Please see chapter 1 for disclaimer!
Chapter 10
He had not expected to hear her voice again so soon. Now that the melodious words, spoken softly yet insistently, reached his ear, he suddenly felt ashamed for his actions. She might turn his life upside down, but at least she acted her age, whereas he merely acted ridiculously. Sebastien forgot to smooth back his hair, but managed to straighten his jacket before emerging from the alley. While stepping into the light of the street lamps, he did not dare look at her.
"I am," he said somewhat firmly, "out of words for this miserable spectacle." He almost staggered, and even noticed himself that right now his composure was lousy, but he had to keep it up at all cost. Of course she was worried. She had a right to be so. But apart from the obvious concern, she again radiated this utterly soothing merry peacefulness he had sensed about her before. He slowly lifted his head until he looked into her eyes, the soft gleam of turquoise reflecting the dark fire of his own.
"If we hunt again tonight," he said after a long pause, "I will be inclined to kill some innocent mortal. I have no detailed knowledge of the jurisdiction of the local Camarilla, but I had rather not risk it, if I may say so, and I usually despise this kind of action, anyway." He shifted uneasily for a moment, looking along the street, then back at Jordana. "Maybe we had better go back to the hotel and have another snack at the…" he cleared his throat, "… the bar."
It was not up to him though. Whatever she decided, he would follow her. Now that his ratio system had finally short-circuited, he had to leave it to her to take the matter into hand. It was strange: somehow he knew this situation only too well from a dozen or more of similar incidents. But in the past, it had been Juan, of all people, who always brought him back in line, strange as it may seem. It dawned on Sebastien that an un-life without emotion, such as Javier was leading, could function only as long as its pace was not changed by other important influences, or else he needed a companion to act as a pace maker, or he would finally have to stay away from society. Coming to the conclusion that this was out of the question, he added: "If you please, Miss Jordana. I beg you to decide, and I will do whatever you regard as sensible." He tried to smile again, and this time managed a twitch.
ooo
Sebastien stumbled from the darkened alley. There was no other word for it, and being so unlike the control he usually exhibited, Jordana was surprised. Well almost. She knew tonight something had worn down that tight resolve, but hadn't known it would so disable his calm, efficient identity. Hadn't this been what she wanted? Aimed for? To prove that under all that cold reserve, there was still fire? Maybe, but not at such a personal expense. What was it they said...be careful what you wished for?
"I am...out of words for this miserable spectacle." She wanted to reassure him that it didn't matter. Hell, Jordana had made a spectacle of herself many times. But he continued, "If we hunt again tonight...I will be inclined to kill some innocent mortal. I have no detailed knowledge of the jurisdiction of the local Camarilla, but I had rather not risk it, if I may say so, and I usually despise this kind of action, anyway...Maybe we had better go back to the hotel and have another snack at the… the bar." His eyes darted down the street, before looking at her, and the blonde waited until he was done, knowing how hard the suggestion must be. "If you please, Miss Jordana. I beg you to decide, and I will do whatever you regard as sensible."
Taking a step closer, Jordana stopped directly in front of Sebastien. She didn't touch him, not at first, only gazing into his dark eyes trying to find the answer. It wasn't the hotel, or the bar. She had a feeling he despised those places at times, and tonight it wouldn't be the best place to be. "Bastien..." she reached out, seeing the attempt at a smile, and took his hand, "I think my haven is a better choice. No prying eyes, no one to tell tales...a safe place. You can catch your breath, so to speak," she smiled at the choice of phrases. "Trust me...just a little." Pulling the unresisting man along, she hurried through the dark streets, back the way they'd come.
ooo
Walking with Jordana like this was indeed unique and strange, but over all quite beneath his dignity. Sebastien let her hold his hand for some time nonetheless, although he had to fight the growing feeling of awkwardness, and only when this amounted to ridicule, he let go, following her while keeping an appropriate distance. While they were thus walking back to the house, he indulged in thinking nothing particular, his eyes focused on Jordana only. The streetlights, the cars, the late night strollers, they all passed him in a kind of blur, until a mortal, brushing against him, caught his attention, the body heat showing in an almost ethereal glow.
He stopped and turned, his eyes narrowing, but when Jordana looked at him, he just went on walking. Now that his mind had received the jolt, though, it set to work once more. No prying eyes, no one to tell tales, a safe place, she had said. Some part of his mind tried to tell him that there was no safe place on earth apart from the one he had left forever, back then, when they left Versailles. He had never met Javier after his embrace, but he was convinced that his 'grandfather' would take him back and go on educating him, just like he had done before they were banned, if he only dared call him.
Another part of his mind told him that it could, after all, be possible that he erred here, and might finally find another place as safe as Versailles. The fact that Jordana offered him her haven, her protection even, stirred him to some extent. It was something he had never experienced before. He started to trust her, it would be nice to get some rest, he really longed for some rest. She was perfectly right about the 'audience' they would have at the hotel. And again he appreciated her attentiveness regarding the circumstances. He would not have thought it possible for a Vampire without telepathic skills to have such an insight; and yet, she had.
