When Lisanna was clean, Pepper leaned around her and turned off the water, then pushed aside the curtain and grabbed a plush towel from the steel wrack hanging on the wall and started drying the takeover mage. Lisanna thought about taking it from her, but she didn't feel much like doing anything. Pepper was patient, her hands steady and gentle while she patted Lisanna's skin methodically to gather up the beads of water.

"Has he been decent to you at least?" Lisanna filled the silence.

Pepper paused her ministrations and looked into Lisanna's newly red eyes. "Klaus?"

She nodded.

"He's… yes," she agreed. "I suppose he's a gentleman in his own weird way. He always makes sure I have what I need and he's never forced himself on me or anything." She flushed like maybe there was something she wasn't saying. Before Lisanna could ask, she bowled ahead. "Just know… if you're on his bad side, it's not a good place to be. Promise me you'll be polite to him."

Lisanna gave her a deadpan look. "He's kidnapped you, Pepper. And me," she added as an afterthought. "Bickslow and Ant are... who knows where? He's used up all of his courtesies. The only thing I care about is getting out of here, not being polite to a criminal. "

Pepper paled.

"Don't look at me like that," Lisanna said. "Everything is going to be okay. Mira is probably tearing apart Port Gale looking for me—it won't be long until she finds us and then—" She wanted to say 'and then Klaus will be in trouble,' like she was a kid again and Mira was taking care of bullies for her. This isn't much of a kid's game. The stakes are realer, and you can't depend on Mira to get you out. Not like she used to. You have to do it on your own. Her first thought was yeah, like that will ever happen. I'm not like Mira. Then she hardened her resolve. You can think about how you're going to do it after it's already done. And that was final.

Pepper said, "I just want you to be safe. I know he's done a lot of bad things, but just... Confronting him isn't worth him hurting you."

Lisanna didn't know what to say. She wanted to claim that it didn't matter, Klaus couldn't touch her, not really in any way that would make an impact, but her imagination was wild. She kept dreaming up scenarios in which it wasn't her that he hurt, but Bickslow and Pepper, or Mira if she managed to find them. You're not so untouchable.

Pepper cradled her cheek. "Promise me you'll be good."

Lisanna searched her blue eyes and gave in. "I promise."

Pepper looked like maybe she'd kiss her again. It didn't take Lisanna long to realize that she would let her, if she tried. Instead of acting on that impulse, the redhead shook herself and got back to the matter at hand. Taking the towel, she worked on the takeover mage's hair, rubbing it until it stuck up at odd angles and kissed her cheeks, now only damp, then rubbed the towel down her neck and over the new scar. Lisanna wanted to hiss and look away, the skin there irritated, but she just bit her lip and bared it.

Pepper was perceptive. "Does it hurt?"

"Not as bad as it did when I woke up," Lisanna admitted.

"Klaus said, one day you're going to wake up and it won't hurt at all."

"Do you believe him?"

Pepper shrugged. "I'd like for it to be that way, so yeah, I'll believe him."

Lisanna huffed and clutched her arms around her chest. The scar puckered up and burned. "When I get out of here, I'm going to make sure that I bring you with me. You and Bickslow and Ant and anyone else Klaus has. I'm going to make sure he never hurts anyone else again."

The look Pepper gave her was full of sadness. "I don't know if he'll ever let you go, Lisanna. You'll have to kill him, and don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think you're much of a killer."

Lisanna didn't tell her how interested the hound hiding in her body seemed at the mention of death. Is this really who I am now? Aloud, she said, "I'll do what I have to when the time comes. If Klaus York won't listen to reason, I'll speak a language he can understand."

"You're sexy when you're determined." Pepper wrapped her arms around Lisanna's middle and dried her spine. Lisanna did her best to ignore all of the cool, bare skin pressing against hers. Pepper's breasts were full and soft, and her arms felt nice. She flushed, half in pleasure, half in embarrassment, and again waited for the girl to kiss her. Pepper was unwavering. Aside from a brief brush of lips against her shoulder, she kept her mouth to herself. When she was through and Lisanna was mostly dry, she said, "Let's get dressed so we can talk to the king of assholes, eh? Maybe he's not as bad as we think he is."

