#A little something for our beloved dhampir

[legendarybelmonts]

Alucard, formerly known as Adrian Fahrenheit Țepeș

[tevinteredeemer]

bloodxstarved:

"Baby dragon? Wha- Nooooo.... Griffon egg? More possible. But that's completely irrelevant to this conversation." Alucard said and leaned down to kiss at Dorian's neck. "Always think I'm up to something when I just want to shower my beloved with affectionate words and touches." He pulled back after a few kisses so he could gaze at Dorian. "Something's on your mind. What's got you out on the balcony this late at night staring deeply into the beyond?" The dhampir asked with a tilt of his head. "Or could you just not fall asleep because I hadn't come to bed yet?"

Dorian shook his head at Alucard's words, but his smile didn't change. Unfortunately, he rather loved this ridiculous man. And everything that came along with him. "My dear, everyone is up to something when they go about lathering flattering words upon someone. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a fool." He teased.

Dorian took in the moment, breathing deeply and comfortably, eyes closed even as the dhampir pulled away. The man was too emotionally intelligent not to know that something was broiling in Dorian's head, however. The tevinter sighed, eyes opening once more. "A little of both, I suppose." He answered before pausing for a moment. "Thinking of home, mostly. Well, my homeland as a whole. Our reputation. We deserve it, of course, and I will strive to better it; but...it will certainly be a challenge." He said, sighing once more.

Dorian was surprised to feel himself blush at Alucard's further praise, turning away slightly with a warm smile on his lips. Dorian was used to compliments, on all aspects of himself; but Alucard's weren't just pretty little nothings said to impress him. No...Dorian could tell they were genuine. "My, my, I'd almost think you were buttering me up for a favor, amatus. You've not a baby dragon hiding somewhere around here, do you?" He teased, his own arms coming up to hold Alucard's.

[alucarddear]

our most beloved Adrian comforting his s/o while she's going through hard times?? by hard times i mean just in general. like when she's experiencing period cramps. or doesn't have an appetite bc she's sick. that sort of stuff☁️

Fever

Alucard cares for his human lover who has a fever.

Note: [She/her]. Aww. I think he will really fuss over her when she’s sick. Here’s a short little moment. :)

“Darling, how are you feeling now?” Adrian asks, checking her temperature for what must have been the twentieth time in just the past hour.

She sighs and grabs his cold hand away from her forehead. “Fevers take some time, you know. I’ll be alright.”

She gives his hand a light squeeze, grip weak but comforting all the same. She is fire against his cold skin.

A light blush colours his cheeks. He wouldn’t know from experience. He’s never had a fever before. It’s just another benefit of being a dhampir, he supposes, but he feels absolutely useless to her right now.

His mother used to get them, but she was a doctor who knew what she was doing even when sick, so it didn’t worry him too much. His father had been around too, and he knew even more. His beloved, on the other hand… She doesn’t seem too concerned, but she has been indisposed for three days now, and her appetite is barely there. Even his cooking doesn’t do the trick, so Adrian found his mother’s old textbooks and perused some of them. The common idea seems to be that a fever could last all week, so of course he is worried.

My poor darling…

Regardless, he’s determined to make it a very comfortable week for his beloved.

“Do your limbs hurt at all? See, there is a portion here,” he points to a page on the textbook, “It says muscle aches are common. Would you like a massage?” He goes on, listing each symptom that worries him, asking if she is feeling them, wondering what can be done to help ease her pains.

Adrian’s lips are pursed in concentration, eyes moving across the pages of the hefty medical text. His fingertip follows each line in total immersion, eyebrows occasionally lifting when he sees something interesting that may be of use.

The sight of him needlessly worrying over her makes her giggle, makes her wonder if the warmth she feels spreading in her stomach is even her fever at all. Perhaps the tingly sensation she’s now feeling is a pleasant shiver from being loved so thoroughly.

Before she realises it, she’s voicing her thoughts out loud. “How lovely it is to be loved and taken care of by someone as sweet as you.” I’m so lucky.

Adrian is astonished. And then warmth blazes all across his chest at her words, matching the flaring of her cheeks.

He wonders if fevers could ever feel as warm as the burning in his heart.

[just-call-me-the-intrusive-thot]

Soulmate September - Day 8

Day 8 - The temperature of your chest gets hotter when you are closer to your soulmate and colder when you move further away. (D&D AU)

Pairing(s): Romantic Roceit, Romantic Background Analogical

TWs: Swearing

–

“Oh I adore being made out to be the bad guy here.”

“You robbed the lair of the Dragon Witch! It’s literally your fault that we are mired in this bog of despair!”

Roman’s accusation rang loudly within the wagon as they made the long ride back to Amoresse to rest for the night. Janus rolled his serpentine eyes, 

“You, dear delusional knight, are totally not the one who went and killed said Dragon Witch, thus leaving her treasure for the taking.”, the half Yuan-Ti hissed, appropriately, “Besides, you can absolutely take the moral high ground here when you stole her crown at the first opportunity.”

The pristine elven knight gasped dramatically, clutching his figurative pearls at such an accusation! 

“This is an outrage-!”

“Both of you shut the fuck up or I’m driving this wagon off the nearest goddamn cliff!!”

Roman and Janus both immediately quietened down at the threat issued so casually by their wagon driver as the dhampir hissed curses under his breath. The two in the back glared at each other back and forth, avoiding looking towards the wrecked fabric of the canopy and the splintered wood. In Roman’s defense, he hadn’t known that grabbing the crown specifically would cause the Dragon Witch’s castle to fall to ruin around them. He’d realised his mistake almost immediately when he felt the dark magic radiating off of it. However, he couldn’t bring himself to admit that was the case. Especially not around Janus, the damn snake wouldn’t let him live it down. 

Being careful to pick his moment, Roman hazarded a glance over at the reptilian rapscallion eyeing up his spoils; Janus was an enigmatic entity to Roman, showing such sophistication and poise while also being prone to stumbling over his words or his own two feet in the same breath. Unabashedly, he displayed selfishness unrivalled by even the most aristocratic nobility, but in a pinch, was fully able to toss aside even the most valuable of artifacts to save a life. 

Roman had tried not to think about it. The noble and chivalrous knight, Roman of Sandaria, being saved from the jaws of death by a conman who, by all accounts, he had fully expected to leave him to die. The elven man wasn’t sure where his resentment lay; perhaps Roman thought he should’ve been able to save himself, perhaps he felt guilty for misjudging Janus but couldn’t find it in him to admit it, or perhaps it was an underlying prejudice from his training days. Yeah, he really  didn’t want to think about it.

Instead, Roman made his way to sit up front next to the moody wagon driver, making light conversation,

“I should be the one manning the wagon, your highness.”

“Roman, I’ve told you before, you can just call me by my name.”, the dhampir met Roman with piercing silver eyes, “Now, tell me what’s wrong.”

“I don’t understand my- Virgil,”, he corrected at the last second, “Nothing’s wrong. Aside from the fact you refuse to allow me to call you by your title-”

“That’s horseshit and you know it, Roman.”, Virgil kept his eyes on the road, anxious over the possibility of a crash if he kept his gaze averted too long, “I’ve known you since we were kids, I can tell when you’re lying. Besides, being called ‘your highness’ feels wrong as it is. Coming from you? It’s even fucking weirder than this whole marrying into royalty thing...”

Roman rolled his eyes but sat closer to offer Virgil a one-armed hug. The latter gave it a moment before accepting the gesture, “Virgil, you’ll be fine. If any one of us was suited to princedom, I cannot think of a better candidate. And your future husband is unreasonably attractive, so I don’t see what you have to complain about-”

“Oh my god, shut UP!”, Virgil chuckled and shoved Roman playfully. “I mean, you’re not wrong but the last thing I need is to think too hard about Logan and crash this stupid fucking shambles of a wagon!” 

The lighthearted banter did wonders to distract Roman until Virgil managed to get things back on track unfortunately, “Now, stop deflecting and tell me what’s got you so gloomy, Sir-Sing-A-Lot.”

Roman rolled his eyes at the old nickname, “I’m fine, Virge, really. I merely wish our cascading castle adventure had been a little less…ruinous.”

“.... Was that a fucking pun-”

“Ahem.”, Janus cleared his throat from behind the two of them, “I do so loathe to interrupt.... whatever this is,”, he gestured between the two of them, “But I believe that’s our stop up ahead. Wouldn’t want to go destroying that as well.”

With that, the serpentine rogue slunk back into the wagon. Roman muttered something under his breath, inaudible to Virgil, before reluctantly joining the scaled nuisance bagging up his wares. The elven knight made sure to keep his crown tucked into his rucksack, just in case thievery was something to be wary of in Amoresse. The town’s reputation, however, gave Roman hope that their visit would prove more helpful than hindering; the rumours told of a town renowned for helping wayward, lonely souls find their soulmates. As a single, disaster gay, Roman sure hoped the rumours were true. Truly he could think of nothing sadder than turning up alone to his best friend’s wedding.

Getting booked into their rooms at the tavern was a far easier ordeal than having to endure the overly chaotic gate guard to the city. The bizarre tiefling had spent so long rambling on and on about the most grotesque topics that by the time they had successfully secured a wagon bay, the moon now shone in all her celestial beauty. Virgil had suggested resting for the night, and despite Roman’s urging that they stay together, Janus had been insistent on checking out the nightlife. The knight had been content to let him do so while he guarded the prince, but the tired dhampir insisted he too take the night to enjoy himself. Roman would have argued further had Virgil not issued the suggestion as an order after his first protest.

And that was how Roman found himself sitting at a small outdoor bar tended by a rather friendly dwarf. Said dwarf, Patton as he came to learn, was quite the chatterbox while Roman was content to take in the night air in spite of his earlier worries. 

“Say kiddo,”, the dwarf broke from his pleasant rambling, “you’re looking a little lonely there. You got something on your mind?”

Roman hadn’t expected that. He pursed his lips in thought. 

“I suppose I may as well be honest with you. I’ve been wondering if-”

“If the rumours are true?”, Patton finished, “Well, luckily for you, they are!”

He ducked down behind the counter and pulled up an ornate crystal bottle that contained a marvellous prismatic liquid inside. Roman watched with great interest as the dwarf pulled out a goblet and began to mix a sweet, fruity smelling drink before dropping in three drops of the colourful elixir.

“Anima Venenum”, Patton informed him, “Our town’s alchemist created it by accident a couple of centuries back, and ever since, we offer some to tourists who look like they need a little guidance in the ol’ world of love!”

Roman was mesmerised, “Really? You mean, I needn’t pay you for it?”

“Nope! Our only rule is to never hand it out to anyone who doesn’t ask us for it. It’s up to you if you wanna accept this, so no pressure. I just figured you looked like you might be in need of it.”

The knight had so many questions swirling around in his brain, but by the time he had settled on a single one, his hand was holding the goblet to his lips. The taste was citrusy like sweet clementines, but with a mixed berry and almost floral taste that reminded him of a rose wine. As the last of it slid down his throat, Roman noted a soft honey-like taste as he thanked Patton, 

“That tastes wonderful! I’ve never had an elixir that tasted so good.”

Patton chuckled, “Actually, the elixir itself is tasteless. People just take better to it when it's mixed with a good drink, otherwise the texture weirds ‘em out.”

“Ah, I see.”, Roman let out a gentle chuckle. He didn’t feel all that different, truth be told, and so he asked, “How will I know it’s working?”

“The effects are instantaneous, don’t you worry! It might be hard to notice at first, but when you’re near your soulmate, your heart will feel really warm- In a good way! Not like heartburn, so don’t worry about it feeling unpleasant.”, Patton assured him.

Roman nodded, making a note of it as he got up to leave before quickly asking, “Oh! How long will it last?”

Patton waved him off, assuring him, “It’ll last for as long as you need to find your soulmate, guaranteed!”

With the night reaching its peak, Roman found himself strolling along the cobbled streets back to the tavern when he felt it; a flicker of warmth in his heart. Soft as the beating of a butterfly’s wing but very much there. He followed the feeling until he came upon a narrow street, hardly lit by the lamps stationed at it’s opening. The street itself was largely empty bar a silhouette in the dark leaning against the stone bridge that arched over the shimmering water running beneath it. 

His heart raced as Roman approached the figure, the flames licking at his heart until he arrived about a foot from the entrance of the bridge. The figure turned to Roman, smirking a familiar smirk,

“Come to join me, oh loyal guardian of our beloved prince?”

Janus. His soulmate was Janus?! Roman couldn’t believe it, yet no matter how thoroughly he scanned the immediate area, not a single other soul revealed itself. The half Yuan-Ti raised a bemused eyebrow at Roman, “Please, do keep ignoring my question so you may continue to look like a fool.”

Roman scowled. Maybe the kindly dwarf was just teasing him? No, he didn’t seem the type. But this conman? His soulmate? Perhaps Roman would indulge it, see where that led him. Worth a shot anyway. 

“My apologies.”, was all Roman offered as he took a spot on the bridge next to Janus, the flames of his heart undeniably soaring to life at the close proximity. Janus gave Roman a puzzled glance which let Roman take in his features; a half scaled face and body that, the more he watched the moonlight dance along the scales, made Roman want to gently reach out and touch them. In fact, he had subconsciously been doing just that when Janus had held his wrist in place, “It’s not completely rude to just touch someone’s scales without permission. What’s gotten into that underbaked brain of yours, Roman?”

Flustered and embarrassed by his lack of tact, Roman uttered quietly, “Soulmate cocktail.”

“Pardon?”

Roman panicked, “So many cocktails. Is what I said. Like, 14 whole cocktails.” 

Great. Excellent save.

“..... You’re expecting me to believe that? Did you forget that I’m rather adept at being able to tell when someone’s lying to my face, Roman?”

End him. Just end him now. Roman wished a stray lightning bolt would smite him where he stood so he wouldn’t have to face his own stupidity. Quick, say something to help ease the situation.

“Okay. I had 16 cocktails.”, he stammered with a laugh, “I’m absolutely drunk. You got me, you clever reptile you!”

Roman of Sandaria you are a certified idiot. 

“.... Alright then. Prove it.”, Janus goaded him, locking onto Roman’s crimson eyes with his own citrine snake-like eyes. 

“Prove-?”

“Let me smell your breath.”, Janus clarified, getting closer. Each inch set Roman’s heart aflame all too literally. “If you’re as inebriated as you claim to be, your breath will absolutely stink.”

Shit.

“Uuuh, personal space-”, Roman began to move back, but Janus grasped the front of his tunic.

“Don’t give me that, Mister Personal-Space-Is-A-Societal-Construct, I’ve seen how often you get in your dear prince’s personal space...”, Roman could’ve sworn for a split second that Janus sounded resentful, or perhaps envious, before his tone took a more curious route, “... or perhaps could there be another reason you don’t want to be so close to me?”

The knight became aware of the burning within his chest threatening to rage out of control, the distance between them barely a couple of inches now. Roman wasn’t sure what to do, but the lure of Janus’ eyes and the way his ribcage radiated with a heat he’d never felt before spurred him to act; he leant forward and pressed his lips to the serpentine man before him.

