Things that go Bump in the Night

[The_gladiator]

Lucas smirked at Lila’s obvious discomfort. He could kill her with the knife, silver could be used to destroy the heart and take the head, but he wouldn’t kill her with such a simple touch. He traced her skin with the knife tip. His other hand worked his fingers in and out, fighting her body’s resistance.

He could feel her wetness seeping onto his fingers as he roughly invaded her sex with his cruel touch. He pulled his fingers out and then slammed them back in his thumb stabbing hard against her clit painfully grind against the bud with each in thrust of his fingers.

He started laughing at her offer. “I might have once wanted you willing, wanted you submissive in my bed Slut. But now you’ve just pissed me off. You had your chance you fucking whore. Now I’m going to take from you. You can’t give it to me because I want to take it.” He said as if that logic made perfect sense to him. “You just want to avoid being sliced by my knife. You don’t want to think about your pretty white skin marred with such wounds. You can’t be trusted I don’t believe you’d do what you say.” he said proving that even mad he wasn’t quite as stupid as he seemed on the surface.

Lucas lay the knife down beside Lila, embedding it in the wood of the table along her side, so the silver rested against her side, just resting there. However the metal was in direct contact with her skin and he knew it would burn, would add to her discomfort. His left hand free, he began to undue his belt, preparing to remove his pants. The leather of the belt cleared his pants with that very distinctive noise. He looped it and suddenly it was around Lila’s neck, and he was yanking her head back with that hold. “This was one way I strangled human women when I was alive. You can’t suffocate, but can you feel some of the fear they did?” he asked, his voice carrying to her sensitive ears, especially in the almost deafening silence that accompanied the cessation of the fire alarm. He was still taunting her a little, playing with her. He was feeding on her emotions, a little like his master could, although he was not quite as skilled at it. However the lecherous grin he gave her as he yanked back her head said he would get to raping her soon enough.

Vlad pushed himself up higher looking more fully down on Crystal and then he rose. “You were given a new class of date rape drug, one that is so potent that you’ve been out for a day and a half.” Vlad said, using his blood link to make her more willing to accept his words. It was not a difficult leap for her to accept it though. Like most humans, she sought the easiest explanation to understand. Vladimir was struck once again at human’s almost supernatural ability to be so stay so willfully ignorant of the paranormal. It was like their minds refused to process a possibility such as what had truly happened to her. “I was holding you down so the convulsions as the drug left your system did not cause you to hurt yourself.” He said moving to hand her the discarded robe. “As you can see, my pants are unfastened but I am fully dressed, I give you my word that I was not the one who did this to you.” He said, again using his powers to help suppress her doubts, her automatic fear of him. He hoped she would listen to him, believe him, he did seem so reasonable after all. “I am a friend to Lila and Lucius.” He continued as he offered her help up, and then to a chair. If you just rest on this couch, I will go get them and the Police so they can help handle this case.” He said and used his magic to will her to sleep. He hoped that his explanations had at least seemed reasonable to her, he hadn’t had time to come up with anything much more elaborate than that.

Vlad wanted to hurry, he had a bad feeling about what was going on up above. He was angry, now that he was completely free of the magic. He burned now for vengeance. Someone would die for this, for bespelling him, and endangering a human. Someone had almost forced him to take the life of an innocent woman. Was this Lucius’s doing? Lila’s perhaps? Vladimir did truly not know who it was and something about it bothered the sentinel.
Vlad moved quickly, finding the stairs out of the basement. Lila did not realize he knew of them, but he had sensed movement on them earlier that day. Especially after the older Hispanic woman left. Vladimir did not so much walk as glide up the stairs towards the club. He was not quite running, but he went as fast as he could, the stairs were small and cramped, hindering his progress.

Lucius stood facing what seemed like near impossible odds. There were at least half a dozen wolves in this new band, and they were obviously on Xavier’s side. Xavier closed the distance and shoving out with his magic silenced the fire alarm, and after a second burst of power the stereo too fell silent. This left the room enshrouded in a sudden silence.

Lucius could suddenly hear the voices of Lila and Lucas, but dared not look for his child; he could not afford to be distracted at this critical moment. Lucius had to keep Xavier busy, for he saw something behind the newcomers. Lucius suspected it was his allies come finally to his aid, but he knew it could have been more of Xavier’s goons. However, Xavier had so far not hidden the presence of any of his people. So Lucius could only hope that help was on its way.

Vlad immerged into a store room at as close to a run as he could manage in the cramped stairs. Just as he got to the upper floor, the music and alarms suddenly went silent. This newly found silence allowed Vlad to hear voices. He heard Lucius’s voice clearly, “I challenge you Xavier to single combat under the old laws.” Even Vlad was surprised to hear that.

Xavier stared at Lucius. He did not know who would win such a challenge but he knew it was completely unnecessary to accept the challenge. He held all the advantages. So he laughed at Lucius again. “You will not die with dignity Lucius, you will die here alone helpless while my men Rape your very child.”

At Xavier’s name, some things became much clearer to Vlad. He had heard of the neighboring leader. He knew him by reputation, and rumor had it he was a nasty piece of work. Had he been the one to help bespell Vlad? Was he really that powerful? Then part of it clicked in his mind. He could have put some of the magic into Crystal’s blood. Vlad had willingly taken Crystal’s blood, thereby opening himself up to Xavier’s influence.

