AN: Airlia, what would I do with out you?

Inferno

Chapter 9: Wait and bleed

Just when you think life can't get any worse, Cassia thought, as she stumbled around one of the many corners of the Daybreakers H.Q. It fucking well does.

She still hadn't located her weapons and nor had she been able to find a Daybreaker who could tell her where they were. What a bunch of fucking incompetents! Cassia concluded swinging around yet another corner. This wasn't a mansion it was a fucking labyrinth! What she saw next stopped her dead in her tracks. Children crouched down weeping, Nightworlders circling them like hungry wolves, ready to tare then apart.

Gee, I guess I'm about to get myself into some deep shit. Cassia decided as she moved to their aid, her movements were automatic and there was no way she could stand by and watch as these children were tortured to death. She could withstand a lot of shit, she had been constructed that way but her morals forbade her to just run away. Her mind wouldn't be able to endure this trauma, not for whatever reason. It was time to make her parents proud.

There were three of them, one less than four and two more than one. Either way she was outnumbered and unarmed, not the best state to be in when you're going up against three sub human monsters. But what the hell!

Cassia took inventory, one vampire, one werewolf, and one shifter. Vampire first, shifters later. Cassia kicked out at fangface, catching him off guard and the vampire fell to the floor with a satisfying heavy thud. "Run! Run now!" Cassia barked at the quartet of children. What in hell are they doing here in the first place? She rattled to herself, as wolf man slashed her bandaged back. Cassia spun around, a good roundhouse put him down. But now the vampire was back on his feet and closing in, unsurprisingly he was trying to use mind tricks and hypnosis on her. She was partially immune which was to her own credit, but it was really god damn distracting while she was trying to work, hence the need for making the leech mummy fodder as soon as possible.

Whilst the shifter moved in on the attack the vampire manoeuvred himself to her back, there was no way in hell she was going to let Vlad behind her so he could get the jump on one of her most vulnerable areas. I need a weapon... Now! Cassia thought, as she side-stepped the shifters pounce. Wolfman was back and this time her roundhouse didn't connect, instead the wolf knocked her to the floor and skidded to a stop three paces away from her. Cassia flipped to her feet and felt a sharp pain stab her in the shoulder. The vampire had thrown a dagger at her and it was now embedded in her left shoulder. It wasn't the best way to acquire a weapon, but it would have to do. Without even considering the pain Cassia pulled the dagger free from her bleeding shoulder and pivoted on her heel to stab the wolf who was pouncing at her from behind. Her dagger thrust into the chest of the wolf, Cassia fell with the weight of the wolf on her and pushed the knife up into the monsters throat. It scrabbled at her stomach trying to turn her body into spaghetti; the he wolf screamed one last time before collapsing against her completely still.

Just as Cassia got to her feet from beneath the dead wolf, the shape shifter began to shift, flowing fur of black and white. The dainty little lily was a Siberian tiger. By now Cassia was beginning to feel dizzy once more, she could not afford to pass out whilst these two Nightworld scum was still alive or she was dead for sure. Cassia launched herself at the tigress bloody dagger in hand, the cat seemed to smile as if she was expecting this action, Cassia smiled back. She didn't go after the tigress at all. Instead she twin kicked the vampire whom had been trying to slink to her he back, leeches never seemed to learn. As he was going down she moved in closer slashing his eyes and grabbing a stake from his super duper utility belt. The vamp although in pain tried to sweep her feet as she plunged the stake downward she jumped the sweep and staked him with ease.

Cassia didn't have time to recover as the tigress pounced onto her back with a ferocious growl, she felt the searing pain of teeth bite into the back of her right shoulder and all Cassia could think to do was push the dagger into the tigresses' rib cage. The cat dropped off of her back and retreated. The cat stalked her spitting acid at her.

"Here kitty, kitty, kitty." Cassia wheezed. The tigress jumped for her, slashing her in the ribs, possible payback for what Cassia had done to her. Being this close Cassia could use the dagger to pierce the shifters heart. She growled and lashed at Cassia upper body, just like her cousin he wolf she collapsed in a heap, dead.

Cassia rolled away but her energies were depleted and she couldn't get her breath. Her vision was blurring over and her body was racked with pain. She glared up at the plain white ceiling trying to gasp in air, I refuse to die, I am not going to die, fuck you God you can't have me, now piss off. Cassia ranted, she was starting to feel sleepy and her body now felt warm, and the pain had become a dull thump through her body.

So suddenly a brilliant flash of light engulfed her, flashes of her biological parents, her first day at school, numerous training sessions with her many mentors, Marias smiling face, her first Nightworld kill at age fourteen and finally the smiling face of Flame Azure.

Wait. That wasn't a flash. He was actually standing there smiling down at her; he so wasn't the last person she wanted to see before she died. Another cruel twist of fate, she giggled to herself.

