The love of the damned ones can shine brighter and stronger than any star on the sky; it can even surpass death itself.

1. Blue Eyed Stranger

Isis entered the Starbucks only to be greeted by the delicious aroma of fresh brewed coffee mixed in with some sweets. She inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with the smell that reminded her of home as she sat on a table near the center and waved to María— the morning's shifts cashier— who waved right back while attending the other customers in line. It was an unspoken arrangement between them that Isis would just sit somewhere to wait until María placed her order— a hot white chocolate mocha without whip cream— and came by with her coffee.

Today was no different... except for the enormous bags under her eyes and the desire to sleep forever she had. Isis had spent three late nights and one sleepless, trying to finish a novel in time for her deadline. This morning though she doubted any amount of caffeine would keep her apart from her bed but if she didn't finished the last two chapters by the next morning, her editor would have her head. So there she was trying to awaken her body even if it was for a little while.

As she waited for her sweet beverage, she roamed the place with her tired eyes. Familiar and unfamiliar patrons alike could be seen around her favorite Halloween decorated café.

Since moving to San Juan she had come every morning to buy the same kind of coffee in this specific Starbucks because the place reminded her of the hometown she left and her parents house. The many trees around the little establishment and the ever present aroma of fresh coffee made her feel right at home. So much different to the way she felt about living in the capital city of Puerto Rico. The heat and constant noise of a bustling coast city were driving her nuts, making her all the more nostalgic about her little, quiet and cold town high in the mountains of the island.

She had initially come to San Juan to work in a government agency but then Mr. Santiago had found out about her writing talent and offered to be her editor. From that moment on Isis Acosta had become a full flesh writer, one that was already working on her third novel to be published. But even when she loved her job, she hated the capital with all her guts.

"OMG you look awful, Isis!" María's voice brought her out of her train of thoughts.

"I know, you don't have to remind me." She answered taking the coffee from the other woman.

Her friend sat down beside her, watching her with worry while twisting a lock of her short blue dyed hair and pursing her black lips. "Have you been sleeping?"

"You know, those white contact lenses of yours are starting to freak me out." Isis told her taking a sip from her coffee and grimacing because María forgot the sugar yet again. "They make you look as a goth ghost or something like that."

"Hey, the manager doesn't mind as long as I come to work in uniform. Plus it's already October! Halloween is just around the corner!" She exclaimed as an excited little girl would do. "Don't you like what I did to the place?!"

Much as she hated to ruin her teasing with a compliment, she had to admit that her crazy friend had outdone herself that year. White webs with little black spiders hung from the walls, the corners and the counter that displayed their sweet pastries. A talking skeleton received you at the door while a giant black and orange spider with long garlands for legs hung from the ceiling accompanied by rows of small smiling pumpkins. To finish everything, the crystal windows were full of more spiderwebs and gel stickers that red "Happy Halloween", "Boo", "Trick or Treat" plus an assortment of little white ghosts, pumpkins, bats and black cats.

Isis gave her a tired smile. "I'm surprised your coworkers hadn't band together to perform an exorcism on you seeing that half of the staff is religious and I see them every October sanctifying themselves in front of the door before entering!"

Her goth friend growled, opening her mouth to say something when she suddenly stopped and frowned as if remembering her previous question. "Don't change the subject. Answer me! Are you sleeping?"

Before Isis could replay, a client entered and María had to return to her place behind the counter. Snickering because of her friend frown, the young writer glanced around, searching for sugar to sweeten her coffee when she saw a man sitting at a far shadowy corner looking straight at her.

His bright blue eyes held her in place while she gazed at the handsome stranger without her characteristic bashfulness. She could see his perfect pale features even with the dim light that reached that corner. He had a firm and square jaw, full lips, thin eyebrows and a very sexy mole under his left eye. His short and slightly wild dark bangs made perfect contrast against his alabaster skin but it were his eyes what enchanted her. They seemed to glow even in the soft light of the morning.

Suddenly his lips started moving but since she had never learned to read them, Isis could only guess what he was saying. Or so she thought until a deep and melodic voice spoke from behind her.

"Aren't you a pretty thing? It makes me hungry just staring at you."

She quickly turned in her seat but found no one behind her.

"Are you looking for me?"

Isis felt a cold breath by her ear and a soft whisper in some kind of foreign language. Turning again, she looked to the corner and saw the stranger smiling at her as if they shared some sort of secret mischief.

Is he messing with me? What is his problem? Angry and a little shaken by that handsome stranger's attitude, she stood up and walked straight to his table thinking of giving him a piece of her mind. But as soon as she was within earshot her voice faltered and fear gripped her heart. Some survival instinct told her to run away as fast as she could but her feet seemed rooted to the floor.

"Is there something wrong, my dear?" His voice turned sweet as he caressed her cheek before putting a small necklace inside one of her palms. "Come and meet me here tonight if you have questions." Those clear blue eyes of his glowed brighter for a second before his cold lips were suddenly on hers, claiming her mouth with a hunger that weakened her knees against her will. He tasted as wine, decadence and iron as he caressed her mouth with a tongue well versed in the art of kissing... maybe well versed in other things too. His hands glided down her body almost burning her with the raw power of his passion but only when he bit her bottom lip to gently suck on it did Isis allow herself to gift him with a little moan.

