Submitted by Soulless Zombie on Wed, 03/20/2002 - 22:58
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Season One will run from Febuary 6th to June 6th.
Due to a upgrade gone wrong all data was lost an thus all post have had to be re-posted so here they are...
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Brushing Against The Dark
Jade shivered as she settled down on the sofa, wrapped in a thick blanket. The clock read half past three in the morning but tired as she was, she'd been unable to sleep. *The bed feels too big without Tris next to me...* Jade clamped down on the wave of emotion that threatened to swamp her and closed her eyes.
She focused on relaxing herself, deliberating switching off bit by bit. "Sleep!" Jade ordered herself. "You'll look for him tomorrow. Right now, you need your rest!" Jade sighed once before her exhaustion took over, setting her adrift onto a sea of darkness and fragmented dreams...
"Come back here you witch!" Jade chased after her sister, a slice of cake in hand as June dodged giggling behind the kitchen counter. Jade's face was smeared with cream, strands of hair clumped together by globs of fudge. "You'll pay for that Ju... I'm going to bury you alive in that chocolate mountain you call a birthday cake!"
She was paralysed, frozen by dark forces. The bodies of her parents lay before her with their throats ripped out, their eyes wide and staring... Jade watched helplessly as her sister struggled against the vampire's grip, her arm outstretched towards Jade, silently pleading for the help that Jade was unable to give...
A light fog coated the cemetery's grounds and swirled around the graves... The air was damp, chilly, silent except for the occasional rustling made by a breeze as it played with the leaves in the trees. Jade sat in front of three headstones, her face expressionless. She reached out, touched the inscription of the one nearest to her.
JUNE LEE
BELOVED SISTER
1978-2001
Valerian stood before her. Tall, dark, handsome. "You brought this upon yourself little one... If you had only realised that this is your destiny, that I am your destiny, your foster parents would not have died as they did. Your sister would still be alive today. It is inevitable, my child. Accept that. Your darkness calls to you, and one day it will overtake you, whether you will it to or not. It would be so much easier for you if you would just embrace it, would it not?"
"No..." Jade muttered in her sleep as she tossed restlessly. "No..."
Jade gasped in pleasure at the punch of power that flowed through her. She lifted her head from the man's neck, blood dripping from her fangs as she savoured the hot rush that came from draining him of his life force. The gemstones around her throat matched the red of the blood-soaked carpet and glittered as she twirled around the ballroom, intoxicated on death, drunk on pain...
The four men were seated, their backs ramrod straight and regal. When Jade came into the room and knelt before them, the one nearest to her stood and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Childe of the dark. The Brotherhood welcome your return to the night... You have proven yourself well..." Jade's eyes gleamed; her voice was low and melodious as she rose, "Thank you Father..."
Jade cradled Sorrow's head in her arms and whispered, "Be still my love... All will be fine as long you don't fight it..." She managed to brush her lips against his forehead before Valerian moved her aside. "Let me do what must be done little one... Do not fret, your beloved will not be harmed." Valerian smirked as he made a slit on his wrist and placed it against Sorrow's lips, groaning as Sorrow instinctively began to suck...
The two of them raced through the night, exhilarated with the evening's spoils. "One more, my darling... A nice young man this time..." Jade's smile was coquettish, her hands trailing down Sorrow's shoulders seductively. "One that will heat the blood, get me stirred up enough so that we could... Mmmm..." Her remaining words trailed off into a moan of desire from Sorrow's forceful kiss, his hands slicking down her body as he pressed her back against the wall of the alley...
"Tris..." Struggling in vain to throw off the blanket of nightmares that plagued her slumber, Jade whispered Sorrow's name. "Don't leave... Tris..."
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
Sorrow strode from the alley, he moved with boneless grace and barely restrained energy. An energy that deserted him minutes later. Fighting the sudden light-headedness he felt, he staggered to a doorway. As the dizziness slowly abated Sorrow's stomach growled. Sorrow swore at himself, he hadn't eaten since visiting the graveyard and in light of the backlash he was still suffering from as well as his recent exertions Sorrow's body was forcefully reminding him of its needs.
Sorrow fought down his weakness and looked around. The neon light of an all night diner attracted his attention. Sorrow walked slowly towards the door. Shivering a little in the night air he entered the diner and took a seat. For a few minutes he just sat there holding his head in his hands, but eventually he picked up the menu.
"Hiya, what'll you have?" Sorrow looked up at the young attractive waitress. Her name badge said 'Cindy'. His eyes drifted to the silver cross that hung around her neck.
"I'll have the steak and couple of side orders of fries."
"How d'ya want the steak, anything to drink?"
"I'll take the steak rare and just a soda water, thanks."
"'kay."
Sorrow watched the young woman walk away and smiled. She seemed rather perky considering the time. Sorrow looked around the rest of the diner but it was pretty empty.
"...Guy who just walked in...a real cutie and the accent..." Sorrow's hearing picked up Cindy's comment to the cook.
A few minutes later Cindy returned with his order. Setting the food down she flashed him a smile and returned towards the counter. Sorrow ate methodically, without really tasting his food. When his plate was clean, he stared out the window, absently watching the passersby as they walked to and fro...
"Can I get you anything else?" Cindy was back, her dimples flashing as she cleared away the dishes.
"No, just the check please."
"You're English, aren't you? I could tell from the accent..." Cindy paused in her cleaning up and propped a hip on the table. Her eyes lingered appreciatively over Sorrow's mouth before flicking upwards to meet his eyes again. "I love British accents."
"Really?" Sorrow smiled faintly. It wasn't the first time he'd heard something like this since arriving in L.A. and had yet to figure out what the Americans found so fascinating about it. "Guess it's an easy one to spot."
Cindy beamed at him, a long lacquered fingernail tapping thoughtfully on the tabletop. "My my..." she thought, *this must be my lucky night. This guy is definitely hot. I'd have to be dead and buried two weeks if I didn't try to hit on him...*
"You just arrived in our little city?" She leaned forward a little, giving Sorrow a better view of the cleavage exposed by her striped waitress uniform. (She'd unbuttoned the top three buttons before making her way over... Just in case...)
"In a matter of speaking." Sorrow did the gentlemanly thing and kept his eyes averted.
"Well..." Cindy drawled. "I get off in a couple of hours... If you'd like, maybe you could meet me back here around midnight... and I could give you your first taste of L.A. by night?"
Sorrow had the grace to look a little embarrassed. "Hmm, I have plans for later, sorry."
Cindy's smile froze momentarily, she knew a brush off when she heard one. *Ah well, no harm in trying...or looking.* "I'll get you the bill."
Sorrow shook his head slightly as Cindy swayed away. The food had helped and he felt much more like himself again. He paid the bill including a pretty good tip for Cindy and left.
A few minutes later he was back on the crowded streets. People moved between the brightly lit clubs and dimmer darker bars. Sorrow listened to the hearts of the people around him. The racing heart of a young woman as her lover kissed her. The slow steady drumbeat of an older man waiting by the entrance of a restaurant. Sorrow never noticed the slow descent into trance; he moved through the crowd listening again for vampires.
The night wore on and Sorrow became frustrated, in a city as large as this he'd expected to meet more than one vampire but he rarely got more than a brief glimpse at a distance before they left. Sorrow sank further into the trance and the need to find prey rose up in him.
It was just turning midnight as Sorrow returned to the diner. Cindy didn't hear his approach and she started as Sorrow trailed a hand down her back.
"Looks like those plans can wait," Sorrow smiled as her whispered softly to her.
Cindy smiled hesitantly she reached up and laid a hand on Sorrow's cheek.
"I'm just waiting for my ride...you can't be too careful round here."
The taxi pulled up as she was speaking, Cindy opened the door and got in. She looked at Sorrow. "Well, are you coming?" Sorrow slid into the seat next to her and smiled. A few minutes later they reached Cindy's apartment. Cindy led the way upstairs. Unlocking her door they stepped inside.
Sorrow pulled her to him roughly as the door clicked shut behind him. He ran his hands down her body and slowly kissed her neck. She stiffened as his fangs pierced her neck, his hand covered her mouth before she could scream.
*Oh god, the taste...* Sorrow had never tasted anything like it, the embrace had been amazing but this was beyond anything he had every experienced. Cindy's heart began to slow and suddenly Sorrow realised just what he was doing. He flung Cindy from him convulsively, his eyes wide with horror he wiped her blood from his lips. "Oh god...oh god...oh god..." Sorrow tried to push away the thought of what he had done. His eyes fixed on the still gasping form of Cindy. Trying to fend off some unseen attacker he voiced his horror and revulsion in a low whisper over and over again.
Unable to stand the sight of her lying there with blood trickling from her neck, Sorrow turned, opened the door and ran. As he reached the street and fled into the night Valerian stood in the darkness across from the building and smiled.
Inner Demons
The form on the bed wasn't asleep, but seemed in a trance. The light within burned true and bright without trouble or care. But the walker could feel the call of the souls in the house. They were more intense, brighter, and the walker hungered for them. Turning from the resting form, the observer moved through the rooms. The main door resisted being opened, but a key was resting on a nearby table.
Bare feet padded down the hallway making almost no noise at all. They stopped in front of each door in turn and their owner reached out to feel the lights within. The sparks of the souls within made the walker smile. The doors were tested, and when found locked were abandoned in favour of another light deeper in the sleepy brownstone building.
One doorknob yielded to the slight pressure, and the well-oiled door released its hold and the barrier disappeared before the walker, allowing it access to the soul light beyond.
The door opened easily at a touch. The chain jingled musically as it hung from the edge of the door. The immaculate living room was decorated with a lifetime of accumulated trinkets. Little snippets of a life lived both with others and alone.
The darkness cast no shadows as the observer strolled across the fine Turkish carpets. In the small apartment there was nowhere to hide, nor was there anyone to see the intruder enter the bedroom.
The soul in the bedroom tugged at the prowler. The delicately embroidered pillows encased a greying head of hair. Reaching out a hand, the intruder felt the soul slip slowly from the body in the bed. It felt rich and pure.
Hands with skin like paper clutched weakly at the covers. Thin lips with smile wrinkles frowned. Eyes flicked open, and the jaw dropped in surprise. "It's you!" gasped the victim as the last of the soul drained into the attacker.
The meal was sweet and satisfying, it charged the intruder with power and vitality. The tingle of life was consumed as shudders of pleasure ran through her body. Satiated, the assailant moved silently and steadily back through the rooms to the hallway, to return once more to the bedroom in which the journey had started. The male form in the bed hadn't moved, and the walker gently lifted the covers to crawl in beside him.
*****
Victor was suddenly aware of his surroundings. His trance was broken, and his eyes were focused on the tiny point of light on the ceiling he had used while he meditated. He had the vague feeling of trouble, when he realized that Tash was clutching the sheets tightly as if in pain or terror. "Wake up! Tash! Wake up! Its a dream!" he said, shaking her a best as he could.
Tash started awake. Victor was shaking her vigorously. "What??" Her eyes opened wide, in terror. She realised she was in her own bed and grasped Victor's arm tightly in relief. "I just had the most horrible dream." She was used to nightmares, but she was accustomed to having the same ones. They had almost become like old friends. This one was completely new and very disturbing.
"I had a...vision, I think." Victor was hesitant. He was new to this idea. But the pictures he could see from his meditations were very vivid.
"I was in a mansion. I was moving through it and could not reach into the rooms. It was as if I was seeking something. I could feel what I wanted but I could not reach it. Then I found my way into an old mansion. It was familiar, but I am not sure I had been there before. I found something. A new life...a pure life... and I drank of that life deeply."
Victor stared into the darkness as he spoke. He hated being stuck on his back. "It’s like the Seven Mansions of Teresa of Avila, each mansion represents..." He had turned to see a look of horror on Tash's face.
Tash was speechless for a few moments, her heart in her throat. She felt the blood had drained from her face and her tongue had suddenly gone thick and dry. She swallowed once. "Victor, that was my dream... I was searching through the rooms looking for a pure light. And I found it...and consumed it." Her voice was barely a whisper by the time she finished speaking.
She turned to look at Victor fully. "How can you have seen the same thing?" A horrible suspicion rose in her mind. "There's one thing I can think of..." she began. The look on Victor's face showed the same thought had crossed his mind. Tash recoiled in horror, then stopped herself before leaping out of the bed. "But I saw you lying here...if it was you, wouldn't your body have disappeared like last time?" Tash was desperately trying to make sense of this. She just knew that Victor wouldn't do anything like this deliberately. *But what about Vrithetek?*
"I was here the whole time...I was meditating. I was aware of being here..." he pleaded. But as he searched his mind he could not recall her presence, he had sequestered her presence from his thoughts as he began his trance. He had not wanted any distractions as he concentrated on healing.
*I didn't forget about her.*
"No," Victor growled. "I couldn't...I wouldn't! You can't!" the last words he shouted as he roughly threw off the covers. He tried to leave the bed and fell roughly on the floor when his legs failed him.
*She wanted to be close to you, so I helped...*
Tash was already getting out of the bed, looking for clothes - any clothes - to put on. "I have to know," she said. The thump of Victor's body hitting the ground startled her. Hastily zipping up the fly of her jeans, she went to his side and tried to lift him back onto the bed. "You know you can't move yet. I'll go. I have to find out..." she didn't know what she'd do if she found it was true. *No, no, please. Let it be just a dream... I couldn't take it...*
"It wasn't you. It’s not your fault..." Victor mumbled to her as they struggled together to get him back in the bed.
*No it’s not her fault, is it, Victor? Tell her it was your fault. She won't believe you, will she? She'll forgive an evil soul-sucking demon who has mind-raped her for a midnight snack because she loves you.*
Victor just cried as he watched her leave. His heart hurt with the grief he felt. *She's not coming back,* he thought.
*Oh I do hope she does...*
*Shut the fuck up!*
Tash ran down the stairs, her mind numb. Reaching Mrs. White's apartment, she noted with dismay that the door was slightly ajar. Pushing it open, she called softly, "Mrs. White? Are you OK?"
Receiving no answer, Tash willed her trembling limbs to move her into the apartment. Although she'd never been inside this apartment before, the knick-knacks around the room looked familiar. Disturbingly so.
Almost certain now, Tash nevertheless had to know absolutely. She felt as though she were walking through molasses, but finally reached the door to the bedroom. It was already open a crack. The illumination from the streetlight outside was enough to show the bedside table with the antique lamp and the book beside it. She pushed the door open a little wider to reveal the corner of an embroidered pillow. It was a pattern Tash remembered only too well from her ‘dream’.
As the door continued to swing open, she saw Mrs. White lying peacefully in her bed. But Tash saw no aura. The woman was dead. Pressing her gloved hands to her mouth to stifle the cry of dismay, Tash backed out of the room. In the living room she turned and left the flat, closing the door behind her.
*Now what do I do? Oh, my God, I've killed her....* Tash leaned against her own door, unable to think clearly. She finally opened the door, still unsure that she could face Victor.
Inside the bedroom, Victor had continued to weep. He imagined he could feel the very energies that had been stolen swirling within him...but of course he couldn't. His despair threatened to consume him. But his rage was building as well. Deep within his mind he could hear the voice laughing at his impotent emotions.
Tash's brain seemed to have shut down completely. She let her feet take her where they would, and she found herself in the hallway between the two bedrooms. She could feel Victor's anger and fear. She took one shaky step towards the motorbike in the second bedroom - towards escape. Everything that had happened today threatened to overwhelm her.
But then she felt something else emanate from Victor. Love and concern. For her. It was too much. She crumpled in the hallway and began to sob. Great, heartrending sobs that, once started, she thought might never stop.
Victor was aware of her outside the door. His senses could smell her tears and sweat. He heard her foot move away from him, and he started to call out to her. The words caught in his throat. *How must she feel?* He didn't want to tell her and hurt her more, and he didn't want to lose her. He gripped the mattress until his talons punched holes through the fabric, and choked on the lump in his throat. Victor swallowed hard. "Tash..." he whispered.
Tash's thoughts were coalescing, the numbness wearing off. Her emotions ranged from complete horror at herself, to rage at Victor. *How could he do that to me? Oh, God, how could I do such a thing? It was me...* Her sobs gradually lessened, and she felt Victor once more through her own emotional turmoil. *He must be feeling as bad. How could we let this happen?* Finally deciding, she crawled the infinite distance across the hallway to her room and Victor.
Victor knew there was nothing he could say to her to ease her guilt. He had never had anything to say to himself for the past 800 years that could ease his own. But he knew that if he could hold her, if his heart could speak for him, then maybe it would have something to offer her. Some small comfort in the face of this disgusting thing.
He pulled himself off the bed, and had snaked with much effort across the floor as Tash pushed the bedroom door open. She was on hands and knees in the doorway, her face glistening with the tears and snot from her crying.
Victor was covered with lint from the mattress and bits of fabric sticking to the patches on his body. He stretched his arm out to her. The arm of the glamour was not long enough, but Victor’s arms were much longer, and she could feel his sharp fingertips brushing her own.
Tash grasped the talons she felt, despite this reminder of Victor's demonic nature that had led to this horror. She crept the last couple of feet towards him, but sat with her knees hunched up to her chest rather than embrace him. She rocked back and forth, tears still flowing, and asked, "How could this happen? Was it me? Oh, God, could it have been me?"
Victor started to reach out and touch her soul, when he felt an eager twitch within himself. He pulled back his hand, and rolled on his side to face her. "No. No it isn't you. It was him. That evil bastard did this to us to break us apart," Victor said in a low voice.
*And it's working!* the gleeful thought came.
Tash seemed to be lost in her grief. She did not respond to his comment. "Tash....Tash?" Victor was becoming concerned..."Tash!" he barked, hoping to get her to snap out of her state.
"She was dead, Victor. Just lying there. So peaceful. And so dead. And the last thing she must have seen was me." She looked at Victor, finally meeting his eyes. Her own eyes reflected the grief and anger she saw in his. She raised one hand slowly, as if to touch his face, but let it drop back. "Was it because I let him in there before? Was that it?" She shook her head. "But he's also you..." She closed her eyes as fresh tears fell.
"It’s not me," Victor angrily snapped, "It’s him...it. I would never...I couldn't ..."
*You let me.*
Victor rolled on his back on the floor. He felt defeated. He wanted to give up and stop struggling as he had for so long. This was more than he felt he could handle. He was tired and he hurt, both body and soul. How could he ask her to endanger herself night after night? "We have to end this. I can't take the chance..." he stated.
Tash tried to push her own guilt aside as she felt Victor's total despair. Even worse than the knowledge that her body had been used to kill, was the thought that Victor might give up his quest. "You take that chance every day. By fighting him. Whether it's me or some hapless person you meet on the street, you always have this war within you." Tash stroked his face, "And you've started to win it. You can't stop now."
"I can't deny it's horrible, and part of me wants to hate you for this. But you aren't the one that did it." Tash looked deep into Victor's eyes. "I don't want to lose you, whatever the risk."
Victor wanted so badly to believe it would be okay, but all he could hear was the other voice mocking him in a singsong voice.
*She wants to haaaate you, she knows you diiiiid it.*
Victor closed his eyes. And pulled back from her again. "It’s not safe. If I can't protect you, then I will have to work twice as hard to keep him under control. Leave me down here tonight, I'll move back into my place tomorrow. Come and see me if you want to, but we can't risk this happening again. Ever."
"No," Tash whispered, her heart going cold. She gripped Victor's hand. "Look, maybe it was just because you're weak right now. I mean, he's never done that before, right?" All the fear, guilt and anger Tash felt was suddenly overshadowed by this new fear. *But I've only just found him,* wailed a voice inside her head. She searched his eyes, looking for hope. "Please..." she whispered.
Victor wanted to smile and hug her but he didn't want to chance it. But the smile crept onto his face anyway. "How did I ever survive 2000 years without you?"
The voice within him started to say something, but Victor killed it with a thought, *She DIDN'T leave me, did she? Liar. Go away.*
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
~16 Feb (evening)~
Jem wandered out of the cemetery. She hadn't fed for a while and was becoming weak. Her trench coat was full of bullet holes and bloodied, she had a few wounds but they would heal quickly.
She stood outside a club for a while, waiting. Humans passed her; many, but she didn't move. She just stood, thinking.
*She should never have come in the first place. She must - no, will - pay.* She looked down at her bloodied top and jacket. *I can defeat her, hell I've killed Slayers, she's just one little hunter, easy as...*
A couple walked out of the club, his arms around her waist. They caught Jem's eye. The couple started walking along the street, heading for Bob's.
"Where are you taking me?" the girl asked as Jem followed them closely behind.
"Somewhere special. The night's still young," the tall, dark haired guy told her. He smiled at her and she returned it.
Jem walked up to his side and looked him hard in the eyes. "Chris?! How could you do this to me?" She slapped him round the face, not hard but convincingly. "We... we... we've been through so much. Only the other night you told me how much you loved me!"
The girl's expression changed. "You...you have someone?"
"Not any more. Take him!" She tried to hold her laughter back. Chris was just looking for a bite to eat just like her.
"Jem!" He played along, it was worth it just to watch people's expressions. Humans had weird feelings, souls. It made no sense to either of them, but human souls were fun things to toy with.
"I just...'"she drifted off, holding her head in her hands. "I could forgive you but you just keep doing it, running off with other people, mortals."
"Ahh Jem, I'm sorry, you know I only do it to get a snack," he grinned evilly at Jem, she grinned back. They stood side by side looking each other in the face then they morphed.
The girl showed fear, confusion. "Who... who are you?" she managed to stutter.
"You do pick the pretty ones though." She walked closer to the scared girl, pulling her beautiful long blonde hair away from her neck and going to sink her fangs into her neck.
"Always," Chris smiled. Jem stepped back. She grabbed the girl over the mouth, stopping her attempt to scream.
"Now play nice." Jem leaned forward and began to drink deep. Chris joined her, drinking from the other side of the girl. They drained her dry and dropped her to the floor.
"Hmmm. I feel better," Jem said as she turned to Chris and took him by the hand.
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
Sorrow ran. He ran from his hate and anger, from his revulsion and guilt. He saw nothing of the street as he ran, just two blue eyes glazed in shock. Blood seeping from the wounds in her neck. In the end though he could not run forever, even his preternatural endurance failed him and he had to stop.
Gasping for breath, Sorrow looked around. He stood in a rundown residential area. Graffiti was scrawled on every wall, uncollected garbage lay in the street. Uncertain of his bearings Sorrow moved off hoping for a street sign.
******
Sorrow was lost. He knew very little about LA and a couple of hours of running had left him with no idea where he was. The two public phones he had come across had both been vandalised but having seen nothing that gave him a good grasp of where he was even had they been working he doubted they would have been of use.
It was fortunate that there were few people around because Sorrow was in turmoil and was paying little attention to his surroundings.
Cindy lying slumped across her sofa, her throat smeared with blood.
*Did I kill her? Oh god, how much did I take?* The memory of the taste of blood rose in Sorrow's mind. He stumbled to an alleyway and vomited, but only bile came up. There was no trace of the blood or food he had consumed hours earlier.
"What the...?* When the immediate sense of nausea passed Sorrow took stock and with mounting horror realised that he was free of pain for the first time in days. In fact physically he felt pretty good. Tears gathered in his eyes as he considered the fact he had stolen life to heal himself. Sorrow struck the wall he rested against with his fist.
Sorrow leant against the wall for a few minutes and tried to stave off his guilt. He saw Cindy's eyes again, pain and shock as she gazed uncomprehending at him. He wanted to go home, to rest in Jade's embrace. He pushed himself away from the wall and started walking again.
******
Sorrow walked aimlessly, no longer even trying to find his way home. His thoughts were consumed with what he would see in Jade's almond eyes when he told her what he was. *She hates them. Valerian killed her family, drove her from her home. Why would she ever spend time with something like me? We seemed so right but what if...?* The thought that it was merely an attraction based on their similar natures appalled Sorrow, yet it was one he could not shake.
In the predawn glow Sorrow's meanderings brought him before a church. It was rundown like the rest of the area. *I could use some peace right now, even if I haven't been in one of these in a long time.* Somewhat surprisingly the door opened without protest. Sorrow walked softly into the church. There were stained glass windows high up but little light was presently cast into the nave.
Sorrow took a seat about halfway down and tried to calm his whirling thoughts. He slipped into a calming exercise and though it took some time he finally reached some semblance of peace.
The church was flooded with light as Sorrow opened his eyes some time later, tinted by the glass it turned the church into a dazzling patchwork of glorious colour. Somewhere off to one side Sorrow could hear somebody moving around. He moved over towards the side door and knocked.
It was opened by a tall, distinguished looking priest. "Oh hello, found what you're looking for?"
Sorrow smiled half-heartedly, "Not yet. I'm a little lost...rather new to the area...Do you have a phone I could use?"
The priest looked at him for a moment. "Yes certainly, come in, it's over there." He pointed into the room.
Sorrow got the address of the church from the priest and ordered a cab. He returned to the nave and spent a little more time in meditation. He heard the cab outside; he got up and put what loose change he had in the collection box as he passed it but was stopped by the priest's voice as he reached the doors.
"I know that this is a less than pleasant part of the city but...A sword?"
Sorrow turned and shot a quizzical look at the priest. "Father, I apologise. It never occurred to me."
"Go in peace, my son, it will be well."
Covering Up...
Several of the street lights flickered, giving the road an eerie, dream-like feel... The cold wind that swept between the buildings rattled the windows and made the stairways creak...
Valerian eyed the entrance of the apartment building distastefully, then rolled his eyes heavenward and slipped through its main gate, his cape fluttering gently as he moved. *The things a father has to do... Really... I never thought I'd see the day I'd have to clean up other people's messes...*
He teleported to the third floor, refusing to risk soiling his clothes by trampling up the filthy stairwell, and paused outside the apartment 39... The door was slightly ajar and through it, Valerian could see the weakly struggling form of a young woman lying on the sofa just beyond.
He focused on her, his shoulders tensing as he concentrated, and her gaze fell upon him. Her eyes were glazed in shock but she saw him and stretched her hand out, blood dripping from her fingers and staining the pale carpet. "H... H-help me... Please..." Almost triumphantly, Valerian swept in, the door closing behind him with a fateful click...
**********************
Valerian looked round the room... *Rather poor taste, but what can you expect for a first kill?* He looked down on the blonde girl, then fastidiously gathering his cloak, he knelt beside her. "P-please..." The girl whimpered.
Valerian's hand drifted up her ripe body before coming to rest at where Sorrow's hunger had left their mark. His eyes captured the girl's... "All will be well..."
Cindy's lips parted as Valerian nuzzled the wounds and shifted under him a little when his hand came to rest on her hip. He crooned softly, "It's all right little girl... It's all right..." She whimpered in pain as Valerian's tongue probed the wound and choked on a scream when his hand jerked suddenly and the sound of tearing cloth filled the air.
Her hands tried to cover herself as Valerian moved to her lips. As his tongue pushed itself into her mouth, she tasted her own blood. Buttons popped away from her blouse as she writhed under his kiss.
Finally realising what was happening, she began to struggle. Valerian let his vampiric strength mark her flesh for a while then he caught her eye again and she grew still. "Shhh... It's going to be all right, I'm going to take care of everything..."
His hands caressed Cindy's face, smoothing away stray strands of hair from her forehead and trailing along her cheek. *Hmmm... Pretty, pretty girl... Perhaps I can see why Tristan chose you to be his first...* He cupped her face, his long tapered fingers brushing her cheeks. *What a pity he failed to finish what he started... That should not have been the way...* Valerian's gaze was almost sympathetic as Cindy look at him, totally entranced...
And didn't make a sound when he broke her neck.
