Lisanna did her best to appear unshaken, but waking up to a strange woman (naked? She didn't think she was wearing any clothes under the blankets, her shoulders were startlingly bare) left her rattled. Lungs fluttering, she removed her hand from the girl's waist and tucked it up under her chin. Behind her, Bickslow stirred, coming awake in increments.

"You don't have to pull away," the brunette said with a pout of her blood red lips. "I thought it felt kind of nice." Her own hand inched down Lisanna's waist. At least she'd stopped grabbing her breast, but she was making her way to Lisanna's behind. Along the way, she tugged at the band of her underwear.

An unwelcomed but excited thrill moved through Lisanna. Shaking herself, she plucked the woman's arm up by her wrist and pushed it away. "Who are you?"

The brunette propped herself up on her elbow, blankets falling down a little to prove to Lisanna once and for all that she was at least naked from the waist up. "Hm... Mirajane didn't mention me? Now that is a shame. Though..." Her fingers were back on Lisanna, tickling her arm through the dress shirt she wore. "You're the little sister... Maybe she thought you'd think badly of her if you knew how naughty she was." She leaned in nice and close so Lisanna could smell the alcohol on her breath.

"Naughty?" She didn't know why she entertained her.

"Down right filthy." The woman flicked out her tongue and brushed it across Lisanna's lips.

Lisanna leaned back, jarring Bickslow well and truly awake. The seith mage sat up and squinted at their intruder, eyes first falling to the woman's full and exposed breasts then lifting up to take in her face. "You are definitely not the redhead."

She smiled, the light from the bedside lamp making her lips gleam. "You must be Bickslow."

"Guilty." He had to consciously keep his eyes up around her face and the woman knew it. Her grin only widened when she caught him staring.

"You look like you could be fun."

Bickslow, unwilling to be pushed off balance—that was his role, damnit—draped his arm around Lisanna's middle and said as calmly as possible, "That goes without saying. Hey, I'm not usually one to complain when I've got two smoking hot chicks in my bed, but before we get nasty, a name would be nice."

"Bickslow," Lisanna hissed, unsure if he was joking or not.

In reaching over Lisanna, the brunette pressed her body shamelessly against the takeover mage's, making her blush, all so she could pinch Bickslow's cheek hard. "I like you, Bickslow. My name is Natalie."

Lisanna wriggled closer to Bickslow, trying to make room between them; there was none to be had. Her whole body was hot, her breath was short; her heart throbbed once to prove she was still in some way alive, then it was still.

"And what are you doing here, Natalie?" Bickslow asked, aware of Lisanna's squirming but unwilling to move back an inch and help her out with it. Maybe it was because he was an asshole; she looked cute when her cheeks were red like that.

Natalie smiled, red mouth pulling back to reveal her white teeth. "Maybe while Klaus slept, Pepper told me about all the dirty things she did with Lisanna in detail and I wanted a chance to play, too."

"What?" Lisanna asked.

Natalie pushed the blankets back a little further, until her hip was exposed. There she wore a scrap of midnight blue fabric that couldn't really be considered underwear. While Lisanna tried not to look at her body, Natalie played with the panties, pulling them down a few inches then back up again while she peered at Lisanna through dark lashes. "Yeah. In a public washroom on the counter, in your bed while you took Magicfire, even here—"

The last was news to Bickslow. "You always leave me out of all the fun, Lisanna."

"That's not very nice. Your sister was always trying to cheat Laxus out too, until I convinced her otherwise. We had a lot of fun, us three. I'm just dying to see if you go nice and pink the way she does." She pulled back the blanket from Lisanna's waist and eyed her hungrily. "What do you say, Lisanna?"

Lisanna's ears roared; she could feel Bickslow pressing hard into her behind and wasn't sure if she should be furious or not. "I don't know what you're trying to do—"

"Just have a little bit of fun," Natalie said with a pout. "There's something about you Strausses that I just love. Are you sure your sister didn't mention me?"