Vlad hurried out into the club. He had immerged onto a second level balcony, where he could take in the whole room. He could See Lucius and Xavier squaring off against one another. He could see the group of Wolves closing in around the two, as well as the vampires behind Lucius. There were two that were well, and a third struggling to get up with a sword in his back. From this angle he could also see some of the things Lucius had caught only glimpses of; they did indeed look like allies for Lucius. They were wolves like the others, but seemed different. They felt different. Vlad knew there was little he could do about the wolves at least magically for Wolf was not his animal. His was something else entirely. There was a reason his grace was at times almost catlike.

As Xavier mentioned the raping of Lucius’s child, Vlad immediately looked for Lila, and he spotted her. He wondered how he had missed her in the first place. She was held at an incredibly awkward angle. He could see a big bruit tormenting her; He could see the man’s hand working between her legs doing something to her although he could not see what from this angle. Vlad felt his blood boil. He had never held with abuse of women, and something about this struck a personal chord with him. He quickly suppressed those thoughts; he had not the time to dredge up his own past.

Although it seemed as if Lucius was in more immediate life threatening danger, Vlad found that he personally could care less about Lucius. There was a part of him that believed that Lucius should die. However he actually felt outrage at Lila’s predicament. She hated him, yet had seemed to feel the pull to him as well. As he watched her being violated, that connection grew stronger. He moved so silently, even though he dropped down to the ground floor, he went undetected. The shadows seemed to eat him up as he moved. He actually gritted his teeth as her head was yanked back, the leather of the belt cutting into her pretty throat.

He could see Lila say or do something to anger the man, to make him tighten the belt even further, and then Vlad was moving. He struck Lucas bulling him over, the jerk causing Lila’s head to be pulled back even further before Lucas lost his grip on it. The man’s other hand came out of Lila’s pussy, her juices still glistening on his fingers as he stumbled away. Vlad never stopped the momentum, his left hand catching Lila’s ass, using it as a pivot point. He made a mental note to apologies later, he had a feeling since he was saving her virtue and possibly her life, and she probably would forgive him. Using his grip on her he swung around the corner of the table, his knife in his right hand slamming deep into the chest of the vampire guard that held Lila’s right arm. Vlad twisted the knife, destroying the heart enough that the not very powerful vampire fell away, obviously dead as the light left his eyes. “Knife to your right side.” He said pointing out the location of Lucas’s knife not that she wouldn’t have known it was there, he could already see the blisters starting on the side of her back from coming in contact with the blade. He hoped that she would take his hint, and use her now freed hand to kill the other vampire holding her while He dealt with Lucas. He squared off against the other vampire, both holding blades now. Lucas’s flashed silver, as did Vlad’s, however Vlad’s also was painted with the blood of Lucas’s companions. The two circled each other looking for an opening. They also pushed at each other with magic. Vlad could have overwhelmed him perhaps with magic, charmed him into standing still. But something about this was personal; he wanted to physically best Lucas for hurting his woman... Where had that thought even come from? Lila was in no way shape or form his. Yet the thought had still come to him, he had felt a flash of possessiveness that he had not earned the right to feel. He tried to dismiss it as the honor of a sentinel protecting the weaker from being victimized. But he knew the justifications ran deeper than that, he couldn’t probe at the reasons for it now, but he suspected it either had to do with her, the fact she was a woman being womanized, or both.

The rest of the bar had erupted into carnage and fighting as he’d struck, his actions causing others to move, as if it were a preplanned signal. However, Vlad had no time to look around. He could not even check on Lila at this time. He trusted that she was strong enough to handle the bruit once she had a hand free. He wondered if she would stab him, take his heart that way, or whether she would use magic on him first. He had this image of her kissing the thug, her lips brushing over his sensually before her hand slammed the knife into his heart. Again he wondered where that image had come from. Was it really an image of Lila? Was it a prophecy? Or was it a memory of another woman, of a different time and place. He knew a woman who had once done such a thing, but it had not been Lila. Why would he think about her now though, why did Lila make him think of dangerous things like that? He pulled his mind away from that and focused back in on the here and now, and the weaving dance of the blade fight.

 

[EclipseValeska]

Crystal felt the tendrils of panic wiggling through her mind as she stared at the handsome man. Where was she? How did she get there? And who was he? She sat there, staring dumbly at him as she grasped her silk robe, slipping it on. She felt an inner chill, one that seemed to be set into her bones. Her teeth were chattering, her skin prickled with gooseflesh as she rubbed her hands lightly over her arms to warm herself. She hated that feeling, the feeling of no matter what she may never know warmth again. It was a frightening prospect.

She shrank back from him as he pushed his hand out to her. She was a bit weary of the stranger. “Convulsions?” she asked as he explained what had happened. She tried to recall something, anything that had happened in the last 36 hours, but couldn’t remember anything. It was like a huge black void had been opened in her mind and there was only sticky tar coating the inside walls of her brain. “Date rape…a ruffie?” Her voice was a slight, confused whisper. After another moment of doubt she slid her hand into his. She nodded as she sat down on the couch, the soft leather cool beneath her skin. “Thanks.” she said, her voice heavy, as if she were already falling a sleep.

She curled onto her side, her eyes heavy and closing as she watched the unknown man leave to go hunt down Lucius and Lila. Sleep overtook her at once, her mind and body relaxing. The tall, gaunt man was there, his oily black hair slicked back from his face. Not only was he in her dreams, but he was in close proximity to her. She could feel the icy fingers of his mind pressing into hers. Panic rose in her, clutching at her as if she were a life line. “Master.” she spoke softly, her voice a small whisper in the darkness of her mind. “I have failed you.” she spoke, fear causing her voice to rise in pitch. “I have failed to bring down the Sentinel.” In the corner of her mind, Crystal knew that this was more than a dream. It was to vivid to be only a dream.