That wasn't very likely, but a girl could hope.

Pepper wrapped the towel around Lisanna's shoulders, then grabbed one of her own and dried quickly. When she was through, she grabbed Lisanna's hand and led her back into the room. Lisanna felt exposed, especially thinking about spy lacrima's, but Pepper didn't seem concerned. The redhead led her to the closet and threw the doors wide, like she'd done it before, and flicked on the light switch. Illuminated, the room was wide and lined with metal rack after metal rack stuffed with enough dresses to clothe all of Magnolia's women.

"Holy."

"Klaus had them brought in this morning for you," Pepper said.

"What?"

She nodded. "He wanted to make sure you had something nice for tonight."

"This is insane," Lisanna replied after a beat.

Pepper didn't disagree. Entering the walk-in, she started rooting through clothing racks, searching for the perfect dress, one that was revealing enough to satisfy the York taste, but modest enough to cover Lisanna's scar.

Her fingers landed on a short black dress. Pulling it out, she held it aloft and studied its fabric. It was soft and clingy, the neckline high and modest, save for a diamond cut out that exposed a slice of cleavage. The back was crisscrossed with lacy ribbons and open all the way down to her lower back. "I think it's perfect," Pepper said with false cheer.

Lisanna wanted to tell her to stop pretending, but it seemed like a mean thing to say. "Yeah, sure." It was a little too short with a little too much of her breasts showing, but those were her criteria, not Klaus York's.

"I know this isn't what you want to be doing, Lisanna-"

"Understatement," the takeover mage cut in.

Pepper ignored her. "But everything will be okay."

"Do you really believe that?" Lisanna didn't know whether to throttle her for her optimism or to be endeared. Is this how Bickslow feels about me most days? She almost laughed hysterically but hid it behind a graceless snort.

Pepper frowned and started unlacing the back of the dress. "I'm going to do my best to make sure nothing happens to you, so yeah."

Lisanna quieted for a beat. "This—it's not your fault, Pepper."

"It feels like it is," she returned. Her voice was thick. She swallowed tightly, then crouched and held out the dress for Lisanna to shimmy into. Lisanna's first thought was, I need underwear, but it wasn't the kind of dress you wore stuff like that under. Blowing out a breath, she stepped into the soft fabric. Pepper worked it up over her hips and middle, then her breasts. She waited for Lisanna to put her arms through the appropriate holes, then moved to the back and started tying the ribbon. Lisanna adjusted her breasts while Pepper worked, and tugged at the hem of the dress.

Finished, Pepper slid her hands down the back of Lisanna's dress, lingering over her hips, then came around to look at her. Despite Lisanna's altered form, the girl still looked at her like she saw something Lisanna just didn't, something spectacular.

"You make that dress look good." Pepper's smile was wan. Without waiting for Lisanna's reply, she went into the closet for her own dress and came out with a long, dark purple one that dipped low enough in the front that it was almost to her belly button. The skirt was slit so high up the side of her leg, it nearly kissed her hip. She dropped her towel, wriggled into it, then started fighting with the zipper. Moving on stiff legs, Lisanna went to help her, brushing aside her long, damp hair and working the zipper up. While she did that, Pepper reached for a tube of bright red lipstick on the dark dresser and rubbed it over her lips.

When Lisanna was done, Pepper turned to face her and gave her mouth the same treatment. The lipstick was moist going on but dried out her lips almost immediately. Lisanna ran her tongue over them and looked into Pepper's eyes. They were damp, like she was trying not to cry. The takeover mage's heartstrings tugged. Gently, she ran her fingers through Pepper's hair, fixing it so it framed her face. Finished, she leaned back and looked at her. Pepper's skin was still pale, her freckles dark and her eyes the brightest blue.

"I don't know if everything will be okay, but we'll get out of this," Lisanna said with more conviction than she really felt.

"Why are you the one cheering me up?" Pepper asked. "Thought it was supposed to be the other way around?"