He had again been wandering on without paying much attention to his surroundings, and only when she stopped, he realized that they were back at Jordana's house. He carefully looked around. There were no spectators. Taking heart, he reached for her hand again. "Apart from my father," he said solemnly, "it is you I trust most." With this, he lifted her hand to his lips, lingering over it for a moment without actually touching, then bowed to show his devotion. Although performed with quite an art, after decades of practise, and it had never meant anything to Sebastien but a polite gesture. Right now, he had nothing else in mind, either.
ooo
Jordana had reasoned that a man as uptight as Sebastien wouldn't want the others, subordinates, seeing him have a breakdown. Oh he might not agree that, that's what was happening, but from her viewpoint, Bastien's barriers were crumbling. He allowed her to hold on to his hand far longer then she had thought he would, but when he let go it felt like a void.
The pair moved silently, slipping through the night, unnoticed, at least until another pedestrian almost ran into them, drawing Sebastien's attention to the human. He stopped, a calculated look in his eyes, but when he saw Jordana watching, ready to intervene, he turned away continuing on. The blonde had been afraid he would do what he'd warned her of, but the threat evaporated the farther away from the main road they moved, until they were back at Jordana's home, only the music of night sounds filtering around them.
Jordana was surprised when Sebastien captured her hand once again, "Apart from my father...it is you I trust most." He lifted her hand, as if to kiss it, but instead bowed his head over it. Blue eyes moved over the bent head, examining the mussed, dark hair. And in that moment she wondered how Bastien could be so blind. He'd lived on this earth for so long following rules set down by someone else. Had he ever been happy?
Giving his hand a quick squeeze, Jordana said, "Come on, let's go inside." This time it was her turn to pull her hand free, and she padded quietly to the door, throwing it open. At the entrance, she slipped the sandals off, flashing cotton candy pink painted toenails, and casually threw herself down on one of the comfortable couches. Her gaze lifted to see if Sebastien would indeed follow her into the house.
ooo
Sebastien followed her with his eyes, but hesitated to enter. He remained standing in the doorway, watching her lie down on the couch, the belly button (ah yes, and the toenails) twinkling in the soft light. She was beautiful, although not spectacularly so. He had seen women (and men) work for his father who were far more striking than her. And yet…There had to be something else that made her so especially attractive to him, an inner glow, like some kind of heat, that made her shine, a visible serenity inherent in her perhaps, one he was totally lacking… or just the fact that, right now, he would have trusted her with his life. Or maybe one thing just led to the other, and he was acting irrationally anyway.
The bloodlust was gone, or so it seemed, yet a vague thrill was lingering on, a strange tension quite unfamiliar to Sebastien. He wondered what this new sensation could imply, but among all those strange new feelings he had experienced this night and the night before it was only fitting. Reluctant to look away from her, he slowly stepped into the room. She was still smiling and keeping up the eye contact between them, as if she was waiting for something. Had it been another night, Sebastien would have suspected that she was trying to seduce him, or something similarly secular, but right now this was of course highly improbable.
After standing in the middle of the room for a while, he resolved to sit down on the couch next to the one she was lying on. The way he did so stood in sharp contrast to Jordana's easy casualness, and although he would not ever admit it, he admired her Hot-blooded – or maybe just human – mind-set that allowed her to behave that way, whereas he had to confine himself to sitting upright, in fact one could even call it stiffly. It would never have entered his mind that his special way to behave was not due to his blood, but rather to his character.
They should talk. Right now, he would have liked to say quite a lot of things, but the appropriate words would not come. For one thing, he would have liked to thank her. Well, that could not be too hard, could it. He cleared his throat and finally managed to talk, but only after breaking the eye contact. "I appreciate your help, Miss Jordana. This is an agreeable abode, and your presence is downright…" His cell phone rang.
Had Sebastien's façade been crumbling for the last hours, it was re-established as if by magic the moment he heard Howard's voice. He felt impatient, almost angry, because of the interruption, although he did not show any of this in the little talk that followed. "My apologies," Sebastien said after Howard had made his point. "I realize that my exact words, as you so precisely recited, entailed the most probable delivery of the next rate for tonight. However, I do not recall making any promises. You have my word, as I already said, if I am not very much mistaken, that the whole transaction will be completed by the end of the week. This, Mr Howard, must suffice, and I count on your understanding that at present we cannot act in another manner."
He listened to the grumbled answer before pressing the disconnect button. Then, with a fleeting glance at Jordana, he put the cell phone into the cell phone pocket of his jacket. He actually felt like sighing. Fortunately, he was still a master at holding back.
ooo
As Jordana lay on the couch, her hair pooling around her like a halo, she kept eye contact with the man standing at the door. She was about to ask Sebastien if he'd made up his mind, about coming inside, when he moved through the door. And if she were disappointed that he chose the other couch to sit on, her smile never conveyed the fact. Her eyes moved over her companion, sitting so stiffly, so uncomfortable with the casualness she took for granted, but before she could tease, he spoke breaking the silence. "I appreciate your help, Miss Jordana. This is an agreeable abode, and your presence is downright…"
It never failed, just when they might get some things out in the open, something had to interrupt...and this time it was his phone. And as she watched Sebastien answer, he seemed to pull himself back together somewhat. Jordana listened to Sebastien's side of the conversation, without a single interruption on her part, then when it ended she watched him disconnect, and slip it into his inner jacket pocket. The business was finished, but as she watched her companion, Sebastien started getting agitated.