Flame leaned against the wall assessing the three dead Nightworld assassins. "Perhaps you were the best the Inferno had?" He commented kicking at his fallen comrades. "Never the less you're dying." This last part was said without feeling.

"No fucking shit, you're real fucking perceptive," coughed Cassia. She still couldn't breathe properly and her vision kept greying over. Flame was looking her over as if her bleeding broken body was something for sale.

He gave a grim smile and sighed. "I really don't care about your miserable life anymore vermin, I just want to know where the location of the enclave is."

Enclave? Does he mean The Serpents Lair? Wait, how did he know about that? It had taken her and the Inferno countless hours of torture, bribery and energy finding the location of it. No one else should have known. "Enclave? What's an enclave?" She answered, in her best dumb blonde tone.

Flame didn't look impressed, nor was he at all convinced by her little act. "The Serpents lair, one of the most secretive enclaves to exist in the Nightworld. You and your Inferno buddies," His smile widened to proportional amounts. "Were planning to hold a barbecue there in the impending future," He informed her. "Before I slaughtered them all of course."

She laughed mentally, a mixture of fury and frustration, it had taken so long to locate The Serpents lair, she, Shawn and Casey had been tracking and tracing for almost eight years to find it's location, and now Flame Azure wanted to know where it was, well she'd be damned if she was going to help this murderous bastard. "Why don't you just ask the council?"

Flame was beginning to look perplexed but replaced his flicker of annoyance with a predatory smile. "Because, dear girl," he began, in that light hearted singsong voice. "If I ask the council where The Serpents Lair is, and then it is raided and its inhabitants torn up into shit. They could hold me accountable for such a heinous act."

Realisation. "You didn't just hunt us down on Nightworld orders, you're working for someone else outside the Nightworld." She told herself aloud.

He nodded his agreement. "Well of course I am. The Nightworld council are simpering morons. They may be my nation but they didn't train me. I have other loyalties. Ones that I get well paid for, may I add." He said, his voice still in a singsong lilt. "And extracting the location of The Serpents Lair will increase my payment from two mill. to five mill." He took a step forward, stretching like a kitten interrupted from its afternoon nap. "So why don't you just give me the location" Flame finished, in that oh so reasonable voice.

"Location? Enclave?" Cassia repeated, enjoying her chance at pissing off the infamous assassin.

"That's right." Flame agreed, in a patronising tone, his body language screamed irritation.

Flinching slightly from a fresh roiling stampede of pain, Cassia fought to keep her smile and sarcasm. "You're talking shit Azure." She flinched again, closing her eyes to try and force the pain away. "Now go away so I can die in peace, God knows I've earned it."

Standing straight now, Flame stalked closer. "I'll leave you in peace." He told her evenly, as he bent down closer to her. "When you've told me."

Choked laughter. Cassia could still manage that. "You'll have a long wait then."

Flame grinned down at Cassia as he began to extend his senses toward her mind. "I've got forever." He said, as his mind brushed across a solid steel wall.

Cassia could feel his mind trying to slide through her mental defences and wanted to laugh, the memory of the pain it caused her though, convinced her not to. He was a persistent bastard, she'd grant him that, but a very talented witch had taught her precisely how to resist mind control, and even then Cassia's mental immunity to telepathy had been concrete. She had the many walls, shields and mountains she had erected after her families death to thank for that. "Ah ah ah," She told him. Waving a wobbly finger from side to side. "That's not very polite." And then, instead of giving him the information he wanted, she projected the grey, nauseous feelings that were trying to drown her.

Flame pulled back reflexively. Humans, so over dramatic. He could hear the disgust in his mental voice ringing in his ears. He settled back and set to destroying the vermins pitiful mind shields.

He was not amused by the little tricks Amara had taught her, she could tell from the way he was ramming his mind against hers, like a battering ram to a door. Cassia clenched her teeth and clamped her shields down. "Baaaaaaad lil Bloodsucka." She ground out, in her best school mistress voice.

Flame grinned, not missing the chance at a sexual innuendo. "Little?"

She raised a shaking hand to give him the finger, trying to push away the warm, drowsy feeling of sleep that was descending on her. Cassia tried to focus on the lain plaster wall ahead of her and did a double take before giggling. "Look," she tried to point behind him but gave up as she was without the energy. "I'm seeing nine of you."

Flame glanced over his shoulder and exchanged a knowing expression with his non Nightworld employer, mentor and the closest he got to a friend. Flame didn't know, nor did he really care why Chase wanted the location. The Nightworld council had ordered the Inferno's annihilation for a plentiful sum. Chase wanted the enclave's location from the Inferno; Flame didn't see any problems with either deal. They would both get what they wanted and he would get the payoff, everyone was happy. That of course had been a mistake, because there was a problem. Getting the information out of said vermin. He was beginning to regret playing with this girl, she had been nothing but trouble, aggravating fun. Flame sighed, glancing at the rest of Chase's group, appropriately named The Shadows. He turned his attention back to Cassia, smiling fondly, as you would to a child. "It's your lucky day."

