Sands & Victoria Night 3 part 8
Part A
Sands: Hunter mode. I need to get intelligence. "Victoria, looks like you will be meeting the Guardians tonight," I tell her, as we head down the staircase. "We'll need info on what Jacob has been up to recently, his hideouts, his haunts. I expect we'll discover he's turned Viscalli on us."
Thoughts race. Ammo. Weapon for Victoria. "Do you know how to handle a gun?"
Victoria: "No." I pause. "Nothing modern, the old weapons we used to have around the revolution." I tilt my head dismissively. I follow him, his steps are hurried. "Can he do that? Turn Viscalli, I mean?"
Sands: Well, no modern weapons, just peachy. "You can choose to switch clans. It's not done often. Our blood binds us to those who create us and to those who created them. While I'm not linked to Abberline directly, since Lilith has chosen him as her partner, he is my clan leader, too. I could rebel and go von Stern or something." I've never thought to explain this to another before.
Victoria: "This is all so confusing. Lilith is your maker, you're bound to her, that I understand, the rest is sketchy." How ignorant I sound, it makes me so angry. "I'm sorry," I blurt out. "Connor, I mean Jacob never taught me anything. He always said that I was his, and that's all I needed to know."
Sands:
"What a crock." We've gone down two flights. I am anxious to get out of here now. "I can't wait to chop his head off. I should have done it before, but Lilith wouldn't let me. I'll never understand why she turned the bastard."
Victoria: "I know why he turned me, it was because of her." I can feel his anger. "Can you teach me to use a weapon in such a short period of time?" I turn my head to look at his eyes.
Sands: I can't help but smile. "Yeah. What do you mean, because of her? You don't blame Lilith, do you?" This causes me to come to a halt somewhere just below ground level.
Victoria: Oh, hit a nerve. I stop and look directly at him. "No, I blame him. I don't know what caused Connor to be sent away, or what made him so dark. He wanted to lash out. I rejected him so that made me the likely candidate for his wrath."
Sands: "Then what 'her' were you referring to?" Does she realize how loyal I am to Lilith even now that she's chosen Abberline?
Victoria: "No , I meant your Lilith. " This is going to get really ugly I can feel it. "Connor could never have hurt her the way he wanted to. He really loved her in his own twisted way. So instead he hurt me, and as Abberline commented, others too." I take a deep breath and wait.
Sands: "So, you'll help to kill him. It will make you feel better. Believe me, despite what Abberline says." I start back down the stairs.
Victoria: I reach out and touch his arm. "I almost did the last time I saw him, since then I've been running because I knew what he'd do to me when he caught up."
Sands: "Next time, act on your instinct," I tell her. We're finally down to the floor we need. I pull open the door and we step into the hall. Things are buzzing. I guess the little nugget of news I dropped earlier has been disseminated. I see Dante and raise a hand in greeting.
"Hey, my man," I call to him.
He looks up, all business. The whites of his eyes almost look like they're glowing against is dark skin. "Sands," he acknowledges me. I'm always a little intrigued by his accent, a mixture these days of up state New York, French and Ethiopian, all very subtle.
Victoria: Things are very different down here. These vampires are all business. A few look up , but then right back to what they were doing. Weapons line the walls, computers and a bunch of technical stuff. Very interesting, my eyes open wide.
Sands calls out to handsome African, I smile as I hear his accent. It reminds me of the Plantation and better days.
Sands: Dante comes up and we exchange hand shakes. "You've started something," Dante tells me.
"I like to stir the pot," I admit. "Victoria, this is an old friend, Dante." I look at her as I introduce them. "Dante, Victoria Dupree. She and I are going to kill a vampire with Abberline's blessings of course."
Victoria; I smile and extend my hand in a greeting and utter a few pleasantries in French. It's good to hear the old French spoken, especially so beautifully. "Sands thinks I need a gun and seems to believe that you could be of some assistance to me in this manner."
Sands: Dante turns to me. "How can I help?"
I grin. "We need to get intelligence on Jacob aka Conner McLoud. He's on the official hit list as of tonight and I'm going to be the one doing the hitting." I've waited a long long time for this.
Victoria: I decide the best thing for me to do is remain quiet. Dante is all business, just like my initial instincts suggested. I step forward just a bit.
"I get to help, I have a vested interest in seeing McCloud dead." I smile slyly.
Sands: I nod. "Victoria and I plan on having a dandy time of it. Now, Dante, we need to get her a small automatic weapon with the liquid silver bullets." I study him. He's showing no emotions over our announcement. "And she'll need a little target practice, so I'll take her down. Maybe your men will find out where Jacob's been playing lately."
Victoria: I slip my arm lightly around his waist. I like where this is going. After all this time I will finally be rid of that son-of-a-bitch. I feel my pulse quicken at the thought of him lying on the floor in a pool of blood.
Sands: Dante nods. "I'll find you on the shooting range, then. She can start with this." He draws and holds out a small hand gun, Derringer and extra ammo.
"Why, thanks, Dante," I grin. "See you down there."
I smile at Victoria. She's enjoying this as much as me. We head down the hall, down more stairs, and we come out in the darker areas of the mansion. There's less traffic now, but this place is pretty active throughout the year. Low lighting is on, and we go into the shooting range. It's as modern as they come.
"You'll want these," I hand Victoria the sound deadening headgear. "It gets loud down here. You'll still be able to hear my voice. And these." Next I give her goggles. "We must protect our eyes. I, of all people, know that."
Victoria: I laugh a little. It's good that he can make jokes about his eyes. I place the headgear on and settle it over my ears, adjusting their fit. Then I slip the eye goggles on. "There, how do I look?" I smile and tease. "That's not important." I say dismissively," Show me how to use that thing."
Sands: I've got my own gear on, and I take her to one of the shooting positions. "See that target down there?" I point to the black and white target. "You need to hit that, hopefully in the head. You're not going to kill a vampire with body shots. Believe me.
"Now, when you load the gun, you make sure the safety is on and you always aim it down. Whenever someone hands you a gun, you always check to make sure it's safe." I demonstrate to her, "Then if you want to use it, you load the ammunition. This takes six bullets. The one you'll get later holds a clip, like mine. I'll show you clips."
I get behind her. "Hold it in both hands. Take the safety off. Whichever is your dominate eye, use that to sight and fire a test to see where you hit."
Victoria: I sigh, this is a lot to remember. I click the button that he indicated was the safety. The gun is heavier than I thought it would be, especially for something so small. I step up to the firing line and raise the weapon. I shut one eye and look, then I switch. Left eye was better. Aim for the head he said, aim for Connor's ugly head. I squeeze the trigger and fire. Wow! these things have quiet a kick to them, I wasn't prepared for that. I look to Sands, I don't want to be terrible at this! This is too important!
Sands: "Okay, first off, when you shoot, don't close either eye. Chances are someone's shooting back and you need to see what's going on. You want to sort of lock your arms. You're strong, just focus. And don't pull the trigger. Squeeze it." I am sure she can do this.
Victoria: Okay I'll try again. I check off his instructions in my head. Eyes open, lock arms. This part is easy. It's just like establishing the frame before you begin to dance. Focus now, focus on the target. And squeeze the trigger, . . . gently. It fires off, more easily this time. I hope I hit the target!
Sands: She's getting it. "Okay, now fire and stop between each shot to focus. Breathe in. Breathe out and fire at the end of the exhale."
Victoria: I smile, secretly pleased. I raise the gun again and point it at the target. Breath in, breath out. I take a few breaths to calm myself and focus. I fire and breath in. Breath out, and fire. I repeat this process two more times. Then when I fire the gun just clicks. Oh, yes just six bullets. I lower the weapon and then turn to Sands. "How did I do?" I ask apprehensively.
Sands: I push the button to bring the target in. "How do you think you did?" It's whizzing toward us. "Take a look."
Victoria: The target comes whizzing forward and I hold my breath in anticipation. I comes to a stop and I smile. "Not bad? The holes aren't all in one place but they seem to hit the image on the man. "Three in the head and two in the upper torso." But I don't know if it's good enough to do the job."
Sands:
"Once you have the automatic weapon, it will be good enough." I take out my Beretta 98 G Elite II. "This is more of the weight of the weapon you're going to get tonight." I hold it pointed down. "Here's the safety. Here's the ammo clip. This is how you take it out, and shove it in." I put the safety on and hand it to her. "Check it."
Victoria: I put down the smaller weapon on the narrow counter before us. This one is heavier. I point it down and check the weapon. First I pop the clip and examine it. Very interesting. The I pop it back into place. "Send the target back to the other end." I ask. Sands pushes a small button and the paper man floats away.
I disarm the safety and point the weapon . Breath in , breath out. Squeeze the trigger and focus. Wow! This one almost fires itself and the bullets come so quickly! I stop for a moment and then readjust. Focus girl! I aim the weapon and empty it into the target. I lower the weapon and place the safety on before laying it on the table.
"Bring the target back sugar." I smile at him. "Let's see how I did. " I smile shyly.
Sands: I push the return button, but I can see she shredded the target, mostly the head and upper torso. "You'll do just fine, as long as you're not aiming that at me," I tell her.
I take my gun back and put a new clip in, then re-holster it under my left arm.
Victoria: I smile pleased with my accomplishment and lean forward to kiss him quickly. "I'd never point one of those at you. Is that enough target practice?" I ask as I remove the goggles.
Sands: "No." I pull out more bullets for the little pistol. "Practice makes perfect, young lady." I hold them out in my hand. "Lock and load. You can get new targets here." I use my eyes to gesture to the bin beside us.
Victoria: "Alright," I respond as I slip the goggles back on over my eyes. I look to the bin and all the little paper men. "I'll stay here and practice, I assume you'll be talking to your friend Dante." I smile. "If I need help I'm sure there will be someone willing to come to my aid."
Sands: "No. I'm staying here and watching you." I settle back, arms crossed. "Dante will find me when he has info. Him or Quinn. They know where we are."
Victoria:
I reach for a new target and clip him to the hooks. I lean across Sands to push the little button and he whizzes away. I'm surprised at how much I'm enjoying this. I reach for the small gun and check to make sure that the safely is on. Then I reload, point the gun down and remove the safety. I fire, following all the rules Sands has given me. It seems easier this time.
Sands: "See? You're getting the hang of it." She is a fast learner. "Now, put the safety on. Reload the gun. Put it in your waistband. The moment the target starts to come toward you, pull it, take the safety off, and shoot."
Victoria: "In my waistband?" I look at him skeptically.
