#i definitely agree that Ava is tapping into more through her emotions

[eternityinabook]

Anyone else had thoughts about the Halo potentially having some sort of sentience?

Like, it's been on earth for 1,000 years and been in the backs of probably 100's of people. The idea that it's just some interdimensional arc reactor, is fine. But the layer that it could add if it was would be really cool. (Assuming it would be written in well, especially depending on what they want to do with s3. with Reya and "heaven".)

We've now seen it can reject its bearers and heal them even though it's not within them. It was through the Halo that Ava had that interaction with Shannon. (The question I have with that is whether that was a memory or an imprint or even a piece of her soul that Ava was talking with?)

I am thinking of like Tsukumogami, objects after 100 years of service gaining a spirit. This thing has been in 100's of backs, being used for war, being believed in - we've now seen that faith is a power source - that's gotta have done something, right?

[lpdwillwrite4coffee]

CHILDREN OF LILITH CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Griffin swore inwardly at himself. He needed to get a grip, now.

Leaning his forearms against the edge of the bar, he ordered a double scotch and downed it before the bartender had a chance to leave. He ordered another.

Nikki’s voice reverberated in his skull, looping the words she’d shouted at Tory minutes before. You think this is easy? You think he likes this?

She’d defended him, publicly challenged another Hunter on his behalf, and he had no fucking clue why.

Maybe you have a little clue why… A small voice told him.

Even locked in their cage, the dogs had caught the emotional scent trail and it had driven them mad. Underneath the anger and frustration was a heavier, richer emotion that sent him reeling. The hints of it, the lingering sensation of it around her made his chest constrict so painfully he couldn’t take a full breath.

And then she’d started to turn to him with warmth in her eyes, no longer seeing him as both an insurmountable stone tower and the beast inside it.

Her bravery terrified him.

“You want another?” The bartender asked.

Griffin blinked down at his empty glass. When had he finished it?

“Yeah,” he said with a nod.

A strong hand clapped him on the shoulder, making him jerk.

“This round is on me,” Otto announced with a beaming smile.

It took Griffin a moment to catch up, but by the time he had Otto’s Visa was already in the bartender’s hand. “You didn’t have to-”

“It’s no problem. Besides, you look like you need about a dozen more of those,” he said, gesturing to Griffin’s drink.

Joel and Brian stepped up next Otto, finishing their conversation before greeting the other two.

Leaning around Otto, Brian nodded to Griffin and said, “Well I gotta say, that’s the first time I’ve been to a gathering where I legitimately thought someone’s eyes were gonna get ripped out.”

“Who Tory?” Otto shook his head. “Nah man, she’s all talk. Thinks she’s better suited for a leadership position than anybody born into it.” At that, Joel snorted and rolled his eyes.

“No, not her. I meant the new girl- ah, Nikki, right?” Brian took a sip from his drink and looked to Griffin. “I thought she was gonna jump over the table and tear Tory’s face off.” He chuckled.

Joel nudged Brian in the arm and said, “Trust me. She wanted to.”

“She was just defending her man,” Otto drawled, winking at Griffin.

Griffin nearly choked on his scotch. “What? No, it’s not like that.”

“Then why are you blushing, O’Connor?” Brian asked with a smirk.

Otto grinned. “So tell me more, tell me more. Did you get very far?”

“Tell me more, tell me more, like does she have a car?” Brian finished.

Joel looked between the two men and deadpanned, “Nobody told me we’d be singing. I would’ve brought my sheet music.”

“I’m in hell,” Griffin muttered, closing his eyes. “I’m officially in hell.”

“Eh, relax O’Connor, we’re just giving you a hard time,” Brian told him, waving over the bartender for another round.

Noticing Joel’s shy smile, Otto cocked his head and followed the man’s line of sight. “And who’s caught your eye?”

Joel glanced down at his drink and then back up through his dark lashes. “That waiter over there’s been vibing me all night,” he said, finishing his beer.

The other three turned their heads in unison, spotting a tall, leaner man with curly brown hair and a silver eyebrow piercing busing a table nearby. As if sensing the attention, he glanced over his shoulder and locked eyes with Joel before flushing and turning away.

Setting his glass down, Otto straightened to his full height, puffing out his chest. “Well alright then. Need me to be your wingman?”

Joel stared at him blank faced. “I’m good.”

“Your call. This guy better be good enough for you though.”

“Yeah, ‘cause I’m really looking for someone to bring home to mom,” Joel intoned, rolling his eyes.

As Joel strode away, Otto called out, “Be sure to use protection!”

“You have no shame, do you?” Brian asked.

“None whatsoever,” Otto agreed as he finished his drink. “Why else would I be seen with you fools?”

“Oh, very nice. I can really feel the love,” Brian said, shoving Otto in the shoulder.

