"Come," his sire commands, and Kylo follows along wordlessly. It's nigh impossible to resist a direct demand from Snoke, but he's far beyond the childish notion of disobeying, anyway.

The path they take leads directly to Rey, of course, and he's thoroughly prepared for what's to come. She has been their prisoner for just under a week and should be entirely exhausted by now, and as they enter the room, she jerks awake.

Kylo remains silent as her gaze scrapes over them both. He takes in her form in return, and it's no surprise that her body is taut like a bow, nervous tension easily readable in her frame. Snoke carries with him an immensely oppressive aura, and he observes the way her attention is reluctantly drawn to him. It must grate at her entire being, to kill vampires for years and then be forced to cower simply because of her human instincts.

"I'm not going to tell you anything," she says, a bit unsteadily, and the chains above her head jangle as she attempts to shift into a more defensive position. It's a useless gesture, considering her suspended arms leave her chest and neck exposed. Either one of them could kill her in under a second.

"We require no information of yours," Snoke replies, and it's mostly true. Kylo knows more about the Resistance than she ever did, anyway, and they have no need to torture her under the guise of seeking intel. They've actually been rather lenient on her, which is surprising to Kylo given some of the tasks he has been asked to perform under the allegiance of the First Order. This, too, must be part of Snoke's plan, to lure her into a false sense of security.

"Then you should just kill me already."

"All in due time," the vampire says, and he reminds Kylo of a cat playing with a bird it has caught. "I must admit that I truly expected more out of the Resistance."

"Excuse me if we're not all murderous fiends," she spits. Never let it be said that she handles loss gracefully, Kylo thinks.

"I think you'll find that hunters are quite the 'murderous fiends,' but that is not quite the point I'm making." Snoke's gloating seems a bit crass to him, although he knows better than to express such a thing. He's aware that bringing Rey utter despair before her death will bring his sire the most satisfaction, and Snoke's confidence at their successful deception should be gratifying, but it leaves Kylo feeling hollow.

"The Resistance's overconfidence was remarkably easy to exploit," Snoke continues. "And predictable. A double agent, really?"

Kylo notices quickly that, while she's maintaining conversation with Snoke, she refuses to take her eyes off of him. Her eyes are filled with hatred, but it dims after Snoke speaks, and she snarls at him, "You used him?"

She's putting the pieces together, then. From the moment he'd been bitten, he'd been a part of a bigger plot, and he's played his part impeccably.

"Only as your precious Skywalkers used him."

"Don't compare Luke and Leia to you," Rey spits, and Kylo almost feels bad for her. How easily she defends them...

Snoke sneers at her words as though they are distasteful. "The Skywalkers are notorious for squandering potential," he says, almost wistfully. "As you can tell, I'm much more successful at kindling talent."

Because he's watching her so carefully, Kylo sees Rey come to some sort of decision. Her eyes harden, and finally she turns her gaze toward Snoke. "Is that what you saw in Ben? The potential for him to become a soulless monster?"

Rey speaks of Ben as though he's dead, and it's more respect than Kylo was honestly expecting of her. It means she understands, now, that Ben Solo died the moment she refused to drive silver through his heart.

The smile that cuts across the Elder's face is vicious. "Your fishing may seem subtle to you, but I assure you it is quite transparent."

Her shackles rattle angrily at the words. I'm going to bring your head to your parents, she had said to Kylo, but despite her visible anger at Snoke, he can see how her confidence is wavering. It is not the utter defeat he had been hoping for, but it will have to do. The whole of the Resistance has been played thoroughly, and Kylo thinks he will relish watching it crumble to the ground.

"Your death will be the perfect catalyst for Kylo's ascension," his sire says, the first indication of his responsibility since they've entered the room, and Kylo turns his attention toward the older vampire now that he seems to be done toying with her.

She is immensely disappointing for a Kenobi, Kylo hears in his mind, and he offers the blandest of apologies in return across their telepathic bond.

"You know your options," the Elder tells him aloud just before he leaves, and Kylo nods at the words. The decision had been made long ago, and he is merely the weapon to complete a task.

"What does that mean?" Rey asks as the door closes, and even now, she refuses to submit entirely to the fruitlessness of her situation. It's almost frustrating, how strong she is, and Kylo turns to her with an impassive mask locked firmly in place.