Sands:
"Yes. Like it's hidden. Like behind your back." I demonstrate. I put the safety on, tuck it behind my back, whip it out and pretend to shoot the target. "See?"
Victoria: I begin to reload the gun and do as I'm told. I raise my eyebrows and smile. I place the gun behind my back and motion for Sands to send the target back. When it reaches the end of the lane and take a deep breath. I pull the gun and fire off the six shots. "Well that's not so easy, is it?"
Sands: Patience, I tell myself. "That's not quite what I meant." I smile, hopefully charmingly. "Here." I hit the button to bring the target whipping towards us, pull my gun, and fire as it approaches. By the time the target arrives, there's no head left. "See?"
Victoria: I place the gun on the counter and lean against its edge. "Show me again." I ask.
Sands: I stare into her eyes. Is she pulling my chain here? "All right." I reload my gun, stick it in my waistband, hang up a new target, send it out, then retrieve it, pulling my gun at the last possible moment and blowing the head out. "Better?" I ask her. Is she smirking at me?
Victoria: "Nicely done." I reach across him for another target and hang it on the hooks. I reload the small gun before me and stick it in the waistband of my black leather pants. "Although I'll never be as good as you," I wink and try again.
Sands:
She's pretty hot standing there with a gun and all. Too bad we're not alone. "Practice makes perfect," I tell her, my mouth about a millimeter form her lovely ear.
Victoria: I feel his breath on my ear and it sends shudders of pleasure down my back. "Now love, how do you expect me to concentrate when you do things like that." My voice almost a purr. I keep my eyes forward and squeeze off the trigger six more times.
Sands: I'm about to reply to her, when I sense someone else has entered the range. I turn around. It's Dante and he's got some lovely things for us.
"Dante, what have you got there?"
He smiles, presenting Victoria with a shoulder holster and an automatic not much smaller than mine. There's several extra ammo clips for both of us. Just like Christmas.
Victoria: I look carefully at the weapon Dante has brought for me. I pull it from the holster and examine it carefully. My brothers Charles and Phillipe would have loved this. "Should I practice more?" I ask Sands, as I buckle the holster around me.
Sands;
"Here, darling." I take the holster and show her how to slip into it just like a jacket. "See, the gun can be under your right or left arm, depending on what you prefer. Most right-handed people put it under the left, and visa versa."
Victoria: I smile for him and raise my arms slightly allowing him to buckle me in. I watch his face as he accomplishes his task. "Being right handed I'll keep it under my left then."
Sands: "You can clip the extra ammo onto the harness, or carry them in your pockets." I turn to Dante. "Any news?"
Dante smiles more broadly. "Yes, Andre says he's been waiting and if you two don't get your asses into the disco soon, he'll have to come find you. Something about a sword."
Victoria: I clip the extra ammo clips onto the belt and listen. "Andre?" I look up. "I thought we were looking for Connor, I mean Jacob?"
Sands:
"Oh. We told Andre we'd meet him and Ernest in the disco, remember?"
Victoria: "Yes, I remember. We became a little distracted." I take off the goggles and then the ear coverings. "But what is all this about a sword?"
Sands:
"If I'm guessing correctly, and I'm sure Dante will tell me if I'm wrong, Andre threatened to stick it up my ass if we don't get over there. Right, Dante?"
Dante nods. "See, Andre is getting predictable," I tell Victoria.
Victoria: I roll my eyes. "Well then we better go," I pat him on the ass. "Wouldn't want to see Andre do that."
I turn towards Dante. He doesn't say much, but that's probably because he can't figure what a nice southern girl is doing with the likes of the psychobeauty. "Thank you for this," I place my hand against the gun.
Sands: "You're welcome," Dante tells her. "Sands, stop by and see Quinn before you take off."
"Yes, sir," I do a mock salute. He shrugs and stands back, allowing us to proceed him out.
Victoria: I take Sands by the arm and lean in closer. "Quinn? He's who you first saw when we arrived. Will he be able to tell us where Connor is?" We walk along and into the darken hallway.
Sands: "If anyone can get us the intel, it's Quinn and his folks." I head us toward the stairs. "We will find Jacob, Victoria. He will die. Trust me, I'm good at this, if I do say so myself. We all have our talents, killing is mine."
Victoria: "Yes, that's what I've heard." I squeeze his arm. "I don't doubt that you will kill Jacob, I just want to be there to watch." My eyes flash at the thought. "Is Andre really upset with you, us for our tardiness?" I tease. I'm pleased we're heading back to the dance floor. I want to see the disco ball in action.
Sands: I open the door to let us out of the stairs. "Oh, yeah, he'll murder me," I say. "Looks like they got things going while we were away."
The boom boom beat of disco echoes up the hall, and the door at the far end is outlined in light.
Victoria: The music is loud, but the light is warm and inviting. I grab his hand and pull him along. "Come on then, let's not keep them waiting much longer."
Sands: I walk beside her, open the door, and bow to usher her in. The music is incredibly loud, rattling the air spaces in my chest. The disco ball is turning, sending out beams of reflected light across the shadowy dance floor. There's several people here dancing. Andre is over by the DJ station. I point him out to Victoria and we head over.
Victoria: We walk across the floor. I'm a little shocked by all the extra people. I'm still not used to seeing so many of our kind and from what I've seen so far, it's a good thing I'm cautious.
Andre looks happy. I tighten my grip on Sands hand, I'm sure he can sense how nervous I am.
Sands:
Victoria seems excited. She squeezes my hand and I squeeze her hand back. I hope all the fuckheads notice she's armed now. I raise a hand towards Andre.
"You finally made it," he has to shout to be heard above the noise.
"That or end up shiskabobbed," I tell him. "I got your rather pointed invitation."
Victoria: I look to Andre. "Where did all these people come from?"
Sands: Andre is grinning. "Ernest didn't know it was private and he invited a few of his closest friends." He shrugs. There must be about fifty people in here. I look around. Maybe there are a lot of the younger ones, like Ernest.
"Want to dance," I ask Victoria as an Abba song comes on.
Victoria: "I'd love to!" My eyes light up. "You lead." I tease. I can follow anything.
Sands: Fucking right I'll lead. I take my jacket off and toss it at Andre, take Victoria's hand and go onto the dance floor. Nothing too John Travolta for me. I like to touch the woman I'm with.
Part B Victoria: He's forceful when he wants to be. I like it. He takes me onto the dance floor. The younger ones clear the way.
Sands: Some of the youngsters don't move fast enough for me, and I give them the evil eye. Let them think I'm singling them out for some future unpleasantness for a while, it will teach them to respect their elders.
Victoria is a great dancer. She's not looked at her feet once. She's watching me. I wonder what she sees. Does she see the deceptive outer shell, or the control freak inside who likes to manipulate everything to his liking?
Victoria: He has a commanding presence. I settle my shoulder into his hand and look into his eyes. I haven't quite figured him out yet. I've caused him an awful lot of trouble in two short days. Eventually he'll question whether I'm worth it. But then again he seems to thrive on trouble.
"You're a very good dancer," I call out over the noise. He's very attached to Lilith, it must be nice to be loved by your maker and not live in a constant fear of them. I like the way he holds onto me, I can't say as I care for most of the modern dancing. Where's the romance in bouncing around the floor never touching?
Sands: The music changes to 'Me and Mrs. Jones' and I move in closer, taking her in my arms. I'm a shitty dancer and I know it, so I don't move a whole hell of a lot when I'm doing it.
We say together and I breathe in her scent. I can't help but touch her neck with my mouth. She tastes so good.
Victoria: The music has changed, its more soulful. He wraps his arms about me and as he engulfs me I follow his every motion, mirroring his movements. He smells so good. I close my eyes and let him carry me away.
Sands: She must know how incredibly sexy she is. I look past her shoulder and see Andre smiling at us. I guess we have his blessing. Oh, shit. Cerese is here. Can't that bitch leave us alone? She's ogling us like we're fresh kill or something. Maybe she needs to feed more often. I turn Victoria and myself around so I don't have to look at that woman.
Victoria: I open my eyes casually and see Andre smiling. I smile in return, then I see Cerese.
"What is with that one? Why does she watch you so? Never mind, don't answer," I chide. "She's angry because she cannot have you for herself."
Sands:
Oh yeah, sure, that's it. "She wants me dead," I tell Victoria. "Thinks I'm the wrong sort." I hold back expletives. "I bet she'd get along with Jacob just fine and dandy."
Victoria: "Wrong sort?!" I flash an angry look in her direction. It startles her. "If she is Jacob's kind then she is dangerous and needs to be disposed of." The words drip from my tongue. Then I shake my head to clear my thoughts. I reach up and caress the side of his face. I tilt my chin and kiss his lips. "You're an interesting man Sheldon Jeffery Sands."
Sands: I smile. "Tasty, too. Want to try?"
Victoria: "Yeesss," I purr as I bare my fangs, biting gently into his lower lip. His taste excites me, sets me on fire! I tighten my grip on him and press my body closer. I feel the eyes of many on the two of us, and their gazes excite me more.
Sands: I exhale, enjoying the rush. She's better than drugs. Well, most drugs. I can taste my own blood on my tongue, but now I want more. Memories of a three day party in France before the Revolution seep into my mind. What an orgy that was!
Leaning into her, I nibble her neck, not breaking the skin, and look up at the other dancers. Some of them are doing the same thing. What the fuck, I'm going to enjoy myself!
I just scratch the surface, sending the slightest hint of her taste into my mouth. Now she's melting into me. I press against her, remembering what we shared in the pantry.
Victoria: I'm happiest when I'm in his arms. My thoughts drift back through the centuries to another night when I felt like this. I release my bite and lick my lips, pick up every last drop of his blood. "You know what I like about you Sands?"
Sands: Now that's a stumper. "What?"
Victoria: "You're complicated." I snuggle closer. "Lots of layers."
Sands: "Just like a wedding cake, huh?"
Victoria: I laugh and lean back to look at him. "That's not the image I would have chosen. " Then I lean back into his body. "I know there are many things we do not know about each other, and many things we would probably both like to keep hidden. A poet I like once said that everyman is like the moon with a dark side they show to no one."
Sands: "That's good. I'll remember that one. Do you remember who said it?"
Victoria: "Mark Twain. I liked him very much."
Sands: I humpf. He was a clever fellow. I'm more interested in Victoria at the moment. "You know," I tell her. "If you're place is secure, we could go back there and have Quinn phone us when he hears something."
