SCENE XIV and XV

For we will always be our own worst enemies

. She ran as fast as she could through the dead garden. She didn't look at the indignation with which the members of the Community were staring at her. Only in the garden was she alone. Tears obscured her vision, so she didn't notice the large wolf with silver eyes. He suddenly stood in her way. Akasha squealed and, stumbling backward, fell to the ground.

"Leave me!" she squealed. "Go away!"

The wolf muttered softly, then licked his black lips with his long tongue. Akasha felt a wave of nausea creep up her spine. She'd never seen such a large wolf before! Meanwhile, he calmly approached her and... licked her cheek, as if they knew each other! Akasha, with a trembling hand, stroked him and looked into his slitted pupils. There was no malice in him...

"I see he likes you..." she suddenly heard a woman's voice.

She lifted her head and saw a woman on one of the protruding stone shelves by the wall, almost entirely covered in thick hair, similar to a wolf's. Her ears were elongated, her hair very long. She sat like a wolf, her pupils slit like a cat's... She looked at her calmly, baring pin-point teeth that didn't even remotely resemble human teeth.

"Who... who are you?" she whispered, slowly straightening up.

"They used to call me Kiriko. Now I'm Sharruma. I'm the mother of this wolf."

Akasha looked from her to the wolf. She couldn't believe it. She wiped her eyes again to wipe away the tears. Then she smiled at her.

"It's nice to meet you, Sharruma. My name is Akasha.

" "I've seen you more often. I'm watching the entrance to the Sanctuary.

" "I understand..." she nodded. "I thought he wanted to hurt me...

" "He's still small. For now, I have to teach him everything.

" "Small? He's much bigger than any wolves I've seen so far!

" "That's true, because he's not an ordinary wolf."

Akasha gazed with delight at the wolf, who now sat calmly under a withered rosebush, watching her with interest.

"He was waiting for you...

" "For me?" she gasped in surprise.

"He chose you as his owner.

" "I don't understand..." she shook her head.

"He's a wolf." Not like I do with the Beast. That's why he needs someone to take care of him. I don't have time for that; I have to leave him alone all too often for days. He was watching you and chose you as his new mother...

"I don't know if I'm suitable.

" "He'll help you. He's strong, and you'll be able to rely on him. Take good care of him; I believe nothing will happen to him with you...

" "No! Of course not... I'll take care of him...

" "But what does he eat?"

Sharruma looked at her hesitantly, then swallowed hard.

"You know that some of the victims who attacked and killed the Vampires were brought here... you also know that they had to be eliminated somehow...

" "Ah, I understand," Akasha agreed. "Now I understand why the bodies of those people were never found..."

"He'll be useful to you in the hunt; he'll be a good and obedient companion.

" "Thank you, Sharruma! You've given me great joy."

Sharruma nodded slowly and smiled softly at the wolf, who wagged his tail in a friendly way. Then Sharruma suddenly disappeared into a recess in the wall, leaving Akasha with the wolf.

The girl looked at him uncertainly, then with a trembling hand, she stroked his head.

Then they both went outside and stopped right next to the stone pentagram. A silent, dark night stretched around them. Billions of stars sparkled in the sky. Akasha watched them for a long moment. Finally, she looked at the wolf standing beside her.

"You need a name..." she said to him quietly. "Let it be Fenrir, the wolf. Do you like it?"

The animal looked at her and nodded its tail in agreement.

"Then let's go for a walk..."

SCENE XV

This, my child, is the Long Night.

They walked for a long time through the forests surrounding the valley, but Akasha didn't want to approach the ruins of the monastery. When the first rays of sunlight began to break through the clouds on the horizon, Akasha began to hurried home. She preferred to reach the safety of her apartment before dusk. Tired from running and the long walk, she showed Fenrir where her food and water were, and then lay down in bed. For a long time, she stared blankly at the ceiling. Even though she really didn't want to, she still saw Lillith making love to Nilajhash. Without even realizing it, she began to cry.

Alarmed, Fenrir approached her and lay down next to her. Akasha nestled into his soft fur and sobbed desperately. At that very moment, Fenrir growled ominously, looking toward the window. Akasha rose slightly and followed him. A moment later, they both saw the tall silhouette of a man with enormous wings.