**********************
"Victim's a blonde female, 19 years of age." The uniformed policeman appeared bright and alert as he recited his findings to the weathered-looking man leaning against the door frame. "Cards that we found in her purse ID her as Cindy Wade, her neightbour next door says she worked as a waitress at this diner about 10 blocks away."
"There's been no sign of a break-in, Sir. The doors and windows have not been tampered with and we can find no indication of a struggle taking place." He looked pityingly at the semi-naked corpse splayed on the couch and then back to the Detective assigned to the case. "What do you think happened here, Sir?"
Detective Jenkin's eyes were tired. He had just pulled a 36-hour shift and had received the call for this homicide just as he was about to head home. "I reckon the victim knew the perp. Which means we'd better start looking through little Cindy's circle of friends for someone who might possibly be capable of raping a young girl, snapping her neck and slashing her throat repeatedly with a kitchen knife..."
Jenkins motioned to several others in the room. "Bag her up and get her to the morgue. Let's get out of here fellas..." He turned and shuffled out, fatigue almost overwhelming him. *One more night, one more dead, one more unsolved murder... Nobody does it better than L.A...*
A hot time in the old town tonight.
February 16th:
Tempest sat in the darkness of his lavish apartment, his thoughts as dark as the room. *Damn Victor and Matthias for dangling the carrot of my memories before me. Damn Aetolus for his arrogance and power. Damn Tash, Jade, and all the others for their happiness in the midst of this world's ugliness.*
He held out a hand and willed his sword to him. It appeared in his hand as it had done a thousand times before. He moved it back and forth feeling the fine balance and watching the night-lights from the window play off the immaculate steel edge.
He tossed the sword behind him and listened to the sharp ringing sound that he had heard a dozen times tonight. *I have to get out of here. I have to hunt,* he thought.
---------
Tempest had been hunting for hours and had found nothing. He had been back and forth through the cemetery but while there was evidence of the presence of Vampires, they weren't home. He tried to track them, and aside from the discarded body of a young girl, he didn't find anything.
He was about to look for homeless people to carve on when he chanced across a Vampire. He was small but compact and was busing himself with beating some poor slob. *Tenderizing his meal, no doubt.*
Cian kicked the man in the alleyway brutally. He was screaming at him, little flecks of spittle flying from his mouth, "You didn't tell me that there would be a damn army of witches at the goddamn house!"
All the man could do was huddle in a pile until Cian grabbed him by the neck and jerked him up against the wall. He dangled there swollen and bruised with blood and drool mixed together on his shirt.
Tempest walked towards the alleyway from across the street. The Vamp didn't drop the man, but his attention suddenly focused on Tempest. "What's up little man?" asked Tempest.
The vampire looked as if he might blow a fuse. He crushed the man's windpipe with a single hand, and dropped him unceremoniously on the ground. Cian's voice was low and sinister, "You are going to pay for that insult, asshole."
Tempest's heart jumped, this was what he was talking about: blood and steel. This was when he felt truly alive. The vampire took an easy loose stance perfect for reacting to any move. His arms were relaxed, but poised to strike in an instant. Tempest lunged at the Vampire, willing his sword into his hand as he made his move. Suddenly, an additional 40 inches of steel extended from his hand and through the Vampire's flank.
The Vampire was surprised, but wasn't stopped as his leg flew up into a round kick to Tempest's temple. Already overbalanced by the lunge, he lurched sideways into the alley wall and saw stars for a second as his attacker extracted the blade.
"Now that's a knife!" he said and whistled in appreciation. He grabbed the hilt and made a motion to plunge it into Tempest's heart. Tempest opened his hand and the sword appeared in it. Cian dropped forward driving the point into his shoulder. "You tricky asshole!" he shouted with a mixture of appreciation and outrage.
Tempest released the sword and made a sweeping gesture with his hand, calling the blade as he did so. Cian, having seen Tempest's trick once didn't fall for it again. He ducked under the blade and punched hard into Tempest's stomach. Tempest grunted and carried through his swing, rolling out from under the Vampire's assault and coming to his feet. Cian sized up his enemy and opted to fight this guy where he could control the situation.
As the Vampire ran down the alley, Tempest flung his sword after him. The blade missed, but not by much. Tempest ran after him, but the Vampire pulled out a .45 and fired enough rounds close enough to make Tempest think twice about pursuit. He sat down on a trashcan and thought for a while.
It had been a long time since Tempest could remember being beaten. But his memories only went back to that day in '82 and were largely a blank after that. Just a few snippets remained: those few fleeting glimpses freed from his shard. The other shards called to him. He could feel them, but they seemed so very far away. But they were almost all together. Soon.
Tempest was suddenly struck by an idea. The Vampire was wounded. He must be leaving a trail, even if it wasn't much, but it was something. Tempest went back to the alleyway where the fight had started. Sure enough there was a blood trail. Faint, but it was there.
---------
Cian hurt a lot but he made his way back to the "temporary" lair in the abandoned store. He was sure that that prick with the magical sword would be coming for him. He was sure because he had left a trail of breadcrumbs for him to follow. When he came, Cian would be ready.
Cian surveyed the work he had been preparing for his "going away party" for the last week. Thermite charges and dynamite lashed to the structural supports. Cans of gasoline and jugs of homemade napalm lined the walls next to piles of kerosene soaked rags and newspapers. Cian checked around the rooms for the extra clips he had left in strategic places. Perfect, there would be hell to pay.
---------
The abandoned storefront reeked of chemicals. Even from outside, Tempest could smell the gasoline and decay that surrounded the place. Just for a moment he envied the undead for not needing to breathe. Tempest moved quietly through the debris around the place to a glassless window and climbed inside. His eyes burned from the fumes even as they adjusted to the darkness. There was something on the wall, Tempest moved closer to it and saw it was a bundle of dynamite.
Just then, a voice behind him said, "Welcome to hell, dickweed," then bright flashes pierced the darkness as the gun was fired. Tempest felt the fire of the shots passing though his body and he slammed against the wall with the impact of the high-powered slugs.
He slumped to the floor with five bleeding wounds in his chest. Cian was surprised; he thought it would be a longer fight than that. He went to make sure he was dead. Keeping his gun pointed at Tempest, he approached. When he was close enough, he nudged Tempest's foot with his. No reaction.
Cian lowered the gun, and reached forward. Tempest opened his eyes and willed his sword to him. "Takes more than guns to kill me, dickweed. I won't go to hell for a long, long time!" His swing was aimed at the Vampire's neck, but Cian brought the gun up in time to catch the blade though it still smashed the gun into the side of his head and he was knocked down to the floor.
Cian whipped out the skein dhu and brought it up to stab into Tempest, but Tempest reversed his swing and cut off the Vampire's hand. The knife and hand skittered across the floor and dropped through a hole in the rotted floor.
The two faced each other. The hate between them was palpable. Tempest brought his sword up for a final strike as Cian released the trigger in his other hand. The sword moved quickly through the Vampire's neck and before the dust had settled onto the floor, the charges in the house began to explode.
They started at the front of the store…the long counter splintered and fire erupted in red and orange blossoms filling the room. Thermite charges in the side rooms blew bright yellow flames out and ignited gasoline that burned blue and red. Tempest turned and made a few steps towards the window he had entered.
Dynamite charges atomized support beams and scattered debris into the igniting fumes that in turn rolled into the back room. Tempest took another step, when the dynamite on the nearby wall exploded. The wall he was facing bulged outward and then Tempest was flying out of the building. Shards of glass of huge splintered supports flew alongside him piercing his arms and legs.
The aged building turned into a pillar of flame and smoke. Tempest landed several yards away and scrambled through his pain to keep rolling to extinguish the flames that clung to his body. Tempest opened his hand and willed his sword to him, but when it appeared, it was glowing red from the heat. Tempest screamed in pain as it seared his flesh, and he dropped it clattering to the ground.
As the building burned, he had to move farther and father from the blaze. Before long fire trucks and police and rubbernecking onlookers were crowding the streets. Tempest hid in the shadows and cursed *Damn Victor and Matthias for dangling the carrot of my memories before me. Damn Aetolus for his arrogance and power. Damn Tash, Jade, and all the others for their happiness in the midst of this world's ugliness. I have to get out of here. I have to go home.*
Parting
Tash lay on the bed, unable to sleep. Victor was still lying on the floor, having refused to let her help him back into bed. Thoughts and feelings were tumbling around inside her so much that she was incapable of sorting any of them out.
Finally she propped herself up on one elbow and looked down at Victor. “This is ridiculous. That floor can’t be comfortable, and I can’t sl…” she paused, aware that this wasn’t the full truth. *I promised him honesty.* “…and I’m too afraid to sleep,” she finished.
Victor was silent. He wanted to assure her that things weren't going to be the same, but that he still loved her. But somehow saying all of that would be too painful. So he said nothing.
She closed her eyes and breathed out in a long sigh. She sat up and swung her legs out on the far side of the bed then dressed for the second time this night. “You might as well have the bed. I think I need to go out, get clear of here to think straight.”
Victor was able to help enough that it wasn’t too much of an effort to return him to the softness of the mattress. Tash sat beside him on the bed and gazed at him sadly. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stay here tonight. I thought I could, but…” She shook her head slowly.
"It’s okay, it’s better this way," he said in a flat voice.
“You can’t give up on yourself, Victor. Not when you’ve come so far. I won’t let you give up.” She placed a hand gently against his cheek. “You have a soul. You’re no longer just an evil machine that was made to kill. And I…”
She ripped off her glove, and held her bare hand against his skin, willing the glamour to fade. Staring into the red eyes of Victor’s true form, she continued, “And I love you.” Tash bent to kiss him, feeling the real texture of his mouth with hers for the first time. She felt her love and passion for him stir, even so, and smiled to herself.
Pulling back only slightly, so her face hovered barely above his, she whispered, “Touch me, Victor. Touch me. Then you’ll know that what I say is true.”
Victor’s eyes looked panicked. He was too afraid of the consequences if he touched her soul now, after what had happened earlier. He wasn't sure if he could control the demon side of himself any more. He could feel its eagerness for him to make a mistake. But Tash was insistent, so he reached out and barely brushed the edge of her soul, feeling her fear, her guilt, her anger, but most of all her love.
She smiled at him, watching some of his despair fade. “There must be a way to stop the evil from escaping like that.” A frown creased her forehead, “I’m fairly sure it must be only because you were so busy concentrating on healing. I could tell, before – you were so far away that I could barely sense you, and you were right next to me. Maybe that gave Vrithetek a way out? So it won’t be long before you can control him again….”
"I can't be sure, but I don't want to give him any more opportunities. I love you too much. Please…" Victor couldn't cry, but Tash saw tears on the glamour.
Tash knew they were both rambling, but she was desperate to reassure both Victor and herself that things between them didn’t have to change. She didn’t want them to change. *But what about poor Mrs. White? It’s a bit late for her.*
She stood reluctantly. She worried about leaving him alone, but she knew neither of them could relax tonight with the other so close. “I’ll be back soon. I just need to clear my head, love.”
She turned away before he could see the tears that began to well. Fetching her bike she trudged out of the building, her shoulders slumped. The engine sounded loud in the pre-dawn cold as she rode away from Poplar Avenue. Away from Victor. Away from her guilt.
Proposals and Changes
****Birch Street****
Kate was rushing frantically around the house. She grabbed her jacket from the stand near the door and pulled it over her shoulders. Kate was dressed simply in a tight white T-shirt and black pants; she smoothed her red hair back into place before reaching for the car keys on the console.
“Can’t we just talk about it? …Kate?” pleaded Luc as she headed towards the door.
“I told you, Jade and I planned to clear XY this morning. That place has been a total wreck since Wednesday.” She looked at her watch, “I’m going to be late.”
Luc grabbed a hold of her arm. He looked at her watch. “No, you’ve got plenty of time.” His arms slipped down around her waist and he pulled her close. “Darling, I hate it when we fight…” Kate looked away uncomfortably, “Look I’ll come with you, I need to get those magic supplies and it’s on the way.” He looked hopefully at Kate, but she just shrugged nonchalantly. He gave her arm a quick squeeze and grabbed his coat, holding the door open for her as they left the house.
****Outside XY****
Kate peered through the gaps between the boarded up windows of XY. The shop was still in absolute destruction, *Hmm,* thought Kate, *actually it looks a little worse than I remember…*.
“Jade isn’t here,” she said with an anxious tone. She sighed and turned away, biting the tip of her thumb. “I hope she’s okay, I haven’t spoken to her since Wednesday… maybe we should drive down to Poplar Avenue and check…”
Luc frowned, glancing at his watch. It had just turned 8:25am, “We are early. Perhaps we should just wait a moment first, she might still arrive...”
Kate nodded in agreement but still looked troubled, *Something definitely seems wrong here.* They stood in an awkward silence for a moment then Kate turned back and continued her assessment of the damage in the shop. Luc stood watching for a moment before placing a hand on her shoulder and finally breaking the deathly silence.
“I’m sorry about last night. I shouldn’t have said what I did.”
Kate turned to face him. She frowned slightly then sighed. “There was truth in what you said. I have changed…we’ve changed…I know that…it’s more than just this stuff with Janus, there’s…more…I wish I could explain…”
Luc hushed her quickly. “There’s no need to explain. Whatever has happened between us, whatever problems we have faced, they are in the past.”
Kate smiled slightly, though unable to forget what had occurred between them. So much had changed over the last few years. Luc watched her for a while, trying to determine what she was thinking about. Suddenly he took her hand, intermingling his fingers with hers until he couldn’t tell where one began and the other ended. Kate could feel the tension building in him. She began to feel nervous.
Luc could see her grow slightly distant and so he touched the side of the face gently, letting his fingers caress the smooth contours of her cheek and jaw. He cradled her there, allowing his hand to slowly linger against the smooth curve of her throat and brushing his thumb against her chin. Kate looked up; his eyes were burning with desire.
“Kate, I, I need to ask you…” the words lodged themselves in his throat, he couldn’t think clearly. He stared into her deep brown eyes and lost himself for a moment, then he reached into his pocket and he took her hand gently. “This is long overdue,” he mumbled, gazing deeply into her eyes. He had been waiting for the right moment, but found he couldn’t wait any longer. “Kate, you do know how…..how very much I love you, don’t you?”
Kate nodded, words just felt inadequate, and besides she didn’t know what to say anymore, so she left her affirmation hanging in silence. Luc smiled gently. He withdrew a small box from his pocket and opened it. Inside nestled a beautiful ring set with a single blue diamond. Luc held it out to her, “Kate, it…it would make me the happiest man in the world if you could….if you would consent to be my wife.”
Kate felt something wrenching inside of her, she hesitated for a moment, looking around nervously. “Luc…I…” she stammered uneasily.
Luc immediately sensed her reluctance and his smile dropped, his heart lodging in his throat. He felt sick. “Here, look, just try it on for size, see how it feels…” He quickly pushed the ring on Kate’s finger despite her protests.
Kate stared at the ring for a moment. Something wasn’t right and she could feel it. She looked deeply into Luc’s eyes, he looked so hopeful, so alive, she knew no one would ever love her as much as he did in that instant. She looked down for a moment, then back up into his reassuring eyes. “I do love you Luc…” she whispered softly.
Luc thought his heart would break, whatever she was about to say next he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear it…
Suddenly there was a screeching of tyres as a large black van came roaring to a halt only a few feet away from where they stood. Luc held Kate behind him protectively. He didn’t like the look of this…
Kidnap!!
A few people came running out of various shops to see the commotion. Over fifteen witches piled out of the van - all dressed in long black ceremonial robes. *This was it* thought Kate, she'd been waiting for this moment for over six months. She passed a few knowing glances with Luc; he seemed to understand what she was saying. *The time had come.* They pulled back from the approaching offensive, trying to keep their distance.
"There are too many of them," said Kate quietly.
Luc nodded, they were severely outnumbered. "We're going to have to make a run for it."
They paused for a moment and then suddenly made a desperate break through the group and ran for their lives down an alley.
Serapis climbed out of the van. "You five follow them," he turned to another group of witches, "You go down Kara Street and prepare to block them off, I want them brought back here and I want them alive!"
The witches set off in their respective directions. Kate and Luc heard their pursuers closing in on them and ran for all their worth, stopping as they approached the open street that led to the park where the car was stationed. Kate peered around the edge of the building. The street was empty.
"There should be a powerful protection spell in the Book of Shadows that could help, but we need to get home..." said Kate urgently.
Luc nodded in affirmation. "Are you ready?"
Kate nodded this time. She took his hand and they carried on running, heading towards the green. They were about a hundred metres from their safe spot and could just see the car where they had parked it when the second wave of witches came running in their direction, forcing them to veer to the left.
A warlock shouted out at them, "Halt!" and shot a bolt of light at them. Luc grabbed Kate, using his powers of speed and dodging the bolt which blew a hole in a nearby wall, only a few feet from where they were standing. Kate held her hand out towards their pursuers, a white ball of light growing in her hand.
"Sera Lumen...er, I mean...Fulgetrum!!"
The ball of light shot towards the group, dispersing them. Kate and Luc ran on, as the witches regained their forces.
"We're not going to make it!" cried Kate. She was growing tired now. Luc held her hand tighter, willing her to keep going. They ran down a narrow alleyway. It was dark and cramped, forcing them to go down single file. They stopped halfway. Things were quiet, unnaturally so. Suddenly the meagre light that filtered down from the far end was cut off as the group of witches followed them down the passageway.
Kate took Luc's hand and pulled him towards one end, running as fast as they could, she had a plan...
The leader of the offensive stepped forward, aiming a second bolt of light at their retreating figures, throwing it at them as they were just leaving the alley.
Luc doubled up in pain as the tail end of the blast caught his shoulder, burning his flesh. Kate grabbed him, pulling him around the side of the alley. He writhed in pain, his back against the wall. Kate held him in her arms, soothing him with her healing powers. She felt incredibly drained now. But the attack party had begun to make their way towards them again. She pulled Luc free from the side of the alley and held her hand to the wall.
"Terra... tremere..."
The ground shook a little. Kate looked at her hand as it began to glow with a green energy then she placed it back against the wall and continued.
"TERRA...MOVERE..!"
The ground shook more forcefully this time. The walls around them began to shake, bricks falling to the ground. Suddenly one entire side-wall tumbled to the ground, blocking off the exit to the alleyway. Kate staggered backwards; she turned to Luc who looked dumbstruck.
"How...how...?" he began.
"Come on!" cried Kate, pulling at his arm, "COME ON!!" she cried more urgently. Luc finally took her hand and they hastened away. Their followers were not far behind them. Making a safe portal through the cave in, they all piled out of the alleyway.
"We must not let them escape! Split up and drive them back into the centre," ordered a young warlock.
The group divided in two.
Kate and Luc carried on running, their footsteps echoing eerily in the empty streets. They stopped, gasping for breath.
"I think we lost them..." gasped Kate.
"They're down here!" shouted a voice from afar.
"Spoke too soon!" sighed Luc.
The two groups closed in, forcing the pair to flee down Meridian Square and back down Kara Street. It was too late when Kate and Luc finally realised their fatal mistake. They had been forced to return to the main street in the commercial centre. They were back outside XY!
They stopped, realising they had been out manoeuvred. The group of ten witches finally caught up with them; the other five were circled around the base of the street, blocking any possible avenue of escape. They formed a tight circle around them, closing in slowly. Kate and Luc stood back to back, in the centre, ready to defend themselves.
Serapis stepped forward. "Come with us, Kate. It is futile to resist, you are outnumbered."
"We will never give in without a fight," cried Luc in her defence.
Suddenly Inanna was pulled through the crowd. Serapis took hold of her roughly, her hands were still tied and she was shaking, her face red and tear streaked.
"Inanna!" cried Kate, running towards her. Luc grabbed her and held her back.
"Catherine!" cried Inanna in despair. Serapis removed an athame from under his robe, holding it under her throat.
"You have a decision to make, Catherine. You can come quietly and I'll spare your two friends here, or you can try to fight, and fail, and forfeit the lives of both your lover and your ward."
"No Catherine, you can't do it!" cried Inanna. "You don't know what he's planning to do..."
Serapis wrapped his hand over her mouth, "Time is running out, Catherine. What is it to be?"
Kate stepped forward. "Do you swear, do you promise, to let them both go, unharmed?"
"I promise. They are not my concern, all I need is you," answered Serapis.
Luc took a hold of her hand, "No, Kate. I won't let you do this!"
Kate turned back to Luc. "I don't have any choice. He's right, there are too many of them, you and Inanna would be killed and he would still win."
She touched his cheek with a soft sadness; Luc grasped her hand tightly. "No, Kate, please don't do this..."
"How touching!" mocked Serapis, "so, what is your decision?"
Kate turned back to him, "Let them both go unharmed, and I'll go with you."
Both Luc and Inanna screamed out in protest. "NO!"
Serapis smiled. "Very well sister, as this will be your last request, we shall honour it." He put the athame away, holding his hand out to Kate. "Shall we, my dear?"
Luc looked at Kate with desolation. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, like he had wanted to for months. Desperately, passionately...knowing he might never see her again. But the moment was all too brief and Serapis motioned to his followers to take Kate away. They pulled the couple apart roughly, dragging Kate towards the van. Serapis whispered to a handful of his witches.
"Take care of him, I don't want them following us."
Serapis took Kate's hand, leading her towards the vehicle as the other witches piled in. Luc and Inanna stood together. Kate had just made the ultimate sacrifice for her friends, but at what price? What would become of her now? Kate was led into the back of the van and Serapis followed her.
Luc watched anxiously, he couldn't stand by while his love was taken to meet god only knows what fate, he couldn't! He lunged towards her, "NO! Kate, no!!!"
But this was what Serapis had anticipated. The handful of witches that still stood on the outside held Luc back as he struggled to reach Kate. Luc struck one of his captors hard, knocking him to the ground. The others were getting nervous as Luc continued to struggle. Finally he broke free and made a desperate dash towards the van.
"Kate!" he cried.
He was a few yards from the vehicle when he fell to the floor in pain. Behind him stood one of the witches that had been holding him back. His hand smouldered with the bolt of energy that had been recently fired from it. He smiled wickedly as he and the other witches departed and climbed into the van.
"NO!" screamed Kate, seeing Luc's body lying motionless on the roadside. "NO! LUC!"
Serapis stood and roughly twisted Kate's arm behind her back, pulling her back inside. Moments later the vehicle roared to life and sped away leaving Inanna bent over Luc's body, frustrated tears rolling down her cheeks.
Into the countryside...
The van sped away from the commercial centre. The back of the vehicle was filled with the witches. Kate recognised some as her fellow coveners from England. Others she had never seen before. It was obvious Serapis had been recruiting since he arrived in LA.
Suddenly one of the witches grabbed Kate roughly and quickly injected a small syringe of some kind of sedative into the back of her neck. Kate rubbed the patch of skin in irritation.
Serapis smiled. “Just a precautionary measure my dear, I’m sure you understand.”
Kate frowned, “I gave up trying to understand you a long time ago Serapis.” She paused for a moment. “You said you wouldn’t hurt them, you gave me your word!”
“On the proviso that you came with me. Don’t worry, Lucien will be well, but he should not have attempted to disobey me.”
Kate looked away and brushed her hair from her face. Serapis caught her hand as if glided through the air. He looked at the ring that still shone upon her finger. “I do believe congratulations are in order, Catherine! How sweet! Luc finally managed to ‘pop the question’? Well, not without time!” he paused for a while, “pity you will never live to see your wedding Kate, I always thought you made a beautiful bride…I mean Logan thought so didn’t he?” Serapis grinned mischievously.
Kate maintained her frown. Looking down at the ring, she felt a sickness in her heart, *So much has changed...this is your destiny...* Finally she looked Serapis directly in the eyes, her voice allowing her to sound more confidant than she actually felt. “You have no power over me Serapis.” She looked solemn and bit her lip nervously. “You won’t get away with this.”
Serapis grinned, “But I already am,” he whispered in her ear. “I already am my dear…” Then he sat back and watched as Kate began to visibly yield to the effects of the drug. Her tense body relaxed some and her eyelids dipped sleepily. They travelled the next ten minutes in silence before Serapis finally broke the hush.
“So how do you feel Catherine? Not too tired I hope because I have big plans for you my dear, ones that you will definitely want to be awake for…”
Kate couldn’t hear his voice anymore, everything was shifting, images were blurring together, a mass of swirling colours. She sighed sleepily, her eyes closing….
***Sometime Later***
The van pulled up once more outside the house, nestled peacefully in the clearing of a wood. The witches all piled out, greeted by more of their fellow coveners. Kate’s now unconscious body was carried out and brought inside…
Scrying
****** Around noon ******
The mobile device on the table bleated electronically, the shrill sound rousing Jade from her dream-filled slumber. She sat up, temporarily confused about where she was; everything seemed strangely unfamiliar...
Jade's hand trembled slightly as she pushed her hair back from her face and reached out and picked up the phone. "Hello..." Her voice was husky and somewhat strained.
"Ms Lee? This is Detective Jenkins... I just thought we'd let you know that Harold Anderson's been charged with assault and attempted murder. We'll be holding him in custody till a preliminary hearing can be arranged."
Jade forced herself to concentrate on what was being said. His voice sounded like it was coming from very far away...
Jenkins cleared his throat. "Ms Lee? Are you there?" He sounded tired.
"Yes... I'm sorry Detective," Jade sat up jerkily, "I'm afraid I didn't sleep well and am still feeling a little shaky... It's difficult to think straight..."
"Well, that's to be expected, you've had an extremely traumatic experience. I won't keep you then, you should be resting. I'll be in touch if the D.A decides that he wants you to testify..." His voice was kindly, patient. "Oh, one more thing. Procedure required that we do a sweep of XY... Not that it did much good, with it being in the state it was in. Anyway, our team got on it very early this morning and I arranged for the store to be boarded up after that. I hope that's ok with you."
"Thank you Detective. I hadn't thought of it... Your consideration is deeply appreciated."
After she'd hung up, Jade remained where she was, cocooned in the swath of blankets she'd wrapped around her. Yet, they did nothing to relieve the chill she felt inside. Jade shivered uncontrollably at the visions she saw in her mind's eye... The mist of the cemetery... The frozen look on her parents' faces as they stared back at her... The red ballgown that matched the blood-soaked carpet... The unholy gleam in Tris's eyes as he pressed her even closer...
The thought of Sorrow broke through Jade's reverie and she sat up. *These nightmares... Why am I having them? Are they a glimpse of what's to come or just a spin-off from my memories?* A grim look settled on her face as she recalled the dream fragment where she had held Sorrow as Valerian fed him from an incision he'd made on his own wrist. *I'll never let that happen. That monster will take no more of what I hold dear... God help me, I'll stake him first, or die trying!*
Resisting the temptation to lie back down and succumb to the oblivion of sleep, Jade stood up and headed towards the shower. She paused in front of the hall mirror, lightly touching the bruises around her neck. They'd faded from the violent purple they'd been the night before to a yellowish green. The cut on her head too had scabbed over and was barely noticeable under her hair. *A little benefit of being half-fiend...* Her reflection smiled bitterly back at her before she turned from it walked into the bathroom.
****** An hour later ******
Jade threw the crystal down in frustration and grabbed the packet of cigarettes she'd tossed onto the coffee table instead. She'd been scrying for the last hour in an attempt to gain some insight or an indication to Sorrow's whereabouts but to no avail. Lighting the cigarette, she got up and switched on the radio, hoping that a short break would help her maintain the level of concentration she needed.
She listened idly for a few minutes as the presenter chattered inanely about the weather, and could only blink when he announced the next song on his playlist. Even as she reached out to turn the volume up, the familiar tune and words filled the room...
"I didn't hear you leave, I wonder how am I still here...
I don't want to move a thing, it might change my memory..."
Jade's hand clenched around her cigarette. She started unseeing at it then leaned over and stubbed it out.