Victoria: "I think it should be. Let's go." I take his hand. "But there's something that I want to say to you, about Lilith." When I say her name he stops. "When we were in Abberline's study and Lilith came. I heard her in my thoughts before she even spoke to me, I knew I came from her, belonged to her in some way. She knew all that had happened to me and spoke to me silently about my time with Jacob. I have never spoken about those times. She said that you and I had much in common, that it was fortunate that we should meet." I look at him hesitantly.
Sands: "She created your creator. That's all." I'm a little puzzled here. What does she mean she spoke to her? In her head or something? Can Victoria read minds? Or is this some new power of Lilith's? Too many questions.
Victoria: "Still want to go?" I ask. I know he's hiding, I know that is not what Lilith meant. But he wants to let this go, so I let it go.
Sands: "Yes. I want some intelligence, but maybe that will take a while." I pull back to watch her face. "We'll need to give your number to Quinn."
Victoria: I look at him for a moment; watching. I've stepped so far out of normal routine in the last 24 hours. It's the routine that's kept me alive. Giving out my phone number, well that's just inviting trouble. "All right, but I'm holding you responsible if I have anyone knocking at my door trying to hunt me down." I give him a sort of half smile.
Sands: She keeps surprising me. I'm still trying to figure out what she meant about Lilith talking to her in her head. It's hard to think clearly when I can still taste her blood on my lips. "Quinn is there to protect us."
Victoria: "Quinn?" I squeeze his hand, "Is he more protection than you are?"
Sands: I feel a smile coming on. "He's chief Guardian. He protects us from our enemies and weaker vampires from the other clans, or even some of our own. Abberline doesn't condone us murdering one another. He's brought a little order to the chaos." I reach up to brush a strand of hair off her face.
Victoria: I close and eyes briefly as he brushes the strand of hair from my face. "All right. But for the record, I thought you were doing just fine." I smile again. I'm a little confused, so many rules, contingencies. Connor's way was simpler, but too much to bear.
Sands:
"You haven't seen a real war. It's bad. If that's what Jacob has stirred up, we'll need to work, collaborate with others. Maybe even other clans"
I see her face cloud. "Don't worry. We will win," I assure her. I can't help myself. I lean in and kiss her, taking her more firmly in my arms.
Victoria: His embrace is welcomed, I give into his kiss fully and completely. When our lips part I brush my lips against his cheek and whisper into his ear. "I'm glad you are so confident."
Sands: I look into her face, studying the green depths of her eyes. "It's not me, it's the clan. That's why I hunt with them. They know their stuff. We have scientists, thralls, who discover things for us, like the bullets we use these days." I sigh. "Lilith and Abberline look forward, not back like half the other clans. We're not clinging to the past."
Victoria: "I suppose that's a very good thing, ensuring the survival of the species." I run my hand along the length of one of his arms. "I feel better about things. Thank you for pushing me into the twenty- first century. Thank you for teaching me to shoot."
Sands: "Teaching you to shoot won't save your life, Victoria. You need to be alert and willing to do whatever it takes to survive." I look around. "There's a balance to life." I force myself to shut up before she thinks I'm a raving lunatic.
Victoria: I look away, diverting my eyes. "I've done some fairly horrible things in order to survive. Things that a true, ... "I stop. It's probably better that I don't finish that thought.
Sands: "A true what?"
Victoria: "Nothing, never mind."
Sands: "We do what we need to do to survive, Victoria. It's the only way. Nothing to be ashamed of."
Victoria: I return my gaze to his and nod. The slow song is almost over, the last chords are playing out.
Sands: I'm about to say something to her, something to make the sadness go away from her eyes, when there's a flash. Blinking I look around. Some asshole has a camera and is taking pictures. What the fuck? The flash comes again, and I put a hand up to protect my eyes. "You trying to blind me?" I yell at the fuckmook. Another flash. Okay, now it's time to kill someone. "What are you doing?" I shout/growl.
Victoria: I jump back alarmed at the situation that has arisen! Many other couples on the dance floor follow suit. Who is taking the pictures? I quickly scan the room seeing if I can locate the assailant. My anger rises.
Sands: I'm still seeing spots, but my time of blindness taught me something. I hear footsteps and run after them. As we get close to the doors, someone in a dark suit runs through and slams the door behind himself.
Victoria: "Are you all right?" I ask coming up quickly behind Sands.
Sands: I grab hold of the door knob, but it's locked. I put a foot up against the wall and start pulling. "Watch out," I yell over my shoulder. It's a very heavy door, but I can hear the hardware giving way.
Victoria: I back out of the way seeing the hinges bending under the strength of his pull. I'm glad I'm carrying a gun now. I knew we weren't safe here.
Sands: The door shudders then comes off its hinges. I toss it aside and go out into the hall. Whoever it was is gone now. It took too long to get the door off. Shit!
I turn to see Victoria looking concerned, angry. She doesn't understand. I take her arm and start walking. I hear Andre calling my name and I pause allowing him time to catch up.
Victoria: Andre calls out. It seems to calm Sands momentarily. "Andre, what happened? Did you see who it was?" I ask quickly.
Andre: Of course Victoria doesn't understand. I look to Sands to see how he's handling this.
"Victoria, these sort of things happen."
Sands: "Yeah, just like shitting clockwork. Did you know that guy?"
Andre: "No. One of the younger ones, no doubt."
Victoria: "Will one of you two please tell me what's going on!" I shout putting my hand on my hips. "Was that trouble or just some fool taking pictures for a scrap book?"
Andre: "Not exactly a scrap book. We have our own.what you would call newspaper. It's very secret. Written in a code of sorts. We have our own celebrities." I look at Sheldon to see how he's taking this. He's glaring, but I know it's not directed at me. "Sheldon is one of them. Everything he does seems to fascinate them."
Sands:
"Yeah, I'm fucking fascinating."
Victoria: "You mean he's," I shift my weight, "He and I are going to end up in some gossip column to amuse these whelps!" I gesture angrily to the crowd on the dance floor.
Sands:
"Definitely you." I have to smile. "You were probably their target tonight."
Andre:
"Sheldon has broken many a camera in his day. I have many photos of him in my collecting. He's giving the finger in several." I have to laugh.
Victoria: "Me! Why me?!" I'm angry, but the idea of Sands smashing cameras is amusing.
Sands:
"Why? Because you're a new face. Because you're with me. They don't need a hellava lot of reasons for it. I know that one," I jerk a thumb at the empty hallway, "was a vampire. He ran too fast to be a thrall."
Andre: "Put it to bed, Sheldon. If you weren't so darned interesting, they wouldn't hound you so. And you, Victoria, you're beautiful, a mystery to them. That takes a while to get over."
I hand Sands his jacket.
Victoria: I'm beginning to settle down when the fear strikes me. I turn to Sands, panic in my eyes. "But if he sees it , he'll know I'm here. The first thing he'll do is come after me." I reach for his arm. "You don't think he'll see it do you?"
Sands: I shrug into my jacket then put my hand over hers. "The entire clan is now his enemy. You heard Abberline. We'll all be shooting for him. He'll be in that same newspaper. Hunting season is open, my dear. He won't come anywhere near the clan house."
Andre:
"It might be safer for you to stay here, Victoria."
Victoria: "Oh, no! I don't think so. At least in my own apartment I know exactly where am I and who my friends are. Here, that's a whole other story."
I look between the two. I was never keen on the idea of coming here in the first place. The entire evening has been more than overwhelming for me. I look into Sands warm eyes looking for answers. If he tells me to stay I will.
Sands:
"You heard her," I tell Andre. I couldn't stand the idea of her staying here. "He doesn't know where you live, Victoria," I remind her.
Victoria: I smile, relieved that he's not going to make me stay in Abberline's house. I step closer to him, the two of us firm in our resolve.
Sands: Andrew shrugs. "It's your heads." He reaches up to grab my shoulder. "Don't let anything happen to you, my brother."
I smile. "Nothing will happen to me. Even blind they couldn't kill me," I remind him.
Victoria: I tilt my head as my facial expression softens. "I'll do my best." Then I turn my attention back to Sands looking up into his face. "Does this means we're leaving now? After we tell Quinn how to reach us of course."
Sands: "Yes. Good night, Andre." I pat his arm, then turn and take Victoria's arm. "We need to get to the Guardian's level."
We go down to the level where the Guardians have their HQ. I think Victoria is getting a feel for the layout here.
We go into Quinn's office. He's there with Darius.
"Quinn, we're leaving," I announce. "Got anything for us?"
Victoria: I feel more at easy once we are alone, making our way through the less used passages of this great house. Soon we are back to the Guardians abode. Sands leads us into an office where two rather serious looking vampires are engaged in a conversation. Once again I do my best to become invisible as Sands begins to speak.
Sands: "We have had reports of Jacob here in New York," Quinn tells us. "He has not come here. He's laying low. Darius is doing some electronic sleuthing to try and track down his bank accounts. That may take a while, thought."
"So, perhaps a little more ammo for the road," I tell him. "Some more for Victoria, too." I cross my arms.
Victoria: It's good to hear that he has not been to the clan house. Unfortunate that I chose to come to New York at this time. He almost had me in Paris. Well, it was foolish to return to that place anyway. I just missed Claude.
"He kept most of his money in Swiss Bank accounts under different names of course. " I quietly interrupt.
Sands: "That we know," Darius speaks up. "But the Swiss are very good at keeping their secrets. We have to work on it from the other side."
He has a point.
"I think" Quinn speaks slowly, "You should take some thralls as protection. They can keep watch during the day just in case Jacob has thralls of his own primed to move in once he figures out where you are."
I shrug. "Victoria and I are old enough to stay awake during the day," I assure him.
"All day and all night every day and every night?" Quinn counters.
Victoria: I arch an eyebrow. Well the man has a point, smug as he is. "That's what security systems are for." I mummer.
Sands: All three of us look at her.
"There isn't a security system created we can't get around," Quinn tells her.
Part C Victoria: I narrow my eyes. "Well I wouldn't know that, now would I?" Being that I've done my best to avoid our kind for the better part of the last 150 years. There are some things I just detest, but I hold my ground.
Sands: "She's been living in a cave," I say straight-faced.
Victoria: I nudge him with my elbow.
Sands: "Even humans can get through security systems," Darius says seriously.
"Okay, so what thralls did you have in mind?" I ask.
Victoria: I decide it would be better to remain quiet and listen.
Sands: I hate the idea of thralls, but I'm willing to listen to Quinn because he's always had a level head.
"We have Jackson and Klein. Both are excellent shots and have all the training necessary to keep surveillance going. You'll need to transfer their loyalty to you."
I frown. "Who controls them now?"
"Vincent and Debbie, believe it or not," Quinn tells me with a little grin.
