CONCEPT: A Watcher and Slayer fall in love. But something stands in their way.

SETTING: 1648, Greece

MY NOTES: In this story, I've brought back three characters! Koroth the Infester, Leta Kristos and Julian Connelly. Leta was the third Slayer called in the story "Torn" and since I only told how she was called, I wanted to write more about her. Originally I called this story "The Mourning Bed" and it was about Leta having a child. But when I wrote it I just wasn't feeling the birth thing. So I put in the Infestor (also from "Torn") and this story was born! :) Enjoy!

The fifth of May, 1648: More fighting on the eastern shores. The Slayer has averted the uprising of a Bentashian Karthal. Her minions were easily defeated once they saw their mistress burning. This is the third uprising in five months. I fear that these events are coinciding with the prophecy I translated last year. The one that involves Koroth the Infester. Leta and I will have to keep our guard up, even more so than it already is.

Still, the thought of more time with Leta Kristos fills me with a feeling I can't explain. My thoughts stray to her more often than it should and I am hard pressed to remind myself that I am strictly her Watcher and not a suitor. The Watcher's Guide is strict about these rules, but I want to throw them out and take her in my arms. Alas, I will not act on my emotions, as that could get in the way of our duties. In year and a half that she's been the Slayer, she has crept into my heart and my world in more ways than one. I wish things were not so hard. On her and me.

Excerpt from the Private Diary of Julian Connelly, Watcher.

Julian set Leta down on the small couch, careful of her burns. She winced in pain and he caressed her cheek absently. Leta blushed a brillant crimson as she smiled up at him.

"How does it look?" She asked, leaning her head back against the wall. She watched him through slitted eyes and tried not to quiver as his hands brushed against her skin. The pain was all but gone as he smiled up her, a fire sparking in her heart. Oh God, what was she doing? This was her Watcher. Off limits.

But that didn't stop her from wanting to rip his clothes off. She shook the indecent thoughts from her head and concentrated on the pain of her burns.

"Not too bad. Looks like it could have been worse if I hadn't gotten to you in time. You're going to have a neat scar, though." He said in fluent Greek. Almost two years as her Watcher had improved his language skills and he no longer stumbled over his words.

"A scar, huh? As long as its attractive." She said wryly, wincing as he pulled a piece of blood-soaked linen off of the burn.

On you, my dear, burlap is attractive." Julian said before he could stop himself. A blush crept up his neck and he avoided the raised eyebrow she shot him. A slow smile crossed her thin lips and she reached for him.

Julian looked up as her fingers brushed his cheek. Their eyes met and he wanted to die from the pure, unmasked look she was giving him.

"Leta, I..." He choked out, gulping back words he wanted desperately to say.

"You've burned your fingers." She said, interrupting the sentence he had almost gotten out. She grabbed his hands and lifted them into the light, where Julian took note of the cracked, bleeding skin.

"Oh that. Its nothing." He said, pulling his hand from her grasp. He went back to bandaging her wound, not seeing the strange look that crossed her features. "So, did you kill the lead vampire? Or did he get away?"

Leta was startled out of her reverie at his words. She shook her head and said, "Yes. He was the one that caught on fire and started the rest of them to burning. Easy work if you ask me. I need challenged." Julian looked up at her, pride swelling in his chest.

"I think I have one then." With that, he launched into the story his informant had told him.

"So what are we waiting for?" She said as soon as he was finished.

Julian smiled.

Leta jumped off the top of the thatched roof of the village inn, her soft leather town shoes kicking up puffs of dust. Her nose itched, but she ignored the feeling and pulled her crossbow from her sling, an sharp wooden arrow already knocked in the string. The trigger was well-worn and familiar and she fingered it, shaking a curl of light brown hair from her face. Behind her, a soft thump and a short curse signalled Julian's arrival. Leta smiled and glanced over her shoulder, her finger to her lips.

Julian smiled back at her, face scarlet as he pulled his own crossbow from its holster. With a nod, he followed her as she slunk through the shadows, staying as close to the bleached buildings as possible. Slowly, she lead him to the docks, where a ship was moored. A ship full of demons, according to one of Julian's contacts.

"I'm going to go on ahead and attract their attention. As soon as you hear me whistle, come up behind them. Hopefully we'll catch them off guard." Leta said, a shadow passing over her features. Julian nodded in the affirmative and she took off into the night.

"Be careful love." Julian whispered as soon as she was out of earshot. His heart thumped in his chest and he prayed she would be careful. She always was, but still he worried.

From his vantage point, hidden in the shadows near the dock, Julian could see Leta shimmy up a moor line and onto the deck of the ship. The fight was on her almost immediately as demons poured out from below decks, eager for fresh meat. Julian watched as she shot three of them in the head and one in the chest. All four dropped to the deck, dead. Julian tallied up her odds in his head and knew she was outnumbered.

