or the walls of stone. It was a very private place, more so than any other in the whole city. Which was the point, it seemed.

Sitting on the edge of the large fountain was a familiar woman, clothed in a dark green dress. A silver Tiara decorated with emeralds shone in her brown hair and as I entered the garden, she rose and smiled at me.

"I knew you would find me." She said, speaking quietly as I came forward. "This place is the safest on the grounds. We won't be disturbed here."

"Its beautiful." I said, looking around. The flowers had been planted so they formed the shape of the seal of Gulnia, with the fountain in the center.

"It was my mother's idea." Julianna said, coming so she stood before me. She had a sad smile on her face and I caressed her chin with one hand, wiping away a solitary tear with a furred thumb. "My father refused to plant it, saying that it was wasted effort. And then my mother grew ill. No healer or priest could remove the illness and soon died. After she died, my father had this place built as a last gift to my mother."

"You must miss her very much." I replied, smiling at her as she put a hand to my own, lacing her fingers through mine. She nodded.

"She died when I was six, just before my father sent me away to the temple." She said, stepping closer. "She used to call me her little rose."

"It suits you, it really does." I replied, and drew her to me, kissing her. She embraced me and returned the kiss. She was lithe and delicate, indeed, like a flower, but I knew that there was steel within her, a steel that had made her go after Isander when he had been captured, even knowing that to do so meant going up against a Vampire lord. We broke off the kiss, but remained embraced, holding each other close.

"But I am your rose now." She whispered and I held her closer. She began to step back slowly, guiding me towards one of the benches. "We have until dawn before I will be missed."

"Good." I replied, whispering in her ear, then taking a seat on the bench. She sat down on my lap with her legs straddling my hips and pressed herself close to me. I smiled and she nestled in close to my chest, holding me tight beneath my cloak. Tonight, despite the foreboding in my heart, could be a very fine night indeed...

***

"Any sign of threats?" Aldric asked, speaking to the female sergeant who stood guard on the entrance to the gardens.

"None sir." She replied, nodding to her commander. "I saw Hunter Galen entering just before sundown, and the Princess Julianna sometime later, but no one since then."

"Good." He replied, nodding to the sentries and continuing on his way. A company of the Slayers had been deployed to positions within the castle, which the King and Prince Talorn had both proclaimed to be a needless precaution, thinking their own soldiers to be sufficient guards. But the Slayers knew that they were needed where they were. The other companies were patrolling within the city outside. Aldric had just finished checking the guard posts outside the castle and the sergeant's post was the last position within the castle. His slayers were ready. But, as he walked away from that post, he realized what the sergeant had said. It might have been coincidence only that his little brother and the Princess he had escorted through the wilderness ended up in the gardens at the same time, but he wondered if it might be something more. He had seen where his brother's eyes had rested when the royalty had entered the banquet hall; and before, in the court, he had seen the two of them sneaking glances at each other. He wondered if there was something going on between them. Shaking his head, he whispered to himself.

"I hope you know what you are doing Galen." He whispered, and continued his walk. He climbed the staircase to the top of the keep and out onto the ramparts. The sentries walking along the top of the keep shied away from him as he walked out and stood staring out on the city. There was an aura of holy power that followed Master Hunters, and the soldiers watched him pass in awe. He ignored them as he walked, his white cloak rustling about him. Something in the air made him feel restless. He had felt it before and he rested his hands on the cool stone of the rampart, pondering where and when. He stood still for all of five minutes before it came back to him. He had felt it on a night almost a score of years ago, the same night that his brother had been cursed. At the same moment he realized where he had seen it before, a sound came to his ears and he stared out at the city beyond the walls. It had been a scream of utter terror, a woman's scream. And more, many more, were rising to his ears, accompanied by the braying of demonic voices and the sound of clashing steel. "Oh damn."