"Great." I look at Victoria. She looks very serious. "Okay, check with them and ask if I can take their thralls."
Victoria: Debbie? That's a terrible name for a vampire. I smirk. Transfer their loyalty?
Sands: "No need," Darius speaks up. "They're Guardians' thralls, so anyone of us can use them. This is official business, so they're yours. I'll get them for you."
He steps out and I look to Victoria. "So, cave dweller, are you okay with this?"
Victoria: "Having humans lurking about my home? I guess I'll have to be." My eyes begin to twinkle. I lean a little closer to him and whisper, "Keep it up and I'll make you pay later."
Sands: "Promises promises."
I smile at her. "If you want, you can control one and I'll take the other. I can show you how to get the thralls to be loyal to you."
Victoria: "I always keep my promises." I tease. "But yes, perhaps it would be wise for me to learn to enthrall."
Sands: "Do you want Jackson or Klein? And don't ask me which is which, because I don't know them."
Victoria: "I reserve that decision until I can meet them," I reply.
Sands:
"Fair enough."
I lean back against the credenza waiting for Darius to bring the thralls. "First off, you'll need to feed from them with intent that they do your will."
Victoria: "You mean I should concentrate on that fact as I drink from them?" My arms were still crossed but I was very interested. Sands takes everything in stride.
Sands: "Yes, exactly. Project your will into them. Do not allow them to drink from you. That's all they really want, and you can't give it to 'em. Remember that. They'll try to coerce you into giving it to them."
Victoria: I look at him skeptically. "I would never let a human drink from me."
Sands:
I can't help but smile. "How do you think you were made, sugarbutt?"
Victoria: "Yes I understand that, but I would not let a human, especially one I have never known drink from me."
Sands: "Good."
I hear them coming and turn around to see what we have to pick from. One looks like a male model, except he has cold, calculating eyes. He should have been C.I.A. He would fit right in. Maybe he is C.I.A. The other is the short smart kid who showed us the pantry. I turn to Victoria. "Which one?"
Victoria: I am displeased to see the human from the pantry. I didn't like him and at the time, wanted to snap his neck. I lean in close to Sands. "Not him," indicating the thrall with my eyes.
Sands:
"Bit surprise. Okay, you take Mr. GQ and I'll take PantryGuy." I turn to look at them. "What is your name?" I ask PantryGuy.
"Klein," he answers.
"That would make you Jackson," I address the taller one. "I think Victoria wants to do a little business with you."
Victoria: I shift my eyes from Sands to the tall human before me. I unfold my arms and motion him to come with a smile. He returns the smile and steps forward. "Do you have a first name, or is it simply Jackson?" I ask letting my accent slip through.
Sands: I try not to focus on what Victoria is doing, but hone my attention down to Klein. He knows what's expected and I gesture him into the next room.
"Are you Debbie's?" I ask. He smiles slowly and nods. I know she likes smart ones and figured as much. "Okay, Klein, I'm Sands."
"I know who you are." He's smiling more broadly now.
"Okay, let's do this."
He watches me as I draw closer to him.
Victoria: Out of the corner of my eye I see Sands slip into another room. The human before me lower his eyes to mine. He seems pleased. "My name is Samuel." he replies.
"Samuel, you know what I want?"
He nods and turns his head sweeping his hair from his skin. I see his pulse beating beneath the surface. I smile, and run my tongue across the tip of my teeth.
Sands: It doesn't take me long to psych myself up to do this. I capture his gaze and hold it. He can't look away. His smile fades and there's a hunger in his eyes now. I move closer to him and I can see the pulse in his neck, hear the rushing in and out of his breathing. He's excited by this, eager for it. I maintain control as I stand right up against him, the length of my body against his.
Now I can feel his heart beating. After all I drank the other night, I'm not really hungry. This is something else: a need to control and dominate this creature. I lean forward, inhaling his scent, focusing on him being bound to me. My tongue touches the skin of his neck and he sighs.
Victoria: "Samuel come closer." He takes another step forward as I reflect on Sands instruction. I look into Samuel's eyes, they are clear and desire my attention. I am excited by this and take long breaths to control my thoughts. I wrap my arms around his neck and shoulders and sink my teeth into his skin. He calls out! His blood flow past my teeth and I fill him with my thoughts. My eyes remain open gazing into his flesh. You will be mine, you will do as I bid, you will serve me
Sands: My hands holding him aren't necessary, but I do anyway. Now I can feel my appetite stir. There's a roaring in my ears. It's Klein's pulse. It beats at me and I bite down on his neck just enough to draw blood, tasting his blood and lashing out at him with my will. He is mine. His thoughts belongs to me. His life belongs to me and he's happy about it. I drink from him, boring into him with my intent, enjoying the sensation of his heart racing against mine. He's groaning with pleasure now, sagging against me, his hands lightly holding me.
My lips pull away from the small wound in his neck. His human blood scent fills my senses as I lick his blood from my lips. I feel his pulse slowing down. "Mine," I mouth the words. I straighten and find his dilated gaze locked on me, his lips parted, his hands still holding me.
Victoria: The human slips his arm around my waist as I drink, it distracts me momentarily. I don't want to lose him! I clamp down hard and feel his heart beat quicken. I force my will upon him, you belong to me, serve only me. Suddenly I feel his thoughts! He is excited about holding me against himself. He wants more. My eyes reflect the shock I feel at knowing this information. I pull away , running my tongue across the bite marks in his neck. He locks eyes with me and smiles. "Release me," I command.
Sands: Klein is mine. I can feel it. I don't like doing this, dealing with humans, but it's simple enough. He seems to have enjoyed it. We both politely ignore the fact that we've gotten aroused by this.
"You're going to help protect me and Victoria," I tell him, all business now.
"Yes, sir," he answers automatically.
"Call me Sands."
"Okay, Sands."
Well, I guess that's it. "Get whatever weapons you use, gear, a change of clothes, whatever. You and Jackson will need walkie-talkies, four of them."
He nods and goes out of the room.
Victoria: My new thrall does as I command, his arm returning to his side. "You are going to help protect Sands and I, you and Klein." He nods quietly. Good at least he's quiet.
Sands: I'm curious about how Victoria is doing. I return to Quinn's office. She's talking to Jackson. "Hey," I greet her.
Victoria: I move my torso to see Sands return. I walk past Samuel towards him. "What do I do with him now?" I ask, a shy smile on my face.
Sands: I must look stupid, standing there blinking at her. "Klein's gone to get his stuff and things we'll need. Why don't you tell him to get his weapons?"
Victoria: I turn around to face Jackson, he stands there quietly waiting to serve me. "Go and gather your weapons, whatever you'll need to do the job."
He nods and exits. I turn back to Sands. "I'm not sure about all this. I don't like some of the thoughts I saw stirring around in the thick head of his." I place a hand on my hip.
Sands: My eyes narrow. "That's the second time tonight you've talked about that. What do you mean?"
Victoria: "When I bit him," I point behind me in the direction of Jackson's trail. "When I had connected, when I had him bound to me, I heard his thoughts, knew his desires, some of which were very unpleasant, as flattering as they may have been meant." I look into Sands' eyes willing him to understand me.
Sands:
"You can hear other's thoughts? How do you do that?"
Victoria: Now I an really confused. "Can't you?"
Sands: "No." I'm slightly distracted by the taste of Klein in my mouth. "Were you psychic before you were turned?"
Victoria: "No," I pause for a moment. "This is just something that surfaced with me a few years back. I assumed it was something we all could do." I look up into his eyes. "Lilith can do it, she spoke to me in my mind while you and Abberline were speaking."
Sands:
"You said something about that, but I didn't understand that you really meant it." I look up to see Quinn listening to us. "Have you heard of this before?" I ask him.
"It's rare. She may have inherited it from someone she took."
Victoria: "Some one I took?" I look to Quinn. "I thought it just ran in the blood line."
Sands: "Could Jacob do it? I never heard anything about it."
Victoria: "If he could it was never anything he spoke about, and he's too arrogant to keep something like that a secret." I look back to Quinn. "Please don't speak of this. I don't want it to get out."
Sands: Her words make me think. "What about me?" I ask her. "Can you read my mind, too?" She never indicated she could, but maybe she's been reading me all along. I glance over at Quinn.
Victoria: "No, " I smirk, "Your thought are your own, you're a closed book." I slip my hands behind my back. "Usually I can read my victims, sometimes another vampire, but that is rare." The truth is I never really tired to read another vampire.
Sands:
"But you and Lilith could do it? I don't get this." I look from Victoria to Quinn.
"Maybe it's a female thing," Quinn shrugs.
"Oh." I hadn't thought of that. I hope Jacob can't do it. It would make tracking us down too easy for him.
I hear footsteps and look up to see Klein and Jackson returning. "Ready?" I ask them. They nod. I raise a brow at Victoria.
Victoria: I smirk at the thought of it being a female thing. Sands looks at me strangely, I wonder if he trusts me, or is concerned about his privacy. I'll have to reassure him of it later. I wait for him to offer me his arm, "Lead the way."
Sands: "We have to get your coat upstairs. I don't want the camera freak or our un-fan club to see that we are leaving with these two." I glance at the thralls. "Why don't we have them go out through the tunnels and we'll pick them up at the end of the drive?"
Victoria: I nod, "Worried that they will attract attention? It isn't like we having been doing that all night long." I smile.
Sands: "No, worried that there might be some here in league with Jacob."
Victoria: My eyes grow wide with surprise. "I hadn't thought of that," then my expression changes, "But I thought you said he was now the enemy of the entire house?"
Sands: "Have you ever dabbled in espionage?"
Victoria: I glance at him sideways with a silly little grin, "I am a product of the 18th centuries social circle."
Sands:
"Surely you had traitors and spies."
Victoria: "Of course, the entire age was, . . .never mind, you're just toying with me now."
Sands:
"When it comes to survival, I don't joke." I'm wondering if she doesn't understand this or if she's pulling my chain here.
Victoria: I touch his arm, "I know you don't and I'm very glad to fallen into the company with the likes of you." I smile for him genuinely.
Sands: She mentioned 'the company.' Does she know? Did I tell her?
"Klein, Jackson, go out through the tunnels and we'll meet you at the end of the drive. Skidattle."
I flash a quick smile at Victoria as I usher her out of the room. I salute Quinn with a grin. "Night."
Victoria: We walk quickly. "We've had an interesting night."
Sands: "It's just started," I remind her. It can't even be eight o'clock yet. "We can let the boys out about a block from your building so they can scout it out."
Victoria: Sometimes when he looks at me a see a flash of something behind those eyes. Something unsure, something wild. It's a little disconcerting, but it could just be the situation we've been thrust into.
