Thanks to All that commented on TTales and to Nav and Sairah ho left me a note :)
The queue outside the 'Mamba was about medium sized, from the door to the corner of the street. The sight brought a smile, Night Worlders abound, probably a few Daybreakers, a mix of accents and race's to delight the eye. There may be specieisim within the Night World, but no one was going to be judged for the colour of their skin. She spotted people who screamed vermin, here and there, normally on the arm of one of the Night World kids.
Her name was called in welcome from somewhere to the left and she turned, and froze. Then she let her breathing even out, for a moment she had been catapulted back centuries by the look of streetlights on burning hair. Lucifer Redfern could have been his Grandfathers twin. Roseclear's only child, she had obviously been praying for Harman genetics to show as they had in Lily's eldest boy, the genetics hadn't failed.
He strode over and lifting her hand pressed a light kiss on the underside of her wrist "Aunt Amaris, you look enchanting" she rolled her eyes before looking up at him, it was irritating that he was the shortest of her brothers mob at 6'0 but he was still taller than her. "Lucifer, or are you Luke this evening?" she said mock peering over his shoulder, he heaved a sigh "I'm Lucifer this evening Auntie dearest" for a second her eyes flashed from Jade to silver and then back again. "I'm not your aunt, at least not in the truest sense, just drop it and call me Artemis like everyone else does"
For a moment gold eyes clouded and then he half smiled "Very well, and you? Business or pleasure tonight?" she looked him up and down. Immaculate in black like a dark candle only the slightly more refined bones of his face let you know that he wasn't Hunter, it was what had driven him out of America at only eighteen and straight to his aunt. The constant hounding from both sides of the Night World, another of her great nieces had helped smuggle him out. "Both, nothing changes, who thought you were Hunter this time?"
Sudden surprise registered in his eyes. "One day you're going to tell me how you do that, it was one of your Lamia, some man, with black hair and green eyes." For a moment she was taken aback, Jared had met Lucifer before in the two years he had been here. But then even she was still shocked sometimes by the resemblance. If she hadn't known, hadn't been sure that Lamia never returned. She shook her head for a moment. Eyes a sudden burnished bronze "Try not to blame him, what did he say" his grin bloomed a mischievous expression "He said I reminded him of a painting he'd seen"
A chill raced down her spine, she knew that painting, it hung in her private study at home. There were probably copies, but. No the thought was to horrible to contemplate. "Artemis? Artemis are you alright" concerned golden eyes, she made the effort to smile, even the touch of moonlight suddenly cold against her flesh "He's right, you do resemble the painting, of course I've never seen you as a cavalier but you resemble the painting" he blinked twice and then smiled again. Footloose and fancy free, she saw the others gathered a little way off and waved.
"I have to go in Lucifer" he nodded, but there was something dazed in his eyes "Take care, I have a bad feeling" she blinked the sliver crossing her eyes like a shadow across the sun "I will, you too" he blinked and then leant to kiss her cheek before turning and fading into the shadows, she turned and walked back to the others. Nodding to Braeden she had a path cleared for her to the door. The limo was double parked but she didn't care, no one would put a ticket on something with those plates in the district, and outside, well, she could afford a few tickets.
Stepping into the club was like stepping into another world, a steamy fantasy jungle, filled with dangerous creatures. The ceiling was a mass of green leaves and vines, the temperature a steamy ninety in the shade. The bar did a roaring trade here, the dance floor revolved on its own pedestal in the midst of water, the slightly more exotic shifters favoured this place. As did the visitors from abroad, she had offices concealed in a screen of trees, all of the plants were real, a green fingered twilight witch was on the books to keep them healthy.
She moved over to a tiny alcove, surrounded by flowering clematis and night jasmine, the club was a haven for people who lived through their senses, seating herself at the table she sent Siren onto the dance floor and waited, for a moment the people moving in front of the alcove almost seemed to waver and then a slender figure was there. A shining blonde dressed all in white, if she hadn't known him for a made vampire she would have said he resembled one of the Galena clan bread to someone else to darken their trademark silver hair to that light honey colour.
He slid in across from her and the boys instinctively moved to close the entrance, this was a private meeting. "Uriel, it was good of you to come" no sarcasm here, it was good of him to come because he certainly didn't have to, he was canny the Daybreak leader for London. He inclined his head "Don't tell me you've decided to convert Artemis?" she half smiled and shook her head "No, the Night World is the Night World it needs people like me, perhaps as much as it needs people like you and like Jubatus" for a moment light blue eyes were wide and then he retreated back into calm. "Somehow I don't think you believe that" she raised her eyebrows "Jubatus saves children, more importantly he does it far from me, you recruit for circle Daybreak, then I know where you all are at one time. Does that summation make you more comfortable?"