It surprised Roman just how pleasant it felt, though he prepared himself for harsh retaliation from the half Yuan-Ti when he felt Janus take in a breath against his lips. However, Roman was pleasantly surprised to find that Janus, not only didn’t issue him a well-earned slap and spend the rest of the night cussing him out, but instead kissed him back even harder. Not that Roman was complaining. By the time they pulled back for air, Roman didn’t even notice the fire in his heart subsiding to be replaced with a more natural warmth as Janus’ hands softly caressed Roman’s cheeks. “I’ll be the first to admit, I totally saw the night heading that direction.”, Janus mused in surprise.

Roman let out a hearty chuckle, hardly even noticing that he’d subconsciously wrapped his arms around Janus.

“Care to tell me what brought this on, Roman of Sandaria?”

Just hearing his name spoken in such an enticing dulcet made his knees feel weak; how had Roman never noticed how beautiful Janus’ voice was? His mind was too busy latching onto every octave, every syllable, that he nearly forgot to answer him. He took Janus’ scaled hand and pressed his lips to it in a gentle gesture his soulmate clearly wasn’t used to if the flustered way he averted his eyes was anything to go by,

“I suppose you could say I did a little soul searching.”

----

Have some straight up Roceit fluff, this came out so cute.

@tsshipmonth2020

Taglist: @somehow-i-got-an-account @cateye-glasses @lavender-mochi [I know you love your Roceit so I figured I’d tag you incase you needed this] @fandomsofrandom [I nearly missed the reblog where you asked to be added I’m so sorry]

[mattiemoose]

I will not leave

(Adrian x Reader)

(Real quick: This contain spoilers for season 2  and I haven't written anything in MONTHS so this is just kind of an exercise to get me back into writing but all the same hope it is enjoyed)

"The greatest gift you gave to me...and I'm killing him" You couldn't bring yourself to enter the room all you could do is listen to a man cry to his dead beloved about how he was murdering the only thing he had left in this shitty world. You could only stand there with your sword in your hand unable to bring yourself to step in and end this.

Maybe the count would see his wrong and end this? Make a change? He has before why not again with his son just behind him? The sick sound of skin breaking and the familiar sound a gasp of pain broke you from your thoughts. Dracula backed away from his son and ever so slowly his skin began to melt away reaching for his boy. Trevor pushed past you and with a swing of his sword took Draculas head with Sypha coming in asking everyone to step back before burning the body and from the ashes the rage of the damned burst fourth covering the room and castle in darkness the screaming from those killed in the far past screaming out before all settled down.

If that won't give you nightmares after you know this whole fucking ordeal will.

The way Adrian could only stare on his heart shattering with out making a noise but the look in his eyes hurt. His hands shook he averted your eyes while walking out with the others leaving you to stare at the remains. It's over now, so why did it bother you that the vampire king is dead? If you had to admit anything, Dracula wasn't wrong but the way he handled it wasn't right either. Hearing your name echoing down the hall with a tone that said to hurry up! Giving the room one last glance you made a quick exit and hurried back to the group.

-

The suns rays flooded through the doors and filled the hall with natural light. It was like a new day had risen over and washed away the carnage created from last nights events, the warmth from the sun almost refreshing as the four of you stood together. Although you knew the warmth of the sun would not reach the cold insides of the castle and it's new master.

The four of you stood in the middle of the main hall talking and of course making light jokes of Sypha destroying the moving mechanisms of the castle. "You did force it here in a raging battle melting it" You pipped up feeling a relief of some laughter echoing in the quiet hall. "I do not break things" She quickly quipped back. The banter between the other three melted into a blur your thoughts trained on Adrian, he'll be here alone from here on out Belmont giving him not only the castle to protect but also the Belmont hold.

You saw how their lips moved and expressions change to each word but you didn't seem to much register it besides "What it is above is in below" Or something like that. Something inside kind stung with each new thought that settled in your mind, in such a short time of being around them it'll be strange to be with out them since you too.. will have to go home to a place held in its own loneliness.

"Name" Being called shook you from your thoughts, a hand planted on your shoulder to regain your attention. "Come on let's get our supplies and get the fuck out of here" Trevor left with Adrian while you and Sypha went outside to catch your horse and covered wagon.

Bringing the horse back to the main entrance you were kind of surprised by how quick the boys managed to get supplies, it was almost like Adrian was trying to get them to move on. You could only chuckle, surely most of these were carried by the dhampir. Trevor already loading the bags onto the wagon.

"Try not to let that idiot get you into to much trouble" Adrian spoke to you and Sypha your attention to Trevor dropping the supplies on his head and onto the ground.

"Never"

"Haha, Idiot" You snorted softly only getting a finger from Trevor in reply and a snarky remark about how you weren't doing shit while putting the cargo back up.

"Well, Just enough trouble" Sypha chuckled. "Just Enough" Adrian agreed the three of you walking towards him.

One by one the three of you got onto the wagon, You sitting just at the edge there being to much shit in the wagon for you to really sit in but the threat of falling off seemed best. Trevor taking the middle and Sypha taking the other. You having to lean forward to get a better look at the only one not coming along. His smile small and did not reach his eyes.

"Well my friend I am glad to of followed you here" You sat up straight "Please take it easy" Leaning back into your spot as Trevor sat up to wave his goodbyes. In return got flipped off and the howl that left your lips startled even you. "ah-fuck you" Trevor hissed grabbing the reins "come on boy" Trevor forcing his arm in front of you to wave all the while grinning at you and just almost knocking you off. "Ass"

"Stop it, both of you" Sypha quick to scold the two of you before you did fall off.

The farther the three of you got from the castle the more you decided on something. This man had lost his mother and had to kill his own father just to live in the remains by himself it wasn't fair. You listened to the two talk about "Belnades and Belmont" it sounded right together for their stories and so you decided this was not your journey. Positioning yourself to hop off the side a grin spreading across your lip. "Well if that is the case I think I too, will watch over the Belmont hold and Castle.... Tepes and (Last/name) Sounds good does it not?" Looking over your shoulder you giving your new found friends a wink and hopped off the moving wagon. "Until we unite again!" You waved and did not dare look back as you took full sprint towards the castle.  

Breaking through the large doors panting heavily, rushing up the stairs and onward checking every door trying to find the only other soul within these walls. Panting heavily as your lungs cried for air but the excitement that built up inside did not stop.  Although you did stop within your tracks when the sound of sobbing caught your attention, oh how your heart felt itself crush. Slowly walking towards the only open door down the new hallway and stopping you turned to look inside. Adrian held his head within his hands his tears as he sat in a chair that seemed just to big for him to sit. Your vision blurred as your heart broke at the sight. This poor man, left alone to grieve in such an empty home not a day after killing his father they had left him... you had left him. "Oh, Oh no" Hurrying over and carefully taking his head he jumped looking up to you. "I am so sorry" Your voice little and choked you held him close to your chest. "We should not of left you" His arms found their way around your waist bringing himself closer his quiet wails muffled in the clothe of your shirt trying to hide himself and find what comfort you offered. Hands gently running through his golden locks and under the pressure of your broken heart you began to weep with him kissing the top of his head and cradled him close.

"I will not leave"

[just-castlevania-imagines]

I need fluff for my life to continue so here I go with and scenario or a fic anything works right now (I still think in the last moments of the 8 episode)(send help and tissues) S/O found wearing Alucard’s clothes by him, S/O kind of start doing pose and everything until our beloved dhampir appears (this May or May not lead to nsfw you can choose)

  You pull the sleeves of Adrian’s trenchcoat onto your arms, shrugging into the back of the garment and adjusting its elegantly-trimmed collar to rest around your neck. It’s just a little heavy. Your arms are just long enough to peek out past the cuffs. As you look at yourself in the mirror, donning the black-and-gold colors of your beloved, you feel a sense of regality.

  Just a sense, though–you have to admit that the coat kind of dwarfs you.

  Still, the more you look, the more you’re reminded of Adrian. The more you think about it, the clearer you can picture it in your mind’s eye–the arch of his lithe figure, the graceful movements with which he wields his rapier, and the strong, powerful-looking stances he would take as he directed the steel singing through the air…

  Wait. Hold on a minute.

  How did that stance go, anyway? You pull the sleeves back a bit further and extend your arms, like how you remember he would call his sword to him. Or, no, maybe it was something more like this…?

  “No, my love, you’re meant to reach forward.”

  “Oh, yeah, that’s–!” Wait.

  You whip around to see Adrian leaning against the doorway, with a candle in one hand and his smile hidden behind the other. As you feel your face warm, you hear the sound of his laughter, deep and gentle and genuinely fond. You put your hands to your cheeks, the cuffs of the trenchcoat falling well past your wrists, as he sets the candle down before–in a movement as swift and smooth as the ones you were just envisioning–he places his hand at the small of your back, and presses a rough kiss to your lips. You loop your arms around his back, holding him close to you for support.

  When he pulls away, you’re rendered a little breathless, but you open your eyes to peek at his expression. There’s a smile on his face, brimming with his affection for you. “You look adorable in that,” he says, hand moving to caress your cheek, “But if you want to try on my things, I’d appreciate it if you asked first.”

  “Oh. I’m sorry,” you begin, but he shakes his head.

  “There’s no need to apologize, my treasure,” he lilts. “I just wish I was here to see you to begin with, is all.” Adrian holds you closer; his long, blonde hair falls past his shoulders. You can feel the smile on his lips, still, as he places another, feather-light kiss onto the crook of your neck. You find that you can’t help but squirm a little at the sensation of it, but all he does is laugh a little more, and as your fingers find their place in-between his, you lean against the dhampir’s chest and feel his heartbeat, at a pace quickened much like yours. Still, as you lie in Adrian’s arms, you revel in the simple comfort that he feels happy, and that you feel happy too.

Heyo. I haven’t written a mod intro post yet, but I’m Mod Faerie. I had an idea as to how this could lead into smut, but I couldn’t execute that idea too well haha;; maybe I’ll come back to it someday. For now, though, I hope you like this. Thank you for coming by!

[lexiseigneur]

Chapter sixteen: First bite

Lexi woke up starving. Her stomach grumbled and her throat was scorched as if she had swallowed battery acid. The violence of those sensations was shocking. She went to the bathroom and drank directly from the tap in a desperate attempt at calming the fire. It did nothing beside frustrate her. Downstairs, the men moved and chatted and the beating of each of their hearts was torture. Quinlan had been pulled from his slumber by her distress spilling inside the Bond.

“Lexi, please stay here. I do not believe it is safe for you to be around them at this moment.”

His hands caressed her shoulders and she looked up at his reflection in the dirty mirror.

“How am I going to be of any use today? I don’t even think I could run right now.”

“I will ask Augustin for help. We will not require much. Just enough for us to infiltrate the building and after that, the problem will solve itself.”

Lexi reached for two memories to share. In the first recollection, a drop of blood appeared on her hand and in the second another drop rolled from her mouth. Then as she gave them to him she apologized for making him suffer that way.

“I will accept your apology for the first, but the second one I amply deserved.”

Quinlan kissed her temple then dressed quickly and left the bedroom. Lexi followed his footsteps and his words anxiously.

“Mister Elizalde, a word?” he asked.

“Sure.”

Both walked to the space just under the staircase.

“An issue has arisen which will need to be resolved before our departure.”

“What’s going on?”

“Lexi requires sustenance or her abilities will become significantly diminished.”

More footsteps and Gus sighed.

“She was fine last night with that little demonstration.”

“Unfortunately, this, in addition to several days of undernourishment, are the cause of this issue.”

Lexi felt like a complete idiot. Dhampir speed was taxing and she should have saved her strength. Inexperience in these matters was obviously a problem.

“How much?”

“Ideally a pint but half of that amount would suffice.”

“OK, at least that’s not much. Good thing she ain’t as big as you are, Quinlan.”

“We will secure larger amounts as we retake your building.”

Gus’ heartbeat accelerated slightly which was incredibly distracting.

“Well, sucks to be them.”

There was a moment of silence then Gus spoke again.

“Let me handle that. Maybe some of them will understand.”

The Sun Hunter walked to his gathered men.

“Alright, guys! I need volunteers for something you ain’t gonna like!”

“Shoot!” replied an unfamiliar voice.

“The lady won’t be able to fight without some blood first.”

A tense silence fell on the room.

“I also prefer my blood inside my body but I don’t mind giving up some if it means Creem ends up losing all of his.”

Some of the men chuckled at that remark.

“I’m in, couz’,” said Raul.

“My man!” said Gus there was a slapping sound. He had tapped his cousin on the back.

“Me too.”

This voice Lexi recognized as well. It was the man she had threatened with her machete. Intrigued by this, she approached the bedroom door to listen more closely.

“You sure, Gordo?”

“Yeah. I’m kinda scared she might decide to just drink me completely otherwise. Cause I was dick.”

Lexi laughed out loud and in the general silence, her voice echoed through the building. That irritated her throat further and she made a wry face.

“Fuck, she heard me,” said Gordo.

There was a cacophony of laughter. More unknown voices agreed to donate blood.

“I will show them some of the medical equipment the doctor had here.”

“Thank you.”

“Beloved…I think you solved the matter yourself.”

Lexi relaxed and stopped focusing on the sounds below. Instead, she distracted herself by taking the honing stone from the metal trunk and working on her machete. It did not take as long as she had hoped. She returned to the bathroom and begun tying her hair into a tight French braid. It was challenging and managed to take some of her concentration away from the fire in her neck. Her ears and the jewelry adorning them became particularly obvious. The shallow swirls on her throat were merely light pink, a visual reminder of her thirst. Heavy footsteps approached. Lexi sighed in relief. Quinlan entered the bedroom with a bottle tucked under his arm while also holding a plate covered with food. He closed the door behind him then suspended his gesture when he saw her.

“Are you alright?” she asked and crossed the room.

“You look…stunning.”

She accepted the compliment with a smile and despite herself started purring. It hurt. The rumbling stopped immediately.

“Here… Augustin insisted on you getting human food as well.”

Lexi downed the bottle of blood in seconds. The thirst subsided and a wave of warmth originating from her throat traversed her entire body. Quinlan’s reaction to drinking her donation the night they had met suddenly appeared mild.

“Maybe I can take that downstairs and thank them before I eat?”

“Yes…your thirst seems under control for the moment.”

They joined the group of men who were still eating at the glass table.

“You good?” asked Gus.

“Yes, thank you all. Truly.”

There were nods and dismissive waves of hands. Barely suppressing a smile she turned to the one named Gordo.

“Especially you.”

“You’re welcome!” he said with a chuckle then scooted over so she could sit next to him. Both she and Quinlan sat down at the table. The dish they shared was composed of stale tortillas and canned beans.

“We only know three of your names,” she said after swallowing a bite.

The men introduced themselves rapidly. Next to Gordo was Amir, the youngest by far and the one sporting a large scar from the top left of his forehead to his right cheek. Then Jorge and Marcus were both dark-skinned men and the latter had a thick accent she could not place. The other four men were all Hispanic and looked surprisingly similar. Julio, Arturo, Antonio, and Miguel were in fact brothers and that fact moved her strangely. After the Fall, she was surprised that so many members of the same family had remained alive. They chatted between themselves until Amir who had glanced at her the entire time finally spoke.

“Hey, huh, Lexi?”

“Yes, Amir?”

“How come your hair is two colors?”

Quinlan stared at him with a faint scowl. Amir shifted his position so that Gordo’s large frame would shield him from that gaze.

“Why are you scaring that poor man?” she asked him through the Bond.