Sands: I imagine Victoria's going through something of a culture shock. She's handling it pretty well. I usher her towards the stairs and we climb in silence, the only sound our shoes. I feel a sense of dread as we come out on the ground floor. I wonder if that jerk with the camera is hanging around.
Victoria: He's uneasy, I can feel it. I wonder what will await us up top. Probably that horrible Cerese, she's managed to be everywhere this evening. "Really only eight? I would have thought it was much later."
Sands: "Once more into the breach," I tell her.
Victoria: I put on a pleasant face. "As long as you're here, I'll endure."
Sands: I have to grin. "We'll get your coat and vamoose."
Victoria: "Vamoose? That means to go ?" He's spent a lot of time somewhere where Spanish is spoken. I've heard a few phrases come from him over the past two days.
Sands: "Yeah. Like in a hurry." I gesture her towards the servants who guard everyone's coats. "Here."
Victoria: "Well we have made it to the cloak room with being assaulted. That's a step in the right direction." I whisper.
Sands: I walk her to the cloak room, ignoring the vampires still milling around the entrance to the main ballroom. Their talking quiets, as if they're all waiting to hear what we have to say. I am forced to look at them, because I still want to rip the heart out of the guy taking my photo.
Victoria: I look through the others. The small annoyance created by them will soon pass. Sands seems distracted, not a wonder with what has been going on. I begin to smile. They are all waiting and watching. Fine let them watch!
Sands: I walk Victoria over to the cloak room and while she gets her coat, I stare back at the rude little crowd. Too bad Andre's not here to fend them off.
Victoria: I slip into my black woolen coat and button it up over the gun Quinn provided me with. Looking over at Sands as he returns their stares it appears if he is standing guard. A girl could grow to like this kind of protection. I pull my hair out from under the collar and slip one hand into my pocket. "Ready."
Sands: I'm seriously tempted to give this crowd the finger, but for Victoria's sake, I restrain myself and walk her out to the car as quickly as possible. Klein and Jackson should be heading down the tunnels by now.
I open the door for Victoria, and we go through. As it shuts behind me, I sigh in relief.
Part A
Sands: Hunter mode. I need to get intelligence. "Victoria, looks like you will be meeting the Guardians tonight," I tell her, as we head down the staircase. "We'll need info on what Jacob has been up to recently, his hideouts, his haunts. I expect we'll discover he's turned Viscalli on us."
Thoughts race. Ammo. Weapon for Victoria. "Do you know how to handle a gun?"
Victoria: "No." I pause. "Nothing modern, the old weapons we used to have around the revolution." I tilt my head dismissively. I follow him, his steps are hurried. "Can he do that? Turn Viscalli, I mean?"
Sands: Well, no modern weapons, just peachy. "You can choose to switch clans. It's not done often. Our blood binds us to those who create us and to those who created them. While I'm not linked to Abberline directly, since Lilith has chosen him as her partner, he is my clan leader, too. I could rebel and go von Stern or something." I've never thought to explain this to another before.
Victoria: "This is all so confusing. Lilith is your maker, you're bound to her, that I understand, the rest is sketchy." How ignorant I sound, it makes me so angry. "I'm sorry," I blurt out. "Connor, I mean Jacob never taught me anything. He always said that I was his, and that's all I needed to know."
Sands:
"What a crock." We've gone down two flights. I am anxious to get out of here now. "I can't wait to chop his head off. I should have done it before, but Lilith wouldn't let me. I'll never understand why she turned the bastard."
Victoria: "I know why he turned me, it was because of her." I can feel his anger. "Can you teach me to use a weapon in such a short period of time?" I turn my head to look at his eyes.
Sands: I can't help but smile. "Yeah. What do you mean, because of her? You don't blame Lilith, do you?" This causes me to come to a halt somewhere just below ground level.
Victoria: Oh, hit a nerve. I stop and look directly at him. "No, I blame him. I don't know what caused Connor to be sent away, or what made him so dark. He wanted to lash out. I rejected him so that made me the likely candidate for his wrath."
Sands: "Then what 'her' were you referring to?" Does she realize how loyal I am to Lilith even now that she's chosen Abberline?
Victoria: "No , I meant your Lilith. " This is going to get really ugly I can feel it. "Connor could never have hurt her the way he wanted to. He really loved her in his own twisted way. So instead he hurt me, and as Abberline commented, others too." I take a deep breath and wait.
Sands: "So, you'll help to kill him. It will make you feel better. Believe me, despite what Abberline says." I start back down the stairs.
Victoria: I reach out and touch his arm. "I almost did the last time I saw him, since then I've been running because I knew what he'd do to me when he caught up."
Sands: "Next time, act on your instinct," I tell her. We're finally down to the floor we need. I pull open the door and we step into the hall. Things are buzzing. I guess the little nugget of news I dropped earlier has been disseminated. I see Dante and raise a hand in greeting.
"Hey, my man," I call to him.
He looks up, all business. The whites of his eyes almost look like they're glowing against is dark skin. "Sands," he acknowledges me. I'm always a little intrigued by his accent, a mixture these days of up state New York, French and Ethiopian, all very subtle.
Victoria: Things are very different down here. These vampires are all business. A few look up , but then right back to what they were doing. Weapons line the walls, computers and a bunch of technical stuff. Very interesting, my eyes open wide.
Sands calls out to handsome African, I smile as I hear his accent. It reminds me of the Plantation and better days.
Sands: Dante comes up and we exchange hand shakes. "You've started something," Dante tells me.
"I like to stir the pot," I admit. "Victoria, this is an old friend, Dante." I look at her as I introduce them. "Dante, Victoria Dupree. She and I are going to kill a vampire with Abberline's blessings of course."
Victoria; I smile and extend my hand in a greeting and utter a few pleasantries in French. It's good to hear the old French spoken, especially so beautifully. "Sands thinks I need a gun and seems to believe that you could be of some assistance to me in this manner."
Sands: Dante turns to me. "How can I help?"
I grin. "We need to get intelligence on Jacob aka Conner McLoud. He's on the official hit list as of tonight and I'm going to be the one doing the hitting." I've waited a long long time for this.
Victoria: I decide the best thing for me to do is remain quiet. Dante is all business, just like my initial instincts suggested. I step forward just a bit.
"I get to help, I have a vested interest in seeing McCloud dead." I smile slyly.
Sands: I nod. "Victoria and I plan on having a dandy time of it. Now, Dante, we need to get her a small automatic weapon with the liquid silver bullets." I study him. He's showing no emotions over our announcement. "And she'll need a little target practice, so I'll take her down. Maybe your men will find out where Jacob's been playing lately."
Victoria: I slip my arm lightly around his waist. I like where this is going. After all this time I will finally be rid of that son-of-a-bitch. I feel my pulse quicken at the thought of him lying on the floor in a pool of blood.
Sands: Dante nods. "I'll find you on the shooting range, then. She can start with this." He draws and holds out a small hand gun, Derringer and extra ammo.
"Why, thanks, Dante," I grin. "See you down there."
I smile at Victoria. She's enjoying this as much as me. We head down the hall, down more stairs, and we come out in the darker areas of the mansion. There's less traffic now, but this place is pretty active throughout the year. Low lighting is on, and we go into the shooting range. It's as modern as they come.
"You'll want these," I hand Victoria the sound deadening headgear. "It gets loud down here. You'll still be able to hear my voice. And these." Next I give her goggles. "We must protect our eyes. I, of all people, know that."
Victoria: I laugh a little. It's good that he can make jokes about his eyes. I place the headgear on and settle it over my ears, adjusting their fit. Then I slip the eye goggles on. "There, how do I look?" I smile and tease. "That's not important." I say dismissively," Show me how to use that thing."
Sands: I've got my own gear on, and I take her to one of the shooting positions. "See that target down there?" I point to the black and white target. "You need to hit that, hopefully in the head. You're not going to kill a vampire with body shots. Believe me.
"Now, when you load the gun, you make sure the safety is on and you always aim it down. Whenever someone hands you a gun, you always check to make sure it's safe." I demonstrate to her, "Then if you want to use it, you load the ammunition. This takes six bullets. The one you'll get later holds a clip, like mine. I'll show you clips."
I get behind her. "Hold it in both hands. Take the safety off. Whichever is your dominate eye, use that to sight and fire a test to see where you hit."
Victoria: I sigh, this is a lot to remember. I click the button that he indicated was the safety. The gun is heavier than I thought it would be, especially for something so small. I step up to the firing line and raise the weapon. I shut one eye and look, then I switch. Left eye was better. Aim for the head he said, aim for Connor's ugly head. I squeeze the trigger and fire. Wow! these things have quiet a kick to them, I wasn't prepared for that. I look to Sands, I don't want to be terrible at this! This is too important!
Sands: "Okay, first off, when you shoot, don't close either eye. Chances are someone's shooting back and you need to see what's going on. You want to sort of lock your arms. You're strong, just focus. And don't pull the trigger. Squeeze it." I am sure she can do this.
Victoria: Okay I'll try again. I check off his instructions in my head. Eyes open, lock arms. This part is easy. It's just like establishing the frame before you begin to dance. Focus now, focus on the target. And squeeze the trigger, . . . gently. It fires off, more easily this time. I hope I hit the target!
Sands: She's getting it. "Okay, now fire and stop between each shot to focus. Breathe in. Breathe out and fire at the end of the exhale."
Victoria: I smile, secretly pleased. I raise the gun again and point it at the target. Breath in, breath out. I take a few breaths to calm myself and focus. I fire and breath in. Breath out, and fire. I repeat this process two more times. Then when I fire the gun just clicks. Oh, yes just six bullets. I lower the weapon and then turn to Sands. "How did I do?" I ask apprehensively.
Sands: I push the button to bring the target in. "How do you think you did?" It's whizzing toward us. "Take a look."
Victoria: The target comes whizzing forward and I hold my breath in anticipation. I comes to a stop and I smile. "Not bad? The holes aren't all in one place but they seem to hit the image on the man. "Three in the head and two in the upper torso." But I don't know if it's good enough to do the job."
Sands:
"Once you have the automatic weapon, it will be good enough." I take out my Beretta 98 G Elite II. "This is more of the weight of the weapon you're going to get tonight." I hold it pointed down. "Here's the safety. Here's the ammo clip. This is how you take it out, and shove it in." I put the safety on and hand it to her. "Check it."
Victoria: I put down the smaller weapon on the narrow counter before us. This one is heavier. I point it down and check the weapon. First I pop the clip and examine it. Very interesting. The I pop it back into place. "Send the target back to the other end." I ask. Sands pushes a small button and the paper man floats away.