Lisanna quirked a smile. "Guess it's just my thing." Without warning, she leaned in and brushed her mouth over Pepper's, partially because Pepper looked like she could use it, partially because she wanted it. All she could taste was lipstick and guilt.

Pepper wasn't really confident in leading her through the casino's hotel. She took two wrong turns and apologized when a burley man blocked her way down a dark hallway and sent them back the way they came. Lisanna thought to keep track of where they were going, but she was even more lost than Pepper. All she could do was look around at the cherry walls and the midnight floors, the abstract paintings and the endless doors.

One such door opened and a man slipped out. He was dressed in an expensive looking suit, had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, and ruby lipstick staining his neck. The top two buttons of his shirt hung open, revealing scratch marks down his chest. His dark hair was tousled and his beard needed to be shaved in again. He was handsome in a rough kind of way, a dangerous way. He wasn't the kind of man Lisanna wanted to know. She hoped to slip by unnoticed, but his green eyes fell onto her and stayed there, taking her in while he took a long drag off his smouldering cigarette. There was a complicated look in his eye, surprise, maybe, exasperation, something else she couldn't read.

He inhaled deeply and finally spoke. "You're going the wrong way, Pepper."

Pepper ground to a halt. "I told Klaus again and again, I don't know this fucking hotel. It's a maze. Can you show me, Eli, please?"

He considered her, then shook his head. "Nope."

"Please! Klaus said I wasn't supposed to be in this part of the hotel, like, not ever. On pain of death or some shit."

"He won't kill you for wandering around."

Pepper gave him a flat look.

Eli shrugged. "Heh, maybe he will, I don't know. But he likes you, Pepper, he'd do it quick."

Lisanna's ears roared. For real?

"Don't be an asshole, Eli, I have to get her over to Klaus, or else he's going to hurt Ant. Please, just show me the way."

Eli popped his cigarette into the corner of his mouth and buttoned his shirt up properly. "I'm sorta busy, sorry—"

She propped her fists on her hip and glared at him. "You're fucking some girl, that's hardly busy work."

"If you think that, all your guys have been doing it wrong. Wanna see?" He said it smoothly and raised a suggestive brow. Lisanna's neck heated; she was glad to see that even Pepper blushed.

"Just tell me where his office is."

"You were supposed to make a right down that hall." He nodded back over her shoulder.

"Thank you," Pepper said in a flippant sing-song voice. "Now fuck yourself."

Lisanna let out a strangled protest, terrified that Pepper had overstepped her bounds. Pepper was as well. She reeled around, Lisanna's hand clutched in hers, and clopped down the hall as fast as her high-heeled feet would take her.

"Hey." Eli's voice called out, low and rough.

Pepper stiffened. At first Lisanna thought she'd keep going, but then she pulled up short and looked over her shoulder, a flash of fear in her eyes. Lisanna followed her gaze.

Eli let a stream of smoke out of his nose. "Who's your friend?"

Pepper held her head high. "Lisanna."

Eli caught the inside of his cheek between his teeth and bit hard. "Don't come back to this part of the hotel, Pepper. Hey, and don't tell Klaus we ran into each other, eh? I'm supposed to be at the Cardinal."

"Well," Pepper replied, cocksure once more, "Guess you should be off doing that, huh?"

He held their gaze until it was uncomfortable. Pepper broke first. Turning, she tugged Lisanna back to the T-intersection they'd passed a few doors back and curved down the dark hall. "Fucking weirdo," she whispered under her breath.

"Who was he?" Lisanna asked when they were out of earshot.

"Klaus's right hand, apparently. He comes and goes, but spends most of his time at Cardinal Sins, one of the other casino's." She got serious. "I think he was interested in you, Lisanna. You should probably do your best to stay out of his way."

"I don't have any intention of getting in his way," Lisanna returned.

"Yeah," Pepper said. "Famous last words." She stopped in front of a pair of elaborately carved wooden doors and knocked brusquely.

Bickslow looked up from his refilled drink as soon as he heard the knock.

Klaus nodded. "Why don't you go answer that?"