"You must not have made a very big impression." Lisanna said the words to wound but she didn't expect the very real hurt that crossed Natalie's face. She was just about to apologize when the girl spoke up again.

"I guess you can think what you want, but I know differently." She gathered her hair over her shoulder, collecting herself. "If you're not willing to play then I suppose I should get to why I'm here."

"What do you want?" Lisanna asked again.

"To apologize for Klaus' behaviour. He hasn't been very nice to you, has he? Julian was more of a gentleman, though he wasn't without his flaws," Natalie mused. "I do miss him. Not his controlling nature, but definitely the way he tasted."

"Apology not accepted," Lisanna replied shortly.

"Come on now, Lisanna—"

Lisanna yanked at her shirt in frustration until her scar was exposed. "This isn't the kind of thing you can apologize for."

Natalie's smile completely fell away. "I heard about that. I'm sorry. May I?" Without waiting for permission, she touched the area. Her fingers were smooth and gentle.

Lisanna was completely still, frozen in place for two whole breaths, until Natalie reached the end of the scar; her fingers hesitated, on the precipice of exploring further, then she reeled back on the urge and let her hand fall away.

"I want to help you get out of here, Lisanna, Bickslow."

Bickslow shook the image of Lisanna getting pawed at by another woman from his head and asked, "Why? Aren't you one of Klaus' lackeys?"

Natalie laughed at that. "Lackey? I've been called a lot of things over the years, but never, ever that. No. Klaus and I… we're partners, of sorts."

"What does that mean?" Lisanna wondered.

"It means, when Noir crumbled, he lived because I saved his life. Now we help each other. He provides the business and the cash flow because he feels indebted to me. Isn't that nice? I have my own casino now." She grinned. "It's called Cardinal Sins. Your sister helped me with that one."

"Mira did?"

"Like I said, we were close," she beamed.

Lisanna had a hard time wrapping her head around that.

Bickslow spoke in Lisanna's silence. "So you're going to tell Klaus to let us go, and that's that?"

Natalie flopped back on the bed, breasts bouncing, and laughed. "That would never work," she said when she sobered. "Never, ever, though I wish it would. He's really mad at Mira. I told him to leave it alone, you know? He's stubborn though, just like Julian was." She got kind of a wistful look in her eye. "And then there's Eli. He always complicates things—most of times in the most wonderful way. Not this time though. He thinks if I get involved, Klaus will try to kill me. He's so in love with me, he's extra protective."

"You're here though, so you must not think that Klaus will do you in," Bickslow said.

"Quite the contrary, actually," Natalie said. "I think Klaus wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet in my heart." The way she spoke of it so matter-of-factly was unnerving, as if that kind of thing was just normal. "He doesn't love me the way Julian did, he just likes to fuck me. He's been looking for a way to kill me quietly for months now. It's hard though; he wants to keep Eli around for his magic and knows that if I'm dead, Eli will either destroy him from the inside out or simply just walk away."

"Klaus threatened me with Eli," Lisanna finally interjected. "He said he could—" She looked over her shoulder at Bickslow; he only met her eyes for a moment, then went right back to eying their visitor. "He said he could make me kill, even if I didn't want to."

"He wasn't lying." Natalie's expression turned adoring as she thought of him. "I like dangerous men, don't you, Lisanna?" She was back up on her elbow again, reaching over Lisanna for Bickslow, her hands flitting under the blankets and between their bodies before either could form a protest. She cupped Bickslow firmly and squeezed. "The ones that can make you feel helpless. The ones that will flirt with danger to make you feel good. Do you ever trap her with your eyes, Bickslow? Make her stay exactly where you want, helpless, while you do filthy things to her?"

His body hardened painfully and pulsed without his permission. Swallowing tightly and grabbing her wrist, he pulled her hand away. "You're kind of fucked, eh?"

She raised her brows. "Felt like you are too."

She had him there. He said nothing.