Crystal fell the her knees, her face pressing against something hard beneath her. In the dream, they were surrounded by the inkiness that filled the void in her mind. But she could, impossibly, feel the hard surface resistant against her cheek. She jumped slightly when she felt his hand smooth the red hair on the back of her head. His fingers combing through her locks, gently, lovingly. “I know, Crystal.” his voice was monotone, conveying neither hurt, rage, hostility or mercy.

Looking up at him, Crystal felt the tears sliding down her cheeks. The heat of the streaks coursing her face as she gaze up at him, revering him as though her were a God. She rose only enough to rest her face on his shoes, the cool black leather felt welcoming against her skin. Her heart broke at the thought of disappointing her Master. She sobbed, covering her face in shame as her shoulders shook. “I have failed you.” she said again, repeating the words as if they were the holiest of prayers; as though repeating them would save her from damnation. “I have failed you.”

Her Master knelt, his hand coming to cradle her chin. His fingers were gentle but firm as he lifted her face to meet his eyes. His eyes were a brilliant red, flashing in the darkness, taking hold of hers. His eyes sent a spasm of fear through her as she gazed up at him. “I know, Crystal.” he said again, his voice still the unnerving monotone. His hand moved to the back of her head, the tips of his cold fingers skirting across her skin. She shivered at his touch.

His lips moved toward her. She was paralyzed with fear and anticipation. His lips were like twin slivers of ice as they pressed lightly to her forehead. Her breath left her in a rush, feeling the ice sweep down throughout her entire being, as though she had just jumped into a ice covered lake. “Rise.” he ordered softly, taking a step back from her. Crystal did as he commanded, her eyes unblinking, tears still slipping from them.

She stood before him on trembling legs. Logic screamed at her to run , that there was no way this was going to end well on her behalf. But her legs failed to do anything but move forward, closer to her Master. He opened his thin, bony arms to her in a grand sweeping gesture. She fell into them, her face pressing to his chest, new sobs wracking her thin frame. She felt his arms enfold her, his hand coming up to cradle the back of her head. “I am very disappointed in you, Crystal.” he said, his actions were loving and tender, a complete juxtaposition to his words. “I gave you a simple task. A simple job to do and you, you stupid cunt ,couldn’t even complete that.” His lips brushed lightly over her forehead again. “There were two options. Keep the Sentinel busy, until he could be dealt with or kill him. He was fully under my spell and you let him overpower you.” she sobbed harder at his words. She felt him swaying side to side, slightly as he held her.

“I have failed you.” she choked on her sobs. A sensation unlike any she had ever felt before passed through her. A thickness rose in her chest, inching from her lungs. It was a heaviness that seemed to inch its way up from her lungs and into her throat. The heaviness changed quality, becoming constrictive in nature. Her throat burned like she had swallowed a torch,. She felt the burning creeping down, filling her chest once more. She tried to take a breath to dispel the sensation, but found she could not. Terror filled her eyes as she looked at her Master, they buldged from their sockets, the green grey becoming blood shot. She couldn’t breath.

The burning continued, as the inky blackness overtook her vision. Her Master held her, a thin grin creasing his mouth. Her eyes remained fixed on his as the light of life left them. “Failure is not an option.” he said softly, releasing his hold on her as her body went limp in his arms. Her body crumpled to the floor, dead.

Lila moaned again, hating her own response to the invasion of the thick fingers in her tight, weeping sex. She heard a familiar sound, one that caused her blood to run cold. Before she could make any protest the belt was encircling her neck. The strangling sensation was once again upon her and this time the fear was real. She felt Lucas tighten it, as his fingers dug down into her pussy. Panic flooded her as she looked back over her shoulder.

Lucius had done these things to her, used her like a slut. Sometimes he punished her in this way, treating her as though she meant nothing to him. But even in those times, she knew that he loved her in his own way. She knew that he would never truly allow any harm to come to her. Lucas, however, was not Lucius. He wanted to hurt her, he didn’t care about her, only desired her. And right now, what he desired most was her screams, her fear and her humiliation.

“So not only were you a rapist as a mortal, you had to kill to get laid?” she asked coolly, regretting her smart mouth instantly as the belt was tightened further. She couldn’t breath. She tried to draw breath, her lungs were screaming for precious, unattainable air. Tears spilled over her eyes as she struggled to free her
arms. Her eyes lifted to the two holding her, pleading for release, but their own mocking expressions of lust met her. It was hopeless. This felt all to familiar, like something very close to this scenario had occurred before.

She screamed as she felt the burning heat of the blade pressing against her side. The heat was intolerable as she tried in vain to add distance between she and the knife. Pain seared through her. She could smell her own burning flesh, feel the skin bubbling and boiling against the blade. She found herself wishing that he would have just buried it into her back, piercing her heart. Fate could be so cruel. Her eyes lifted to the second floor balcony. Vlad! He was there. He was watching Lucius and Xavier. She turned her gaze to them, watching as a new wave of reinforcements flooded the dance floor.

Lila lost track of him, losing herself in the pain that was overriding her senses. She fought harder, knowing she needed to get to Lucius. He would be killed. Xavier was more powerful that her Master. She didn’t know if they could count on Vlad. Perhaps he would just stand around and congratulate the winner. Anger flared in her. It would be just like a Sentinel to not do anything to help. He probably thought they had this coming, everyone knew that Lucius could be a hot head. It was a well known fact that Lucius lived by his own set of rules.