Sitting up, the blonde swung her legs over the edge and stood, completing a little stretch, before moving to the seat beside him. "Bastien," she said reaching out to smooth back his mussed hair. And while he was distracted, by her boldness she leaned in grabbing the phone. An evil gleam sparkled in her eyes, as Jordana hit redial, listening to the phone ring at the other end. But realizing what she'd done Sebastien now tried to get the phone back, and the blonde used evasive actions to keep him from it.
'Hello? Hello?...Who the hell...Sebastien...' came from the phone and Jordana put a finger up to her lips gesturing Sebastien to be quiet. 'Sebastien, you ...' Jordana put the phone to her ear cutting off the rest of Howard's words. "Ah, now that's not very nice, Howard," the blonde purred into the phone, listening with a growing smirk. "Of course it is. Now the reason I called...I know what you expected, but, well to tell you the truth, Darling, you're ruining my private little party. Yes, with him..." Jordana laughed, a sound that could run a shiver up the stoutest male spine. "Now, wouldn't you like to know...sorry, but I don't kiss and tell." There was a long pause on her end while apparently Howard spoke to her, and the girl's smile widened. "You know you can trust them, and I'm sure the good will be worth the wait...Ok, see you then. Oh and Howard...I'll be sure to take that into consideration." With a press of the button, Jordana ended the call and flipped the phone back towards Sebastien, a smirk curving her lips. "Howard's agreed to wait. He said something about not being unreasonable, in certain circumstances."
ooo
'Confused' was a mild expression for Sebastien's state of mind, especially when Jordana sat down by his side. The little chat with Howard had not exactly gone down the drain, yet it left a nasty taste in his mouth that the whole deal was at stake; an image that made him positively nervous. His father would, as he used to put it, Be Not Amused. Juan usually managed to mend such kind of affairs, but he preferred to have no need of that ability.
Feeling Jordana's hand combing through his hair made Sebastien's heart beat more than once. He had assumed that she had something else in mind after all; now his assumption was confirmed. Strange enough, this time he did not feel like fighting it. On the contrary: it felt quite comfortable, now that he had come to trust her. And had he not resolved to abide, whatever she decided to do tonight? He could give it a try… Just when he was about to lean back and finally succumb to her touch, she suddenly snatched the cell phone out of his pocket.
In normal circumstances Sebastien would have been highly annoyed and might have knocked the phone out of her hand with an adequate amount of consternation and without thinking. This time, however, he felt merely disappointed. Whatever he did, he seemed to get it wrong. It added to his misery that, while he tried his best to get the phone back as politely as possible, she had already dialled Howard's number and was actually talking to him. What is more, she seemed seriously concerned about the deal – just the way he had felt about it after the phone call, to be honest – and ambitiously talked to Howard in that strange manner he had not been able to fully comprehend first place.
In spite of this noble effort, he just had to retrieve the phone before any serious harm would be done. But she was annoyingly fast. Whenever he raised his hand, she turned before he could get it. He made a last, almost desperate attempt, jumping at her while hastily groping for the phone. At the same moment she finished the call and jokingly threw her arms up to prevent him from grabbing it. He hit her in mid-jump, pouncing on her, and they both tumbled from the couch onto the carpet, with Sebastien landing on top of her. His hands still holding her arms, Sebastien remained in that pose out of sheer incredulity.
ooo
Jordana would never tell Sebastien the things Howard had said at his end of the conversation. But she and Howard had understood each other quite clearly, even if he'd been amused that she'd bother with the uptight man. The two vampires might appear like they hated each other, might even beat the crap out of one another, but they had come from the same gutter. And that meant they could tear each other apart, but no body else better mess with them.
Howard didn't really distrust Juan or Sebastien all that much, but he loved yanking their chains, and Jordana had known that when she placed the call. But he was willing to give a little room, now, because she'd had the nerve to call him on it. It was probably something she could never explain to Sebastien. And besides, it had been fun ruffling his feathers tonight, as he tried to get the phone away from her. Maybe the most animated she'd seen him.