"Sure." Bogged down with trepidation, Bickslow rose and crossed the room. The heart-shaped box in his pocket felt heavy, its pointed tip digging into his leg with every step. Her heart. Her heart. Her fucking heart. Lisanna Strauss wasn't the same girl anymore; of that he was sure.

Opening the door felt like he was dropping a guillotine on his neck. He didn't want to know what lay beyond, but he couldn't help but look, he had to see her. Grabbing the silver handle, he pulled it wide and looked first into the face of that cute redhead, but his eyes didn't stay on her long, pulled inexorably as they were to Lisanna. Always Lisanna.

She almost looked the same as she ever did, bob cut messy around her soft, heart-shaped face, freckles dusting her nose. The only difference he could see was maybe she looked a little sallow.

Then she stepped into the light and he saw her eyes. They were redder than the reddest sunset, redder than the reddest rose. He'd seen blood that looked duller than that. They tore through him, a beast hiding in sheep's clothes. Instead of balking like he wanted, like she expected, he grinned wide and grabbed her around the waist. "There you are."

"Bickslow—" Lisanna startled.

He kissed her hard, uncaring that they were watched, and poured into that action all the things he wanted to say but didn't know how. Her mouth was stiff and mostly unresponsive, like she was afraid to kiss him back. He didn't read too much into it.

"Are you okay?" he asked when he pulled back.

Lisanna licked her lips, tasting his mouth there, and imagined folding into him and crying. She didn't. Instead, she reached up and touched his bruised temple and lied. "I'm fine, but you're hurt."

Bickslow winced but didn't pull away.

"It's rude to stand in the door, Lisanna, come in," Klaus said from behind his desk.

Lisanna looked around Bickslow's shoulder. "It's rude to kidnap people and maim them, but that's a specialty of yours, isn't it?"

He raised his brows, then laughed. "Yeah. You could say that." Looking at Bickslow's back, he said, "You have an hour, Bickslow, get ready, eh? Everything you need will be in your room, Zana will show you there. Hey, and don't try anything on her either. I'll know if you do one of your eye tricks, yeah? It won't go well for you."

"That was the worst veiled threat I've ever heard," Bickslow said after a moment. He still looked into Lisanna's eyes, filling in the blanks for Klaus. He's playing you like a fiddle, you know he won't hurt her. Though, given that part of her heart was now riding around in his pocket, he couldn't rightly say what Klaus would and wouldn't do.

"Where are you going?" There was panic in Lisanna's voice that she just couldn't hide.

"He's going to prove that he should be kept alive," Klaus said when Bickslow was silent.

Lisanna's lungs stalled. "What do you mean?"

Bickslow squeezed her arms tight. "Don't worry, and be safe, okay?" Don't do anything stupid. He was afraid to say the last aloud, just in case he put the idea in her head.

"Bickslow—"

A woman with long, curling fuchsia hair and dark-lined eyes filled the doorway behind Lisanna.

"Right on time, Zana," Klaus said. "This is Bickslow. He's staying in 5C. Show him there, please."

"Yes, Mr. York."

Lisanna looked over her shoulder and glared at the woman in question. She was beautiful in the way a twisted china doll was, made up and unrealistic, with wide, onyx eyes, black lipstick and a thorny tattoo that started under her left earlobe and worked its way down around her throat, encircling it like a choker. She was poured into a midnight blue dress that hugged her curves and made her difficult to look away from; Lisanna thought maybe she was hired for just that purpose. "You're not taking him away—"

"Lisanna," Pepper interjected.

"No, Pepper—"

"It's fine," Bickslow inserted before Lisanna could say something they'd all regret. "I'll see you in a bit, okay?"

"What if you don't?" She thought she was too scared to let him out of her sight.

"I will. I promise." He stooped and kissed her again, more thoroughly than before, just in case he was wrong and this fight didn't go well for him. Pulling away, he followed the fuchsia haired girl out of the room before Lisanna could say anything else. The door closed in their wake.

"Touching." Klaus kicked his leather shoed feet up onto the corner of his desk and leaned back in his chair. "Come here, Lisanna."

