I could hear their conversation.

"The way you stare at him, I'd say you do."

"No comment. Marcus can hear us." He smiled and jumped off the edge of the balcony, but instead of bursting into a bird, he landed perfectly on his feet, on the sandy part of the ocean and turned his head up to the sky to look at me.

Jillian stared down at us both, anger radiating from her entire being. I flew downward toward Michael and crashed into my human form, five feet away from his face.

"All right," he said. "Think you can out run me?"

"Why do we have to train like this anyway if all we ever do is guide people to the other side?"

"There's more to it than that, Marcus."

"How hard could it be?"

"We have enemies."

"Who are our enemies?"

"Wolves," he said. "There are many others, but mainly wolves. Wolves are also guides. They warn of imminent death and many other things. Also, Corvidae hunters want to kill us. They still believe we take innocent lives, that we're somehow responsible for people's deaths. You know, old myth about how Ravens and Crows rip apart bodies and eat the flesh. You have a lot to learn." He took off running and I sped after him. I did an amazing job at keeping pace with him, but I skidded to a halt when I saw him leap incredibly high into the air and land a thousand feet away, with perfect grace. I was shocked. When I blinked, he was gone.

"You know, I can hear your thoughts. They're extremely audible," he was behind me. I spun around. "Just remember that from this point on, nothing you think will ever get past me." He patted me on the back. And that was how I became an Evermore.

The Beginning I shook off the bittersweet sadness that had possessed me since my awakening.

I tossed my leather journal on my desk and ran my fingers through my hair and smiled to myself, remembering her face. Our embrace, her lips against mine, and the feeling of wanting to become one body, one consciousness with her.

Then I frowned. The thought of us never being disheartened me.

Nathaniel now stood in the doorway, arms crossed, watching me intently.

"Bonsoir, cousin," he said.

"So it is. Oh, how time drags when you're sad and alone."

"Why so sad?"

"The lack of that which having makes me happy."

"You're too emotional, Marc, let it go."

A second later. "We've been looking for you, Marcus," Zarfe spoke.

"Why, what is it now? Another 'very important' covenant meeting?" I said with sarcasm.

With a disregard to my facetious statement, the long, tempting stare Zarfe gave me suggested that this was in fact true. I paused, then followed Zarfe and Nathaniel into a candlelit room in front of our entire Corvidae Dynasty. In the middle of the master table was the Nevermore Bible, Laws of the Land. I stood by Vivian and Nathaniel.

"What the h.e.l.l's wrong with you?" Vivian asked me.

"Nothing. Stop asking."

"You're not excited or anything?"

"No, I'm miserable."

Michael looked at me from across the room with a glimmer in his eye. Sometimes, I wish he'd stay out of my head, out of my business. He already knew too much. He knew I was falling for a mortal. His piercing gaze tempted me. He could tell Zarfe and I'd never have throne. He could tell The Society who would severely punish me, or he could just keep it to himself to torture me endlessly until I caved.

"Don't let that a.s.shole Michael get to you."

"That's the least of my concerns right now, Vivian."

"Aww, are you in love little brother?"

I gave Michael an evil glare as he crossed the room and headed my direction. "Out of love, with everything."

"Sounds like you've got true leadership abilities there, Marc," Michael said.

"Shut up, Michael," Viv told him.

Zarfe began to speak. "As some of you already know, I'm abdicating the throne because I have unfinished business to attend to. Therefore, I am trusting one of you to take my place while I am gone and fulfill all the duties that great leaders should. However, I'm not putting just anyone in charge. Only two of you have leadership abilities. Unfortunately, only one of you will be chosen to lead the Dynasty. Michael Corbin, Marcus Marble, please step forth."

I stepped forth, but Michael pushed me back into the crowd, and told Zarfe, "I don't think that's necessary, sir. Just give me the throne. Marcus can't fulfill any duties."

"Michael," Zarfe spoke. "It's not that easy. You have to prove your loyalty to me and the Dynasty first. Step forth, Marcus."

Michael gave me a look and leaned in to whisper, "You can try all you want, but the throne is mine."

"What makes you so sure?"

"You don't stand a chance. Good luck, Marcus boy. You're going to need it."

Zarfe said, "Marcus, state the Nevermore Creed, Part three, Verse Nine."

Everyone turned their attention to me.

"I am an Evermore. I am an immortal being, untroubled by worldly needs and give myself unto the highest consciousness so that I may guard and protect others. I accept immortality as my dark gift and choose loyalty to my Nevermorean Dynasty over any of my needs, wants, or desires. I acknowledge survival as the highest law and give no mercy to those who threaten my existence. I am an Evermore. Bow down before me."

The Dynasty bowed.

Zarfe said, "Michael, state the Nevermore Creed, Part Four, Verse Two."

"I am an Evermore. Kindred fear me not and fear me. I am blessed by both darkness and light, and cursed by them all the same. I worship myself and only myself and distrust those alike, but look after them, my Nevermorean kinsmen. I own the sky for 'tis mine. I am an Evermore. Bow down before me."

The Dynasty bowed and clapped this time.