I disarm the safety and point the weapon . Breath in , breath out. Squeeze the trigger and focus. Wow! This one almost fires itself and the bullets come so quickly! I stop for a moment and then readjust. Focus girl! I aim the weapon and empty it into the target. I lower the weapon and place the safety on before laying it on the table.
"Bring the target back sugar." I smile at him. "Let's see how I did. " I smile shyly.
Sands: I push the return button, but I can see she shredded the target, mostly the head and upper torso. "You'll do just fine, as long as you're not aiming that at me," I tell her.
I take my gun back and put a new clip in, then re-holster it under my left arm.
Victoria: I smile pleased with my accomplishment and lean forward to kiss him quickly. "I'd never point one of those at you. Is that enough target practice?" I ask as I remove the goggles.
Sands: "No." I pull out more bullets for the little pistol. "Practice makes perfect, young lady." I hold them out in my hand. "Lock and load. You can get new targets here." I use my eyes to gesture to the bin beside us.
Victoria: "Alright," I respond as I slip the goggles back on over my eyes. I look to the bin and all the little paper men. "I'll stay here and practice, I assume you'll be talking to your friend Dante." I smile. "If I need help I'm sure there will be someone willing to come to my aid."
Sands: "No. I'm staying here and watching you." I settle back, arms crossed. "Dante will find me when he has info. Him or Quinn. They know where we are."
Victoria:
I reach for a new target and clip him to the hooks. I lean across Sands to push the little button and he whizzes away. I'm surprised at how much I'm enjoying this. I reach for the small gun and check to make sure that the safely is on. Then I reload, point the gun down and remove the safety. I fire, following all the rules Sands has given me. It seems easier this time.
Sands: "See? You're getting the hang of it." She is a fast learner. "Now, put the safety on. Reload the gun. Put it in your waistband. The moment the target starts to come toward you, pull it, take the safety off, and shoot."
Victoria: "In my waistband?" I look at him skeptically.
Sands:
"Yes. Like it's hidden. Like behind your back." I demonstrate. I put the safety on, tuck it behind my back, whip it out and pretend to shoot the target. "See?"
Victoria: I begin to reload the gun and do as I'm told. I raise my eyebrows and smile. I place the gun behind my back and motion for Sands to send the target back. When it reaches the end of the lane and take a deep breath. I pull the gun and fire off the six shots. "Well that's not so easy, is it?"
Sands: Patience, I tell myself. "That's not quite what I meant." I smile, hopefully charmingly. "Here." I hit the button to bring the target whipping towards us, pull my gun, and fire as it approaches. By the time the target arrives, there's no head left. "See?"
Victoria: I place the gun on the counter and lean against its edge. "Show me again." I ask.
Sands: I stare into her eyes. Is she pulling my chain here? "All right." I reload my gun, stick it in my waistband, hang up a new target, send it out, then retrieve it, pulling my gun at the last possible moment and blowing the head out. "Better?" I ask her. Is she smirking at me?
Victoria: "Nicely done." I reach across him for another target and hang it on the hooks. I reload the small gun before me and stick it in the waistband of my black leather pants. "Although I'll never be as good as you," I wink and try again.
Sands:
She's pretty hot standing there with a gun and all. Too bad we're not alone. "Practice makes perfect," I tell her, my mouth about a millimeter form her lovely ear.
Victoria: I feel his breath on my ear and it sends shudders of pleasure down my back. "Now love, how do you expect me to concentrate when you do things like that." My voice almost a purr. I keep my eyes forward and squeeze off the trigger six more times.
Sands: I'm about to reply to her, when I sense someone else has entered the range. I turn around. It's Dante and he's got some lovely things for us.
"Dante, what have you got there?"
He smiles, presenting Victoria with a shoulder holster and an automatic not much smaller than mine. There's several extra ammo clips for both of us. Just like Christmas.
Victoria: I look carefully at the weapon Dante has brought for me. I pull it from the holster and examine it carefully. My brothers Charles and Phillipe would have loved this. "Should I practice more?" I ask Sands, as I buckle the holster around me.
Sands;
"Here, darling." I take the holster and show her how to slip into it just like a jacket. "See, the gun can be under your right or left arm, depending on what you prefer. Most right-handed people put it under the left, and visa versa."
Victoria: I smile for him and raise my arms slightly allowing him to buckle me in. I watch his face as he accomplishes his task. "Being right handed I'll keep it under my left then."
Sands: "You can clip the extra ammo onto the harness, or carry them in your pockets." I turn to Dante. "Any news?"
Dante smiles more broadly. "Yes, Andre says he's been waiting and if you two don't get your asses into the disco soon, he'll have to come find you. Something about a sword."
Victoria: I clip the extra ammo clips onto the belt and listen. "Andre?" I look up. "I thought we were looking for Connor, I mean Jacob?"
Sands:
"Oh. We told Andre we'd meet him and Ernest in the disco, remember?"
Victoria: "Yes, I remember. We became a little distracted." I take off the goggles and then the ear coverings. "But what is all this about a sword?"
Sands:
"If I'm guessing correctly, and I'm sure Dante will tell me if I'm wrong, Andre threatened to stick it up my ass if we don't get over there. Right, Dante?"
Dante nods. "See, Andre is getting predictable," I tell Victoria.
Victoria: I roll my eyes. "Well then we better go," I pat him on the ass. "Wouldn't want to see Andre do that."
I turn towards Dante. He doesn't say much, but that's probably because he can't figure what a nice southern girl is doing with the likes of the psychobeauty. "Thank you for this," I place my hand against the gun.
Sands: "You're welcome," Dante tells her. "Sands, stop by and see Quinn before you take off."
"Yes, sir," I do a mock salute. He shrugs and stands back, allowing us to proceed him out.
Victoria: I take Sands by the arm and lean in closer. "Quinn? He's who you first saw when we arrived. Will he be able to tell us where Connor is?" We walk along and into the darken hallway.
Sands: "If anyone can get us the intel, it's Quinn and his folks." I head us toward the stairs. "We will find Jacob, Victoria. He will die. Trust me, I'm good at this, if I do say so myself. We all have our talents, killing is mine."
Victoria: "Yes, that's what I've heard." I squeeze his arm. "I don't doubt that you will kill Jacob, I just want to be there to watch." My eyes flash at the thought. "Is Andre really upset with you, us for our tardiness?" I tease. I'm pleased we're heading back to the dance floor. I want to see the disco ball in action.
Sands: I open the door to let us out of the stairs. "Oh, yeah, he'll murder me," I say. "Looks like they got things going while we were away."
The boom boom beat of disco echoes up the hall, and the door at the far end is outlined in light.
Victoria: The music is loud, but the light is warm and inviting. I grab his hand and pull him along. "Come on then, let's not keep them waiting much longer."
Sands: I walk beside her, open the door, and bow to usher her in. The music is incredibly loud, rattling the air spaces in my chest. The disco ball is turning, sending out beams of reflected light across the shadowy dance floor. There's several people here dancing. Andre is over by the DJ station. I point him out to Victoria and we head over.
Victoria: We walk across the floor. I'm a little shocked by all the extra people. I'm still not used to seeing so many of our kind and from what I've seen so far, it's a good thing I'm cautious.
Andre looks happy. I tighten my grip on Sands hand, I'm sure he can sense how nervous I am.
Sands:
Victoria seems excited. She squeezes my hand and I squeeze her hand back. I hope all the fuckheads notice she's armed now. I raise a hand towards Andre.
"You finally made it," he has to shout to be heard above the noise.
"That or end up shiskabobbed," I tell him. "I got your rather pointed invitation."
Victoria: I look to Andre. "Where did all these people come from?"
Sands: Andre is grinning. "Ernest didn't know it was private and he invited a few of his closest friends." He shrugs. There must be about fifty people in here. I look around. Maybe there are a lot of the younger ones, like Ernest.
"Want to dance," I ask Victoria as an Abba song comes on.
Victoria: "I'd love to!" My eyes light up. "You lead." I tease. I can follow anything.
Sands: Fucking right I'll lead. I take my jacket off and toss it at Andre, take Victoria's hand and go onto the dance floor. Nothing too John Travolta for me. I like to touch the woman I'm with.
Part B Victoria: He's forceful when he wants to be. I like it. He takes me onto the dance floor. The younger ones clear the way.
Sands: Some of the youngsters don't move fast enough for me, and I give them the evil eye. Let them think I'm singling them out for some future unpleasantness for a while, it will teach them to respect their elders.
Victoria is a great dancer. She's not looked at her feet once. She's watching me. I wonder what she sees. Does she see the deceptive outer shell, or the control freak inside who likes to manipulate everything to his liking?
Victoria: He has a commanding presence. I settle my shoulder into his hand and look into his eyes. I haven't quite figured him out yet. I've caused him an awful lot of trouble in two short days. Eventually he'll question whether I'm worth it. But then again he seems to thrive on trouble.
"You're a very good dancer," I call out over the noise. He's very attached to Lilith, it must be nice to be loved by your maker and not live in a constant fear of them. I like the way he holds onto me, I can't say as I care for most of the modern dancing. Where's the romance in bouncing around the floor never touching?
Sands: The music changes to 'Me and Mrs. Jones' and I move in closer, taking her in my arms. I'm a shitty dancer and I know it, so I don't move a whole hell of a lot when I'm doing it.
We say together and I breathe in her scent. I can't help but touch her neck with my mouth. She tastes so good.
Victoria: The music has changed, its more soulful. He wraps his arms about me and as he engulfs me I follow his every motion, mirroring his movements. He smells so good. I close my eyes and let him carry me away.
Sands: She must know how incredibly sexy she is. I look past her shoulder and see Andre smiling at us. I guess we have his blessing. Oh, shit. Cerese is here. Can't that bitch leave us alone? She's ogling us like we're fresh kill or something. Maybe she needs to feed more often. I turn Victoria and myself around so I don't have to look at that woman.
Victoria: I open my eyes casually and see Andre smiling. I smile in return, then I see Cerese.
"What is with that one? Why does she watch you so? Never mind, don't answer," I chide. "She's angry because she cannot have you for herself."
Sands:
Oh yeah, sure, that's it. "She wants me dead," I tell Victoria. "Thinks I'm the wrong sort." I hold back expletives. "I bet she'd get along with Jacob just fine and dandy."
Victoria: "Wrong sort?!" I flash an angry look in her direction. It startles her. "If she is Jacob's kind then she is dangerous and needs to be disposed of." The words drip from my tongue. Then I shake my head to clear my thoughts. I reach up and caress the side of his face. I tilt my chin and kiss his lips. "You're an interesting man Sheldon Jeffery Sands."