Suddenly, her right arm went slack, falling to the table. She felt the hand on her bare backside, felt the pressure and sudden movement. She looked up in time to see one of her captors crumbling to the floor, disintegrating in a mass of ash. Lila felt the rough fingers slide from her well lubricated sex, leaving her feeling empty. Her eyes met Vlad’s for a split second, as he informed her of the obvious.

The other had already released her other arm, more concerned with the comrades than to holding onto her. She grasped the wooden handle of the blade, yanking it from the table. The minute her fingers closed around it, she felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity. She rose slowly, regaining her footing. Lila felt the dress slide back down over her hips, hiding her naked lower half from the everyone. She was thankful she didn’t need to look undignified any longer.

She rounded the table slowly, a smile curving her lips as she walked through the ash on the floor. Everything else melted away, she weight of the blade in her hand felt nice. Her other hand rose to her throat, slipping the belt from her neck. She let the thin leather strap hit the floor. Her prey, the other thug who had been holding her was now brawling with one of their own. She felt a wave of relief flood her as she approached him. Lila watched as the were went down, no real match for the older vampire. Her hand touched his shoulder, causing him to spin on her.

His eyes met her, a lecherous grin opening his mouth. She returned the smile with one of her own. Her eyes darkened, as her hand moved up his arm, all her actions overly slow. She felt as if she had done this before, been in this moment before. She was following a script that someone else had wrote for her. Her eyes closed, as she rose on her tip toes. Her lips found his, pressing lightly to them at first. He seemed surprised, but lost himself in the feel of her body pressing close to hers.

This was a moment that she had lived before. She kissed him softly, letting him feel the soft curves of her mouth, her tongue flicking across his upper lip. She felt his arms wrap around her body, felt the crushing strength of his arms enveloping her. He didn’t see the glint of the blade as she drove it hard and fast into his abdomen. She yanked hard, upward on the knife, slicing him. He released her, looking down at his open wound. A cold smile opened her mouth as she saw the deep, ghastly gash. Before he could move further, she drove the knife forward again, burying it in his chest. Yanking the knife to the side, she sliced his heart in two with a sickening slosh. Blood splashed over her, followed by the ash of her prey.

 

[The_gladiator]

Xavier had felt the moment that His tenuous hold over the powerful Sentinel broke. He had been monitoring Crystal’s efforts, even as the battle surrounded him. It had first started to break when he was on the ground recovering from Lucius throwing him back. He had then been shoved unceremoniously out of Crystal completely. He had truly not been actively possessing her, because Vlad would have sensed that too quickly. However, unbenounced to the Sentinel, he had still been keeping a mental eye on that other portion of his plan.

He was distracted from regaining control over the situation, when he felt his magic being shoved completely from her. He assumed in that moment that that portion of his plan had failed. Vlad had thought he had removed all traces of Xavier from the woman, but Xavier’s power was sneakier than that. This fact became evident when Crystal’s mind reached out to him as soon as the Sentinel put her to sleep. By that point Xavier stood in stand off with Lucius, as his allies closed in around surrounding Lucius.

He was able to afford the time to deal with her. He did not tolerate failure, a lesson that Crystal of the red hair would never forget. Most vampires could summon those they had fed upon to them, forever able to call their victims back to them again and again, however it was a much rarer gift that Xavier now utilized. Xavier gave her some of the fear he fed on. He sent the waves of fear into Crystal, until they filled her up, as if the fear were water and her body the unwitting glass. He poured the fear into her, until it choked her. She felt the burning inside her, as it grew and grew, overwhelming her, literally suffocating her with the fear. Lucius did not tolerate Failure.

Xavier came back to himself, the whole matter taking only a few seconds, in time to hear Lucius’s challenge. He was completely composed enough to laugh at Lucius. However, Xavier’s time spent dealing with Crystal’s failure, was time he was not as aware of his surroundings. He was unaware of the reinforcements closing in behind his own attackers.

Everything seemed to happen all at once. Xavier felt one of his minions die, his eyes moved, in time to see the Sentinel freeing Lila, and closing in on Lucas. Xavier retaliated by signaling the others to attack Lucius. However as they moved, several were jumped from behind by Lucius’s reinforcements. A brawl had soon begun.

Xavier Began to focus his will on Lucius, trying to subdue the other man through magic. He threw waves of fear at him, and it was all Lucius could do to fend him off. Lucius had been surprised when everything erupted into motion, but he had tried to use the distraction to flee. However, Xavier blocked any escape he might have made. He stood now, faced off with the other master, as they fought with magic. Even as the werewolves from both sides attacked each other.

Vlad did not see everything Lila did, for his attention was too solidly on Lucas. However he saw enough to see that she had done exactly what he had expected. Just like that time before. However, just like all those other times, Vlad did not have the time to work through that memory, he could not think of that other time here and now. However the eerie similarity made him take note of it. He promised himself that he would analyze that later. Just like in his earlier thoughts, she pressed close to the vampire, cuddling in against him. He did not see the entire kiss, but knew at some level she had kissed him before eviscerating him. With another thrust he was only ash and Lila was left with a clear view of Vlad and Lucas. A quick inexplicable serge of pride filled Vlad to see Lila’s triumph. Yet another feeling he put away, forcing his mind to focus once again before he made a mistake.