With that curse, he drew the sword at his side and ran for the stairs, headed down into the keep. The gates would already be closed for the night, so the castle would be safe from all but the winged demons. While he ran, he wondered if the castle had a postern gate through which he could lead some of his slayers to support those in the city, but all such thoughts were put out of his head a moment later when he heard the sounds of battle coming from nearby, within the walls of the keep. He rounded a corner in the corridor and came upon a single white clothed slayer with his back to the wall, surrounded by a dozen mujina. Two corpses dressed in the livery of the Gulnian guards lay in the chamber, their bodies mutilated. Most of the guards within the castle had been dressed in freshly cleaned uniforms for the banquet, not their battle armor. The demons had chosen the perfect night to attack. The king and all the nobles and courtiers would be drunk, and all the soldiers were not prepared for a fight.

With a cry, Aldric drew his long sword and leapt into the fight, the blade slashing the head off of one of the short creatures. Though he was not as young as he once had been, his long experience more than made up for it. Between them, the two slayers, young and old, defeated the demons easily.

"Follow me, quickly." Aldric ordered, running down another corridor towards the sounds of battle...

***

Julianna and I kissed with all the passion we possessed, holding each other tightly. She played her hands through my fur, stroking down my back, making me twitch with pleasure. I could feel the desire I felt for her flare to life within me, and I decided that if this was my last opportunity to be with her, then I could hardly waste it. I stroked a hand up one of her legs and underneath her dress. I was surprised to find that she wore nothing beneath it. I smiled at her deviously and she returned the smile, reaching down between my legs to caress my sack. I shivered with the contact, feeling my member starting to grow, and I was all set to continue when a sound came to my ears. I reacted instantly, catching hold of her searching hands. She looked into my eyes with surprise and saw that I was alert and watchful. She stopped what she was doing and climbed off of my lap. I got to my feet, listening hard, and even though I was aroused and my heartbeat was hammering in my ears, I heard the sound again, growing louder by the moment. Quickly, I led Julianna over to the nearest stone wall and whispered to her.

"Trust me, crouch down and say nothing." I whispered and she nodded, crouching against the wall. I pulled the hood of my grey cloak up over my head and crouched before her, wrapping her in my arms and hiding her with my body. Then, I tapped my magic, and the cloak shifted color slightly. Then, as the sounds of the bare feet of the demons came into the courtyard, I held perfectly still. Julianna was pressed close against me once more, so close that I could feel her quiet breaths against my fur. Our eyes locked and then, fear filled her eyes when she heard the sound of demonic voices around us. And moments later, a swarm of mujina came into the courtyard, followed by a vampire escorted by two werewolves. I breathed a silent sigh of relief. The vampire spoke, his voice sounding strange.

"She was here." He said, "I am sure of it. Search her out."

The mujina spread out quickly through the small garden and the surrounding hedge maze. A pair of them started coming right for the wall where we crouched, their eyes searching and their nostrils flaring for any scent. I could see Julianna's mounting panic as they came closer and closer. Her muscles were tensing up for a sprint and her breaths were coming more and more quickly. I held her gaze with my eyes and gave a very small shake of my head. She nodded and though I could see it was taking every measure of will she possessed, she remained still, though she remained as tense as a coiled spring. The two small demons came closer and stopped a few paces away, sniffing for our scent and looking around, but their gaze did not settle on us. The seconds crawled by at a snail's pace while the demons searched for us, but finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the vampire hissed in irritation and ordered his followers out. As they were leaving, one of the werewolves, shorter and tawny colored, paused, lifting his muzzle high and breathing deep to catch our scent, but it loosed a howl into the night and then continued out into the maze. Only after they were long gone did I move, standing up and offering my hand to Julianna. She took it and allowed me to pull her up to her feet.

"How could they possibly have missed us?" She asked, panting from the panic she had felt. "They looked right at us and didn't see us. Did we become invisible?"

"I used a spell that turned my cloak the color of the stones of the wall." I explained, drawing my sword and keeping an eye out for other enemies. "Since we remained still and silent, they could not see or hear us. My only worry was our scent, but with two other werewolves in the same area, they couldn't pick out my scent from among those of the others of my kind. And because we held each other close, my scent masked yours. But come now, we have to run to the keep. How fast can we go through the maze?"