"What do you want?" Akasha asked dryly. "Why did you come?

" "I sensed something was wrong with you. I wanted to know what happened." Nilajhasz stepped inside, careful to let as little of the first rays of morning into the apartment as possible.

"You needn't have worried, I already have a very good guardian.

" "This wolf?" He looked at the animal. "That's right, not so much a guardian as a protector.

" "Why did you come?" she groaned. "Don't bother me with your presence.

" "I thought you'd be happy. After all, when we last said goodbye...

" "It was a long time ago, long enough for me to forget..." She avoided his gaze.

"Akasha, what's the matter?" he asked, looking at her intently.

"Nothing! Can't you just leave me alone?!" she screamed, sobbing.

Nilajhasz's face darkened, and with a wave of his hand, Fenrir obediently moved away from the girl and left them alone. Then he sat down next to the crying girl on the bed.

"Go away! Or I'll call Fenrir. You'll see!" she screamed.

"I won't leave until you tell me what happened."

Akasha remained silent, not looking at him. Then Nilajhash grabbed her arm and with his other hand held her chin so she looked into his eyes. He gazed at her intently for a moment. At her tears streaming down her pale cheeks and her silky hair flowing over her shoulders.

He slowly leaned towards her face and gently kissed the tears from her cheeks. Akasha felt a violent wave of excitement. She clenched her fists in the sheets. The mere touch of his lips made her lose control. But it didn't last long. She wrenched herself away from him and slapped him across the face with all her might.

Nilajhash looked at her, but his face betrayed no emotion. He said nothing. Akasha did not look at him, she lowered her head and looked at her hands clenched in the sheet.

"You mean Lillith... right?" he asked.

Akasha didn't answer him, remained silent. Only occasional sobs racked her body.

"I thought so. I thought Magnus told you everything, that the fallen angels belonged to Lillith and...

" "Why are you telling me this? I don't want to hear it!" she interrupted, looking at him with tearful eyes. "Go away... go away!

" "Akasha, please, you have to understand that..."

"I warned you! I warned you...! Fenrir! Fenrir! Help me... Fenrir!"

The wolf crashed into the room where they were sitting and, seeing Nilajhash holding Akasha by the arm, lunged at him, knocking him onto the table. Nilajhash screamed briefly, then desperately tried to push Fenrir away from him, but he was too heavy and large. In a split second, he tore the fallen angel's arm away and then tried to grab him by the throat. But at that very moment, Akasha's cry stopped him.

Fenrir obediently moved away from Nilajhash, who lay breathing heavily on the broken table. Akasha sat motionless in her seat for a moment, then ran to him and helped him sit up. Nilajhash leaned back against the wall, not looking at her, but using his hand to stop the profuse bleeding.

The girl pulled a bandage and hydrogen peroxide from the dresser. Then she sat down beside him and touched his hand to help him.

"Leave it!" he hissed, trying to stand.

"I won't let you go," she said in a trembling voice. "I'll help you first. After all, it's my fault..."

Nilajhash didn't respond. He slowly lowered the hand holding his torn arm and allowed himself to be tended. When the girl removed the shroud from his shoulders, she gasped at the sight of his masculine body. Sitting before her, head bowed, wings limp on the ground, he looked even more beautiful than when he'd transformed into a human before her! She couldn't tear her eyes away from his broad shoulders, his bare chest... But she had to pull herself together. With trembling hands, she bandaged his arm as best she could, then tried to pull away. However, Nilajhash wouldn't let her. He abruptly raised his wings, enveloping her on all sides.

Akasha was utterly frightened. She slowly raised her eyes to the fallen angel, but he wordlessly pulled her close, enclosing her in his protective arms.

"Leave..." she whispered dryly. "Leave me...

" "You're mine, we know that, Akasha."

The girl jerked violently out of his arms, and he allowed her to. Then he slowly rose and looked at her grimly.

"I'll leave you alone, I promise."

With that, he vanished into the black mist. As soon as he did, Akasha clung to Fenrir and sobbed desperately. She couldn't come to terms with it... She felt torn between two worlds. Now, being in her apartment, she realized that the human world no longer belonged to her...