Natalie tucked her arm around her middle and looked at Lisanna squarely. "I owe it to Mira to do what I can to get you out of here. There is a shipment of Magicfire going out tomorrow night. I'll try to make sure that people that are loyal to me are taking care of it. We can smuggle you two out with the cargo. But you can't say a thing to anyone about this. Not one word."

Lisanna's stomach turned nervously; freedom felt possible. "What about Pepper?"

Natalie shook her head. "Klaus likes Pepper, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say she likes him plenty well too."

"If you think I'm leaving Pepper here, you're wrong."

Natalie frowned. "You and your sister are just so alike. Loyal. I admire that, but I want you to know, even if you could convince Pepper to go, I'd be worried about Klaus hunting her down."

"Then we'll kill him," Lisanna said. Then she was horrified with herself. It didn't last long; the horror was eaten up by self-righteousness. Klaus could go fuck himself.

Natalie shook her head. "I'd rather not kill him if it could be helped."

"Why? You saw what he did to me," Lisanna said vehemently.

"He thinks he's getting back at Mirajane for wrecking things for him," Natalie replied.

She tried to say it coolly, but Lisanna could tell that the idea rattled her. She latched onto that like a dog with a bone, hoping that a woman like Natalie cared about herself above all else. "Who knows, maybe he'll find out that you're helping us and he'll try to kill you too. We—" She felt sick saying it but forced it out anyway. "We should just kill him." Who are you anymore? Someone that wanted to protect her family and everyone she cared about.

Instead of being flustered like Lisanna hoped, Natalie asked calmly, "Can you keep a secret?"

"Anyone can, but anything could go wrong—"

Natalie pressed a cool finger to Lisanna's lips, silencing her. "I'm not asking about anyone. Can you keep a secret?"

"Yes," Lisanna said after a moment, speaking around Natalie's finger.

"If you can keep one, and I can keep one, and Bickslow here looks like he has a few of his own," Natalie looked squarely into his iridescent eyes like very few ever had. Brazenly, fearlessly. "Then no one can whisper a word. It'll be between us. Everyone will be safe."

"But Pepper—"

"Shush. Trust me. Leave Pepper, she'll do well in a place like this. I'll take care of her." Natalie looked at Bickslow. "Klaus wants you to fight again tonight, Bickslow. Try not to die." She took her finger away from Lisanna's lips, then swooped in faster than lightning and stole the kiss Lisanna hadn't offered. Her lips were smooth and moist with lipstick.

"Where's mine?" Bickslow joked when Natalie pulled back.

"I knew I liked you." Natalie raised herself up and kissed Bickslow square on the mouth, her tongue sliding between his lips. She tasted like alcohol (wasn't it early for that kind of thing?) and bitter, like drugs.

Lisanna couldn't form a protest. Not only was she being squished, but she was forced into a front row view. There was a flash of tongue and teeth, then Natalie's weight was gone.

"I'll see you soon, hopefully," Natalie said. Slipping from the sheets, she bent at the waist and grabbed her discarded dress from the floor. It was all silver chains and see-through, except around her breasts. Then she pulled on a pair of black high heels and sashayed out of the room. When she moved, Lisanna saw through the chains the flash of pale.

"That woman is trouble," Bickslow said as soon as the door was closed.

Lisanna turned furious eyes on him. "'Where's mine?'"

"I was jealous," he said sheepishly. "It looked nice."

"You're an asshole."

"Really, Miss 'I-fuck-around-with-Pepper-in-this-hotel-room-and-don't-include-Bickslow.' At least you were here. So really, who's the asshole?"

Lisanna harrumphed.

Bickslow told himself to drop it but couldn't quite. "Was it last night?"

"Nothing happened." Nothing much, anyway.

"Nah uh. I saw your face when Natalie called you out; she wasn't lying. Just tell me, I won't be mad." Mad was the last thing on his mind.

"Gods, Bickslow. Leave it alone."

"Come on, Lisanna." He finger-walked up her arm to her shoulder and tickled her collarbone.

