Chapter 10
Tifa shuddered and her eyes fluttered shut as his warm breath caressed her face. His lips touched hers, but yet he did not kiss her. They were surprisingly soft, tender and full of so much promise…
A sudden rustle in the bushes brought Tifa out of her sinfully beautiful reverie as Vincent jumped up and grabbed his Cerberus, presumably from out of nowhere, since she did not remember him coming with it.
He aimed it towards a bush of rustling leaves, a lethal frown etching the anger in his eyes on the sharp, distinct features of his face.
"Come."
His deep baritone rumbled through her being and tickled her already aroused senses, and she shuddered at the warmth still resting upon her lips. How she had anticipated his kiss…
"Maybe I should come back later…"
Tifa gasped at the sound of Adamus's voice and quickly turned around, only now realizing that she was still in her bra. Her face turned crimson at the way this situation must look in Adamus's eyes. She instinctively crossed her arms over her breasts and bent her head, embarrassed.
There was an awkward silence that hung in the air, and Tifa tentatively peeked over her shoulder. Vincent was standing upright now, his gun in his hand but at his side, and Adamus had an almost insatiable smirk on his face as he eyed Vincent with mischief glimmering in his eyes.
"I had no idea your relationship was that strong love," Adamus teased, addressing Tifa now, "I'm rather disappointed, love." Tifa frowned, put out by his suggestive and, to her, rather inappropriate teasing. "This is not what it looks like," she muttered through gritted teeth, rising to her feet, but with her back still turned.
"Oh I wasn't talking about now, I was taking about when old Vincent here was on top of you-" Adamus's words were cut off by a spear of blue light which whisked right past his face. He stood stock still with a gasp, and by and by a small red line appeared on his cheek – a cut.
Vincent's eyes widened slightly, then he swiftly turned his head to Tifa, his long, wet hair flying behind him. Tifa was glaring at Adamus, but her cheeks were tomato red with embarrassment, and she held her crucifix in a bone white grip. Then she shook her head and blinked.
She looked at Vincent, her eyes wide and filled with surprise, confusion and wonder. Then she looked down at her hand, holding the crucifix, now warm and still slightly glowing. A thought came to her mind.
What if I… maybe if I –
She closed her eyes at once, and focused on the glowing pendant, on its mysterious power within. She thought about what just happened, the flash of light, the slice on Adamus's cheek.
Slowly, she opened her eyes.
And she smiled in satisfaction.
The familiar icy blue light now levitated before her, bright, shimmering and strong. She felt the pressure of its power pressing against her face like a gust of glacier wind. She intensified her stare, and in the blink of an eye the light took the shape of a pointed dagger, small, slim and deadly. She narrowed her eyes, concentrating on her little creation, and it moved, from left to right, then left again.
She was controlling it…
"Tifa-" "SHHH!" She interrupted Vincent's voice as she focused on her task at hand. Your voice isn't exactly what I need to hear right now Vincent… She raised her hand and was satisfied when she saw the dagger rise with it. She experimented, moving her hand back and forth, swinging it in circles and watching with a growing smile as the dagger mirrored her every move.
She looked up and Vincent, who was looking back at her with a surprisingly content expression. He's so handsome… he should smile… Tifa gasped as the dagger vanished from in front of her, and she slumped her shoulders in disappointment, and pouted up at Vincent, who closed his eyes and shook his head. "Do it again," he ordered, and she nodded and closed her eyes again. It didn't occur to her that she was still in her wet brassiere…
She took a breath to calm her senses. His voice again zipped through her system with a tingle, and she had to calm herself before she could concentrate. She repeated her earlier performance, and found that she formed the dagger with less of a struggle. She shifted it in mid air again, and then had a thought. She narrowed her eyes at the dagger and thought back to when Adamus had gotten her angry.
With a blink of her wine colored eyes, the dagger whizzed past Adamus yet again, this time trimming off a piece of his tunic. She broke out into a joyful smile, so happy was she with herself that she did not think of where the dagger had gone until she saw a swell of blue light behind Vincent, who seemed to sense the danger.