"Oh I am what I am, I'll do what I want, but I can't hide...
I won't go... I won't sleep...
I can't breathe... Until you're resting here with me...
I won't leave... I won't hide...
I cannot be... Until you're resting here with me..."
*Talk about apt... and talk about providing the right form of motivation...* Jade straightened her shoulders and flicked the radio off. She made her way back to where she'd spread out a map of L.A and fished the quartz out from the couch cushions...
Beer Bottles, Blades and Blood
~ 17 Feb. ~
The sun had just set and Jem jerked awake. She was sitting in a chair, the TV playing in front of her. The loud rock music filled her dark crypt with sound. Bird lay curled up in a corner, his eyes closed but he was still very aware of his surroundings.
She stood up and reached for her coat that lay over the back of the chair. She remembered the bullet holes then put it back down again. *Need to go shopping again,* Jem thought. Her wounds were now healed.
She switched off the TV and opened the door of her crypt. She walked next door to what used to be Ebony's crypt. Jem hadn't stepped inside there since before the confrontation with the vampire hunter.
Her minions had inhabited the place; beer bottles lay across most available surfaces, weapons leant against the walls. The place stunk. There was still evidence this place was Eb's. Skeletons of animals lay in a few places of the room, the annoying jewellery box had been smashed even more (probably to stop the demented tune from driving everyone crazy), there was her weapons chest near the edge of the crypt and this was what Jem had come for.
A groan came from the far corner. A human. There was a woman about 30 chained up and hurt badly. The smell of blood drifted to Jem. She walked up to the begging woman. "Help me!" the woman managed to mumble through the gag.
*You think they'd eat fresh food,* Jem thought looking at the tortured woman in disgust. "Help you? How? I mean I don't have a key or anything," she told her, nodding to the chains around her wrists.
"Please!" The muffled cries continued.
"They really should learn how to tie a gag properly! There's nothing more annoying than when a person screams while you're torturing them!" She moved closer, grabbing the woman by the collar of her blouse and pulling her forward. The chains pulled on the wall as they became taut. Jem pulled the gag tighter; the woman attempted a scream but it couldn't be heard. "Much better!"
She walked over to the chest and opened it. Inside lay all sorts of weird and twisted torture implements and the odd weapon. Jem sifted through for what she wanted, a sword. She cut her wrist on a blade as she sorted through. "Shit! Why did she never think logically like put a sword in a sheath?"
"Because she wasn't logical?"
Jem turned. "Chris, I didn't hear you come in." He closed the door behind him. "I just came to get a few more weapons, see if Ebs was keeping any safe for me, what with the whole 'my-sword-I-got-from-a-slayer-I-killed-in-1862-is-now-somewhere-in-where-in-the-hell'."
"Oh." His simple reply.
"Let's try her out." Jem wiped her own blood off the blade as she moved towards the woman. "Now this might hurt a little. It should go away after a while but that'll be when the searing pain kicks in." The woman's face was filled with fear and terror. She struggled. "Bye bye." Jem gave a small wave then plunged the blade into the woman's gut. "Mmmm. I think it's sharp enough." She turned around and wiped the blade as she walked out of the crypt leaving the dead woman behind.
Resistance
When Kate awoke she was shackled to the wall of a dark room. She felt like it was underground but she couldn’t tell for certain. The room was so very cold; the impenetrable darkness made it difficult for Kate to distinguish anything that was further than a few feet from her field of vision. Yet she could just make out a door positioned high above a set of stairs, as a thin trickle of daylight strayed in through the keyhole.
The room was made of solid stone with no windows. Kate guessed it was probably a basement room from the placement of the stairs and she could also hear muffled voices and sounds originating from rooms that must be high above her. There was nothing else in the room so far as she could make out, no bed, nor table or chair, nothing. The room held a damp, musty smell of rotting earth and Kate’s warm breath collided with the cold air of the basement, forming white clouds of vapour that rose into the darkness like ectoplasm.
She had been trying for what felt like hours now to unlock the bonds that held her to the wall but they were firmly sealed against her magical powers. She concentrated, opening her Chakras, and slowly she could feel her body and mind separate. Suddenly her physical body hung limp against the wall and her astral body stepped out.
The astral body stood facing the physical body. Wondering why she had not been projected further than the physical limits of the holding cell. She wandered up to one of the walls and placing her hand against it she found that she couldn’t step beyond the perimeter of the room.
*Sealed with magic,* she thought; it was the only explanation.
The astral body wandered around the room and climbed the steep stairs up to the door. She peered through the keyhole. A man stood on the outside, guarding the cell. Suddenly she heard someone approaching. Quickly the astral body stepped back into Kate’s physical body, rejoining her body and mind into one. She awoke from her trance state just as Serapis entered the room.
“How are you liking your new accommodation?” He walked up to her, and gently caressed her cheek. “Don’t be unhappy Kate, I know you are afraid…” *you should be* “…but this is your destiny child, this is what you were born for.”
Kate narrowed her eyes at him, “If you’re going to kill me…”
Serapis laughed. “Kill you? If I wanted you dead my dear, you would be. No, I need you alive. I need what is in that pretty head of yours, and when the time is right, I shall have it.”
“Then why are you doing this? What do you need me for?”
“Janus chose you my dear, she chose you from day one. Your mother and she were close, but she never knew what Janus was capable of either.”
“The two of you deceived us all, my mother, myself, the coven. We all put our faith in you, and Janus.”
“You were fools then, but people rarely see what is in front of them…they prefer to believe what makes them most comfortable.”
“You won’t get away with this, whatever you are planning to do, people will come for me.”
“Of course they will,” Serapis mocked. “Let's just see who ‘they’ might be now…” He produced a list from his pocket. “Miss Natasha Brookes? Vampire Hunter, born in St. Louis, 1978. Now she’s a strong woman, very strong, but you see I don’t think she’ll be all that concerned about you though. Not when she has her demon lover to attend to.” He laughed to himself, “Vrithetek and a human, what a world! Now who else do we have?” He flicked through the list. “Ah, Miss Jadyn Lee. Employer of yours am I right? Hmmm, adopted daughter to Carrie and Simon – both dead now of course. Vampire attacks, they’re always so violent, so…disturbing. Makes it very difficult for the survivors to come to terms with their loss.” Kate began to speak but Serapis silenced her with a cold stare. “Now Kate you will thank me in the end, it is always best to know the truth…”
“What would you know about the truth? You’ve lied to me all my life!”
Serapis ignored Kate’s comment and continued to flick through the list, finally stopping on one page. “Oh this is where it gets interesting. You know there is a lot of mystery surrounding Miss Lee’s natural father, took our research team a lot of time and effort to track that information down, but by the gods it was worth it! It appears that her father is none other than the great Vampire Elder Valerian! How about that? You’ve been working for a vampire half-breed, and a descendant of the Brotherhood! Now lets see, whom else you’ve been associating with…Tristan Barrington…”
“NO,” said Kate with a determined force. She shook her head forcefully, “I don’t want to hear anymore.”
Serapis smiled in satisfaction and replaced the list in his pocket. “There is no one who will help you Kate, your so-called 'friends’ are all wrapped up in their own lives, too much so to be concerned with your disappearance. Serapis laughed. “I expect Lucien will be foolhardy enough to attempt to rescue you, but he alone isn’t capable of defeating me, and there isn’t time for him to beg the Coven for help, even if they would listen to him. He is a traitor you see, like yourself.” He laughed again, “do you think I am alone here in this city? This thing is bigger than just you and I. I have allies, powerful allies, and you have a handful of pathetic, misfit friends. Who do you think will triumph? There is no one here who will be able to save you, you are mine now.”
“Never,” said Kate in determination, yet inside she felt sickened from what she had just learnt about Jade.
“It will be interesting to see just how long that determination will last. You will be strong, but even your strength cannot last forever, you will break and fall, and then I shall have what I need. I will have the power of ages. It shall bend to my will, and darkness shall rule once more.”
Kate laughed out loud in amusement, trying to cover her anxiety. “Have you ever thought that maybe the whole ‘I’m gonna take over the world’ ploy is all a little too…oh I don’t know…predictable? Ever thought of just settling down and accepting retirement gracefully? I hear New England is nice this time of year.”
Serapis smiled, “Oh it will be a shame to see that fire, that glowing flame of your passionate spirit, put out.” He walked towards the door. “Know this, I will do whatever it takes to fulfil my destiny. If you think I don’t have the guts to send you to Hell, you will be sorely mistaken!” He slammed the door shut behind him, sinking the room once more into total darkness.
daye and drew go dancing
Daye double checked her appearance in the full length mirror in her bedroom. The red slip dress she had bought just this afternoon flattered her figure and offset the fiery color of her hair. Daye had added simple sterling silver jewelry for accents and a pair of strappy red sandals. She felt very beautiful and, for the first time in ages, young. When Drew had asked her to go dancing with him that morning, Daye’s first instinct had been to say no. After a moment’s consideration, however, she realized that she rarely did anything fun and that she really enjoyed this man’s company. They had talked for hours at the bookshop, and he had only left because he had an early afternoon class to teach. Drew had suggested this evening’s date right before he ran out the door. He had called the shop three times to make sure she was going. Daye felt almost giddy at the thought of doing something that didn’t involve demons or the apocalypse.
Daye grabbed a light sweater when she heard the doorbell ring. She hurried to open it, feeling a thrill at the sight of her date standing on the other side dressed in black slacks and a blue shirt. He had combed down his unruly hair and Daye was shocked at how handsome he looked all dressed up. Drew let his gaze linger on her for a few moments, and Daye could see his appreciation in his eyes and smile as he extended his hand to her.
“You look … amazing,” Drew said. “Wow!”
Daye blushed, laughing softly. “Thanks, so do you.”
Drew shrugged noncommittally. “Ready to go?”
Daye nodded, grabbing her bag, a small, red silk purse with a drawstring closure. Daye had put her most necessary herbs and components in along with lipstick, ID, and some cash. She was a girl who believed in being prepared for any eventuality.
Daye took Drew’s arm, following him out of the apartment and to the elevator. They rode down to the first floor, and left the building. They caught a cab and were soon standing in front of an intimate nightclub, Club Asylum. There was a long line of people waiting to get inside. Drew spoke to the bouncer for a moment, and then he led Daye inside the very crowded establishment.
“How’d you do that?” Daye asked, leaning into Drew to be heard as they moved inside.
“He’s in one of my seminar classes,” Drew replied, grinning. “He wants to get a good grade, so he’s willing to help me impress you.”
Daye laughed softly. Drew led her to a tiny table off the side of a small stage and pulled out a chair so she could sit. He sat across from her and watched as she scanned the room thoroughly.
“Looking for the emergency exits?” he joked.
Daye blushed deep red, realizing that she had been scanning the club for danger. *Some habits die hard,* she thought. “No, just looking around,” she said. “I was wondering why they were so crowded tonight.”
“The band is quite popular,” Drew answered. He had leaned across the table to be heard and Daye leaned forward as well. They were only inches apart and Daye found herself staring a bit dreamily into his eyes.
“The band?” she repeated a little breathlessly.
“They're called Druid Moon,” Drew said. “I thought you might like them.”
At that moment, a band came on, playing Celtic Rock. The first song was catchy and fun. Daye’s face lit up when she heard it. She turned away from Drew and focused on the band onstage. They sat listening for a few moments, just enjoying the music and Drew took Daye’s hand, clasping it across the table. Daye glanced at him when he did and smiled. The band played a couple of more fun, fast songs, before switching gears for a powerful ballad. Drew stood, tugging Daye’s hand and leading her to the small dance floor. Within moments, Daye found herself wrapped in Drew’s strong arms, swaying and gliding around the floor. She felt safe and … normal.
Daye and Drew danced like that for hours. In between sets, they sat and talked, sharing drinks and stories. Finally, the club was closing, so they left together, heading out into the dark LA night.
Daye and Drew held hands as they walked down the street, enjoying each other's company in silence. Finally, Drew spoke up. “I feel like I’ve told you so much about myself,” he said. “What about you? I know you were born in Ireland and grew up in England, but what about your family, your friends? The rest of your life?”
Daye bit her lip, not responding at first. How much should she tell him? He was so ordinary and she didn’t want to scare away the first normal person she had met in ages. Especially one so cute and funny. “My life is pretty boring. My family is all gone, I don’t have many friends because I just moved here, and I work at the shop. The people I have met are mostly through work. And the rest will have to wait for later,” Daye replied as they came to her building. “This is my place.”
“Right,” Drew grinned. “I guess so.”
“How are you getting home?” Daye asked, leery of him walking through the neighborhood at night.
“Bus,” he said, looking nervous. “I should probably go get one.”
“Probably,” Daye agreed. She found her gaze drawn to his mouth. Was he going to kiss her good night?
“So, will you be in the shop tomorrow?” he asked.
Daye nodded, nervously licking her lips. “Ok, then I will have to drop by between classes,” Drew leaned towards her slowly. “I can’t wait,” he murmured. Softly, he brushed his mouth across hers, once. He pulled back slightly. “Don’t forget me, okay?” Drew leaned in again and touched his mouth to hers with a bit more force. The second kiss was sweet and stirring. Daye felt her body swaying towards him, when he pulled away. He reached out and gently stroked her cheek before whispering good night and turning her towards the door of the apartment building and giving her a gentle push. Daye walked up the steps and went inside, feeling his gaze upon her the whole way. She practically floated up to her apartment and inside.
************************************************************************
Lurking in the shadows outside the apartment building, the Night Walker watched Amanda’s date walk away in the direction of the bus stop. Rage boiled within him and he almost lashed out at the man, but at the last moment he grabbed hold of his anger. The Night Walker buried his anger and counseled himself to remain cool. This man could prove to be Amanda’s undoing. Best to let things develop and see how it goes. Perhaps one day soon, this man would be valuable to her and he could use that value to hurt her as he had once been hurt.
The Search - Parkway Road
The mid-afternoon sun shone down mercilessly on the city as Jade hailed herself a cab. "Parkway Road", she said, slipping off her jacket and knotting it around her waist.
She saw the driver glance curiously at the marks on her neck and ignore them, focusing instead on the map she withdrew from her pocket. Two red crosses marked the spots the quartz crystal had been drawn to but Jade had no idea what to expect. As it was, locating someone by scrying depended heavily on a clear, focused mind. *My emotional turmoil of the last 24 hours is probably going to lead me on a wild goose chase... And when you take into account the size and overcrowding of L.A...*
She spent the next few minutes lost in thought, alternating between fervent bouts of prayer that Sorrow would be at either of the locations she had targeted and spurts of worrying about what she was going to say and do if he was...
When the cab pulled to a stop along a small, dingy street, Jade paid the driver with trembling hands and stepped out, her eyes searching for the building she wanted. It wasn't difficult to find, most of the apartment complexes in this area has been torn down or boarded up. *With good reason.* She shivered slightly, despite the hot sun. *This place is terrible... The worst I've seen since coming to L.A...* Number 166 Parkway Road was the only residential block that remained inhabited. *Could this be the apartment Tris told me about?*
Jade stepped into the lobby, wincing at the stale, sour smell that permeated the air. *This place is a hovel! I can't imagine Tris living here...* She paused, feeling a little lost. Now that she was actually here, she didn't quite know what to do. Go from door to door, checking if Sorrow was inside? * Ridiculous! There has to be about a hundred shoeboxes-disguised-as-apartments in this dump!* Her shoulders drooped a little as the fierce sense of determination she felt earlier began to ebb.
A creak from the wooden stairway had Jade looking up. A young man about her age was precariously balancing an over-filled cardboard box in his arms as he ambled down. His eyes opened wide in appreciation as he caught sight of her and came to a stop. "Hiiiiiii... Haven't seen ya 'round here before. Don't tell me ya just moved in? Not when I've finally decided to move out? Damn... If you're gonna be my new neighbour, I'm renewing my lease! Oh, I'm Jake by the way..." He plopped the box at their feet and stuck out a hand.
Jade tried not to grimace as she slid her toe out from where the box had landed. "I'm Jade", she said, a little disconcerted by his guileless beam and scattered chatter. "And no, I'm not moving in... I don't see how anyone would want to..." She gestured absently at their surroundings and smiled.
"Awwww, it's not so bad and the rent's cheap!" Jake's quipped. "Hey! Jake and Jade... Cute..." Dimples danced in his cheeks and he winked at her. "Maybe ya'd like to grab a cup of coffee with me instead of hanging around here? This isn't exactly the place for the start of what could be the romance of the century!"
Jade couldn't help it... His earnestly hopeful look and boyish grin made her chuckle, her first real laugh in what seemed like ages. "I'm afraid I can't... There's... well... sort of something I have to do right now..."
Jake shrugged good-naturedly and said, "Ok... Something to do eh? Ohhhh, lemme guess... You're a reporter!" Before Jade could sneer, his next words stunned her into silence. "Here to investigate that terrible murder we had upstairs..." Jake's clear grey eyes shadowed over. "Bad business that was... Makes me glad that the dorm at Uni finally had a vacancy and I can clear outta here... Unless of course," he grinned again, "ya changed ya mind about wanting to move in?"
"Murder?" Jade's hand shot out and took hold of Jake's arm. Her intense stare made Jake feel a little uncomfortable and she forced herself to relax her grip and smile. "Yes, I'm here about that. Could you show me which apartment that was in? Please?"
*****************************
Jade swallowed the lump of disappointment she felt when she saw that apartment 39 was shut, a yellow police tape with the words {CRIME SCENE DO NOT CROSS!} taped across it. Jake was looking at her curiously as she turned to him. "Do you know what happened here? Who got murdered?" She kept her tone casual to mask the fear that clawed at her. *Tris is ok. It's not him. I would know if he'd been hurt!*
"Sure... I stay down the hall... Was up really late... ya know... packing my stuff when the police came barging in. Mr Smith, that's the old caretaker, he saw that Cindy's door was wide open when he got in at about 5am so he went to check if she was ok. Hey! Are you all right?" Jake looked worriedly at Jade as she sank back against the wall, weak with relief.
"I'm fine. Please... Continue..."
"Well, ok... Where was I?" He shuffled awkwardly from side to side. "Oh! Yeah... So... Mr Smith finds her lying on the couch with her throat slashed to ribbons and he goes nutso, yelling and shouting loud enough to wake the dead. Oops..." Jake winced. "Sorry about that."
"Anyway, I heard him yelling and I ran out to see what the f was going on." Jake decided to leave out the bit where he'd taken one look at the body and barfed up the hotdog he'd woofed down earlier. "Then we went into my place and called the cops."
Jade's face was pale and slightly puzzled. *How is Tris related to all this?* She glanced at the apartment door again before asking, "Do you know anything else?"
"Not really. I was kinda in shock, ya know? Cindy and I were friends. We hung out a little from time to time... Seeing her like that really did me in!" Jake reddened a little, then his eyes brightened. "Hey! I do remember something. I overheard one of the doctor cops... medical examiners or whatever... saying something like Cindy was already dead when her throat was cut. That it wasn't the slash wounds that killed her... Her neck had been broken and there were these two weird puncture marks on her neck... They even asked me if Cin did any drugs... Yeah right! Stupid assholes..." Jake scoffed.
*Puncture marks...* Jade's hands grew damp and she wiped them on the seat of her jeans. *Vampires... It must be... Was Tris hunting them? Damn it! I've got to know what's the relation here!*
Clamping down on her frustration, Jade walked back down the hallway and down the stairs to the lobby, the besotted Jake trotting after her like a puppy. *I've got to take a look at the apartment. But not with Jake around...*
At the building's entrance, she turned to him and smiled sweetly. "Thank you Jake, you've been a huge help. And I promise, if we ever meet again, I'll have that cup of coffee with you. Right now, I've got to go and you've got to move house..." She looked pointedly at the discarded box he'd left on the floor.
"I'll hold you to that!" Jake beamed happily and dug out a pen. "And just in case you decide that you want that to be really soon, like... tomorrow or later maybe... call me at this number ok?" He scribbled something down on Jade's map before hoisting up the carton and swaggering away. Jauntily getting into an old jeep, he waved enthusiastically then choked the engine to life and sped away.
The Search - Inside Cindy's Apartment
Back at apartment 39, Jade looked around furtively. Confident that there was no one around she placed her hand near the door knob, her charm bracelet clinking softly against the metal and muttered. "Patefacio!"
The soft click told her that she'd succeeded. Jade withdrew a pair of woolen gloves from her jacket pocket and slipped them on before pushing the door open and ducking under the police tape to make her way in.
The room was small and cramped. Sprinkles of fine, greyish powder covered almost every available surface and a large dark patch stained almost half of the sofa's upholstery. Jade didn't move around much. She just closed her eyes and stood near the door, praying that somehow she'd be able to sense something that would provide her with the answers.
*What wouldn't I give to be psychic right now. Or at least, to have Tash or Kate with me. But Tash's made it clear that she'll not betray her promise and I can't ask her to. And Kate has problems enough of her own...*
The sudden rush of cold had her dropping to her knees, gasping for breath. A deep and horribly familiar voice had her eyes darting left and right, her heart pounding with terror when she realised she was completely alone.
*So little one... We meet again. In a matter of speaking.*
"Noooo..." Jade's agonised whisper came out in a rasp of breath. "Y-you... You did this!"
*Well, let it suffice to say that I finished it. I look after my own, have I not always done so? Even when they disappoint me.* Valerian's tone was mild, deceptively so.
She trembled uncontrollably and clutched at her head, trying to block out the voice in her mind as she bewilderedly tried to make sense of everything. "H-h-how is Tris involved in this? Why h-haven't I sensed you b-b-before?"
*Come now, we might share blood little one, but to a vampire of my esteemed position, masking myself from you is child's play. As for your beloved, I would say that this, at present, is the least of his problems...*
"You monster!" Jade jerked herself to her feet. "If you hurt him..."
*Hurt him? That notion is almost absurd! I can guarantee you that Tristan is in no danger from me... Why... I positively dote on him. Would I have bothered with this otherwise?*
Valerian's chilling laughter rang through her head, turning her momentary anger into a hysteria of confusion and fear.
Whirling around, Jade yanked open the door and darted back into the hall. *I've got to get out of here and find Tris... Please god, don't let it be too late...* The wild cackles faded as she distanced herself from the apartment, running as fast as her legs would carry her back to the street where she hailed a cab and jumped in.
"St Matthew's, on Broadstone Avenue."
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
The helicopter pad had been cleared and two cars brought up. Both were rental cars and both were black in color. Military personnel and civilians only knew that someone important from a Federal agency was arriving - only none of them knew exactly which agency.
There was one person who knew the truth, and he wasn't talking. He was in fact an older gentleman in a gray suit and vest, white shirt, and red striped tie. His curly hair was more silver than solid gray at this point. Nobody knew what agency he worked for, but only that he was waiting at the helipad for 20 minutes, leaning on one of the cars.
In the distance, an unmarked black helicopter appeared and approached quickly. The man checked his watch. He had known the trip from Area 51 would take two and a half hours, but still wanted to show up early. A few minutes later the helicopter was landing and another man emerged.
Galen had taken advantage of the ride to read the reports that they had received, and also to look over the files that Majestic had on the Coven of Sindel. When he got out of the helicopter, he was dressed in what the members of MJ12 jokingly called "The Suit" - black suit, white shirt, black tie, black shades. Grabbing his suitcase, Galen started over to the other man, his contact with Majestic in the area.
"Good afternoon, Agent Griffin," the other said. "Our superiors must be rather concerned to have responded so quickly."
Galen nodded as he reached his contact. "They tend to get that way when there's a big spike in mystical activity and the amount of covering up we have to do."
"That event in Pasadena may not be the worst to come. Have you heard the official story yet?" When Galen said nothing, he gave it. "Very tragic. The spark from the truck crash caused an explosion with a gas leak nearby."
The two began to walk over to the other car, Galen's contact giving him the keys. They continued to talk as he put the suitcase in to the trunk. "I read your most recent report about spotting Tango with a new friend.
Do you have the photos?" His contact handed over a manila envelope. Inside it were various pictures that could be used later in questioning - mostly people from the Coven, but also the Order. "Thank you. One final thing, how's the cover-up of the Wiccham case going?"
"Splendid," replied his contact. "Our detective had to file some paperwork, but the case is being quietly buried in the Bureau. All you have to do is pick up the files from him. He'll stay out of our way while we're looking in to this. By the end of this weekend, as far as the police are concerned, Ms. Wiccham's kidnapping did not occur."
The contact turned to leave, then stopped. "By the way, we know that Ms. Wiccham worked at a magic shop called XY. The owner is a woman named Jadyn Lee. It's possible that she could know why the Coven is interested in her."
Galen thanked the other for the information, and the two got in to their cars and started off. The guards at the gate waved him through on the orders of his contact. Each of them went in different directions, but first Galen checked the glove box. Sure enough, there was a phone and information on where he was staying in the city. He checked the hotel. *Days Inn?* he thought. *Just once, you'd think they could put me in the Ritz.*
The Torturer Anubis
Anubis looked at Kate’s beaten, tied body. He slammed the door to the basement shut and turned back to Serapis.
“You seh she wa da ‘pure wan’? I tought you seh she don kill somebody?”
Serapis smiled, “Well there are things that are truth, and those that we believe to be truth, do you understand?”
“No I dun tink I do mistah.”
Serapis thought back to the night of Janus’s death as he explained the circumstances to Anubis…
****FLASHBACK****
Kate and Janus struggled on the floor, the abyss swirling at their feet. Kate seemed to be fending off Janus’ advances and at first she appeared to be winning the fight. “Veneficum…Conversio…” she began to recite, her hand over Janus’ forehead.
*This could not be happening, she was not supposed to be so strong.* Serapis hesitated in the shadows, darting back and forth, unsure of whether to step in or not. It seemed he did not have to. In an instant Janus plunged the knife blade deep into Kate’s shoulder, and she cried out in agony. He moved around in frantic anticipation, he needed to see this…it would be…sublime.
Janus bore down on Kate, the blade aimed at her heart. Kate caught the knife. Both of them held on to it, pushing in opposing directions. Kate held her hands over the hilt as Janus grabbed a hold of the blade, its sharpness cutting into her hands. She cast a glance over to Serapis as he stood in the shadows waiting. He nodded his affirmation, and her eyes gleaming Janus pulled the blade into her heart. Kate gasped in shock, releasing the hilt from her own hands. Janus grabbed her hand, squeezing it in hers, “Dies Irae…I shall see you there…” she mumbled as she closed her eyes.
Kate coughed blood up in her mouth. She was badly wounded and swayed around before collapsing on the floor. When he was sure she had fallen into unconsciousness, Serapis emerged from the darkness. He wouldn’t have a lot of time before the Dawn Patrol arrived. Quickly he closed the vortex and returned to the two bodies on the floor. Janus wasn’t dead yet, he could still hear her shallow breathing. He took up Kate’s hand and used it to press the blade down firmly into Janus’ heart. She let out a contented sigh and died. To be sure, Serapis removed the blade and plunged it repeatedly into the dead corpse a couple more times, carving the rune of possession into her head before wiping his fingerprints clean and wrapping it tightly into Kate’s trembling hand.
There was just one last piece to complete the picture. He held his hands over Kate’s body. A yellow glow formed just underneath them, “Curatio, Spiritus, Vivificus – Oboedi cupiditas!” The glow shot from his hands into Kate’s body, flowing into and healing her wounds. Serapis vanished back into the darkness before Kate sat up. Cowering over the dead body, the knife in her bloody hands, the abyss sealed and gone – along with her wounds.