Dodging away one last time, the blond was surprised as Sebastien's body made contact with hers, tumbling them both to the floor. Blue eyes opened wide, as she looked up at the man laying on top of her, pinning her arms with a grip on each of them. A slow grin curved her lips, "Here I've been trying all night to get you into this position... and all it took was a little business conversation." She would have wound her arms around him but he held them still, and so Jordana did the next best thing, she lifted her head closing the small distance, and kissed Sebastien, pouring as much passion as she could into it, trying to coax a response from him.
ooo
The strange sensations that had been chasing each other, one by one, amounted to something close to an implosion when Jordana kissed him. Unable to any kind of response other than to hold still, Sebastien indulged in this completely new and fascinating aspect of this kind of physical contact. It had never been that way when Liberty or any of the others kissed him. Again, he wished the moment to last forever, he could not tell why, but it was as appropriate and timely as a new experience could be, in fact it felt almost as good as the act of nourishing.
And although Jordana was as cold as himself, the connection thus established between them created a strange kind of energy quite similar to heat; if truth be told, a heat that formed not exactly at the source, but rather around other places to which Sebastien would not ever have attributed any special function (apart from the rather redundant symbol of superiority) before this amazing incident. All this led to the equally astounding conclusion that he did not feel the urge to draw away from her.
He was still convinced, though, that this singular happening did not imply any further action on either side, as it would have done, intrinsically, had Jordana been mortal. No, they both were Vampire and thus not predisposed to get involved in these profanities, like sexual intercourse or the like, and he enjoyed this new state of feeling the more because it was consequently harmless.
It took him by surprise when he realized that his body corresponded quite differently, putting into question all the conclusions he had just come to. When the realization dawned on him, he closed his mouth, thus interrupting the kiss, and then his lips formed a surprised "oh."
ooo
It didn't help that Sebastien wasn't participating, but Jordana took it as a good sign that he hadn't pulled away either. With her arms still pinned to the ground, she couldn't touch him the way she wanted to. With only her lips, Jordana poured as much passion into the kiss as she was able, willing him to give a little in return.
She felt Sebastien's mouth close, and let her head fall back. Disappointment sliced through her, and Jordana didn't want to open her eyes to see the cold, unemotional look, she was sure her companion wore. But after several seconds, when he hadn't moved, she did open them. The look of sheer surprise, stopped whatever words had been on the blonds lips, and it was then she noticed the effect her kiss had, as his body pressed into hers. "Bastien.." she breathed, afraid of breaking the spell, and seeing him close down.
ooo
Apart from his colourless childhood, Sebastien had spent his entire life among ladies and gentlemen of the oldest profession. He employed them, he worked as their manager, he even supervised them, although his father usually preferred to do the latter. All the time, he had known what those similar kinds of activity, also called positions or styles, implied, yet he had never understood what it was all about; up to now. And now that he caught a glimpse of what was behind it, he was still unable to perform with even half the passion and enthusiasm the others had provided so easily. It was simply not in him.
In other words: what he merely managed to do was lean into the kiss once more, this time with full physical contact, and let her carry on as she pleased. It kept feeling nice, and now that something had come up all by itself, he felt obliged to take certain measures he regarded commensurate with the situation. He did not know where to start, though. This was strange, too: ever since the first time he had to stand in for his father, he had never found the need to hesitate. It had always been an act of control and nothing to be ashamed of. It had, of course, never been that way before, either. Even more strangely, right now he did not have the desire to control her.
After having enjoyed the whole range of kissing (at least, as the receiving party), Sebastien broke the contact again, just in time before his brain would finally decide to shut down. Still kneeling over Jordana, he took the cell phone out of her hand and put it on the couch. Then, without taking his eyes off her, he removed his jacket, folded it meticulously and laid it on top of the cell phone. And that was it. His imagination (so far as one could talk about that in connection with Sebastien) simply deserted him. Instead of doing anything sensible, he supported himself against the couch and carried on watching the blonde girl in front of him, secretly hoping that she would take the matter in hand (no pun intended), just as she had done before.
ooo
Jordana was surprised when Sebastien leaned back into their embrace. Well she was really the only one actively participating, but even this much acceptance on his part was a change. She didn't know why he had to be so...stubborn. Yes, it was stubbornness, because even though Sebastien wasn't actually kissing her back, he was enjoying it.
After several minutes of her coaxing , and him holding back, Sebastien finally lifted himself away. Taking the cell phone from her unresisting hand, he set it on the couch behind him. Then he took his jacket off, all the while keeping eye contact. It would have been funny, if it wasn't so serious. First the tie, now the coat. Jordana wondered how he was going to contain all his excitement. Ok, sarcasm wouldn't help at the moment. However it was rather comical that he would carefully fold his jacket, right in the middle of her seduction. Or maybe the blonde should have been offended, by the gesture. But no, as she thought about it, it seemed more like a delay tactic.
Sebastien had leaned back against the couch, still looking at Jordana, and she had the impression of a deer in headlights kind of thing. Suddenly the thought shot through her mind, 'He doesn't know what to do.' Gracefully she sat up, and crawled to him, her eyes holding his steady. When she sat beside her companion, the blonde reached out brushing his cheek with her fingertips. They ran down the side of his neck, stopping at the top button of his shirt, toying with it. She leaned in close, "Sebastien, I can't do this alone. If you don't want to continue, just tell me..." She had to know it wasn't just some sort of polite gesture that kept him here tonight.
ooo
This was getting utterly ludicrous. "My apologies," Sebastien said, taking hold of Jordana's hand and giving it another fleeting kiss with perfect elegance, which looked quite strange because it stood in stark contrast to his unchanging sombre expression. "I know I am making a fool of myself. It is just that…" he stood up, swooping her up in his arms, "… in comparison to the…" He walked to the staircase. "… incidents of the decades past and to the experiences that disclosed themselves to me arising from said incidents… you deserve better."