Rage burned in Vlad’s eyes, seeming to glow with black fire, as the light almost reflected off them. The combatants closed, circled and closed again. The first closing not yielding a hit for either side. The second did, Vlad’s knife tore a ragged gash along Lucas’s left arm. The moves were almost too fast to follow with the human eye. Lila would be able to see it all, her vampire’s senses more acute than any human’s. Vlad chose not to fight with magic. He could have overpowered Lucas with it easily, but he was angry now. He was aware of Lila watching him, and again came that sense of familiarity, like he had been in this situation before. Vlad closed in; he was no where near the size of Lucas. That said a lot about the size of Lucas, for Vlad was not a small man by any means. He was about 6 feet, and had broad shoulders tapering down to a narrow waist. He was sculpted, but in comparison, Lucas was bulky. Lucas did not have a tenth of Vlad’s speed. When you were all vampires strong enough to bench press a truck, speed was the more important asset. Vlad made this abundantly clear as he danced around Lucas. However no one could doubt Vlad’s strength as he slammed his knife into Lucas’s back with a crack of bone that was audible over the tumult of the fight. Vlad had severed Lucas’s spine low down. It was not a killing blow, and the chances were good that he could heal it over time. However, Lucas did not have time. The blow rendered Lucas’s legs useless. He slumped to his knees. His legs no longer able to support his weight. Vlad seized him by the head yanking his head back at the neck. Lucas was in no position to stop him; his greater bulk would do him no good in this instance, not with Vlad behind him, knife at his throat.

The fight had been quick, and brutal. The new position Vlad was in left him a clear path to Lila. He beckoned her with the knife. “Come I give you the chance to finish him. Justice is yours.” He said, and he could no longer deny the similarity. He had held another man just like this, and let another woman take her vengeance. The pain of those memories welled up and threatened to choke him. In his eyes, the rage changed for a flash into pain. His eyes met her green eyes, and for a moment she could see into his soul, and she could see his confusion over the things he was feeling, could see his pain. Just that quickly the pain was gone and the cold rage was back. He did not even know why he was so angry with Lucas. He did not love her as he had Anastasia. It must have been the similar circumstance that had evoked the memories, the similarity, and the righteous anger at how she had been treated. He was against the womanizing of women in general; however these things he felt on Lila’s behalf were even more than that typical reaction. His eyes beckoned her forward, invited her to make the kill. In the midst of this life and death struggle, Vlad showed that something like this was important to him. He wanted to give her justice.

 

[EclipseValeska]

Lila turned the battle around her raging on. She sought out Lucius, her eyes finding her maker. Although the waves of magic being thrown like daggers was invisible, she could see that Lucius was on the losing end. Blood began creasing his brow as he fought. A small trickle of blood slid from his ear, cutting a river town the white skin of his neck. She wished she could go to him, wished that she could join him in defeating Xavier. But with the way between them blocked she knew that she would be little to no help to her Master.

Her attention then shifted to Vlad and Lucas. A smile crossed her lips as Vlad took Lucas to his knees. She could hear the audible snap of his spine before he crumbled to his knees. His eyes moved to hers almost immediately as Vlad yanked his head back, forcing him to look at her. She moved slowly, gracefully crossing the area between them. The familiar moment was back upon her. It was as if she had done this very thing before. It was like she had lived this very moment once before; but she never had. She had never even seen Vlad before the previous night. But, now, here she was with the strange sense of deja vu. Why did she feel that way? Why was the sense so overwhelming?

Lila stared down at Lucas, the blood and ash of his allies on the black silk dress. Her long delicate fingers reached forward, caressing the strong line of his handsome jaw. He was handsome, yet garish and brutish. He had been born a monster and had remained on throughout his entire existence. “Just as you should be.” She murmured softly, her bright green eyes holding his. “On your knees.” Her left hand still held the dagger, blood dripping from the silver end. Bringing the dagger up, she sliced a deep gash along the opposite side of his face. The blood gushed from the new wound, the poison effect of the blade caused the new blood to boil.

“You wished to wound me, hurt me. You wished to see me suffer.” Her eyes moved the length of him, moving back to his eyes. “You wished to see me suffer, see my blood spilled upon the ground. But, it is your blood we will see.” Her voice was a soft, husky whisper.

With one fluid motion, she brought the dagger down, driving it down into his heart. She heard the cracking of his ribs as they broke beneath the force of the blow. Warm blood splashed across her hand as his face contorted in rage and pain. His skin turned to ash, slowly flaking away. She watched, bemused as Lucas desintergrated in Vlad’s arms. Her joy was short lived as she looked to Vlad. She could feel that Lucius was on the verge of losing his fight. “Please,” she asked Vlad, her hand touching his arm. “Help my Master, my father.”

 

[The_gladiator]

Vlad watched Lila’s approach. His eyes on her face, watching the pain and anger there, the desire for revenge. She did not return his gaze however. So she did not see the flicker of Vlad’s buried pain that first time it showed. Her gaze lingered on Lucas. All her rage and hatred channeled into the brute kneeling at Vlad’s feet.

Vlad held him steady for her, keeping his head tilted up so he was forced to meet Lila’s eyes. As Lila touched Lucas’s cheek, her hand almost touched Vlad’s where his hand held the man under the jaw. A grim smile creased his lips when he heard her words, at her actions. He felt Lucas’s blood trickle down onto his left hand as Lila sliced his cheek open. Vlad’s sense of déjà vu only kept growing. And now he could no longer deny the similarity to times before. He could no longer suppress the name, the person this situation reminded him of. He had held a man just like this for Anastasia, and now Lila was acting in a similar manner. Chills rolled up and down Vlad’s spine. Why would he think of Anastasia now? Why could he not put away those memories? Was this situation so similar? Was she so similar to Anastasia that he would think of the two of them? He almost visibly shook himself trying to rid himself of the thoughts. It had to be the fact that he was in this position, rescuing her from those who sought to brutalize her, just as he had with Anastasia. Fortunately he had been in time in this case; they had not had time to complete the deed. Was it that alone? Or was there something more to the whole thing.

