A/N Sorry this chapter has taken so long to get out. I've been having some serious writer's block on this story. But on the up side, I finished my first original script.:) So here it is. Enjoy!
Warning: This chapter contains some somewhat slashy undertones between Lillie and Charlie at one point. If you find this offensive or if it just plain grosses you out, I suggest you just lightly skim the scene. It really isn't that prominent though so most of you should not have a problem. It just seemed appropriate for the scene, so I had to write it this way. Sorry. If you don't have a problem with it, then, Enjoy.
Disclaimer: Why do I even do these things anymore? You guys know the drill. I own nothing.
Chapter 10
Charlie felt had felt anxious since entering The Haven earlier in the afternoon. So far, she'd just chalked it up to nerves about confronting Julian Luna. However, as she entered the gallery and approached the door to her loft, the Firestarter's anxiousness condensed into a softball sized pit at the bottom of her stomach. The door was open and there were huge claw marks on the door jam, as if some wild animal had been ripped away from it after hanging on for dear life. Charlie entered her apartment to find that the place had been totally demolished. Furniture and her various possessions littered the floor. It was quite obvious there had been one hell of a struggle.
She didn't even bother to call out to Cash. Charlie knew full well her boyfriend was already gone. This knowledge was only substantiated when a wave of images flooded her mind and nearly brought the Firestarter to her knees with the force of their intensity. She saw Cash standing in the middle of the living room. Then, a group of four or five figures in black burst through the loft door and attacked her lover. Cash struggled against the figures and was rewarded with a tranquilizer dart to the neck. Even drugged, Cash fought fist and fangs as they wrapped him in a net and a sheet before hauling him out the door into the harsh light of day.
Charlie cried out and collapsed as the vision came to an end. She pulled herself onto the torn up sofa and tried to think. Her first reaction was to think that this was the work of the Prince. But Cash wouldn't have struggled so much if he was to be taken to Luna. Then, she thought it could have been the Brujah. However, she knew those goons would have at least tried to rough Cash up. Brujah couldn't resist unneeded violence against a Gangrel and they'd probably be more likely to use a well placed punch than a tranquilizer dart. And both Cameron and Sasha knew what would happen to them if they threatened the Firestarter or her lover.
So, Charlie was left with the knowledge that someone had taken Cash against his will. And she had no idea who that someone was. She went over the past few months in her mind over and over to try to think of who might have done this. An image of a white haired man flitted across her mind's eye. Also, she remembered something Daedalus mentioned that afternoon about Kindred Hunters.
The Firestarter went into her room and emerged a moment later in head to toe red leather with the exception of a black tank top and boots. Behind her she dragged a weighty duffle bag. Charlie exited the loft with one thought on her mind: she had to get to Luna.
********************************************************************************
"What do you mean you can't find him?" Julian was seething. "And just how did you people manage to lose your own Primogen?" he asked the two Brujah neonates standing before him. The pair sputtered a bit and the Prince waved his hand indicating that they should leave. The Ventrue had called a Conclave meeting and only himself, Daedalus and Lillie had shown up. Cash had a reason to be late, as Julian hadn't wanted to call him at Charlie's until she'd had time to get there and talk to him. Cameron, on the other hand, seemed to have fallen off the face of the Earth without any sort of warning, even to his clanmates. Dealing with the Brujah boss always gave Julian a headache. And his day was only going to get worse.
Moments later, there was an audible scuffle outside the door of the Conclave room and a very pissed of Charlie McGee stormed into the room trailing Gangrel guards behind her. Julian rose to his feet as did Lillie and Daedalus who had been sitting in the chairs on either side of him.
"Miss McGee, what can I…" Julian started. He was quickly cut off.
"Cash is gone." Charlie said simply. The pain, worry, and rage in her eyes told him that whatever had befallen the Gangrel was not as simple as her words implied. She confirmed this by elaborating, "He was taken from my apartment."
Julian considered the girl for a moment. "I take it you realize I had nothing to do with it?"
"If I thought you had anything to do with it you'd already be dead." The Firestarter retorted. She said this with a complete lack of malice and the barest hint of amusement, almost as if it was the dumbest question she'd ever heard. Then, tears began to flood her eyes and she collapsed into the nearest Conclave chair, ironically Cash's. "I have no idea who took him."
Julian frowned and waved the panicked looking guards out of the room. "How do you know he was taken? Perhaps he just stepped out for a while."