"I've been given the opportunity to decide exactly how to kill you," he says, mostly to see her flinch and finally watch the bravado fade.

"You don't have to do this," Rey says, panic rising in her voice as he dips a hand into his pocket to retrieve a key and unlock her cell.

He has nothing to say in response. Snoke had offered him a choice in how to deal with the situation, but the truth of it is that Rey cannot be allowed to live. Snoke obviously knows this, knows that she's his only true weakness, and that is exactly why he's been sent to execute her death orders. Kylo doesn't look forward to whatever bid for her life she's going to pull out of thin air, although he's as prepared as he possibly can be for it.

"Kylo," she says, and he almost quirks his lips. She's smart to refer to him as such, he'll give her that. "You have to remember the Resistance – this isn't you, we can reverse whatever that fucker's done – your family loves you – "

"My family?" he says lowly, stepping inside. His footfalls echo in the small space, loud even to his own ears. Rey goes silent at the venom in his tone. "My family does not love me."

She blanches. "That isn't true, and we both know it – "

"I wonder if you have any idea what I know, Rey." What he knows leaves an everlasting burn upon his flesh, and has condemned him for far too long.

"Leia loves you more than anything," she says fiercely, and from behind his emotionless mask he feels a jump of surprise. Rey actually believes what she's saying, Kylo realizes. "And Luke may have made a mistake in sending you here but he only did it so you could get revenge on that fucking Elder and destroy the First Order."

"Leia," Kylo starts, but has to swallow thickly around the name. It's harder to remain unfeeling when speaking of them, and he takes a moment to recover. "Leia is terrified of me. All of them are."

"Why would you say that?" There's something in her voice that makes him pause. "You have a family, and they're not scared of you, they love you more than anything – "

Kylo realizes belatedly that one of his hands is clenched tightly around one of the metal bars of Rey's cage, bending it wildly out of shape, and he forces each individual finger to loosen its tight grip around the cold iron.

Her vehemence makes sense, he supposes. Rey has never had a family. She has absolutely no idea how damaging it can be to have parents be present and still fail you. He's always envied her for being free of the burden of blood, especially given how much his entire family has supported her while turning him away.

"If this is what family does to you, then I'd rather be alone." And it's an impulsive decision, to turn and shove the dark sleeve of his clothing up to reveal the burn of his mother's spell high on his arm. He can only bear to look at it now that the tattoo of Snoke's counterspell surrounds it, dark ink dispelling the magic that has sapped his strength for the majority of his life.

Predictably, she doesn't understand at all. Kylo bares his teeth in mimicry of a grin at her confused expression as he shoves his sleeve back down. "When I was seven, I accidentally set my mother's office on fire with a spell that most adult mages barely manage to master," he says, and it feels almost cliché to be explaining so much to her. She's a prisoner, and soon to die, but some part of him acknowledges that she deserves to know, at least. They were partners, once.

Her eyes are locked onto his arm despite the covering of his clothing. Kylo hopes the image of the scar on is ingrained in her mind.

"Both of my parents knew I would be a strong mage, and they took measures to ensure that I would never overstep the boundaries of power. It brings me to my knees if I exert too much energy. The pain is excruciating."

"What?" she says, and it's so quiet that Kylo doesn't think she meant to say it aloud. "How could they – "

"Do that to their own son?" he asks, and even talking about it fills him with rage. He's never understood it, either, and it's thrilling to see her lost and confused. "It's a pity you'll die here. I would have loved to have you go and ask them the same. Snoke is the only one who does not fear me or my power."

From the day he'd stepped onto First Order territory, his sire had sealed his mother's magic and praised his potential. Ben Solo had been sent to his uncle at age eight to undergo hunter training, and the isolation from his parents had been calculated. It wasn't a privilege to learn the tactics of their kind at such a young age, but a punishment for the magic that flowed uncontrollably through his being, and he vividly remembers lying in the barracks of a Resistance base, restless and unable to sleep through the tears and endless desire to go home.

But no, this is his only home now. Much of the First Order fears him, yes, but only because they respect the power of Kylo Ren and the authority that follows. Snoke has never handled him like a fragile bomb, prone to exploding at any moment, and he accepts the power the radiates from every fiber of his being in a way that none ever have.