With the stern look on his face that is usually reserved for children and desperate heroes, he carried her upstairs and to the bed she had been lying down on several hours ago. Back then, he did not even dream of what he was going to do now; even now, he was not quite sure where this would end. However, he could assess at least this part of the situation to some degree, because he only too well remembered the setting: Jordana lying on the huge bed, looking at him... just like now. Without any change of expression and constantly holding the eye contact with her, he took one, two steps back and undressed. He did so in the same careful and meticulous fashion as before; anything else would have been unthinkable.
When he had finished discarding his clothes, he knelt down by her side and waited. It showed in his eyes that his fierce determination had lasted up to this point, but again failed to guide him on. "I do want to continue, Jordana," he finally said. "If it is the last thing I want." He closed his eyes, but this time managed to keep his mind from rebooting. Instead, when he opened them again, they showed the dark glow that had filled them while they had been hunting; a cold fire that made his face look quite sinister. "Whatever may come to light," he said, still setting his words precisely, yet sounding a bit more guttural than usual. "I take it we are going to find out about it soon enough."
ooo
It hadn't been apologies that the blonde vampire was looking for. And even the polite kiss, done with flair wasn't satisfying to her. Jordana wanted to scream at the lack of passion her companion was exhibiting. But then he did something unexpected, something outside the script. Sebastien swept her up in his arms, moving gracefully to the stairs. Letting her head rest on his shoulder, Jordana buried her face in the side of Sebastien's neck. Her silken hair fell across the man's shoulder like a curtain, until he lowered her to the bed.
He might tell her she deserved better, but Jordana didn't think so. There was something about Sebastien…he acted like he didn't deserve good things to come his way, like obedience was the only thing that ruled his life. But as she lay there, looking up at him, her companion began to undress. Her lips quirked up at the corners as he meticulously folded each garment, before setting it aside, and when he finished he came to the edge of the bed kneeling beside her. "I do want to continue, Jordana…If it is the last thing I want." He closed his eyes like it was a painful admission, but when they reopened, she finally saw the spark of fire in their dark depths. "Whatever may come to light," he said, softly. He still hadn't made any move toward her, "I take it we are going to find out about it soon enough."
Jordana sat up, searching Sebastien's face one last time. Then satisfied with what she saw, put a hand to his cheek, "You're the first person…I've brought here. To my bed. You're no fool, Sebastien, and I thought you should know." She couldn't bear him thinking he was one of many brought here to seduce. What she did elsewhere was never brought back to her haven. With a quick movement, she pulled the tank top off letting it drop to the floor. Then swinging her legs to the edge, Jordana shimmied out of the jeans, leaving her as bare as her companion. Leaning toward Sebastien, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, meeting his lips in a kiss. "Come to bed, Bastien," she whispered.
ooo
As if Jordana's voice once more triggered off the kinetic energy needed to set him in motion, Sebastien rose and moved onto the bed, and in the same swift movement took her into his arms, literally pinning her down. For just this once, there was no stopping, no replaying, and no second thoughts; well, and no foreplay. The blue fire in her eyes was encouragement enough, and all the leftover mental images as well as the surroundings equally faded until there was nothing but Jordana. For the first time in his life, Sebastien managed to uncouple from the burden of his existence, and although his performance was not even remotely as passionate as his father's, he was at least capable of lowering his shields, more than he had ever done before.
Of course he knew what to do, and he was good at it. After all, his mind might keep a polite distance, but his body had a memory of its own. Their bodies were moving in perfect unison, and all the while he stared at Jordana with unblinking gaze, partly in surprise, partly with an almost blissful expression. This was too good to be true. His whole body felt alive, electrified, his senses were as wide as they had never been before, and for a moment he could see all the colours and shades, not only the auras, but also the threads, the connections, the colour of sound. Into this well-ordered chaos, while his body and mind were focusing on the one outcome their mutual action must have, leaving him totally unguarded, an emotional outburst suddenly hit his mind, a red hot pain searing through him that did not come from the depths of his own system. He reared and cried out.
All the emotions, all the vibrancy of their mutual movement and closeness and intimacy seemed to be swiftly cut through by an invisible sword, leaving Sebastien cold and lonely and filled with an enormous sadness rather than any other kind of aftermath. Still on top of her, he clung onto Jordana, shaking violently, and he closed his eyes and buried his face in her hair. "Father," he whispered. "I could feel him. He is hurt. The pain, the pain... I cannot fathom how he bears this, I can feel his repentance, but it's not enough. It's never enough." Part of him did not want his mind to shut down right now, but he could not keep the inevitable from happening. Red tears were still seeping into her hair while his countenance was already freezing over again.
ooo
When Sebastien decided to do something, he did it well. And Jordana was pleasantly surprised when he took over. And that was about the last thoughts through her mind while they moved in unison. She looked up, and his eyes holding her own with a steady gaze were the only thing she saw. It was hot, and hard, and as Jordana cried out, she heard Sebastien follow suit.
