Chapter 11
Morning came quick. All awoke to the sound of Catherine's screaming. Jin was the first to reach the room and see all of the blood and a paler than usual Catherine. Quatre was frantic as he whispered sweet words of love into her ear and stroked her blood and sweat-soaked forehead. Duo and Hilde were quickly behind Jin, Sally and Wufei followed them.
"Pull the knife out of her Quatre." Jina said walking into the room and examining the situation. Quatre obeyed and pulled the offending knife out of Catherine's stomach. The wound immediately began to heal. Everyone breathed easier.
"Who did this?" Roddy's voice came from the hallway; the crowd parted for her and Trowa.
"We were attacked last night." Quatre said. Roddy looked at the blonde with fierce eyes.
"By whom?" Roddy asked, and then looked over at Catherine, "Noin. She's the only one that would harm Cathy."
"Actually Majesty, it was Zechs, he confronted me in the garden." Jina piped up.
"Noin attacked me." Catherine choked out, some of the color returning to her cheeks. She sat up quickly, her strength was quickly returning also. The knife had been hindering her from the dramatic healing. Everyone was silent as they surveyed the group. There was someone missing.
"And Heero?" Roddy asked, the first to mention the Japanese man.
"Zechs took him. It was an ambush." Jina said, her voice absolutely distraught with pain. There were indrawn gasp as Jina said these words; no one could believe that Heero had been taken.
"We've got to get him back." Duo exclaimed over the shocked group's collective gasp.
"What if he's dead, or worse, one of them?" Hilde said, trying to bring Duo back to reason.
"They wouldn't have taken him if they just wanted to kill him." Duo reasoned back to Hilde. Jina growled inwardly and Duo noticed the sudden change in her countenance. He walked over to the visibly distressed vamp and hugged her for comfort. She pushed him away in her frustration.
"Jina, I was only trying…" Duo said.
"You're trying to comfort me, I know, but we don't need comfort now, we need a plan." She said standing up straight and walking away from Duo.
"Jina's right, we need to keep moving to the lost city. We will eventually meet up with Treize, but if we don't keep moving it will be too late." Sally said trying to bring a semblance of hope to the group.
"Everyone, we will leave in one hour. We will burn this house so that the Oracle's spirit can move on into the next world." Roddy said, she and Trowa walked back to their room to get packed up. The others followed her lead and also returned to their rooms. Jina walked outside to face the rising sun and to try and track down the Tainted's trail; it was futile.
*****
Heero's eyes blinked open to utter darkness. He could feel that it was wet and it smelled of mildew. He tried to move his arms and legs, but they were inevitably chained to the slick wall. He waited until his eyes adjusted and tried to remember where he was; he had been taken by the Tainted.
A small, vaguely familiar feminine giggle roused him from his thoughts and he vainly scanned the dark cell for the object that the sound came from.
"It's useless human for you to try and see in this darkness. This is the darkness of vampires, and you are but a mere, fragile, mortal," Her pearly teeth and yellow eyes glowed brightly in the darkness. Heero recognized the voice; it was the same woman that caught him and he struggled against his chains.
"What are you going to do with me?" he asked the darkness.
"Why give the game away before you score?" she asked, moving closer to him in the darkness.
"Are you going to kill me?" he asked again.
"Perhaps. Unless…" she teased him with the information. Her warm voice covered his senses like satin sheets. She inched closer to him in the darkness, her movements so light and faint that Heero could barely hear where she was coming from.
"Unless what?" he asked agitated at her lack of information. She was upon him now he could smell her scent. She smelled like blood, no doubt, but a sweet blood, not metallic. She smelled warm and comforting, but he knew she was cold and lethal.
"Now that" Noin began by tracing her sharp fingernail across his jaw line, "is the $250,000 question." Blood ran down his chin. He could feel the warm liquid slowly turn cold. He could now see the elfin vampire standing before him, her mouth covered in his blood tasting him, her sharp, fierce fangs juxtaposing her almost classic beauty.
"Don't worry, I can't kill you." she said smiling, licking her finger and his jaw clean and walking away from him, "Yet." She exited the cell and Heero heard the door creak shut. If Jina didn't come for him, he was done for.
*****
Jina sat outside admiring the beautiful destruction she had done to the backyard. Porcelain pieces of the tub were scattered everywhere, the once bountiful grape vines were slaughtered and weeping, the formerly majestic Cyprus trees were now damaged beyond repair, and the song of the birds no longer rang through the patio. She stared at the remainder of the tub but she couldn't cry. The only emotion that she felt was sweltering anger; it was happening again and now she'd brought someone else into it. She would end it now.