Rey looks like she's about to protest, to say something idiotic like how she isn't afraid of him, but to prove the point before she can even speak, Kylo stalks toward her. He makes quick work of the small distance between them, and on the ground she seems even smaller beneath the shadow of his large frame.

Maybe he's playing with his food, because he has no intention of killing her in this moment, but he pauses above her, eyeing her pallid face as she inhales sharply. His ears are keen enough to hear the quick thud-thud of her heart, and she's such a perfect vision of fearful prey that he has to make a conscious effort to recollect himself and resist the urge to sink his fangs deeply into her neck.

Instead of continuing to cower, however, he watches through forced detachment as she swallows and looks him directly in the eye. "I'll admit that I didn't know about what Leia and Han did, but I know you're better than a vampire grunt doing the bidding of a twisted Elder. Your grandfather wouldn't have wanted this."

Kylo hums. He'd assumed she knew nothing of Anakin, but it's likely a pointless conversation thread. Still, he cannot resist any opportunity to talk of his grandfather. "They concealed every trace of Anakin's legacy from me." He'd found out from Snoke just what Vader had done for vampirekind, and it had been another blow against the family he had once cared about.

"They – they hid it from me, too," she says, and instead of defeat in her eyes Kylo sees a spark of something. He wants to snarl at her the moment he sees it. How can she still cling to hope when she's on the brink of death at his hands? Why can't she just give up and make this easier on him?

You were an uninvolved party, he wants to say, but even that's a lie. Kylo knows that Rey has no idea about who she really is – another blunder of his parents, really. Would it do to tell her of her own lineage?

"I had to uncover Anakin's story from the Archives, and it doesn't add up. You probably – you think that the best use of your power is to follow in your grandpa's footsteps, right? To become like Vader?"

She's so spot-on that he freezes briefly. To rebuild Anakin's fallen Empire would be the greatest tribute to his legacy, and he hadn't thought himself that transparent.

"But something's wrong," she plows on. "What did Snoke tell you about how he died?"

What the fuck is she doing? She's in no position to be asking questions. "Luke killed him," Kylo says, vexed. He's the one with the power here - she's the one chained to a fucking wall - but her inquiry has thrown him off entirely.

"The Archives proved that he sacrificed himself to save Luke. He was never turned, not after what Obi Wan did to him – " and Kylo sees it, the way she tenses the moment she says Obi Wan and connects the dots, but then she's continuing " – and even Vader drew a line somewhere and turned on his allies for the greater good."

It's a ridiculous claim. Snoke had shown him irrevocable proof of Vader's deeds in the vampire realm. But... everything Ben Solo knows about Anakin Skywalker he's learned from Snoke. His family never told him the truth, which makes sense according to Snoke's story – they would have been ashamed to publicize a Skywalker becoming a vampire and establishing himself as a mortal enemy of hunters – but what Rey is saying doesn't seem impossible. And if she's seen the Archives and uncovered information he has yet to discover...

"The First Order wants to accomplish something with your power," Rey says, and Kylo wants her shut up almost as much as he wants her to keep talking. "And they'll do anything they can to ensure your compliance. Don't let Snoke reduce you to this. Can't you see he's alienated you from everyone?"

Everyone except you, Kylo thinks, and something like panic arcs through his body at the thought. Is this another test? Had Snoke predicted this – this temptation of betrayal?

"Kylo, please. Think about it. I want to kill you for all that you've done, but I think we're being manipulated into doing just that."

Somehow, she's managed to turn her own execution into an investigation. Kylo is dizzy with the realization, with her ability to boldly challenge adversity at every turn, and he's suddenly with the vivid realization that he can't do this anymore. He'll fail Snoke's test, he'll leave her alive, but he can't drain the blood from her when her mind is still calculating and trying to save him even though he's too far gone for any kind of salvation.

Does she even know how much blood is on his hands, now, and a few days after declaring she'd kill him, she's trying to rescue him?

It is certainly not beneath Snoke to lie, but even if he had distorted the truth about Anakin's vampirism as a method of recruitment, it's a flimsy thing to base such important decisions off of. It's true that killing humans is distasteful at best, and he's not particularly attached to his sire's plans for the First Order, but he's been assured time and time again that the ambivalence will dissipate the older he grows. Properly manifesting the entirety his magic has been a difficult, consuming task over the past few months, and, looking at Rey, he's struck with a sudden sense of clarity that makes Snoke's ink on his skin burn.