There was a scathing remark on Lisanna's tongue. Pepper elbowed her conspicuously and pushed her forward. Lisanna stumbled on her high heels. She caught herself before she could go sprawling, though it was an ungraceful show. After that, she made an effort to close the distance as elegantly as possible, coming to the edge of Klaus's desk.

"Closer." He beckoned her in. Warily, Lisanna inched to his side. He waved her closer still, but Lisanna didn't want to be any nearer. Seeing this, Klaus grabbed her hand and yanked so her knees were kissing the arm of his chair.

"Don't touch me," Lisanna spat and tried to pull away.

He only held her tighter and searched her eyes. "It's amazing how much you look like her. Do you get told that often?"

Lisanna looked away.

"She doesn't think she's as pretty as her sister," Pepper said.

Lisanna found Pepper and glared at the girl. "Pepper—"

"It's true," Pepper replied.

"Hm…" Klaus lifted his hand and touched the hair around her face gently. "It's sad when beautiful women don't recognize their worth."

"I'm worth more than my looks," Lisanna said after a moment. I better be, anyway, with this damn scar and these demon eyes. She almost started to cry again.

"Of course," Klaus agreed. "That doesn't mean that they can't be cherished and celebrated, though."

Lisanna felt Empusa's soul pacing inside her body, her own agitation feeding the hounds. "You ruined me."

His grip tightened on her wrist. "I disagree. Once that scar heals up, you'll be right as rain."

Lisanna felt a growl creep up her throat. "I'm a—a hell hound. That's the only thing I can be now."

"Hell hounds are powerful allies. I'm going to enjoy having you around," he countered. "Rene told me that you wanted to be like your big sister. You wanted to be powerful and you wanted to be feared. I gave you the means to realize that goal. Maybe it won't happen today, or next week, or even next month, Lisanna, but one day, you're going to think back on this and say, 'Klaus York made me better.'"

Lisanna's hands shook while she entertained a bloody fantasy, one in which she used the beast she'd become to end Klaus York. You're not a killer. But she could learn to be. With that in mind, she tugged on Empusa's soul with everything she had.

Nothing happened.

Sure, the hound opened its eyes and responded with interest and tried to break out over her skin, always ready to do damage, but that stopper was still firmly in place.

Lisanna tried again.

Nothing.

"Problem?" Klaus asked.

Lisanna swallowed and admitted, "I can't shift."

"Not without Rene's permission, no," he agreed.

Lisanna choked down her cry of frustration. You're not your own. She belonged to someone else. It left her feeling helpless in a way she didn't know was possible.

"Don't be afraid, Lisanna," Klaus reached up and stroked her hair gently. "If you're a good girl, I won't be mean."

"Why am I here?"

Klaus sat up and reached for a glass of bourbon. Only after he took a deep swig did he say, "You're here because I just can't let some things go."

"What do you mean?"

He tugged her down so she was forced to sit on the edge of his chair. Immediately, Lisanna tried to stand again, but he dug his fingers into her hip and said, "Entertain me and I'll tell you a story."

She forced herself to relax.

Klaus looked over to Pepper. "Sit down, Red, have a drink."

"Mr. York, I'd like to see Ant now," Pepper tried.

He shook his head. "Sit. I like looking at you."

Lisanna clenched the hem of her dress tightly and watched as Pepper sat in a plush, red chair, grabbed a glass and tried to hide the way her neck and cheeks were bright.

"Pour one for Lisanna, too."

"No, thanks," Lisanna said immediately.

"Yes. Thanks," Klaus returned.

Pepper was already pouring her a glass and sliding it over the table. Lisanna took it in stiff fingers but didn't drink.