Her trembling fingers dropped the weapon as she bent over Janus’ corpse. She frowned and drew her hand over the rune carved into her forehead. Serapis laughed to himself as Janus’ soul ripped down Kate’s arm and into her body in the form of a bright purple glowing light. Kate rolled back in shock, holding her arm out in pain. Suddenly the door to the tower flew open as The Dawn Patrol arrived…
****END OF FLASHBACK****
“Ah I see now mistah Serapis, remind me neva to cross you sah! Da girl she know none o dis ya?”
“She would not have fled for her life otherwise,” smiled Serapis. The deception had been a good one, even Kate herself had been convinced she had killed Janus. “She had to be removed from the Coven, I could not afford to have them meddling in my affairs, besides…I have my own following now.”
“So wad you wan me to do wid her?”
Serapis smiled again, the time was so near. “She is very powerful, she will need a lot of your…specialist persuasion…you know what to do. The transpossession cannot take place on the strong willed. For her mind to be weak we need to first break down her magical resistance, her physical strength. Your job is to make her weak, submissive, but I do not want her dead, do you understand that Anubis?”
“I do sah, tho she will be beggin' me ta kill er once I is through wid er.”
“Don’t damage the body, not too much,” he smiled. Janus would not be happy if her new toy was broken before she even got it.
“No worries sah,” said Anubis. He picked up a big black doctors bag, and with a happy grin entered Kate’s room.
The Search - St. Matthew's
The trip from Cindy's neighbourhood to the more upscale district of Broadstone didn't take long, 15 minutes at the most. To Jade, however, the ride was one of the longest in her life. She looked down, saw that she was wringing her hands together anxiously and shifted slightly to sit on them instead.
More than once she caught herself glancing back or jumping at any sudden sounds, as if she expected Valerian to reach out suddenly and tap her on the shoulder... *God, I've got to stop this. Focus damn it! Right now, the most important thing is to get to Tris before it's too late, before that fiend finds him first. It's daylight. He can't do anything. Not for another few hours anyway!*
Jade calmed the rising panic in her heart and leaned against the tinted window. *Oh please god, please let Tris be at the church. I don't know what I'm going to do if he isn't!*
The cab jerked to a stop outside a small, gothic structure and she looked up. Tiny stained windows set in dark wood and stone winked in the sun. Jade paid the fare and got out, starting a little as the bell in the church tower started to peal.
*Mass? Now?* Jade looked at her watch. Half past four. She shrugged. *Weird time to be holding it...* She walked through a small deserted courtyard, pushed against a heavy wooden door and entered.
The smell of beeswax candles and lemon polish filled the air. For some reason, that calmed her. As Jade started forward, the panic she'd felt since learning of Sorrow's leaving seem to all but disappear. *It's been a long time since I've stepped into a church. I haven't since Mom and Dad...* The rush of grief she felt was familiar, but no less painful for that.
Out of habit, or perhaps instinct, Jade crossed herself as she reached the front of the aisle and knelt down before the altar. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears and she gazed up at the benign face of the Virgin Mary, the turmoil she felt evident on her face.
For several long minutes, Jade just stayed like that, allowing the quiet of the church to wash over her. *How ironic is this? I am what I am... and yet, I find something akin to peace in a church!* So intent was she on her own musings, she failed to notice the dark figure approaching her from behind until his hand reached out to grasp her arm...
*****************
"Oh!" Jade whirled around, her hand instinctively drawing up to defend herself from any oncoming attacks. Pure luck alone had her stopping just in time and kept her from breaking the priest's nose. "Oh..." She repeated as she lost her balance and fell backwards, landing rather awkwardly at the surprised man's feet. "Ow!"
Hurriedly standing up and dusting herself off, Jade said, "I'm so sorry Father... You startled me..." Her cheeks were flushed, her tone soft and apologetic.
"I'd say that much was evident... I do appreciate your restraint though." Father Haydn's eyes were mildly amused as he guided her to a pew and gestured for her to sit down. "What are you doing here child? Is something wrong?"
Unsure and a little uneasy about how to voice out her aim in coming to the church, Jade smiled and opted for a safer answer. "I'm here for the afternoon Mass, of course."
The priest coughed discreetly. "Hmmm... Well... That would probably be more believable if we actually had an afternoon Mass my dear."
"But... the bells... I thought..." caught in her lie, Jade's voice trailed off and she blushed...
"I'm not sure why they sounded like they did. They weren't meant to. The church bells are only supposed to sound on Sunday morning and Sunday evening, before our weekly Mass." Father Haydn's expression was puzzled. "In fact, I had just gone to check on them and was going back to my quarters when I noticed you..."
Jade's face clouded over and she darted an uncomfortable look at the figure of Mary. Seeing that he had somehow troubled her further with his mention of the bells' unexplainable ringing, Father Haydn backtracked to his original question. "Honestly then child, what's wrong? You look terribly unhappy..."
After a long, hesitant pause, Jade replied. "I've come in search of some answers Father... And in search of someone... I can't get the first till the I find the second, and it is imperative that I locate both as soon as possible." The panic began edging its way back into her words as they tumbled out. "Lives could be at stake here!" Her hands gripped the edge of the pew so hard that her knuckles turned white.
Taking a deep breath to regain her composure, Jade continued. "My... research... led me to believe that the person I seek was here, but he isn't." She closed her eyes for a moment. *I would have sensed him if he was.* Opening them again. "He might have been earlier, but not any more."
The priest's eyes were pensive, thoughtful, as he regarded the young woman in front of him... and remembered the young man with the haunted eyes and deadly sword that he'd met earlier. An inner voice told him that the two were somehow, irrevocably linked.
Smiling sadly, Jade rose. "Thank you for your listening ear Father, but I'd better go. It won't be long before night falls and I've wasted enough of your time." *Like I have tons of ideas on where to search next!*
Father Haydn watched silently as she walked towards the door, the weariness in each step visible even to his old eyes. Jade was struggling against an impending sense of defeat when the priest's voice made her stop in her tracks.
"There was a young man here this morning. Tall, dark hair, with a sword..."
*Tris!* She spun around, hardly breathing as hope bloomed. "Yes. That's the man I'm looking for. Please Father, please tell me where I might find him!" *Don't let him say that he doesn't know... God, anything but that!*
"He called for a cab. The address he gave as his destination was Malcolm Street. A converted warehouse, I believe I heard him say..."
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
An exhausted Sorrow stumbled out of the cab in the early morning light. Paying the driver, he turned towards the empty building and sighed. *You should have gone home.* He took the elevator up to the fourth floor and walked into the apartment, leaving Hizashi somewhere in the living room as he entered a bedroom. Thankful for the blinds he stretched out on the floor and despite the discomfort quickly fell asleep.
Rain in a darkened alley lit by far distant neon.
A young woman walking slowly home barely disturbed by the shadow that follows her.
A gleaming blade suddenly illuminating the darkness.
Dust in the wind.
Almond shaped eyes shining in the dark.
The scent of roses.
A gloved hand brandishes a stake.
The sound of a sword being unsheathed.
A scream of pain.
The ground slick with blood.
"No..." Sorrow moaned in his sleep.
Ruined XY in the darkness.
A flare of emerald fire.
The stink of burning hair.
A redhead reaches out for mercy.
Charred bones.
Silken sheets.
Long, slow caresses.
His lover's limbs bound by trust.
Kissing skin as smooth as satin.
Fangs piercing flesh.
A cry of mingled pleasure and pain.
Blood.
"No!" Sorrow started awake "Not that, never that..." He shuddered as raw need flowed through him. It almost overturned his reason. Crawling to the window, he felt his hunger abate as sleep left him and he slowly regained his equilibrium. He was shocked by how much he desired his love's blood.
Despair Beach
Tash sat cross-legged and stared over the grey water. She was idly scooping up handfuls of sand and letting the fine grains trickle through her fingers. Red-rimmed eyes and dried tear tracks were evidence that she’d been crying, but now she felt only emptiness.
She had ridden westward through the cold dawn light until she ran out of land, then south until she ran out of people. She’d been sitting on this isolated strip of beach for hours now, just watching the waves roll in. And thinking.
She loved Victor. Of that there was no doubt. He filled a hole in her heart she’d never known was empty. But now she was afraid of him, too. She hadn’t been before. *Well, maybe just at the start, before I saw past the demon in his aura…* She told herself that her possession was a matter of circumstance. A juxtaposition of her recent vulnerability to the crystals and Victor’s complete preoccupation with healing that enabled Vrithetek to leave unnoticed, and her to be overcome so easily.
But viscerally, she felt the fear. What if it did happen again? She could almost convince herself that she wasn’t responsible for Mrs. White’s death. That it was Vrithetek, and Vrithetek alone, that was guilty. Almost. But now that she knew the dangers, she had to acknowledge the risk she’d be taking by staying with him.
She lapsed back into her non-thinking state. Her mind kept circling back to these same points and finding no resolution. The grains slid from her fingers, forming a small pyramid of sand at her side. The waves continued to wash up the beach in their inexorable pattern of ebb and flow.
She loved Victor. She couldn’t bear the thought of being apart from him. But she was afraid. What to do?
Sighing, she rose stiffly. She frowned at the position of the sun, surprised that so much time had passed. It was well after noon by now. Stretching, she began to go through kata to warm up the muscles that had seized up from sitting still for so long. Her movements were awkward to begin with, but soon her body flowed into the familiar patterns. She found that performing the graceful manoeuvres helped her to focus her thoughts, to access her true, inner feelings.
The sun traversed a significant arc of the sky as she lost herself in the various kata. Eventually she stopped, her breath coming hard but steady. She felt better than she had for days, although worry still tugged at her.
Then something Victor had said came back to her. She’d been too lost in her own guilt and horror at the time to really pay attention, but the words had finally penetrated. “…it isn't you. It was him. That evil bastard did this to us to break us apart…” *And it’s working,* she thought ruefully.
Tash still had trouble coming to terms with Victor’s dual nature sometimes. She thought he would never be entirely whole until the dichotomy of his two halves could somehow be solved. But since he’d come back from the Beazor he had seemed different. It was as though the original Vrithetek no longer had the same sway it used to, and Victor’s soul was becoming dominant. *Maybe that’s why this happened? Is it Vrithetek’s last-ditch effort to regain superiority over Victor? Victor was willing to just give up over this. Oh God, and I’ve left him alone…*
In the fading light from the sun she scrambled up the dunes to her bike. Revving the engine, she pulled onto the road in a spray of gravel. She had to get home to Victor. They couldn’t let Vrithetek win like this.
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
The sun was high in the sky and the cheery sounds of LA hard at work were filtering into the room. But the bright disposition of the city wasn't mirrored in Tash's bedroom. Victor was in a black mood. His alter ego had threatened both him, his lover, and had killed one of his neighbors. He was laid out like a fish on ice in a market, and there wasn't anything he could do about it.
He finally resolved that he would do what he could, and after much grunting and heaving managed to get to his feet. *Great. If I fall, its going to be a long drag to get to my room. But I can't stay here.*
He walked stiff legged to the door, then across the apartment leaning heavily on furniture, walls, and whatever happened to be near. At the door he stuggled awkwardly with hands that were still not healed enough for gripping to tun the door knob, but he finally managed to get the door open.
He was careful to lock the door behind him. It had nothing to do with how easy it was to lean in the door jamb while he fiddled with the lock on the back of the knob. Pulling the door behind him, he leaned forward and stumbled across the hall.
He propped himself against the wall for a short moment trying to catch his breath. His chest and legs and fingers burned with the effort he had used to get this far. *No turning back now,* he thought.
He fumbled for his keys, but managed to grip the one he needed and get it inserted into the lock. Once the lock was undone, the door was easily opened after several long seconds and he entered his own apartment.
The room greeted him looking exactly as he had left it. To Victor it seemed as if he had not been here for an eternity, but only a few days had passed since he had been here last. He looked down and saw a bright orange envelope sitting on the floor by the door. *Damn, I'll never be able to pick that up,* he thought.
He left the card where it lay and closed the door to his apartment. *Lock it,* came the unbidden thought.
Victor waited a long time, slowly counting backwards from ten in spite of the random numbers that the voice was taunting him with.
*No. It will stay open. She can come, but she can't stay,* he decided.
*Suit yourself. But if it's open she will stay. You know it. She can't get enough of her hunka-hunka-burning brimstone.*
Victor seethed. He didn't want to get into an argument now. It hurt bad enough, and these inner dialogs could go on for hours. He needed to get into bed and get back to healing.
*What's the matter, Victor?*
The voice didn't so much as say his name as sing it in a mocking tone. *Are you getting tired of my company so soon? I had to put up with your miserable voice for more than 600 years! That, and we have so much to talk about!*
Victor ignored him and leaned/stumbled/wobbled to the bedroom. He opened the door and his eyes were drawn to the Stone Tablet he had brought from G'rnatha leaning against the wall.
So many things had happened, there were so many changes in the world and his life since he had knelt and meditated before this mystery. He had not confessed to its stony face in more than a week.
Victor wasn't sure he could kneel so he sat straight legged propped against the bedside and contemplated its runic face. The words etched on its surface and in his mind were as useless to him now as they were 2000 years ago:
Time will come when you will need more than life. Then those days of existence will pale with the desire for more than a creator can give. A soul will give you power. A pure soul will take you higher than an impure soul. An impure soul is worse than existence. Only one thing can free the impure soul from its torture.
*One thing can free an impure soul,* he thought. *Free it to do what?*
The Return
Los Angeles glittered before Tash as she rode towards it in the cool of the evening. From here she could almost imagine that it was just a normal city. She wondered what it must be like for most people - the ones who had no idea that vampires and demons existed. A sigh escaped her lips. She’d never know.
And here she was, hurtling towards one particular demon. A demon that had violated her in the most obscene way. A demon that was trying to split her from her lover, who just happened to share the same body as said demon. *I wonder if anyone has as complicated a love life as me?*
That thought made her reflect on Sorrow and Jade, and what Sorrow’s new knowledge would do to them. *Poor Jade, she was so desperately worried. But Sorrow needs the time to think. I don’t know how he’ll react to her now.*
Tash was feeling torn in a hundred directions. She needed to see Victor; she had to be sure he wouldn’t let Vrithetek destroy everything he’d worked towards for so long. But she wanted to comfort Jade, and to check on Cassy and Celia, and to just break down entirely over Mrs. White. Worrying about herself had to be pushed to the background. She knew she took a lot of this on herself, but she couldn’t help it. It was the way she was.
She wove through the traffic, turning at last onto Poplar Avenue. Wheeling her bike through the building, she noticed Molly standing forlorn near Mrs. White’s door. Tash swallowed a lump of apprehension as Molly’s sad eyes turned to her. Tash felt as though the guilt must be etched into her for all to see. But Molly simply smiled weakly and said, “Natasha, isn’t it? Have you heard? Edwina…” Molly paused, a sob catching in her throat. “She passed in her sleep last night, the poor dear.”
Tash found herself wrapping her arms around Molly’s shoulders as the old lady wept for her friend. Her own face was a mask of grief and self-loathing. *If only I hadn’t been so weak…* Molly patted Tash on the arm as she pulled back. Noting Tash’s look, she said, “There, there, dear. They said she passed quietly. Heart attack, probably. She wouldn’t have felt a thing.” Tash closed her eyes and quailed inside.
She managed to stammer out, “I’m so terribly sorry…I know she was your friend.” Tash backed away a step or two and grasped the handlebar of her motorbike. She opened her mouth to say more, but the words stuck in her throat. “I… I have to go, I’m sorry.” She escaped up the stairs, cursing her weakness. Her heart pounded in her ears.
She reached her apartment and wasn’t surprised to find Victor had gone. Though that didn’t stop her feeling disappointed at his absence. She took some minutes to compose herself. The shock of reality had been nearly too much for her. All through this day, her memory of seeing Mrs. White dead had seemed dreamlike. Now it had become real, through her encounter with Molly.
Finally she was able to pull herself together enough to remember the urgency she’d felt on the beach. She had to check on Victor. Unreasoning panic filled her. Her head told her that he’d be strong enough to withstand Vrithetek’s assaults, but her heart was fearful nonetheless.
She strode down the hallway and stood outside Victor’s door, just leaning against the panel. She sensed life within. Victor. But no strong emotion. That was something. Her hand trembled as she lifted it to knock….
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
Paul idly kicked the charred pieces of a chair (or was it a table) around the ruined floor of the Beazor. Demons, thugs and other lowlifes milled about idly, pausing occasionally to pick out a gold tooth or check for spare change. Kain stood still and menacing like a gargoyle looking down from the upper gallery.
Paul could feel his penetrating gaze but could not bring himself to look up at him. Paul had failed in his duty. Once the dust had completely settled he knew it was only a matter of time. Paul had run four or five good strike scenarios in his mind, but each of them required the 'blessing' (if you could call it that) of the big man himself. Paul was not the sort to go off and do something without orders.
The waiting was killing him. The initial posse that Paul had sent to destroy the inhabitants of Poplar Avenue had disappeared. They had not been killed. They had not even been driven back. They had vanished completely without a trace.
Kain had declined to send another attack. Instead, he had opted to brood and one might even say pout about the events of two nights ago. Paul knew that there was another ... thing...here. Something that would wake you in the middle of the night in a cold sweat if you knew about it.
His staff could not (or would not) name this other leader. None of them had seen him but the unnamed one's presence was palpable. Kain had had his leash yanked on this attack and was being held back. But why?
Paul bent down and picked up a talisman of sorts that had been been worn by a patron, presumably. It was blackened and mishappen by the heat. *No magic left in this trinket,* he thought. He tossed it in the pile with the other stuff that the days of combing through the ruin had accumulated.
Without warning a smoky haze coalesced into a solid form in front of Paul. It was tall and sinister with a commanding presence and a voice that sounded like gargling glass. "You are the security chief, the one that Kain trusts," the figure said.
Paul was a little taken aback. He stammered, "Y-y-yes s-s-sir"
The figure leaned in closer. Paul could feel sweat beginning to run down his back. "And you know where these so-called heroes' lair is, don't you?"
Paul could only mutely nod. "Excellent. Then you know the one who we want. The Fae." The figure swirled into smoke and assumed a garishly attired form. The one Paul had seen jumping out of the pit the night of the attack. Paul had uncovered a name in his investigations: Matthias.
"I...I know of him. But he is not with the others. He helps them, but his hiding place is still unknown."
Paul was more at ease with the grinning mug of Matthias than the one that had been staring at him before. But the feeling of malice that radiated from it was still there.
The Matthias image spoke with the same scratchy voice, "That is no matter. Take what you need from the army and find him. He will likely be near the trees. I have felt his power being expended and he will be weak, and probably helpless. Use cold iron, it will hurt him. I want him to feel pain. Do not kill him, Paul. I want to meet this trickster."
The figure waved a hand and suddenly Paul's mind was filled with visions. He could see why they had been waiting. He knew that Matthias had been expending lots of energy to dampen the crystals, and was out there in the city now looking for a place to hide them. Paul had no idea how many crystals he would find, but there would be a treasure trove of them for the taking.
Paul walked to the heap of junk and selected an iron sword he had found the day before from within the pile. He grabbed some iron manacles as well. *These will come in handy,* he thought.
There was a herezou with two demon dogs that were sniffling through the rubbish of the club. He grabbed the demon and his dogs, and a dozen others. They travelled deep into the catacombs beneath the arena and started at the iron door to the isolation cell where the Fae had last been known to be.
Soon the dogs (and one or two of the hunting party) had a scent and they travelled out into the city to hunt their prey.
No Rest
Anubis set down his bag. Kate looked up as he entered. Anubis smiled at her as he laid his various instruments of torture in an orderly line on the floor.
“Ah Miss Kate, nice o you ta be awake, me name iz Anubis, I iz gonna be yo torturer fo da next week.”
Kate looked at the stranger and forced an indifferent smile upon her face. “Well I hope you are qualified, I’d hate to be tortured by a third-rate amateur.”
“Ah no worries on dat score Miss,” said Anubis with an evil grin. “I is a professional, notin’ bu da best fo you say Mista Serapis.”
“That puts my mind at ease,” Kate mumbled, keeping her eyes fixed on Anubis as he searched through his various implements of torment.
He walked over to her still smiling, and stroked her bare arm, running his nose along her flesh, breathing in deeply.
“Hmmm, peachy.”
Kate grimaced; his touch made her skin crawl. She could feel the evil of his soul surround him, so dark and oppressive and strong. He was shrouded in an aura of death that seemed to devour the small amount of warmth left in the room, making the basement even colder and emptier. Anubis stared into her face; his paper-thin African skin was pulled taut over his bony frame. He looked ageless, like he had lived for centuries unchanged, yet he was mortal. Kate could tell that much about him. He wore a long grey cloak with the hood pulled up over his head, making him look every bit the emissary of death. For the first time that day she felt real fear. She was not afraid of Serapis, but this ‘man’, this creature of decay instilled pure terror into her heart. She could almost see her future reflected in the darkness of his hollow, heartless eyes...
Anubis picked up one of his instruments; a small scalpel and he held it close to Kate’s face. He could see the fear in her eyes and he enjoyed it.
“Ah woud like to begin wid someting a little mo sophisticated, but I is a real stickler fo the classics!”
He grinned as he drew the blade along her arm in one swift motion. Kate gasped and closed her eyes tightly. For a few minutes the skin parted and blood rose to the surface, then slowly, the flesh began to seal itself up. Anubis stared at the arm in shock, running his bony fingers across where the cut should have been. He glared at Kate who looked almost as surprised as Anubis did.
“Yo iz gonna regret dis!” he said angrily, slapping her hard across the face. “I is gonna make yo scream fo mercy, den I iz gonna make yo scream sum more.”
Kate winced at his blow, the side of her face felt ready to explode. For someone who looked so frail Anubis was quite strong. He was about to untie her when Serapis coughed, announcing his presence.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, not if you value your life.”
Anubis turned around to face Serapis. “Ah is ah supposed to break her wen I can’t hurt her?” he grumbled.
“Patience my good man, it is her connection with Janus that makes her powers so strong. She will break, she just needs more…work than most. I have foreseen this. Give it time, her defences cannot hold forever. Soon she will lack the energy to heal her wounds.” He turned to Kate. “I think you will like Anubis, he is a real professional, however, he is a little over zealous, likes to see the fruits of his labour so to speak.”
“If you were any sort of a man Serapis you would be doing this yourself,” moaned Kate. Despite everything she still felt weak and drained from the exertions of that morning.
“What? Don’t you like our friend here?” laughed Serapis. “And after I went to all that trouble to pick someone I thought you’d like. Besides, you know me Catherine, I don’t like to handle such things myself.”
“Yes, it wouldn’t do to get blood stains on your Armarni suit now would it?”
Serapis smiled as he touched her cheek. Kate tried to avoid his caress but hit her head against the wall as she drew back. Serapis laughed, “I always find it refreshing to see someone who can be so chipper right before experiencing intense pain. They usually yell, scream, and make empty threats. This is much more interesting.” He let his fingers trail through her hair.
Kate cringed, unable to disguise the disgust she felt for him right now. “Well I’ve always thought of myself as an optimistic sort of girl,” she said bitterly.
Anubis grabbed her tightly around the throat in anger. "Lemmie hurt her! I love to hear the pretty girls scream, I find it so very satisfying.”
Kate struggled to breathe as Anubis tightened his hold on her, “Your mother must be so proud…”
Anubis growled in annoyance and released her. Kate coughed and gasped as she inhaled the precious air. Anubis scowled and suddenly grabbed her roughly by the hair and thrust her head back against the hard wall. The crack of her skull smashing against the solid stone wall echoed around the basement. Kate cried out, her eyes watering up. When Anubis removed his hand it was covered in blood. He smiled as Kate sniffled and choked back on her tears. He caught one as it rolled down her cheek, leaving a smear of her own blood across her face.
“Leave her now Anubis,” Serapis said with a smile. “I think we both know what will do the trick.”
Anubis nodded in acknowledgement. He withdrew a hypodermic from his bag, grinning wickedly. Kate looked nervous and cried out as he jabbed the long needle into her flesh and injected the syringe of liquid into her bloodstream.
“Ha now den, I tink dat may do da trick.”
He grinned again, removing the needle. He looked at Serapis, who smiled evilly in response. Kate moaned drowsily, sighing, her head lolling slightly. Serapis lifted up her head and her eyes rolled as she struggled to focus her vision. Everything swayed back and forth. She moaned again as Serapis touched her.
“Just relax my dear,” cooed Serapis, pushing her hair back from her face. "Don’t try to fight it, let it do its job…you’ll be thankful for the rest…..You won’t be resting much in days to come…..”
Meanwhile at the Los Angeles Police Department....
Luc and Inanna sat in the waiting room of the Los Angeles Police Department. They had been there since early that morning and nearly all the afternoon too. Luc was anxious to leave and begin an active search for Kate; every minute he sat here would make it harder and harder for him to pick up Serapis’ trail. He paced the room nervously as Inanna sat and looked out of the window into the bustling police station.
The officer that had taken their statements was talking to someone on the phone; she kept glancing back up at the waiting room. Inanna let the blinds swing back shut and turned towards Luc.
“Luc, please sit down,” she sighed tiredly.
Luc did as Inanna said and slumped down onto the couch. He raked his hands through his long hair in frustration. “What are they doing that could possibly take so bloody long?”
Inanna sighed, “They said we had to wait until they had processed the information we’d given them….”
“I know what they said!” exclaimed Luc a little angrily. “It’s just so bloody frustrating…its rule number one Annie, never involve local law enforcement agencies…”
“I’m sorry, I-I just didn’t know what to do!” stammered Inanna.
Luc sighed resolutely, then rested his head back into his hands. After a short silence Inanna spoke.
“Do you think they believed us? I-I mean, that detective, she seemed a little sceptical.”
Luc sighed tiredly, his back still hurt from the hit it had received. “Oh I don’t know…I don’t know what they believed…”
****Out In The Station Room****
Detective Rachel Grey stole a sly glance around the station. She noticed the young female in the waiting room peering though the blinds. Grey placed her hand over the receiver then punched in a long fourteen-digit number. She waited a while for the call to connect. The sound on the other end was the familiar voice of the Agency SatCom Receiver.
“SatCom Six. Proceed.”
Grey whispered into the mouthpiece. “Connection Echo Bravo One One. Secured Line.” She stole another glance around the station room – just to check no one was listening. There was a crackling sound on the other end of the phone.
“Can I have your designator please?” came the voice on the other end.
“Foxtrot, Bravo, India,” said Grey with deft precision.
“Switching. Please hold the line…” Suddenly the phone-line emitted a series of clicks. There was a buzzing sound as the call re-connected. The new voice on the other end was distinctly male.
“This is Eagle Two. Proceed.”
Grey held the earpiece close while still looking around. “Go secure.”
There was a short pause. “Go ahead.”
“This is LAPD SP3. Sir…I’m afraid we have a situation…”
Grey was on the telephone a few minutes longer. She was brief and accurate, giving a concise outline of the interview she’d had with both Lucien and Inanna.
“Yes sir, I understand. Consider the shade down on this one.”
Grey finally replaced the handset on the receiver, then looking around one final time she placed all the kidnap case files and interview tapes into her briefcase…
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
Galen’s car pulled up near the police station. As was usual, he spent a good portion of the trip in to town looking the mirror to make sure that he had not been followed. One of the things that happened to people in his agency was that they became very paranoid very quickly. Fortunately for Galen, his paranoia was kept under strict control by reminding himself that excessive paranoia would cause him to slip up in the end.
He walked in to the station and immediately started heading back towards the detectives’ area. An officer wanted to stop him at first, but after identifying himself as a Federal agent and showing his badge was sent through and directed to detective Grey. She was busy doing paperwork when he arrived at her desk. “Good evening, Detective,” he said. “You reported an incident earlier.”
She looked up from her paperwork and noticed him standing there. Who could have sent him did not immediately click. After a minute, it made sense. Rachel made sure nobody was listening. “That would be the Wiccham files, correct?”