While the two verbally sparred, Griffin drained the contents of his glass and motioned for refill. Turning, he scanned the growing crowd, searching for familiar waves of dark auburn and shimmering cobalt blue. The back of his neck began to crawl and the dogs stirred, sensing that something wasn’t right. Each breath came quicker than the last, his blood pounding in his eardrums.

Where was Nikki?

“Hey, Griffin, you okay?” Otto asked from behind him.

“I can’t… I don’t see her,” he said, barely able to hear his own voice.

Otto frowned. “Who? Nikki?” He tapped Griffin’s shoulder, bringing his head around. “Relax chief, she’s over there.”

Griffin stared in the direction Otto pointed and all the air left his lungs in a rush. At the other end of the bar, squeezed in between Tasha and Ava, was Nikki. Her smile was bright as a bartender handed her a drink and she laughed at something Tasha said to them both. She was safe.

Head swimming, Griffin leaned against the bar and screwed his eyes shut.

Pull it together, he thought. You can’t do this. Not now, not ever. You’ve gotta get a grip.

When he lifted his lids, Otto was eyeing him with concern.

“Yeah…” He nodded to Griffin’s drink. “You’re definitely gonna need twelve more of those.”

* * *

Perched atop a section of cross beams in the rafters, Serena stared down at the swarm of bodies beneath her. Her nose filled with the heavy scent of sweat and alcohol wafting up from the undulating mass. On any other night, it would have been a turn on, but now it only irritated her. It masked the scent she really wanted- the one she craved.

Dark hair and broad shoulders caught her attention as they cut through the crowd, heading for the bar.

There’s my boy…

Griffin was looking unsteady, but he wasn’t drunk- not yet anyway. He walked slower when he was hammered. It was his tell.

Serena watched him chug three glasses of scotch and almost laughed. Something had her boy in a tizzy. She might not need the Ketamine after all.

Other Hunters joined Griffin at the bar, chatting and nodding to the small area enclosed by red curtains. With considerable effort given the loud music pumping from speakers all around her, Serena honed in on the men’s conversation, too curious not to.

“…The new girl- ah, Nikki right?”

Serena bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep from hissing.

The taller one next to Griffin looked pleased as he said, “She was just defending her man.”

Putrid, venomous rage coursed through every vein and nerve ending in Serena’s body.

Her man? That human bitch had no right to claim him. She’d known him three days. Serena had curled inside the hollow shell of his torso like he was a burrow. She’d marked him, carved her name on his ribs and stained it with her blood. Griffin was hers.

She’d make her metaphor a reality. She’d slice him open and brand him every way she could before tearing his throat out.

* * *

Nikki had just taken her drink from the bartender when someone tapped her arm from behind. Turning, she saw Emma with Tory close behind her.

“Hi,” Emma greeted with a small wave. “I hope we’re not bothering you.”

“Not at all,” Nikki said, glancing at Tasha. “We were just waiting for a good song to come on so we could go dance.”

An unsure smile flashed across Emma’s face and she ducked her head. “I’m sorry, I’m not very good at this. Holly’s usually the one who deals with…” She trailed off, her gaze flicking behind her.

Angling back against the bar, Tasha pegged a firm stare on Tory. “Why don’t you say your piece Tory, instead of rehearsing it in your head like a damn audio loop?”

The woman made a face like she was offended by the intrusion and Tasha relented. “You’re right, that wasn’t fair. Sorry. Blame it on the alcohol.” She said, tilting her glass.

“It’s fine,” Tory said, pressing her lips firmly together.

Nikki blinked and shook her head. Telepathy was something she was going to have to get used to.

Tasha leaned in and said, “Don’t worry. You do.”

“Oh. Good to know.” Facing Tory again, Nikki focused. “What was it you wanted to say?”

Tory bit the corner of her lip before she spoke. “I wanted to apologize,” she said, lifting her eyes to Nikki’s. “For everything I said back there. It… wasn’t the proper way to conduct myself at a gathering…” She glanced at Emma before finishing. “Or in front of our leader. I’m sorry.”

Nikki considered her a moment. “I appreciate that,” she said. “I think you should also say it to Griffin.”

She ignored the imploring stare coming from Tasha aimed at her temple.

Tory nodded in earnest. “I will.”

“Good,” Nikki said, offering a smile. “Then apology accepted.”

For the first time to Nikki’s knowledge, Tory’s expression lightened and the tension in her shoulders faded. “Thank you.”

“You girls want a drink?” Tasha asked, finishing her martini and jerking her head at the bartender.

“God yes,” Emma groaned, making Tasha laugh.

“Being the boss isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, huh?”

Emma shook her head, red waves falling over her shoulders. “I’m counting the hours until Holly gets back.”

With the other women conversing, Nikki felt her mind wander, something tugging her to the other end of the bar. When she looked, Griffin was in her eye line, standing with Otto and Brian. She only stared for a moment but in that time his shoulders had started to bunch like he could sense she was watching.

And if he could sense it, he didn’t seem particularly happy about it.

Pressing her lips together in a hard line, Nikki turned her back on him and took a long sip from her drink. It was then she realized Tory had said something to her.