Is he willing to forsake all that the First Order's given him for this waif of a girl and the mere possibility of learning the true history of his grandfather?

He looks up to see Rey staring him down, refusing to avert her gaze, and Kylo cracks.

"There's only one way to do this," he mutters quietly, crouching down beside where her back is resting against the wall.

"Do what?" she asks, eyes widening at his close proximity.

"Speak quietly," he hisses. It's unlikely that anyone is nearby, but if he's about to engage in a suicide mission, then precautions are necessary. "I need to bite you, and you'll feign unconsciousness until I can get you out. Nod if you understand."

Rey looks staggered at the words, as though she honestly hadn't expected him to cave. The darker, hungrier part within him is tempted to squash the hope shining in her eyes, to kill here right here and now, but he tamps down the thought as she nods sharply.

She turns her head, exposing her throat to him, and it's almost too much to bear. How long has he dreamed of a moment like this? He's prepared for days to kill her, to drain her of blood and cement his loyalty to the First Order, but of course she's thrown his plans into chaos.

She's more powerful than she can ever know, and his hands are fucking shaking as he unlocks her shackles. Rey winces as her arms are freed, and Kylo pretends that the painful gesture doesn't affect him at all.

This is an idiotic idea, he tells himself, even as he curves his head over the line of her throat. She's fairly quivering beneath him, and he's struck by her scent, earthy and Rey and beneath it the underlying tang of real fear.

They've been talking for much too long, though, and he's already committed to this bout of stupidity, so Kylo shakes his head minutely to dispel any second thoughts and bites down firmly between the junction of her throat and shoulder.

It tastes like bliss.

The first rush of Rey's blood in his mouth is intoxicating, and he just barely registers her gasp as his teeth sink further into her flesh. Feeding typically lulls prey into a similar sense of euphoria in order to prevent possible escape, and it feels increasingly more intimate as her body relaxes against his while he pulls more of her blood into his entire being. The lifeblood of humans replenishes the deadened cells of vampirekind, bringing about a sense of invigoration unequaled by the other pleasures of life, and Rey's blood spilled across his tongue staggers him.

The seconds blur together, and he loses himself in the sensation of timelessness.

"Kylo," he hears fuzzily through the ecstasy, and it's disruptive and rude and he deigns to ignore it in favor of the joy coursing through him.

"Kylo," the voice says again, and he growls lowly at it. Almost nobody he consorts with is idiotic enough to interrupt him during a meal, and between the mouthfuls of blood he considers the best way to dispose of whoever is attempting to garner his attention.

He pulls away, feeling magic itch across his skin in an instinctual reaction, and it's only when his vision focuses on the human in front of him that he realizes there is no threat.

Rey, some part of him whispers. Mine.

Kylo licks his lips to savor whatever blood is left upon his skin, and she flushes attractively at the motion. He is not strong enough to resist: quickly, he dips his head toward her throat again, giving the puncture wound a lick with the flat of his tongue before retreating.

"That – " she stutters, and Kylo watches her throat bob with narrowed eyes. The bloodflow of her wound slows, and her pulse throbs unsteadily against her throat. "That's enough, right?"

No, he's tempted to say. It will never be enough, not until he's consumed every bit of her, but then he'd be adhering to Snoke's wishes.

The reminder of his sire does the job.

"Yes," he says, quietly, and then, to keep himself on-task, "I'll carry you out. Don't open your eyes or move until I tell you to, no matter what you hear."

Rey nods, and then prostrates herself on the ground. The bite against her tanned skin has him captivated, and it isn't until she says his name again that he comes back to himself enough to remember what he needs to do.

This is the best course of action, he reminds himself as he slips his arms underneath her. She hardly weighs a thing, even pretending to be dead weight, but it's a dangerous gambit, and he needs to be in top form to execute the deception. Slipping up is not an option, regardless of how irresistible she is.

He carries her past the cell bars and out of the room, and the only reason they are not immediately accosted is because his sire allowed for this as a possible outcome.

Interesting decision, Snoke hums in his mind intrusively, and Kylo refuses to flinch. Snoke cannot read all of his thoughts, and possibly predicted this, anyway, and he cannot waver in his decision. The curve of Rey's body in his arms is almost overwhelming, and the taste of her blood is heavy in his mouth as he navigates through the stronghold.