Cassia scrunched up her face and pondered whether or not she was hallucinating from blood loss. "Is this hell? Because... I'm not feeling the heat or seeing Satan?" Cassia felt vaguely someone kneel at her side but she couldn't make out what they were doing.

One of the Shadows muttered. "Very funny," the sound dead in the air.

Flame watched the drowsy glee cross over her slackening features. "Wow, it can say words," she said. Flame couldn't help giving the vermin a little respect. By rights she should be dead and gibbering in fear of the onset of her non-existence, yet here she was still trying to get the last word.

He turned to look at Chase. "Your treat."

Flame kept a blank face as Chase raised his eyebrows. Torture could stop and start on those eyebrows. "You made the mess. If you'd just gotten the information before she got brought into CD we wouldn't be in this situation right now!"

"Hey, the information is right there." Flame grinned and pointed to Cassia.

Cassia tried to raise her arm to give Flame the finger. Great, I can't even flip him. Her eyes were drifting shut, her arms were growing cold and heavy. "I'm giving you the finger. Mentally." Her words passed through her lips clumsy and slurred.

She choked a laugh at Flame when Chase commented. "Remind me not to pay you."

Flame gave her the cold eye, if she could have Cassia would have mock shivered. Instead she settled for on "Frosty."

"Is this chick for real?" The someone who had kneeled by her remarked.

"Let me check." She made an attempt to feel at her body.

"You look like a suffocating fish." Flame said, meditatively.

"Sticks and stones may break my bone but here I am dying." Her voice had picked up his singsong rhythm.

"Swans death song." Flame told himself.

"Do I have a beak..."She slapped at her face, which was tingly like a local. "Oh my god... I don't have webbed feet..."She couldn't quite get the pitch of voice to indicate sarcasm.

"No shit." Flame rolled his eyes.

"She's fucking crazy." The witch at her side stated, and shook his head, moving away.

"Shh! No swearing!" Cassia looked around aimlessly. "This has happened before. The blood... not mine... werewolf... Mohawk... "

"Shouldn't she be dead?" Another of the Shadows asked.

"... It's pure will... Did you know he's being paid by the Nightworld?... Apparently... we scared..." Cassia said, her sentences disjointed, her voice heavy.

"Flame..." Chase said, almost chidingly.

Cassia began in a singsong voice. "Somebody's in-"

A huge thunk, as a fist hit muscle.

"-Trouble." Cassia rolled hr head to the side, and saw Flame in a heap. "Don't make me laugh! I will not laugh... ow..."She clutched her sides trying to squelch laughter.

"What can I say, four bird, two paychecks and one stone." Flame announced, hauling himself to his feet.

"Go bite a werewolf." Cassia bit out.

"You offering?"

"Lick it up!" Cassia looked horrified as Flame knelt beside her. "Not while I'm still breathing...I couldn't take it."

"Why don't you two continue this at a later date." Chase suggested in mild tones.

Cassia couldn't resist. "Because I'm dying you dumbass." She informed him, not necessarily heartbroken over the fact. "God, did all you fang fucks graduate from the same... ... ... school?" She fought hard to finish, as the urge to slip away into sleep increased.

Flame flashed a startling smile. "Sure, I just never graduated."

At this one of the senior witches stepped forward to mutter. "Excuse me Chase, but shouldn't we be interrogating her about the location of the enclave instead of trading snappy comebacks."

Cassia repeated her response to the question as before. Jonathan would probably have said she was having a blonde moment. "Enclave? Location?" Her voice was heavy and thick. She felt she had to carry on. "I didn't... want to die now... I just wanted... to, to kill...him... but beggars can't... choose..."She stopped abruptly and concentrated on watching Flame and the tall, brunette they called Chase. Chase? Hadn't she heard that name somewhere...She couldn't follow the thought. Both Chase and Flame seemed to be communicating. Flame was looking over his shoulder at Chase. Not good..."Hey... Flame... it's... all your fault... if you hadn't... then I... Jonathan..." She exhaled with relief as Flame moved away. Chase advanced, Cassia tried to devance. It didn't work, for some reason blood that made you slip when standing up trying to fight, stuck her to the spot. "Whaddya doing?" She eyed Chase as he fluidly crouched beside her, slitting his wrist with a dagger he produced from his belt. She had the epiphany. "No..."She managed to gurgle before his wrist was at her lips.

Warm. That's the only reason she could feel the blood in her mouth.

She tried to spit the rich heady liquid out, but it didn't work, she was too weak. She had the vague notion that it was drooling down her chin. The world had blocked out to just her and the blood.

Drink.

Orders, she hated orders. Fuck... off...

The blackness claimed her.