Vlad could still see that night in his mind. He could remember the pain she was in, the horror. Her fear, his anger, it was all so vivid. There were parts that were now fuzzy to him, but that night was one that was crystal clear in his mind. He had killed them, killed them all. Except the leader, the oldest. He had held him just like he was holding Lucas. Had held his blood kin, and let the love of his life spill his life’s blood all over the stone floor. He hadn’t even shed a tear. They had done it to hurt her, they had not known it would hurt him, and so even thought he took his own revenge, he knew Anastasia’s vengeance took precedent. That final kill had to be hers. Vlad had often wondered if he had been honest with his brothers about what Anastasia had meant to him, she might not have been hurt, and he would not have become a kinslayer. As bad a crime as that, Vlad had felt it justified and did not weep for his fallen brothers.

The flashes of that memory, brought on by the similar circumstances, faded in a spray of blood and snapping of ribs. Vlad’s free hand brought his knife across in a deep slash, slicing open Lucas’s throat for good measure. Vlad held the other vampire, until his final death snuffed out the light in his eyes, and he disintegrated after almost 30 seconds. The older more powerful vampires took longer to dissolve. Like Alan the night before. Vlad felt a pang of guilt about taking his life. He had no doubt that Alan had been guilty, but with all that was happening now Vlad suspected this Xavier had set Alan up to be killed when it was most convenient for him.

Maybe it was that flash of regret, maybe it was remembering Anastasia, or maybe it was some sort of feeling for Lila, which made him much more receptive than normal when her green orbs moved up from Lucas to Vlad. Black eyes met hers. He felt her hand stroke along his arm, even in the midst of the battle; the feeling of her skin on his bare forearm was almost electric. Vlad had intended to keep fighting, but figured he would leave Xavier and Lucius to battle it out. However, when she asked him, and touched him, he nodded and turned to move towards the other combatants. In her green eyes he had seen her pain, and more over the loyalty to her master, a force that drove her on relentlessly. He had once felt that pull himself, and he remembered following his master even when after he had come to realize what a true monster he was. In that second Vlad thought that Lila might know how bad her master truly was, but felt the same pull any vampire did for their master, especially a master that was also her creator. She did not have a ton of options, or so she probably thought, therefore she was willing to put up with Lucius in order to survive. Either that or he was only full of wishful thinking and she really did love Lucius as much as her eyes could also suggest. Whatever the cause, the earnestness in her eyes motivated Vlad to agree. He was unsure why he did acquiesce, was it just duty, or something more?

Vlad turned towards Lucius and began to wade through the fight. He struck out where and when he could, his strikes killing one of the vampires Lucius had wounded before, and two of the werewolves. After that, the enemies started to avoid him, and cleared a path to Xavier. The tides seemed to have turned; Xavier was on his knees clutching his head. Lucas’s death must have hit him hard. Lucius was also down, fallen back from Xavier’s attacks.

The enemy wolves had seemed to want to avoid Vlad, until they saw that he was headed for their now incapacitated leader. Seeing that, they attacked Vlad in a wave. Driving him to the ground. Vlad fought hard, his moves even faster than the ones he used on Lucas. His knife cutting and slashing, the silver of the blade causing wounds that on the weres would heal human slow. He stabbed one through the heart, and another through the throat. However, the distraction and delaying tactic had worked. Xavier must have been playing that he was more out if it than he was, because he was gone. Escaped, leaving the remaining weres and the one injured vampire. Their mission accomplished the wolves all backed off throwing down weapons. Hoping that if they surrendered, now that they were outnumbered, they would be treated fairly. Vlad ignored them. Lucius’s wolves seemed to have them under control as they closed in surrounding the 3 remaining captive wolves. Where he left the wolves to the other wolves and to Lucius, Vlad did not spare Xavier’s remaining vampire. He stepped over to the vampire, who was still trying to rise with the sword still stuck in his back. Vlad placed a boot to the back of the creature’s neck, and yanked the sword out with one superhuman tug. He then drove the weapon down into the man’s heart from behind. He gave it a brutal twist, ensuring that he had taken the vampire’s life. The creature had not even stood a chance. It was no fight but rather an execution and all around were reminded of just who Vlad was with that one action. Even Lucius wouldn’t have killed that easily in blood, not without first interrogating the captive at least. However part of Vlad’s job description was just that, an executioner, and so he did just that t, and executed the vampire Xavier had abandoned.

Vlad was pissed. Xavier had orchestrated this whole situation and then had escaped justice. Vlad looked from Lucius to Lila. He briefly considered following Xavier, but knew he could find him. He was not too worried, hunting rogue vampires was what Vlad did, and Xavier had just made himself a priority target.

Vlad crossed the room towards Lucius and Lila. Lucius stood, his glare already finding Vlad. “Sentinel.” He spat. “This is all your fault. I should challenge you right here and now.” He said. He looked ready to lunge at Vlad. Vlad guessed he should have expected such a reaction from Lucius, and Lila as well. However Lila hadn’t acted that way, she had turned to him to save Lucius’s life. Vlad had done that, for what ever reason, whether it was fear of Vlad or simply cutting his losses, Xavier had left, and Lucius was still alive.

