"Pleasure to meet you, Shay—"
He was interrupted by the sound of scratching and of breaking wood. They both looked to see two pairs of clawed hands digging at the bottom of the closet door. Shay'Telnira grinned.
"This ought to be interesting. The door will reshape in a moment."
The two continued to watch as there was a sudden magical sound and the wood of the door flowed like water and smoothed over the damaged section, solidifying into a whole door, eradicating in seconds what it had taken the two brothers five minutes to do. There was a resounding curse and silence for a moment. Then Turel began clawing at the center of the door to get through it.
"Give it 110%!" Rahab told him. The scratching stopped, and they heard Turel take in a big breath, then let it out very slowly. Then the scratching started again.
"Turel?"
"Shut. Up."
"Turel?"
"Shut-up!"
1 "TUR—"
"SHUT-UP!!"
"Okay." Rahab fell silent. After long moments of Turel scratching at the door, he finally got a hole big enough to crawl through. Rahab followed him and the door repaired itself.
"Wow," Rahab commented. "You made it out all without the help of this." He held up a hatchet. Turel stared at him blankly.
"Oh! I forgot I had that in there." Shay'Telnira stepped forward and pulled it out of Rahab's hands, which he relinquished unwillingly.
" . . . You had that the entire time?" Turel asked slowly.
"Yeah."
"And you didn't tell me?!"
"I tried! You told me to shut-up!"
Turel continued to look at him blankly, then his expression twisted.
"I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!!"
Turel began to chase Rahab around in a fight that Shay'Telnira realized was going to end in Rahab's death if Turel got a hold of him. She caught both of them.
"I'm going to subject both of you to the worst torture for vampires if you don't stop trying to kill each other right now!"
"Oh?" Turel challenged. "What are you going to do?!"
Without giving him an answer, she turned and went into another room. In the room was an open-top aquarium and a burning cauldron. She held Rahab over the fire and Turel over the water. Both vampires squeaked in fear.
"Can't we do this the other way around?" Rahab pleaded.
"Hey!" came the angry yell from Turel.
"No," she replied calmly.
"Why not?!"
"Because you want me to," was the response. "Now, are you two going to behave?" Both brothers were clinging to her hands like drowning sailors to a rope.
"Yeah! Yeah! We'll be good! We'll be good!"
"All right," she murmured, pulling them away. "Good boys." She walked back into the main room and set the two down.
"Now be good."
"All right! All right!"
She settled down in a chair with the brothers across from her. They stared uneasily at her. She stared right back. Abruptly, there was a knock at the door.
"Come," she called. To the surprise of the brothers, her voice had adopted a sort of regal tone and she sat up straighter. When Ker'orin poked his head in, she visibly relaxed.
"Hello, Orin. What can I do for you?"
"The Empress wants you. And bring the vampire children with you." His head disappeared as Shay'Telnira sighed and stood.
"Come with me." Her tone left no room for arguments. She led them down the halls that they had come down before, then took a sudden turn and headed into the depths of the cathedral. She came to a huge chamber with a large ornate throne on the opposite end. The brothers again saw the woman with lightning-colored hair they had seen on the way in. In front of her, floating above her lap and eye level, was a large crystal which she gazed intently at. Shay'Telnira inclined her head.
"You summoned me?"
The Empress broke her gaze of the crystal and looked at Shay'Telnira.
"Yes. These children are Kain's brood who apparently wanted an adventure and sneaked out for one. I need you to take them home."
"Why me?" Shay'Telnira demanded. "Why not one of the others?"
The Empress' eyes narrowed. "You will do it, Shay'Telnira."
Shay'Telnira gulped. "Of . . . of course." She turned to the brothers. "Come along."
They followed quietly behind her as she walked out of the chamber and out into the city. Raziel drew up next to her.
"What do you plan to do?"
"Hmm?" She shook her head to bring herself to the present and looked at him. "What do you mean, 'What do I plan to do'?"
"Well, she gave you an order. Are you going to follow it?"
Shay'Telnira looked back at the fortress and shivered slightly.
"Yes. Yes, this order I'll obey."
She suddenly noticed Turel was snickering behind her.
"What?!" she demanded, turning to him. Laughing openly now, he pointed at her body. She looked down and to find she was still wearing the silk nightgown. She sighed deeply and paused in thought. On one claw, she could go back and change. On the other, she didn't want to spend the time going back. Plus, if she showed it bothered her, she knew Turel would never let her forget it. She tipped her head up and continued walking. Turel shrugged and continued after her. He certainly wasn't complaining.
She led down the tunnel, then down the twists and turns of the path. They passed the flat dais where they had first met the demon and Ker'orin. Melchiah walked next to her, telling her all about the encounter. When Turel growled at him to shut up, Shay'Telnira fixed him with a piercing gaze and said in a tone of voice that bode no good will for those who argued that Melchiah was free to talk about what he wanted. She gladly listened to the little one rant.
The group finally reached the Sanctuary of the Clans when he finished his tale.
"There you are!" a voice shouted. Raziel looked up.
"Hey! It's Kain!"