"Quicker than they can, I think." She replied. "I will guide you." With that, we turned and ran out of the center of the maze quickly, heading in the opposite direction as the vampire and his guards had gone. It took us only a few minutes to reach the gateway into the keep, and I found the slayers who had been posted there gone. All but one that is; a young man with auburn hair was all that was left. His body lay against the wall among a few piles of ash, one of the demon's curved swords stabbed through his chest, pinning him upright against the wall. His white tunic was decorated with numerous crimson cuts, tearing into his torso beneath. My gaze hardened as I looked at him. "What is it?" Julianna asked and I looked over at her.

"The killed him after he was wounded." I stated and she shuddered. "Come on, we cannot linger here long. Where is a safe place to go?"

"The top of the keep perhaps." She commented and I nodded, walking down the corridor slowly. We had almost made it to the stairway leading up when the sound of boots on the hard stone sounded behind us. I turned quickly, interposing myself between the princess and any coming danger. Running down the corridor behind us were a group of more than a dozen Slayers, led by a lieutenant. They spotted me and I could see the thought process that ran through the lieutenant as he sprinted toward me. First, he saw a werewolf and readied himself for battle. A moment later, he saw the cross around my neck and the fact I carried a Slayer sword. And then, he and the Slayers behind him skidded to a halt out of confusion. The lieutenant brought up his sword uncertainly and I spoke, putting my hands up in a posture of surrender.

"Lieutenant, relax, I am not your enemy." I said and he suddenly raised the sword, its point a foot away from my throat. His look was hard and cold, for he was sure that he was facing an enemy, regardless of the signs to the contrary, and then his look changed to one of confusion, for Julianna moved in the way of his sword, staring him down as she stood before me, her arms outstretched to either side. It was a tense few moments until a familiar voice echoed down the corridor.

"Stand down Lieutenant." Aldric ordered, coming down the corridor with another group of slayers twice as big as the lieutenant's. The young officer looked at his commander as if he was out of his mind, and did not lower the blade. "I said stand down!!"

"Sir, can you not see that this is a werewolf?" the young officer asked, "I must do my duty and kill it."

"Lieutenant, the man at the end of your sword is Hunter Galen, one of the order's greatest warriors." Aldric stated, walking forward. "He was cursed long ago, but that has not stopped him from doing his duty. Lieutenant, haven't you noticed that he wears a true cross?"

"But werewolves cannot wear a true cross, there must be some deception." The officer said uncertainly, lowering his sword a small measure. He peered closer at my cross then finally lowered the sword so its point touched the floor. "I do not understand."

"That, I do understand." My brother answered, walking up. Julianna moved out of the way and he examined me for a moment, looking me over. "You haven't changed much in twenty years my friend. What is the situation in the gardens?"

"The demons were searching for the princess. We got away from them and made our way in here." I reported, and I was about to speak more when my lover interrupted.

"How did they get inside the castle?" Julianna asked. "The gates are always shut at sundown. I heard them close when I was in the gardens."

"We can only guess, your highness." Aldric answered. "Until the threat has passed, you must go to safety."

"That is where we were headed, Master Hunter." The princess replied. "There is a chamber on the top floor of the keep that has but one entrance. I would be safe there."

"Lieutenant, take three Slayers and escort the princess up there. Guard her until I come for her." Aldric stated, and I looked at him in surprise while the lieutenant nodded in acceptance of my brother's order. My brother say my look and his gaze was grim as he spoke again. "I need your skill Galen. There are many more demons to be killed tonight. The princess will be safe until morning, I promise you. Lieutenant Skiard is one of my greatest students."

"Yes sir." I said, reluctant to leave her company. "Be safe, your highness." Julianna nodded and the lieutenant led the way up the stairs. I held her in my gaze while she climbed out of sight, then I turned to my brother. He was already issuing orders.