"I doubt he'd have wrecked the place before stepping out." The Firestarter laughed bitterly. "And… I had a vision. Cash was being kidnapped by some masked guys in black. They shot him with a tranquilizer dart and dragged him out of there kicking and screaming."
The elder Kindred looked at each other anxiously. "You saw this?" Julian asked.
"I felt it. I felt everything as if it was all happening to me." Charlie choked out. Through her tears, she caught the looks the Primogen were giving each other and to her. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"The visions you describe are characteristic of a special bond among our people." Daedalus explained.
Charlie looked confused. "Bond? What kind of a bond?"
"The bond between a Mated pair. It results from a mutual Blood Bond between two Kindred." The Nosferatu explained.
Charlie's brow furrowed. "But I'm not Kindred. And whatever this Blood Bond is, Cash and I never did it… I think."
Daedalus nodded. "I don't know how it happened but it would explain the connection that you two have obviously had for quite some time."
The Firestarter nodded her understanding. She looked lost in thought for a few moments before addressing him again. "This bond you say we have… would it be stronger if I were Kindred? I mean, would it lead me to where Cash is?"
Daedalus frowned. "I can't say for certain. This has never happened between a human and Kindred, to my knowledge."
"In theory, then."
"In theory, yes, I believe the bond would be stronger between two Kindred than between a Kindred and a human. And usually, Mates are able to track each other, even over great distances." The Nosferatu replied, still frowning.
Charlie nodded, then turned to the Toreador Primogen with a look of renewed determination on her face. "In that case, Lillie, I'm prepared to accept your offer."
Lillie looked at her incredulously. "Come again?"
"I want you to Embrace me. That is, of course, if the offer is still open. If not, I'll just find a Gangrel willing to do it. They have that thing… What did you call it Daedalus? Free Embrace?" She gave the Prince a challenging look then gave Lillie a pleading one.
Julian considered her for a moment, frowning deeply, "I thought you wanted Cash to Embrace you, if you were to be Embraced at all."
The Firestarter glared at the Ventrue. "Well it's pretty much a moot point now, don't ya think? I mean, considering the fact that Cash may die before I can get to him, if I don't move now."
Julian sat up a bit straighter and his frown deepened. Lillie spoke softly to Charlie. "Do you really feel that Cash is in that much danger?"
Charlie's eyes filled with tears again and she became too choked up to speak. She simply nodded. Lillie could practically feel the worry and pain rolling off the girl. The Toreador thought over the situation briefly. Then, she arose from her seat and drew Charlie out of her's by the elbow. Without a word, she led Charlie toward the door leading to her private apartments above The Haven. The Toreador Primogen paused briefly at the exit to the Conclave room to turn toward her Prince and Daedalus. "If you gentlemen will excuse us, it seems we girls have some business to attend to.... My Prince."
Julian nodded and Lillie led Charlie out of the room. He turned to Daedalus who gave him a worrying look. The Nosferatu simply shook his head. The Prince called to his Gangrel guards who came in directly. "Both the Brujah and Gangrel Primogens are missing. This may be the work of Hunters. I want every Gangrel on the street to keep their eyes and ears open. Try to find out as much as you can about any suspicious humans lurking around The Haven or any other Kindred haunts. And I want this kept low profile. I don't want any Gangrels taking matters into their own hands."
The guards nodded and headed toward the door. The Prince called out to one of them, who was also his limo driver. "And Cory, watch your back. The Brujah are probably going to be difficult to deal with, with Cameron missing. I don't want any big conflicts to draw attention to us."
As the guards left, Julian turned to Daedalus. "Why do I have the feeling this is going to a lot worse before it gets better?"
*********************************************************************************************
Charlie gave the lush sitting room/bedroom with an impressed look. The room was done in deep reds and blues and rich creams and golds. A chaise lounge and a few overstuffed chairs as well as some antique wood furniture made up the décor of the sitting room. Meanwhile, on the other side of a richly carved Indian style doorway complete with rich, red brocade curtains lay the bedroom. Upon seeing such decadence, the Firestarter couldn't help but let out a whistle. In spite of the several months of friendship she'd built up with Lillie, this was the first time she'd seen this room.
"You like it? I had the furniture and wall dressings flown in from all over the world." Lillie said proudly.
"It's… nice. I especially like the Florentine fresco replicas." Charlie stated appreciatively.