He dodged to the side quickly enough to avoid a mini explosion of white hot light which flew like sparks in all directions and then disintegrated into the air with harsh crackling sounds.
He looked at the disintegrating light, then at Tifa, his eyes slightly widened. Tifa blinked, then looked down at the warm crucifix in her hand. "It looks like I have to learn how to control it," she said, matter-of-factly. Vincent nodded, and they both glanced at Adamus in silent question to remain in the hills. Adamus looked at them with wide eyes, holding up his sliced tunic.
"Why am I always the target?"
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"Very good Tifa. Keep focusing."
I can't exactly focus if you keep using that sexy voice on me... Tifa fumed as she raised her palms to the large orb she had formed around a nervous Adamus, who was standing stock still in the middle of it. Vincent walked slowly around the barrier with a handful of daggers, and every now and again, without warning, he threw one or two at Adamus, trying to break her defense.
He seemed to be satisfied with her almost flawless defensive barrier and her steady improvement over the last month. She even fancied that he was impressed. She was more determined than ever to learn about her lineage, her crucifix, and her power.
"It's late," Vincent said, flinging his last dagger at the obviously impenetrable barrier. He lifted his head to the dark night sky speckled with cloud shrouded stars which glowed softly next to a shy full moon half hidden by clouds as well.
Tifa almost pouted when she let go of the crucifix and allowed her orb to diffuse into the air; the blue light had sharpened the masculine, attractive features of Vincent's handsome face and strong neck. Though she still annoyed herself with her attraction to the mysterious man, she allowed herself to admire him in the semi-bright moonlight.
"Hey Vincent," Tifa called, ignoring Adamus's teasing grin and walking up to him. They strolled together back to the cave some distance away. "I think it's about time we get back to Yuffie, don't you? I mean, she's probably so worried -"
Tifa was interrupted when Vincent threw himself at her and pushed her to the floor, landing on top of her. She looked up in time to see a dark, small figure leaping over them, and then she heard it – a growl she'd never forget.
Though not as deep and guttural, it was the same haunted animal sound Cloud had made at her in their house, the same possession… But it was different somehow. "Get up," Vincent said shortly, raising himself off of her and grasping her hand to pull her up. She leapt up and almost into Vincent's arms. His strong, protective arms…
She shook her head and spun to look at their assailant.
She almost fainted.
"Y- Yuffie…"
The word escaped her now dry lips in a raspy whisper of disbelief. Crouched in front of her like a tiger about to pounce was the slim little girl who was her best friend. Tifa's eyes filled with tears at the horror of seeing yet another of her loved ones undergo such a drastic transformation.
In the dim moonlight she could see Yuffie's eyes, no longer the glittery stormy grey she once knew, but the terrifying deep, murky purple she remembered. Yuffie was crouched on the floor with one clawed arm raised as if to strike, and she let out another angry snarl that stifled Tifa's choked sob.
Yuffie… Yuffie, Yuffie… YUFFIE!!!
Tifa could barely move as she stared in shock at the monster her petite friend had become, with no mind, no rationality, no idea that she was a friend, a loved one. The tears streamed down her face freely, and she made no move to wipe them, stuck in a trance of disbelief…
… She jumped when Vincent cocked his gun with a sharp click, and she looked up at him.
He was glaring at Yuffie, his eyes narrowed and dark like blood… blood that needed to be spilled. She didn't like to see him like that, so dark, so brooding, so dangerous and ready to shoot the demon out of his opponent… except his gun wouldn't work.
Her hand flew to her crucifix as she gasped softly, realizing what Yuffie's sudden attack really meant. "Tifa," Vincent said, softly, and she nodded and took a deep breath. She could not believe she was going to full on attack her best friend. She gulped, nervous and shaking in the trance of the calculation of the fight just waiting to happen.
It all happened in the blink of an eye: Yuffie's animalistic leap towards Tifa's head, Vincent's booming gunshots making her lithe body jerk back in mid air… what Tifa didn't expect was the barrage of blue –white spears whizzing from her palm to impale her possessed friend in the rough shape of a cross on her chest.