Galen nodded, and she slipped the files and interview tapes out of her briefcase then handed them to him. “Thank you. Just one other thing. I need an address and number search run. Ms. Jadyn Lee. Also, I'm assuming there's a way to get in touch with the people who reported the incident in the file.”
“Yes, there is. Give me a minute for that search,” Rachel said nervously checking the database. A short while later, she wrote down the information and handed it to the agent. “Is that everything?” Galen nodded as he headed back out to the car and started for the hotel.
Theft
It was much later in the evening when Luc and Inanna finally returned home. As soon as they pulled up in the driveway they knew something was wrong. Luc warily approached the front door which had been forced open, Inanna following close behind. They stood in the living room and Inanna gasped in shock – the entire place had been ransacked. Luc immediately walked over to the bookcase. The volume containing the shard lay open – the shard gone.
“Bloody Hell Fire!” shouted Luc. Unable to control his growing anger he threw the book into the wall and began kicking and overturning the already broken and dismantled furniture, screaming in rage and frustration.
“Stop it Luc! STOP IT!” cried Inanna. She was frightened and scared; the last thing she need was for Luc to go off at the deep end.
Luc didn’t listen but carried on venting his anger by smashing up as much of the place as possible. “This is Serapis’s work! God DAMN IT! He has the shard Inanna!”
Inanna’s face turned pale. “T-t-the shard? You mean of the Cloch Cosan? But how? What is it even doing here?”
“Long story, suffice to say that Serapis has one – the shard of Judecca…just when I thought things couldn’t get worse! There must have been a second contingent….a team who came here to get the shard while Kate was being kidnapped…” Luc was calm for a moment, leaning against the mantelpiece, then suddenly he threw the contents of the shelf to the floor. Half a dozen trinkets shattered upon impact with the hardwood floor.
Inanna quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him away. “Don’t Luc! This isn’t going to help bring Kate back!”
Luc broke down. He sunk to his knees amid the debris and sobbed uncontrollably, releasing all of his pent-up emotions. “I let her down Annie, I-I just can’t stop thinking…there must have been something I could have done! But I just let that bastard take her without a fight! I’m supposed to love her, I DO I love her more than life and yet….I just let her go with him…” He clenched his fists tightly.
Inanna knelt by his side, placing an arm around his shoulder comfortingly. “Luc, you didn’t have a choice. Neither of us did. Kate was right – if we had put up a fight Serapis would have killed us both and still taken her. At least this way…we have a chance of getting her back!”
“I-I-I just keep imagining what that monster is going to…doing…to her right now…”
“Right now you need to rest. We’ll start looking for her tomorrow, but we need help Luc. We can’t stand against Serapis and his followers alone…”
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
Victor sat by the bed; his arms were loose by his side and his head was down. His legs were out straight from his body. He looked like a doll that had been forgotten by its owner.
For hours he had been arguing with his dark side and while he had not been losing he had not been winning either. Exhausted, he had shut down to meditate. He wasn't sure how long it would be before he would be able to completely tune out the world. He would always be on his guard. He would always have to be careful.
Victor could feel the itch in his legs under the armored chitin. He had a feeling that he would be shedding his shell soon. It had happened before. The time he had been crushed by that avalanche in the 7th century. There was the time that he had been frozen in a Siberian glacier for three years. When his body had been severely damaged it sometimes had to eject the damaged parts and start over. He was pretty sure this was one of those times.
Victor rarely marveled at the complexity of his body. He just accepted it as most beings do. But his mind was wandering and he marveled at the body under the glamour. It was armored enough to stop most small caliber arms. It could self-repair anything, including an arm hacked off by an overzealous highlander with a claymore. It could detect chemical variances in the parts per billion, it could see in almost virtual darkness, or filter spectrums of light invisible to most life forms on this planet. He could hear tiny movements of air within his apartment, or the man sneezing on the street as he walked by. He did not require food, sleep, or eliminate waste. His armor pigment was capable of a wide range of patterns and colors giving him a natural camouflage (although his glamour usually meant that ability was fairly useless).
He marveled at the Wise Woman's glamour. It displayed his mood despite his alien face. It projected a true image that shifted as needed to explain the movements and interaction in any environment of a 10-foot tall demon. And made him look graceful, attractive, and normal. It was so accurate as to fool nearly anyone. It dampened his aura and made him less scary to sensitives.
Lastly, Victor marveled at his soul. It was part of him, and yet it had always felt separate from him. It let him feel remorse, guilt, shame, sorrow, and all the range of emotion that comes with a conscience. Victor had existed countless eons before coming to this world (time was different in other dimensions) and had spent 1200 or more years as a remorseless killing machine. Then because of the Cloch Cosan he had been endowed with a soul. Since that day to just a few days ago, he had cursed his soul. He had been nagged and bothered by it because he had fought it.
When he finally surrendered to his soul, his life had changed. He was happy. The doubts and regrets no longer nagged him as they had before. But he could feel the weight of the evil that the soul had displaced. Now it wanted to get back this marvelous body. This biological machine wanted to return to the killing and destruction that it had been created for.
The evil was a thing alive within him. But it was not the real Victor. Like the bubbles in a soda or the salt in the ocean, the evil could be separated from the solution. He could be distilled…purified. But where would the evil go?
It would escape and hurt the ones he loved. And so, for now, it would remain tightly dissolved inside his heart. But like soda pop, he hoped that he would not be shaken again and let the fizz escape.
Midnight at the Beazor
Serapis took a cigar from the box. He sank back into the leather chair and grinned.
“So things are going according to plan? I am glad to hear it, at least someone around here can stick to their end of a bargain.” Kain tossed a lighter over to his guest and then breathed in deeply on his own lit cigar. “The Rites of Binding are the only piece of the puzzle still missing; my employer will be glad to know even they are now located.”
Serapis lit his cigar and sat back down. “All is going according to plan. The time is close at hand, then you shall have what you want…but not without cost.”
“Nothing in this life comes without a price Mr Serapis. I am willing to hold to my end of the bargain, so long as you deliver the goods.”
Serapis grinned again. “So, you have all the Shards do you?”
“Not yet,” frowned Kain, “but they have all been located. It will not be long before they are in my possession. I believe your young woman is in possession of one, the Shard of Judecca I believe.”
Serapis nodded and reached into his jacket pocket. He removed a silk handkerchief and rested it upon the table. Slowly he unfolded the material to reveal the glittering crystal. Kain’s eyes grew wide in appreciation.
“I sent a few of my people out to retrieve it while its guardians were being somewhat…detained.” Kain reached out to take the shard but Serapis snatched it away swiftly. “I think not…yet. You can of course count on my support. After the transpossession, the Rites and the Shard shall both be yours.” He carefully replaced the shard in his pocket and smiled.
Kain frowned and rose out of his seat, unnerving Serapis slightly. He quickly stubbed out his cigar and rose to his feet also. Kain looked out of his window up into the night where Dante’s Comet burned brightly in the sky. Part of him was tempted to rip out Serapis’ heart with his bare hands, but his more…pragmatic side remembered that he still needed Serapis in order to lay his hands upon the Rites of the Cloch Cosan. Kain smiled and turned back to his ‘guest’.
“Your plans are very complex Mr Serapis. You’re going to kill the girl to resurrect another?” Serapis nodded, “and this ‘other’ she has access to the Rites of Binding?”
“Yes sir. She destroyed the original documentation containing the Rites in 1981. Catherine is the only one with access to her knowledge. She became something of a vessel for her soul upon her death.”
Kain shrugged, “Shame you just can’t torture the information out of her, I like to hear a young woman scream.” He shrugged again, “as long as you get what I want I suppose it is none of my concern.”
He gestured towards the door and Serapis followed him. They stood on the platform above what used to be The Pit. Serapis grinned slightly.
“What happened to this place? Local trouble?”
“Something like that,” growled Kain as he watched the various people who were busy clearing through the burnt remains of the lower complex. He sighed in annoyance. “The Day of Judgement is fast approaching. I am a patient man Mr Serapis. Your promises are great and if you can deliver you will be greatly rewarded, my employer will see to that. But failure is not acceptable, do you understand?”
“I understand,” said Serapis. He looked a little nervous as he walked down the stairs into the partly charred arena.
Kain watched him as he made his way out. He’d have to keep a watchful eye on him. Serapis may have been easy to manipulate so far, but if he succeeded in resurrecting his ally he might just prove too dangerous to live…
Reunion
The knock sounded tentative to Tash's ears. She wasn't entirely sure of her reception. Would Victor refuse to see her? Especially after she'd run out on him the way she had. She knocked again, a little more firmly.
Victor heard the knocks, both of them, but he was not interested in getting up and stumbling awkwardly to the door, only to have to stumble back. He was sure it was Tash. Who else could it be? Talhu? He wouldn't have bothered. So she would come in and check on him eventually. He could call out to her. Let her know he was here, but he really didn't feel like it. His whole body ached and shouting would make it ache more. He looked over to the bed stand and noted a large book there. He pushed it enough to toss it onto the floor, and it landed flat with a satisfying THUMP. *That would do the trick,* he thought.
Tash waited. Her heart sank as she heard no response from within. Closing her eyes, she rested her forehead against the door. *He's rejected me,* she thought. Then she heard a loud bang as though something - or someone - had fallen. Still not daring to test the door, she called softly, "Victor, are you all right? It's Tash.... Please, can I come in?" She tried to keep the pleading tone out of her voice, but failed dismally. *Listen to me... big, tough vampire hunter.*
Victor sighed deeply. *Damn soul,* he thought. I can't leave her out there like that. "In here," he said, "Come in." He knew he sounded flat and lifeless, but that was how he felt. *Some tough Battle Fiend you turned out to be,* he thought.
Turning the knob, Tash slowly opened Victor's door. He hadn't exactly sounded enthusiastic, but then he'd probably had as shitty a day as she had. Tash certainly didn't feel like singing and dancing right now, either.
As she stepped into the room, something rustled underfoot. Glancing down, she noticed an orange envelope beneath her left foot. The lounge room was empty, but Tash could feel Victor deeper in the flat. She picked up the envelope and nervously fiddled with it as she walked up the hall to her lover. Victor was propped on the floor, his back against the bed. A book lay open beside him. She smiled hesitantly at him, "How you doing?" It sounded inane, but she felt she had to say something.
Victor wanted to shrug his shoulders, but he was too listless to bother. In a low voice he said, "Terrible. You?"
He opened his eyes with a lot of effort and looked into Tash’s big deep brown eyes. He could see her concern, love, and the puffiness betrayed that she had been crying. Victor guessed he looked much the same. He patted a hand on the floor next to where he was sitting, a silent invitation for her to join him.
Tash placed the envelope on the bed and folded her legs to sit. She leant her head against his shoulder and wished fervently that he'd wrap his arms around her. She slipped her own arm across his body to hold onto his opposite shoulder. Though she still felt like crying, no tears came. "I've had better days," she replied.
Victor placed his arm around her. He lacked the energy to pull her close, but he was sure Tash wouldn't mind. Victor heaved a mighty sigh. "You can't stay, you know. But I still love you."
Tash echoed his sigh. "I know I can't. And I love you more than I can say." She snuggled closer to him. God, it felt so good to be held by him. "But I needed you to know that I'm here for you. You can't let the evil part take over." She tilted her face to look him in the eye. "It feels like Vrithetek wants control back...and I'm worried that you were ready to give up and let him."
Victor felt her concern and shared it. But he put on a brave smile for her. "I am not giving up. He is part of me that I cannot give up just yet. To release his sort of evil into the world would be...wrong and dangerous. No, I am going to have to keep him suppressed a while longer."
Victor wasn't sure how else to explain to her what was going on inside his soul. Locked in an eternal inner dialogue where nothing was resolved, and neither side ever really won or lost. He had no idea how to explain to her that he felt at some point he might distil out the evil and leave just the pure Victor that she loved and who loved her in return.
"I can feel it, sometimes," Tash said. "The war within you. It's like there's two voices, two different sets of feelings."
She closed her eyes and lost herself in the feeling of being comforted for a moment before continuing, "I don't know how this will work out for you, but I feel as though there's going to have to be some sort of resolution of those two halves of yours. When we first talked together, you said I was important to your quest. I couldn't see how I could help you, but now at least I know that I have my love to give you. If that's enough."
Victor kissed her gently, "You helped me to move my quest along. Because of your love I am realized. I am whole. But there is always debris left from any creative process. Like sawdust, or chips of marble there are things left inside me that I do not need. That clutter, that excess of the old me will need to be removed. Somehow, it will happen, and I have you to thank for the desire to do it."
Victor closed his eyes and imagined a world where he was human and didn't have to worry about all of this sort of nonsense until he realized he was letting go, and snapped back rudely to the hard floor and the pain in his legs.
Tash sighed quietly. "You need to meditate to heal, and that means I have to go. I couldn't stay awake for long and then... well, you know..." She kissed him, a deep, lingering kiss. "Is there anything I can do to help before I go?"
Victor looked at her with new appreciation. Here was a woman who loved him enough to stay away. He had hoped she would defy the dark voice's prediction, and here was his vindication.
"Help me on to the bed. And here..." Victor reached into his pocket and drew out the key to his door, "Take this, then you can come and go as you please."
Tash reached for the key and as she wrapped her hand around it, Victor added, "As long as you don't stay..."
Tash nodded mutely before pocketing the key and helping Victor onto his feet. The orange envelope still lay on the bed where Tash had tossed it. "Oh," she said, "I'd forgotten. This was under your door."
Victor stood there wobbly but not falling, and opened the cheery colored envelope. He pulled out the card with the cartoony cake and single candle. He showed it to Tash who looked as puzzled as he did. Opening the card he saw the flowing feminine handwriting: "Happy B'Earth Day" was all it said. Victor just looked at it for a long time and said "Huh," before setting it on the bedside table.
Victor sat on the bed and looked into Tash's eyes. "I am glad you came. I was afraid you would not want to come back."
Tash stood in front of him and grasped his hands in hers. "I admit, I was afraid. And I wasn't sure you'd want to see me. But when I realised that it was Vrithetek trying to keep us apart, to keep you off balance so he could regain control..." she let her voice trail off.
"Something changed in you after the Beazor. I felt it. You were different, somehow. More at peace with yourself. I was so caught up in how awful I felt that it took a while to sink in." She smiled, "But I got there in the end."
Victor loved Tash; she always came through, "I love you, but I was changing before I left to go to the Beazor. You helped me finish the job." He kissed her gently on her lips, "I hope you will be with me for the cleanup."
Tash's mouth quirked, "Oh, the world would have to end to keep me away." She grew serious again, "But right now you need to rest. I'll check on you every so often, make sure you're all right." She indicated the phone on the bedside table. "Call me if you need me for anything."
"Um..." Victor looked sheepish, "It’s not hooked up. I never got around to it. It took me three days to get the lock on my door fixed! I move around a lot, and those sorts of details aren't usually important."
"Hmm," Tash looked exasperated. "Call yourself a 21st century demon? Here," she fished out her mobile phone and pressed a few buttons. "I've set it so that you just have to press the '2' and it'll ring my flat."
Victor laughed, and then stopped very quickly because it hurt. "I am a 1st century BC demon, and even though I have changed...a lot...since then, there are some things I still have trouble adjusting to. These electronic gizmos are among them. Those and nutrasweet. Tastes like sugar, but isn't.”
"Well, you could just settle for screaming loudly, I suppose," Tash shook her head and smiled. She marvelled at how Victor could make her smile even in the midst of her utter despair. She placed the mobile on the bedside table, next to the useless house phone. Pushing Victor back on the bed so he was lying down, she kissed him one last time. "I love you."
She turned slowly, reluctant to leave him despite the danger of staying. But her will was strong - she walked with firm steps out of Victor's flat and back to her own empty one.
Epilogue:
After Tash had left, Victor rolled over and picked up the card that lay on the bedside table. He could smell the delicate fragrance and recognised the feminine handwriting. Eriantha. *What is she wandering around here for?* he wondered.
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
Anubis slapped Kate awake. For him it was the middle of the night – of course he knew Kate had no concept of time while she was kept down here in the dark. She groaned slightly; the drug he had administered over six hours ago still held a powerful grip over Kate. Serapis had finally returned from wherever he had ventured and now he and most of the other coveners, except for a few patrols, were sound asleep. But Anubis had other plans. He had something special in mind for Kate…
****Sometime Later****
Anubis removed another six-inch needle from his bag and stroked Kate’s smooth back before driving the implement up the skin. Kate’s body flinched violently and she cried out in agony. Anubis took a handful of needles and proceeded to thread them under her skin in the same way causing Kate to squirm and writhe in suffering. Her screams grew louder and more desperate.
Anubis slowly retracted the needles, making sure they caused her just as much pain as when they had entered.
“Ah miss Kate yo screams be music to mi ears!”
He untied her frail body from the rack, scooping her into his arms and laying her out on the floor. She cried out as her pain-filled body hit the stone floor but of course Anubis didn’t care. He smiled at her, enjoying the discomfort she was in.
“I is gonna get a big bonus fo you miss, I tink I excelled mi sen dis time.”
Kate whimpered, curling her body into the corner of the room. Anubis snatched one of her trembling arms. He licked a trickle of blood from her arm, smiling at her horror. He sighed in happiness.
“He wa right aboot you miss, yo blood be purity personified.” He touched her tear streaked face. “Dun go worrin’ miss Kate, you is gonna be alive for a while longer, you ol’ pal mistah Serapis is got big plans fo you. I jus gotta break ya dat all. Mek ya weak, mek ya beg fo death…” He ran a cold finger down her cheek again, “An you is close na a tink, damn close…”
Kate looked up at him, her eyes were gaping and dark, “Never…” she gasped painfully.
Anubis smiled pitifully and gently held his hand around her throat, not squeezing, just holding her head up towards him.
“I be seein’ you soon a tink,” he said before letting her fall back to the ground. He removed another hypodermic from his bag and injected the clear liquid into Kate’s arm. She tried to struggle free, grabbing hold of Anubis’ arm, but whatever kind of sedative he was using was terribly strong. She felt her arms go limp and her head began to spin again. She let go of Anubis and sank back to the floor. He swiftly tied her hands and feet tightly with a thick length of cord before ascending the staircase. He took one last look at Kate as she trembled on the floor then shut the heavy door behind him, drawing the bolt across firmly, leaving the room once more in absolute darkness. Kate closed her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks. Finally the drug overcame her and she passed out into a deep sleep.
Monday 21st - Early Morning
A loud banging sound stirred Kate from her drug-induced slumber. From deep in the basement she could hear lots of commotion and noise in the rooms above. She opened her eyes painfully and cast her gaze around; the room still swayed and swirled in front of her eyes. She rolled her head to one side in an attempt to steady herself. The hard stone of the floor felt comfortingly cold against her burning cheek. She inhaled a lung full of cold, damp air and immediately began coughing and hacking. She heaved herself up and rested against the wall until the coughing fit subsided. Her breathing was a little steadier, but her lungs felt raw and every breath was a painful, laboured rasp that cut her throat like barbed wire.
*I’m going to die,* she thought. *I’m going to die if I don’t get out of here. It has to be soon…*
Kate had no idea just how long she had been down here. Time seemed to blur. Minutes, hours, days - they all ran into one another. Kate fought the nausea as it washed over her a second time and tried to focus her vision. She could make out the door at the top of the stairs as slowly it appeared to open. She slid back down onto the floor and closed her eyes tiredly…
Anubis dropped his bag on the floor and walked over to Kate. He nudged her slightly with the toe of his boot and she moaned painfully. He grinned and kneeled down beside her. Removing a knife he began to cut at the rope that bound her wrists. He had plans for her today, big plans…
As he removed the rope Kate opened her eyes. Anubis looked at her in horror; Kate aimed her hand at him as steadily as she could manage and whispered the incantation…
“Fulgur Sagitta!”
A ball of lightning rapidly formed in the palm of her hand and she propelled it towards Anubis. Her aim was a little off and the force of the lightning bolt knocked her off her feet. She weakly held on to the basement wall for support. The bolt hit Anubis in the shoulder. He wobbled slightly but kept his balance and he laughed evilly, walking towards her. Kate raised her hand again, her fingers trembling…
“FULGUR SAGITTA!!!” she shouted, her voice catching in her throat painfully again.
The second lightning bolt hit Anubis squarely in the chest; he flew to the other side of the cell, hitting the wall hard. Kate slid down the wall, clutching her throbbing head in her hands. She crouched motionless for a moment, gasping against the pain. Slowly she looked up; Anubis was still lying sprawled on the other side of the room. She uttered a low thankful cry as she frantically untied her feet. Kate then pulled herself up and limped over to Anubis’s body. She grabbed him under the arms and dragged him across the floor, tying his limp body to the wall with her own shackles. She leaned against the wall, her head spinning from the exertion. For a moment she felt like she was going to pass out again but she fought against it. This might be her only chance to escape….
She opened Anubis’ bag and removed one of his larger knives and then returned to Anubis and slapped him awake. His head rolled a little before he opened his eyes. Kate held the knife to his throat. She smiled tightly.
“You should have listened to Serapis, he warned you not to untie me.”
Anubis laughed nervously, “You don have de nerve ta kill me…”
“Just give me an excuse Anubis. I will take it, don’t worry on that account. Now, call in the guard.” Anubis fixed his face with a determined stare. Kate pressed the blade further into the windpipe, the sharp edge just cutting into his flesh slightly, “CALL him IN!” she said more firmly.
Anubis nodded, “Yo, outta der! Com in here!”
The guard hastily unlocked the door; it was so dark inside the room that he couldn’t make out the scene that was being played out almost in front of his eyes. He turned to lock the door again and made his way down the stairs. After three whole days locked down in this darkness Kate’s eyes had adjusted enough that she could just make out the grey shape of the guardian as he moved closer.
“Sir? Mr Anubis sir?” spoke the wiccan hesitantly.
Anubis uttered a short moan, to which Kate responded by pushing the blade harder against his throat. She waited until the witch was a little closer, he was close enough to touch now. Slowly she reached out with her hand, placing her fingers gently upon his face she whispered the words, “Dormi Extemplo.”
The guard uttered a slight protest before falling to the ground and into a deep slumber.
Kate picked up a rag from the floor and stuffed it into Anubis’ mouth, silencing his cries. She rolled over the sleeping guard and took the keys from his pocket, also removing his witches robes. Then she tied him up and dragged him into the corner.
Kate wrapped the robes around her shoulders and pulled the hood over her head. She breathed deeply. The room still swam around her. She held onto the handrail and used it to pull herself up the stairs, locking the door as she left the room…
She kept her head down as she moved from room to room. Wherever she was being held it was immense. There were an awful lot of witches gathered too, more than she had imagined. Serapis had obviously been recruiting supporters here in LA - Kate didn’t recognise anyone here as being from her coven in England. She made her way through the main hall where most of the activity seemed to be taking place and followed a group of young witches as they walked outside into the grounds.
The afternoon sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky. Kate shielded her eyes with her arm. After the darkness of the basement its light was almost blinding. Again she struggled to control the rising sickness in her stomach. She forced herself to keep moving, stumbling around a little, still struggling against her limp but trying to act casually; there were a few of Serapis’ followers milling around in the driveway. Kate kept her head down and walked as quickly as she dared so as not to draw attention to herself. She cut across the green and headed towards a small forest that seemed to surround the building on all sides.
She was almost within the cover of the forest when there was a loud commotion from inside the house. Kate turned back and saw several witches pour from out of the main doors. Serapis pushed his way to the front. He stood there not moving for a moment, his eyes closed. He appeared to be sending out some kind of thought waves. Suddenly he opened his eyes and looked in Kate’s direction. His eyes seemed to lock with hers, burning into her soul. She felt paralysed to the spot…
*Move Kate, MOVE!* she urged herself.
Kate turned and began to run. She half ran, half staggered onwards. Her vision was getting blurred again and the trees began to dip and bend around her in a macabre dance. She concentrated on trying to clear her vision and continued running towards the surrounding woods. Frantic shouts and cries could be heard all around as Serapis barked orders at his followers. She heard the whistling “PFFT” sound as a ball of paralysing energy whizzed passed her and slammed into a nearby tree.
Kate gasped in shock and ploughed her way further into the wood, the undergrowth grabbing at her ankles, the branches scratching and tearing at her exposed flesh. She could hear her pursuers close behind. Kate ran as fast as she could, trampling though the undergrowth, heart racing, her pulse pounding in her ears… She sobbed out loud in fear and pain. The world still contracted in and out of focus, blurring into a swirling mass of rich greens and dull greys. Her head pounded in rhythm with the footsteps of her pursuers. She stopped, grabbing hold of a tree trunk to steady herself. Her legs felt incredibly weak.
*Got to keep moving. Can’t stop, this might be my only chance…*
Kate could hear the footsteps growing louder. *They must be close now.* She forced herself to move, taking a few more steps onwards. Suddenly a flock of birds broke free from their shelter in the canopy overhead. The frantic screeching and hasty flapping of wings caused Kate to whirl around in a blind panic. She could hardly see anything now, just a watery, blurry mass rolling before her. She stumbled around for a second, lost; she couldn’t remember which direction she had been running in any more.
A voice shouted from afar, “This way!”
Kate turned in that direction. Her sobs grew louder and more anxious as the terror in her heart expanded.
*No, NO! Please no…..*
She took a few hesitant steps backwards…
Her startled cries echoed around the wood. Serapis stood silently and listened. The same cry came again, followed by a terrible silence. “This way…” he ordered, leading the group in the direction of the scream.
The earth moved loosely beneath Kate’s feet. She cried out loud again as the earth gave way and she was propelled down a steep incline. Her hands fumbled frantically for something to hold on to but only met with more dirt and loose debris. Her body gathered speed as she continued to fall out of control…gradually the incline smoothed out but Kate continued with her momentum. With a sickening crack her head hit the side of a rock at the bottom of the ravine…
A thin trickle of blood ran down her face, a face that was scratched and soiled with dirt, leaves tangled in the dusty tendrils of her hair. She lay perfectly motionless as the footsteps and zealous cries grew louder and louder. In the moments before she lost consciousness she saw the first few wiccans emerge into the clearing at the bottom of the gorge. They slowly circled her body with a wary caution. A man, dressed smartly in a suit and waistcoat but with an intensely dishevelled appearance stepped forward from within the centre - Serapis…
Slowly her eyes dipped and closed as she finally yielded to the darkness…
Meanwhile...in another part of the mansion....
Thalia pressed her ear close to the door. She could hear some kind of commotion; everyone was talking in harassed voices and rushing around frantically. She had been moved Firday morning from the basement cell and locked in a spare bedroom to make way for Catherine’s arrival.
She was starting to get worried; no one had yet mentioned what her punishment would be for defying orders, but if things with Catherine were not going to plan…. She didn’t want to end up dead, the result of Serapis’ vile temper. She peered through the keyhole; the guard appeared to have left his station outside the door. *This could be just the opportunity I need,* she thought. Whatever was going on seemed to have everyone running around in a blind panic, surely they would never notice…
Thalia pulled the hood of her robe over her head, that should ensure that she wouldn’t be recognised at least. She removed a hairpin from her head. *Well the old ways still are the best,* she mused with a smile as she picked the lock. There was a slight ‘click’ as the door unlocked. Carefully, Thalia opened the door…
There was nobody at all in the corridor. Thalia kept her body close to the wall and made her way to the staircase. Looking down she saw the entire gathering suddenly flood outside. *Perfect!* she thought as she descended the stairs, making her way in the opposite direction.