"Hmmm. But those aren't replicas." Lillie said smiling. Then, an awkward silence fell over the two. Lillie studied Charlie for a few minutes. The girl was obviously quite nervous, but at the same time, her determination to do what she needed to do to find her lover had not wavered. The Toreador had to admire the young woman's dedication and passion for Cash. In fact, Charlie reminded Lillie much of herself at the start of her relationship will Julian. She'd been all fight and fire then, and that was all that Charlie was now. It was perhaps all that the girl had ever been. Ah, yes, she would make an excellent Toreador.
"So, how do we do this? I mean, you're the expert here, right? So, let's get down to it." Charlie said, breaking in to Lillie's thoughts. *And she's direct as well, maybe someday she'll be able to lead as Primogen and put that talent to use.* Lillie mused.
"You mean Cash hasn't explained the process to you?"
"He told me generally how an Embrace works. You drain my blood and replace it with yours. He kinda glossed over the specifics though." Charlie watched Lillie approach her. She got the distinct feeling of being stalked as a panther would stalk its prey. By this time Lillie's eye's had changed color completely. The irises had gone from a clear azure blue to being a milky blue color with streaks of aqua around the edges.
The Toreador's fangs were slightly elongated, which gave her a bit of a lisp as she spoke. She edged her way closer to Charlie, circling the Firestarter as a cat would a mouse. Lillie got progressively closer to the girl until she was literally breathing down Charlie's neck, albeit softly. "Well, first, I drain you through a bite on the neck. I'll try to make it as painless as possible, so don't worry."
Charlie's eyes began to get heavy as she listened to the hypnotic quality of Lillie's voice. The Kindred could hear her heartbeat wildly within her breast like that of a rabbit. "Then, before the point of death, I'll stop to open one of my own veins for you to drink from."
Lillie was so close by now, she was actually whispering into Charlie's ear. The act sent shivers down the human's spine, both from the fear it instinctively provoked and from the somewhat erotic quality the words seemed to take on. "After the actual Embrace, you'll go through a period we call First Torment. This is when your body actually changes to accommodate Kindred powers and needs. It is quite painful, but that can't be helped. Once it is over you'll be Kindred, Clan Toreador. I'll be your Sire and I'll teach you what you need to know. And above all, you'll be free."
The Toreador turned Charlie's face up so that she could meet the girl's somewhat glazed eyes. "Are you sure this is what you want? You'll be able to be with Cash but you will never be his blood."
Charlie nodded. "I'm ready."
Without further ado, Lillie bit down on Charlie's jugular, swiftly yet gently. As promised, she tried to spare Charlie as much pain as possible. As soon as the girl's blood touched her throat, Lillie felt power rush through her. The taste was extremely heady and the Toreador felt like fire was washing through her veins. It was something she had not felt since her own First Torment. It was different this time, though, there was no pain in the burning sensation, only power. It was almost addictive. Almost before Lillie realized it, Charlie's heart rate was slowing down at a dangerous rate. She had to literally drag herself away from the open wound in the girl's neck.
Hesitating momentarily because of the head rush Charlie's blood had given her, Lillie caught the girl, who was now slumping back in her arms. She bit down hard on her own wrist, slashing open several of the veins in the process so the wound would bleed freely a while before healing itself. She brought the wrist to Charlie's mouth and urged her to drink. Almost as soon as she did so, the power she'd gained from the Firestarter's blood seemed to wane. But the warmth of it remained and Lillie was content to let the power return to its rightful owner.
When Charlie, had taken enough, Lillie led her to the bedroom and laid her down upon the lush velvet comforter on the bed. Before she left in search of prey to replenish her strength and expedite the way through Charlie's First Torment, she stroked the sleeping girl's hair softly and whispered in her ear. "Sleep well my Childe. You have a long night ahead of you."
With that, Lillie walked out of the room. She pulled the curtains closed in the bedroom's doorway, and locked the door to the sitting room so that no one would disturb her new Childe until she returned. The sound proof walls of the upper rooms would prevent the patrons of The Haven from being privy to the pain Charlie would soon be going through.
It was for this reason that the Toreador Primogen did not hear it a few moments later when Charlie bolted upright in bed and screamed. Flames shot across her eyes and out of her hands to lick the wooden posts of the antique four-poster bed. The newest fledgling Toreador felt her body wracked with spasms as she screamed over and over the same word. The name of her lover: Cash.
A/N There it is. Hehehe. *rubs her hands together sinisterly* Another cliffhanger for ya. I'm evil, I know. But tell me how you like this one. I've already got the next chapter underway so it shouldn't take as long as this one did. So, hope you enjoyed it. R&R please.
