Hehe, I know I said the update would be in a "few" days, but then I figured, hey, Friday updates are way more fun, right? But then Life was all like, 'hey I know, let's make Friday super busy so you have to update at midnight instead of noon'. Annnnddd here we are. Anyways, the chapter you've all been waiting for! Amy finally meets Scourge, and what an interesting meeting it is...

Quick Notes:

-Amy is "18", Scourge is "21"

-Setting is Blackbrook

-And I'm definitely feeling the love. A tremendous Thank You to Project Shadow, ShadowEmpress76, Taria Robotnik, TheRoseBullet99, SweetMissVee, kunfupandalover, RaeRaethehedgehog, Zombie Spade, MEGAANIMEFREAK27, shadowsonlyangel, AgentOfRedAndBlue, Amber McCurtis, and PriscillaRouge for your helpful and encouraging reviews! Your satisfaction is my motivation! And a great big Thank You to everyone who has added this story to their favorites and alerts! Your support is greatly appreciated as well. :)

I won't keep you any longer. ;)

Live. Laugh. Love. = Read. Enjoy. Review.

*Disclaimer: Characters are not mine. Story is.


Bloodless

Chapter 12: In The Dark

Amy evaluated her reflection in the mirror; analyzing the new her from head to toe. Her quills had been neatly combed, and adorned with an unnaturally black rose. Freshly applied makeup accentuated the naturally pleasing aspects of her face, especially emphasizing her jade green eyes. Her bare shoulders and low-lying neckline were somewhat disconcerting, but it wasn't like she had much of a choice. Long, elegant pleats flowed smoothly from the waist, and to complete the ensemble, shiny black heels lifted the gown's hem less than an inch off the ground.

"You're absolutely beautiful, Miss Rose." The rabbit beamed from behind her.

Amy forced a smile. She didn't want to look beautiful…at least not for Scourge. Her whole objective was to dissuade not entice him. The thought of Shadow seeing her dressed up like this flitted across her mind before she quickly pushed it aside. You're alone in this, remember? As her eyes lowered some she caught the maid's reflection in the mirror. Well, maybe not completely alone… "So how is it that a little girl like you came to serve Scourge? Where are your parents?"

"My parents died a long time ago, before I was made into a vampire."

Amy whirled around with wide eyes. "You're a vampire?"

The rabbit pulled aside the collar of her dress to reveal the two scars where fangs had punctured flesh. Amy gasped. She was well aware of the fact that for the most part male vampires earned the Curse while female vampires were born into it, but she had never stopped to consider the possibility that a vampire could curse a mortal by biting them.

"I'm sorry, you look upset. Should I not have shown you?"

Amy shook her head. "It's not that…I just don't understand how exactly you became a vampire."

The girl readjusted her collar before dropping her gaze. "Mistress Fiona cursed me."

"I didn't realize vampires could do that…"

"Not all vampires, just those-" A nearby grandfather clock cut the girl off as it chimed the hour. "Oh my! You're late, we must hurry!"

»¤«

The dining hall was as grand as the rest of his estate; tall arches to support the ceiling, black wood furnishings, and three consecutive steel chandeliers to offer just enough light for his guest to see by. The long rectangular table was adorned with a spread of dishes that would satisfy even the stingiest of palates. Not that any of it appealed to him. No, Scourge's hunger was only ever satiated by one of two things: power, and blood. The key that would grant him both was currently sitting across the table, her gaze fixed on her lap.

Scourge thought back to their first encounter only moments ago. It hadn't gone as he'd originally planned, but-although to his distaste-he had grown quite used to improvising…

Patience wasn't one of his stronger attributes, and tolerance was even further down the list, so naturally, when the grandfather clock in the dining room signaled that dinner was served, and Amy was nowhere to be seen, Scourge was more than a little displeased. He had waited much too long for his plans to be delayed so flagrantly, and as he strode towards the foyer he resolved that someone would suffer for their disobedience. The contemptible rabbit quaking before him, however, was hardly worth the effort it would take to chastise her for Amy's tardiness, but he'd be damned if he allowed such foolishness to go unpunished.

