Shadows Kiss

The next morning there was a knock at the door. I opened my eyes slowly, trying to remember where I was, and who I was for that matter. I rolled over to find the room in a complete mess. Things slowly started to come back to me. Where was Matt? Then I realized that I could hear the water running from the shower.

Again there was a steady knock, "Hey man are you in there? It's me Brian! Yo, can you hear me?"

"Hang on." I called to him. I rose up out of the bed to try to find something to put on. "Oh Jesus Christ!" Pain shot up and down my body like I had never felt before.

"No, not Johnny, it's Brian! Is this a bad time?" He asked from the hall.

"No, it's okay, just give me a minute...well maybe a couple." I tried to make my way across the room and found my clothes were completely destroyed. So I went to Matt's drawer and dug out a shirt and a pair of boxers. I tried to slip them on, but it soon became clear that lifting my legs up was much harder than I originally thought. I threw them to the floor and slid my feet through. I bent over and pulled them up. "Fuck!" I yelled. I was so terribly sore.

Finally I made my way to the door and slowly opened it, "Hi Brian."

"Hey Alice. Sorry to bother you, I didn't know you were still here, I just thought Matt was in here." He slicked a hand through his dark hair.

"It's okay, he's in the shower." I pointed to the bathroom door.

"Oh, do you want me to just come back later then?"

"No, it's cool. You can keep me company." I smiled at the brown eyed man, turning and walking back inside. "Just a minute though, I gotta make a call. Where are the girls?"

"Umm Laura, Kate, and Sarah went back to the hotel earlier. I told them that we would bring you and Anna back later." After the words escaped his mouth I gave him a confused look. He had just said a moment ago he didn't know I was still here. So then why did he come pounding on the door in urgency knowing I was still in the room?

"Okay so where is Anna now?"

"She's back in my room, taking a shower and what not." He then began to look around the dismayed room, "Umm, looks like you had quite the night." He smiled at me.

"Yeah, it was interesting to say the least." I smiled back. I attempted to get back up off the bed to retrieve my phone from my purse. "Oh shit!" I screamed out. I stood in place holding my body tightly, almost fearing that if I didn't it would fall apart at any moment.

"God, Alice are you okay?" Syn looked concerned.

"Yeah, I will be fine. I'm just really sore."

"My God, what did he do to you?" His warm brown eyes grew wide as he looked me over.

"Things that can never be explained." I winked at him.

"Listen lay back down, rest. What can I get you?" He helped me back to the bed slowly.

"My phone and the best massage therapist you know." I joked, easing back into the pillows.

Syn quickly grabbed his phone out of his pocket, "Here just use mine, roll over."

"What?"

"Go ahead and roll over, flat on your belly and make your call."

For some reason, I felt unnaturally comfortable with Syn, I knew I could trust him. Usually I am very wiry of people, especially new people. I always keep my guard up, but it was as if he made it disappear. So I simply did what he told me to. I started to dial the number to Laura's phone, when suddenly I felt his cold hands sliding up the back of my shirt. "What are you doing?"

"I am giving you a massage. I am the best, ask anyone!" He beamed with pride.

I laughed out loud at him, "Okay then." I kept waiting, "Laura! Hey it's me, Alice. I have to ask you of a big favor."

"Okay what do you need?" She answered.

"Will you please bring me some extremely comfy clothes from my bag back down here to the hotel the boys are staying at?"

"Yeah sure. When you want em?"

"As soon as possible, if you don't mind."

"Okay well the girls are asleep, but I will pack you something and be right over."

"Thanks Laura, I owe you big time!"

I hung up and was immediately mesmerized by the feel of his icy hands on my skin. He was rubbing my back so gently. It felt amazing. I usually like my massages really hard, but he knew I was hurting. I couldn't help but to think that was incredibly sweet of him to take me into consideration enough to touch me so softly. "Wow, you are the best aren't you?" I moaned.

"Yes indeed Miss." He laughed.

It was then that I heard the knob of the door turn. I wanted so badly to turn and see my sexy man standing before me, but I was in so much pain and I found my cure, Syn. And what he was doing was so wonderful, I couldn't move.

"Dude what the fuck are you doing to my girl?" Matt hissed.

"Man she is in so much pain, I think you almost killed her last night. So I thought I would give her one of my famous rub downs." Syn defended his actions.

"Well for your information, she doesn't need your fuckin rub down okay? I created her pain, I can make it go away without your help!" Matt's voice got louder.

"Okay man just calm down! Geez, I was just trying to help out!" Syn jumped up off the bed.