Five smaller shapes shot by him as his brothers launched themselves onto the master vampire. He hugged them, then set them down and looked at them.
"Now, what happened?" Kain asked slowly.
"It's her fault!" Zephon told him, pointing to Shay'Telnira.
"What?!" she demanded.
"It was. It was all her fault."
Kain's eyebrow raised and he looked at Dumah who nodded. Then it went to Rahab who looked like he was about to shake his head when he saw Dumah's angry glare and nodded hastily. Kain's gaze went to Melchiah only to see him still playing with the toys. He moved onto Turel who nodded as well, then finally to Raziel who shook his head. Kain sighed.
"All right. What actually happened?"
"Daddy's boy!" Dumah shouted.
"It was his idea," Raziel told Kain, pointing to Dumah.
"HEY! Traitor!"
"Oh! So you're admitting it?"
"Arrgghhh!!" Dumah pounced on Raziel and the two started wrestling. Kain sighed deeply.
"My sons couldn't be more juvenile." He looked up to see the woman who had led them down was leaning up against the wall laughing. She had ebony black hair except for sapphire blue bangs and looked about eighteen. She wore a silk nightgown and had a tail and a pair of wings. She sobered the instant she saw he was looking at her. She stood straight and curtsied.
"And you are?"
"I am Shay'Telnira, my Lord." As she said her name, one of his eyebrows raised in a mixture of surprise and recognition. She noticed it.
"What is it?"
"You wouldn't happen to be Shay'Telnira, daughter of the Empress, would you?"
She nodded her head slightly. "That I am, my Lord."
The brothers focused their attention on her curiously. Even Raziel and Dumah looked up at her. This was a new development.
"Why were you leading my sons down? I wouldn't wish them on any lady of such distinguished blood."
She made a face. "I got stuck baby-sitting."
He chuckled, recognizing the look of disgust in her face. "How did that go?"
"I think I established myself as either next to or above Raziel on the pecking chain."
Kain hid a secretive, pleased smile.
"Well, now that you boys are home," Shay'Telnira told them, "I'm going to head home."
She turned and started walking up the path. Zephon's voice stopped her.
"Can we come visit you sometime?"
She turned back to them. "You just accused me of your little adventure and now you want to know if you can come visit me?"
"Well . . . yeah! It may have been your fault, but it was fun."
She just shook her head in exasperation and turned away to walk up the path again.
"So can we?"
"I don't care," she answered over her shoulder and shrugged her arms wide so they could see her. "Ask my mother if you really want to. As long as I don't end up baby-sitting again!"
Kain watched her walk up the trail with a raised eyebrow and an amused and considering smile.
He was interrupted by the sound of scratching and of breaking wood. They both looked to see two pairs of clawed hands digging at the bottom of the closet door. Shay'Telnira grinned.
"This ought to be interesting. The door will reshape in a moment."
The two continued to watch as there was a sudden magical sound and the wood of the door flowed like water and smoothed over the damaged section, solidifying into a whole door, eradicating in seconds what it had taken the two brothers five minutes to do. There was a resounding curse and silence for a moment. Then Turel began clawing at the center of the door to get through it.
"Give it 110%!" Rahab told him. The scratching stopped, and they heard Turel take in a big breath, then let it out very slowly. Then the scratching started again.
"Turel?"
"Shut. Up."
"Turel?"
"Shut-up!"
1 "TUR—"
"SHUT-UP!!"
"Okay." Rahab fell silent. After long moments of Turel scratching at the door, he finally got a hole big enough to crawl through. Rahab followed him and the door repaired itself.
"Wow," Rahab commented. "You made it out all without the help of this." He held up a hatchet. Turel stared at him blankly.
"Oh! I forgot I had that in there." Shay'Telnira stepped forward and pulled it out of Rahab's hands, which he relinquished unwillingly.
" . . . You had that the entire time?" Turel asked slowly.
"Yeah."
"And you didn't tell me?!"
"I tried! You told me to shut-up!"
Turel continued to look at him blankly, then his expression twisted.
"I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!!"
Turel began to chase Rahab around in a fight that Shay'Telnira realized was going to end in Rahab's death if Turel got a hold of him. She caught both of them.
"I'm going to subject both of you to the worst torture for vampires if you don't stop trying to kill each other right now!"
"Oh?" Turel challenged. "What are you going to do?!"
Without giving him an answer, she turned and went into another room. In the room was an open-top aquarium and a burning cauldron. She held Rahab over the fire and Turel over the water. Both vampires squeaked in fear.
"Can't we do this the other way around?" Rahab pleaded.
"Hey!" came the angry yell from Turel.
"No," she replied calmly.
"Why not?!"
"Because you want me to," was the response. "Now, are you two going to behave?" Both brothers were clinging to her hands like drowning sailors to a rope.
"Yeah! Yeah! We'll be good! We'll be good!"
"All right," she murmured, pulling them away. "Good boys." She walked back into the main room and set the two down.
"Now be good."
"All right! All right!"
She settled down in a chair with the brothers across from her. They stared uneasily at her. She stared right back. Abruptly, there was a knock at the door.