She turned and looked at him full on. "Seriously?"

"Yesss. Tell me." He wasn't above begging.

"Fine." She smiled widely, viciously, in a way she'd never smiled before. "You want to know what happened?"

Bickslow's eyes lit up; he hadn't been expecting her to play along. "Definitely."

"Well..." Lisanna propped herself up on her elbow so she could look at him head on and watch his expression as she spoke. "I brought her into the washroom and she started telling me what happened. She was really upset, so to make her feel better, I hugged her."

"Boring," Bickslow said dramatically.

Lisanna shrugged. "Maybe it started out that way, but then she turned and kissed me, right here." She found Bickslow's mouth. She could still taste Natalie's lipstick on his lips.

"Just like that?" he asked when she only brushed his lips.

"Hm… no… I guess it was more like this." She flicked her tongue against his and kissed him deeply.

Breaking apart, it took Bickslow a moment to open his eyes again and meet hers. "Then?"

"Then…" Lisanna said teasingly, feeling mean and in control. "I offered to undress her."

"And she said yes."

"Of course. Her dress was a zipper back, so I did it nice and slow. Pepper helped some, pulling down the material when I hesitated."

"Was she wearing anything underneath?"

Lisanna gave him her best sultry gaze. She had no idea what it looked like, but from Bickslow's expression, she did alright. "What do you think?"

"No."

Lisanna shook her head.

Bickslow breathed out slowly and grinded against her. "And then?"

Lisanna didn't expect to feel turned on, but she was surprisingly wet, lulled in by Bickslow's eagerness. "And then..."

"Yeah?"

"Then she got into the shower and washed the alcohol from herself and cried, you ass."

Bickslow blinked at her for a moment, then scowled. Mood killer. "Seriously?"

"I should be asking you the same thing," Lisanna snapped. "Ant is dead, Pepper is off with Klaus, and you're here trying to knock one off. Don't know if you noticed or not, but this is serious." She tried to rise. Bickslow grabbed her arm and brought her back down.

"Of course it is."

"Really?" Her red eyes flashed dangerously. "Because you're all jokes and having fun."

"It's either that or die miserable."

Lisanna sobered. "Do you think we're going to die?"

Bickslow took advantage of her stupefied state and tugged her back down so she was laying beneath him. "Maybe." He kissed the corner of her mouth.

"I don't want to die here."

"I'll do my best to make sure that doesn't happen," he said. "But in the meantime, are you really going to be so cruel as to deny me some fantasies?"

Lisanna only scowled at him and he knew he'd won. He kissed her again, this time on the lips, and squeezed her body tightly to his. She felt nice, soft and warm.

Lisanna broke the kiss and asked, "Do you think we can trust Natalie?"

"No, but..." Between the smoking hot chick and a demon spirit? He knew which he wanted to put his money on. "I think after what he did to you, Renatus can fuck himself."

Lisanna bit her cheek. "He was under orders. Klaus said he made him—"

"I don't care, Lisanna. Stop being a charity case."

"I'm not," Lisanna insisted. "I'm worried this is going to go sideways on us. Rene... He's..."

Bickslow scrubbed his hand through his hair, frustrated. "A powerful enemy to make?"

Lisanna nodded.

"I know that. Everything will be okay—I got this," he lied. "Like Natalie said, I just have to win this next fight, you and I stay out of trouble until tomorrow night, and then we're in the clear. Out of here. We'll come back with the cavalry and fry this fucking place and all the rats inside."

Lisanna pushed a stray lock of blue hair back from his forehead. "I want Pepper to come with us. I can't leave her here. I promised her."

Bickslow resisted the urge to shake her. "You heard Natalie—Pepper and Klaus—"

"They're not as good as she thinks they are," Lisanna insisted. "Pepper—she only slept with him because she thought it would make things go smoother." And look at how that turned out? Ant has a hole in his head and Pepper was… where? Hopefully somewhere safe. Her stomach churned just thinking about it.

