A/N: I forgot to mention the last time...but of course everyone knows that
the Night World concept belongs to LJ Smith. And the line from the poem 'An
Irish Airman Foresees his Death' is by W.B. Yeats.
Chapter One: Backwards to Forwards
"En?"
A voice, soft and sibilant, whispered into the tendrils of En's mind. En frowned harshly as she stalked the alleys of the sprawling city; she had just fed on a particularly young and effeminate pretty boy, and was still basking in the glow of his sweet blood. She didn't especially need to be interrupted now. Definitely not by a fellow Council member. Who had known her for all 654 years of her life, no less.
"What?" En hissed back, through her mind. She could _feel_ Rafael Fuchs' condescending lopsided smile, his lips quirking up from the left.
"China Moon, tonight, remember? You _promised_, meine liebe En..."
En, irritated, shrugged. "I don't recall."
"Sure you don't." Replied Rafael, voice dripping with obvious doubt. Not bothering to force her to admit her appointment, he continued in an infuriatingly matter-of-fact tone, "I'll meet you at the Hilton; we can go to China Moon in my car."
"I'm not going anywhere. I want to feed."
"On what? On 'effeminate pretty boys' in private school uniforms? Your taste has always been questionable, En..." Rafael continued in his singsong voice. En scowled as she realized that he had been picking at her mind.
"So I have a fetish for 'effeminate pretty boys'." En replied, snappishly, as she threw up her defences.
"If you came along tonight you'll get to feed to you heart's desire...all the young vampires fall at our feet."
"You mean they fall at yours."
"I've heard of a young one who craves you more than anything."
"How flattering." En said, blandly. Already her mood had swung from irritable to bored. The conversation was progressing nowhere.
One more answer, she thought, and I'll lock up.
"He looks entirely like Gareth..." Rafael's voice had taken a malicious note. "Remember Gareth, En? I'm sure you do..."
En had stopped in her tracks. She paused, ready to block Rafael out.
"Don't block me out, En..." Rafael mocked, faking a chiding tone.
En didn't answer. Walking again, reaching her Porsche around the corner, En didn't reply.
A second later after she got into her car again, Rafael had found himself completely thrown out of her mind.
~
Rafael Fuchs lounged in the black velvet sofa in En's high-end apartment, waiting for the expected click of the front door as soon as En returned home.
Sometimes Rafael wondered why she even bothered to try to avoid him. Rafael, whom had studied her every move and looked after her in every way possible. It amazed him, rather, that she would still think she could escape him.
But En had always been so innocent, so predictable, despite her many years and her reputation. Although, of course, the only person to know that was Rafael.
And Gareth.
To Rafael, En's practically life-long dedication to Gareth was utterly "un-En-like". That En, who was annoyingly pragmatic and logical by default, would have fallen for a wayward vampire two centuries older than her, and had actually expected him to stay by her side was incredible in itself. Rafael had found it difficult to believe that Gareth had even hung around for a full century before he took off. And never turned up again, of course.
Though perhaps there was some jealousy on Rafael's part...but Rafael would rather have been staked than admit that to En.
Rafael could still remember it as if it were yesterday. En acted like she could not remember anything, but that was En. Gareth Lorrinstal was tall and lean and lithe, like almost all male vampires, but En had been especially taken by his white-blonde hair and (sickeningly, thought Rafael) silver-grey eyes. Rafael had never seen En react to someone the way she had reacted to Gareth. He doubted that record would ever be broken.
Even now, in their rather unique relationship which was strung somewhere between best friends and somewhere between "almost-lovers" (En would never agree to bedding with him), Rafael could tell that he would never, despite being the sole person on earth who knew her so thoroughly and for so long, replace Gareth.
Rafael knew full well that every night, when En kissed him, it was a different kiss from the ones she would have given Gareth.
Rafael sighed. Gareth had had En's heart, En's soul, and En's body.
All Rafael had was the fact that he had always loved En.
And En never knew.
~
As soon as En stepped out of her Porsche, she knew.
The entire apartment block seemed to be permeated with Rafael's essence.
Scowling, En made her way up to the uppermost apartment of the building, where the penthouse, which she had owned since last year when she had moved from New York, was.
Personally En preferred New York, but Rafael had shown such enthusiasm at being in Los Angeles that En had given in to his pleadings. To be honest, En herself wasn't ever really sure what kind of exact relationship she and Rafael had: in terms of work they were the best partners around; in terms of friends they had known each other all their lives; in terms of anything other than that...
All En knew was that she was fond of Rafael. Most of time, anyway. Certainly not, at present.
En knew that Rafael probably hadn't meant to make her upset. Purely because En knew that Rafael knew that the mere mention of _that person_ was enough to set En on a one-vampire demolition course.
Rafael had always had it sore about _that person_. En preferred to drain it out from her memory.
The door clicked open, and En stepped inside, dropping her laptop on a nearby chair. Not bothering to glance at Rafael who as usual was sprawling all over the sofa, En went into the master bedroom to change and take a bath in the adjoining bathroom.