"Sergeant take your squad and scour the outer castle. Find out how they are getting in." He ordered and the female sergeant nodded. "Captain, take the rest of the Slayers we have here and work through the keep, level by level, starting in the store rooms. I want nothing to escape. Galen and I will handle whatever is in the gardens. Go."

I nodded and followed after my brother as we walked back down the corridor I had just walked up. We saw nothing in the corridors on our way out, but when we got to the archway leading out into the garden, my brother frowned down on the corpse of the young slayer. He knelt beside him and pulled the sword from his chest, setting it aside.

"He was on his first campaign." My brother commented, closing the slayer's eyes. "Such a pity." I nodded and he got up, coming over to where I was standing. "By the way, what is going on with you and the princess?"

"Nothing." I stated, and then realized I had made a mistake. I had replied too quickly and with too much of an edge in my voice for it to be convincing. I turned to find my brother smiling indulgently at me.

"Come now Galen," he said, "I have seen the way you look at each other. So what is it?"

"Will this go no further?" I asked and he nodded to me. "We are in love."

"Oh dear." He replied, starting out into the garden. I followed him out and he continued speaking over his shoulder to me. "You have really gotten into a mess now, brother."

"I know." I answered, sighing slightly and looking down. "It isn't like I tried to make her fall in love with me or anything. I don't know how it happened. We started out as friends and then it all seemed to happen at once."

"I can imagine." He replied and we continued out into the gardens. "But you realize the implications of this, don't you?"

"Yes, we both do." I said, my left ear twitching as it caught the sound of scrabbling feet ahead in the gardens. "We know that we can't be together."

"Good." Aldric said, drawing his sword and looking around, suddenly all business. "What do you sense?"

"To the left." I answered and he nodded to me. As one, we sprinted off into the gardens, swift as moon shadows...

***

Lieutenant Skiard sat on one of the chairs of the small chamber, his arms crossed across his chest. Two of the young Slayers flanked the doorway and the other sat against the wall, a loaded crossbow across his knees. Even from where Julianna sat, she could see the silver half of the bolt's head glittering in the light of the torch. The princess herself sat in another chair, her back against the wall, out of the line of sight of the doorway. She was very bored, and even more worried about her lover, who was out fighting while she was trapped here in this little room with four slayers, the commander of whom kept staring at her incredulously. Finally, she spoke.

"Is there something that I can help you with Lieutenant?" She asked, and was surprised by the tone of voice she used. It was ironically identical to the voice Galen had used when he had caught her staring, back when they had first met. The young officer blushed scarlet and looked away, saying nothing. Julianna sighed and sat back slowly, tempted for a moment to take the dagger that Galen had given to her and insist she be allowed to fight the demons, but she knew the slayers would not be swayed by anything she said, so she sat and she waited. She had insisted that her hand maiden lace the dagger into the back of her gown, concealing the weapon beneath the green cloth, its hilt against the small of her back. She would have to reach under the outer fabric to draw the weapon, but it made her feel safe to have it there. After a few more minutes of listening to the silence of the chamber, a knock sounded at the door, making her jump. The slayers were instantly up with their weapons drawn. The crossbowman rose into a kneeling position, his weapon up to his shoulder. Julianna got up from her chair and knelt beside it, the dagger's hilt in her hand. The lieutenant finally spoke when the soldiers were in position.

"Who is there?" He asked, sword held before him.

"Prince Talorn." A voice answered and the Slayer officer relaxed slightly, for the voice did sound like the prince's, but something in the voice was wrong to Julianna's ear. There was a quality within it that sounded imminently familiar, a quality that made her go cold all over. "I am looking for the princess."

"Open the door." The Lieutenant ordered, and just as one of the slayers touched the latch, Julianna realized where she had heard that kind of voice before. She started to call out a warning, but it was too late. The door slammed inward, throwing the slayer opening the door across the small room and the room was filled with choking darkness. It happened so fast there wasn't time to do more than scream...