Warning: This chapter contains some somewhat slashy undertones between Lillie and Charlie at one point. If you find this offensive or if it just plain grosses you out, I suggest you just lightly skim the scene. It really isn't that prominent though so most of you should not have a problem. It just seemed appropriate for the scene, so I had to write it this way. Sorry. If you don't have a problem with it, then, Enjoy.
Disclaimer: Why do I even do these things anymore? You guys know the drill. I own nothing.
Chapter 10
Charlie felt had felt anxious since entering The Haven earlier in the afternoon. So far, she'd just chalked it up to nerves about confronting Julian Luna. However, as she entered the gallery and approached the door to her loft, the Firestarter's anxiousness condensed into a softball sized pit at the bottom of her stomach. The door was open and there were huge claw marks on the door jam, as if some wild animal had been ripped away from it after hanging on for dear life. Charlie entered her apartment to find that the place had been totally demolished. Furniture and her various possessions littered the floor. It was quite obvious there had been one hell of a struggle.
She didn't even bother to call out to Cash. Charlie knew full well her boyfriend was already gone. This knowledge was only substantiated when a wave of images flooded her mind and nearly brought the Firestarter to her knees with the force of their intensity. She saw Cash standing in the middle of the living room. Then, a group of four or five figures in black burst through the loft door and attacked her lover. Cash struggled against the figures and was rewarded with a tranquilizer dart to the neck. Even drugged, Cash fought fist and fangs as they wrapped him in a net and a sheet before hauling him out the door into the harsh light of day.
Charlie cried out and collapsed as the vision came to an end. She pulled herself onto the torn up sofa and tried to think. Her first reaction was to think that this was the work of the Prince. But Cash wouldn't have struggled so much if he was to be taken to Luna. Then, she thought it could have been the Brujah. However, she knew those goons would have at least tried to rough Cash up. Brujah couldn't resist unneeded violence against a Gangrel and they'd probably be more likely to use a well placed punch than a tranquilizer dart. And both Cameron and Sasha knew what would happen to them if they threatened the Firestarter or her lover.
So, Charlie was left with the knowledge that someone had taken Cash against his will. And she had no idea who that someone was. She went over the past few months in her mind over and over to try to think of who might have done this. An image of a white haired man flitted across her mind's eye. Also, she remembered something Daedalus mentioned that afternoon about Kindred Hunters.
The Firestarter went into her room and emerged a moment later in head to toe red leather with the exception of a black tank top and boots. Behind her she dragged a weighty duffle bag. Charlie exited the loft with one thought on her mind: she had to get to Luna.
********************************************************************************
"What do you mean you can't find him?" Julian was seething. "And just how did you people manage to lose your own Primogen?" he asked the two Brujah neonates standing before him. The pair sputtered a bit and the Prince waved his hand indicating that they should leave. The Ventrue had called a Conclave meeting and only himself, Daedalus and Lillie had shown up. Cash had a reason to be late, as Julian hadn't wanted to call him at Charlie's until she'd had time to get there and talk to him. Cameron, on the other hand, seemed to have fallen off the face of the Earth without any sort of warning, even to his clanmates. Dealing with the Brujah boss always gave Julian a headache. And his day was only going to get worse.
Moments later, there was an audible scuffle outside the door of the Conclave room and a very pissed of Charlie McGee stormed into the room trailing Gangrel guards behind her. Julian rose to his feet as did Lillie and Daedalus who had been sitting in the chairs on either side of him.
"Miss McGee, what can I…" Julian started. He was quickly cut off.
"Cash is gone." Charlie said simply. The pain, worry, and rage in her eyes told him that whatever had befallen the Gangrel was not as simple as her words implied. She confirmed this by elaborating, "He was taken from my apartment."
Julian considered the girl for a moment. "I take it you realize I had nothing to do with it?"
"If I thought you had anything to do with it you'd already be dead." The Firestarter retorted. She said this with a complete lack of malice and the barest hint of amusement, almost as if it was the dumbest question she'd ever heard. Then, tears began to flood her eyes and she collapsed into the nearest Conclave chair, ironically Cash's. "I have no idea who took him."
Julian frowned and waved the panicked looking guards out of the room. "How do you know he was taken? Perhaps he just stepped out for a while."