The Dhampir stopped staring and looked at her instead.

“Why should he have any interest in your physical attributes?”

“Because humans are very curious. I know I certainly was about you.”

Quinlan rattled softly and she could still feel his irritation. Lexi shook her head and turned to the young man.

“Well, it changes colors with the seasons. In summer, it turns red.”

“Really?”

Amir leaned forward and looked avidly at the strands.

“No, it’s dye.”

Gordo who had been listening to the exchange snorted then almost choked on a mouthful of tortilla. Quinlan hid a grin under his hand. The others taunted the youngest for his gullibility and he took it in graceful self-derision.

After the meal, they prepared for the assault ahead. They left for Manhattan and during the entire ride, Lexi braced herself for what was to come.

 Climbing the brick wall of the building was trivial. The crevices afforded them enough purchase to reach the top in under a minute. As described by Gus, the door on the roof was locked but not guarded. The couple stepped from the burning sun into the equally painful violet of UV lamps. The entire staircase leading to the top floor was flooded in their glow. At the first door, they stopped and listened. Fifteen hearts beat within the bowels of the building below.

“They are all gathered downstairs, unfortunately. We will have to disable most before feeding.”

“Swords or guns?”

“Hands preferably. I would rather avoid having to force Augustin’s men to clean the blood of their former associates.”

“That’s rather thoughtful of you.”

It was not the time for displays of affection but it was tempting nonetheless.

“You appreciate those men. So I would prefer not to antagonize them more than strictly necessary.”

“Thank you. Shall we?”

“We shall.”

They entered a large loft almost empty because most of its contents had been thrown into a corner without care. Lexi frowned when she spotted on the floor a framed picture of Gus with an older woman. The glass was cracked.

“Such disrespect,” she said and removed her hood and glasses.

Quinlan and Lexi blurred downstairs into a common area where the men had gathered to play cards and video games. In a second, they assessed the situation. One was behind a counter at the farthest point, pouring himself a drink. His teeth shone silver. Lexi’s lips lifted savagely. A large automatic weapon was propped in front of the only uncovered window and there, a man peered outside while smoking.

“The one at the window needs to go first. The buzzer is next to him. Then, there are more men at the table so I will deal with them.”

“Alright, I’ll get the ones around the TV.”

Only now did one man spot them but it was too late. They flew, slowing down as they snapped and twisted the necks of their targets. She had killed three of them when the back of her throat tickled. She still had three more to go. The next jumped to his feet as she came to him and punched him in the plexus, collapsing the bone into his heart. Her throat was burning again.

The next one was reaching for the weapon on his side and she smacked him on the temple. He hit the floor, dead. That last target was aiming his weapon at her and she growled loudly. The crack of gunfire echoed in the large open space. He missed but only by a hair. She was already struggling to maintain her speed and her throat and body were afire.

“Drink him,” said Quinlan.

But she had already decided before his voice boomed in her mind. Lexi jumped on the man and broke the wrist holding the gun. Then as he fell on his back, she straddled his chest and opened her mouth. The green eyes stared in horror as her tongue parted and covered each of cheeks. Disgusted by what she was about to do, she covered his upper face with her gloved hand. She could not take his life while he watched.

Her stinger clasped around the exposed neck. His uninjured hand was attempting to pry the appendage off. Firmly, she pinned it down. Bones snapped under her grip. The precision muscles inside her stinger worked and soon, she felt the need to spit. The sensation was familiar because she had lived it through Quinlan. She pushed and the sharp bone pierced the skin and the wall of an artery. Blood poured and she drank deeply, pumping with each heartbeat. The relief that action provided did not attenuate her guilt and horror. Tears fell on the paling face of her victim. His entire body contracted and the heart stopped.

The blood flow was cut and she instantly sprang away from the corpse, lest she be tempted to look at her victim’s face. Quinlan was drinking as well and by the color of his prey’s skin, it had just started.

There was just one man left standing. Lexi watched him rise from behind the bar in panic. He pointed a shotgun at Quinlan and fired. The shot hit Quinlan’s victim in the back as he used the body as a shield. Lexi’s roar sounded just as Creem aimed again. This was one was trying to hurt Quinlan. To kill him. The edges of her vision darkened leaving only the prey highlighted. Now, as clearly as if they had been painted on him, she could see the major blood vessels coursing through his body. Faster than she had ever moved, she closed the distance between her and Creem. He was still aiming when she stood above him on the bar. Lexi grabbed the shotgun and threw it across the room. This would not hurt her Quinlan. Her dearest one.

Lexi was furious at this despicable human both for his attempted murder and for betraying the Sun Hunter. The gloved fingers closed around his throat. Fresh blood gave her strength a new impetus. She lifted him above her head. The dark eyes bulged and his hands scratched and punched her hand and wrist. Silver jewelry around his digits burned her skin but not enough to make her stop. The small stinger flew without her making a conscious effort to direct it. It closed at the junction between Creem’s stretched neck and shoulder. Blood gushed down her throat and this time, she did not care if the dying eyes stared. But the man was still moving too much and the seal of the appendage leaked. Blood dripped along the thin skin of the stinger and onto her chin. His dark skin turned ashen and his struggle ceased. She drank until he convulsed and his heart gave out. With a howl, Lexi tossed his body which rolled at Quinlan’s feet. His blue eyes were wide and his jaw hung open. There was still a filter of rage above her eyes which tainted everything grey. She resented the way he looked at her at this very moment, and instinctively uncovered her sharp teeth. Quinlan returned the snarl and she was surprised to see enjoyment in his eyes.

“Lexi.”

He purred then jumped on the counter. The aggressive rumbling in her chest only subsided when his forehead pressed against hers. Downstairs, there was the metallic clank of a heavy door opening. Quinlan had already buzzed the men in. His skin against hers allayed her rage and her vision normalized when her companion pulled her closer.

“How I wish we could remain alone for just a moment longer.”

He shared his desire with that thought. She gawked in bemusement. That same lust was plain on his face and it was contagious. As she considered kissing him, the men entered the room. All had drawn their weapons but quickly realized it had been pointless.

“Well…shit,” said the Sun Hunter.

His armed hand fell and he peered around, his gaze stopping on each dead face. His lips disappeared into a fine line when he spotted Creem.

“But…we dropped them off like five minutes ago,” said Amir and he looked at his companions as if they would confirm that this scene was an illusion of some kind.

“Let’s help them clean up,” Lexi shared to distract from her frustration.

“Later…” replied Quinlan. He placed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

She repressed a smile and jumped off the counter. Amir took a step back when she approached. She stopped in her tracks. The young man had not been scared this morning.

“Huh, you’ve got some…something on…” He pointed at his own chin.

Lexi rubbed her face and looked at her fingers. Her glove was stained with blood. Then she also noticed that the thick liquid had run down her throat and onto her black shirt. The realization that she appeared like a monster was mortifying. Gordo handed her a blue handkerchief. She thanked him and stared at her feet while she cleaned herself as well as she could.

“You can keep it,” he said and promptly walked off.

“They must think I am a beast.”

She turned away as the group dragged the corpses to the service elevator. Gus was not helping them. He had gone straight for a phone behind the counter. Landlines were still active in the city and since cellphones were now useless, they had become the main mode of communication.

“Some of them probably do but I have met humans who could look past their fear.”

The Dhampir approached her, his traits softened by compassion.

“As you did,” he added.

“It’s stupid of me to care. We need them but that doesn’t mean they have to like me.”

Quinlan licked his thumb and wiped the corner of her mouth.

“They would be fools not to like you.”

From across the room, Arturo hailed the couple.

“Hey! How about you two help us with that?”

Raul who was struggling to carry a dead man by his lonesome nodded in approval.

“I do not think this one is much afraid. Or he would not have dared order us this way.”

Quinlan’s brow lifted and he glared. Lexi took over Raul’s burden. First, they had treated her as a frail counterpart to Quinlan and that had displeased her. But now, at the complete opposite of that spectrum, she felt just as uncomfortable. At least, she would not have to contend with that issue for very long. She pinched the base of her nose at that distasteful thought.

Gus spent most of the daylight hours on the phone while the men cleaned and assessed the status of their merchandise. In the underground level, not unlike employees of a supermarket, they counted food cans, pill bottles and a range of other items. The two Dhampir helped where they could, mostly when their inhuman strength was needed. Arturo disappeared inside a vaulted room and emerged after twenty minutes, ticking things off his notepad.

“Everyone! We’ve got the numbers! Let’s head back up and see how Gus is doing,” he said and the various conversations around quieted after the first word. They all followed and when the Sun Hunter spotted them, he raised two fingers. They waited until Gus put an end to the phone call. Humans and Dhampir sat around the table where playing cards were still spilled.

“How much did the fools waste down there?” asked Gus gravely.

“Not as much as I thought, foodwise,” said Raul and he handed a notepad to his cousin.

The dark eyes went through the numbers and he nodded. His eyes narrowed and he turned to Arturo.

“What about the vault?”

“It ain’t good.”

Awkward silence fell. Gus sighed and took the papers handed to him.

“The vault contains our silver and weapons,” commented Gus for the sake of his guests. “And it looks like those dicks had a few shopping sprees.”

He slammed the pad on the table.

“They spent a fifth of the silver. In two fucking weeks. The assholes.”

Gus put his elbows on the table and crossed his fingers tightly. He stared at the people gathered above his hands.

“Creem tried to stiff my suppliers and my clients. Since we had a monopoly in here, he could do it but that’s short term thinking. The only kind he knew.”

A vicious smile stretched his lips.

“So you guys can imagine how fucking happy they were that I was back in charge. And with me, the original prices.”

There was a wave of chuckles.

“Ok guys, no time for jerking around. There are deliveries that need to be honored. The list is by the phone. Gordo, you take care of that…”

Promptly, Gordo stood and walked to the bar.

“Amir, you’re on guard duty for now.”

The young man sprang to his feet and went to sit by the window. Gus pointed at two other men.

“Raul, Arturo, you stay here cause we need to talk. The rest go help Gordo.”

Soon, only the two Dhampir and the three men sat at the vast round table. Until this very moment, Lexi had felt very much like an outsider but now, it seemed that they were about to be clued in.

“After the city got nuked, I raided the federal reserves. With all that silver I started this little business.”

He raised his arms in a gesture that encompassed the room.

“But I don’t give much of a shit about all this. I just needed time. With my guys, for a year, we managed to get eyes all over the place. We were gonna find that creepy bastard, the Master, and riddle his ass with silver bullets.”

Lexi grinned at his confidence.

“He never stopped hoping,” she said.

“It would have been an honorable death.”

Quinlan was correct, their plan would have been a hail-mary destined to fail.

“Until a rumor started that some guy had killed an entire nest of bloodsuckers all by himself with a bone sword." 

He shook his finger toward the Dhampir. 

"It could only be you and I needed you in the game."

"He has a lot of faith in you,"  said Lexi with pride. Quinlan's hand reached for hers under the table. 

"But now there are two of you? The Master is so dead."

"In both of us," said Quinlan. 

"We're gonna start making the bullets and some of those nasty silver grenades I've seen before the Fall." 

He turned to Arturo.

"That's your job, man. When the others aren’t busy with the deliveries, grab 'em so they can help."

Then to his cousin. 

"You're gonna assist Lexi and make fucking sure those brain machines don't crap out on us."

Raul threw a careful look at the Dhampir then nodded. 

"How does that even work?" said a skeptical Arturo. 

His brow was wrinkled by a permanent scowl and his hair was mostly grey. He was the oldest human present.

"It's like taking a microphone and screaming in it while two people are talking. The brains transmit an intense signal and prevent Strigoi from receiving orders from the Master."

The old man was still unconvinced but his opinion on the matter was not particularly important.

"Our first test with the current devices was a success. The Strigoi freeze, like puppets whose strings have been cut. I have seen its effects on the Master as well. It weakens him," chimed in Quinlan. 

“I will need more brains to build additional devices.”

"How many more brains are you gonna need?" asked Gus.

"As many as we can get," she said.

For their plan to work they would need to cover a vast surface with that jamming signal. Otherwise, it would be trivial for the Master to just rush to the humans and destroy the machines.

"Quinlan, you're with me. We need to arrange everything that's gonna happen after you get the worm.”

Lexi expected to feel irritation from her companion at being ordered that way. It did not come. The Dhampir was relieved and also somber.

"His help will make our victory extremely swift."

Relief at seeing the end of his mission so near and sadness at knowing that their time together was going to end just as quickly. She knew those were his reasons because she felt the same. Lexi looked away from the humans.

"It will still take time to build the devices and the silver arsenal. Every second we do not spend working, we will be together. They need to sleep more than we do and this time will be ours," she said.

Their gaze met. How she loved that face. The impossibly clear blue eyes, the deep green and black of his stripes. She even liked that scar across his cheek. Her eyes were burning as she fought back tears. How very unfair. How very cruel this all was. 

"What's up with you two?" asked Gus and he waved impatiently.

"Tell him. I can't," she said.

Quinlan detached his eyes from hers and his face kept its usual composure. 

"If our plan succeeds, we will both die with the Master. We are connected to him."

The three men stared and even the stern Arturo appeared surprised. 

"Then why are you doing this?" asked Raul. 

"Because we will never find peace while he lives."

Gus and Arturo exchanged heavy looks.

"Yeah. I get that," said the Sun Hunter.

They all did. Not a single free soul on the planet would find true peace as long as the beast was there to crush them.