Obviously Leta knew it too as she whistled loudly. Immediately he sprang from his hiding place and up the moor line, only less gracefully than Leta had managed it. When he planted his feet firmly on the deck, Leta was nowhere to be found and his heart lurched. Then he caught sight of her, her fists and feet making short work of four demons at once. Two other demons lay at her feet, necks snapped.

Five more demons came pouring out of the lower regions of the ship and Julian lined them up in his sites, shooting one in the neck. It burbled a scream and fell over the side. The others growled and charged at him, but he shot another in the chest. Once more, Julian pulled the trigger of the repeating crossbow, but his arrow went wide of the mark and glanced off the mast. The demons, Ichnaks, he noted, circled him and threw the crossbow aside, pulling a large silver dagger from its scabbard on his hip. The Ichnaks glared at him with their one green eye and he smiled. They hated silver.

Leta looked up from her work on the two remaining Ichnaks, her face smeared with green sludge. She saw Julian smile and her fears that this was too much for him were put to rest. He could handle himself. But she still wanted to get this fight over with. She didn't want him hurt. A spinning kick caught one of the demons in its wide, flat nose. She felt the crunch of bone beneath her foot and green blood spurted from the wound. The demon went down and she hit the broken nose once more, ramming the bone into the Ichnak's brain. It dropped to the deck with a shudder. The remaining Ishnak growled its challenge and she took a fighting stance, daring it to make a move.

Julian sliced at the air as the two Ichnaks leapt at him, trying to find a weak spot in his defenses. The edge of the knife sliced off one of the demon's ears and it screeched loudly, splitting the air as it screamed in pain. The other demon screamed too and jumped on Julian, twisting the blonde man's wrist. His hand went numb and he dropped the silver knife with a grunt.

Leta blocked the Ichnaks's blow and looked over its shoulder at Julian. What she saw made her eyes go wide and her guts to twist. She took a running leap, locking her arms around the Ichnaks's neck and sliding across the bloody, slippery deck. With a twist of her biceps she broke the Ichnak's neck. It slumped in her arms and she went down on her side, sliding across the deck, holding on tightly to the dead demon. She slammed into the screaming, bleeding Ichnak, bowling it over. She threw the dead Ichnak on top of it and leapt to her feet, taking the forgotten knife with her as she did.

"Duck!" She screamed; Julian did so just in time. The Ichnak's head lolled off its shoulders, severed just below the jawline. The body flailed backward and smacked against the railing of the ship. Julian turned and pushed it off with a grunt.

"Good timing my dear." He said calmly, turning back to Leta. She smiled at the endearment and lifted the dead Ichnak off of the still screaming, bleeding demon. She hauled it to its feet, intending to the snap its neck. "Wait!"

"Why?" She asked, blood dripping from the end of her long nose. Her eyebrow raised at Julian and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"We have to ask why he's here. Who sent them." He explained patiently as Leta clamped her hand over the screaming Ichnak's mouth.

"Always the Watcher, even when he's covered in demon guts." She said, smiling up at him.

"Especially when I'm covered in demon guts." He responded, blue eyes twinkling. "So, tell us who sent you, or we'll kill you dead, just like your companions. The Ichnak growled, its scaly blue skin rippling as it tried to get away. Leta tightened her grip, but removed her hand from its mouth.

"The Infesssster. He controlsss ussss." It responded, its forked tongue lisping past its pointed yellow teeth.

"Well that was easy." Leta said, surprised by how very little urging it had taken.

"Why did he send you?" Julian asked again, waving the knife at the demon. Fear crept up Julian's arms as he remembered the Koroth the Infestor and what he had done.

"To kill the Ssssslayer and her Watcher. He hatesss Ssslayersss." It answered immediately.

"Where is he hiding?" Leta asked, tightening her grip on its neck.

"He isss everywhere. He has infesssssted usss all." The Ichnak said, smiling widely. Its demeanor suddenly changed. "So you are the Slayer? You are not as pretty as the last one I tasted. But you will be just as sweet, my dear."

Julian's eyes went wide and plunged the knife into the demon's eye, imbedding the blade to the hilt. The Ichnak screamed and collapsed in Leta's arms.

"What the hell was that about?" Leta asked him, dropping the dead demon to the deck. Her eyes were wild with confusion. Julian avoided her stare and ran a hand through his hair. Fear was lodged in his throat. Fear for her and him. "Who is the Infester? Julian?"

Julian looked back up at her and sighed. She would have to know. "Come with me and I'll show you."

"So Koroth infests the minds of demons and vampires and makes them do his bidding?" Leta asked, her brown eyes scanning over the drawing in Julian's ancient book.

