Shadows Kiss

Within the next couple of weeks my energy was completely back and to much surprise, so were my powers. They came back and they came back stronger than ever. Plus, I inherited several new ones. I was told over and over that I would be the most extraordinary creature to ever walk this earth. No vampire could ever match my strength and no witch's magick could ever overpower mine. I was stronger, faster, sharper, more powerful, more beautiful than anything else in the world.

The boys kept practicing with me to get me ready for the battle. I took on all of them at the same time, over and over again. They pushed hard to no avail, I still beat them every time. My power was intensified by my senses. I could feel everything, I could hear everything, I could see everything, I could taste everything, I could smell everything. It also helped to know each move they would make before they even made it. With the vampirism I inherited the true gift of mind reading. Before when I was a simple witch I picked up on certain things here and there, but in this new body I could hear their every thoughts exactly when they thought them. Nothing, absolutely nothing, escaped me.

After a full day of practice I decided to walk down to the pond after the moon came out. I sat in the grass close to the water's edge, staring at the moon's beautiful reflection on the dancing water below. Far off in the distance I heard foot steps. I was alert and I prepared myself. It was then that I smelt him. Matt's enchanting dark scent came blowing through the trees. I let my guard down and turned back to the water, awaiting his arrival. "Good evening Lord Shadows."

"Yes, yes it is Lady Shadows." He sat down behind me, wrapping his large arms around me and pulling me back against him. When we were together nothing came between us, not even the tiniest ounce of air. We were totally inseparable. "I love you." He whispered in my ear.

"And I love you." I said still looking out over the water. "Matthew?"

"Yes my beloved?" He gently pushed my hair from the side of my face, tucking it behind my ear.

"Why are you so afraid?" I spoke softly.

"What do you mean?" He gave me a puzzled look, furrowing his brow.

"This battle has been weighing heavy on your mind so much lately."

"I'm just..."

"Just what?"

"I'm just afraid of losing you." He whispered.

"Baby, I'm not going anywhere. You have seen my strength, they won't touch me."

"Okay, so....I'm afraid of not being with you." He paused a moment, "Of not being where you are."

"What do you mean love?" I knew what he was thinking, but I still felt it was an issue that needed to be addressed.

"Even if you survive.....what if I don't?" A deep sigh rushed from his lungs.

I turned immediately to look into his sad, hazel eyes. "Matthew, we will never be apart. I will not let them harm you. I would never let anyone or anything harm you. You are my King, my best friend, my companion, my lover, my soul mate, my other half. I will never be without you."

"But what if?"

"If such a thing should ever occur than I shall no longer be as well. I can not survive without you. I would let them destroy me if they took you away from me."

"No!"

"Yes."

"Well if anything happens to you I will kill myself!" I could see he was becoming upset with the mere thought of it.

"No Matthew, sweet Matthew," I took his hands in mine, "If anything should happen to me you must go on. You are their King, they need you. The whole empire would be lost without you."

"I don't care! I care for you far more than I care for this empire." He kissed me passionately. It was warm and it was deep.

"Please, don't worry." I whispered, my lips hovering just over his.

"Okay." He managed to find a smile again. "I love you Alice, my sweet Angel of Death, my beautiful Lady Shadows."

I couldn't contain the smile any longer, it broke across my face. "And I love you." I said simply, putting an end to his worry, at least for now.

Slowly he lifted his body away from me as he came to a stand over me. "May I ask something of you?"

"Of course you may." I nodded, beaming up at him.

He knelt down on one knee in front of me, taking my tiny hand in his. With the other hand he reach into his back pocket, pulling out a black box with a design of a spider web in red velvet across it, with a single spider in the center. "Alice, will you take my hand and join me in this eternal death?"

My eyes grew wide as he lifted the top of the box, revealing a huge ring filled with black crystals outlined in sliver in the perfect shape of a death bat. "Matthew!" I gasped, placing a hand on my no longer beating heart. I looked back up to his now blood red eyes that were glowing in the moonlight, a beautiful smile covering his pale face.

I felt eyes watching us from far off in the distance, but I was not alarmed because I knew exactly who it was. 'Say yes Alice!' I heard Johnny thinking, nervously biting his nails. 'Please Alice, say yes!' Zacky thought, anxiously watching the scene by the pond. 'Wow he is really doing this.' Thought Brian with a smirk, arms crossed over his broad chest. 'Jesus, finally!' Jimmy leaned against a tree, smiling to himself.

"Will you?" Matt's voice brought a silence to their thoughts.

"Yes, my darling! Yes, of course I will marry you!" I shouted as loud as my vocal chords would allow, jumping up to hug him tightly. He lifted me up and I immediately wrapped my legs around his waist. I kissed him and it was the most amazing kiss, the most amazing moment of my life....or, death. There we stood completely tangled up in one another as the moonlight shown down on our pale white skin and the wind coming off the water blew all around. I could hear the boys cheering and clapping from behind us.

"Look!" Zacky shouted. I lifted my head towards the sky and watched as the thousands of shooting stars flew through the black sky above. The moon shown more bright than ever before. At that exact moment, for the first time in a long time, I felt like a true witch again. I knew the Goddess was congratulating us. I knew then, she still claimed me.

"Oh my." I barely whispered as I stared at the sky in wonder.

"She's speaking to you Alice! She is happy for you!" Zacky screamed with joy.

"Thank you." My voice rose as the tears began to fall. "Thank you!" I lifted my arms high in the air and felt the magick flowing down from the sky and entering my body. It was warm, but almost electric. It didn't hurt, it was comforting. I couldn't believe it, not only was she congratulating me, she was sending me her almighty power. I felt the last bit of magick pass through my soul and I dropped my arms slowly back to my sides. I opened my eyes which were now a fierce red.

I turned to look back at Matt, whose eyes were still that same glowing red. He smiled brightly to me, showing his beautiful fangs. He reach out for me, taking me back in his arms. "Together forever." He whispered to me.

"Forever." I nodded to him, then he leaned down and entrapped me in another amazing kiss. Then the loud roar of cheering from the boys filled my ears once again.