[woossexyponytail]

Vampire Academy part 5

Genre : fluff / drama / smutt Vampire school au Pairing:Mark x reader, Jackson x reader and Yoongi x reader Plot : At St Vladimir's Accadamey, you learn how to navigate life as a dhapire, a half-human vampire hybrid and a guardian protector of best friend mark tuan prince of the moroi and last hire to the throne of vampires. You train with mentors to guarantee you're  place as Mark's guardian. Although you may have to sacrifice everything to protect Mark from enemies both within St. Vladamir's walls and outside them. -------- Walking outside with Jackson the sun was out "The sunlight, it's nice." I said Jackson nodded "I miss it." He said cracking his neck "Stupid vampire timetable. The little sacrifices we make. And the big ones. My 17-year-old silliness, that was the past." I said Jackson looked at me "That was an hour ago. Are you trying to tell me you're suddenly mature and responsible?" He asked raising an eyebrow "I'm trying to tell you that I want to be, I have to be. Teach me something more than doing laps. I know enough about running away. And next time we meet, teach me how to fight." I said as I walked away. Sitting in class doodling on my book I wasn't paying attention as the teacher walked in "Pipe down." The teacher said as everyone became silent the teacher nodded "Let's pick up where we left off. After the tribunals in Romania... Mia! You're usually a lot better at passing on notes. Having an off-day?" He said holding his hand out for Mia to give the note. She smiled "Oh, no, Mr. Meisner, please don't read this note out loud, I beg of you." She said my head popped up as I looked to see what it read "I'll bet that drama queen... I mean, drama prince, killed that bird himself to distract the school from his real secret." He stopped "Don't go on." Mia said giggling "Mr. Meisner, you're being used as a tool to broadcast Mia's vile propaganda." I said protecting Mark "Are you calling me a tool?" He asked me "If she's not, I will." Jackson piped up "What was that, Wang? Now I'm curious. So, it turns out the reason that Mark survived so long on the outside after the accident is he used Y/N as a personal feed bag." Everyone started talking and whispering "Settle down! Dhampir-Moroi mastication is a very serious allegation. I'm gonna pretend I never read this. Everyone turn to page three of your handout." The teacher said throwing away the note until Mia pipped up "But, Mr. Meisner, you left out the best part. About my boy, Kyle, and that Dhamp tramp last night." She said laughing "What?" I asked glaring at them "Truth hurts, blood whore." Ray one of mias lackies said. At that moment Yoongi jumped up and punched Ray in the face, "Yoongi cut it out! Kindly report to Headmistress Kirova's office, Down the hall, turn left." The teacher said Yoongi sighed "Like I need directions." Yoongi said walking out the class. After class Mark ran out as I ran after him trying to stop him I yelled "Mark stop!" running past people "Uh-oh. Lovers' quarrel." Mia said laughing i stopped and glared at them "Y/N, I bleed for you." Kyle said laughing "No, it's Y/N who does the bleeding." Mia said I couldn't hold it in anymore I walked to Mia to go and punch her, right when I held my arm up a hand grabbed me and pulled me away looking up it was Jackson "You can't beat up everyone you have a problem with!" He yelled "Well, I can try." I said trying to force myself out of his grip "What is going on?" Mark said next to me "I told you, Kyle and I barely even made out, and Ray wasn't even there, so I don't even know what he's talking about." I said "OK, yes. Teenage boys are weak and sweaty piglets. It is our covenant... I'm talking about you and me. How did they find out about the feeding?" Mark whispered the last part "You know, when Kyle's fangs came poking out, did you..." Jackson said to me "No, not even. But... he did kind of suspect. Mark, let me explain, please!" I said he shock his head "Let me talk..." he said "Is it true?" Bambam said running towards us with Jungkook "You're gonna have to be more specific." I said rolling my eyes "Kyle and Ray, and not just hooking up, fanging up." Bambam said "They claim they fed while... " Jungkook said looking away "Absolutely not...Well, actually, Kyle and I did make out a little, but..." jungkook cut me off "Where there's smoke, there's fire." He said shrugging "Leave fire out of this." Bambam said shaking his head "You throw yourselves at any douche bag who happens to be Moroi and royal." Yoongi said walking up to us "Whoa, Yoongi. I do not have time to deal with your feelings right now." I said holding my hands up "OK. But you should thank me" He said "you punched someone" Jackson said Yoongi shrugged again "anyway! We need to find out who killed the bird to begin with anyone else helping?" I asked all of them nodded "good". We had an emergency assembly as we all sat down when "Queen Tatiana?" Mark whispered in disbelief "I hope I did not take you too much by surprise, but sometimes your queen awakens with a need to look upon her lovelies." The Queen said smiling upon us all "Where's Mark? Mark Tuan? Please come up and let me see the prince." She said mark walked up to her as she held his hands "Not a day goes by where we don't lament the loss of your parents and your brother. The Tuan name represents the finest of Moroi qualities. While you, Mark Tuan, the last of the Tuan line... if you are our future, I am less than impressed. The power that comes from royal blood must be used responsibly. While you... you give us dead animals, blood games. Shameful!" Mark shock his head "Queen Tatiana, I can explain." She quickly cut him off "Shh, shh, shh. Not now, dear. However, I have every confidence that our dear Mark will turn things around. Now, let us adjourn to the banquet hall." She said as we all got up and I ran up to Mark along with Jackson as we comforted him. I walked with Natalie and Jackson back to Marks room "My father would never have done something like that. After all that Mark has been through, to be shamed by our queen bee?" Natalie said "Don't you mean queen bee-etch?" Jackson said laughing "You don't talk to Mark like that." I said when we got to the door no guardians could be seen "So much for round-the-clock guardians. Mark?" Jackson said going first "Oh, my God." I said entering next "By the soul of St. Vladimir. Who would do something like this? Why?" Natalie said in complete shock Mark was on the floor crying I ran up to him comforting him with Jackson "Go to the wall, Nat. Talk to me." I said she look at me "What? Yeah, OK." As she walked to the wall she licked the blood on the wall "Oh, God. It's fresh, and it's Moroi." "OK, can you tell me if it's royal?" Jackson asked "Don't be absurd." Natalie said shaking her head "Said the girl licking the wall." I told her "I can tell you it's more than one person's blood." She said "They misspelled "beware."" I said looking at the blood "Mark, I can clean it up. I'm sorry." Natalie said "Leave it. The misspelling shows it was just a bunch of stupid teenagers." He said "OK, you know what, I'm gonna go start packing. I'm really..." I got cut off by Mark "No, Y/N, We can't just keep running away, at least until we know what we're running away from." Mark said standing up. "Ooh! A mystery, how exciting. We can be like four Nancy Drews trying..." i cut Natalie off "I hate mysteries. I would prefer a good Strigoi attack at this point because at least I'd know what those homicidal bloodsuckers want." I said "No more. I am taking our dear beloved queen's advice, and I'm turning things around. Kyle and Ray are pawns. Mia is the mastermind." Mark said "and what are we going to do?" Jackson said "I have a way of getting people to see my side of the story. Don't worry, Natalie knows of my skills. It was too exhausting keeping it from her." Mark said "Are you going to use compulsion on Mia?" Natalie asked "Where's the fun in that? I'm going to use compulsion on everyone but Mia." He said smirking "But compulsion on such a large scale..." I said Mark quickly cut me off "Magic should be used for something more than warm and fuzzy classroom exercises." He said I nodded "fine get some sleep now your going to use a lot of energy tomorrow" said. This is going to be interesting I thought. -------- OMG I'm back and working on this again I'm sorry it took so long but I hope you like it :)

[lexiseigneur]

Chapter twenty-eight: Blind justice

Quinlan was reinvigorated when the familiar smells of the Greystone grounds reached them. The ratios of the different tree species, the individual animals and their unique scents, all together their perfume reminded him of Lexi’s smiles and of tender moments.

“I’m glad to be back,” she said when he drove off the asphalt road to join the cover of the trees.

It did not take long for the media to explode with educated guesses and speculations regarding the two Dhampir. Lexi would watch the evening news, standing by the couch and scowling anxiously the entire time. Questions were asked and people discussed their possible answers endlessly. What were their true intentions? Why had they not stopped the Master centuries ago? Those who knew the couple personally were sought out feverishly and harassed for interviews. Ambushed outside the Sun Hunter headquarters, Gus tried to avoid a journalist throwing questions haphazardly his way. The journalist, a young man in a frayed suit, trotted behind Gus and the image bobbed up and down from the steps of the cameraman.

“How did you come to trust non-human creatures like this?” asked the journalist while speaking in a microphone which he then thrust toward Gus.

“’Cause they didn’t ask no stupid questions like you, puto.”

“How did you turn your back on them without fearing a stinger bite?”

The wings of Gus’ nose flared.

“Bitch, they saved my life so many times I only have a good night sleep when they’re around.”

Gus strutted away because his exasperation was turning into rage.

“Do you believe they should be allowed to live around humans?”

Gus flipped around, his expression murderous. He got so close the journalist tucked his head between his shoulders to avoid their brows touching.

“They saved your life too, shitstain. When people talk about my family like this I feel like going medieval on their asses. Now fuck off.”

Quinlan stared at the screen even after Lexi turned it off. He was not shocked by Gus’ uncouth behavior; he was rather used to it. Family. Of all words, this was the one that struck him.

“I wonder when that happened. This really, really sucks,” said Lexi with a sigh.

Quinlan was already picking up the phone and Gus answered after a few rings.

“Sup?”

“We were watching the news and…”

Gus whispered a string of swear words.

“You saw it, huh?”

“I’m afraid we did.”

“Well, fuck.”

Quinlan hesitated before saying the very thing he had called to tell him.

“Thank you, Gus.”

“Don’t get all lovey dovey, it creeps me out,” replied Gus with his usual joviality.

“I assure you that I won’t.”

“Good! And don’t watch the news too much. They’re a bunch of dicks.”

Lexi stretched a hand to claim the phone. Her worry was gone and she stood very close to Quinlan as she spoke to Gus.

“We just wanted to see just how screwed we are.”

They exchanged a few more pleasantries and jokes then she hung up.

“I love you so much right now,” she said and hugged him so tightly it knocked the wind out of his lungs.

“Why is that?”

Quinlan hugged her back, playing with the wild hairs tickling his throat. The swell of her affection ran warm throughout his body. Suddenly, they both purred.

“It just is.”

***

One evening as Quinlan picked up the blood rations and the newspaper, he noticed a written note across an article. It was Nigel’s messy handwriting. “What an arsepiece.”

The article was titled: “Dhampir, friend or foe?”

“An evolutionary link between Strigoi and Humans lies in a species only recently uncovered, the Dhampir. However the main commonality they share with their cousins is also the most important one: they are predators. Specifically, they prey on us…”

Quinlan skimmed the rest as he walked back to the house. It was the usual mix of prejudice and the pretense of objectivity. It made him snarl in revulsion. The last sentence caught his eye.

“Why should the lamb he happy that the lion chased away the wolf?”

Should they expect pitchforks and torches during their next visit to New York? Quinlan was tempted to tear away the article and spare Lexi that grief. But she would not like it. She wanted to see and hear everything and Quinlan could not help but think that this desire was not motivated solely by pragmatism. It felt like self-flagellation.

The air was frigid and the sounds of the forest were quieter than when they had first arrived. Through the large window doors, he spotted Lexi busying herself at the stove.

“What are you making?” he asked after entering the house and putting the cooler on the countertop.

He tossed the newspaper on the dining table, retaining no hope that she would remain ignorant of the hatred within its pages.

“I missed making pancakes. At least this time no one will complain that they supposedly taste weird.”

Her phone buzzed softly. She took a quick look at the screen, made a surprised “huh” sound then put it back.

“Laura says we should check out Costello speaking to the press. It will start in forty minutes. Let’s have breakfast before then.”

Quinlan took two large glasses from the pantry and filled them with blood. He slid the newspaper to the side of the table and sat down. When she joined him with a plate full of food, he was about to speak. Quinlan wanted to tell her about his travels to Asia…or perhaps those in Northern Africa. Something exotic and strange which would take her mind off of the present. But she was quicker.

“Quinlan…I had an idea,” she said and her smile was facetious.

“When you smile like this, mayhem usually follows.”

Several pieces of furniture had needed replacement the previous time. He did not mind. There were oak planks in the attic which he thought about using to reacquaint himself with carpentry.

“Not that…not now…maybe later.” – her smile widened – “have you ever wished you could enjoy human food?”

“No. I think the equivalent for you would be imagining drinking blood when you were human. Not particularly appetizing. Though, I can appreciate certain smells. The scent of your meal is not disagreeable for example.”

“Would you like to try?”

“It would make me sick, I believe.”

The thought of swallowing solid foods was revolting.

“Not my food…like this.”

She tapped her temple and he leaned back in his chair to consider it. What a strange proposal. But she seemed too enthusiastic for him to refuse.

“Show me.”

He almost startled when she did. The smell was strong, rich and sweet. Though he expected her to share the memories of the meal she had been consuming at this very moment, he had been mistaken. The little cube melted as soon as it touched her tongue and coated it in an oily and smooth substance. He recognized the perfume and closed his eyes to fully appreciate the brand new sensations of the savors that accompanied it.

“Chocolate?” he asked.

“Ha! I knew I could not surprise you!”

Quinlan reached across the table to kiss her brow and nuzzle her temple.

“If anything, your surprising me is what doesn’t surprise me.”

“Really?”

“Your very first action came so unexpected I thought I was delirious from starvation. I was sitting in the sun waiting for an army to rush me, and without warning Strigoi exploded left and right.”

She burst out laughing and they kissed, but with difficulty because their lips were stretched by amusement. Lexi pulled away from him and peered into his eyes with curiosity.

“Did you like it? The chocolate?”

“I did.”

An entire world of sensations that had just came to light. It was a wonderful present and he was thankful.

“We can finish our meal later,” he said and at the same time rattled lowly.

Quinlan walked around the table and pulled her to her feet.

“Not now? Why?”

He hugged her and bit gently into her neck.

“Mayhem.”

***

Costello’s press conference sent a very clear message. Though she understood the apprehension and fear, she insisted on two points. Firstly, the Dhampir were under control and not a threat. Secondly, the harassment by the press would cease. They could ask for interviews in written form and if the answer was no then it would be the end of it.

“Everyone and by that I mean everyone, has a right to privacy. Those who refuse to understand that fact can continue their stalking and other paparazzi-like behaviors outside of New York.”

She gathered her notes and ignored the shouts of furious journalists. Under flashes and accompanied by police, she left.

Quinlan was relieved that their Sun Hunters would not have to suffer the unpalatable strategies of the press any longer. Lexi agreed that this part was certainly good news but was bothered by one thing.

“Only dangerous things need to be kept under control.”

“We are dangerous, beloved. That’s undeniable.”

“Not to them. I don’t want to hurt anyone. Do you?”

“No, I don’t.”

But that was usually the case until humans stood in his way in some fashion. And particularly when they pointed weapons at him. Or if they hurt Lexi, just like Hinata had done and to a lower extent, Arturo.

He switched off the television and enticed her to a walk in the forest. Their breaths condensed into clouds ahead of them and the air smelled a little metallic. Quinlan had decided against telling her about East Asia because it might remind her of Hinata.

“Have you ever been to the Dead Sea?”

“Haha! No! I think it might be simpler if I tell you where I have been. It would make a much shorter list.”

“Please do so. I’d like to hear it.”

Her fingers twined into his and they walked on.

***

Two days before the next hearing, Lexi and Quinlan were in New York for yet another training session. The extermination of the Strigoi plague could not bear a delay, even with the current events. Both Dhampir exited the unmarked police car and regarded the brand new coat of the paint on the Sun Hunter Headquarters with suspicion. Massive, industrial and a little shabby, the building had never required any change apart for purely practical considerations. Why should the Sun Hunters suddenly care about its outward appearance?

Quinlan approached the wall and touched it. It was still tacky. Lexi lifted her nose and sniffed the air.

“Some parts are more recent than others, they smell wet,” she said.

Once they were buzzed inside, Gus and Raul greeted them as usual.

“Hey, why did you paint the building? It’s weird,” asked Lexi.

Raul scratched his nose and looked away. Gus made the same face he used when telling trainees to pack their stuff and go home. He would not react that way unless it concerned the Dhampir directly.

“Some little assholes started writing stuff on the walls, it ain’t important.”

“It was important enough that you felt the need to hide them,” she said.

“From us,” she added for Quinlan’s benefit only.

“Please, do not feel obliged to spare us grief. We much rather be informed of such incidents as they come,” said Quinlan.

“Alright guys. Well, it was mostly random words like bloodsuckers, or collaborators. Once it was Quisling and I had to google that one. None of it made any sense,” said Gus.

“And some animal blood at some point. Splashed all over the sidewalk too. Nasty,” said Raul with a grimace of disgust.

The cousins avoided their gaze for a while.

“We should tell them,” said Raul.

“The other day we got a letter and it was for you guys but it gave me the hibbie jibbies so we checked it. There was powdered silver hidden inside. Just some people being assholes.”

“I’m so sorry,” said Lexi.

“Huh, you got it backward Lex,” said Gus and he laughed.