"Not just his bidding. He can see and speak through his minions whenever he chooses. But there's more." Julian said reluctantly, biting down on his full lips. "Koroth can infest the minds of humans. Once infested, a human is basically a husk for Koroth's work. They die the moment he looks in their eyes."

"So, how do I kill him, short of blindfolding myself?" Leta asked, curling her legs up underself. She was still covered in bits of demon goop and gore, but she ignored it and stared intently up at Julian.

"You hit him in the eyes." Julian said bluntly, wondering what else he should tell her.

"Oh. Anything else I need to know?" She said, squaring her shoulders.

"He's got a spiked tail." He offered pitifully. He looked up, "He killed the last Slayer and her Watcher."

"But I thought she drowned?" Leta said, brow furrowed.

"Not Hoshi Muioto. The one before her, Elsa. She was infested and she died. Her Watcher had to kill her. And then he was murdered by Koroth on his path to revenge."

"Oh." Leta went quiet, her eyes cast downward in thought. Trouble crept across her strong features and Julian fought the urge to hold her close to him. "Well then. I have something else to kill him for."

She looked back up at him, a fire in her brown eyes he wasn't used to seeing. The Slayer stood, her tall, proud form strong and breathtaking. Julian smiled. She was a good Slayer and he was proud of her. He knew she would not let Koroth stop her.

"Yes you do." Julian stood, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She sunk into his embrace, exhaustion overcoming her. A glance up into his eyes showed Julian that the fire was still smoldering inside her. But her smile betrayed her feelings and she kissed his cheek.

"Good night Julian." With that, Leta turned away from him and walked out of the small sitting room of the cottage. Julian watched her go, his heart burning in his chest.

Leta was in love with her Watcher. She kicked herself mentally, cursing her luck. She knew the rules. She shouldn't love him. But she hated rules. They were meant to be broken and she wanted nothing else than to break every single rule she had ever read in that stupid Watcher's Guide.

Julian was asleep in the room of the small cottage along the shore he had bought for them. She could hear him breathing through the thin plaster walls, and she imagined his chest rising and falling as each breath passed his lips. A ghost of a smile crossed her lips and she looked out the window. With a sigh, she forced her mind to her work.

Koroth the Infestor was coming for her. He had killed at least one Slayer before and he was looking to do it again. Not if she could help it. The thought that another noble, strong woman had fallen to the disgusting Cullite demon was enough to make her want to throttle something right then and there. She balled her hands into fists and drew her knees up to her chin.

The time when she would face him would come soon enough and she couldn't wait. She would kill him and dance in his ashes. Leta looked down at her leg, her pale burn scar shining in the moonlight. Julian was once again in her thoughts, but she pushed him out and layed down on her bed. The time would come for that too and she was more frightened of him than anything else.

With a sigh, she started in on her plans.

The first vampire exploded into dust before her eyes and she blinked away the particles. Julian dusted his vampire and she nodded, pushing past the dead Skilosh slumped against the door. As she entered the room, her breath caught in her throat.

Koroth the Infestor looked down at her from his throne, a smile on his wide red lips. He was as terrible as the drawing in Julian's books had been. She spied his spiked tail flicking in annoyance beside him. Fear tried to enter her heart, but she steeled herself against it.

"Julian." Was all she could force out from between her gritted teeth. Immediately he covered her eyes with a thick cloth, tying it tightly under her hair.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked in her ear as he avoided looking at the huge demon on his throne.

"More than sure. Wish me luck and don't let anything else in this room. And don't come back in until he's dead." She answered back at him. She felt his hands clasp her shoulders in agreement.

"Come back to me, Leta." She felt his lips on her cheek for a moment, and she fought the urge to kiss his lips.

"I promise." She said, and before she could move, the rush of air and a slamming sound told her that the door was shut. She prayed he could hold his own, but she couldn't worry about him just now.

"Ingenius little Slayer. But how can you fight me if you cannot see?" Koroth's voice echoed across the chamber and she smiled.

"I'm the Slayer. I don't need to see you to kill you. Now come off of that throne and fight me. If you dare."

A growl sounded from in front of her and she stood stock still, the air flowing over skin she had left bare on purpose. She was clad only in a small skirt and a shirt that would have made her mother scream. Even her feet were unclad.

The air rushed over her left shoulder and she blocked a blow with her arm. The tip of a spike nipped her flesh, but she ignored the pain. His spiked tail swung at her again and caught her off guard, slamming her back against the doors. Immediately she rolled away from door and heard wood splinter as his tail connected with it. She leapt to her feet and blocked another blow, and another.

Leta rushed forward and connected her leg with his chest. He grunted and swiped her in the face with the back of his hand. She staggered backward a step, but held her ground, reaching for his face. She found his neck and rammed it into her knee. He screamed in defiance and swiped at her with his tail once more. It hit her head on and she flew backwards, rolling as she hit the flagstones.