Seemingly satisfied, Klaus drew circles over Lisanna's hip with his thumb and looked at an abstract purple and black painting on his wall thoughtfully. "The York's have a long history in the underworld, Lisanna," he started finally. "We've made a lot of money for a lot of years in places like Noir and Rouge. These casinos… they're invite only, you see. The best of the best come here. The richest of the rich. The most elite. Crime lords, sure, but councillors and kings and politicians. People looking for gambling with higher stakes. Their kind… it's not always about the money, it's about the thrill. What we have here… it runs under the table and flourishes for it, you know? We have a lot of high-profile clientele that like a safe place to do all of their illegal gambling. The York's provided that. Add to that a booming Magicfire industry, and hell, we're fucking laughing, right?" He smiled and tipped the rest of his drink into his mouth. "Imagine, magic that anyone can use. And it's not just restricted to one kind, no, it's whatever the fuck we want. You want to feel like an ice mage for an hour? Sure. Fire? Why not? How about earth?" He squeezed her hip tight. "We can do that too. What's better? It makes you feel good. Not just good, but great. And once you've had it a few times, the people keep coming back for more."

"You get them addicted," Lisanna interjected.

Klaus shrugged. "It doesn't have to be that way, but my brother was greedy, I guess. He wanted everything, money, fame, women. He was at the top and was in love with being there. He reached out too far and had his kingdom eroded from under him."

"What does this have to do with me?"

Klaus's hazel eyes drilled into her. "A couple of months ago, I got a call from my brother. He thinks the cops are on to him and he's got rats nesting in his hotel. He didn't know who to trust and who to not, so he asked me to come in and try to sort some things out for him. And that's where I met Mirajane Strauss."

Lisanna's grip tightened on her drink. "Mira was there?"

"Sure was, right in the thick of it all. Her and a second gen dragon slayer—"

"Laxus Dreyar," Lisanna supplied.

"You're sharp. Mirajane…" He got a wistful look in his eye. "She is something else. Turned me down right quick, but a guy could dream, right?" He laughed and took a drink. "Anyway. Long story short, she and her dragon slayer got it in their heads that working for the cops was better than working for the kings. They almost destroyed everything for me. They killed my brother and now I'm stuck trying to put everything back together. People are afraid to come back to Casino Rouge, Lisanna. They're afraid that the demon Mirajane and her lightning dragon are going to come back and ruin everything again. I want to have her back and keep her as my pet, that way she'll never be able to cripple me again. Makes sense, right?"

"You're messed."

He shrugged. "I could kill her and put her on display. Maybe that's the merciful thing."

"Mira would never let you get close enough to do something like that," Lisanna maintained when she was able.

He squeezed her hip again. "Now that I disagree with. I think she'll do a great deal for her baby sister, though it would be a shame to put an end to her. I liked her a lot."

Lisanna scowled.

Klaus just smirked. "If I didn't know you couldn't shift, a look like that might actually be intimidating."

Lisanna wanted to prove him wrong, but her magic was just out of reach.

"There is a way where everyone you care about is safe, Lisanna," Klaus concluded. "I'm even giving Bickslow a chance right now to prove that he can be useful to me. All you have to do is be a good girl, all Mira has to do is show up when I tell her to, and all Pepper has to do is exactly as I say, right, Pepper?"

The girl didn't answer, just drank her bourbon like it was water and poured herself another drink.

Lisanna wanted to spit in his face. "Where did you take Bickslow?"

"You want to see?"

"Yes," she said automatically.

He smiled. "I suppose I can take you to watch. I think it will be entertaining, and I'm just dying to show you off to my friends. Promise you'll behave?"

"Promise I can see him?" Lisanna returned.

Klaus's grin was razor sharp. "Of course."

She finally drank her bourbon. It burned all the way down into her empty stomach and coiled there. "Alright," she said when she'd swallowed.

Klaus stood and helped her up. Before she could get too far away, he wrapped his arm tight around her waist and pulled her in close to his side. Lisanna stiffened and tried to squirm away; he only held her tighter. "We can be civil, can't we? Make this like a proper date?"

She glowered at him.

"Smile, you look prettier that way."

That did absolutely nothing but make her glower more.

"Or sulk, that's fine." He held out his other arm and motioned to Pepper. "Come on, Red, let's go have a good time. I'll even get you ladies dinner."

Pepper took down the rest of her second drink then stood. She didn't meet Lisanna's eye as she came and tucked herself under Klaus's arm, but she did brush her fingers over Lisanna's side in what the takeover mage assumed was supposed to be a comforting manner.

It didn't help at all.