“Lexi, they are ashamed. I suspect this might be the main reason they chose not to disclose those incidents.”

Lexi appeared even more dejected. It distressed Quinlan that she should make herself responsible for every evil remotely connected to her. He did not consider it healthy.

“Ha! I hate it when you make that face! Come here,” said Gus and he grabbed Lexi by the shoulders pulled her along as they advanced toward the back of the room. A group of trainees waited for the next lesson. She slid an arm around Gus’ waist and inquired about Aanya and Angela. Quinlan and Raul followed them.

“I ain’t hugging you so don’t get your hopes up,” said Raul.

“I am overwhelmed by disappointment,” said Quinlan with a deadpan delivery.

***

The defense had a new strategy and it was quite simple. Two facts contradicted their strategy, that the Master was locked in a coffin when Zach pushed the trigger and that he had shot Quinlan when the Master was without shell. The veracity of those points relied on the Dhampir’s testimonies alone. And if their word could not be trusted for one reason or another, then it remained plausible that the Master had indeed controlled the accused.

“Is your stinger identical to a Strigoi’s?” asked Finnigan, a defense lawyer.

Quinlan was not surprised she would ask him this. For humans, this was by far the most displeasing part of his anatomy.

“It is somewhat shorter,” said Quinlan.

“Can you show it to the court?”

His lips remained firmly sealed and he looked at the lawyer, imagining what her reaction would be if he were stupid enough to carry out her request.

“Your Honor! Their stingers were clearly visible in video evidence and this is a blatant attempt at feeding the prejudice against our witness,” said Uru as she sprung from her chair.

“I agree. Counsel Finnigan, this is not a circus. We do not demand of anyone that they expose themselves without a very good reason,” said Judge Smith.

“I retract my question. Have you ever killed human beings?”

“I have.”

“Have you ever killed human beings with your stinger?”

“I have.”

The judge peered around the room, waiting for an upheaval which did not come. The media had discussed that point so often that no one was surprised to hear it confirmed.

“Did you use that stinger against Zach Goodweather?”

“I did, before he could shoot me once more.”

“Where did you supposedly get shot?”

“In this shoulder.”

“Your shoulder looks fine to me,” said the lawyer dismissively.

“So does your client. One could say we are even.”

“I meant that only two people witnessed my client supposedly shooting you. You and your companion. Do you have a scar?”

“I do not scar from normal bullets.”

“But I can see clearly from here that you can have scars. It is awfully convenient that you should have no mark at all from what my client supposedly did to you while we can clearly see traces of other injuries from that very same day.”

“There is nothing convenient about it. We do not scar from normal weaponry or injuries, only from silver and for a reason unknown to me, from the Master’s direct attacks.”

“Is there any person who can corroborate this, beside your companion?”

“As a matter of fact, there is. Mister Elizalde has witnessed Lexi healing from a deep wound in her forearm. The knife which caused it was steel and by now, there is no trace of it. Perhaps he should take my place at the stand.”

Gus very briefly confirmed that he saw Lexi cutting her arm open and soon after she was also asked to speak.

“If the judge will allow it, could the witness uncover her arms?” asked the defense lawyer.

“I’ll allow it.”

Lexi unbuttoned her cuffs and folder her sleeves up. Her alabaster skin was smooth on both her arms.

“Can you scar at all? Contrary to Mister Quinlan, you bear no apparent sequels from that day or at all.”

“Are you proposing that only Quinlan is unlucky enough to get marks but not me? That’s far-fetched, even for you.”

Quinlan repressed a growl and the growing animosity he felt toward that lawyer. Alvi gestured discretely in his direction, made big eyes at him and shook his head. The prosecutor had been quite clear that Quinlan should strive not to stare at people when he felt irritated. So he detached his gaze from the Esquire Finnigan and focused on Lexi alone.

“Well, you are not identical and we know little of your species. You can eat solid foods, he cannot and you have hair and he doesn’t…this could extend further than what you have disclosed so far.”

Judge Smith cleared his throat and with more hesitation than he had never shown before he said,

“Madam Lexi, please do answer the inquiry.”

“I can scar and I have scars.”

“Could you show us?” asked Finnigan.

Quinlan could tell Lexi did not want to. Her jaw had tightened and he could hear her small heart accelerating. A gentle rattle escaped him and Alvi turned in his direction and gave him a reproachful glance.

“Your Honor, we’ve been through this. We ask that our learned friend cease such demands,” said Uru once more.

“Overruled. I tend to agree with the defense on this one. We only know of the Dhampir what they chose to tell us so far.”

Now her heart was aflutter, impossibly loud to his ears. She looked at Quinlan, worried. It was so very petty and easily disprovable. Quinlan suspected that if Lexi had not reacted so defensively, the lawyer would not have pushed the question further. Finnigan seemed to smell discomfort like a shark sensed blood.

“Don’t. To Hell with them,” said Quinlan.

“It’s stupid, really…I hate it when you see them. It’s a reminder of everything I did wrong that day. And they are also hideous.”

It had been so long and she still dressed quickly or turned away from him so that he would not have a clear look of her scars. It pained him more as time passed. Sometimes, during brief moments he instantly regretted, he also resented her for it. How could she think him so shallow?

“Those are the medals of your victory over the Master. They are not beautiful but since they are yours, I love them all the same.”

She shook her head and smiled but it did not reach her eyes.

“You say the darnest things sometimes.”

She stood, pulled her shirt out of her pants and raised its hem just enough to reveal the five scars marring her midsection. They were larger than the size of the fingers which had inflicted them because Quinlan had burned the skin over and around the original wounds. They looked a little sunken, as though her flesh had melted shut over empty holes.

Most Sun Hunters averted their gazes, either in surprise or because they knew Lexi enough to recognize her uneasiness. The defense lawyer did not appear particularly disappointed and as soon as Lexi sat back down, she switched her line of questioning.

“Could the Master see through the eyes of all Strigoi?”

“Yes, he could and he did,” said Lexi, her cheeks still whiter than usual but her voice steady.

“What would that look like to a person facing one such Strigoi?”

“They would see the Strigoi’s eyes turn red, like a glow from inside.”

“Why did your pupils glow in much the same way just before you killed the Master?”

“Ha. People won’t like this at all,” she told Quinlan.

“Yes, that is the point. It changes nothing.”

“Because Quinlan and I can see through each other’s eyes as well.”

“Can you control humans?”

Lexi laughed and shook her head.

“Of course not! And we cannot control Strigoi and certainly not each other. Look at this mess of a world. If we possessed such incredible abilities, why would we let it devolve into chaos which only makes our lives more difficult?”

“Could the Master control you?”

“If he could, he would not be dead.”

She made a show of switching on the screen and fast forwarding through the video depicting their fight against the Master.

“Why did you hesitate here? You could probably have ended it and avoided a painful injury.”

“He showed me images of someone I loved that he had turned. It took me by surprise.”

“Interesting. Did you not know he could do that before that very moment?”

“No,” said Lexi between clenched teeth.

“So he had abilities you knew nothing about?”

“It appears so.”

“How could he do that if he could not control Strigoi at that moment? Because of the jamming devices.”

“We do not operate at the same…frequency…as them.”

“That’s also convenient. Is it possible that the Master had other such powers you did not know about?”

“Possibly, yes.”

“Could it be that just like the jamming devices did not affect his ability to reach you, that other hindrances to his ability to control his Strigoi did not apply to all his powers?”

“Objection! Leading question!” said Takaha.

“Overruled. Please, answer the question,” said Judge Smith.

“It could be, yes.”

“Very well. No more questions your Honor.”

Takaha took over and Quinlan was thankful for it. When he stood and spoke, Lexi’s quick heartbeat slowed.

“I would like to question Lexi here as an expert witness since she took over Dutch Velder and Dr. Goodweathers’ work in building those jamming devices.”

The judges agreed.

“How does a jamming device function, in laymen’s terms please?”

“It floods a specific frequency which the Strigoi used to communicate. It would be like a dog whistle, so loud, dogs cannot hear themselves bark anymore.”

“And you function on a different frequency level?”

“Yes.”

“If the ability to control humans truly existed, it would function on another frequency yet?”

“Possibly.”

“Much like a radio?”

“Much like it, yes.”

“What happens if you put a radio in a thick lead lined container?”

“It goes silent,” said Lexi with a grin.

“Would it block all such signals?”

“Yes, it would.”

“Could the Master have forced Zach Goodweather to trigger the nuclear bomb from inside the coffin?”

“No.”

“Could the Master communicate with you in any way while formless?”

“We could feel his pain but he made no attempt at stopping us with images as he had before.”

“In your expert opinion, why?”

“Because without a brain he could not control anything. He was crippled. The worm was like a seed and it needed a body to reach its full potential.”

“Thank you. I do not have more questions.”

Lexi returned to sit next to Quinlan and took his hand. The prosecution announced that they were done and the defense also confirmed that they had finished with their line of questioning. The judges put an end to the hearing.

***

The news had been taken over by the expectancy of the verdict. A date was set and on numerous television channels, a countdown showed the time to that last hearing to the minute. This time, when they talked about the Dhampir, it was mostly in the context of reiterating the evidence and testimonies again. There were still occasional debates regarding their trustworthiness. The Dhampir had killed the Master and had founded the Sun Hunters but they were not humans. So far the division had been clear. Though humans could be corrupted to work for the Strigoi, the opposite had never been true. What was Strigoi was the enemy and since the Fall it had been a truth for all. A division, neat and reassuring. But now that the existence of Dhampir belied that clarity, the dissonance was too much for many. Troubled minds did not deal well with blurry lines.

There were still protests in front of the courthouse as the countdown progressed. It was impossible to appreciate the architecture of the large-face granite building because of the large crowds. They were noisy and chanting vulgar slogans while brandishing cardboard cards on which they had written their anger.

“They are more bloodthirsty than we will ever be…” said Quinlan as they watched the news reports.

“It’s not directed at us this time but...Let’s just say I really hope they’ll be found guilty.”

Quinlan had little doubt on the outcome. So when the time came he was calm and shared that state of mind with Lexi as much as he could. The courthouse filled and Laura arrived last, though Lexi had kept her a spot. She had been running. Quinlan greeted her then listened to their conversation.

“Since school is out I could not find a babysitter,” Laura whispered then took long breaths to calm herself.

“Everything is ok though?” asked Lexi.

“Yeah, Maria stayed outside with her. She said she can’t be bothered to listen to more of this shit.”

“Maria, huh? You guys have been hanging out quite a lot lately.”

Lexi had a crooked smile and Laura blushed but did not seem too bothered.

“We could extend the invitation to include Dr. Miller, if you wish. Greystone is large enough to accommodate everyone for any length of time,” said Quinlan.

“Well…if instead of driving directly out of the city we could do a little detour then she could pick up her things. That is if she even wants to, of course,” said Laura.

Both Laura and Emma would leave the city with the Dhampir and spend a few days in Greystone. The weather had lost some of its cold bite and their grounds had been free of any Strigoi activity for months. Quinlan had crafted a new chess board himself and planned on surprising the little girl with it. Lexi leaned toward Laura and whispered as if conspiring,

“Of course.”

They all fell silent when the judges entered the room. It was followed by closing statements by Alvi then by Finnigan. When Judge Smith stood to announce his verdict, Lexi was incredibly tense next to him. But he knew it would be short lived suspense.

One by one, he named the accused and their crimes and the corresponding verdict. Thirty-four were found guilty of committing crimes against humanity. Judge Smith finished his statement on a dark note,

“Even if you were indeed controlled by the Master, you had at least one occasion lasting almost an entire day during which you could have made others aware of that fact. We have to conclude that your defense was purposefully misleading and untrue. Your actions which led so many to atrocious deaths were voluntary and will be punished accordingly.

“But we are not Strigoi. You will not die kicking and screaming. You will be put to sleep humanely by medical doctors and when completely unconscious, you will be bled until death. Your bodies and blood will be cremated and your ashes scattered into the ocean. If you have a god, may they have mercy on your souls.”

Quinlan looked a last time upon the face of Zach Goodweather who stared at his own feet. His rage was gone, replaced by the fear of a young boy. It was a sad spectacle.

The courtroom remained quiet for the most part. Some were grave, a few still staring angrily at the accused and many cried. The room quickly emptied into the hall and toward the front exit.

There were no sounds of protests outside. New Yorkers had been ordered to stay confined inside their homes for the last installment of the trial. Costello wanted to avoid riots in case the masses disliked the verdict. In one hour, the curfew would be lifted but that left plenty of time for the Dhampir and their friends to leave the city safely.

They walked out of the room amongst the last, giving time to the crowd to clear out first. The great hall was not yet empty. Teams of journalists recorded the people exiting while commenting on the events. Cameras and their crews stood neatly behind a corded area which Quinlan considered with satisfaction. In a corridor leading away from the wide doors of the courtroom, Maria waited with Emma. As soon as the little girl spotted Lexi and Quinlan, she called on them. Quinlan’s traits softened when Emma escaped Maria’s grasp and ran in their direction.

Someone shouted in the vast and majestic lobby of the courthouse.

“Bloodsuckers!”

All eyes were on the man. He was dressed like a bailiff and wore a hat which did not fit with the rest of his clothes. Quinlan did not recognize him. The man took an object out of his pocket and threw it at the feet of the Dhampir.

The grenade rolled noisily on the stone floor. It looked handmade.

Gus was already pulling Aanya and Laura back in the courtroom. Time slowed for the Dhampir and all the humans surrounding them stood almost still. They could run away before the thing had a chance to explode. But it struck Quinlan that this was not even an option. Emma was still running at him. He jumped toward the little girl who could die if shrapnel hit her at this distance. He crouched over her little body and glanced above his shoulder. Lexi grabbed the explosive device with both hands and pulled it apart.

There was no explosion. The fuse burned in her right hand without touching the explosive material enclosed in Lexi’s other fist. Quinlan’s relief was so short as to be almost non-existent

The sparks from the fuse highlighted a scintillating metal cloud from within. The silver sand contained in the device formed a fine mist which spread between Lexi’s arms, as though she was embracing it. She closed her eyes and turned away.

But it was too late. Her pain shot through the Bond. Lexi screeched and her unfettered agony tore roars from his chest. Emma cried and trembled against him. He let go of the girl and flew to Lexi because his mind was on fire. He had felt it when Hinata had driven a silver knife into her. It had been nothing compared to this.

And as he rushed, tripping over his own feet from the blinding loudness of her screams, he wished he could shut it all down. He wished he could will himself unconscious and not feel like this anymore. Then he saw her, almost convulsing on the stone tiles as she attempted to claw the silver off. And he disgusted himself for forgetting that this was her pain. She needed him.

Quinlan yanked a large water bottle from a nearby fountain and shoved it in Gus’ arms. With violence he wished he could avoid, Quinlan forced Lexi’s arms down and kneeled on them. The he pinched her nose close and forced her mouth shut. Gus poured the water over her face. But the pain was not going down.

“Make her open her eyes!” screamed Maria at Quinlan as she took a water bottle out of her purse.

He did, he held her drenched head down and forced her to open her eyelids. Her eyes bled and her feet smacked the marble, as if attempting to run away from this torture. Maria poured water over the burning sclera, irises and third eyelids.