Satisfied with his work, he released her and smiled, leaving her head swimming with a million emotions and her body eager for more of his affections.

She was still under her handsome stranger's spell when a hand dropped on her shoulder, making her gasp and jump away from the touch.

"WTF! What is wrong with you, Isis? Didn't you heard me when I called to you?" María looked at her with a bewildered expression on her face.

The writer looked to the table where the blue eyed stranger has been sitting but found it empty. A shiver ran down her back and she gazed at the beautiful golden medallion he had given her; a blue Eye of Horus was carved in the center of the jewelry piece.

"Where is the man that was talking with me?"

"There was no one talking to you, Isis. You were just spacing out."

"No! That's impossible." Her voice came out weak and barely audible. "There was a blue eyed man sitting in this very table. I'm not crazy!"

María met her dazed gaze and holded both of her hands. "Let's forget about the coffee, dearest. I will take you home and you WILL sleep."

"But..."

"No buts; you need to rest."

Darkness surrounded her as she walked through the hall of some sort of ancient temple. Enormous columns stood watch at both of her sides with torches every few paces lining her path. Then she heard it. His voice came from within the shadows of the temple and whispered to her ear.

"I have been waiting for you, my mortal goddess."

"As I have been for you, my dark god." She said with a smile when he came to hug her from behind. "I choose to be at your side forever."

"Forever." He said a moment before his long, sharp fangs pierced her neck and he started drinking her delicious blood.

****

Isis eyes fluttered open and she sat in her bed rubbing her arms, trying to make the goosebumps go away but no matter what she did the tingling sensation just wouldn't fade from her skin. That dream had felt so real, so...

Stop, Isis! You have a novel to finish.

Shaking her dreams away, she stood up, went to her laptop and continued her work.

****

It was already four o'clock in the morning when she finished her book and e-mail it to her editor. Stretching her body and yawning, she went straight to the kitchen to prepare some coffee while making mental plans to take a bath and return to her cozy bed. But as soon as she mixed everything in and turned on the coffeemaker, she felt someone watching her from behind her back.

"Is someone there?" She raise her voice, gently taking one of the knives beside the sink and hiding it with her body. When she got no response, she carefully turn only to find herself alone looking very silly with a kitchen knife in her hands. "I'm starting to go nuts, sensing things where there is none. Maybe is due to having too much caffeine in my system." Isis exhaled loudly, returned the knife to it's place and turned off the coffeemaker. "Sorry but it's best if I forget about you for a while. I promise to continue using you every morning after my mind returns to normal."

Exiting the kitchen and turning all the lights off, she made her way back to her room and started undressing but found the sliding door leading to the balcony slightly ajar. She went to close it, murmuring to herself for that carelessness, when she saw a glowing blue eye through the thin gap. Her body froze and her heart beat got faster as she looked into the face of the Starbuck's stranger.

"W-what are you doing in my h-house? H-h-how did you fi-find me?"

He just stared at her unblinking and unmoving.

"This is just a dream, Isis." She whispered to herself and closed her eyes. "This is just a dream."

"It isn't."

Her eyes snapped open at sound of that deep and melodic voice but found nothing in front of her. Where is he? She opened the door completely, forgetting that she was only dressed in her underwear and stepped into the balcony searching everywhere for that strange man. Only the cool breeze of the early morning and the call of various coquíes somewhere along her garden greeted her. She forced her eyes trying to catch a glimpse of something out place or strange with the little illumination the street light gave to her house but she couldn't see more than the shadowy forms of her ferns, palm trees and flamboyant trees.

Sighing deeply, she turned and grab hold of the glass door when she heard his soft whisper by her ear.

"Come to me, my mortal goddess."

She looked to her side but again no one was there; it was just her and the cold morning night. Goosebumps covered her skin in seconds and coldness ran down her back, telling her to get to safety immediately; and so she did. She quickly entered her room and closed the sliding door plus its heavy curtains, hiding from view the balcony and her garden.

Her breathing came in shallow gasps as she tried to calm her fast beating heart and come to her senses. "This is a dream, Isis. This no more than a really bad dream."

But what if it wasn't? What if it was true? He had called her exactly as he had done in her dream. How could he have known that? Maybe he was just a creepy stalker but then how could she explain the strange feeling of fear mixed with pleasure that overcome her every time she heard his voice?

"STOP! Stop thinking!" She screamed, sliding to the floor and grabbing her hair. "Stop thinking." Many questions ran inside her head, already causing her a headache. She had to find a way to get some answers but...

«Come and meet me here tonight if you have questions.»

She will do it. If it was the only way to clear her mind and have peace again, then she'll meet with him even if the very thought scared the hell out of her.

***************
A/N: I moved this short story here to have more organization. The entire entry consist of three chapters.

*Entry for the #VampiresCafe Contest of WattVampires and CoffeeCommunity.
*Total word count: 7,440