"I doubt he'd have wrecked the place before stepping out." The Firestarter laughed bitterly. "And… I had a vision. Cash was being kidnapped by some masked guys in black. They shot him with a tranquilizer dart and dragged him out of there kicking and screaming."
The elder Kindred looked at each other anxiously. "You saw this?" Julian asked.
"I felt it. I felt everything as if it was all happening to me." Charlie choked out. Through her tears, she caught the looks the Primogen were giving each other and to her. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"The visions you describe are characteristic of a special bond among our people." Daedalus explained.
Charlie looked confused. "Bond? What kind of a bond?"
"The bond between a Mated pair. It results from a mutual Blood Bond between two Kindred." The Nosferatu explained.
Charlie's brow furrowed. "But I'm not Kindred. And whatever this Blood Bond is, Cash and I never did it… I think."
Daedalus nodded. "I don't know how it happened but it would explain the connection that you two have obviously had for quite some time."
The Firestarter nodded her understanding. She looked lost in thought for a few moments before addressing him again. "This bond you say we have… would it be stronger if I were Kindred? I mean, would it lead me to where Cash is?"
Daedalus frowned. "I can't say for certain. This has never happened between a human and Kindred, to my knowledge."
"In theory, then."
"In theory, yes, I believe the bond would be stronger between two Kindred than between a Kindred and a human. And usually, Mates are able to track each other, even over great distances." The Nosferatu replied, still frowning.
Charlie nodded, then turned to the Toreador Primogen with a look of renewed determination on her face. "In that case, Lillie, I'm prepared to accept your offer."
Lillie looked at her incredulously. "Come again?"
"I want you to Embrace me. That is, of course, if the offer is still open. If not, I'll just find a Gangrel willing to do it. They have that thing… What did you call it Daedalus? Free Embrace?" She gave the Prince a challenging look then gave Lillie a pleading one.
Julian considered her for a moment, frowning deeply, "I thought you wanted Cash to Embrace you, if you were to be Embraced at all."
The Firestarter glared at the Ventrue. "Well it's pretty much a moot point now, don't ya think? I mean, considering the fact that Cash may die before I can get to him, if I don't move now."
Julian sat up a bit straighter and his frown deepened. Lillie spoke softly to Charlie. "Do you really feel that Cash is in that much danger?"
Charlie's eyes filled with tears again and she became too choked up to speak. She simply nodded. Lillie could practically feel the worry and pain rolling off the girl. The Toreador thought over the situation briefly. Then, she arose from her seat and drew Charlie out of her's by the elbow. Without a word, she led Charlie toward the door leading to her private apartments above The Haven. The Toreador Primogen paused briefly at the exit to the Conclave room to turn toward her Prince and Daedalus. "If you gentlemen will excuse us, it seems we girls have some business to attend to.... My Prince."
Julian nodded and Lillie led Charlie out of the room. He turned to Daedalus who gave him a worrying look. The Nosferatu simply shook his head. The Prince called to his Gangrel guards who came in directly. "Both the Brujah and Gangrel Primogens are missing. This may be the work of Hunters. I want every Gangrel on the street to keep their eyes and ears open. Try to find out as much as you can about any suspicious humans lurking around The Haven or any other Kindred haunts. And I want this kept low profile. I don't want any Gangrels taking matters into their own hands."
The guards nodded and headed toward the door. The Prince called out to one of them, who was also his limo driver. "And Cory, watch your back. The Brujah are probably going to be difficult to deal with, with Cameron missing. I don't want any big conflicts to draw attention to us."
As the guards left, Julian turned to Daedalus. "Why do I have the feeling this is going to a lot worse before it gets better?"
*********************************************************************************************
Charlie gave the lush sitting room/bedroom with an impressed look. The room was done in deep reds and blues and rich creams and golds. A chaise lounge and a few overstuffed chairs as well as some antique wood furniture made up the décor of the sitting room. Meanwhile, on the other side of a richly carved Indian style doorway complete with rich, red brocade curtains lay the bedroom. Upon seeing such decadence, the Firestarter couldn't help but let out a whistle. In spite of the several months of friendship she'd built up with Lillie, this was the first time she'd seen this room.
"You like it? I had the furniture and wall dressings flown in from all over the world." Lillie said proudly.
"It's… nice. I especially like the Florentine fresco replicas." Charlie stated appreciatively.