Lexi’s body contracted and she lost consciousness. Quinlan felt guilty at how much relief this brought him. The water ran down her cheeks and temples, milky and shimmering with silver particles. The more water Maria poured, the clearer the liquid became.

Outside the room people screamed and ran but a line of Sun Hunters prevented the chaos from approaching them. In the distance, sirens.

When the ambulance came and they drove to the nearest emergency room at neck-breaking speed, Maria barked orders at the EMTs who were too scared of the two Dhampir to be of any use. Exasperated, she pushed them out of the way and injected Lexi with an anesthetic. Her gestures were blurry. Everything was blurry. He removed his gloves and wiped his face. When had he started tearing up? He had not noticed until now.

Lexi regained consciousness when they reached the hospital. Her thoughts were sluggish and dulled by the anesthetics but still she whimpered. Quinlan pulled her up against him, enclosing her small frame in his coat. Her words tasted like grief when she shared them.

“I can’t see you.”

Through the Bond he was a shapeless grey form. He wished he could reply that all would be well. That she would be fine. But through the Bond, he could not lie. So instead he stroked her damp hair and rocked softly until the double doors of the ambulance opened.

[lexiseigneur]

Chapter seventeen : Dr. Brevil

Ao3

“Two bags every two days…” said Gus on the phone the next morning.

Quinlan waited by the bar with his arms crossed. As he glanced above his shoulder, Lexi was explaining to Raul in excruciating details how the devices worked. The poor man could not peel his eyes off the disembodied brains inside the transparent machines. A low voice responded through the small speaker in Gus’ hand.

“That’s insane, man. Like…that’s literally the craziest shit you’ve asked so far.”

“Do you know what I’m looking at right now, Paquito?”

There was nothing that the Sun Hunter was looking at in particular.

“No…what?”

“A stack of Julio’s fresh tortillas.”

The man on the other end of the line did not answer.

“And I’m not talking about that wheat blend bullshit that runs out there…no. This is made from real masa harina. The smell, man…”

Gus breathed in deeply and smiled.

“It’s like my mom’s kitchen.”

The voice grunted.

“What do you even need that for?” it asked.

“Since when do you ask questions, pendejo? Well shit, I guess Imma start to dig in if you don’t want them.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t want the fucking tortillas!”

“You gonna deliver then?”

“Yeah…but I want fifteen with each delivery.”

“Done. Can you get the first shipment tomorrow?”

“OK. You’re fucking insane, you know that?”

“Well, I’m not the one stealing blood for tortillas. Be there at 12:30, I’ll tell you where to go at 12:00.”

“OK.”

Gus hung up then immediately picked up the phone again.

“Julio? Where you at? Get the masa harina and prepare thirty tortillas. Put fifteen aside.”

They chatted about lunch preparation for another moment then he put the phone down again.

“The guy works at a donation center. So I guess you won’t starve anymore.”

“We are most grateful, Mister Elizalde,” said Quinlan and he meant it.

“I think I need some time to read through that again,” said Raul sheepishly.

“Will that human be of any help to you?” asked Quinlan without turning around.

“Eventually. He doesn’t need to fully understand the mechanisms. Just assemble them without constant supervision.”

“You have time until we gather the components. Do not worry. We will build the first one together…and very slowly,” she said.

Quinlan grinned. She had not shown him that type of patience. Lexi expected his immediate understanding of anything she explained.

“At noon we meet with the Librarian. Until then I’m gonna continue calling some favors in.” Augustin typed another phone number and Quinlan quickly lost interest. He could not help in any way. Still full of energy from the blood meal, he was restless.

“Would you enjoy some training while they are busy?”

Behind him, Lexi chuckled.

“Bring it on.”

“I will fetch our weapons. Maybe you should inform them while I do so.”

Quinlan walked upstairs and into the bedroom, they had been given. It had once belonged to Creem who had fortunately been in the process of moving his belongings. Most were in boxes. On the bed laid his sword and on the nightstand, her machete. He took his weapon but his hand hovered over hers. It was short and light which suited her frame perfectly when she was human. The fact was: Lexi was no longer human. She could afford more reach, especially as they faced the Master. Quinlan deposited his sword back on the bed to put on his leather gloves. He slid hers into his back pocket. Inside his metal trunk rested the thin silver sword that had once belonged to Abraham Setrakian. He took it and nodded to himself. It was exactly like her. Light, agile and beautiful. When he returned to the communal space, the table, couch, and TV had been pushed against the walls. Raul had been joined by Amir and both stood by the window and whispered excitedly. Gus was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is Augustin?”

“When I told him that we might train a little he decided to take calls from downstairs.”

“Well, it might become distracting. Why are those two still here?”

“Amir is on guard duty but I’m guessing that they wanted to watch.” Her grin did not reach her eyes.

“We can ask them to leave if that displeases you.”

With that thought, he arrived at her position in the middle of the vast space.

“Amir has to stay anyways and this is their home. Besides, they will see us move sooner or later.”

Her eyes landed on the wolf-headed cane.

“Where is my machete?”

“I thought you might want to try something deadlier. Your gloves are in my back pocket.”

Lexi put them on. He tossed the object up, caught the black length and turned the silver handle toward her. She took it gingerly then freed the blade and put the sheath on the table.

“It’s gorgeous.”

“Just like you.”

“Now, now, my Quinlan…flattery will not help you.”

Her smile was mischievous and she pointed the weapon in his direction. Under her pale lips, her two front teeth were just as sharp as his but her left canine still crooked. He imitated her fighting stance.

“I did not expect it would, beloved.”

Time slowed around them without the pressure of imminent danger. It was a pleasure to run. Metal flashed and clanged together. Her little body whirled and silver darted toward his flank.

“You are very fast,”- he avoided the blade -“but you lack technique.”

Quinlan hit her wrist with the bone hilt and her sword fell. She tried to catch it but he was prepared and snatched it before her. Lexi retreated with a growl. They faced each other again but this time, she had no weapon and he had two.

“Then share it.”

The Dhampir cocked his head, intrigued by the idea. She had done that once, but with a small amount of information. Even then, that it had been disagreeable.

“You might find it rather unpleasant.”

“My transformation was far from a walk in the park. I cannot imagine worse.”

“Come closer.”

He put the weapons on the floor then removed his gloves. With his bare hands, he cupped her face. She kissed the fleshy base of his thumb then looked up.

“Do it.”

Quinlan focused on what made him a warrior. All the techniques he had learned as a gladiator, as a centurion, then later as a free man. For the moment, he only selected those related to sword and hand to hand combat. He did not wish to crush her with the knowledge of modern weaponry as well. It would be too much. Then he pressed his lips against her brow and tipped all that experience into the Bond. Lexi yelped. Her fingers closed on his arms like vices. It hurt but he could bear it. This was taking longer than any such exchange had before. Her knees buckled as if all that knowledge had a physical weight. Quinlan caught her by the waist and hugged until it was over.

“You warned me. I should have listened,” she said as the shock waned.

“Do you regret it?” He pushed hair out of her face.

“Not at all. But I should have prepared myself better.”

As she communicated that thought, she pulled away with a faint grin. Her resilience made him proud. Lexi glanced at the swords and her muscles tensed. Quickly, he put his gloves back on. Her smile turned vicious. Reading her intention, he reached for the weapons before she could.

This was his first mistake. She had disappeared and he stood with two useless blades. Powerful kicks in the back of each knee sent him to the floor and he rolled away before she could hit him again. He had dropped his bone-hilted sword which she picked up. With a steady arm, she lifted the blade and slashed the air gracefully. Lexi stared in awe at her wrist, flicking it with ease despite the weight of the weapon. She chuckled softly.

“No need to hold back anymore, Quinlan.”

The two Dhampir pounced and the blades sparked against one another. Quinlan had more reach but she was nimble and could jump away as if gravity had no grasp on her. Her musical giggles echoed as well as his booming bark of a laugh. His only clear advantage was his still superior strength so he would settle for a draw. Both swords skittered on the cement floor. Quinlan held her in his powerful arms. Lexi scowled and wriggled.

“Draw?” he asked. This was his second mistake.

His beloved smirked and her jaw dropped wide open. The short stinger shot out of her throat and punched him under the chin. He almost let go from astonishment and pain. That little vixen. Before she could strike him again, he projected his own stinger which clasped around the smaller counterpart. Now, neither could punch, kick or bite.

“Draw.” She relented.

Quinlan loosened his hold and their stingers returned to their throats. She remained pressed against him. He kissed her temple and rubbed her back. The Dhampir looked up at the two men. Amir had just lowered his cellphone and was now pocketing it.

“I believe Amir has recorded our fight.”

She turned around and strutted toward Amir and Raul.

“What have you been doing with that phone, young man?” she asked.

Her voice was severe but Quinlan perceived her amusement. He hid a smile behind his long fingers. Raul appeared to be considering fleeing away from her while Amir only seemed mildly embarrassed.

“Well, the other guys couldn’t be here to watch so…”

Lexi extended an open palm. Without much hesitation, he put the device in her hand. Her white fingers poked at the screen and she looked at the incriminating video.

“Urg! Next time just put the phone down. This is really blurry,” she said then returned the phone to its owner.

“You ain’t gonna delete it?”

“No. But next time, do ask first.”

“Sure…sorry about that.”

“Is it wise to let him keep it?” asked Quinlan.

“The internet is down and I trust he will not try to show it to some random Strigoi.”

“Have you finished reading the plans?” she asked Raul.

“Huh…no…I was watching you guys.”

She rattled softly and crossed her arms on her chest.

“Imma do that right now.”

He ran to the table and the pile of printed pages. Amir cackled as he sat by the machine gun in front of the window. Across the room, Raul replied to his laughter by giving him the finger.

“You knew he would be too captivated to read,” said Quinlan.

Her muscles were tensing again.

“Maybe. But now, he will actually finish studying the schematics while I turn that draw into a win.”

She turned to him and jumped. Quinlan laughed as he prepared for her assault.

Quinlan kept as far as possible from the passenger window of the SUV. The noon sun shone painfully as Gus and the Dhampir drove to the meeting location at the docks. The Dhampir rubbed at his forearm where a bruise inflicted by Lexi healed slowly. Quinlan smirked as he remembered her flushed face and set jaw when he had won their second fight. Even now he could still feel the biting fire of her combative mood.

“So I heard you guys exchanged some punches?” said Gus and he glanced at Quinlan still rubbing his arm. The Dhampir immediately stopped his gesture.

“Merely some friendly sparring.”

Gus lifted a scarred eyebrow.

“You know when I saw her and I realized you were…together, I got pissed.”

The Dhampir turned to him but controlled his expression. Why would the Sun Hunter be upset by this?

“I mean…you convinced me to cut my girl loose and there you were with yours. That kinda stung you know.”

Quinlan remained quiet. Gus was not done speaking.

“But then you guys killed all those traitors and Amir showed me the video…”

Gus sighed and his lips stretched into a bitter smile.

“I guess I can see how it’s different.”

At this moment, Quinlan was relieved that Gus had no idea that Lexi had once been human. The man could not fathom the extent of his hypocrisy. No. Quinlan had tried to push her away and leave her in a safe place. Surely, it was not his fault Lexi had tracked him down after that? The Dhampir looked away from the Sun Hunter. Of course, it was his fault. The very moment he had leaned down to kiss her, he had sealed both their fates.

“Lexi would not let me push her away even if I tried,” he said to detract from the self-loathing that gripped his stomach.

Gus laughed and it appeared so incredibly sincere that it took the Dhampir by surprise.

“She’d kick your ass.”

“It is a distinct possibility, yes.”

The associates exchanged a look and both grinned.

Once they reached the waters, they sat in a rusty jon boat and navigated on the greenish waters. Faces stared from round windows of a narrowboat as they secured their embarkation to its side. A wiry old man with a mane of grey hair and a matching beard welcomed them by the boat’s steering counter. Joe, nicknamed the Librarian by his protégés and Gus, had once been the provost at New York University. For the past year he had located and hidden scientists, philosophers and any other intellectual that the Strigoi hunted down. Quinlan was aware of a dozen human hearts beating on the boat. Those were likely to be some of his most recent refugees.

“Hey, can you raise that canopy man?” asked Gus as he shook the Librarian’s hand.

“Sure.”

The grey-haired man peered around the river a last time before limiting his field of vision with the waxed tarp. Quinlan relaxed in the obscurity but elected to keep his hood and glasses on. The Librarian paid closer attention to him and his bushy brows knitted together.

“What have you brought to my ship, Gus?” he half whispered, half screamed.

“You trust me, don’t you?” said Gus.

From what Quinlan had gathered so far, the Sun Hunter had shared many services with that man and taken very little in return.

“Yeah but…”

“That’s Quinlan. He ain’t a Strigoi and he gets moody when people call him that.”

Quinlan glanced at his associate. The Sun Hunter’s wit was irritating at times. The Librarian rubbed his hands together and avoided looking at the Dhampir.

“Yeah…I’m still gonna move the boat to another location when you leave. Just in case.”

The Sun Hunter shrugged, unmoved by the Librarian’s doubts.

“Dude, you do that every single time anyway. So, do you have a guy that might help us?” asked Gus.

“I do.”

He grabbed a book from under the counter. On the cover, mount Helen exploded in an ashy cloud. Joe flipped it and presented them with the picture of a bald middle-aged man. He had black eyes over a bulbous nose.

“I got Dr. Brevil a new ID six months ago. If he is still alive, he goes by Frank Smith, plumber. Last time I heard from him, he was in Washington. The address is in the book.”

The Librarian handed the volume to Gus.

“We are most grateful…Mister Joe,” said Quinlan.

The old man’s heavily hooded eyes widened and he nodded.

“There you go,” said Gus and he handed two duffel bags to the man.

Inside them, tin cans clanked together.

“Thank you, Gus. But you know I’ve got to ask…why do you need a volcanologist?”

The Sun Hunter winked at the old man and shook a finger in his direction.

“Come on, man, we’ve been over this. It’s better if you don’t know any of this crap.”

The Librarian grunted and nervously, peered at the surrounding waters again.

“Sun is almost over. You guys better leave now. But Gus…”

He leaned forward and frowned.

“Keep Dr. Brevil safe. There are so very few of us left.”

“When we get him, he’ll be the safest he’s been in a year.”

Wearily, the Librarian rubbed his beard. He doubted those words and Quinlan could not blame him.

 As they drove in the direction of Washington, the Dhampir flipped the pages of the book he had just been given. A sentence in the introduction caught his attention. It stated that in a single year, around sixty volcanoes erupted with varying degrees of intensity. Quinlan’s hopes that this variable might afford him time faded. At this very moment, he was glad that the Bond was stretched thin by distance because Lexi would not be able to perceive his selfishness.

Frank Brevil crouched on the floor with an ear glued to the wooden slats. In the corridors of the ground level, someone was systematically knocking on every door. This was never a good sign. Especially for a fugitive with fake identification papers. Two pairs of boots echoed at his own level and their owners hammered at the door nearest the elevator. Brevil jumped to his feet and dabbed his forehead with where fat beads of sweat had formed. There was still a chance that they were not here for him. He should stay and play innocent. The neighbor unlocked her flat and greeted the two strangers.

“You know that man? I’ve been told he lives in that building. He’s a plumber.”

Brevil’s heart dropped to his stomach. He wiped at his eyes that burned from the salty sweat.