“Sorry, what?”

“I asked if you knew about the Underground before… everything,” Tory said, gesturing with her hand.

“Oh, uh, no. No, I had no idea,” Nikki replied, shaking her head. “I thought Vampires were just in horror movies and romance novels.”

“Kind of a shock, huh?”

“Definitely.” Nikki looked up from her drink to see Tory staring curiously at her. “What is it?”

“Sorry, I just… I thought your eyes were blue,” Tory said, blinking.

Nikki frowned. “They are blue.”

“Oh, then it must be the lights or something.” Tory chuckled at herself. “They look really bright green… almost gold.”

The floor rocked under Nikki’s feet and her stomach swooped down. Heat rushed over her, pricking her skin. Something was wrong…

“Would you excuse me a minute?” She said, leaving her drink on the bar. “I’ll be…right back.”

Tasha had turned to ask if she was alright but Nikki had hurried away before the woman could stop her.

The outer edges of her vision darkened and panic brought the sour taste of bile to the back of her throat. She needed to find the ladies room.

Everyone around her was jumping and swaying to the overwhelming beat of the music, creating a thick jungle of limbs she wasn’t sure she had the strength to push through. The neon lights overhead flashed with the tempo, disorienting her so badly she could only go where the mass of people shoved her. Catching her heel on something, she stumbled, almost falling into one of the raised stages where two contortionists were balanced.

“Nikki?” Someone shouted over the music, grabbing her arm.

Whirling around, she sagged in relief as Boz’s face was highlighted in bright blue followed by a white strobe light.

Holding her steady, he asked, “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“I’m… I’m fine,” she gasped, knowing she didn’t sound convincing. “I just need a bathroom.”

“It’s over here. I’ll take you,” he said, supporting her as they forced their way off the dance floor.

He helped her to the small inset corridor where the restrooms were and opened the ladies room door. “I can stay with you if-”

“No, that’s alright. I’ll be fine.”

He scowled. “Nikki, you don’t-”

“I’m fine, Boz, really,” she said. “Thank you.”

“Okay, but do you want me to get Grif-”

She firmly shut the door on his question and rushed to the nearest sink. Water, she needed water.

Fumbling with the tap, she hunched over and cupped her hand, bringing water to her mouth.

“Are you alright?”

Startled, Nikki coughed, spraying the faucet. Looking up, she caught the woman’s reflection in the mirror as she closed the stall door and strode towards the row of sinks.

“Sorry,” the other woman said. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Nikki forced air into her lungs as she shut off the tap. “No, it’s okay. I just didn’t realize there was anyone else in here.”

“Had too much to drink?” The woman asked as she washed her hands. Her blonde hair fell around her face beautifully and her ice blue eyes were enough to stun Nikki into silence for a heartbeat.

“Oh, uh, no,” Nikki replied. “I just… got too warm.”

“I wish I knew what that was like,” the woman mused, staring at her reflection. “I’m always too cold.”

Her voice was distant, almost hollow, and there was something about her Nikki couldn’t place. Had she met her before? Maybe she’d been a customer at Rush?

Pulling a tube of red lipstick from her pocket, the woman leaned over the sink and puckered her lips. “Well I hope you’re not sick,” she said as she replaced the cap. Edging her finger under her bottom lip, she glanced at Nikki in the mirror. “That would really be bad luck.”

“I think I’ll be alright,” Nikki said, leaning into the counter to steady herself.

The woman shifted her weight and Nikki caught the flash of pink at her feet. Her shoes were Dolce and Gabbana pumps…A pair just like Kaelin’s.

“You like them?” She asked, catching Nikki spying.

“Yes, they’re very beautiful.”

“I just got them the other day.” She leaned over and stage whispered, “I got them used.” Smiling, she straightened and extended her right foot. “But you can’t really tell. Can you?”

“No, they’re...” Nikki paused, noticing a tiny black smudge near the heel. An ink stain… From when Kaelin stepped on a cheap pen someone had dropped during a board meeting. She’d called Nikki on her break to rant about the agonizing pain she’d bring down on the idiot that never learned to pick up after themselves.

“They look fine,” Nikki finished. It was the same thing she’d told Kaelin when she saw her after the inking incident.

Meeting the woman’s gaze, Nikki felt another flash of unbearable heat but she held strong.

“I thought so too,” the woman continued, voice sweet like peppermint. Giving herself one last check in the mirror, she fluffed her blonde hair and licked her lips. “Well, I guess I better get out there and break these babies in.” She tapped her toe happily before starting for the door.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name,” Nikki said, pushing away from the sink.

The woman stopped and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Serena.”

With her hand on the doorknob, she turned, an amused smirk curving her mouth. “And tell our boy I said hello.”

She winked and disappeared into the club, leaving Nikki in her wake.

“Oh my God.”

It was her.

She was the Vampire who tried to kill Kaelin.

And she was inside Onyx.