A nod answered her and she let herself smile, the fact that she saw a purpose for the Daybreakers was something that Uriel seemed to have problems seeing. Daybreak gave Night Worlders someone to hate except each other, they kept law and order at a maximum, at least Night World law. She approved of the Jubatus orphanage, it appealed to the part of her nature that pitied Night World children. She was not however, ever going to be a Daybreaker, vermin were not equal, nor were they Night Worlders, giving them equal status would only end in tears. More witch hunts, more Van Helsings, people hunting the beasts that roamed the night and knowing that they were there. Vigilante hunting groups like the Silver Arrows were bad enough without being sanctioned by the government to chase them down.
"Back to business" she broke her own almost trance to talk about what was going on "You've bought a club in the district" he blinked, as if he was surprised she knew and then nodded cautiously "Why?" her voice was cool and sweet as if the question was only a passing interest. "Because I wanted a CD club, I don't see why everywhere should be Night World" she allowed a sigh to creep under her defences.
"Its simple, you're inviting a firebomb, a raid, attacks. The business will loose money big time, I've never had a bankrupt business in the district since I took it over in the 1700's"he tossed his head, it was a surprisingly feminine gesture, she sniggered to herself while keeping her face straight, only the deep blue of her eyes showed her amusement. "I'm going to try" she waved a languid hand "Please, do try, and when you sell out, remember me, won't you?"
He stood, and nodded "I shall" and then he was gone, the boys remained quiet and she looked up to meet a pair of jewelled eyes. "You caught the end of that?" Jared nodded "I did, he's a stubborn ass but he does what he's supposed to" she raised her eyebrows "Perhaps and yet, and yet"
What she was going to say remained unsaid, important or not because a scream rang out across the suddenly silent club. It was a mans scream, a sudden pain filled sound. She stood, her eyes silvering as blood suddenly tainted the air with a metallic smell sharp and clear as snowfall. She looked across the cubicle, Jared was gone, wherever it was it had better be being useful.
She moved out of the cubicle in a sudden sharp movement, Uriel was on the dance floor, his eyes half closed and blood leaking from him like some sort of black cloak, mingling with his hair dying the golden strands black under the lights. She glanced around her eyes silver, there were no vermin in the club, they never got past the entry line. But there was a stake through the Circle Daybreak deputy's heart and Jared was missing.
The queue outside the 'Mamba was about medium sized, from the door to the corner of the street. The sight brought a smile, Night Worlders abound, probably a few Daybreakers, a mix of accents and race's to delight the eye. There may be specieisim within the Night World, but no one was going to be judged for the colour of their skin. She spotted people who screamed vermin, here and there, normally on the arm of one of the Night World kids.
Her name was called in welcome from somewhere to the left and she turned, and froze. Then she let her breathing even out, for a moment she had been catapulted back centuries by the look of streetlights on burning hair. Lucifer Redfern could have been his Grandfathers twin. Roseclear's only child, she had obviously been praying for Harman genetics to show as they had in Lily's eldest boy, the genetics hadn't failed.
He strode over and lifting her hand pressed a light kiss on the underside of her wrist "Aunt Amaris, you look enchanting" she rolled her eyes before looking up at him, it was irritating that he was the shortest of her brothers mob at 6'0 but he was still taller than her. "Lucifer, or are you Luke this evening?" she said mock peering over his shoulder, he heaved a sigh "I'm Lucifer this evening Auntie dearest" for a second her eyes flashed from Jade to silver and then back again. "I'm not your aunt, at least not in the truest sense, just drop it and call me Artemis like everyone else does"
For a moment gold eyes clouded and then he half smiled "Very well, and you? Business or pleasure tonight?" she looked him up and down. Immaculate in black like a dark candle only the slightly more refined bones of his face let you know that he wasn't Hunter, it was what had driven him out of America at only eighteen and straight to his aunt. The constant hounding from both sides of the Night World, another of her great nieces had helped smuggle him out. "Both, nothing changes, who thought you were Hunter this time?"
Sudden surprise registered in his eyes. "One day you're going to tell me how you do that, it was one of your Lamia, some man, with black hair and green eyes." For a moment she was taken aback, Jared had met Lucifer before in the two years he had been here. But then even she was still shocked sometimes by the resemblance. If she hadn't known, hadn't been sure that Lamia never returned. She shook her head for a moment. Eyes a sudden burnished bronze "Try not to blame him, what did he say" his grin bloomed a mischievous expression "He said I reminded him of a painting he'd seen"
A chill raced down her spine, she knew that painting, it hung in her private study at home. There were probably copies, but. No the thought was to horrible to contemplate. "Artemis? Artemis are you alright" concerned golden eyes, she made the effort to smile, even the touch of moonlight suddenly cold against her flesh "He's right, you do resemble the painting, of course I've never seen you as a cavalier but you resemble the painting" he blinked twice and then smiled again. Footloose and fancy free, she saw the others gathered a little way off and waved.