“I don’t have to tell you anything. Get the fuck outta here before I call someone,” said the woman who lived just a few doors down the corner from Brevil.

“Come on, ma’am. My friend here prefers when people keep polite.”

The neighbor whimpered and profusely apologized. Frank was a very dead man. He tossed his backpack over his shoulder and exited the flat without closing the door. As discretely as he could manage, he tip-toed to the staircase a mere dozen paces away. One of the men shushed the neighbor. Brevil dirty snicker was suspended in mid-air. Footsteps advanced briskly down the corridor and were about to turn the corner. The scientist broke into a desperate run toward the staircase. They had heard him. He rushed down the steps as quickly as possible while his heart pumped frantically to save his life. He reached the lower level and was slammed against a wall. A tall hooded man with sunglasses was pressing a hand against his chest. Immediately, Brevil raised both his hands in submission, his head was trying to disappear between his bony shoulders.

“Dr. Brevil?” asked the man. His voice was deep and he did not sound American.

“No! I'm Frank Smith!” he replied as a last-ditch effort to save himself.

The bespectacled man leaned forward and his gloved hand closed around Frank’s neck to force him to fully expose his face. The doctor tensed but did not struggle. Dr. Brevil died inside when the man pulled a heavy book from his coat. That book, Frank would have recognized in a pile of a thousand volumes. For a single good reason: he had written it. On the back cover was a picture of his face when the few hairs crowning his bald head had still been black. When he still had some fat in his cheeks. The man held the picture next to Frank’s terrified face and the corners of his lips lifted slightly. Another man arrived, smaller, with olive skin and neck tattoos. Brevil’s first thought was that this one looked like he was part of a street gang.

“Why are you an ass to him? We fucking need his help,” he told his associate.

The tall man let go of Brevil’s neck.

“He tried to run away and I had to make sure it was him,” said the tall one without an ounce of remorse.

“Ok, let's move then. This place ain't safe for any of us.”

“What do you want from me?” asked Brevil but he already knew.

They wanted him dead. It had been the fate of all his colleagues after all. The men did not answer and dragged him outside the building and into an SUV parked there. Brevil did not attempt to escape. This was the end and he welcomed it. The yearlong run was finally over. So when the tall man sat next to him and removed his glasses and hood, Frank did not much care that he was a Strigoi. This was always how it was going to end.

"Dr. Brevil, this is Augustin Elizalde and you may address me as Quinlan," said the Strigoi.

The creatures did not usually speak and were not usually polite but it did not change anything. Monsters could be civilized as well.

"Give the man some food before he dies on us," said Augustin Elizalde as he drove away.

The Strigoi reached for a bag on the passenger seat and handed Frank bottled water and a wrapped sandwich. Real tomatoes stuck out from the white bread. Only the highest members of the Partnership had real fruits and vegetables. He had eaten scraps found there and there and rations for the past year and a half. Brevil stared at the food but did not dare take it.

The Strigoi raised a hairless brow at being kept waiting. Finally, he grabbed the scientist's hand and forced him to take the food. They drove for several hours during which Brevil savored every bite of that sandwich. He had to for this was obviously his last meal.

[lexiseigneur]

Chapter nineteen: Silence

Ao3

Preparations were coming to a close. The three major elements of their scheme were complete. The jamming devices to incapacitate the Master, his location and the site of his death. Never before had Quinlan worked with so many humans toward killing the beast. For thousands of years, he had failed over and over again. Always a step behind his father. Perhaps this was how he had erred for so long. He had been alone.

His hands moved automatically as he slid silver bullets into clips. Next to him, Lexi glued her balaclava onto her dog collar. The strong chemical scent made her crinkle her nose. Behind the bar, Gordo read the list of today’s deliveries and pickups. On a stool almost facing Gordo, Brevil typed keyed on his laptop. By the window, Antonio was on guard duty and utterly bored. The day was generally quiet and uneventful but Quinlan still repressed an impression of urgency. That feeling had birthed when Lexi had found him in her novel form and grew like a tumor with each passing moment. He wanted to be alone with her, not here surrounded by humans. Quinlan was about to propose spending the rest of the day in their bedroom when Raul climbed down the stairs.

He wore a black Partnership uniform with a utility belt as well as an assorted cap. The sleeves were too long and he rolled them up.

“How do I look?” he asked to the room in general.

Gordo threw a disgusted look his way.

“Like an asshole,” he said. The large man took the list and made his way to the stairwell. “Well, it works then,” said Lexi as she applied more glue between her balaclava and collar. She giggled at seeing Raul’s face. The man looked down at the clothes and grimaced.

“I'm gonna go change before I get stabbed,” said Raul.

Gordo slapped him in the back as his loud laugh boomed in the room. Perhaps now would be the time to suggest to Lexi to leave the communal space. Quinlan almost rolled his eyes when Amir chose this moment to climb up the stairs. His jaw was set and he sported a fresh bandage around his right hand. In his left, he carried a bucket full of loose silver bullets. He tossed the bucket on the table and threw himself on the chair next to Quinlan. The young man grabbed a dozen of empty clips as both Dhampir looked at him.

“Arturo said I should help you here.”

The cotton bandage did not entirely mask the stench of burned skin. What had he done now?

“What happened, Amir?” asked Lexi while the young man forced bullets in a clip.

“You make ONE mistake and suddenly you’re treated like a menace,” he grumbled.

Lexi turned away to hide her amusement. When her computer emitted a discreet beeping, she propped the leather collar on the ear of her chair. She walked to the next table dozens of jamming devices were laid out in piles of three. Quinlan observed her face as she read a series of charts and tables on the screen.

“They are done,” she said.

Sure now they could leave and be alone. Raul entered at this moment, spotted Amir loading clips and smirked. The young man noticed and took a chocolate bar from his pocket. He removed the wrapping and bit into it savagely while staring back. Raul’s smirk vanished and he mouthed a quiet “fuck you.” Quinlan’s patience was wearing thin.

“Did it finish processing?” asked Raul.

He peered at the screen above Lexi’s shoulder.

“Yes. Let’s test those three just to make sure.”

They placed the jamming devices in three corners of the room. Lexi stood in the middle of that triangle and gave a thumbs-up to Raul. The man pressed a single key and the faint hum of the activated devices filled the room. During the first testing of those machines, both Dhampir had detected a strange buzzing, as if the attic had filled with hornets. Humans had been completely unaware of it.

Of course, Quinlan had heard it before, that time in Eldritch Palmer’s penthouse when he had shoved the Master into a coffin. At the time, he had paid very little attention to it. Now he knew that those were the voices of the brains in the machines, so loud as to reach Dhampir although they were only half-Strigoi. When the Master had been injured by Abraham Setrakian, his voice had also pierced through. It was revolting, this reminder that they were in fact connected to this abomination.

“Those three are also a go. We are completely done with those things now,” said Lexi, louder than necessary. The corner of Quinlan’s mouth lifted slightly.

“Beloved, I know it is a bit loud in the trap area but I can hear you perfectly.”

Lexi gestured toward Raul and the hum disappeared.

“Sorry, it’s quite an annoying side-effect.”

Amir stopped filling the clips and observed the transparent machines and the organs within.

“Why did you use plastic for those brain thingies if they are that important?” he asked.

“Because it enables us to monitor the brains constantly,” replied Lexi patiently.

“Yeah but if they are healthy when we need them can’t you maybe…I don’t know, give them a helmet or something?”

Raul shook his head and massaged his temples.

“Dude, just…no,” he said.

“Why the fuck not? Right now they look like you shake them a little too hard and our whole plan goes to shit.”

Quinlan raised a brow appreciatively.

“The young one is not exactly wrong,” he said.

“Yes…brains are not the sturdiest of organs when outside of a skull.”

“What are you proposing we do?” asked Quinlan.

Amir squinted at the devices and stroked his chin.

“I don’t know. Some protective gear around the plastic at least.”

He then stared at the bullet between his fingers.

“Make it silver even. That should keep the Strigs away.”

“Could that interfere with their functioning?” asked Quinlan.

“We can check that now!” said Amir and he grabbed a cardboard of clips.

Lexi followed when he approached the first device and laid the clips on and around the plastic casings. Understanding his intention, Lexi finished the same process on the other two. Unconvinced, Raul stood by the computer with his arms folded.

“Light them up!” ordered Amir after rushing to the center of the room.

Raul glared and remained immobile. Lexi went to stand by the young man and gestured to Raul who activated the devices. The hum rose again and she smiled at Amir. The buzzing died down.

“And if you bolt them to the SUVs then it’ll be hard to get rid of them…”

Quinlan passed an index over his chin and despite himself, grinned at Amir’s gumption.

“He has a point,” said the Dhampir.

“Yes…that way it will be easier for the various teams to keep their respective devices safe.”

“Let’s draw what we want and the specs and Arturo will make it with the silver downstairs,” said Amir enthusiastically.

Quinlan would have to be patient as they were drawn into yet another task. The discussion grew animated as it always did when Amir was involved. His laughter was loud and slightly mocking when he addressed Raul.

Antonio’s radio beeped and Marcus’ panicked voice screamed through the speaker. Silence fell the room as Antonio pressed the button to open the gate. Downstairs, the engine of an SUV stopped and there were more screams. Above all else, like a flare in the night, the smell of fresh blood.

Quinlan and Lexi stood simultaneously. At the back of his throat, there was the faint trace of a burn.

“Dr. Brevil, please go lock yourself in your bedroom,” said Quinlan.

The scientist should be kept away from possible danger. Brevil closed his laptop and ran to the stairs leading to the living quarters. In his wake floated the stink of adrenaline. Quinlan and Lexi rushed down the stairs. The SUV’s doors hung open and a trail of blood ran from the back seat to the table where they usually gathered for meals. Marcus, Arturo, Miguel, and Julio finished depositing Gordo onto the table. The men were staring at their injured friend and at each other, unsure how to proceed. Arturo was the first to take some kind of initiative and he trotted to the nearest phone from which he called Gus.

“We have to do something,” said Lexi as she pulled up her sleeves.

They joined the men and instantly, she was pressing down on one of the three bullet holes in Gordo’s abdomen. The large man cried out in pain but she ignored him.

“You!”-she looked at Marcus- “Press down on those! Yes like that…but harder.”

“Quinlan…I need tools…scalpels, sheers, clamps, saline, suture kit, anesthetic. Lots of gauze.”

Quinlan cringed when Gordo screamed again as he sped down the various shelves of contraband. Within seconds he gathered all that she needed. He deposited the surgical instruments on a table that he pulled within Lexi’s reach. Three men were red in the face while attempting to hold down Gordo who howled and jerked from the pain. Lexi and Marcus would barely keep the pressure on the bleeding wounds.

“Knock him out! The anesthetic! Now!” she ordered.

He had done that before and looked down at the small bottle. Yes. This was the same chemical he had used on Lexi and he strained to recall the concentration required. He could not but he knew how much he had used on her and from that, estimated what the large man would require. He assumed Gordo would not care about the burn of the injection and he stabbed his thick neck and immediately pushed the plunger. Gordo’s eyes were bloodshot and crazed and that briefly turned Quinlan’s stomach. Within seconds, the flailing of the man’s arms ceased and his eyes rolled back. Gus arrived and stared at his friend in horror.

“Oh shit!” he yelled then clamped a hand on his mouth.

Lexi looked briefly at Gus, then back at her patient. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Of course, she would do that now, let that calmness rise from within. It was like Quinlan got punched in the stomach. This had happened once before when she had shown him that horrifying memory. Her warmth left him and the universe was cold and empty once more. Lexi frowned as she cut Gordo’s clothes apart. Then when she reached for the gauze, the frown turned into a grimace. Her head twitched violently to the side and Quinlan breathed again. She was back.

“This is bad…this is really bad. It distracts me not to feel you…this is bad,” she said and her eyes widened in panic.

Quinlan could only help Marcus press down on the injuries. The Bond was robbing her of the serenity she needed to work and that filled him with irrational guilt. Her gestures lost their confidence. She hesitated with a pair of clamps in her hand.

“Lexi! Listen! You can do this, you’ve done it before.”

“I don’t know what to do…”

“Of course you do! What did you do with me first?”

“I found the source of the bleeding…” she answered.

Her pupils dilated and Quinlan was shocked by her ability to innovate in such a situation. He too as he focused could see the blood vessels coursing through Gordo’s body. She shook her head, dropped the clamps and took a scalpel instead.

“What the fuck!” yelped Marcus when she cut at the skin above one of the wounds.

Her small hand disappeared inside the sliced flesh and her face contorted in revulsion. With her other hand, she took the clamps which she slid inside. When she removed her hand there was little bleeding left. Despite her despair and the gravity of the situation, he could not help but feel proud of her.

“Quinlan, get the saline going, he lost too much blood.”

“Marcus, press down on wound as well,” he said.

The man tried but blood poured between his fingers. Gus’ hands slid under Marcus’ dark fingers and they each pushed on the remaining bullet holes. Quinlan prepared the IV and allowed himself a single look around the room. The other members of their crew were now lined against the nearest wall and staring intently. Raul attempted to stop his tears by gritting his teeth. This was a familiar scene. Quinlan had lived through it hundreds of time. Those were soldiers waiting for another to die. Uncomfortable, he focused back on Lexi who had switched to Marcus’ position, repeated the process of slicing and clamping the bleeding vessels.

“You can let go, Gus, I found this bleeder as well.” She said as she finished shoving another clamp inside Gordo’s large midsection.

Suddenly she was alone, working on the still body. Quinlan felt completely useless. He had never been in the business of healing. At that moment, he regretted that lack of experience.

“I can’t get the stitches right…this is not like you were. His flesh is tearing and he doesn’t heal.”

Quinlan scowled for he had no idea what to tell her. He could not share words of reassurance if he did not mean them. Gordo’s heart was struggling to pump what little blood was left in his body. Although he knew it was pointless, Quinlan pressed on the IV bag to force the saline faster into the collapsing veins.

“Is he gonna make it?” asked Gus.

Lexi glanced at the Sun Hunter briefly. Her face was suddenly full of determination and she moved faster. Gus' hands closed into tight fists and he turned to his men.

“What the fuck happened?”

“Some security patrol spotted us and when they scanned Gordo’s armband, they started shooting,” said Marcus. He looked down in shame.

On the table, Gordo’s heart missed several beats. Lexi made a wry face and shoved handfuls of gauze in the wounds.

“Get me adrenaline!” she ordered Quinlan.

As soon as Quinlan ran back with a needle filled with adrenaline, Gordo’s heart stopped. Deodamnatus. Lexi whimpered and all eyes were on her again. She grabbed the needle and stabbed at the man’s chest. The heartbeat again, three times. Lexi groaned and jumped on the table to start massaging his chest.

Somber silence fell on the room only punctuated by Lexi’s grunts. Raul held his face and looked away. His back shook and Amir grabbed onto his shoulder and stared as their friend lay dying. Gus’ jaw was tense and his eyes very dark. A deep growl rose from Lexi’s throat. Under her fingers, the heart remained stubbornly quiet. She held her hands together and struck at his sternum. The heart beat once, but not strong enough to send blood through the body. She resumed the massage with a snarl and Quinlan grimaced when ribs snapped as a result of her pushes. Gus bit his lip and shook his head.

“Lex…you should stop now,” he said. His throat sounded full.

