Not all Witches sell their soul to Satan, but give their heart to beloved one.

  "Your own mother?!" Barnabas kept saying in disbelief, walking around the room.
"Barnabas... Stop it." Angelique sighed, sitting in comfortable chair, watching dying fire in fireplace.
  It had been few hours since they met Angelique's mother. Sun was about to rise from horizon and Angelique was almost healed. Few little cracks was still on her chest, about to disappear any minute.
  "Your own mother..." Barnabas muttered.
Angelique stood up and looked at him, "Yes, my own mother! Stop saying that. It's driving me insane to hear it over and over again!"
Barnabas stopped and looked at her. He looked rather lost in his disbelief and worry. "I'm sorry" He said finally and sit down to opposite chair, watching as she sit down again.
 Angelique was well aware of that he was studying her body to find any unhealed cracks.
"I'm fine" She said, not bothering to look at him, but weak light in fireplace.
Barnabas turned to look at the fireplace as well. "I never thought it was truly so awful for you... I kept thinking.. There must have been something good in your mother. Something... Just, something.."
"There isn't."Angelique said simply.
"She has sold her soul to Satan." Barnabas nodded.
Angelique laughed, "Don't all Witches sell their soul to Satan?"
Barnabas looked at her. "You didn't."
Angelique looked at him rather surprised. "What makes you think that?"
"I know you. You are selfish enough not to give even one little piece for someone else if you don't gain anything from it. You're selfish because that's all you've ever learned. From your mother.. your masters..." His voice got lower and finally disappear until he cleared his throat and kept talking. "You're selfish because it's only way you know to protect yourself."
Angelique looked at him for while, "I'm not selfish with you."
"Hm... No."
"I gave you my heart.. Out of my own free will. Because I loved you."
Barnabas nodded slowly. "Indeed."
 They sit there for while, both sinking into their own thoughts.

 .... Angelique tickled gently Barnabas' face with her long dark hair.
"Wake up my love" She whispered against his neck, placing soft kisses there.
 "Hm.." He turned his back to her, wiping her hair away from him.
Angelique sit up and turned him to face her, "Oh no, you don't! Wake up sleepyhead, you have business meeting within couple hours."
 He opened his eyes tiredly, "I'm tired."
Angelique smiled, "I guess it's partly my fault, but still, you have to get up."
He looked at her for while. Her dark hair little messy and eyes bright after well slept night. She looked somehow fresh, even she had just awaken.
 She leaned down to kiss his lips softly. "I go make you breakfast, if I don't see you downstairs within half an hour, I will come and pour cold water on you."
"Don't you dare!" Barnabas growled playfully and pinned her down to the bed, "If you do that, you will have to take me to bath, and then I surely am late from my meeting."
 Angelique placed her hand against his chest and pushed him off, "Don't be fool my love, it's important meeting." She sit up and took her clothes.
 Barnabas watched her as she dressed and pulled her long hair up before she turned to see him. "Half an hour"
 "Alright, alright.." He sighed and sit up.
 When he finally came into dining room, Angelique was waiting for him.
"Barnabas... There's something you should know.."
He sit down at the end of the table and watched her. The expression on her face told him clearly that something was wrong. "What?"
Angelique came closer and leaned towards him to whisper to him, "Some of the servants has run off."
"Run off?" Barnabas repeated in low voice. "Why? Where?"
Angelique looked uneasy, "To the town... They.. "She bite her lip worriedly before she said, "They has told to villagers about us."
Barnabas looked at her worried eyes, hiding well that he was thinking the same as she was, and said calmly, "Don't worry about it. I can easily tell everyone that all of them has been ill lately, and fever has damaged their brain, they imagine all kind of things. Then I bring them back here."
"What will happen then?" Angelique asked, quite well knowing the answer.
"Dismiss them." Barnabas said.
Angelique nodded a bit, "I thought so..."
Barnabas looked at her, "Sit down for while with me."
She did as she was told, keeping him company while he ate his breakfast.
Those kind of moments, he felt her company most comforting. She took care of him, and made sure he was prepared to everything. Those kind of moments, he did start to think any possibility his parents could give their blessing for their love....

  Barnabas blinked his eyes, waking up from his thoughts and looked at Angelique.
She had fallen asleep on her chair.
 He got up quietly and looked out of window. Sun was already up.
He took her gently on his arms and carried her to bedroom, lay her down to the bed and got curtains to cover the window well before her lay down next to her. He watched her sleep and realized how her beautiful face all of sudden seemed much more tired and serious than it was centuries ago. Her beauty has hide that well, and just now, when she had her guard so perfectly up, it became clear how stressful it was for her.
He wanted to find the way to protect her from her mother, but he had no idea how to defend a powerful Witch from even more powerful Witch.
 His eyes trailed to her bedside table, where small box was safely placed.
He reach out his hand, taking the box. He looked at Angelique carefully, finding her sleeping peacefully, until he gently opened the box.
 It was tightly closed, and it took little force to get it open. Barnabas assumed Angelique had never open it after their child was placed in there. He was surprised how fresh the ashes seemed. They still smelled strongly, as if it was burned to ashes just yesterday. But more surprised he was that somewhere in that strong smell of ash, was weak scent of blood, but also that slight fresh smell that Angelique usually had.
 When Angelique moved a bit, he closed the box quickly and watched her sleeping. Wondering how on earth ashes can have slight scents of blood and freshness.
 He placed the box back to bedside table and wrapped his arm around Angelique's waist.
She took deep breath, turning towards him and snuggled closer to him.
He couldn't help but smile a bit. Now that she was so stressed and scared of her mother, she showed it more openly that she really needed him. Not when she was awake of course, but in her sleep, even she still seemed to have her guard up, she seek safety from his arms. As she had seek safety from him back in centuries ago, from her own past nightmares. He couldn't possibly believe that Angelique, his own Angelique, would have sell her soul to Satan. She had kept holding on everything she can, and her soul belonged to no one but herself. Her heart, how ever, had belonged to him ever since they were young. Her delicate, beautiful heart. He should treasure her heart as it was meant to be treasured so it won't shatter.
 But then again, how he could let go of Victoria? He knew that it was nearly impossible for him to choose between Angelique and Victoria. He had always loved Angelique in his own way. Maybe the feel of it, he had known her forever, was rather safe. Familiar. And he liked it.
 But Victoria, who was Josette's reincarnation, felt so right for him. He had loved her ever since he first met her.
 He sighed lightly and closed his eyes. He would think of that after he had got some sleep. Somehow he still couldn't fall into deep sleep. He kept waking up time to time. Something felt terribly wrong to him. They would not be safe until they found the way to destroy Angelique's mother.
  Knock on the front door, made him freeze for while. He got up, trying not to awake Angelique, slowly, carefully not to get touched with sunlight, he go towards door. He had bad about this, but still he had decided to find out who was after his Angelique now.