Sands: I smile. "Tasty, too. Want to try?"
Victoria: "Yeesss," I purr as I bare my fangs, biting gently into his lower lip. His taste excites me, sets me on fire! I tighten my grip on him and press my body closer. I feel the eyes of many on the two of us, and their gazes excite me more.
Sands: I exhale, enjoying the rush. She's better than drugs. Well, most drugs. I can taste my own blood on my tongue, but now I want more. Memories of a three day party in France before the Revolution seep into my mind. What an orgy that was!
Leaning into her, I nibble her neck, not breaking the skin, and look up at the other dancers. Some of them are doing the same thing. What the fuck, I'm going to enjoy myself!
I just scratch the surface, sending the slightest hint of her taste into my mouth. Now she's melting into me. I press against her, remembering what we shared in the pantry.
Victoria: I'm happiest when I'm in his arms. My thoughts drift back through the centuries to another night when I felt like this. I release my bite and lick my lips, pick up every last drop of his blood. "You know what I like about you Sands?"
Sands: Now that's a stumper. "What?"
Victoria: "You're complicated." I snuggle closer. "Lots of layers."
Sands: "Just like a wedding cake, huh?"
Victoria: I laugh and lean back to look at him. "That's not the image I would have chosen. " Then I lean back into his body. "I know there are many things we do not know about each other, and many things we would probably both like to keep hidden. A poet I like once said that everyman is like the moon with a dark side they show to no one."
Sands: "That's good. I'll remember that one. Do you remember who said it?"
Victoria: "Mark Twain. I liked him very much."
Sands: I humpf. He was a clever fellow. I'm more interested in Victoria at the moment. "You know," I tell her. "If you're place is secure, we could go back there and have Quinn phone us when he hears something."
Victoria: "I think it should be. Let's go." I take his hand. "But there's something that I want to say to you, about Lilith." When I say her name he stops. "When we were in Abberline's study and Lilith came. I heard her in my thoughts before she even spoke to me, I knew I came from her, belonged to her in some way. She knew all that had happened to me and spoke to me silently about my time with Jacob. I have never spoken about those times. She said that you and I had much in common, that it was fortunate that we should meet." I look at him hesitantly.
Sands: "She created your creator. That's all." I'm a little puzzled here. What does she mean she spoke to her? In her head or something? Can Victoria read minds? Or is this some new power of Lilith's? Too many questions.
Victoria: "Still want to go?" I ask. I know he's hiding, I know that is not what Lilith meant. But he wants to let this go, so I let it go.
Sands: "Yes. I want some intelligence, but maybe that will take a while." I pull back to watch her face. "We'll need to give your number to Quinn."
Victoria: I look at him for a moment; watching. I've stepped so far out of normal routine in the last 24 hours. It's the routine that's kept me alive. Giving out my phone number, well that's just inviting trouble. "All right, but I'm holding you responsible if I have anyone knocking at my door trying to hunt me down." I give him a sort of half smile.
Sands: She keeps surprising me. I'm still trying to figure out what she meant about Lilith talking to her in her head. It's hard to think clearly when I can still taste her blood on my lips. "Quinn is there to protect us."
Victoria: "Quinn?" I squeeze his hand, "Is he more protection than you are?"
Sands: I feel a smile coming on. "He's chief Guardian. He protects us from our enemies and weaker vampires from the other clans, or even some of our own. Abberline doesn't condone us murdering one another. He's brought a little order to the chaos." I reach up to brush a strand of hair off her face.
Victoria: I close and eyes briefly as he brushes the strand of hair from my face. "All right. But for the record, I thought you were doing just fine." I smile again. I'm a little confused, so many rules, contingencies. Connor's way was simpler, but too much to bear.
Sands:
"You haven't seen a real war. It's bad. If that's what Jacob has stirred up, we'll need to work, collaborate with others. Maybe even other clans"
I see her face cloud. "Don't worry. We will win," I assure her. I can't help myself. I lean in and kiss her, taking her more firmly in my arms.
Victoria: His embrace is welcomed, I give into his kiss fully and completely. When our lips part I brush my lips against his cheek and whisper into his ear. "I'm glad you are so confident."
Sands: I look into her face, studying the green depths of her eyes. "It's not me, it's the clan. That's why I hunt with them. They know their stuff. We have scientists, thralls, who discover things for us, like the bullets we use these days." I sigh. "Lilith and Abberline look forward, not back like half the other clans. We're not clinging to the past."
Victoria: "I suppose that's a very good thing, ensuring the survival of the species." I run my hand along the length of one of his arms. "I feel better about things. Thank you for pushing me into the twenty- first century. Thank you for teaching me to shoot."
Sands: "Teaching you to shoot won't save your life, Victoria. You need to be alert and willing to do whatever it takes to survive." I look around. "There's a balance to life." I force myself to shut up before she thinks I'm a raving lunatic.
Victoria: I look away, diverting my eyes. "I've done some fairly horrible things in order to survive. Things that a true, ... "I stop. It's probably better that I don't finish that thought.
Sands: "A true what?"
Victoria: "Nothing, never mind."
Sands: "We do what we need to do to survive, Victoria. It's the only way. Nothing to be ashamed of."
Victoria: I return my gaze to his and nod. The slow song is almost over, the last chords are playing out.
Sands: I'm about to say something to her, something to make the sadness go away from her eyes, when there's a flash. Blinking I look around. Some asshole has a camera and is taking pictures. What the fuck? The flash comes again, and I put a hand up to protect my eyes. "You trying to blind me?" I yell at the fuckmook. Another flash. Okay, now it's time to kill someone. "What are you doing?" I shout/growl.
Victoria: I jump back alarmed at the situation that has arisen! Many other couples on the dance floor follow suit. Who is taking the pictures? I quickly scan the room seeing if I can locate the assailant. My anger rises.
Sands: I'm still seeing spots, but my time of blindness taught me something. I hear footsteps and run after them. As we get close to the doors, someone in a dark suit runs through and slams the door behind himself.
Victoria: "Are you all right?" I ask coming up quickly behind Sands.
Sands: I grab hold of the door knob, but it's locked. I put a foot up against the wall and start pulling. "Watch out," I yell over my shoulder. It's a very heavy door, but I can hear the hardware giving way.
Victoria: I back out of the way seeing the hinges bending under the strength of his pull. I'm glad I'm carrying a gun now. I knew we weren't safe here.
Sands: The door shudders then comes off its hinges. I toss it aside and go out into the hall. Whoever it was is gone now. It took too long to get the door off. Shit!
I turn to see Victoria looking concerned, angry. She doesn't understand. I take her arm and start walking. I hear Andre calling my name and I pause allowing him time to catch up.
Victoria: Andre calls out. It seems to calm Sands momentarily. "Andre, what happened? Did you see who it was?" I ask quickly.
Andre: Of course Victoria doesn't understand. I look to Sands to see how he's handling this.
"Victoria, these sort of things happen."
Sands: "Yeah, just like shitting clockwork. Did you know that guy?"
Andre: "No. One of the younger ones, no doubt."
Victoria: "Will one of you two please tell me what's going on!" I shout putting my hand on my hips. "Was that trouble or just some fool taking pictures for a scrap book?"
Andre: "Not exactly a scrap book. We have our own.what you would call newspaper. It's very secret. Written in a code of sorts. We have our own celebrities." I look at Sheldon to see how he's taking this. He's glaring, but I know it's not directed at me. "Sheldon is one of them. Everything he does seems to fascinate them."
Sands:
"Yeah, I'm fucking fascinating."
Victoria: "You mean he's," I shift my weight, "He and I are going to end up in some gossip column to amuse these whelps!" I gesture angrily to the crowd on the dance floor.
Sands:
"Definitely you." I have to smile. "You were probably their target tonight."
Andre:
"Sheldon has broken many a camera in his day. I have many photos of him in my collecting. He's giving the finger in several." I have to laugh.
Victoria: "Me! Why me?!" I'm angry, but the idea of Sands smashing cameras is amusing.
Sands:
"Why? Because you're a new face. Because you're with me. They don't need a hellava lot of reasons for it. I know that one," I jerk a thumb at the empty hallway, "was a vampire. He ran too fast to be a thrall."
Andre: "Put it to bed, Sheldon. If you weren't so darned interesting, they wouldn't hound you so. And you, Victoria, you're beautiful, a mystery to them. That takes a while to get over."
I hand Sands his jacket.
Victoria: I'm beginning to settle down when the fear strikes me. I turn to Sands, panic in my eyes. "But if he sees it , he'll know I'm here. The first thing he'll do is come after me." I reach for his arm. "You don't think he'll see it do you?"
Sands: I shrug into my jacket then put my hand over hers. "The entire clan is now his enemy. You heard Abberline. We'll all be shooting for him. He'll be in that same newspaper. Hunting season is open, my dear. He won't come anywhere near the clan house."
Andre:
"It might be safer for you to stay here, Victoria."
Victoria: "Oh, no! I don't think so. At least in my own apartment I know exactly where am I and who my friends are. Here, that's a whole other story."
I look between the two. I was never keen on the idea of coming here in the first place. The entire evening has been more than overwhelming for me. I look into Sands warm eyes looking for answers. If he tells me to stay I will.
Sands:
"You heard her," I tell Andre. I couldn't stand the idea of her staying here. "He doesn't know where you live, Victoria," I remind her.
Victoria: I smile, relieved that he's not going to make me stay in Abberline's house. I step closer to him, the two of us firm in our resolve.
Sands: Andrew shrugs. "It's your heads." He reaches up to grab my shoulder. "Don't let anything happen to you, my brother."
I smile. "Nothing will happen to me. Even blind they couldn't kill me," I remind him.
Victoria: I tilt my head as my facial expression softens. "I'll do my best." Then I turn my attention back to Sands looking up into his face. "Does this means we're leaving now? After we tell Quinn how to reach us of course."
Sands: "Yes. Good night, Andre." I pat his arm, then turn and take Victoria's arm. "We need to get to the Guardian's level."
We go down to the level where the Guardians have their HQ. I think Victoria is getting a feel for the layout here.
We go into Quinn's office. He's there with Darius.
"Quinn, we're leaving," I announce. "Got anything for us?"
Victoria: I feel more at easy once we are alone, making our way through the less used passages of this great house. Soon we are back to the Guardians abode. Sands leads us into an office where two rather serious looking vampires are engaged in a conversation. Once again I do my best to become invisible as Sands begins to speak.