"What is it with you and this chick?" Bickslow demanded.

"I made a promise, it should mean something," Lisanna insisted. "I would never break a promise I made to you, would you break one made to me?"

"That's different."

"How?" Lisanna pressed.

"Because." Bickslow met her scarlet gaze for only an instant.

Lisanna found his hand and weaved their fingers together. She filled in what he wouldn't say. "You wouldn't break a promise to me because you care about me. It's not at all different."

There was a stretch of silence in which Lisanna thought maybe she'd been presumptuous, or maybe he was mad, then Bickslow said, "Natalie said to keep quiet."

"Pepper will keep our secret," Lisanna said. "Trust me."

When she looked at him like that, how could he do anything but agree? "Fine, I'm onboard, but that redhead better have the tightest pair of lips I've ever seen. And then you have to convince Natalie that getting Pepper out is a good idea."

"…I'll think of something." What did girls like Natalie want?

Too much.

He grunted and added, "And no more scolding me. It's no fun when you tell me to behave."

"Stop acting like a savage and I won't have to," Lisanna said.

"See, there you go again." He kissed her neck. Lisanna stretched out for him; his chin was rough, dark stubble growing in and scratching her. She didn't mind all that much.

"…You don't actually want to use your magic on me when were… you know… do you?" Lisanna asked suddenly.

Bickslow paused mid-lick. "Do you want me to?"

"That's not what I asked," Lisanna said.

"Hm." He kissed her neck while he thought of an answer. "I think if I wanted a mindless puppet, it wouldn't be for that kind of thing. Tying you up is about as far as I want to go." He winked to lighten the mood.

Lisanna let out a relieved breath. "Good."

Bickslow dragged his fingers up Lisanna's arm and said seriously, "I told you, I won't make you do anything you don't want, Lisanna." That wasn't a line he was willing to flirt with, not anymore—not when he knew exactly how she looked, wide eyed and fearful when he grabbed her with his magic and tried to make her do what he wanted. "Not with my magic and not with that box, either." He wished he could add, 'I promise' to that. His lips felt glued shut.

"I know." Lisanna wriggled beneath him a little more, her borrowed dress shirt pulling wide to expose the swell of her breasts. It was one of the greatest things Bickslow had ever seen. Bending his head, he kissed the soft, rounded curve. She only flinched a little when his lips met the edge of her scar.

"Does it hurt?"

"It's cold," Lisanna responded.

It was cold under his lips, too, though he'd never complain, not when it seemed like she was slowly coming to terms with it. He kissed her again and started fighting with the buttons of her shirt, more than ready to see what was underneath. Her skin was luminous when the material fell away, ivory and rose pink. He kissed the tip of first one breast and then the other. Lisanna's breath hitched in just the way he liked. Pushing her legs wide, he went exploring and discovered that she was damp.

"That brunette made you hot."

"Shut up," Lisanna said.

"What did I say about scolding me?" he asked with mock outrage.

Lisanna spread her legs wider for him by way of answer. He took the invitation and gently rubbed the warm area through the fabric of her panties.

"You're a bad influence on me, I think," Lisanna said. She stretched her arms over her head and laced her fingers through her own hair. She looked like a snowy goddess like that, marked only by one smudge of black. Sometimes a smear was all it took to make a work of art perfect.

Bickslow, still massaging her slowly, pulled his shorts down and clumsily kicked them off. Lisanna cracked one ruby red eye and peered at him with something like mischief. The look faded when he took his hand away from her and pulled her up. "What are you doing?"

"It's what you're doing, actually," Bickslow responded. Laying flat on his back, he tugged her so she was straddling his legs. Lisanna smirked. She was more confident than she was before, even with the recent changes to her body. Using her mouth, she dropped a line of kisses between his pectorals and enjoyed the way his skin quivered. At his hip, she flicked her tongue out and drew a zigzagging line to the base of his shaft. He sucked in a deep breath and held it when she licked up the hard line to the head and took it into her mouth.