"Jina." The resolute voice of Roddy rang through the enclosure, "we are leaving." Jina didn't move; she didn't even look up and acknowledge her Queen.
"Jina!" Roddy called again.
"Forgive me if I do not accompany you." she said sadly. Roddy knew all to well what Jina was talking about.
"How did I know it would come to this?" Roddy said mostly to herself.
"Maybe you're more of an Oracle than a Queen." Jina said. Roddy chortled a bit at this. Jina stood and brushed the dust off of her black cloak and stared at Roddy.
"I will not let you go alone." Roddy said, staring back at her, eye intense.
"I will not bring anyone else into this. It's me they want, not you or the others. It's always been me." Jina said brushing past Roddy and walking into the house. Roddy quickly followed her.
"You are not allowed to go after him!" Roddy screamed, halting everyone that was in the room including Jina, "he is not what's important here!" Jina's back stayed turned and she shuddered at the words.
"I'm sick of this. I have to end it!" Jina screamed.
"Do you know what they will make you? One of them!" Roddy screamed.
"I'm still going, no matter what you say." Jina reasoned and began to walk away.
"Jinakel Devina Wohess!" Roddy used her full name and Jina stopped again quickly, "I am your Queen, you do as I say, and I say that you WILL NOT go after Heero!" Roddy's voice was deeper and it shook the paintings on the walls.
"You do NOT tell me what to do!" Jina said drawing her sword and rushing Roddy with it. Before she knew it, Catherine, Sally and Hilde were surrounding Roddy with their weapons drawn all on her. She halted, her sword directly pointed at Roddy's neck. Roddy didn't blink; she only held a peaceful hand out.
"Put it down, Jinakel." Roddy said quietly.
"You've crossed your bounds Vampire." Hilde snarled. Jina growled back.
"Once you leave, you cannot come back." Roddy said again calmly. Jina said nothing, only lowered her sword and nodded.
"Do you accept this, Jina?" Jina nodded. "Then give me your ring, Guardian, and go search for your love." Jina slowly removed the ring from her finger and handed it to Roddy. The other girls parted the way so that Roddy could take the trinket. Before Jin could move her hand away Roddy grabbed her close and whispered into her ear.
"Don't go getting yourself killed." Roddy kissed her on the cheek and nodded. Jina turned around, gathered her things and walked out the door. A single tear rolled down her cheek; she was all alone.
*****
Treize sat in his dark throne room waiting for the report from Zechs and Noin. It was still early in the morning and the sun hadn't completely risen yet. Treize knew that after the previous night's successful attacks that the Queen and her servants would be leaving that spot. A Pureblood couldn't take the scent and smell of human blood fresh upon the ground; the stench drove them mad with anger. Treize smiled at the thought of driving the Queen mad with anger.
"Lord Treize," Lady Une spoke uneasily.
"Yes, Lady?"
"The prisoner that was taken from the Purebloods this morning wishes to speak with you."
"Is this the Guardian Jina's lover that you speak of?" Treize stood from his throne and inched towards Lady Une.
"Yes sir, that is the very prisoner."
"What is bothering you, Lady?" Treize asked walking closer to her and taking her hand in his, "your face is usually so much more joyous. You look rather somber today."
"Why is the Guardian Jina important? I thought we just wanted the Queen."
"The oracle told me that I cannot kill my previous bride. She must die by the hands of the one that she trusts the most." Treize sounded almost magical as he said those words.
"Then we kidnapped her lover in order to convince her?"
"Yes, and I want to make her one of us. So, now that I'm tired of answering your questions, you can bring the prisoner to me.
"My Lord, if I may speak freely…"
"You already have spoken enough."
"Treize, as your friend and much more I must say that I feel as if this war between us and the Purebloods has gone on long enough. You want power, and you have it. What more else could you possibly want, Treize? I used to be one of those women protecting your Queen. You have already won, don't you see. We need not fight any longer, Treize."
"Silence!!!!" Treize slapped Lady Une and threw her to the ground, "This is my destiny. This is what I deserve. I haven't won yet. As long as she can bring herself back to life, I haven't won. I know your past and I know Zech's past, but you both chose to follow me. If you're feeling sorry for your soul, then I'm sorry because we will all be in hell if this war is ended in favor of Queen Badri. Now that I'm tired of answering your question, go and fetch the prisoner." Treize pulled Lady Une from the ground by her hair and pushed her out of the door. Lady ran down the hallway, her eyes full of tears towards Heero's cell.