Vlad’s face darkened. “You could barely hold your own against this Xavier, and you think you could challenge me? I just helped save your life.” Vlad said his voice going to a low and cold monotone. “Go ahead and challenge me, I am angry enough at Xavier that you can go right ahead and make yourself a convenient target.” He snarled. Vlad let his eyes flick to Lila, wondering if she would interfere, or would she let the two of them have it out with each other. Would she almost beg Vlad to help save Lucius’s life, just to let Lucius spoil it by threatening Vlad? Vlad stood square with Lucius, slowly advancing a few steps closer. He still held the sword he’d taken from the fallen vampire, his own knife had disappeared; probably back in its sheath. Lucius, on the other hand, held no weapon. Lila still held the knife that had been Lucas’s. They all stood there, now on a stand off, as Vlad waited for either Lucius or Lila to act.

 

[EclipseValeska]

Lila felt a well of relief when Vlad nodded his head. There was a wealth of hope that she had not had seconds before. She watched as Vlad tore a blood path through the club. Why was he suddenly so willing to help them? And his face, something had been different. She had not realized it at the moment, but now, reflecting upon his features, she had seen something…a flicker. Something was different. It was as if he had been in a far off place, in a world all his own when she had drove the knife home. What had caused that reaction in him? Was it just the way of a Sentinel? A way of disassociating from the act of taking another’s life, a kindred killing one of his own; or was it something else, something she couldn’t see.

She fell into step behind him, watching as the brutal war seemingly parted like the red sea before Vlad. The wolves were avoiding him, even the barest touch from them seemed to enrage the Sentinel further. She watched bemused as he cut them down, leaving only death and destruction in his wake. Her satisfaction that the tables were beginning to turn quickly deflated as she realized that Xavier had orchestrated his escape. Anger bubbled in her as she took her place by Lucius.

She looked from Lucius and then to Vlad, her eyes narrowing as the venom flowed into the air around them. Was Lucius really lashing out at the man who had saved her? Was he really so stupid and blind to believe that he could take on the Sentinel? Her hand moved to touch Lucius shoulder. “Master,” she said softly. “We must look at the bigger picture.” she chose her words carefully, not wishing to insight his anger further. The last thing she needed was to have his wrath turned upon her.

“Lord Vladamir has helped drive our enemy out.” she looked around the room, seeing various states of disarray. Only a few of the enemy now remained and those were being taken out by their soldiers. “If not for him, my Master, I would not have survived much longer.” her eyes moved to Vlad’s, pleading silently with him to back down. She knew, however, that both these men were far to stubborn to do that. She knew that it would either be death for one or all of them. She continued after a moment. “What is your plan for Xavier and for the general public who is now lurking outside these walls? How will you clean up this mess, Lord Vladamir and keep the mortals from discovering the two natured?” She asked quietly, letting the knife slide from her fingertips, the point landing with a thud into the wooden floor.

 

[The_gladiator]

Vlad took in Lucius and his rage. He watched Lila begin to play peacemaker. He could tell from her tone and the words, that she too thought her master was crazy to challenge Vlad like this. Vlad caught her glance, her silent entreaty to back down. He ignored her plea. They had almost seemed to share a common purpose before, and had even had some sort of connection that Vlad could not identify. However, they as yet were not allies; she thought to treat him like they had a deeper bond. She tried to pull on that bond to spare the life of her master. Vlad could admit to himself that he felt the pull to acquiesce, to do as she wished. But he threw that aside. Something had reminded him of Anastasia, but Lila was not she; she had no hold over his heart.
Vlad watched Lucius’s reaction to her words. Lucius seemed to almost shake himself. His face seemed to smooth, and Vlad could tell he was sucking in his emotions. Something had made him realize what he was doing. Vlad somehow didn’t think it was the look in his eyes that had done it. It had been something to do with the touch of Lila’s hand, or the words she used.

“I suppose I owe you Thanks Sentinel.” Lucius sneered. He might not be preparing to attack Lucius, but he wasn’t letting Lila pluck all of his teeth so to speak. “We would have not been in this position had you not killed Alan.” Vlad could not totally conceal his own wince at that. He wanted to deny those words, yet could not 100% deny them.

Vlad spoke slowly picking his words carefully. “Although I still believe Alan deserved the final death, I have come to suspect that this Xavier manipulated us all.” His eyes slid to Lila for a second, “Including Lila and myself. He used Crystal right under Lila’s nose, and manipulated the time with which I killed Alan. It very could have been years until any of the sentinels caught wind of his actions.” Vlad shared all of this to try to sooth the situation. He was not backing down but was trying to do what Lila had asked silently, in a round about way. “Lucius is still a problem.”

Lucius listened to Vlad and looked as if he might blow up, yet kept his temper.

Vlad turned his glance to Lila. “Covering this up is not my responsibility.” He said finally answering her earlier question. “Yes I had a hand in this situation, in making it possible. Yet, keeping even battles like this a secret is the responsibility of the local master vampire. You should know this as well as I. Any master who cannot keep his kiss a secret is not truly worth the title of master... is he?” Vlad asked. Anticipating an angry response from her the sentinel sharply raised a hand. “I however will seek to bring Xavier to justice.”

Lucius snorted, “And how are we to believe that you will do as you say. What’s to stop you from just leaving this area entirely?”

“Honor?” Vlad answered in an even tone, answering Lucius’s scorn with calmness.

Lucius spat. “A pox on your honor.” He snarled, “You have no honor.”

An almost red fire seemed to light in Vlad’s black eyes. It was not really a color change, just the force of his anger. “How dare you.” And Vlad added several very uncomplimentary phrases in the old tongue to Lucius.