"Come," she called. To the surprise of the brothers, her voice had adopted a sort of regal tone and she sat up straighter. When Ker'orin poked his head in, she visibly relaxed.
"Hello, Orin. What can I do for you?"
"The Empress wants you. And bring the vampire children with you." His head disappeared as Shay'Telnira sighed and stood.
"Come with me." Her tone left no room for arguments. She led them down the halls that they had come down before, then took a sudden turn and headed into the depths of the cathedral. She came to a huge chamber with a large ornate throne on the opposite end. The brothers again saw the woman with lightning-colored hair they had seen on the way in. In front of her, floating above her lap and eye level, was a large crystal which she gazed intently at. Shay'Telnira inclined her head.
"You summoned me?"
The Empress broke her gaze of the crystal and looked at Shay'Telnira.
"Yes. These children are Kain's brood who apparently wanted an adventure and sneaked out for one. I need you to take them home."
"Why me?" Shay'Telnira demanded. "Why not one of the others?"
The Empress' eyes narrowed. "You will do it, Shay'Telnira."
Shay'Telnira gulped. "Of . . . of course." She turned to the brothers. "Come along."
They followed quietly behind her as she walked out of the chamber and out into the city. Raziel drew up next to her.
"What do you plan to do?"
"Hmm?" She shook her head to bring herself to the present and looked at him. "What do you mean, 'What do I plan to do'?"
"Well, she gave you an order. Are you going to follow it?"
Shay'Telnira looked back at the fortress and shivered slightly.
"Yes. Yes, this order I'll obey."
She suddenly noticed Turel was snickering behind her.
"What?!" she demanded, turning to him. Laughing openly now, he pointed at her body. She looked down and to find she was still wearing the silk nightgown. She sighed deeply and paused in thought. On one claw, she could go back and change. On the other, she didn't want to spend the time going back. Plus, if she showed it bothered her, she knew Turel would never let her forget it. She tipped her head up and continued walking. Turel shrugged and continued after her. He certainly wasn't complaining.
She led down the tunnel, then down the twists and turns of the path. They passed the flat dais where they had first met the demon and Ker'orin. Melchiah walked next to her, telling her all about the encounter. When Turel growled at him to shut up, Shay'Telnira fixed him with a piercing gaze and said in a tone of voice that bode no good will for those who argued that Melchiah was free to talk about what he wanted. She gladly listened to the little one rant.
The group finally reached the Sanctuary of the Clans when he finished his tale.
"There you are!" a voice shouted. Raziel looked up.
"Hey! It's Kain!"
Five smaller shapes shot by him as his brothers launched themselves onto the master vampire. He hugged them, then set them down and looked at them.
"Now, what happened?" Kain asked slowly.
"It's her fault!" Zephon told him, pointing to Shay'Telnira.
"What?!" she demanded.
"It was. It was all her fault."
Kain's eyebrow raised and he looked at Dumah who nodded. Then it went to Rahab who looked like he was about to shake his head when he saw Dumah's angry glare and nodded hastily. Kain's gaze went to Melchiah only to see him still playing with the toys. He moved onto Turel who nodded as well, then finally to Raziel who shook his head. Kain sighed.
"All right. What actually happened?"
"Daddy's boy!" Dumah shouted.
"It was his idea," Raziel told Kain, pointing to Dumah.
"HEY! Traitor!"
"Oh! So you're admitting it?"
"Arrgghhh!!" Dumah pounced on Raziel and the two started wrestling. Kain sighed deeply.
"My sons couldn't be more juvenile." He looked up to see the woman who had led them down was leaning up against the wall laughing. She had ebony black hair except for sapphire blue bangs and looked about eighteen. She wore a silk nightgown and had a tail and a pair of wings. She sobered the instant she saw he was looking at her. She stood straight and curtsied.
"And you are?"
"I am Shay'Telnira, my Lord." As she said her name, one of his eyebrows raised in a mixture of surprise and recognition. She noticed it.
"What is it?"
"You wouldn't happen to be Shay'Telnira, daughter of the Empress, would you?"
She nodded her head slightly. "That I am, my Lord."
The brothers focused their attention on her curiously. Even Raziel and Dumah looked up at her. This was a new development.
"Why were you leading my sons down? I wouldn't wish them on any lady of such distinguished blood."
She made a face. "I got stuck baby-sitting."
He chuckled, recognizing the look of disgust in her face. "How did that go?"
"I think I established myself as either next to or above Raziel on the pecking chain."
Kain hid a secretive, pleased smile.
"Well, now that you boys are home," Shay'Telnira told them, "I'm going to head home."
She turned and started walking up the path. Zephon's voice stopped her.
"Can we come visit you sometime?"
She turned back to them. "You just accused me of your little adventure and now you want to know if you can come visit me?"
"Well . . . yeah! It may have been your fault, but it was fun."
She just shook her head in exasperation and turned away to walk up the path again.
"So can we?"
"I don't care," she answered over her shoulder and shrugged her arms wide so they could see her. "Ask my mother if you really want to. As long as I don't end up baby-sitting again!"
Kain watched her walk up the trail with a raised eyebrow and an amused and considering smile.