Bickslow fought a vicious battle with himself—the want to close his eyes and the need to watch her work. She didn't give him a chance to decide. Taking her mouth away, she climbed up his body and positioned him at her opening.

"Hey—" His protest withered when she slid down on top of him, silky and warm and wet enough that it was easy. Lisanna closed her eyes and tilted her face to the ceiling, enjoying the sensation of him filling her up completely. She only opened her eyes again when Bickslow grabbed the shirt from her shoulders and pulled it all of the way off.

"That's better."

Lisanna smiled and leaned forward, pressing her palms into his shoulders. Bickslow grabbed her hips but only held her loosely, eager for her to do the work for him while he watched her rock and bounce in all of the right places.

"You know," the seith mage mused, "That was one of the worst night's sleep I've had in awhile, but this morning has been pretty fucking awesome."

Lisanna's red eyes flashed and her nails dug into his shoulders. "Shut up, Bickslow." She arched her hips in a way that made his next words falter. She did it again and they were forgotten entirely. He shut his mouth and let her work, enjoying the way her neck and chest pinked, the way her breath made her chest heave, the way her breasts bounced, full and plump. His resolve to let her lead only faltered when she got tired and she slowed some. Then he held her aloft and arched into her until she sobbed and moaned. He could tell she was trying to be quiet; that only made him want her to be louder. He moved faster still, until his own chest felt tight, his heart felt like it would explode, and his vision wavered. Lisanna tightened around him, her body quivering; her fingernails dug into his shoulder and broke the skin. It hurt like hell, but it was a pain he could get behind if she would only…

Throwing her head back and gasping, she came loudly, nails raking into his chest. Bickslow followed right behind her.

The only reason Lisanna untangled herself from Bickslow was because the door sounded. As soon as she started moving, Bickslow grunted and locked his arms around her waist, trying to pull her back on top of him.

"We have to answer."

"No, we don't," Bickslow informed her.

"Yeah, we do. What if it's Pepper?" Lisanna wriggled like a fish. When it became obvious that she wasn't going to let up until she was out of bed, Bickslow sighed and unlocked his arms from her waist. She was up with his shirt pulled back over her shoulders in seconds. Bickslow did the same, rising and grabbing his shorts from where he left them, kicked off and pushed between the sheets.

Lisanna made for the door while he stuffed his legs into the appropriate holes.

"Hang on," Bickslow said. This felt suspiciously familiar. Last night came flitting through his mind again.

Lisanna kept going.

"Lisanna," Bickslow snapped. "Wait for me."

The girl stopped, fingers on the doorknob, and relived seeing Ant shooting himself in the head again. What's going to be behind here this time? Maybe Pepper would come to throw her dead self at her feet. She shuddered.

Bickslow appeared and took the doorknob out of her hands, pushing her back a few inches so she was mostly behind him. Then he opened the door. He'd been expecting Klaus or men with guns, or the candy pink haired Zana. He got a glossy eyed and scantily clad Pepper. In a tight white dress, she looked loose, like she'd been doing drugs and getting well and truly fucked. Too high to care that she watched Ant kill himself. She smiled at Bickslow in a way that was supposed to be sexy but just made him feel guilty.

"Hey." Pepper looked past Bickslow to Lisanna.

"Hey, Pepper. I was worried—you didn't come back last night."

"I'm sorry, Lisanna. Klaus said I could sleep here tonight—if that's still okay," Pepper said slowly.

"Of course it is," Lisanna answered for them both and ignored Bickslow's pinched eyes. She knew he'd never tell her no. Maybe she took advantage of that.

Pepper moved past Bickslow and came into the room, taking the door from his hands and closing it firmly. "I came to help you get ready."

"Ready?" Lisanna asked.

Pepper nodded. "Klaus wants to see you."

Bickslow's heart slowed. "I'll get some clothes on and we'll all go—"

"He wants you to get ready for your fight. He said Zana will be over soon to escort you."