Lucius knew he was treading on thin ice, he realized too late that perhaps he had gone too far. He suspected he was just a few words from having the sentinel challenge him. He looked around almost as if looking for support. His eyes fell on Lila, and a smile finally came to his face. “If you have honor then, you will not mind taking company. You will be watched, Lila will assure that you do what you say.”

Vlad snorted, “Like she could stop me from doing anything.”

Here, Lucius’s face split into a wicked grin. “Ah but she can. If you have given your word of honor to do this thing she is a witness. If you do not do as you say, then she can go to the Blackstone and tell them of your failure. They will be able to access her memories, see how honorable you aren’t.”

Vlad found himself in a bind. He did not want to take Lila. She practically hated him. Why would Lucius give her up? Yet on the other hand Vlad knew if he refused he would look like he had things to hide. Did he really care what these people thought though? His honor was his own; he knew he would do as he said. His eyes flicked to Lila, wondering how she felt for being so casually offered up to him like this. Would she back her master? Or would she support this decision. A refusal was on the tip of vlad’s tongue, but he held it, waiting to see what Lila’s reaction would be first.

 

[EclipseValeska]

Lila’s gave continued to shift from her Master’s face to that of Vlad’s. It was as if she were riveted by some demented tennis match. Left, right, left, right. It took a lot of self control not to slap Vlad the moment he spoke about the responsibility of their kiss to clean up the mess that he had helped to create. Her mind was already formulating a plan to help with that very problem. There would be hundreds of questions. Something she knew that Lucius was not yet equipped to handle. If he had to face any mortal authority he may very well tear their throats out.

However it was Lucius assertion that made the fine line of her jaw sag to the floor. “What?” She nearly screamed with a shake of her head. How could he do this to her? How could he expect her to leave her life, her home and play babysitter to a Sentinel. Anger flared behind her green eyes. “You expect me to just drop everything and assist?” She said through a tightly clenched jaw.

She trembled slightly, anger seething through her vein, pumping in her life’s blood that now flowed through her. She knew that she could not disobey her Master. She was bound to him, held by him to do his bidding. Yet, there was nothing she wanted less that to track down Xavier. Her eyes shifted to Vlad, wondering what he was feeling. Would he run Lucius though for making the suggestion? Would she even care if he did assassinate her Maker?

 

[The_gladiator]

Vlad watched Lila’s reaction to Lucius’s demands. He had to fight not to smile at her indignant reaction. He for some reason found it just a little cute. What was wrong with him? However, it was just a little humorous; she acted like he was the plea. Yet he had sensed the almost connection they had had earlier, it was something he knew that he would have to analyze sooner or later.

Vlad also took note of Lucius’s growing anger as his lieutenant, Lila, openly contradicted his orders in public, in front of him. He watched as Lucius’s face darkened. He wasn’t particularly kean on having her with him either. She could come in handy, although he had to admit, the only reason he would want her to come with him would be to figure out what was growing between them, not because he could use her help.

“How dare you tell me no.” Lucus said his voice going not up in anger, but low with menace and threat. Lucius was livid, he was barely keeping a lid on his control as it was, and Lila’s refusal in front of vlad only made him even angrier. He took a step closer to her, “Who is master here?” he said, “Should I consider this a challenge.”

Vlad didn’t know why he got involved, this really was none of his business. He should have just left while they were distracted, after all he had to track Xavier and the longer he delayed the harder it would be. However, he spoke up, his voice smoothly interjecting, talking over Lucius. “She might have disobeyed you; however you have no authority to make me take a companion. You have no authority over me Master vampire.” He said stressing his title, which was far less of a title than Sentinel, arguably the most powerful Sentinel at that. “If you did try to take me before the blackstone for oath breaking or anything, just who’s word do you think they’ll take, mine or yours?” Lucius’s attention snapped from his growing tirade against Lila to focus on Vlad again. Vlad almost smirked at the ease with which the fool was deflected from his purpose. “However, I would like to question the prisoners before I depart to track Xavier, to see what I can learn from them.” He said. His eyes sweeping over to the couple remaining werewolves of Xavier’s attack force.

A tick moved in Lucius’s jaw and he looked like he was ready to go off on the sentinel for the interruption. However the things he said were true. He gave Lila a last glare that blatantly told her he would deal with her later. He then gave a stiff nod to Vlad and moved off to speak to some of his men, to begin to put some of the pieces of the operation back together.

Lucius’s departure left Vlad standing near Lila. Vlad wondered if she had noticed how he had smoothly interjected into Lucius’s growing fury. Pulling her chestnuts out of the fire so to speak. He stood his eyes meeting hers finally. There were many things he wanted to say to her, and they were there in his eyes. He had obviously worked to save her more than once that evening, yet she still saw him as an enemy. Why did he even care? All this and more shown in his eyes, before he broke the eye contact. “You’ll excuse me, I have prisoners to question.” Vlad wanted to say something snide about wanting her to thank him for saving her life, but he didn’t need thanks, that wasn’t why he had done it. He honestly didn’t even know why he had been so drawn to rescue her. Vlad knew that this was not really the time or place to deal with Lila. He needed to just get away from this entire situation. He needed to track and Kill Xavier. Something easy and direct, such a hunt would free his mind. It would give him a focus to center and clear his thoughts. He knew he wouldn’t underestimate the other vampire again. He had already been caught off guard by this vamp more than once. ‘Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me’ Vlad thought as he turned away from Lila towards the werewolves. Part of Vlad wondered if she would stop him, or accompany him. There were so many emotions filling the air surrounding the two of them. So much left unsaid, so much that could be said, questions to ask.