"I do believe you are late…" He spoke with quiet venom.

Before the servant girl had time to stutter out an excuse, Scourge had one hand firmly around her neck, leaving the other free to restrain Amy as the impetuous pink hedgehog attempted to intervene.

"Such insolence is not tolerated within this household." He growled darkly, enjoying the fear that grew in the servant's wide brown eyes.

The girl could only sputter a response as his grip tightened, her hands tugging at his wrist in the vain hope that he would release her. The only thing that kept him from completely snapping the rabbit in two was Amy's hand as it reached out pleadingly.

"Please, let her go, it wasn't her fault!"

The servant continued to struggle as Scourge weighed his options.

Amy tried again, her voice growing frantic. "Stop! You'll kill her! Please, I'm begging you, stop!"

Though he was repulsed by what would clearly be seen as an act of mercy, Scourge decided that keeping the girl alive would offer perfect leverage should Amy prove…troublesome. So, to the rabbit's surprise and Amy's relief, Scourge relinquished his hold on both. The servant girl managed a whisper of gratitude before catching the anger in his eyes, and bowing her head.

"This will not happen again." He warned, glaring as the rabbit excused herself and hurried down the nearest hallway.

He could sense Amy's anger long before she spoke. "You could have killed her…!"

"Be grateful I didn't. Most servants would be dead for less."

He turned towards her then, taking her in with a deliberate sweep; his gaze tracing her every feature with growing approval. His efforts had been well spent. The vampiress standing before him would make an excellent mate, whether she surrendered to the idea or not.

Although Amy had spoken little since then, Scourge had found that her movements and expressions-however subtle-were easy enough to read. Her shallow breathing and lack of eye contact showed she was nervous, while a faster-than-normal heartbeat revealed that she was scared as well. But it was the set of her jaw and the tight, almost subtle, frown on her lips that intrigued him the most. She was angry. She hated him, and was evidently prepared to make things as difficult as possible.

No matter… he thought confidently, I have my ways…

Scourge laced his fingers, elbows leaning casually on the arms of his chair. "You must be starving, feel free to eat whatever you like. As you can see there's plenty."

Her eyes narrowed in an interesting mix of surprise and hostility. "I'm not hungry."

Immediately following that statement Amy's stomach growled in protest, and Scourge couldn't help but chuckle. "Are you sure?"

"Being hunted and kidnapped doesn't exactly leave one with an appetite." She remarked, face flushed in a way that he found terribly attractive.

"I assure you, methods aside, everything I did was to secure our future together."

Her jade eyes burned. "You killed Rouge!"

"She shouldn't have interfered." He replied matter-of-factly, which only seemed to upset her further.

"She was protecting me!"

Scourge scoffed. "From who? Me? I'm not the enemy here, Amy; I only seek to provide you with a…comfortable future."

"Lies…the only thing you seek is the power you gain from a second blood bond."

He couldn't resist smirking. "Educated, aren't we? I suppose it's true. A second blood bond would grant me a considerable amount of power, but I'm not the only one who stands to gain something from this."

She faltered, brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Pausing for effect, Scourge stood to his feet, and began taking slow, measured steps around the elongated table. "Look around you, my dear…look at the dress you're wearing. Shadow can't even come close to offering you what I can."

Her eyes lowered, absorbing his words, but when she spoke her voice was clear and decisive. "Unfortunately for you, I'm not so vain."

She was fighting him, and he was enjoying the challenge. "Very well, if material possessions don't appeal to you, then perhaps less substantial things will."

He came to stop a few feet from where she still sat, his arms crossing over his chest. Amy eyed him suspiciously, her body tensing in the cool light of the dining hall. He studied the minute, almost imperceptible, shifts in her expression as he spoke; his hunger growing steadily with the rhythm of her pulse.

"Are you aware Shadow has kept something from you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Shadow's been nothing but honest with me…which is more than I can say for you."

"Manipulating the truth, and hiding it are two entirely different matters."