~
Jake Farraday wandered about the basketball court at Clarington-Fox High, as the last of the basketball team players streamed out after a long day's practice. Owen Redfern was the last of them, his shock of copper red hair standing out amongst the rest.
"Jake." Owen grinned, an unsettling wolfish grin, the same one he always gave to Jake.
At least he had stopped giving Jake that slow, seductive smile he had first given him, when Jake had first met him on the steps of Clarington- Fox, still innocent of the Night World. Jake supposed it was a small blessing.
Owen still had an uncomfortable way of checking out Jake's slender frame as if he were using his eyes to undress him.
Jake turned away, the hairs at the base of his neck going on end, as they usually did when Owen did that.
"Owen." Jake replied, as nonchalantly as he could. "Are you going to China Moon tonight? You know, the big exclusive bash?"
"Still craving En Redfern's delectable butt?" remarked Owen, not answering the question, his characteristic smirk on his face. Then, adding as if on afterthought, "I doubt she'll turn up, though."
"Why not? She's invited, isn't she?"
"If a vamp like _you_ is invited to the poshest new club in town, do you think someone like En Redfern wouldn't be invited?" retorted Owen in a dry tone.
Jake opened his mouth, then shut it again, deciding it were better not to respond to that.
Obviously Owen had not had a good day.
"You know full well she's off-limits to you, Farraday. And that other old vamp, the _delicious_," Owen paused significantly to slowly lick his lips, whilst Jake proceeded to automatically cringe, "Rafael Fuchs with the beautiful raven black hair and the gorgeous blue eyes: I've heard that he's had his eye on her for centuries. And I mean literal, centuries. They have this on-off thing going on; apparently every other time En Redfern is feeling a bit..." Owen paused suggestively again, "_skittish_, Rafael Fuchs gets first dibs."
Jake did not care. "Maybe she just wants something she hasn't found yet."
"And after more than six hundred years of existence she's going to find what she 'hasn't found yet' in you. Right." Owen's tone was painfully apparent in its dubiousness.
Jake decided to ignore that as well. "So are you going, or are you not?"
"Going, my darling Jake. After all, a lot of _guys_ are turning up. And if their supply runs dry...there's always the more traditional selection of the opposite sex." Owen's wolfish grin had found its way to his face again.
"So...erm..." Jake didn't quite know how to ask Owen for what he really needed from him.
"I'll give you a lift, Farraday." Owen had an amused glint in his dark green eyes. "Eight o'clock, your place."
~
Bleurgh. Another non-moving chapter. Oh well. Next chapter: the bash at China Moon! (And of course, don't forget to click on the blue button at the bottom left-hand corner and review...()
~ Alison Alliterates
Chapter One: Backwards to Forwards
"En?"
A voice, soft and sibilant, whispered into the tendrils of En's mind. En frowned harshly as she stalked the alleys of the sprawling city; she had just fed on a particularly young and effeminate pretty boy, and was still basking in the glow of his sweet blood. She didn't especially need to be interrupted now. Definitely not by a fellow Council member. Who had known her for all 654 years of her life, no less.
"What?" En hissed back, through her mind. She could _feel_ Rafael Fuchs' condescending lopsided smile, his lips quirking up from the left.
"China Moon, tonight, remember? You _promised_, meine liebe En..."
En, irritated, shrugged. "I don't recall."
"Sure you don't." Replied Rafael, voice dripping with obvious doubt. Not bothering to force her to admit her appointment, he continued in an infuriatingly matter-of-fact tone, "I'll meet you at the Hilton; we can go to China Moon in my car."
"I'm not going anywhere. I want to feed."
"On what? On 'effeminate pretty boys' in private school uniforms? Your taste has always been questionable, En..." Rafael continued in his singsong voice. En scowled as she realized that he had been picking at her mind.
"So I have a fetish for 'effeminate pretty boys'." En replied, snappishly, as she threw up her defences.
"If you came along tonight you'll get to feed to you heart's desire...all the young vampires fall at our feet."
"You mean they fall at yours."
"I've heard of a young one who craves you more than anything."
"How flattering." En said, blandly. Already her mood had swung from irritable to bored. The conversation was progressing nowhere.
One more answer, she thought, and I'll lock up.
"He looks entirely like Gareth..." Rafael's voice had taken a malicious note. "Remember Gareth, En? I'm sure you do..."
En had stopped in her tracks. She paused, ready to block Rafael out.
"Don't block me out, En..." Rafael mocked, faking a chiding tone.
En didn't answer. Walking again, reaching her Porsche around the corner, En didn't reply.
A second later after she got into her car again, Rafael had found himself completely thrown out of her mind.
~
Rafael Fuchs lounged in the black velvet sofa in En's high-end apartment, waiting for the expected click of the front door as soon as En returned home.
Sometimes Rafael wondered why she even bothered to try to avoid him. Rafael, whom had studied her every move and looked after her in every way possible. It amazed him, rather, that she would still think she could escape him.
But En had always been so innocent, so predictable, despite her many years and her reputation. Although, of course, the only person to know that was Rafael.
And Gareth.