"Noin!" Treize screamed making the walls shake. Noin materialized in front of Treize with her head bowed and in a crouching position of worship.
"Yes, Lord Treize?"
"I want you to turn the mortal tonight. That is your treat for a job well done.
"But Lord Treize, won't this call for you doing? I am far too inexperience in this act to turn a strong, male human."
"I have the blood of the Amulet in me. That blood makes me stronger and my blood pure. I do not want this mortal to have Pureblood drop in him."
"Lord Treize…"
"Do not question me, Noin. The mortal cannot be able to think about anything except the blood of humans and his hatred for all Purebloods. I want him as Tainted as they come, a mindless minion but not like Dorothy. I want him to serve me; he is bait and I know she's coming." Noin dropped to her knees and crossed her fist over her heart in a strong salute and reverence.
"I will do you bidding my lord." She said and quickly ran down the hallway to prepare herself. Treize simply waited at his throne for Lady Une to arrive with the prisoner.
It was only a matter of time before the gong was sounded and Lady Une and Zechs entered along with Heero shackled and being escorted by two guards. The two guards threw Heero to his knees and one of them kicked him in the stomach just for safe measure.
"What would you have of me?" Heero breathed out trying not to dry heave from the kick to his gut. Treize laughed lightly and walked towards the shrinking Japanese man.
"We want to offer you our princess Noin." Treize said as he saw Noin standing behind Heero.
"What if I don't want her?" Heero asked. Treize reached down and pulled the Japanese's man by his shaggy, brown hair so that his neck was arched towards him.
"Then I will be forced to let everyone feed from you." Treize smiled playfully and beckoned Noin to him with his free hand. Noin walked towards Treize. She was changed into a think, black gossamer shroud that did nothing to cover her pale, white skin underneath. Heero eyed the beauty in front of him, the excitement and the danger in her eyes more than he could think possibly. His blood was pumping harder and his heart was pounding deep in his chest.
"Yes, she is beautiful. Come Noin, talk to your lover." Treize backed away from Heero and Noin kneeled in front of Heero so that they were eye-level. She took Heero's hand, kissed it, and bowed her head.
"Women give respect here, she is yours. Just let go. Let go. Let… go." Treize's voice was extremely hypnotic, so much so that Heero started to go into a strong trance. The trance was taking over his senses and he lifted his head to stare Noin deep into her blue eyes.
"Let go Heero," her honeyed voice said. Heero closed his eyes, listened to the hypnotic tone of the vamps around him and allowed Noin to kiss his lips. She drew blood from that beautiful mouth, sinking her teeth into his lips and tongue and drinking the sweet, sanguine liquid that collected there. She wanted to cherish and savor him before taking him. She quickly lowered her fangs to his neck and sank them deep into his thick flesh, drinking him almost to the brink of death.
"Kill me." He squeaked out, "why don't you kills me" he asked, his eyes desperately gazing at Noin. His mind could barely comprehend that her lips were red and wet with his own blood. She took her smooth, pale hand and rubbed the soft palm against his dying face.
"We need you." she cut open a vein in her wrist and watched as the blood pooled on the flesh; the whiteness of her skin being stained by the crimson fluid. She took her right index finger and rubbed it around on her bloodstained wrist then planted the blood that she collected on that digit to his blue lips. Instinctually, Heero licked his lips tasting the sweetness of her blood as well.
"Do you want to live, Heero?" she asked. His life was fading quickly, he was coughing and his skin was turning a bluish-purple color that was common amongst hypothermia victims. His lids were heavy on his eyes and he could barely speak. He only nodded to her question, telling her that he wanted to live.
"Then drink this." She said, holding her wrist over his mouth. He opened it inadvertently and allowed the drops of blood to stain his tongue before swallowing. With the last bit of strength that he had left, he reached up with both of his hands and pulled her wrist down to his mouth, drinking heartily until Noin pulled away.
His body shook violently and he growled and cussed and spat until his motions were completely still. The Tainted that surrounded had seen this before, but only performed by Treize; they were in awe. The silence was so deep after his body stopped shaking that everyone thought that he'd died. Noin lowered her head in shame at failing her master… until he spoke.
"I want more." Heero said, sitting up and baring his fangs towards Treize. Zechs blinked in awe, Lady Une shed a tear and Treize only smirked. Heero Yuy was indeed a Tainted.