Lexi ignored him. Quinlan rushed to her as more ribs cracked.

“Listen. His bones are breaking and his heart is not restarting. It’s over.”

As certainly as her hands were damaging the lifeless body, her suffering in the Bond was tearing at his mind. His chest tightened painfully as he held onto her wrists. She did not fight him when he pulled her off the table. Her eyes remained focused on Gordo’s face.

“I did everything I could,” she said. Her expression swayed between confusion and pain.

“Yes…I know.”

“Then why is he dead?”

Because doing ones best still meant failing sometimes. She shook her head and once more, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Quinlan could not blame her for attempting to quiet her distress that way. But the coolness of her absence did not come. Lexi moaned and stared at her hands covered in thick blood. The wings of her nose flared.

“All this blood…it burns my throat. How can it make me thirsty right now? This is sick.”

She pulled a blue handkerchief from her pocket and wiped away at the blood. Her breathing had turned shallow and she was shaking. Quinlan could sense her gripping panic rising and he did not know how to stop it. Then she looked at the red stains on the light blue fabric and as if the handkerchief had burned her, she dropped it and took a step back. Her eyes were wide and her body tensed as she stopped breathing. Quinlan reached for his plexus as her anguish momentarily ensnared his own chest. Oh no. Suddenly he was immensely vulnerable, surrounded by all these humans.

“Lex?” asked Gus as he approached Gordo’s body.

Almost panicking, Quinlan picked her up and sped out of the room. In the staircase, between two levels, he hugged her tightly. She was screaming. Her lungs still clenched shut made her eerily quiet but inside this sliver of light they shared in their mind, her howls were deafening. Quinlan wanted to take all grief away. Just like he held onto her small body, he wanted to embrace her soul and remove that agony. The Dhampir closed his eyes firmly and let her voice guide him deep inside his mind. He had never been there that way. It was barely within reach even as she unintentionally showed him the way. He let his consciousness tip inside of this void he had previously carefully avoided.

Quinlan opened his eyes. He was not in the staircase anymore. As far as he could see there was nothing. He could feel the immensity of this space despite the total absence of indications that it spread forever around him. Around them. An urchin of light convulsed within his reach. Lexi. It was her but she was still unable to acknowledge his presence. Her distress echoed in the infinite space. When he touched her light, the usual warmth had a painful bite to it. Quinlan stared at his hand. It was incredibly bright but appeared encased in a hard translucent shell that her soul did not have. He wished it away, just enough to free his hands. As the glass armor receded, his arms glowed intensely. It looked as if he was holding onto two flares.

Then he reached for her again and the sensation was similar to that day on the roof when she had stepped resolutely toward him. But on that roof, he had felt the warmth of belonging while this was the searing heat of intrusion. This was not natural nor agreeable. He knew that if he were to hold her that way too long, he would eventually lose himself and she too would disappear.

For the briefest of moments, Quinlan saw his own face through her eyes. This was not memory because at no moment in the past had his blue irises glowed that way.

Her suffering slid within the bosom of his soul where it became diluted and harmless. Then he let go and the shell reformed around his arms. Her soul had lost its sharpness, it rippled in soft waves. Satisfied, Quinlan leaned back and landed in his physical body. When he looked down at his beloved, she stared at his eyes in fascination.

“I saw…” she said and touched her face.

“Me too.”

“How?”

“I reached inside your light and took the agony away.”

But this could not happen again. What made a person, a person? Would she remain Lexi if he chipped away at her experiences?

“For a moment, I didn’t exist anymore,” she whispered.

“I felt it too. I’m sorry.”

“No!…Thank you for doing that but…wasn’t that just like what he does?”

“I do believe it was similar but not identical.”

Quinlan doubted the Master would so readily observe through the eyes of his creatures if it turned his stomach that way. She pressed her cheek against his and they stayed in this position for a long while. During that time, Quinlan attempted to find the way leading to the vastness in his mind. He failed and when the frustration made him growl, he stopped to focus on the soothing warmth of her presence. When humans started moving about the building again, the Dhampir retreated to their bedroom. They washed away Gordo’s blood and as Lexi looked away, Quinlan carefully brushed the redness off of her nails. Then he waited until she fell asleep to return to the men gathered downstairs. Raul spotted him first.

“Where is Lexi?”

His stinger rattled lowly. This was none of his concern. Then he stared at the worried eyes and the way his chin still trembled slightly. Did he have the right to push those humans away from her? Did he have the right to be so selfish?

“She is asleep.”

“I know you guys are old and stuff and you’ve seen some shit but…she didn’t look alright.”

Because she was not. Quinlan’s eyes veered to the side as he recalled various instances of Lexi helping others. She often paid for that kindness with her peace of mind.

“She will recover,” said Quinlan.

Raul’s already puffy eyes filled with tears and Quinlan looked away in embarrassment.

“Please attend to the devices we left upstairs. I believe we left lying about and it would be unfortunate if someone were to trip over them.”

Quinlan waited until Raul’s footsteps echoed in the empty staircase. Gordo was already gone and so were several other crew members. There was not a single trace of the used equipment and though he could still smell blood, bleach was the most distinguishable scent in the room. The Sun Hunter leaned on a crate, stroking a knitted cap between his fingers.

“We regret deeply what happened to Gordo,” Quinlan told the Sun Hunter.

“You guys really tried. Thank you.”

But Quinlan had not left Lexi’s side to exchange civilities.

“Is this place compromised as a result of this event?”

“No. The guys were not followed and besides…”

He stood straighter.

“They’d already be here.”

The crew members who had likely been attending to the body were buzzed back inside and exited their car. Marcus was one of them and walked straight to Gus.

“It’s done,” he informed his boss.

Gus handed him the knitted cap. Marcus’ bit lowered his head while taking Gordo’s hat. The Sun Hunter enclosed his friend into a hug and Quinlan turned away, unwilling to be a witness to their grief.

“Quinlan?” called Lexi from the bedroom.

The Dhampir returned to her. She fell asleep again as he purred loudly to soothe her. His arms covered Lexi as if attempting to shield her from the world.

The Master could know everything his children knew. He stole their memories were as he robbed them of their humanity and then also took theirs every thoughts. After Lexi had found him and they had been uncovered the Bond, they too could share their thoughts. Quinlan referred to both as the Sharing even if it bothered him to compare what the Master did to what he had with Lexi. Then there was the Merging. This made him grimace. It was indeed similar to what the Master inflicted on his Strigoi. Right up to the glowing eyes.

Lexi whispered quietly inside her dreams and stroked her silvery waves. Just as he had told her the day they had discovered that Bond, theirs differed fundamentally from the link between the Master and his Strigoi. What bonded the Dhampir together was based on mutual respect and consent. And on reciprocation. There was no doubt in his mind that the Master had never let one of his creations see through his eyes. The Master took everything but gave nothing in return.

As she slept, he studied every detail of her face. Lightly, he traced the stripes of her cheeks and followed each dark undulations and the way they intersected. Her hand shot up, she smacked her own face and groaned.

“Tickles,” she whispered then fell back asleep.

Quinlan strained to repress his laughter but committed to only study her traits with his gaze.

The next day, Gus ordered everyone in the communal space and the couple accepted reluctantly. Their entrance was met with complete silence. By his side, Lexi hesitated to step further into the room. She looked down as if she expected her failure to save Gordo to be met by remonstrances.

“You dropped that,” said Gus and he presented her with the blue handkerchief.

The fabric was clean and folded into a neat square. Her jaw contracted as she accepted the memento but still avoided Gus’ gaze.

“Thank you,” said Quinlan on her behalf.

Gus looked at Lexi for a few seconds longer then turned to the rest of the crew.

“We’ve got a fucking problem now. Even with Gordo, we barely had enough people to protect the jamming devices when we use them against the Master. I need some ideas, right fucking now.”

There were whispers but no definite answer. Near the window Arturo eyed Brevil. The old looked like he had not slept since Gordo’s death and his face was harsher than usual.

“Brevil is not assigned to a team yet. We need everyone, no?”

The scientist cowered and scanned the room as if a solution to his problem would appear out of thin air. Quinlan pitied that man, so out of place in all this violence and chaos.

“That’s not such a bad idea…” pointed out the Sun Hunter.

Brevil looked at him as if those words had been a signature sealing his death sentence.

“Not you, Dr. B. If the volcano blows before they get there or something like that, we’ll still need you.”

The scientist took his face into his shaky hands. Arturo looked away in disgust.

“I mean that people like Brevil might help. There is a reason my contacts are my contacts. They’ve got good jobs with the Partnership and they won’t give that up to die with us.” – he snorted – “But that’s why they are useful.”

Quinlan knew where this was going and he agreed with the Sun Hunter.

“The Librarian got us Brevil but besides that, he was never really useful. ‘Cause all his people are rejects in this new shit world. He has a list of fugitives who have a lot to gain from this plan working,” said Gus.

“You want to drag other scholars into this?” said Brevil, while grabbing Gus’ arm.

Gus stared at the hand around his wrist, then slowly, at the man holding him. Brevil immediately let go and took a step back.

“Yeah, I do.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” said Arturo and his smile was more akin to a grimace than an actual expression of joy.

“No, it’s not,” intervened Lexi.

She looked at the blue handkerchief then put it in her pocket. All eyes fixated on her at once and Quinlan pulled at her elbow.

“Of course it is a good plan. We need more people or this won’t work.”

“What the fuck are you on about?” said Arturo.

“It’s shortsighted.”

“What are you saying?” asked Gus. He was neither annoyed nor angry but intrigued.

“Those people are needed later…for humanity to recover. Their roles should not be to fight but to rebuild.”

“There won’t be anything to rebuild if we don’t manage to kill the Master,” said Gus.

“Every time one of those people dies, that’s one fewer pillar that humankind will be able to rely on,” she retorted. “There is a good reason why the Master was targeting them…they are important.”

“And we’re not?” bellowed Arturo.

Both Dhampir stared at the old man. It had been quite some time since Quinlan had felt the desire to hurt one of those humans. Although Quinlan understood Lexi’s reluctance to involve those scholars, he suspected her hesitations might have been motivated by her grief.

“You are all important and everyone here will be needed to do what they do best.”

“Die with a stinger in their necks?” said Arturo.

Quinlan rumbled lowly in warning but Lexi put an appeasing hand on his arm.

“Fight. And yes, risk their lives while doing so.”

“So what? We’re stupid enough to get ourselves killed? But the smart ones are too precious to do the same? What bullshit.”

“May I remind you that you will have a chance to survive and see humanity come back from this. We, on the other hand, will not have that luxury. I guarantee you, we do not consider ourselves stupid and we certainly value our lives,” said Quinlan.

He did not bother to hide his contempt for Arturo. Lexi looked around the room.

“We all have a specific role to fulfill. But I do not believe those people belong on the battlefield.”

“With all due respect, Lex. This ain’t up to you,” said Gus as he walked behind the bar and picked up the phone.

“No, I know…” she said and her eyes half closed in biting sorrow. “It’s up to them.”

Quinlan grimaced at the poison of her pain pouring in his mind once more.

“Not everyone in this war should be cannon fodder. There should be things that we keep safe, that we save. I don’t want more pointless and avoidable deaths. Even if…”

Lexi did not finish her thought. Her head low, she walked out of the room and the agony in the Bond made him grunt until it suddenly disappeared. Quinlan sighed in shallow relief. She had rained in her emotions but those still existed, tearing at the one he loved. The Dhampir glared at the man who had cut at her with his words. For her sake, he would not kill Arturo. Quinlan rushed after Lexi and found her sitting on their bed. She held her face in her alabaster fingers. He pried them off and his heart broke. Lexi was not crying, and her brow was not furrowed in anguish or pain. She appeared empty.

“I am very tired, Quinlan.”

He bit the inside of his lip. How he wished he could fill her with happiness. Her dark hazel eyes became unfocused and his stomach fell. She was gone again. What she was doing was punching a hole in his head and he did not have a dying associate to distract from it.

“Lexi, please stop.”

She did not reply and her eyes remained unfocused. For two thousand years, he had lived without the softness of her soul but now that he had tasted it, its absence was torture.

“LEXI,” he screamed. His fists closed on the blanket on each side of her.

It struck him that she could not hear his thoughts. Wherever her mind had fled to was out of reach. He dry-heaved and put his head on her lap. She was in a place that only existed inside her and that only she was privy to.

“Come back…you’re hurting me,” he begged.

Lexi startled and she stroke his smooth skull. Quinlan breathed deeply as the velvet of her soul surrounded him. He was home again. The Dhampir held onto his beloved for dear life. At that very moment, he wanted to remove her from this situation. Drag her to a remote place where they could hide forever. Let the Master have the world as long as they could have each other. Quinlan was still stronger than she was…it would not take much to hug her neck until she passed out. His arms closed tighter around her waist. He could not do it. Because if he did, she might then be by his side physically but he would lose her. She would never forgive him.

“I am sorry…that was selfish,” she said.

“Where did you go?”

“I was in the dark…”

A knock on the door interrupted her thought. Raul stood in the frame and leaned backward to peer in the corridor. Quinlan stood, quite unable to bear a human seeing him in such a vulnerable posture. The man entered and trotted to them

“Gus and I are gonna meet with the Librarian now.”

Both Dhampir nodded.

“Just ignore Arturo. He can be a real dick sometimes but since Gordo, he is not okay...Usually, he only yells at Amir but now it’s everyone.”

Lexi gave him a small smile which did not reach her eyes. Then the man looked back at the door and leaned toward Lexi.

“Don’t tell Amir but…”

He took a chocolate bar out of his pocket and placed it on the bed next to Lexi. She stared at him, confused. What was the human doing?

“…I know where that fucker hides all the candy.”

He grinned and patted Lexi’s back. Her smile became sincere and she took the chocolate. Quinlan’s heart pinched when her eyes turned glassy. He forced himself to stay still but wished Raul would depart now.

“But you can totally eat it in front of him. ‘Cause if he thinks you found the candy stash; he won’t dare call you out. I wanna see his face when that happens.”

Lexi chuckled softly and looked down.

“Thank you, Raul. You should go, Gus is looking for you.”

“Shit,” he whispered and ran out.

When she looked up again, tears ran down her cheeks but she still smiled.

“He is sweet,” she said.

“Yes…a gentle soul.”

A puppy amongst wolves. But because he had managed to soothe her pain however slightly, Quinlan found himself respecting him for that gentleness and not in spite of it.

“When we were hiding from the Strigoi, he was shaking for an hour.”

Quinlan sat next to her then feeling it was not enough dragged her on his lap.

“For only one hour?”

Lexi laughed and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Then I told him that the worst-case scenario was not that we ended up killed or hurt. It was that I would have to get rid the Strigoi around and unfortunately reveal my nature. Regrettable but acceptable.”

She put the chocolate in her pocket and intertwined her fingers into his. Quinlan breathed deeply into her hair. The citrus scent was intense there.

“I thought about you and how when I was human and in similar situations, I would feel safe,” she said.

“Do you still feel safe with me?”

“In your arms, I always do.”

She could not lie and he had thought that the day his side had been torn by that mongrel, she would have stopped trusting his abilities.

“Can we stay like this for a while longer?” she asked.

He placed a kiss on the wonderful stripes of her cheek. His only wish was to stay like this forever.

“Of course, for as long as we can.”