Immediately she was up again. They fought like hellcats; he kept dancing around her so that she had to guess at his direction, the air on her naked skin being her only indication of his direction. Twice he nearly had her head in his hands, intending to snap her neck. She twisted away from him in time and turned on him once more. Finally, she was tired of the dance and she located him with her extended senses. Gathering her flagging strength, she jumped forward.

Leta hit a hard, scaly back, a serrated fin scraping against her cheek. She clutched at Koroth's back, her teeth gritted as she felt him buck under her. His spiked tail came at her from the side once more, but she felt the whoosh of air against her cheek that told her he could not bend it over his back. She smiled, glad of that small respite.

Koroth, knowing what she was planning on doing, pitched himself backward in a desperate attempt to unseat her from his back. Leta screamed as he fell.

Julian staked another vampire, his sides heaving where a Ichnak had stabbed him. Blood flowed down his side and pooled on the floor. He gulped and looked around, but nothing else jumped from the shadows. Five dead Ichnaks lay on the ground and two Skilosh demons. He couldn't count the number of piles of dust that used to be vampires. Behind him he heard the sounds of fighting and he wished he could run into the room and fight alongside Leta, but he knew she would get distracted. So he stayed put; he would fight the battle. But she would win the war.

And then she screamed and he threw himself at the doors.

Koroth fell on top of her and the air flew from her lungs. She couldn't breath and she couldn't see. Panic rose in her chest and she flailed her limbs. Koroth laughed and rolled off of her, kicking her in the ribs as he stood. The cloth was slipping off of her face, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she would have to look at his terrible visage.

She stood slowly, taking the bandage off deliberately. She knew she could not go on. Time to end it.

Suddenly, the door flew open and Julian launched himself at Koroth, landing on the demon's back. A knife flashed in his hands and he screamed at her, slashing at the demon's thick neck. Koroth winced, but the wound was nothing to him.

"His eyes!" Julian screamed, slicing at the demon's hide again.

Leta pulled her own knife, the twin to his, from her belt. She flew at Koroth's face, one hand hooking around his neck. For a split second, he looked into her eyes and she saw horror and death and pain in his deep red pupils.

"Die!" She choked out, slamming the knife down into his eyes. From behind, Julian stopped his slashing and did the same.

Koroth quivered for a moment, his mouth open, thick purple blood dripping from around the twin daggers in his eyes. Then he screamed and the Slayer and her Watcher were thrown off of his form.

From the place where he landed, Julian saw lighting flashing from the Infestor's broken power center. Red lightening licked the ceiling and the walls and flashed blindingly bright. The walls shook as power poured out of the demon. Chunks of rock fell from the ceiling and Julian jumped as one landed near to him.

Across the room, he saw Leta, slumped against the wall, blood pouring from a cut on her forehead. Lightening flashed next to her, but she didn't move. Julian knew she was knocked out. Slowly, he made his way over to her, crawling and avoiding the chunks of rock as they fell around him. Koroth screamed, drowning out all other sound. The demon was slowly burning up from the inside, lightening charring his thick skin. Julian reached Leta and lifted her in his arms, thankful that she didn't weigh much, or they both would have been in trouble. He stood, legs shaking, and ran from the room as fast as he could go.

Behind him, Koroth the Infestor screamed and turned to ash.

"Leta? Come back to me Leta. Please. You promised. Please wake up." Julian pleaded with the fallen form of the Slayer, her head lolling limply in his arms. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes, but he squeezed them shut and pressed his lips to hers.

"Julian?" She said when he pulled away, her eyes far away. Her speech was slightly slurred as she tried to speak around the cloud around her brain.

"Yes my love?" Julian responded, his heart soaring so high he didn't bother to conceal his feelings for her. The "rules" be damned.

"Is he dead?" She asked him, eyelids fluttering.

"Dead. Dead and gone. Please don't join him." He whispered down to her, looking around at the empty stretch of beach where he had carried her. Behind him, Koroth's palace cave was blocked by huge boulders and nothing would ever get out again.

She followed his gaze and smiled. "Oh good. I didn't want to have to do it all over again."

"Me neither, love." He smiled and she sat up a little in his arms. Her eyes lost their clouded glaze and he sighed in relief.

"Didn't I tell you not go in there, no matter what?" She said, her bloody brow creased in mock anger.

"Yes, but I panicked."

"Good thing too. WE killed him. You and me." She smiled. "I love you Julian." Her words were blunt, almost sorrowful as she caught his gaze, eyes hungry for him.

Julian smiled and reached for her. "I love you too, Leta."

And he kissed her with everything in his heart.

THE END.