However, what she didn't expect was for Sebastien to start shaking. His arms clung to her and she wrapped her own around him, beginning to worry that maybe she'd pushed him too far. "Father...I could feel him. He is hurt. The pain, the pain... I cannot fathom how he bears this, I can feel his repentance, but it's not enough. It's never enough." The words came out in a strangled whisper, against her hair, and Jordana began to frown. One of her hands reached up, combing through Sebastien's dark hair in a soothing gesture.
Jordana knew she was already loosing Sebastien once again, as his body began to stiffen. 'Damn, Juan.' she thought, not happy that he'd managed to ruin this too, with his games...and that bitch coming to town. Of course the blonde had no idea how bad the situation was. All she knew was he'd pushed her aside for this Marie. "Shhh...Bastien...It's his choice." But she knew she and Sebastien weren't going to be basking together in any afterglow... not tonight. And it made her sad.
ooo
In contrast to the time before the 'happening' (and Sebastien would refer to it, if ever, as 'the happening' only, even in his thoughts), he did not feel ashamed in front of her. This was a logical consequence after what they had just shared, was it not, and especially at such a high level of intimacy; in the original sense. This time, the act had not borne any profanity at all, on the contrary it had led to the astounding revelation that he was doubtlessly capable of some kind of emotion, after all, and that after more than hundred years of his existence, he had won a friend. And when it was over, he would even have dared enjoy staying in her arms for a minute or two. But as destiny had not allowed him to enjoy much up till then, why should it make an exception now?
Maybe it was good that things had happened this way. In any case, it could still be that Jordana was not as loyal as he had come to believe, albeit his senses told him that she was. He had to admit to himself that, even though he would never have thought so first place, his father had chosen her initially because she was useful; and because many vampires did not have great telepathic abilities… And of course, because she was outstandingly beautiful, he had to add, while the slight doubt lingered behind if Juan would have really cared.
"I know," he answered. "It is his choice, and I am perfectly aware of its impact. However, there is a reason for all this, and whereas I must leave you in the dark about the details, I have a right to try to find out about something…" Her hands in his hair were most distracting, but he was in the position to ignore them – more or less. "Thanks to you, I finally find the courage to do so, Jordana." He sat up, unconsciously caressing her hand. "May I use your phone?"
ooo
Jordana looked up at Sebastien, blinking as he spoke, "I know. It is his choice, and I am perfectly aware of its impact. However, there is a reason for all this, and whereas I must leave you in the dark about the details, I have a right to try to find out about something…" He was serious as always, but this time it seemed like he was pondering something he would have never done before. "Thanks to you, I finally find the courage to do so, Jordana."
Sebastien pulled away, not unkindly, sitting up on the bed beside her. He took her hand and stroked it absently, "May I use your phone?" For a second Jordana wondered if she should be mad, that he could so easily brush off what had just happened between them, but the look in his eyes changed her mind. That and the fact that she knew he was worried about Juan. "Yes, of course..." she gestured to the table on the other side of the bed. "What ever you need." Her eyes remained on her companion, as she also sat up, pulling the sheet up to pool in her lap.
ooo
He gave her a sidelong glance that could be interpreted as grateful by those mastering 'Bastien talk' and leaned across her. He was well aware that his naked skin touched hers, but the plain fact that this kind of closeness did not disturb him in the least was extremely comforting. Propping himself up on one elbow while keeping the reassuring contact with her legs, he reached for the phone.
He had learned Javier's phone number by heart, had known it for years, yet Sebastien felt his pulse for a moment when he picked up the receiver. There was no way back now. After another moment's hesitation, he punched in the numbers and was gratified by the familiar sound of a French ringing tone. It tooted ten times before the call was answered and a strict female voice asked him quite harshly - and of course in French - who he was and what he wanted.
Just then, Sebastien realized that in France the sun must have risen long since; the time difference was a fact he had simply ignored. He started making an apology, equally in French, albeit a bit out of practice, but the woman interrupted him in broken English: "Monsieur de St Germain will talk to you." There was a clicking sound and a mechanical voice asked him to hold the line, then, after another 20 seconds, the phone was answered again. This time, the deep and yet slightly tinny voice of Javier himself rang out.
"Sebastien. It has been a long time." He spoke accurate British English with just a minor French accent, and his tone of voice was everything but cordial. "What do you want?"
Sebastien automatically sat up straight and almost bowed, like he had used to do in the presence of his grandfather back then, and especially now that the he knew what the word Justicar meant. "Sir. I have a request to make. I would like to talk about Monsieur de Gers, sir," he said a bit awkwardly. "I would be obliged if you listened to my plea, although I must admit that I should have waited upon your Honour a long time ago. Under the circumstances, I hope for your understanding."