Thalia knew she was about five miles from the city boundaries, although the nearest road was only about twenty minutes away on foot. Quietly, she slipped out of the house. The woods were almost on the doorstep from this angle. Swiftly Thalia melted in with the darkness of the chase, undetected and unnoticed…
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
Natasha Brookes
Posted: Tue May 21, 2002 2:25 am
Matthias drew breath. He hadn’t been in a chase this stimulating for some time. It was just a pity that this time he was on the receiving end. He could hear the howls of the demon dogs growing ever closer.
He knew that obfuscation was not sufficient to throw these hounds off their scent. He’d tried that at first, drawing on the power of the trees around him to cloak himself and he’d been almost captured as a result. So flight remained his best option. It had stood him in good stead now for three days.
The trees and bushes – even the grass – in this park lent Matthias the strength he needed. He had been asking a lot of Gaia since this chase began but she had vast stores of power, for which he was thankful. The hunt had been amusing at first, but he was finding it more difficult to maintain his vigour as the days wore on and the pursuit remained unflagging.
The baying grew frantic as the demon dogs sensed their prey was near, and a triumphant roar came from the throats of the motley hunting party. The roar turned to one of rage and disappointment as Matthias’ form wavered and vanished. The dogs sniffed around, trying to recapture the scent, but after several long minutes they were still milling around, confused.
Their handler scowled in annoyance as Paul gestured for them to search deeper in the park. Paul was furious. He would wear this accursed Fae down. His hands clenched around the iron manacles he carried. *Weak and helpless. I’d hate to see him at full strength.*
His determination to capture Matthias was purely duty, of course. Nothing to do with the cold shiver he felt whenever he recalled the menacing voice of the one who had set him this task. He shuddered slightly at the thought of what the owner of that voice might do if he failed. No, it had nothing to do with it at all – simple devotion to duty was what drove him to snare this Fae. Paul narrowed his eyes and strode after the last of the party as they delved into the heart of this patch of greenery.
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
Catherine Wiccham
Posted: Tue May 21, 2002 2:39 p.m.
Post subject: Binding
Kate’s unconscious body was brought back down into the basement where Serapis was waiting. He waited a moment until he was alone with Catherine before making a move. As the door banged shut he walked over to her body as it lay in the middle of the floor. He rolled her over and stroked her bloody forehead soothingly.
“Ah my dear child…” he whispered softly, brushing his fingers through her tangled hair. “I never wanted to hurt you child, but I have made promises I must keep. It is my duty to fulfil my destiny at all costs…”
Kate’s eyelids fluttered gently. Serapis smiled and kissed her forehead. Catherine opened her eyes slowly. At first all she could see were dark shapes floating before her. After a while longer though things drew into focus and she could just see Serapis’ face illuminated by the weak light of a candle. She moaned quietly as Serapis pulled her aching body out of the darkness. Kate hung her head down; Serapis cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him.
“Hi there princess, did you enjoy your little outing? Back to business I’m afraid, we don’t have much time left…” Serapis smiled and smoothed her hair away from Kate’s face. He looked deeply into her eyes for a long time. “Yes,” he said finally, laying her back down on the floor, “I think you will do soon.” He sighed in satisfaction. “When I first brought you here, you mocked me, attempted to defy me. No more huh?”
Kate shook her head mournfully.
He hummed quietly, “No…then our work is done here, for now.” He knelt down on the floor crouching close to her and looked into her dark eyes and he frowned slightly. “Do you fear me Catherine?”
Kate gasped as Serapis removed an athame from inside his jacket and he held it up to her. Kate could see her reflection in the knife’s shining blade; a pale ghost stared back, terror imprinted in her dark eyes. Serapis ran his finger across her trembling lips.
“All right, let me put it another way…” he ran the knife edge under her throat “…Do you want to die Catherine?”
Kate shook her head, “No…” she whispered weakly.
Serapis nodded in satisfaction. “It’s always the same thing…” he touched her cheek softly, “…it’s only when you start to become really afraid of death that you learn to appreciate life.” He paused for a moment then continued. “Do you like life my dear?”
“Y-yes,” stuttered Kate, her breath catching in her throat.
Serapis smiled and nodded his head in agreement. “That’s good…because I take no pleasure in…in taking life if it’s from a person who doesn’t care about it…” He let the blade of the knife trail across her throat contemplatively. Kate trembled in spite of herself. “Well, it’s about time we got back to more pressing concerns…”
Serapis replaced the knife in his jacket and removed a length of cord from his under his robe. Even in the dim light of the candle Kate could see it glow and glitter with a golden light of its own.
“No…” she moaned in protest.
Serapis smiled. “It is for your own good my dear, it just wouldn’t be in your best interests to escape again. You nearly killed yourself today…and I’m afraid that just isn’t in accordance with my plans.” He took the length of rope and began to tightly bind Kate’s hands together. “Hecate, Great Goddess of Life and Death…”
Kate began to squirm against Serapis’ hold on her but he was too strong. He continued to wrap the thin cord tighter and tighter.
“…I ask you to acknowledge that this creature…Catherine…” He tied a tight knot in the binding, causing Kate to flinch in pain. “…Between the worlds in Hecate’s eyes you Catherine are bound powerless. In the eyes of this world you are bound harmless…”
Kate felt a rushing energy pulsating through her body, then just as quickly it all began to rush out of her; there was a bright glowing flash of light around the rope that bound her hands together. After the light died away Kate slumped to the floor feeling a draining weakness wash over her.
Serapis smiled and gripped the binding around her wrists. ”I bind you Catherine, I bind you against doing magic, may the powers you possess be bound as you are from doing harm, to yourself and to others. I take away, I bind, your powers of magic…”
Kate had never felt so powerless in all her life. She could feel Serapis’ spell take effect. It was like a crushing weight was pressing down on her. She felt so isolated and dead inside, like a part of her had been suddenly ripped out leaving a great gaping hole.
Serapis rose to his feet. “I’m sorry it had to come to this Catherine but you left me no choice. I am running out of time…”
Kate shivered on the cold floor as Serapis picked up the candle and headed towards the door. “Don’t…please don’t leave me all alone…” whimpered Kate in despair. She had never felt so empty and scared and alone in all her life.
Serapis smiled again at her pitiful state. “Oh don’t worry, you won’t be alone for long…”
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
Catherine Wiccham
Posted: Tue May 21, 2002 2:41 p.m.
Post subject: Scores to Settle
Anubis stood at the foot of the basement staircase. He laughed, looking at Kate who was tied up on the floor. He walked up to her, withdrawing a large knife from under his long coat. He pulled her up from the floor roughly and angrily held the blade tightly against her throat. He rolled the blade against the delicate skin. It cut into the flesh and a thick stream of blood ran down her neck. Kate drew in her breath sharply, holding it there, afraid to move, afraid to breathe…
Suddenly the door opened again and a strange, orange coloured demon entered the room. Anubis glared at him for a moment. Alaric cleared his throat and spoke. “Please proceed, I’m just going to observe for a moment.”
Anubis grinned again. Turning back to Kate he whispered into her ear. “I bet choo tink you iz pretty smart, real clever, getting’ wan over on mi, you iz gonna be sorry fo makin’ me look foolish.”
“You’re the only one who is going to be sorry,” she said tightly.
Anubis pressed the blade in deeper and Kate cried out feebly. She could taste the blood in her mouth. Anubis fought to hold back his burning rage. She had made him look stupid. He wanted nothing more than to kill her right now.
“I iz gonna mek you suffer, you iz gonna be beggin’ fo me to kill you when I iz through.”
Kate gasped in relief as he removed the blade and dropped her to the floor. Anubis turned his back to her, then without warning he turned around and struck Kate across the face with his fist. Kate’s world exploded in pain. Bright flashes of light erupted in front of her eyes and a loud ringing sounded in her ears. Anubis held her face up to his.
“No gonna escape again me tink, mi little fugitive.” He laughed again. Releasing his hold on her, he walked over to his bag. “Well den, let’s get back to business…”
He drew out a few different knives, some with gouging serrated edges. Perfect, he thought. He raised his eyebrow in malevolence and returned to his victim. He held the blade up for Kate to see, grabbed her tied arms and held them high above her head then he watched as the knife made a lasting impression in Kate’s pale skin. He slowly drew the sharp blade down the length of her inner arm, from the wrist to the crook of her elbow. The dark red blood oozed out and he sighed in satisfaction.
“I tink I iz gonna like a witch wi out magic…”
The blood flooded out steadily and began to drip onto the floor. Anubis wiped his hands on a rag. Kate moaned weakly, feeling her life ebbing away. Her wounds would stay open now – without her magical powers she was completely helpless against the malicious intentions of Anubis. Kate rolled her head over to face her torturer. Anubis cradled her in his arms like a child and lifted her head to drink from a cup he held. She spat the vile liquid from her mouth so Anubis forced it down her throat. He released her from his strong grip and Kate habitually shuffled back into the corner of the room.
“Ahh, you sleep na Miss Kate, ah leave u fo a bit a tink,” he smiled.
Kate shivered in the corner, barely able to keep her eyes open. She could feel her body shake and tremble as the potion took effect. Her skin felt like it was alive and she scratched frantically at her flesh. Seeing rising creatures passing under the surface she began to scream. The creatures moved faster, she could feel them moving under her skin. She could see them moving, crawling down her back and up her arms. She screamed louder and louder, still scratching at her flesh until she began to draw blood and still she didn’t stop. The stranger in the corner turned and quickly fled from the room leaving Anubis and Kate alone.
Kate carried on screaming as her head began to spin. The room swayed violently before her eyes in vivid shades of blue and green. Suddenly she passed out.
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
Galen Eldridge
Posted: Tue May 21, 2002 2:45 p.m.
He could still hear the screams down the hall. Alaric had looked in on Kate’s condition, and now regretted it. Feeling pity for a human was not normal for him but it did happen on occasion. It was conflict that was supposed to make creatures stronger, not torture. Despite this, he still had to admire her strength. It took a lot to deal with what Anubis was doing to her for as long as she did. *No matter what happens, I’m going to kill him,* Alaric thought. When he reached Serapis’ office, he forced himself to calm down. Entering, he was suddenly aware that his expression was for once somewhere between controlled anger and disgust. That the door was almost removed from its frame while being opened must have betrayed his anger as well.
“Alaric? Back so soon?” enquired Serapis with a slight grin. He could detect a faint feeling of disgust emanating from his guest. He gestured for him to sit down, then returned to his own chair behind his desk. “I get the feeling you do not approve of my methods...”
Forcing himself to sit down, Alaric managed somehow to keep his voice controlled. “It’s not so much you as that... barbarian... in your basement. This is pointless torture.”
“Anubis is an interesting character I’ll grant you. He has an alarming enthusiasm - no, I suppose the word would be… ‘talent’ for pain. I admit I have no stomach for torture either, that is why I tend not to watch. Anubis can be trusted to do his job and nothing more. Catherine is a sweet child; I have always been fond of her but needs must. She has what I need. All this pain, all this torture is quite necessary I assure you…”
“Mr. Aquilus, you know that I see the potential value of an ally such as yourself. However, I cannot in good conscience continue to support you if you will not tell me why this is necessary.” Alaric knew that he was taking a big chance with this and hoped that it would pay off in the end.
Serapis rose to his feet. “I would hate to lose your support Alaric, especially since it was you who alerted me as to her presence here in LA. I have certain plans for Ms. Wiccham but she is strong. To extract the information I need she must be broken, and soon.”
“My alerting you to her presence here was based on the belief that our goals were in harmony - and spreading around torture is certainly not my goal.” He paused for a moment. “You know the resources we have available. Perhaps if you told me what information you needed, we could aid you in getting it?”
Serapis smiled. Alaric was a sly demon and he always seemed to know everything that was going on. “You no doubt know that a powerful force is attempting to open The Nether Arch. The Shards of the Cloch Cosan are already assembled here in LA, but all of this is useless without The Rites. No one, man/woman, human/demon can attempt to control the power that the Cloch is able to harness without the sacred Rites. To even try to do so would sever a man in two, separating his mind and body. The Rites are said to stabilise the volatile nature of the stones, allowing the possessor to control the power of the Nether Arch. The Rites were thought to be lost, but I know...Catherine has the key...”
Alaric considered this carefully. Anubis would still die - that much was certain. He did in fact know that a powerful force was trying to get the Cloch Cosan, and knew exactly who that force was. However, he saw no need to reveal that to Serapis. What was more interesting was the idea that Catherine was the key. Possibilities started to occur to him as to what this could mean. “I am well aware of the Cloch Cosan, though why you should need to inflict so much pain on a young girl is still beyond me. But perhaps our goals do seem to mesh after all. However, if my organisation is to aid you we need somewhat more complete information. How is Catherine the key to our endeavours here?”
Serapis smiled again, returning to his seat. “Catherine is the Key to my endeavours here Alaric. You need not concern yourself with the trivialities of our work, only know that in her mind she holds more power than even she is aware of. I will use the power of Dante’s Comet to awaken the darkness within her and the time is close, very close...”
Alaric made a mental note to himself to begin checking with the other members of the Five to try to figure what Serapis’ plans could be. Magic was never his strong point.
“Trivialities often have a way of ruining the best laid plans.” He decided to try a new approach. Perhaps Serapis could be made to think that he knew more than he was letting on. “For example, a certain demon called Pravus Veneficus. Or anyone else who might oppose you for that matter.”
Serapis waved his hands dismissively. “Talhu does not concern me, and besides there are not many other people who would be willing, nor able to oppose me.”
“It was Talhu who killed three of your more - shall we say, enthusiastic? - supporters. My sources also tell me that he is aware of someone else who seemed quite concerned over Kate after the attack. Who do you know that might be willing to sacrifice himself to save Catherine?”
Serapis rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Oh that would be her lover no doubt. Lucien Aeterus. But he is no great threat. He is no more than an MP7 and besides he is alone in the city. Even if he could find us here, there is no way he could ever hope to defeat us, we are too powerful.”
Alaric laughed. “Desperation makes an excellent motivator, Serapis. However, since you detest worry about these ‘trivialities’ why don’t you allow me to take care of them?”
“And why would you do that?” asked Serapis warily.
“If you get the Cloch Cosan, you will have access to a great deal of power. It would hardly be prudent for me to not wish to ingratiate myself to you.”
Serapis laughed out loud, “Oh my friend I have no intention of gaining the Cloch Cosan for myself! No that is not my intent.” *Not yet anyway.* “But if you insist on the point I can direct you to Mr Aeterus, although I think you’ll find he is not worth your trouble.” He quickly scribbled an address on a card and handed it to Alaric. “Let me know how you fare, I should be interested to know at least how dear Lucien is holding up without his soul mate!” He laughed again to himself.
Alaric put the card in his pocket and stood. He was going to enjoy fanning the flames of this conflict a great deal.
“Consider the problem taken care of,” he said before leaving. *You will get to learn how Mr. Aeterus is faring, Serapis. It won’t be until he comes for you, but you will learn.* For the time being, he wanted to try to learn as much as he could about Serapis’ plans.
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
Daye
Posted: Tue May 21, 2002 10:51 p.m.
Post subject: Daye Returns
Daye shuffled through the weekend sales receipts, filing them for Mrs. Wyldling. She was having a hard time focusing on work after the lovely weekend she had spent in San Diego with Drew. He had called her on Thursday night right after she got out of the shower and invited her to accompany him on a weekend trip.
He was going to the city for a symposium on European mysticism and had not wanted to miss Daye for the whole weekend. Daye at first had been unwilling to go along, feeling two days acquaintance did not justify taking a weekend away with someone. However, Drew told her he would get her, her own room and finagle a ticket to the symposium as well. The keynote speaker was an author Daye had been trying to meet for years, a renowned psychic and soothsayer who had turned down an invitation by the council years earlier. Daye couldn’t resist the opportunity to meet him, especially when Drew threw in a visit to a local witch doctor he knew as well.
Daye had accepted Drew’s invite finally and they had left early Friday morning, after Daye left a message for Mrs. Wyldling and set up her new answering machine to pick up any calls she missed. She had enjoyed travelling with Drew immensely. He was charming and entertaining. When they got to San Diego, they did the tourist thing for hours on end, exploring the city, laughing, talking, and playing together. Daye could not remember when she had had more fun. Nor could she believe how quickly she was falling for Drew. She found herself drawn to him more and more with every passing moment.
Daye glanced up from the paperwork when she heard Mrs. Wyldling enter the shop. She groaned inwardly at the sour expression on the woman’s face.
*Great, she’s going to be a dragon this morning,* Daye thought. Well, she can’t spoil my good mood. “Good morning, Mrs. Wyldling,” Daye said pleasantly. “How was your weekend?”
“Just peachy,” the woman replied sarcastically. “I really enjoy playing your secretary.”
Mrs. Wyldling laid a stack of messages down in front of Daye. “One of your paramours has been calling nearly non-stop,” the woman said. “In the future, kindly tell your young men not to call you at the shop.”
Daye took the message slips from the counter and began thumbing through them, more than a little confused. Who could possibly have wanted to get a hold of her this much? Daye read the slips, surprised to see that all the messages had come from Kate’s boyfriend, Luc. Why would he need to see her? The messages shed very little light on the subject. They simply asked her to contact him as soon as possible, saying the matter was urgent. Surprised, Daye quickly went into the back, telling Mrs. Wyldling that she would be working on the accounts in the office. Once she got back there, Daye quickly dialled the number Luc had left for her.
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
Daye
Posted: Wed May 22, 2002 5:39 p.m.
Post subject: Daye Calls Luc
At the sound of the telephone ringing Luc sat bolt upright in the bed. At first he didn’t know where he was. The dream he’d just experienced had been so intense that his heart was still beating rapidly and he was covered in perspiration. When he closed his eyes he could still see a swirling spiral of green swimming in front of him; Kate’s terrified screams still ripped though him like a knife. After a moment to compose himself Luc reached out, fumbling for the telephone. Eventually he picked it up and the incessant ringing finally ceased. “Hello?” he said sleepily.
The phone rang for what seemed an eternity before a bleary sounding voice answered. “Hello, Luc?” Daye wasn’t even sure if she’d got the right number. “Is that you?”
Luc shook his head clear. The visions from his dream were still clouding his mind and he couldn’t think straight. He gripped the handset tightly to his ear. “Kate? Is that you?” he said eagerly.
Daye was surprised by the question. She figured that Luc and Kate were rarely separated. And Luc didn’t sound good at all, sort of out of it and worried, perhaps even scared.
“No, Luc, this is Daye,” she replied. “You left a bunch of messages for me here at the shop. Is something wrong?”
Luc’s grip on the handset loosened in disappointment. “Yes...yes...” he sighed in dismay. ”Daye, it’s Kate, the coven, oh god where have you been all this time? Where has anyone been?” His voice trailed off quietly.
“Slow down, Luc, I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” Daye said. “What happened to Kate? What did the coven do?”
“They took her, Serapis and his followers and the time; the time will be soon I know it. I can’t, I need your help, we have to find her!” He knew he wasn’t making much sense but he couldn’t help it. “Daye,” he said more steadily, “Serapis and his followers have captured Kate and they’re going to kill her if we don’t find her soon. I really need your help.”
Daye was shocked. She shook her head as if to clear it. *Serapis and the coven kidnapped Kate? How could this have happened? And why?* “Ok, of course I’ll help,” Daye said. “What have you done so far? Has anyone tried a locator spell or ... maybe tried talking to Bob or something to find out where the coven might be holed up?” Daye waited for Luc’s response, feeling guilt well up within her. While she had been away playing one of her friends had been hurt and she had not been around to prevent it. Serapis and his goons were dangerous and just the kind of thing that Daye had been sent to keep tabs on. She should have been around and she should have taken the time to look into why the coven was in LA. Maybe all of this could have been prevented.
“Wherever Serapis has her he’s sealed it with magic. That won’t help us, I’m afraid, and Bob seems to have gone missing. I don’t know what else to do.”
“Maybe I can find some information anyway. There are other sources here in the city, and I can try contacting some of them. It’s too bad we don’t know someone who’s been to the compound. We might be able to get the location that way,” Daye mused.
"Look I'm meeting some of the others later today, would you be able to make it?”
Daye thought for a moment. She had planned to meet Drew for lunch and then catch up on some research she had wanted to do on a few things, but this was way more important. “Absolutely, count me in,” Daye said. “And Luc, we will find her. Everything is going to work out.”
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
Victor
Posted: Fri May 24, 2002 1:59 am
Post subject: Sunday night...
Tempest turned off the stereo system in his apartment and stared at it for a long time. For the uncounted time this weekend he felt like he was forgetting something. Tempest had forgotten a lot of something’s. He felt like a dried out sponge. He was ready to absorb but didn’t have anything in him at all; just holes.
The night sky was calling to him - it was nearly a full moon in the sky. The night would be ripe for kills. Tempest willed his sword to him and tested its edge. The heat from the fire had not damaged it although the ivory in the handle was now blackened in places.
He wiped the blade clean of the soot and grime, laid the sword on the coffee table and strolled out into the night. Tempest knew he was headed somewhere; he just didn’t know where. His wanderings took him through many of the bad areas of this enormous pit of sadness and wasted lives called LA. He approached a dark street. Whatever business was conducted here wouldn’t be in well-lit storefronts or recognisable brand names. Rather, the commerce was in shadowy alleyways and through rolled down car windows. Tempest watched a hooker get slapped around by her pimp and witnessed a drug dealer end his career with a bullet from a rival dealer. The activity in front of the club that seemed to be the only viable business on this street consisted of a crowd of night people vying for the favour of the rich patrons exiting the limousine parked at the curb. Tempest recognised Kain as he stepped onto the sidewalk and then he saw the object of his journey exit right behind Kain.
The tall dark man was unattended, unlike Kain who wore a barely dressed beauty on each arm. He stayed back from the crowd letting Kain act as a plough to clear the field before him. He glided rather than walked and Tempest was struck by the power that radiated from him. The night people seemed oblivious to it, as if they could not recognise true power unless it incinerated them with a thought.
Tempest slid forward and into the wake behind Kain, he entered the dark club as the throngs outside sealed ranks behind him. Inside, Kain was seating himself at a private table while the dark man lurked in the shadows. Tempest felt rather than saw the dark man. He vaguely remembered seeing him before but every time he tried to narrow down the time and place it slipped away from him like quicksilver.
Tempest slipped into a black well at the corner of the club. The table was solid and the booth was clean. A waitress with large pupilled eyes like a cavefish stepped up as he finished his inspection. She spoke in a professional if bored tone; “The special tonight is Hurnga grubs served in a marinara sauce. It comes with a salad of either garden greens or poisonous herbs. Would you like something to drink before you order?”
Tempest stared at her for a long time before she finally shrugged and wandered away. He felt the mote of intense energy that surrounded the dark man wander to and fro throughout the club. Occasionally it would stop near some patron or another and would flare briefly, leaving the victim dazed or making them suddenly leave without explanation.
Tempest was amused when one leggy brunette suddenly collapsed to the floor and writhed in ecstasy as the dark man moved near her. *He knows I am here. He is demonstrating his powers for me. It’s like some perverse flirtation.*
The dark man was suddenly sitting across the table from Tempest. Tempest was not sure how he had moved so quickly without his seeing it happen and his reflexes responded with lightning speed. The sword appeared even as Tempest swung in a viscous arc through the dark man’s torso.
Tempest smelled the slight tang of sulphur as the smoke that was the dark man settled into a less disturbing form. “My boy, we go through this every time we meet. Haven’t you learned your lesson yet?” said the dark man.
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
Jadyn
Posted: Fri May 24, 2002 3:15 am
Post subject: I Am Sam
****** Somewhere in L.A ******
The woman once known as Samantha Chan rested, nestled between paddings of rich velvet. Her skin was pale but flawless, gleaming with a waxy sheen against her cap of dark hair and the dark purple fabric of the cushions. Her expression was serene, belying the racing excitement that was still coursing through her from the night’s activities.
Sam had not known that it was possible for a vampire to remain awake after daybreak. To her credit though, Sam had not even known till five days ago that creatures like vampires were more than a fairy tale cooked up by Bram Stroker... *How gullible was that!* As far as Sam was concerned, her real life had not even begun till the night she and her husband, James, That wimp! Had been accosted in an alley behind the theatre. *Samantha Chan was pathetic. But I’m not her anymore. I am Sam. A child of the night. A nightwalker!*
The smug grin faded as she dreamily recalled Valerian’s administrations in the dim confines of the limousine. The pleasure of that experience had been almost unbearable, only surpassed by the gratification she’d felt the first time she’d drawn blood from another living being...
*And to think that wasn’t even 72 hours ago! It feels like I’ve been doing this forever!* Sam’s eyes fluttered close, her incisors once again sharpening into lethal points as she re-lived the night of February the 18th...
****** Three Days Ago - 18th February 2005 ******
She awoke to her first night as a vampire, the setting of the sun signalling the start of her “training”. To start off, Valerian took her from their lair and brought her to an industrial district on the skirts of L.A’s commercial centre.
Sam’s initial feelings of confusion and fear were soon eclipsed by the clamouring hunger she felt inside her. Valerian had to hold her back as he demonstrated the basics of feeding, using an aged drunk to illustrate exactly where one should puncture the flesh in order to find the vein of life.
He laughed at her eagerness and allowed her a sample of the victim. After a few seconds though, Valerian reclaimed his meal and said, “That’s enough for now,” brushing off Sam’s protests with a “Soon my dear. I’ve got a treat for you later so be patient!”
True to his word, after he fed, Valerian led her towards an older section of the neighbourhood, where several warehouses had been converted into apartments. The speed at which they travelled dazzled her; the ten-block distance seemed to have been covered in the blink of an eye. The two of them had stood silently in the shadows, Valerian smiling slightly, seemingly waiting for something. Or someone, as Sam later found out. At that point, however, Sam was pass the point of caring. The hunger she’d felt earlier had developed into almost overwhelming need. When a cab pulled up and an Asian woman stepped out, only the immovable pressure of Valerian’s hand on her shoulder stopped Sam from attacking and devouring on the spot.
*That is not the way, my pet. You’re still weak from the lack of nourishment and that young lady is no ordinary mortal. I fear rushing up to her, fangs bared, won’t get you very far. And it could lead to very dire consequences.* Valerian had not spoken. His words had been audible to no one but her.
*Tell me then, what should I do?* Sam almost went down on her knees and begged. Her sire merely had to smile and touch her cheek for his will to be imparted and understood. Desperation to ease the gnawing within her gave Sam’s voice extra emotion - She let out a blood-curdling scream before running forth and throwing herself at the woman. “Help me! There’s a man! A monster! It... He tried to attack me! Oh god, help me please!”
The woman whipped around, reaching out as Sam stumbled into her arms. She darted a look behind Sam, tensing at the sight of Valerian sauntering into view. The woman nudged Sam behind her, using her own body as a shield.
*Fool mortal!* The sudden proximity to her prey pushed Sam passed all endurance. With a groan, she gripped the shocked woman’s shoulders and plunged her fangs into flesh... The woman jerked and Sam braced herself for a fight but a single flick of Valerian’s finger had the struggles ceasing... *Hot damn! Valerian wasn’t kidding when he said this chick isn’t your everyday human!* The sweet nectar that filled Sam’s throat was far better than what she’d shared with Valerian earlier. It pulsed with life and a mystical energy that made Sam giddy and light-headed. *Hell! This is... Why can’t I focus? Hmmm. This is better than sex! Wow.*
Sam was so intoxicated that she barely noticed when her sire gently dislodged her from Jade’s neck and laid her down on the ground...
****** Back to Present Day ******
A shudder ran through Sam’s body as the memory washed over her. The taste of that blood... The warm, tanginess of it...
The rush of power filling her entire body, sending her into a blissful swoon...