"Can't we go together?" Lisanna asked.

Pepper pushed her red, curling locks away from her face. "I'm sorry, Lisanna. I just volunteered for this job because he was going to send some guy over to help you get ready, and I didn't think you'd want that."

No. Not really.

"What does he want her for?" Bickslow asked. His guts were twisting, a bad feeling in his stomach.

Pepper shrugged. "I don't know."

"Guess."

She shook her head. "I don't know."

Bickslow gave her a withering look and wondered how furious Lisanna would be if he made Pepper tell him the truth.

Then Pepper said, "I… might have heard him say he wanted to show her off tonight."

He didn't like the sound of that either. "What does that mean?"

"Probably that he wants her to come sit on his lap again and smile pretty like a fucking dog," Pepper said, finally fed up. "I don't know."

Lisanna squeezed Bickslow's hand. "It's okay. Everything will be fine."

Wasn't that just like Lisanna. The grand optimist.

"Come on. Shower first, then we'll choose a nice dress." Pepper started tugging Lisanna away.

Bickslow took a step to follow them, partially eager (what were the chances Lisanna would let him take a seat and watch?), partially apprehensive (her going to see Klaus just didn't sit well with him), but a suffocating presence made him stop. The girls didn't seem to notice; he watched them slink out of sight. The bathroom door closed.

Then he turned and faced Renatus. The demon spirit was looking just as prickly as ever. "Hey, Sunshine. Long time no see."

Renatus glowered. "You plan on betraying me."

Bickslow blinked at him for a moment. Then he laughed. "Yeah, where did you hear that—"

Renatus grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the wall hard enough that he was sure Lisanna was going to come out of the washroom. But the water was on; they didn't hear.

"I only have moments away from my master's watchful eye, so listen closely, seith mage. There is a girl in there that belongs to me. Her heart is in your hands, but it is my magic that keeps her alive. If I should choose…." He lifted his hand and slowly squeezed it into a fist. From the bathroom Bickslow heard the squeal of feet on the bathtub and Pepper's startled cry. Renatus loosened his grip. A second later, Bickslow heard Lisanna try to laugh off whatever the fuck just happened to her. Her voice was tinged with fear, but she masked it well.

"…Her heart stops and her breath dies in her lungs."

"If you threaten her, it'll be the last thing—"

"I ever do? You will end an immortal spirit?" His hands tightened on Bickslow's throat. "Do you know what I did to the last seith mage that crossed my path?" His voice was low and dangerous.

Bickslow swallowed tightly; he wanted to close his eyes and look away from Renatus' burning amber orbs, but wouldn't allow himself that luxury. He also wanted to shut up his smart mouth, but it had a mind of it's own. "Let me guess, you told them to wine and dine you first? I get that. I don't usually swing that way, but maybe with enough alcohol, a bag to go over your face and a picture of a hot chick—"

Renatus wasn't in the mood for jokes. "I burned his eyes from his head."

Bickslow tried to laugh him off. It came out sounding nervous and not at all glib like he wanted. "Guess you don't really fuck around, huh?"

"No. I guess not. Keep your word and Lisanna will be safe. If you don't, I won't relish hurting her, but it is a price I'm willing to pay."

Bickslow believe him. "I waited for your master last night. She didn't show like you said she would. How am I supposed to—you know—if she doesn't fucking show up?"

"She was occupied last night," Renatus said.

"Occupied—whatever the fuck that means. Listen, I'll cooperate with you, but you gotta give me something more solid than that."

"She will be there tonight; you have my word. She goes by the name of Wynona in this decade. You'll know her to see her; her aura is unmistakable."

He faded then, called back to whatever hell he crawled from.

Bickslow scowled in his wake and contemplated the dangers of being the pessimist to Lisanna's optimist.

At least he'd be expecting the kick to the balls.

It has been so, so long. I'm horrible. I'm sorry.

Hunter is done! Which means I'll have more time to spend on this! Yay! Thanks for putting up with my tardy update.