There was a pause, and only the static of the long distance connection filled the silence. Then, Javier replied: "I take it you appeal for clemency on behalf of your sire. It honours you that you want to speak in his defence, yet I must reject your plea. The deed was obvious and the culprit proved guilty, alas! he himself admitted his guilt."
The tall Vampire, looking like a schoolboy right now, made a final desperate attempt. "With all due respect, sir, he is your childe, and he is full of remorse. Is there no justice, and can there be no mercy?"
After another long pause, Javier's voice rang out once more, as clipped and emotionless as ever. "There is indeed one justice, and it is the one law we abide by. I do not need remind you, of all Vampire, of our traditions. Mercy is a luxury we cannot afford." He let the sentence sink in before he continued. "If you still prefer to stay by your sire's side, I will accept your decision, just as I accepted it before. Should you come to you senses and return to Versailles, you will be welcome." There was another clicking sound, and they were disconnected.
Sebastien put down the phone and remained sitting there without a word for several minutes. His façade had been quite fixed at the beginning of the conversation, but now he was working his jaw and narrowed his eyes in thought. All that time he had been longing to talk to Javier, but he had somehow hoped that the exchange would be blessed with better fortune. He realized only now that in his passionate state, he had aspired that Juan would be reprieved, although a part of his mind had always known better. Maybe that was why he had never called. And now he knew.
Feeling Jordana look at him, he leaned back, took a deep breath and said: "Very well." He looked her straight in the eye, again finding comfort in her expression, and he was once more grateful that she had no telepathic skills. "I would like to use your phone for a second time, please. Just a short call at the hotel, to make sure that everything is all right." His voice was astoundingly stable and his features equally showed no trace of the turmoil inside.
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Jordana was surprised when Sebastien leaned across her, their skin rubbing against each other. She would never have suspected by his straight laced, up tight demeanour that he would be comfortable in the nude. She certainly wasn't complaining, as she watched him pick up the receiver, and after a slight hesitation dialled the number. 'Everything's going to be alright,' she thought, a hint of a smile crossing her lips, as she gazed at Bastien's back.
How wrong that was. As the call was picked up at the other end, Sebastien's body language changed before her eyes. First he began speaking in French, something Jordana couldn't follow, then suddenly he was sitting up, stiffly, as someone else took the call. Jordana didn't need anything more than her acute vampiric hearing to listen to what was being said. It wasn't as if she were spying, and if Sebastien had wanted privacy all he had to do was ask. It wasn't hard to follow the conversation, and as she listened, the blonde was shocked by the content of the other man's words. However, when the call was cut short abruptly by the man hanging up, Jordana filed away the information she'd gathered about Juan… and his Sire.
Right now it was Bastien that needed her attention. He replaced the phone, then sat for some minutes with his back to her. Jordana couldn't see his expression, but if body language was any indication, she knew he was closing down. He leaned back, finally turning to look at her, and Jordana kept eye contact. "Very well." he managed in a normal tone, "I would like to use your phone for a second time, please. Just a short call at the hotel, to make sure that everything is all right." The blonde didn't need any form of vampire abilities to know how much this was costing him, her female intuition told her what he couldn't show on the surface. She gave him a nod, and when he turned away to grab the phone once more, Jordana sat up, leaning into his back, and rested her cheek on his bare flesh, in a comforting gesture.
ooo
Timothy answered the phone. He told Sebastien that the party had been going on for a while, but everything was quiet now. He sounded sleepy, and although his tone of voice was almost amiable, it was obvious that he was glad his master talked to him just as long as necessary. He even politely asked about Juan's whereabouts, but as this went unanswered, he wished them a good night. It was not up to him to worry about where Sebastien would spend the day, so he refrained from asking, and reassuring him that everything was just fine, hung up.
Only when he had finished this quite unproductive call did Sebastien realize he had taken for granted that Jordana was hugging him from behind. He had even leaned back into her embrace involuntarily. If he gave in to this sensation now, he would probably lose his composure, he was pretty sure of it, just because it felt as right as could be. At least it distracted him from the strange thoughts that were haunting his mind now, ideas he had always abhorred and at the same time admired when his father spoke them out loud; reflections on revolution and amorality, trying to lure him into their web of sin. He was not so easily tempted in general; well, not by those images, at least…With an inward sigh of regret, he drew away from Jordana, careful not to shrug her off, yet showing her that he needed some distance.
Jordana, well, that was something different; as soon as he lost contact with her skin, he felt a loneliness creep up within him he had not been familiar with up to then. The disconnection lasted only a second or two, and he almost hastily leaned back into her once more. Then he turned his head to face her while trying to keep in touch with her skin. He had the impression that as long as they touched, everything would be just fine, but if he lost contact, he would drown in his emotions. He made a mental note that he should not let this become an addiction, because it was a weakness he could never afford, because it could still be she was playing with him – and because she was Juan's girl.