"I have to go in Lucifer" he nodded, but there was something dazed in his eyes "Take care, I have a bad feeling" she blinked the sliver crossing her eyes like a shadow across the sun "I will, you too" he blinked and then leant to kiss her cheek before turning and fading into the shadows, she turned and walked back to the others. Nodding to Braeden she had a path cleared for her to the door. The limo was double parked but she didn't care, no one would put a ticket on something with those plates in the district, and outside, well, she could afford a few tickets.
Stepping into the club was like stepping into another world, a steamy fantasy jungle, filled with dangerous creatures. The ceiling was a mass of green leaves and vines, the temperature a steamy ninety in the shade. The bar did a roaring trade here, the dance floor revolved on its own pedestal in the midst of water, the slightly more exotic shifters favoured this place. As did the visitors from abroad, she had offices concealed in a screen of trees, all of the plants were real, a green fingered twilight witch was on the books to keep them healthy.
She moved over to a tiny alcove, surrounded by flowering clematis and night jasmine, the club was a haven for people who lived through their senses, seating herself at the table she sent Siren onto the dance floor and waited, for a moment the people moving in front of the alcove almost seemed to waver and then a slender figure was there. A shining blonde dressed all in white, if she hadn't known him for a made vampire she would have said he resembled one of the Galena clan bread to someone else to darken their trademark silver hair to that light honey colour.
He slid in across from her and the boys instinctively moved to close the entrance, this was a private meeting. "Uriel, it was good of you to come" no sarcasm here, it was good of him to come because he certainly didn't have to, he was canny the Daybreak leader for London. He inclined his head "Don't tell me you've decided to convert Artemis?" she half smiled and shook her head "No, the Night World is the Night World it needs people like me, perhaps as much as it needs people like you and like Jubatus" for a moment light blue eyes were wide and then he retreated back into calm. "Somehow I don't think you believe that" she raised her eyebrows "Jubatus saves children, more importantly he does it far from me, you recruit for circle Daybreak, then I know where you all are at one time. Does that summation make you more comfortable?"
A nod answered her and she let herself smile, the fact that she saw a purpose for the Daybreakers was something that Uriel seemed to have problems seeing. Daybreak gave Night Worlders someone to hate except each other, they kept law and order at a maximum, at least Night World law. She approved of the Jubatus orphanage, it appealed to the part of her nature that pitied Night World children. She was not however, ever going to be a Daybreaker, vermin were not equal, nor were they Night Worlders, giving them equal status would only end in tears. More witch hunts, more Van Helsings, people hunting the beasts that roamed the night and knowing that they were there. Vigilante hunting groups like the Silver Arrows were bad enough without being sanctioned by the government to chase them down.
"Back to business" she broke her own almost trance to talk about what was going on "You've bought a club in the district" he blinked, as if he was surprised she knew and then nodded cautiously "Why?" her voice was cool and sweet as if the question was only a passing interest. "Because I wanted a CD club, I don't see why everywhere should be Night World" she allowed a sigh to creep under her defences.
"Its simple, you're inviting a firebomb, a raid, attacks. The business will loose money big time, I've never had a bankrupt business in the district since I took it over in the 1700's"he tossed his head, it was a surprisingly feminine gesture, she sniggered to herself while keeping her face straight, only the deep blue of her eyes showed her amusement. "I'm going to try" she waved a languid hand "Please, do try, and when you sell out, remember me, won't you?"
He stood, and nodded "I shall" and then he was gone, the boys remained quiet and she looked up to meet a pair of jewelled eyes. "You caught the end of that?" Jared nodded "I did, he's a stubborn ass but he does what he's supposed to" she raised her eyebrows "Perhaps and yet, and yet"
What she was going to say remained unsaid, important or not because a scream rang out across the suddenly silent club. It was a mans scream, a sudden pain filled sound. She stood, her eyes silvering as blood suddenly tainted the air with a metallic smell sharp and clear as snowfall. She looked across the cubicle, Jared was gone, wherever it was it had better be being useful.
She moved out of the cubicle in a sudden sharp movement, Uriel was on the dance floor, his eyes half closed and blood leaking from him like some sort of black cloak, mingling with his hair dying the golden strands black under the lights. She glanced around her eyes silver, there were no vermin in the club, they never got past the entry line. But there was a stake through the Circle Daybreak deputy's heart and Jared was missing.