Matt walked over and immediately took Syn's spot on the bed. He pulled my shirt up, revealing my back and I heard a small gasp escape his lungs.

"What is it?" I turned my head quickly to face him.

"Oh Jesus, Alice I am so sorry." He quickly apologized.

"What? What are you sorry for? What's wrong?" I started to panic.

"Your back is covered in bruises. I told you I thought you almost killed her, you idiot!" Syn yelled.

"Shut the fuck up Bri!" Matt screamed. "I really am sorry Alice, I knew I shouldn't have lost control with you. I don't know what's wrong with me. I have never done that with any girl. You just, I don't know, I couldn't help myself. I'm sorry."

"It's okay Matt, I'm not upset." Suddenly Syn shot Matt a serious look. "Really Syn, it's okay. I don't mind." I explained.

"Well Matthew, you better not let it happen again. She is too fragile for you. You could kill her without trying, you know that." Syn crossed his arms over his chest with another hard look.

"I know." Matt sighed.

"Okay, this is just silly! Lets just all get over it! I don't care what shape I'm in now, last night was the most amazing night of my life! Now if you boys will excuse me, I am going to go take a shower." I smiled, ending my rant. I stood up and made my way slowly to the bathroom.

Once inside I let the clothes fall from my weak body. I turned to the mirror to see the most horrifying sight; my body was completely covered in claw marks, teeth marks, and bruises. My skin was extremely pale. I looked like a corpse. How could I possibly still be alive? My hair was a mess and my eyes were blood shot. I quickly turned the knob, and laid my tired body into the water. The hot water stung once it touched each cut, but it also felt so good along my freezing skin.

I ran my hands over the injuries. How could this happen? How could I possibly look like this? From what I remembered great sex never involved cuts and bruises. My body ached all over, inside and out. Maybe Syn was right, maybe it was best for Matt to not lose control with me. What if he could possibly kill me without meaning to? Surely he wouldn't mean to, right? What kind of man could do this? Was Matt even a man? Or was he something else? I laughed out loud at myself. How silly I was to think such a thing. 'My sexy vampire man.' I remembered.

I rose then to turn the water off. I would just lay here and try to relax for a while. I could barely hear Matt and Syn talking, I became still. Maybe they were talking about me, and if so I wanted to hear every word.

"What were you thinking Shadows?" I heard Syn whisper.

"I don't know man, I lost it. I lost my mind, I lost control, I lost everything." Matt answered.

"She doesn't know does she?"

"Of course not!"

"Good. Listen man, I know you feel a really strong connection to her, I can feel it. I think we all can, but no matter what you feel for her, no matter how much you think you can trust her, you can't tell her!"

"I know that! God what do you think I am? Stupid?"

"No, it's just none of us have ever met the Angel of Death, and I think you finally have. None of us have ever experienced it, and I don't know what comes with that. So I fear she has some kind of pull on you that will cause you to reveal secrets."

"You really think she is the Angel of Death?"

"Yes, I know she is. Couldn't you feel that unnatural pull of energy she had on us last night? I knew it the minute I laid eyes on her."

"You know, I felt something, but I just couldn't believe it. Her energy is so strong."

"It's the strongest I have ever felt."

"I know. It's her isn't it? She is the one isn't she?"

"I think so."

"Wow, that's a lot to take in. You know, I always thought that Laurent was giving us shit when he told us about the Angel of Death. I thought it was just a story to entertain us. But now I am having second thoughts."

"I know, me too. But what I don't understand is, when he always told the story it sounded to me like the Angel of Death was one of us. She isn't like us Matt."

"That's right! I forgot about that. So then it can't be her."

"I don't know man. Maybe things change in our story. You are the Prince of Darkness, maybe you are to seek out the Angel of Death and turn her into one of us before her powers are activated."

"Maybe, maybe not. But Bri, I can't do that to her. What we are, is something I would never wish upon someone else, especially the woman I love. How could I possibly turn her into a monster?"

"I know that, but Matt, if she is the Angel she has to be what we are. It's the way the story goes."

"It's the way the story was told for thousands of centuries, but Brian you just said, maybe things change in our story. Maybe we can rewrite the story! Maybe we can change it. There hasn't been one like me in a very long time. Maybe she is just as extraordinary."

"I don't know. Everything is so confusing. It's all happening too fast."

What were they talking about? The Angel of Death? The Prince of Darkness? Powers and energy? Was I caught in the twilight zone? Maybe it was just music talk. Avenged Sevenfold was known for their not-so-typical music. Yeah that's all it was.