"And which one are you?"

"I maneuvered the truth to make it more appealing, Shadow hid it altogether."

Her frown deepened: the anger was returning. "Shadow hasn't hidden anything."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because he's not like you."

Scourged laughed aloud. "Well now, I can agree with you there. He's much weaker…"

Her eyes narrowed: anger again.

"Not to mention he's no more than a low level thin-blood…"

Jaw clenched, Amy's hands curled into fists.

"Whose only hope of keeping you for himself was to hide you away with a less than competent bat who wastefully sacrificed her life to-"

She snapped. In a flash of movement Amy leapt from her chair, grabbed a butter knife off the table, and aimed for his heart, all with surprising accuracy. Of course none of this happened too fast for him to react accordingly. Grabbing her wrist with one hand he twisted it behind her back, using his other to secure her arm firmly against her chest, which was heaving heavily from the effort. Scourge placed his head beside her's, his mouth resting just beneath her ear as he embraced her from behind.

"Come now, Amy, did you honestly think that would work?"

"I don't care," she spoke through clenched teeth, attempting to struggle free, "I wasn't about to let you continue insulting my friends."

"Friends?" Scourge chuckled deep in his throat. "If they were truly your 'friends' then why keep you from remembering? Why hide what Shadow did?"

Amy grew still, and he could practically feel the thoughts racing through her mind. She was confused, and in the mix of her mental and emotional upheaval, Scourge found it all too easy to snake his way inside her head.

»¤«

She knew he'd try to manipulate her even before he stood up from his chair, but Amy never imagined Scourge would use Shadow to throw her off balance. Even less expected was her desire to defend him. Yet she couldn't deny the anger that heated her blood at Scourge's demeaning comments. It wasn't till he mocked Rouge's sacrifice, however, that Amy had heard enough.

In one quick move she had lunged from her chair, grabbed the closest weapon she could find, and aimed straight for Scourge's heart; at least where his heart would have been if she had believed he had one. To her frustration the vampire didn't miss a beat. He had her restrained and helpless in a matter of seconds, and it was all Amy could do to keep from cringing as his breath crept steadily across her ear.

"Come now, Amy, did you honestly think that would work?"

"I don't care," she tugged at his grip, "I wasn't about to let you continue insulting my friends."

Scourge's laughter reverberated around the dining hall, adding a certain kind of menace to the atmosphere. "Friends? If they were truly your 'friends' then why keep you from remembering? Why hide what Shadow did?"

His words made her pause in her struggle. Hide what Shadow did…? Shadow hadn't done anything, what was there to hide? Nothing. Or at least that's what she desperately wanted to believe. She wouldn't put it past Scourge to deceive her into thinking Shadow had wronged her somehow. Still, she couldn't ignore the part of her that was inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. She had blacked out so many times recently, and her current understanding of reality was shaky at best, so the possibility that Scourge was telling the truth…

"Would you like to see what Shadow doesn't want you to remember?" He coaxed, releasing one of her wrists and gliding his hand slowly across her neck before using it to tilt her chin towards him.

His closeness unnerved her, and the way her thoughts seemed to scatter at the sound of his voice made her want to pull away, but for whatever reason, Amy didn't move; almost as if she couldn't. Something had changed. A presence she didn't recognize invaded her mind. She wasn't able to fight it…and frighteningly enough, she was starting to believe she didn't want to. Her words were breathy by the time she met his glowing blue gaze.

"Show me."


Oh my, what will Scourge reveal? And how might Amy react? Perhaps the next chapter will tell...

Also, there are vampires that can curse mortals? What's that all about?

Haha, I had fun with this one. I hope it lived up to expectations. Deciding the way their interaction would play out was an interesting challenge, but I hope I succeeded.

Anyways, I will, as always, do my best to answer any questions and/or comments without ruining events to come.

And just a quick ending note: You guys are amazing, and the reason I write. Your reviews make me smile, and I appreciate every one. The feedback, comments, and encouragement are much loved ;)

Phir Milenge!