"Hmmm. But those aren't replicas." Lillie said smiling. Then, an awkward silence fell over the two. Lillie studied Charlie for a few minutes. The girl was obviously quite nervous, but at the same time, her determination to do what she needed to do to find her lover had not wavered. The Toreador had to admire the young woman's dedication and passion for Cash. In fact, Charlie reminded Lillie much of herself at the start of her relationship will Julian. She'd been all fight and fire then, and that was all that Charlie was now. It was perhaps all that the girl had ever been. Ah, yes, she would make an excellent Toreador.
"So, how do we do this? I mean, you're the expert here, right? So, let's get down to it." Charlie said, breaking in to Lillie's thoughts. *And she's direct as well, maybe someday she'll be able to lead as Primogen and put that talent to use.* Lillie mused.
"You mean Cash hasn't explained the process to you?"
"He told me generally how an Embrace works. You drain my blood and replace it with yours. He kinda glossed over the specifics though." Charlie watched Lillie approach her. She got the distinct feeling of being stalked as a panther would stalk its prey. By this time Lillie's eye's had changed color completely. The irises had gone from a clear azure blue to being a milky blue color with streaks of aqua around the edges.
The Toreador's fangs were slightly elongated, which gave her a bit of a lisp as she spoke. She edged her way closer to Charlie, circling the Firestarter as a cat would a mouse. Lillie got progressively closer to the girl until she was literally breathing down Charlie's neck, albeit softly. "Well, first, I drain you through a bite on the neck. I'll try to make it as painless as possible, so don't worry."
Charlie's eyes began to get heavy as she listened to the hypnotic quality of Lillie's voice. The Kindred could hear her heartbeat wildly within her breast like that of a rabbit. "Then, before the point of death, I'll stop to open one of my own veins for you to drink from."
Lillie was so close by now, she was actually whispering into Charlie's ear. The act sent shivers down the human's spine, both from the fear it instinctively provoked and from the somewhat erotic quality the words seemed to take on. "After the actual Embrace, you'll go through a period we call First Torment. This is when your body actually changes to accommodate Kindred powers and needs. It is quite painful, but that can't be helped. Once it is over you'll be Kindred, Clan Toreador. I'll be your Sire and I'll teach you what you need to know. And above all, you'll be free."
The Toreador turned Charlie's face up so that she could meet the girl's somewhat glazed eyes. "Are you sure this is what you want? You'll be able to be with Cash but you will never be his blood."
Charlie nodded. "I'm ready."
Without further ado, Lillie bit down on Charlie's jugular, swiftly yet gently. As promised, she tried to spare Charlie as much pain as possible. As soon as the girl's blood touched her throat, Lillie felt power rush through her. The taste was extremely heady and the Toreador felt like fire was washing through her veins. It was something she had not felt since her own First Torment. It was different this time, though, there was no pain in the burning sensation, only power. It was almost addictive. Almost before Lillie realized it, Charlie's heart rate was slowing down at a dangerous rate. She had to literally drag herself away from the open wound in the girl's neck.
Hesitating momentarily because of the head rush Charlie's blood had given her, Lillie caught the girl, who was now slumping back in her arms. She bit down hard on her own wrist, slashing open several of the veins in the process so the wound would bleed freely a while before healing itself. She brought the wrist to Charlie's mouth and urged her to drink. Almost as soon as she did so, the power she'd gained from the Firestarter's blood seemed to wane. But the warmth of it remained and Lillie was content to let the power return to its rightful owner.
When Charlie, had taken enough, Lillie led her to the bedroom and laid her down upon the lush velvet comforter on the bed. Before she left in search of prey to replenish her strength and expedite the way through Charlie's First Torment, she stroked the sleeping girl's hair softly and whispered in her ear. "Sleep well my Childe. You have a long night ahead of you."
With that, Lillie walked out of the room. She pulled the curtains closed in the bedroom's doorway, and locked the door to the sitting room so that no one would disturb her new Childe until she returned. The sound proof walls of the upper rooms would prevent the patrons of The Haven from being privy to the pain Charlie would soon be going through.
It was for this reason that the Toreador Primogen did not hear it a few moments later when Charlie bolted upright in bed and screamed. Flames shot across her eyes and out of her hands to lick the wooden posts of the antique four-poster bed. The newest fledgling Toreador felt her body wracked with spasms as she screamed over and over the same word. The name of her lover: Cash.
A/N There it is. Hehehe. *rubs her hands together sinisterly* Another cliffhanger for ya. I'm evil, I know. But tell me how you like this one. I've already got the next chapter underway so it shouldn't take as long as this one did. So, hope you enjoyed it. R&R please.