Unable to admit his own feeling but desperate to say something nice, he said: "Juan gains a lot from being with you. How fortunate that he found you." He looked at her hair and was tempted to toy with it, but he had himself under enough control to keep this or any other display of weakness from happening. "It will not have escaped you that our servants have everything under control at the hotel. Yet I do not want to force myself upon you. I thank you for your hospitality… and everything else. But if I want to make it back home before dawn, I had better hurry." In contrast to his words, he remained seated close to her, seemingly unmoved, just the way he had been when they first met, but secretly hoping she would invite him to stay.
ooo
Jordana listened to the call, from where she sat leaning into Sebastien. A small thrill ran over her cool skin, that he was actually relaxing into her embrace. She heard the entire conversation, quite pleased that he wasn't going to have to do any troubleshooting tonight. But when the call ended, and Bastien had put the phone back, the blonde felt the subtle distance that her companion made between them. 'Here it comes,' she thought, knowing how easily Sebastien would find it to pull away now.
And then he did something that totally shocked her. He quickly leaned back into Jordana, turning his head so he could look at her. Maybe she was getting through to him. "Juan gains a lot from being with you. How fortunate that he found you." Or maybe not. Jordana let a hint of a frown show, at Bastien's words. She could have told him, that Juan would most likely have been happy with any number of girls or men for that matter, and she wasn't anything special. Or she could have told him that he, and not his father made her feel like she was special. But Jordana chose not to utter a word about her thoughts, listening as he continued talking, "It will not have escaped you that our servants have everything under control at the hotel. Yet I do not want to force myself upon you. I thank you for your hospitality… and everything else. But if I want to make it back home before dawn, I had better hurry."
Jordana blinked. Then she looked Sebastien straight in the eye, "No." she shook her head, her hair flowing around her head, then settling back into the charming disarray it had been. "I've played nice…now I want something…" It hadn't gone unnoticed by her that while Sebastien spoke about leaving, he hadn't made any move in that direction. "I want to sleep through the day with you. I want to wake tonight, with you by my side. There is no reason for you to run back to the hotel…no fires to put out, no problems to manage." She smiled then, "Do you really think you're forcing yourself on me? Because I remember it the other way round."
ooo
"Please rest assured," Sebastien replied instantly and quite distantly, "that it is not exactly easy to talk me round to anything." One could put it down to him being noble by birth and to certain other influences, but he just couldn't change the way he was. Perhaps it was also the usual vampiric paranoia, or maybe a special kind of distrust deriving from different experiences Sebastien had made over the decades, that for a moment, while his glance was still fixed on Jordana, his thoughts wandered to the orderly heap of clothes under which his throwing knives were hidden. And then he just discarded said thoughts, because this really was a bit ridiculous. He had spent the whole night with her; it would probably do no harm if he dared trust her for the day, too.
"Very well," he said, realizing that he tended to repeat himself this night. And bowing slightly, he added: "It is a favour I very much like to do you. In fact, the pleasure is mine." He managed to keep an annoying dignity, even when in the nude and considering what they had just been sharing. If someone ever invented invisible ties, Sebastien would be the first to wear them. Strange enough, he himself was well aware of that, too.
He cleared his throat. "Are there any precautions to be taken? Can I give you a hand?" This house, open as it was, did not offer enough shelter and protection for the day, and he wondered if Jordana - respectively her sire - had applied certain hidden gadgets in this house, similar to those his father had installed, or if she stuck with the old-fashioned cellar-and-coffin method.
ooo
"Please rest assured...that it is not exactly easy to talk me round to anything." Boy was that an understatement, and the blonde had to hold in a chuckle, as she saw the superior look in her companion's eyes. But she just sat there, looking at him, never giving him the excuse to discard her request. "Very well," he finally said. "It is a favour I very much like to do you. In fact, the pleasure is mine." Well, really it was both of theirs, but Jordana wouldn't say anything when she was winning.
Once the decision was made, Sebastien moved on to the next task at hand. "Are there any precautions to be taken? Can I give you a hand?" It was so like him to think this way, that Jordana finally let a small smile curve her lips. "I just have to close up, downstairs, and set the alarm." The heavy wooden shutters had steel rods running through them, and it was close to impossible to break in without tearing the house down. The alarm was more a noisy deterrent, to scare away anyone that tried. And the room they occupied at the moment, not only faced away from the rising sun, but also was protected by the large mature trees, and of course heavy shutters over the windows themselves.
Jordana, like her sire was a person that liked her creature comforts, and had it been suggested that she spend the day not only in a basement, but a coffin, she would have laughed the person in the face. "It only takes a moment, I'll be right back." At the look of Scepticism on Bastien's face, Jordana gave him another smile, "It's safe, I promise." She hadn't told him the glass itself had a special coating that kept the suns rays out of the building. With a stretch, the blonde climbed from the bed, and strolled casually across the room, totally unconcerned with clothes. "Make yourself comfortable," she purred with a glance over her shoulder.
To be continued…