To Rafael, En's practically life-long dedication to Gareth was utterly "un-En-like". That En, who was annoyingly pragmatic and logical by default, would have fallen for a wayward vampire two centuries older than her, and had actually expected him to stay by her side was incredible in itself. Rafael had found it difficult to believe that Gareth had even hung around for a full century before he took off. And never turned up again, of course.
Though perhaps there was some jealousy on Rafael's part...but Rafael would rather have been staked than admit that to En.
Rafael could still remember it as if it were yesterday. En acted like she could not remember anything, but that was En. Gareth Lorrinstal was tall and lean and lithe, like almost all male vampires, but En had been especially taken by his white-blonde hair and (sickeningly, thought Rafael) silver-grey eyes. Rafael had never seen En react to someone the way she had reacted to Gareth. He doubted that record would ever be broken.
Even now, in their rather unique relationship which was strung somewhere between best friends and somewhere between "almost-lovers" (En would never agree to bedding with him), Rafael could tell that he would never, despite being the sole person on earth who knew her so thoroughly and for so long, replace Gareth.
Rafael knew full well that every night, when En kissed him, it was a different kiss from the ones she would have given Gareth.
Rafael sighed. Gareth had had En's heart, En's soul, and En's body.
All Rafael had was the fact that he had always loved En.
And En never knew.
~
As soon as En stepped out of her Porsche, she knew.
The entire apartment block seemed to be permeated with Rafael's essence.
Scowling, En made her way up to the uppermost apartment of the building, where the penthouse, which she had owned since last year when she had moved from New York, was.
Personally En preferred New York, but Rafael had shown such enthusiasm at being in Los Angeles that En had given in to his pleadings. To be honest, En herself wasn't ever really sure what kind of exact relationship she and Rafael had: in terms of work they were the best partners around; in terms of friends they had known each other all their lives; in terms of anything other than that...
All En knew was that she was fond of Rafael. Most of time, anyway. Certainly not, at present.
En knew that Rafael probably hadn't meant to make her upset. Purely because En knew that Rafael knew that the mere mention of _that person_ was enough to set En on a one-vampire demolition course.
Rafael had always had it sore about _that person_. En preferred to drain it out from her memory.
The door clicked open, and En stepped inside, dropping her laptop on a nearby chair. Not bothering to glance at Rafael who as usual was sprawling all over the sofa, En went into the master bedroom to change and take a bath in the adjoining bathroom.
~
Jake Farraday wandered about the basketball court at Clarington-Fox High, as the last of the basketball team players streamed out after a long day's practice. Owen Redfern was the last of them, his shock of copper red hair standing out amongst the rest.
"Jake." Owen grinned, an unsettling wolfish grin, the same one he always gave to Jake.
At least he had stopped giving Jake that slow, seductive smile he had first given him, when Jake had first met him on the steps of Clarington- Fox, still innocent of the Night World. Jake supposed it was a small blessing.
Owen still had an uncomfortable way of checking out Jake's slender frame as if he were using his eyes to undress him.
Jake turned away, the hairs at the base of his neck going on end, as they usually did when Owen did that.
"Owen." Jake replied, as nonchalantly as he could. "Are you going to China Moon tonight? You know, the big exclusive bash?"
"Still craving En Redfern's delectable butt?" remarked Owen, not answering the question, his characteristic smirk on his face. Then, adding as if on afterthought, "I doubt she'll turn up, though."
"Why not? She's invited, isn't she?"
"If a vamp like _you_ is invited to the poshest new club in town, do you think someone like En Redfern wouldn't be invited?" retorted Owen in a dry tone.
Jake opened his mouth, then shut it again, deciding it were better not to respond to that.
Obviously Owen had not had a good day.
"You know full well she's off-limits to you, Farraday. And that other old vamp, the _delicious_," Owen paused significantly to slowly lick his lips, whilst Jake proceeded to automatically cringe, "Rafael Fuchs with the beautiful raven black hair and the gorgeous blue eyes: I've heard that he's had his eye on her for centuries. And I mean literal, centuries. They have this on-off thing going on; apparently every other time En Redfern is feeling a bit..." Owen paused suggestively again, "_skittish_, Rafael Fuchs gets first dibs."
Jake did not care. "Maybe she just wants something she hasn't found yet."
"And after more than six hundred years of existence she's going to find what she 'hasn't found yet' in you. Right." Owen's tone was painfully apparent in its dubiousness.
Jake decided to ignore that as well. "So are you going, or are you not?"
"Going, my darling Jake. After all, a lot of _guys_ are turning up. And if their supply runs dry...there's always the more traditional selection of the opposite sex." Owen's wolfish grin had found its way to his face again.
"So...erm..." Jake didn't quite know how to ask Owen for what he really needed from him.
"I'll give you a lift, Farraday." Owen had an amused glint in his dark green eyes. "Eight o'clock, your place."
~
Bleurgh. Another non-moving chapter. Oh well. Next chapter: the bash at China Moon! (And of course, don't forget to click on the blue button at the bottom left-hand corner and review...()
~ Alison Alliterates