*So how come I didn’t kill her? Why didn’t I drain her of every drop?* Sam frowned as sleep beckoned. She vaguely remembered the woman running off, clutching at the wound in her neck. What Sam couldn’t recall was why she’d stopped her feeding long enough to allow the woman to escape...
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
Sorrow
Posted: Sat May 25, 2002 11:03 p.m.
Post subject: Unwelcome Truths
Sorrow wiped the dust of the last vampire from his blade and looked around the empty lot. In the east the sky was brightening and he realised dawn was not far off. *No time to find any more of these...* He turned back in the direction of his apartment and returned his sword to its scabbard.
*Three nights, over twenty vampires... and I've only wanted to drink blood for half the entire time!* It had been easier in the last 72 hours when he knew where the vampires would go, where they would wait for their prey. They had found instead, Sorrow waiting for them.
Behind him he heard a hand clap slowly...
Sorrow spun towards the sound; Hizashi whistled from its sheath. Standing before Sorrow was a tall, dark-haired man. *No, not a man... a vampire!*
"I'm sorry Tristan, but a sunforged blade - even one as exquisite as Hizashi - is of little use against me." The man's tone was light and faintly mocking.
Sorrow rocked back. *He knows my name, he knows what Hizashi is!* "How do you...?"
Valerian smiled arrogantly. "I know all about you, Tristan Barrington. In some aspects I know more than anyone else, yourself included." He raised an eyebrow as Sorrow made to rush upon him, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Do you not wish to know what I have to say?"
Sorrow attacked. But the three blindingly quick sweeps of his blade connected with nothing but air.
Valerian's voice came from behind him. "Tristan, Tristan, Tristan... Still as stubborn as a mule. Did you think I'd be as foolish as that? I am not one of those imbeciles you kill so easily. And even if you did manage to strike me, that blade is no more than cheap metal to one such as I..."
*Damn, teleportation or mind tricks. Either way, this is looking bad..." Sorrow turned towards the vampire and held his ground, staying on guard and poised for a fight.
The vampire rolled his eyes. "That was foolish. Your fears, however, are unfounded. If it was my intention to kill you..." He didn't have to finish, the implication of his abilities was evident enough in the arrogant expression on his face.
*Damn the backlash! This is going to be worth it!* Sorrow called to fire - it was his favorite element and the easiest for him to work with. As fire coruscated down the length of his katana, he flicked the tip of Hizashi towards that smug look and a blazing bolt of flame leapt towards Valerian.
Valerian made a sweeping gesture with his cloak and deflected the fire without any effort. Meeting Sorrow's stunned gaze with eyes filled with fury, he bit out. "Mule-headed mortal! Perhaps I've been too lenient. Perhaps a taste of the power you so evidently scorn might teach you to be less impudent!"
A dramatic flick of his hand had Sorrow flying back, slamming him painfully into a metal lamppost. Another flick sent him sprawling across the grimy surface of the parking lot.
Sorrow felt like he was being brutally and continuously battered by a dozen men but a glance at the vampire confirmed that Valerian had not moved so much as an inch. *How am I to fight him?* He struggled to stand and could only gasp as the next blow knocked him back on his knees.
Sorrow finally staggered back to his feet. He'd lost Hizashi at some point, though he wasn't sure when. Not that he had the time to look for it now! Instead he started an incantation, causing his opponent to raise an eyebrow before a quick hand gesture whipped Sorrow through the air. The chant he'd begun died on his lips as he landed heavily on the concrete, totally out of breath.
"I'm impressed you even know that one Tristan. But you'd never complete it. I can guarantee you it'd be folly to try. Now are you ready to listen?"
Beaten and bruised, with the backlash rising within him, Sorrow nodded, his eyes never leaving the vampire as it began to speak.
"The delectable Tash has done me a favour, opening up your memories the way she did. So, now that you know what you are, have you no questions about it? Haven't you wondered about the one who did it to you?"
The blood-drinker walked slowly towards Sorrow. "I've taken a great deal of interest in you Tristan. One could say that you've been one of my pet projects." At the quirk of a finger, Hizashi flew through the air and into Valerian's hand. He examined it, admiring the way the blade glistened, even in the dark. "This really is exquisite in its simplicity... and such an effective weapon."
Valerian handed the sword back to Sorrow. "Use that highly-trained brain of yours. I'm a vampire. With abilities far beyond that of the average nightwalker. I know you - who you are, what you do, and I found you with a minimum of effort. How many of my kind do you think has that kind of power? Process all of that and then tell me who you think I am!"
Through the pain, realisation dawned. With it came a bone-chilling fear. "Valerian..."
"Very good Tristan!" The vampire bared his fangs in a smile. "Now, I know that you've been spending time with my daughter... That's good. I approve of that. Wholeheartedly." There was a meaningful pause before Valerian continued. "After all, family should keep in touch, don't you agree?"
Sorrow's initial bewilderment slowly gave way to a gut-wrenching horror as he absorbed what was being said.
"No! You lie!" He surged to his feet, shouting, even though deep inside him, Sorrow knew with a sick certainty that Valerian spoke nothing but truth.
"I have done nothing of that sort." Valerian stifled the glee he felt at the knowledge that his revelation of being Sorrow's sire brought him another step forward in his plan to get Jade back.
"You were such a precocious child. So intense and serious even then. We are alike, in that way, don't you think?" Even as Sorrow stumbled backwards Valerian followed, his next words taking on a tone that was almost whimsical, as if the memory he spoke of was a happy one.
"Allow me to spell it out. You became one of mine the moment you drank of my blood. All those years ago. Look inside yourself! The memory is there... Deny it no longer!" Valerian saw the flare of recollection on Sorrow's face and pressed on. "I saw you, standing outside that burnt, broken squalor. It's strange really, that I stopped myself from killing you then. I'm not sure why I did..." He paused.
"In the years that followed though, I came to think of it as a subconscious foresight. You've proven to be of greater value to me the way you are - a halfling - than you would have been had I made you into a true fiend like myself..." An evil chuckle escaped Valerian's pale lips. "Perhaps the word fiend doesn't exclude you, seeing what you did to fair Cindy!"
Two pairs of eyes - one as black as coal and the other as green as emeralds - locked. The vampire's narrowed with satisfaction as he observed within his childe the dark desire that mingled with the guilt at the mention of the slain girl. "It's eating at you like a cancer, isn't it?" His voice was soft, sympathetic. "The thirst. The need. Why torment yourself Tristan? Accept what you are, revel in the power it gives you!"
"No!" Sorrow's protest was a vehement rasp.
"Fool!" The nightwalker hissed. "You think that by refusing to see what lies in you, refusing to hear what is being said, it goes away? You're fighting a losing battle and suffering untold agony in the process. Unnecessary agony, might I add!"
Sorrow looked at Valerian. "Jade was right about you, you don't know when to give up... You won't win, you know. She'll hate you to her dying breath and beyond. Having turned me won't change that!" He stepped forward, slowly raised his hand and said, "She-will-never-be-yours," punctuating each of his words with a jab at the vampire's chest.
Valerian reached up, his fingers wrapping around Sorrow's wrist. "Your words are rash and most unwise!" He hissed. "Blood calls to blood. We are joined in ways that defy description. The link we have cannot be broken that easily. She will come back to me, and whether you want to or not you will make up an integral part of her reason for doing so."
"Strange thing about love, Vampire, is that it so easily turns to hate." Sorrow's voice was quiet. "When Jade realises what I am, she'll turn her back on me just as she turned her back on you. You've miscalculated badly here. Jade will not join you for love of me..."
Valerian threw back his head, laughing as he taunted. "Is that the reason you left the way you did? Because you couldn't bear to see the adoration in her eyes turn to repulsion? Or was it because you feared that she might be tempted to darkness after discovering that her beloved had been one of its members for years?"
"You may have watched us but you do not know me, do you?" Sorrow smiled as he looked at the monster before him.
"Ah, but I do Tristan. And I know Jade, apparently better than you do, if you actually think that she would forsake you because of what you are. I have obviously credited you with more sense than you have." Valerian sniffed derisively.
"Be warned Vampire. For you are arrogant and egotistical, and your pride will be your downfall. Us 'lower beings' are still somewhat capable of a modicum of intelligence. Enough maybe to foil the plans of someone as superior as yourself..."
"Whatever intelligence you have has been smothered... Stifled by useless, trivial emotions and mundane matters. My daughter, I am ashamed to say, has been raised no differently. She will not give you up, purely because of this notion she has of the 'love' you share." The sneer was evident on Valerian's face. "Indeed, if I play my cards right, Jade will not only convert to the path of the night, she will come to actively seek it! For no other reason than to be together with you!"
Sorrow's smile did not falter and there was no trace of doubt within him. "We shall see about that, demon. It is true that love forgives many things, it has redeemed many more. But contrary to what many think, love isn't blind." He cocked his head toward the horizon. "Sunrise is coming Vampire. Do you wish to fight that and me? Be gone!"
Valerian smirked. "Very well mortal." The irony of his words was not lost on either of them. " I shall leave you. Believe what you wish." In a move that was typical of his theatrical personality, the vampire raised both arms above his head and vanished.
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
Galen Eldridge
Posted: Sun May 26, 2002 12:00 pm
Post subject: Weekend Flashback
Galen picked up the only copy of the police report and interview tapes from the table in his hotel room. Or to be more specific, he picked up what was left of them. They had been studied by him off-and-on over the weekend, what little address info he needed copied then the tapes were destroyed. He had taken care in destroying the hard copies of the reports to first shred them and then after that burned them in the park. When he flushed the ashes down the toilet there was no longer any police record - official or unofficial - of Ms Wiccham’s kidnapping that existed in written form.
Still, he had the night to prepare for. On Saturday he had managed to interview Inanna Fairchild and surprised her with the thought of an investigation going on. He was naturally left with very little to go on. By the time Monday had arrived, Galen had as little idea what was going on as he did earlier except with one exception; the Coven itself was not a threat. Serapis Aquilius might be, but that would depend on his plans.
On Sunday evening he met with his contact again and passed on that information. At that point he learned about a large discharge of magical energy in the LA area. A helicopter did a quick flyover and discovered a house there. Who was there or what was going on was unknown. However, he was ordered to look in to it. That he would do Monday night.
Galen started down the steps of the hotel and walked past the front desk to leave for his car. If he was lucky he would finally get to interview Ms. Lee as he started for Poplar Avenue.
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
Jadyn
Posted: Sun May 26, 2002 4:22 pm
Post subject: Paralysed By Fear
Jade wasn’t too sure how much time had passed since she’d staggered home after the attack. Day and night had blended into a whole series of hours filled with pain, terror and guilt. A quick glance out her bedroom window confirmed that it was now light. Jade struggled to sit up and reached for the digital clock she had on her nightstand.
11.40
21.2.2005
Dully, she realised it was almost noon on the 21st. which made it a Monday. She’d been in her dazed stupor for almost three days. What have I done in the last 72 hours? The last 48? Jade found that she couldn’t remember, and that frightened her almost as much as what had put her in that state in the first place.
She reached up to touch the bandage on her neck, trying to recall when she’d dressed her wounds. When her fingers came away wet, she forced herself to her feet and headed to the bathroom. Peeling the medicated patch off, Jade tilted her head back to allow herself a closer look at the two circular marks on her throat. The flesh was torn and swollen, crusted and dark with dried blood. Jade gingerly cleaned it then rifled through the small box of herbs and medical supplies she kept above the sink. The bleeding had stopped so she didn’t think she needed to cover the wound again.
Jade bit on her lip but couldn’t quite stifle the gasp as she applied a salve to the two puncture marks. She recalled the last time she’d suffered wounds similar to this and the unusually long time she’d taken to recover...
Fighting back the wave of dizziness that threatened to swamp her, Jade turned on the tap and splashed some cold water on her face. Feeling a little better, she stared hard at her reflection. The eyes that met hers in the bathroom mirror were haunted, the hands that capped the tube of ointment trembled as they replaced it on the shelf.
Using the walls to support her, Jade made her way to the bedroom. She slipped on a pair of tight black pants, a plain black mini-tee and a thin woolen cardigan. More exhausted than she cared to admit, she leaned back against the pillows. Sleep, however, proved to be as elusive now as it had before.
As Jade lay there, fragments of the incidents that took place the previous Friday started to replay themselves. The emotions in her heart battled with numerous questions in her mind... on and on and on until she thought she would scream. Desperate to find something... anything that might stop her from going totally crazy, Jade got out of bed and stumbled into the living room...
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
Galen Eldridge
Posted: Mon May 27, 2002 1:20 am
It was noon when Galen pulled his car along side the apartment building at Poplar Avenue. He checked the address one final time, made sure his gun was holstered, then went in to the building to room 208. Once he got up there, the old paranoia kicked in and he began immediately looking for possible ways out before knocking on the door.
Jade heard the knock but ignored it, loathe to break the shell of isolation she’d imposed on herself since arriving home on Friday night. Her answering machine blinked with dozens of unheard messages and she wondered absently who would have called so many times. *Did the phone ring? How come I don’t remember?*
Jade stared puzzledly again at the blinking light of the machine then dismissed it, turning back to gaze out the window. Another brisk rap on the door had her frowning in annoyance but she obstinately turned her back on it and walked towards the bedroom. In her haste however, she overturned a crystal vase, her cry of distress echoing the loud crash as it broke into tiny fragments.
As soon as he heard the crash and cry of distress, Galen swore silently to himself. He had to act on the assumptions that Ms Lee was in there, not alone, and in danger. Old habits died hard. Galen pulled his gun and checked the door. Locked, of course. *To hell with it,* he thought and fired once at the lock at point blank range. That was enough to let him open the door and gain access to the apartment. Passing through the door he found himself in the living room with a single woman in the room who was rather startled and noticed the broken vase on the floor, his instincts screaming that he had made a mistake.
Tash was pacing in her living room, wondering for the umpteenth time where the Hell Jade was. The events of the past few days seemed surreal. Going to the hospital to check on the girls. Deciding to call Kate to help with healing them. Luc’s distraught voice telling her of Kate’s abduction. And the impotence she felt about it all. She’d not been able to find Daye or Jade since that Saturday morning. She presumed Jade was out looking for Sorrow. Tash wasn’t sure if she hoped Jade found him or not. She reached the end of her pacing track and turned to start the circuit again. *At least Victor’s getting better...*
The sharp retort of a shot made Tash jump. *That was just across the hall....* She quickly grabbed her gun and opened her door carefully, peering into the hallway. Jade’s door was open, splinters of wood on the floor. Her eyes narrowed in anger. She padded across the gap between her apartment and Jade’s, her senses alert. Someone was startled - Jade’s familiar essence flavoured it. And someone else was there, someone who seemed upset. Tash saw the man in the room, holding a gun. A shattered vase lay at Jade’s feet. Pointing her gun directly at the man, Tash growled, “Put it down, now, or so help me I’ll shoot you.”
Galen looked out of the corner of his eye to see another woman there with her gun aimed directly at him. He slowly put his own pistol on the couch and kept his hands in the air while turning to the new comer. “You might find this hard to believe, but I’m a Federal agent. Shooting me will not look good.”
Tash kept the gun trained on the man and never took her eyes off him as she spoke to Jade, “Jade, what’s the deal? Was this guy threatening you?”
“W-what?” Jade’s gaze flew from the stranger’s face to Tash’s and back again. Her voice felt rusty from the lack of use and she had to swallow hard before she spoke again. “N-no... He wasn’t. Well, maybe he was going to before you dashed in but I doubt he would have bothered knocking on my door first, which he did.”
That reminded her about the damage done and her expression became angry. “Is this what the government does? Force their way into apartments when nobody answers the door?” The unwanted intrusion on her solitude made it hard to keep her temper in check. All she wanted was to be left alone to sort herself out. Was that too much to ask?
Tash kept her eyes on the man. His aura seemed relatively normal. No weird colours, or signs of magic potential. Tash found it somewhat of a relief. He seemed fairly undisturbed despite having a gun aimed at him. Tash noted the distance from the man’s hand to the gun he’d placed on the couch and relaxed enough to lower her gun, though she kept it in her hand.
She glanced at Jade out of the corner of her eye, then frowned and turned to look at her fully. Jade looked terrible. Her aura was flaring colours of distress and there were fresh marks on her neck. Tash’s eyes widened. Flicking her eyes to the alleged ‘Federal agent’, she mouthed “Sorrow?” at Jade while looking at the marks. Tash could feel her blood boiling. If Sorrow had done this... She couldn’t articulate her rage, even to herself.
Jade shook her head mutely. The mere mention of Tristan’s name was enough to set off a tumult of painful emotions within her. *Not here. Not now.* She fought to regain control, to focus on the situation at hand. Jade picked up the man’s discarded gun from the couch and moved out of his reach. “Let’s see some ID,” she said, “now!”
“No need to yell,” Galen said, making it a point to slowly get out his ID and show it to both women. “I apologize for the mess, but I heard the crash and scream then assumed that something was wrong. That thankfully no longer seems to be the case.” He smiled as he put his ID away. “Can I have my gun back now?”
Tash relaxed somewhat. More at Jade moving the gun than at the ID shown by “Agent Eldridge”, if that was his name. She cursed herself for having run out of her flat without her holster, so clicked the safety on and prayed hard as she tucked the gun into her pants. She moved closer to Jade.
“Hasn’t anyone ever told you, Agent Eldridge, that assumption is the mother of all fuck-ups?” Tash raised an eyebrow at that, un-used to hearing her friend swear. Jade, however, was too upset to care about manners at the moment. She sat herself down and placed the gun on her lap, pulling her cardigan tighter around her in spite of the day’s warmth. “Now that you’ve wrecked my front door and grossly invaded my home, what can I do for you?”
Galen sighed, knowing that he deserved the rather angry reaction Ms. Lee had given him. “Once again, I’m sorry. Knowing one of your employees was abducted makes me a bit more suspicious than usual. They have me investigating the kidnapping of Catherine Wiccham, who we understand was employed by you. I was hoping you might have some idea why her kidnappers would be interested in her.”
Jade’s eyes were wide with shock. “Kate? Kidnapped?!” Her fingers bit into the arm of the chair, gripping it so tightly her knuckles turned white. “W-when?”
Tash reached out to steady Jade, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “I’ve been trying to reach you all weekend, Jade. You’ve not been home...” Tash flinched at the flash of guilt she got from Jade. “Oh, I see. Hibernating, then.” Tash knew there were things Jade would need to get off her chest, but not with Eldridge in the room. Tash turned to look at the agent but her words were for Jade. “I found out about Kate on Saturday, but we haven’t been able to find out where she is yet. I’m curious as to why this man’s involved. Luc..., Kate’s friend seemed convinced that the cops weren’t very interested.”
“Why am I involved?” Galen said, trying to work up as much false indignation as he could. “A crime has been committed. The local police might not be investigating but we are. Even if this case is rather... bizarre.” He didn’t know how many of the details of the kidnapping they knew, or how much of those details they would believe. Better not to chance them thinking he was crazy on account of that. Let them think he was crazy on account of the shooting spree.
Jade squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stop the room from spinning. *Kate was kidnapped. And I didn’t know. Oh god, who could have done it? Why would anyone want...* Memory clicked.
*The Coven of Sindell. It must be. Nobody else would harm Kate...* Tash’s hand tightened warningly. Jade opened her eyes to find Eldridge looking at her and schooled her features into what she hoped was an unreadable expression. “What is you want from me?” She asked, silently debating if the man before her could be trusted. Tash evidently was reserving judgment on that. Jade figured she’d be wise to follow suit.
“We already know who took Kate,” Galen said. “The questions left are where and for what purpose.” He thought for a moment then went for something in his jacket. “Just some pictures,” he said, when the black woman looked ready to go for her gun again. He handed them the envelope he had earlier received of pictures. “Also if you’ve seen any of these people - including the ones in ‘disguise’ so to speak.”
Tash glanced at the pictures. She’d expected to see photos of wiccans from the Coven of Sindell. What she did see were photos of various demons. An orange one, a red one, *Sheesh, they’re like Smarties...* a shark-headed one, a vulture-headed one, a woman who had the pale features of a vampire - and Talhu. Tash kept her features composed. Maybe these guys were behind the Coven, but from what she’d learned from Kate about Serapis, Tash doubted it. She glanced up at the agent. “These disguises seem awfully elaborate. Who are these people?”
“The disguises are a rather good piece of work, aren’t they?” He said. “Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to answer that question. That information is somewhat sensitive.” Which was his way of saying that he had no idea either.
Tash gazed at the pictures some more, memorizing the creatures depicted. She shook her head. “Sorry, can’t say I’ve seen anyone looking like this. Maybe if you had pictures of what they really look like??” Tash put on her most ingenuous smile.
“That would be a trick. It assumes we actually know who would be in disguise.” He took the photos back, and figured that a more bold approach was required. Turning to Jade, he said, “Do you have any idea why the Coven of Sindell would be interested in Ms. Wiccham?”
“I’m afraid I know little, Agent Eldridge.” Jade shrugged helplessly. “You see, Kate’s only been working with me a few days. We haven’t really had the time to talk much.” His forthright attitude eased her mind somewhat though and her tone softened. “Kate mentioned an affiliation to them in her job application and hinted at some discord between her and the other members which ended with her leaving the organization. Other than that...” Jade raised an eyebrow, eyeing him speculatively. “I’m sure whatever bureau or agency you’re from has more information on the Coven of Sindell and its members than I could possibly hope to give you. Yes?”
The silence stretched on for several long moments. It seemed that Agent Eldridge wouldn’t be drawn on whatever information he might have, however sketchy. Tash was picking up definite vibes from him, though. He’d known damn well those ‘people’ weren’t in disguise. There was a lot he wasn’t telling them, but Tash figured that was fair enough. She’d be worried if he was willing to blurt out everything he knew to two people he’d just met under dubious circumstances. She sighed. “Look, we’re anxious about Kate. I know she was taken on Friday, and I’m very afraid for her. This isn’t a normal kidnapping. There’s been no ransom demand or anything. Do you have any way of finding out where she is?”
Galen’s paranoid tendencies kicked in to full gear again. “I’m sorry, but I’m not allowed to discuss that,” he said. He had received word of a large discharge of magical energy over the weekend, and heard that a flyover had revealed a house there. His orders were to check it out, but he was hardly about to tell the two women that. “Information about investigations, when it is handed out, is done so on a need to know basis.”
Tash rolled her eyes at his obviously rote little phrase, but her senses pricked up at the image she got from his thoughts. Something about a house, out of town a bit. But the details were too fuzzy. *Damn, wish I wasn’t wearing these stupid gloves...* She figured that even if she could get a glove off, touching the agent wouldn’t be good for her health. Especially since it was hard to disguise the effects of having a vision. *But Victor’s good at tracking...* Tash filed that thought away.
She could feel Jade trembling beside her. Tash had a feeling that it was all becoming too much for her. She tilted her head, “Then I’m sorry, Agent Eldridge. We’ve told you what we know, which isn’t much. But I hope you can find Kate soon. I’m really very worried about her.”
Jade’s hands were shaking so badly, she had to use both to lift the gun from her lap and pass it back to its owner.
“Yes... Please... Call us if there’s any news about her whereabouts. Or if you need help looking for her.” She felt ill and prayed that the man would take this as a cue to leave.
Galen took back his gun and reholstered it. “Thank you anyway for your help. Don’t worry, though. I’m confident we will find her.” Galen turned to leave, then stopped for a moment to say, “I’ll make it a point to call public works about the door.”
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
Natasha Brookes
Posted: Mon May 27, 2002 3:31 am
Post subject: Working Through Issues
Victor started at the sound of the gun. He rose from the bed and grabbed the hardwood walking stick Tash had brought him over the weekend. He hated that he still had to use it, but it was plenty sturdy and would support his weight even if his legs didn’t entirely do the job.
He moved to the door and opened it a crack in time to see Tash dart across the hall into Jade’s room. She had her gun in hand, but Victor was sure that the shot had not come from her.
He quietly slipped into the hall and moved closer to the door in time to hear a man’s voice. He listened into the conversation from the hall, and when he was sure the man was ready to leave he quietly slipped back into his apartment. He waited a long minute before going back to check on the two women. As he entered he saw them looking angry and inconvenienced.
“Everything okay in here?” he asked.
The facade Jade had been maintaining for the sake of appearances slipped away totally the minute Agent Eldridge left. The jitters that had continuously plagued her returned in full force and she hardly seemed aware of Victor’s presence.
Tash dropped a hand gently on Jade’s shoulder. She could feel the shaking growing worse. Tash looked up at Victor. “It will be. Jade’s been here all the time we were looking for her.” Tash was feeling helpless in the face of Jade’s distress.
Victor’s face sank, “Why didn’t she answer us?” *What is she hiding from?* also passed through Victor’s mind. Then he noticed the wound on her neck. He registered surprise and then reached over and closed the door from prying eyes.
“What has happened, Jade?” he asked in a tender tone. She looked rattled and unwell. He set down his stick and sat next to her. “Can we help?” Victor looked at Tash and his alarm at the closer inspection of the two even puncture marks on Jade’s neck must have been very evident.
The comforting touch and the gentle voice had Jade looking up. She gazed unseeingly at Victor for a heartbeat, then reality began to assert itself and the cloudy look in her eyes cleared somewhat. Try as she might though, Jade couldn’t quite bring herself to talk about what had happened. She didn’t quite know where to begin or how to express the sea of emotions that churned inside her. “I...” Her voice faltered and she shrugged helplessly, casting Tash an imploring look.
Tash squeezed Jade’s shoulder. “It’s OK, Jade. We can talk about it in a little while.” Tash gazed at Victor, noting the concern in his eyes. *That’s why I love him...* Shaking herself mentally, Tash brought herself back to the matter at hand.
“Victor, the man who was just here - he had an FBI ID and was looking into Kate’s kidnapping. But he had a picture of a bunch of demons - including Talhu - and he knew damn well they were demons.”
“I heard him asking questions, but I could not see the pictures. You are sure it was Talhu? And how did he get a picture of him in the first place? This guy isn’t who he says he is,” Victor sounded very sure.
“No, I’m sure he isn’t. The ID said Galen Eldridge... for what that’s worth. He also had a picture in his head of a house in the country somewhere when I asked if he had any clue as to Kate’s whereabouts. But nothing detailed enough to pin down.”
Tash smiled, “Now if we had someone who was really good at tracking and following people...” She raised an eyebrow at Victor.
“I may not be as fast as I usually am,” Victor grinned, “But I am as quiet as ever. I’ll find him. And I’ll get right back to you.”
Victor pulled the cell phone out of his pocket. “I am not sure why I resisted these things all those years. They are damned convenient,” he laughed, “And you..” he patted Jade’s leg affectionately, “You are in good hands. Let her make it better.”
Victor stood and took his stick in hand. And making a grim smile, he left the apartment, hurrying so as to keep the trail fresh.
Tash watched Victor’s retreating back, knowing he’d be careful, but worried nonetheless. At a small sound behind her, Tash turned to see Jade had slumped in her seat. Closing the broken door as best she could, Tash crossed the room to sit next to her friend and offer a comforting hug.
“Jade, I’ve been trying since Saturday to reach you. I thought you must have been out looking for Sorrow. But you were here all along, weren’t you?” Tash’s voice contained no note of accusation, only concern. She traced the vivid marks on Jade’s neck. “Who did this to you?”
Jade flinched, instinctively drawing away from Tash’s touch as she curled herself into a ball and burrowed deeper into the chair cushions. After a long silence, she raised eyes shadowed with fear and weariness to meet Tash’s worried gaze and whispered a single word. “Valerian.”
Tash’s insides went cold at the mention of that name. She knew how afraid Jade was of the vampire. The fear washed over Tash in a palpable tide, making her shiver. She felt inadequate to help Jade. All she could offer was a hug, and that had been rejected.