Zarfe continued his speech. "If either of you fail me or this Dynasty, you will have to own up to your disloyal actions. Your every move, wise or unwise, will be brought to my attention and judged."

"I must bring to your attention that a fellow Corvidae has fallen from our Dynasty and is no longer amongst us. He has betrayed our entire Dynasty. We must find him at once and kill him. No one knows of his whereabouts. It has become more and more difficult to locate this miserable fiend, but if he exposes our secret world, he puts us all at risk. No Evermore should be caught walking as man, and living as man, down on Earth. It is abomination that he should have worldly desires or find a mortal mate. It proposes a danger to us all that he has eyes feasted on a mortal woman. This could propel him to try to gain power and overturn this Dynasty out of worldly hunger and greed." Michael turned to look at me, when Zarfe said this.

"This also brings me to your second mission: Since he has fallen, a new member must come take his place. The Researches have found the perfect candidate and it is your job to be there when he resurrects and to bring him home to us."

"Last mission: A new group of Corvidae hunters are lurking about us. We haven't been able to detect exactly which humans are hunting us. They put Evermores to shame. You must find and destroy all Corvidae hunters at once. You're both dismissed."

I told Viv, "I thought this was a job for The Society. To destroy fallen Corvidae."

"Zarfe's just testing your loyalty to the Dynasty. He could've easily sent Jillian and her two minions to do the job and I'm sure they would've accomplished it faster and with ease."

Nathaniel told me his name. "The fallen one goes by Corvus." Corvus. Corvus. I repeated the name in my mind, to ingrain it into my long term memory. Later that day, Nathaniel walked with me through the city to try and find the fallen one.

"He could be anywhere," he told me.

"I have a feeling that he'll eventually be forced to come out in the open. Until then I'm not going to waste my time doing this." I knew that Eleanor would eventually find him.

"What do you mean, he'll be forced into the open?"

"I don't know."

"Well you better figure it out, because if you don't, Zarfe isn't going to be too happy."

"You ever feel like you could do something that would change everything?"

"What's wrong with you? Focus."

"I'm not worried about any of this. It doesn't matter."

"It doesn't matter? Are you going to let Michael win?"

"It means more to him than it does to me."

Nathaniel stopped walking and turned to stare at me. "Then maybe you're not worthy enough to be one of us." His gaze held power. "Think about it."

When Nathaniel had rounded the corner, and disappeared out of view, I darted across the street to the dance club where I saw her enter. I had to see her again.

"She's also mortal. You had a chance to kill her and you didn't? If you don't, I will," Michael threatened.

"No. You will not. She opposed no threat to me."

"This is your job. To kill her! You are betraying this Dynasty. Zarfe will find out about this. Now I'm going to go do your job for you."

Nathaniel grabbed Michael's upper arm. "No Michael. Don't kill her just yet. She may be our key to luring all the others in. Marcus and I will take care of it. Won't we?" He then turned to look at me.

"Yes. Most definitely."

"It can't be possible that you actually think you love her?" Michael said. "Evermores don't love humans. Especially a human of this sort. It's forbidden."

"No." I lied. "It's like Nathaniel said. Just make sure Zarfe doesn't find out about this or he'll blow it out of proportion."

"Right, yes, of course not," Michael said, still eying me. "Besides, if I tell him, not only will you suffer severe consequences, but I will be given the throne."

I tempted him. "Isn't that what you want?"

"Yes, of course. But I want it to be because I won and not because you screwed up. But I will let you know that I am going to keep a heavy eye on you. And this mortal of yours. But I will let you know that I am going to find all of these hunters and if you haven't killed her by then, I will. That throne is mine." He left the room.

"Neither of you are right. What about Corvus? What about the newbie?"

"I'm not after the throne. I forfeit. Michael can do this on his own."

"You cannot pursue this, Marcus." I knew he meant Ellie.

"Oh cousin. Nothing can come from nothing." I knew I probably wouldn't stand a chance with her. Our worlds were separate. I was dead. I was an Evermore. She was alive. She was human. She'd never be mine. The best I could ask for was her time, while I had it.

"You kissed her! An Evermore kissed a human! Not only a human, but a Corvidae hunter at that. How can you call that nothing?"

"I've found what I've lacked. Her heart beats for me."

Nathaniel leaned against the arm of the couch. "Her heart beats because she's alive, unlike you. In case you didn't know...unrequited love is quite painful."

"Love is painful all on its own."

"Forget her."

"Teach me how not to think."

"Can't you see?"

"Yes, my own unhappy future in my present misery."

"Desiring that which is unattainable." He leapt up and drew his sword.

"I must make way for that which has none." I drew my sword, and we began a playful dual.

"You're a world apart from her. It could never work. You'll end up killing her just to live."

"I'll deny who I am to have who I love. I'll live as a mortal man. Like Corvus. A fallen Corvidae."

"She doesn't know who you are, Marcus. How can you expect her to love an Evermore? A monster?"

"If I can't have her, then drive this sword through my aching heart and kill me once again for the only thing that can heal me of this sadness is not vengeance, but is love!"

After Ellie left that night from the church yard, Vivian intruded upon my reflection period.

"Brother?"