It infuriated her that a stinking vampire should reduce her friend to this quivering ball of misery and fear. “Jade, I promised you I’d help keep you safe from him. And I will. I’ll find him for you and I’ll kill him,” Tash vowed.
Tash peered carefully at Jade’s aura. There seemed no change in the degree of black present, at least. Still, she had to be sure. “Jade, I know it’s painful to talk about, but you should tell me exactly what happened...” Tash prayed that Valerian hadn’t made Jade drink from him.
Jade took Tash’s hand and squeezed it lightly. She knew what Tash was thinking. “He didn’t turn me. Actually,” her fingers went absently to her throat, “it wasn’t Valerian who bit me. It was another vampire, a female. She’s a fledgling; somehow I could sense that. I would have fought her off but she took me by surprise. Then I saw Valerian and it was as if my legs wouldn’t obey me when I tried to run...”
Now that the dam of silence had been broken Jade’s words tumbled out, her voice shaking as she relived the experience. Panic started to claw at her. “You can’t go after him now, Tash, it’s too dangerous. You’ll get yourself killed. He’s strong; his powers have improved immensely. Mind control...”
Tash shuddered. Vampires with mind control powers terrified her. The only vampire she’d ever encountered with the ability to hold people in thrall had almost taken her... She shook off the image from her nightmares, and focused on Jade. “But, Jade, he’s here. We can’t let him come after you. There must be some way to defeat him.” Tash bit her lip, her face a mask of anguish. “Oh, Jade. Why did you hide in here for so long? You have friends who understand and care. I’m afraid for you.”
Tash couldn’t help her voice from catching. *First Sorrow, now Jade. Why won’t these people accept help?*
Tears slid silently down Jade’s cheeks. “I don’t know,” she admitted. She looked at Tash’s incredulous face and sighed tiredly. “My first instinct was to run, to hide. Then when I got home, I collapsed... The blood loss I think, and the shock. I didn’t even think about asking anyone for help.
Everything after that was a blur. I slept I think. I’m not sure. I must have?” Jade cradled her head in her hands. “The fear was paralyzing, Tash... I couldn’t feel anything beyond it, couldn’t think of anything besides the fact that Valerian’s here in L.A. He’s found me. Again. And like before, he’s killed because of me.”
Her breaths came in short, harsh rasps. “Cindy. I didn’t even know her. I’m not sure how she’s related to this. I didn’t even know her!” Hysteria threatened. “What next? He’ll kill everyone I love and care about. He’s done it before... To isolate me till I have no one else but him, till I have no choice but to go to him!” Jade wasn’t sure if she was making any sense. Coherence was a luxury she’d lost after the attack on Friday night.
Tash gripped Jade’s hand tightly. The name Cindy meant nothing to her, and apparently not to Jade either. Why torment Jade with a stranger? “Jade, I’m here. You do have a choice. But if he’s as strong as you say, he needs to be killed. I’ve been held in thrall by a vampire, and he almost got me. So Valerian has to die before he can hurt you.”
Tash felt the guilt rise. Sorrow would have been a source of strength for Jade right now, and because of her he wasn’t here. *But even when he didn’t know about his nature, it was still there. Maybe it’s just as well he’s not here...* Tash wished she could be more certain of Sorrow. The fact that three days had passed with no word was disquieting in itself.
Jade stared at the strong, gloved hand that held her own. *How does Tash find the strength to deal with the horrors thrown in our faces day after day? If she can do it...* Slowly, Jade’s back straightened and she squared her shoulders. *I can’t continue hiding like this. Didn’t I swear to myself that this time I’d stand and fight?*
“You’re right.” Jade’s voice was suddenly stronger, “Right about everything. He must die.” Tash’s words seemed to have pierced through the web of terror, pain and guilt that had wracked her body and mind for the last three days. For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Jade’s mind was clear.
Tash felt Jade’s resolve strengthen. A small smile chased the worry from Tash’s eyes. *I knew Jade was strong - she just needed a nudge. I just hope Sorrow is as tough.* Tash nodded,
“We’ll find him. And we’ll work out a way to deal with him. I don’t care how strong he is - there’s always a way to defeat vampires.”
Jade touched Tash’s arm and said quietly, “Thanks.” When her friend grinned and shrugged, Jade tightened her hold. “I mean it Tash. Thank you. For pulling me back from that edge of hysteria.” Her lips quirked in a semblance of a smile.
Something Tash had said earlier nagged at Jade. She rubbed at her temples and spoke slowly, piecing together the memory of her attack, attempting to make sense of it. “I don’t think Valerian’s plan was to hurt me.”
She saw Tash dart a dubious look at the marks on her neck. “I’m not sure how to explain it... Look at it this way; he could have killed me. Or worse, turned me. I wouldn’t have been able to stop him. But he didn’t. If anything, he saved my life, since he stopped the female vamp from... well... drinking me dry.”
Jade didn’t mention where she’d been assaulted. She wasn’t too sure how Tash would react to her disregarding her advice on giving Sorrow some time alone. More importantly, Jade didn’t want to risk Tash warning him away... Now that she was lucid again, Jade’s desire to find Sorrow was stronger than ever.
Tash kept her face impassive as she picked up the thoughts from Jade. *Why am I not surprised she went looking for Sorrow? Seems she didn’t find him at least. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? What I wouldn’t give for prescience some days!*
But Jade’s words about Valerian not wanting to hurt her rang a deeper note of concern within Tash. “Oh, Jade. He may not want to kill you, but there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that he wants to hurt you. He wants to control you, to turn you into something resembling him.” Tash wanted to shake sense into Jade, but restrained herself. “He’s manipulating you, don’t you see that?”
Tash’s words set her nerves on edge again. Not wanting to go any deeper into that particular topic, Jade briskly steered the subject away. “Our plans for Valerian, however, can afford to be shelved for now. Tell me what happened with Kate. And update me on whatever plans you’ve made to get her back!” Jade’s tone was anxious now. “God... She’s been missing for days. Anything could have happened to her by now... Damn it! I should have gone straight to you and Victor on Friday, instead of wasting all this time snivelling like a wimp.”
Tash grimaced when Jade mentioned Friday. Tash had been too busy away snivelling and crying herself that day to have cared about anyone else. Pushing aside the painful memories that had plagued her since Vrithetek’s invasion on Thursday night and her worries about Valerian, Tash concentrated on what they knew of Kate.
“There’s not much to go on, yet. We’ve been having trouble getting hold of people. I only found out because I rang looking for Kate on Saturday, and got Luc. She was taken by Serapis. There’s buried memories in Kate’s mind - memories that have been artificially blocked. They concern the death of Janus. Nobody’s been able to find out where she’s being held. Hopefully this Agent “let’s shoot locks for the fun of it” can lead Victor to her.”
Tash paused, sizing up Jade, trying to determine if she’d be up to the coming battles. “We’re probably going to need all the firepower we can get if we find her, to rescue her.” Assuming she’s not already dead, Tash thought wryly.
Jade’s mouth was set in a grim line. “I’ll be ready.” She saw Tash glance at the injuries on her neck and frown. “It looks worse than it is. Whatever trouble I had was more psychological than physical.” There was a slight hesitation then Jade spoke again. “And if the rescue’s going to be as arduous and dangerous as I think it is, we’ll need Tris...”
Standing up, she poured herself some water from a pitcher on the kitchen counter and drank, giving herself a brief respite to collect her thoughts. She hadn’t thought about Sorrow much since she’d left Malcolm Street. The tumult of what she’d felt had pretty much wiped out all other thoughts from her mind.
Tash watched Jade move to the kitchen. Sorrow. She’d been thinking herself that he’d be damn handy in the coming days. But was he going to be in any state to help? Tash had hoped he’d be in touch before now. Three days was a long time to be dealing with something of that magnitude without any support.
She sighed heavily. “Jade, I made a promise to Sorrow. But he’s been gone a long time now without getting in touch with anyone. Especially you. I don’t know how he’ll react to you right now, though. I think I need to go find him. He probably won’t be happy to see me, but at least I have an idea what to expect.” *Do I really? Do I have any clue what he’s going through?* Tash looked up at Jade. “The hard part for you is, I think I should go alone...”
Naked pain slashed across Jade’s faced before she could jerk it back. Her first instinct was to challenge Tash’s last statement and to insist that Tash take her wherever she was heading. Then, common sense set in and Jade realised that what her friend had suggested was probably the best option they had.
The problems between us are not important right now! Even as her heart protested at the thought, Jade made herself relax. *I’ve got to be rational here. What if he sees me with Tash and takes off before we get a chance to tell him about Kate?* Jade knew that she and her friends were probably grossly outnumbered by the members of the Coven. Not having Sorrow and his magic on their side while they fought would put them at a severe disadvantage.
*No... I can’t be so selfish. Tristan and I can sort out whatever there is to be sorted later on. Right now, Kate’s life is at stake. I mustn’t do anything to jeopardise it further.* Because she wasn’t sure her voice would remain steady, Jade didn’t trust herself to speak when she met Tash’s eyes. She simply nodded before looking away.
Tash could feel the turmoil within Jade. She knew it was difficult for Jade to put aside her questions about what had happened with Sorrow. “I’ll do my best to see that he’s coping. And to bring him back if I can. I don’t know how he’ll be feeling when I find him - if I find him...” Tash looked down for a moment. “He may be quite different even if he does come back, Jade.” She flicked her eyes back up to meet Jade’s.
“I’d best get going as soon as possible. Please stay here in case Victor comes back with news.” At Jade’s subdued nod, Tash rose. She enveloped Jade in a hug, whispering, “He loves you. That will help him.” *Maybe...if it doesn’t send him over the edge.* Releasing Jade, Tash left to collect some things from her flat before making the long overdue return journey to Sorrow’s apartment.
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
Galen Eldridge
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2002 1:40 pm
Victor hustled out of the building and chased down the street following the smell of the exhaust the car had left. A residential street would not have enough traffic to mask the smell quickly. Victor wished he had Tash’s bike right now, but as he rounded the corner he saw an unassuming Toyota Corolla. Perfect, he thought.
Victor elbowed the window and unlocked the door. It was only after he was in the seat that he realized that there might have been an alarm. He wrenched the steering wheel and sheared off the wheel lock. A quick twist of the ignition switch and the tumblers inside crumpled as the car sputtered to life.
*Damn, Victor, you can’t even steal a decent car?*
Victor growled in annoyance. *Damn demon. I’ll pay for it later.*
*You will pay for it for years. You won’t let it go. You’ll beat yourself up for…Whoa! Watch where you are going!*
Victor slammed on the brakes at the intersection. The car screeched to a halt bare inches from the bumper in front of it. The man in front of him in the dark blue Ford Taurus with the rented tags was talking on his cell phone. Victor could see his angry expression in the rearview mirror. Victor held up his hands by way of apology, when he heard the man say into his phone, “Meet me at Quad 4B at…” he checked his watch, “1800 hours. Don’t drive. You’ll be taking my car.”
Victor recognized the New England accent and somewhat nasally tone of Special Agent Eldridge from his eavesdropping in the hall. *Fuck! I have screwed this up from the beginning,* Victor fumed.
Victor let the Taurus pull ahead and as it revved its engine he listened carefully to the sound. Victor sat at the light listening until the goofball behind him beeped his horn.
Victor pulled away and turned left at the next intersection. He turned right, gunned his engine and drove at a breakneck pace to the next light. There he listened. And he heard the distinctive sound of a Ford Taurus about a block away. Victor looked both ways and ran the light to get to the nest intersection, where he repeated the procedure.
This continued for several blocks until Victor heard the Taurus recede from him. Making a hard right he traveled down the road watching the car ahead. The car made several turns with Victor deliberately weaving either one block over or sometimes even a block ahead. When the Taurus pulled into a Days Inn, Victor drove casually past. *Time to get a new set of wheels huh? What are you going to steal now? A Dodge Neon? How about a Volkswagen Bug?*
Victor sighed, *You could have made tailing that guy hell. Thanks for slacking off.*
There was a long pause, then Vrithetek’s thoughts bubbled up, *I hate to disturb a professional when he’s working.*
******EVENING******
Driving without your headlights on in the middle of the night was done primarily by two kinds of people. You either had to be a fool or have something to hide in order to do it, and these were not always mutually exclusive. These thoughts were on Galen’s mind as he came to a stop and got out of the car.
The house was a good 30 minute hike from where he was now, but this would allow a more silent approach. He was now dressed entirely in black and had no form of identification on him at all. The only items he was now carrying were his gun and set of lockpicks.
It took a few minutes of waiting for his contact to arrive on foot to take the car back to town. “You look concerned,” his contact said. “Nervous about infiltration, or did you just learn something disturbing?”
“Neither,” Galen replied. “Aside from Lucien Aeterus, I’ve talked to everyone that we know was close to Catherine and still know nothing. On top of that…” he trailed off and related the story of the events earlier in the day - hearing the scream, shooting the lock off the door.
“For Christ’s sake, Griffin, learn some self-control!” his contact snapped. A stern look came over his face, the kind that an administrator gave to someone when they were displeased about what happened. “Our superiors are willing to look away from the occasional disregard for policy when you’re right. Don’t risk your cover again like that unless you’re certain it’s worth the risk.”
“In my opinion, the possibility of saving an innocent-“
“Don’t give me that sermon again. For all you know, Ms. Lee could have been an agent of the Order, or of the Coven. Your worry over her safety may have even cost us any information she could give.”
Galen sighed. He knew that the protest would fall on deaf ears, but he still had to say it. “Sir, with all due respect, we’re supposed to be doing this to protect people. If we don’t show concern for them as more than anything other than a means to an end, how are we any better than the demons we face?”
His contact ignored the question, which he fully expected. “You have until midnight tomorrow to find out what’s going on in that house. If we don’t hear back from you, we have to assume the worst.” His look softened as his contact finally settled down and walked over to the car, opening the door.
Galen could have sworn he saw something move out there in the night, then dismissed it. *You weren’t followed and are just being overly paranoid.* In their line of work, paranoia was actually healthy up to a certain point. When taken to excess agents were as apt to make mistakes by assuming that there was a demon in every shadow as they were when they did not take reasonable precautions.
“I’ll send some people to repair Ms Lee’s door,” his contact said. “Even have them leave a small sum of money for her. Call it a ‘gift from the city for emotional damage’. With a little luck she will decide to remain silent on this matter.” He did not say what would happen if she didn’t, though neither of them really wanted it to come to that.
Galen reconsidered everything that he had learned. “Sir, the Order may not be involved in this,” he said. “Ms Lee and her friend agreed that they seemed to be wearing rather elaborate disguises.”
“As usual, ever the optimist.” His contact got into the car, shut the door and started back down the road with his lights off. Galen never could stand the administrators in MJ12. A number of them were actually decent, but this one had not been a field agent for long. As a result he was something of a stickler for rules and procedure, never able to take in to account that the approved procedures tended to fail when applied to the actual world. *May all bureaucrats roast in hell,* he thought as the car retreated. He started on his hike to the country house, unaware that he was being followed.
Season One: Feb 06, 2005 - Jul 06, 2005
Natasha Brookes
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2002 4:23 pm
Two hours after sunrise a battered, bruised and weary Sorrow reached his apartment. Battling a backlash-induced sense of nausea, he reached the bathroom of the apartment barely in time to vomit up the greasy remains of last night’s meal.
Running the water, Sorrow spent a few minutes removing the taste from his mouth. Then, having drenched his head in icy-cold water, he raised blood-shot eyes to his reflection in the mirror. A wry smile touched his lips. *Well, that’s not changed yet.*
The reflection was very different from the one he’d seen four mornings ago. Ignoring for the moment the graze across his left cheekbone and its attendant puffiness, Sorrow’s eyes burned with a profoundly disturbing intensity. Yet that burning could not disguise the horror that haunted the depths of his soul. Throwing his jacket to one side, he ran warm water into the sink. Using the water to soak away the matted blood, Sorrow removed his shirt. His torso was a mass of bruises, minor cuts and abrasions. Sorrow ran his fingers lightly across his ribs. Nothing broken thankfully. Sorrow finished undressing and stood in the shower. Letting the almost scalding water cascade down his body Sorrow wished he hadn’t had the bed removed.
Sorrow finally got out of the shower and dried off as best he could. *Dammit Tris just go home!* Sorrow shook his head. He couldn’t go back to Jade yet; he needed to make some decisions first.
Sorrow walked out of the bathroom and over to the large windows that dominated the southern end of the main room. Watching the sun shine through the brownish smog of L.A., Sorrow pondered recent events. He tried to understand his sire’s plans for Jade and himself. Sorrow’s thoughts started to drift. Unable to reach any concrete conclusions and desperately in need of sleep he walked into the bedroom. *One thing’s for certain. I need help. I’ll grab some sleep and then contact Tash..* Sorrow stretched out on the floor and retreated into a dreamless sleep.
******Early Afternoon******
Tash parked her bike at the base of the building housing Sorrow’s empty apartment. She had a terrible feeling that he might be too far gone. She desperately hoped that wasn’t the case. *I should have insisted he get help right away. But if it were me, I’d want the time alone, too.* Tash sighed. It was all too difficult some days. Mentally girding herself, she entered the building and climbed the stairs to the fourth floor, preferring the activity to using the elevator. *He may not even be in, but I’m betting he’s going to be busy during the nights.*
She reached Sorrow’s apartment and rested against the door for a few moments. Sorrow had been here - she could feel his essence surrounding the door. But she was getting nothing from inside. That meant that either he wasn’t in, or he was not feeling anything strongly right now. Here goes nothing, Tash thought as she knocked purposefully on the door.
It took a few moments for Sorrow to realise someone was knocking on the door. A quick glance at his watch confirmed he’d been asleep a couple of hours at most. Sorrow groaned then called out, “Just a minute,” as he headed to the bathroom, grabbed his pants and splashed cold water on his face to wake himself up. Revived somewhat he headed back to the door. Tash hopefully. A quick look through the spy hole confirmed his thought and he opened the door.
“Hi, Tash.”
Tash felt relief wash over her when she heard Sorrow’s response, followed by the sounds of movement within. *Well, at least he’s not trying to cut himself off entirely.*
When the door finally opened, Tash wasn’t overly surprised to see the evidence of multiple fights on his body. Bruises were flowering over his torso among the cuts and scrapes. It occurred to Tash only in passing that Sorrow was wearing nothing but a pair of pants. *Thank God for that, at least.*
His aura had calmed down considerably from the mess it had been when Tash saw him last. It was now looking more or less like it had when she’d first seen him. Hardly a good thing, but better than she’d thought possible at this point, considering what Sorrow must have been through in the past few days.
Her scrutiny took no more than a second or two. She smiled and replied, “Hi to you, too. Can I come in?”
Sorrow leant on the door frame as Tash took her time checking him over. He opened the door wider, “Sure, come on in.”
As Tash entered Sorrow backed up, keeping more than a couple of feet between them and not blocking her retreat. “I’d keep your distance Tash, I’m not sure of my control right now...”
Tash nodded her understanding. She pushed the door to, but left it slightly ajar. Just in case. Turning to Sorrow, she said, “I have to tell you, you look like shit. But,” she added, “You’re also looking calmer than you were.”
The room was just as bare as it had been on Thursday, so Tash moved to sit on the windowsill. The pale winter sun was streaming into the room from behind her. “I was hoping someone would have heard from you before now.” Tash looked up at Sorrow in concern. “How are you coping?”
“I haven’t been for the last four days, not really anyway. In fact if not for an elder vampire’s intervention I’d be close to losing it right now.” Sorrow ran his hands through his hair. “Which is the bit I really don’t get,” he whispered. “I’ve got some more info about what’s going on though it’s rather tainted and right now I’m not sure how much to believe.”
Tash looked at Sorrow sharply, “An elder vampire?” A cold feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. “You don’t mean....”
“Oh yes, Valerian turned up to give his blessing on the happy incestuous couple.” Sorrow moved away into the room. “It’s all part of some plan of his you see, to get Jade to go to him.”
Tash’s mind was whirling. *Valerian. How had he managed to get Sorrow and Jade together? How was he planning on getting Jade to him through Sorrow?* She put her head in her hands and whispered hoarsely, “Oh, God.” She looked up at Sorrow. “And I’ve just finished telling Jade that Valerian was manipulating her. He saved her. But he also attacked her, through a minion. She was saying he could have killed her or turned her then and there. But obviously he has other plans. And now this.” Tash shook her head. “Oh, God,” she repeated.
Tash gave a small half-laugh. “And I only wanted to check how you were in case you were able to help with Kate. There’s just too much happening...” She drew her knees up and settled more firmly on her perch. “I’m sorry, it’s a bit overwhelming. I wanted to be sure you were going to be all right. It was a terrible thing you found out, and you hadn’t contacted me or Jade, and I was getting worried.”
“Ah yes. My Sire - he does seem to like involved plans...I haven’t worked out how he got me to L.A. but once we were in the same city...” Sorrow shrugged. He could see the outlines of the plan and had a glimmering of why Valerian had halted his descent into monstrosity and a possibility of how to block it all but right now he was almost too tired to think. “He had a minion attack Jade? When?”
“It was Friday. I saw Jade on Thursday evening,” Tash didn’t bother to mention the fact that Jade had been assaulted by the ‘reporter’. That could wait. “She was asking about the trip to the cemetery. She knew something was up, but I couldn’t tell her. I promised you...” Tash shrugged. “But she’s not stupid. When I told her what you’d said - that you’d be back when you could - she figured something had happened. I think she went out looking for you. I imagine Valerian was counting on it.”
Tash frowned, “But how could he possibly know that I’d show you that vision?”
“I don’t think it mattered. He said you’d done him a favour. So I guess he had plans to reveal it anyway.” Sorrow thought back to the earlier conversation. “He knows who you are. It almost sounds like he’s met you...I can’t imagine him calling you delectable for any other reason. Ever met a vamp powerful enough to throw you around like a rag doll?”
Tash paled. She glanced down at her arm. Beneath the leather jacket she could feel the torn flesh. Those dreams. Valerian’s in town. Why hadn’t she pieced it together earlier? She looked up at Sorrow, horror etched on her face. She swallowed, “Once, a few years ago I met one who mesmerised me. He wanted to turn me - but Matthias was there.” She stared at Sorrow for a second, the silence stretching between them. “What does Valerian look like?”
“Dark hair, dark penetrating eyes.” Sorrow walked a little closer, ignoring the sudden surge of hunger as his attention focused elsewhere. He held the image of Valerian clear within his mind and lowered his shields enough to allow Tash a connection. Her gasp was enough and Sorrow slammed shut his shields and stepped back before he succumbed to his dark cravings.
Fear rose within Tash, choking her. She huddled in on herself. She’d tried so hard to put the memory of that encounter from her mind, and had almost succeeded until the dreams had made her remember. She frowned. “Was I meant to find you and Jade? Or is this just some bizarre coincidence?” Her voice quavered.
Those eyes.... they had almost drowned her. Drawing a deep, shuddering breath, Tash refocused on the here and now. Sorrow’s vulnerability was evident. She’d felt his hunger - his need. Forcing herself to push Valerian to the back of her mind, Tash asked, “You’ve obviously got some control - but this is day.” She regarded him frankly. “How bad does it get at night?”
“Bad enough; it’s going to get worse. I doubt I can avoid trying to feed much longer...” Sorrow paused, his gaze and thoughts elsewhere. *Not something you can avoid telling her. When the time comes it’ll probably be her to do it.*
“I’ve fed once already. The hunger caught me by surprise, the strength of it. She was a waitress. Real hunger and the bloodlust overwhelmed me for a moment.” Sorrow’s eyes focused on another scene. “I’d barely begun to drink before I realised what I was doing and I ran. I fled and I have no idea if she’s still alive.” He looked up at Tash. “Still carrying the stakes? The gun will do the job but you’ll probably need to take the heart or head to be certain.”
Tash’s eyes grew wide as Sorrow spoke of feeding. *I wonder, was that Cindy? But Jade said Valerian killed her. He must have been following Sorrow.* She was about to ask him if he knew the girl’s name when his last question sank in. She looked at him sadly. The sun from the windows dappled his body.
“Oh, Sorrow. You aren’t a vampire. At least, not completely. You’re alive, you’re human. I don’t know how this has happened, but there’s hope. I don’t kill people.”
Tash looked down. *Except for Mrs. White*, she couldn’t help thinking to herself. Raising her head again, Tash continued, “There must be some way of dealing with this. You’re still you. You’ve just got this demon inside as well. There must be a way to get rid of it. Please, don’t give up hope.”
“Hope? Cindy was four nights ago. I’m not sure my horror would be enough to stop me now if I started .” He gave Tash a hard look. “Let’s not delude ourselves. My strength is rapidly failing. The point isn’t far off that however human I may seem all that will really remain is a vampire holding court in a living body instead of a dead one. Somebody will need to take steps then. And even if I do manage to beat this, what of Jade? Do I ask her to accept that demon within me? That I’m part vampire by her father’s blood?”
“Maybe you’re right about the outcome. And if it comes to that then I’ll stake you myself. But you aren’t there yet. Have you fed since that first time?” At Sorrow’s headshake, Tash breathed out in relief. “So you haven’t killed. And you’ve controlled it since. As for Jade, she’s desperately worried about you. She loves you. I’ve been concerned about how you’ll react to her, though. Knowing that it’s all part of Valerian’s great scheme - how do you feel about her?”
“I will never be happier than when I was in her arms, but I question my heart in this...You saw the marks, Tash. How much of what we have is due to the shared vampiric nature and how much to the simple virtue of human love?”
Sorrow sighed. “I would go back to her if I could but I will not let this monster drag her down into the darkness. As painful as this is, a part of me would scream for eternity if Jade went to her father’s side. I see no way out if I go to her and in the long run she compromises her soul. Yet, if I leave her? That could destroy her just as thoroughly.
“I can’t see my way in this, Tash.” Sorrow looked lost. the pain, uncertainty and doubt were evident in his bearing.
“Right now it seems I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t.”
Tash longed to offer Sorrow the comfort of a human touch. But she knew how afraid he was of losing control, and that proximity only made the battle harder for him.
“I don’t have any easy answers, Sorrow. I wish I did. But one thing you can do is to work on exorcising that vampire from you. It’s not like normal vampirism where the body is a dead, empty shell. You’re still a living person. There must be a way to rid yourself of the demon. It may take time. Lots of time, perhaps. But isn’t it worth the fight?”
“And how do I do that Tash? It’s been a part of me for fourteen years. Its hate is wrapped round mine like ivy round a yew.” Sorrow calmed the building anger and Tash relaxed as the blackness receded from his aura. It had grown with terrifying speed and its retreat had taken more of Sorrow’s ebbing strength. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure it’s even possible any more.”
Tash could feel the tatters of Sorrow’s control. Before he clamped down on his shields again, she caught a brief flash of worry. Valerian. Something about him spying on Sorrow. *Of course! You fool, woman. He’s an elder. And he ‘made’ Sorrow. Naturally he can sense what Sorrow’s doing and saying.* She sighed in exasperation at herself. *And I almost blew it, then.* She gazed at Sorrow and a look of understanding passed between them.
“Maybe you’re right,” she said. “Maybe it’s going to be something you’ll have to keep in check all your life. And perhaps if Valerian wants you and Jade together, then the best thing may be to stay apart.” Tash jumped down from the window ledge. “Should we go for a short walk?”
A wry smile crossed Sorrow’s face. “Unfortunately my Sire’s ‘blessing’ left me without suitable clothing for a daylight stroll. Still, I may be able to manage something.”
Sorrow headed towards the bathroom and picked up his jacket. *Can’t risk magic...* It wasn’t quite as bad as he’d thought. It’ll have to do. He slipped the jacket on, buttoned it up and headed back into the living room. “Shall we go take the air?”