Sands: "We have had reports of Jacob here in New York," Quinn tells us. "He has not come here. He's laying low. Darius is doing some electronic sleuthing to try and track down his bank accounts. That may take a while, thought."
"So, perhaps a little more ammo for the road," I tell him. "Some more for Victoria, too." I cross my arms.
Victoria: It's good to hear that he has not been to the clan house. Unfortunate that I chose to come to New York at this time. He almost had me in Paris. Well, it was foolish to return to that place anyway. I just missed Claude.
"He kept most of his money in Swiss Bank accounts under different names of course. " I quietly interrupt.
Sands: "That we know," Darius speaks up. "But the Swiss are very good at keeping their secrets. We have to work on it from the other side."
He has a point.
"I think" Quinn speaks slowly, "You should take some thralls as protection. They can keep watch during the day just in case Jacob has thralls of his own primed to move in once he figures out where you are."
I shrug. "Victoria and I are old enough to stay awake during the day," I assure him.
"All day and all night every day and every night?" Quinn counters.
Victoria: I arch an eyebrow. Well the man has a point, smug as he is. "That's what security systems are for." I mummer.
Sands: All three of us look at her.
"There isn't a security system created we can't get around," Quinn tells her.
Part C Victoria: I narrow my eyes. "Well I wouldn't know that, now would I?" Being that I've done my best to avoid our kind for the better part of the last 150 years. There are some things I just detest, but I hold my ground.
Sands: "She's been living in a cave," I say straight-faced.
Victoria: I nudge him with my elbow.
Sands: "Even humans can get through security systems," Darius says seriously.
"Okay, so what thralls did you have in mind?" I ask.
Victoria: I decide it would be better to remain quiet and listen.
Sands: I hate the idea of thralls, but I'm willing to listen to Quinn because he's always had a level head.
"We have Jackson and Klein. Both are excellent shots and have all the training necessary to keep surveillance going. You'll need to transfer their loyalty to you."
I frown. "Who controls them now?"
"Vincent and Debbie, believe it or not," Quinn tells me with a little grin.
"Great." I look at Victoria. She looks very serious. "Okay, check with them and ask if I can take their thralls."
Victoria: Debbie? That's a terrible name for a vampire. I smirk. Transfer their loyalty?
Sands: "No need," Darius speaks up. "They're Guardians' thralls, so anyone of us can use them. This is official business, so they're yours. I'll get them for you."
He steps out and I look to Victoria. "So, cave dweller, are you okay with this?"
Victoria: "Having humans lurking about my home? I guess I'll have to be." My eyes begin to twinkle. I lean a little closer to him and whisper, "Keep it up and I'll make you pay later."
Sands: "Promises promises."
I smile at her. "If you want, you can control one and I'll take the other. I can show you how to get the thralls to be loyal to you."
Victoria: "I always keep my promises." I tease. "But yes, perhaps it would be wise for me to learn to enthrall."
Sands: "Do you want Jackson or Klein? And don't ask me which is which, because I don't know them."
Victoria: "I reserve that decision until I can meet them," I reply.
Sands:
"Fair enough."
I lean back against the credenza waiting for Darius to bring the thralls. "First off, you'll need to feed from them with intent that they do your will."
Victoria: "You mean I should concentrate on that fact as I drink from them?" My arms were still crossed but I was very interested. Sands takes everything in stride.
Sands: "Yes, exactly. Project your will into them. Do not allow them to drink from you. That's all they really want, and you can't give it to 'em. Remember that. They'll try to coerce you into giving it to them."
Victoria: I look at him skeptically. "I would never let a human drink from me."
Sands:
I can't help but smile. "How do you think you were made, sugarbutt?"
Victoria: "Yes I understand that, but I would not let a human, especially one I have never known drink from me."
Sands: "Good."
I hear them coming and turn around to see what we have to pick from. One looks like a male model, except he has cold, calculating eyes. He should have been C.I.A. He would fit right in. Maybe he is C.I.A. The other is the short smart kid who showed us the pantry. I turn to Victoria. "Which one?"
Victoria: I am displeased to see the human from the pantry. I didn't like him and at the time, wanted to snap his neck. I lean in close to Sands. "Not him," indicating the thrall with my eyes.
Sands:
"Bit surprise. Okay, you take Mr. GQ and I'll take PantryGuy." I turn to look at them. "What is your name?" I ask PantryGuy.
"Klein," he answers.
"That would make you Jackson," I address the taller one. "I think Victoria wants to do a little business with you."
Victoria: I shift my eyes from Sands to the tall human before me. I unfold my arms and motion him to come with a smile. He returns the smile and steps forward. "Do you have a first name, or is it simply Jackson?" I ask letting my accent slip through.
Sands: I try not to focus on what Victoria is doing, but hone my attention down to Klein. He knows what's expected and I gesture him into the next room.
"Are you Debbie's?" I ask. He smiles slowly and nods. I know she likes smart ones and figured as much. "Okay, Klein, I'm Sands."
"I know who you are." He's smiling more broadly now.
"Okay, let's do this."
He watches me as I draw closer to him.
Victoria: Out of the corner of my eye I see Sands slip into another room. The human before me lower his eyes to mine. He seems pleased. "My name is Samuel." he replies.
"Samuel, you know what I want?"
He nods and turns his head sweeping his hair from his skin. I see his pulse beating beneath the surface. I smile, and run my tongue across the tip of my teeth.
Sands: It doesn't take me long to psych myself up to do this. I capture his gaze and hold it. He can't look away. His smile fades and there's a hunger in his eyes now. I move closer to him and I can see the pulse in his neck, hear the rushing in and out of his breathing. He's excited by this, eager for it. I maintain control as I stand right up against him, the length of my body against his.
Now I can feel his heart beating. After all I drank the other night, I'm not really hungry. This is something else: a need to control and dominate this creature. I lean forward, inhaling his scent, focusing on him being bound to me. My tongue touches the skin of his neck and he sighs.
Victoria: "Samuel come closer." He takes another step forward as I reflect on Sands instruction. I look into Samuel's eyes, they are clear and desire my attention. I am excited by this and take long breaths to control my thoughts. I wrap my arms around his neck and shoulders and sink my teeth into his skin. He calls out! His blood flow past my teeth and I fill him with my thoughts. My eyes remain open gazing into his flesh. You will be mine, you will do as I bid, you will serve me
Sands: My hands holding him aren't necessary, but I do anyway. Now I can feel my appetite stir. There's a roaring in my ears. It's Klein's pulse. It beats at me and I bite down on his neck just enough to draw blood, tasting his blood and lashing out at him with my will. He is mine. His thoughts belongs to me. His life belongs to me and he's happy about it. I drink from him, boring into him with my intent, enjoying the sensation of his heart racing against mine. He's groaning with pleasure now, sagging against me, his hands lightly holding me.
My lips pull away from the small wound in his neck. His human blood scent fills my senses as I lick his blood from my lips. I feel his pulse slowing down. "Mine," I mouth the words. I straighten and find his dilated gaze locked on me, his lips parted, his hands still holding me.
Victoria: The human slips his arm around my waist as I drink, it distracts me momentarily. I don't want to lose him! I clamp down hard and feel his heart beat quicken. I force my will upon him, you belong to me, serve only me. Suddenly I feel his thoughts! He is excited about holding me against himself. He wants more. My eyes reflect the shock I feel at knowing this information. I pull away , running my tongue across the bite marks in his neck. He locks eyes with me and smiles. "Release me," I command.
Sands: Klein is mine. I can feel it. I don't like doing this, dealing with humans, but it's simple enough. He seems to have enjoyed it. We both politely ignore the fact that we've gotten aroused by this.
"You're going to help protect me and Victoria," I tell him, all business now.
"Yes, sir," he answers automatically.
"Call me Sands."
"Okay, Sands."
Well, I guess that's it. "Get whatever weapons you use, gear, a change of clothes, whatever. You and Jackson will need walkie-talkies, four of them."
He nods and goes out of the room.
Victoria: My new thrall does as I command, his arm returning to his side. "You are going to help protect Sands and I, you and Klein." He nods quietly. Good at least he's quiet.
Sands: I'm curious about how Victoria is doing. I return to Quinn's office. She's talking to Jackson. "Hey," I greet her.
Victoria: I move my torso to see Sands return. I walk past Samuel towards him. "What do I do with him now?" I ask, a shy smile on my face.
Sands: I must look stupid, standing there blinking at her. "Klein's gone to get his stuff and things we'll need. Why don't you tell him to get his weapons?"
Victoria: I turn around to face Jackson, he stands there quietly waiting to serve me. "Go and gather your weapons, whatever you'll need to do the job."
He nods and exits. I turn back to Sands. "I'm not sure about all this. I don't like some of the thoughts I saw stirring around in the thick head of his." I place a hand on my hip.
Sands: My eyes narrow. "That's the second time tonight you've talked about that. What do you mean?"
Victoria: "When I bit him," I point behind me in the direction of Jackson's trail. "When I had connected, when I had him bound to me, I heard his thoughts, knew his desires, some of which were very unpleasant, as flattering as they may have been meant." I look into Sands' eyes willing him to understand me.
Sands:
"You can hear other's thoughts? How do you do that?"
Victoria: Now I an really confused. "Can't you?"
Sands: "No." I'm slightly distracted by the taste of Klein in my mouth. "Were you psychic before you were turned?"
Victoria: "No," I pause for a moment. "This is just something that surfaced with me a few years back. I assumed it was something we all could do." I look up into his eyes. "Lilith can do it, she spoke to me in my mind while you and Abberline were speaking."
Sands:
"You said something about that, but I didn't understand that you really meant it." I look up to see Quinn listening to us. "Have you heard of this before?" I ask him.
"It's rare. She may have inherited it from someone she took."
Victoria: "Some one I took?" I look to Quinn. "I thought it just ran in the blood line."
Sands: "Could Jacob do it? I never heard anything about it."
Victoria: "If he could it was never anything he spoke about, and he's too arrogant to keep something like that a secret." I look back to Quinn. "Please don't speak of this. I don't want it to get out."
Sands: Her words make me think. "What about me?" I ask her. "Can you read my mind, too?" She never indicated she could, but maybe she's been reading me all along. I glance over at Quinn.
Victoria: "No, " I smirk, "Your thought are your own, you're a closed book." I slip my hands behind my back. "Usually I can read my victims, sometimes another vampire, but that is rare." The truth is I never really tired to read another vampire.
Sands:
"But you and Lilith could do it? I don't get this." I look from Victoria to Quinn.
"Maybe it's a female thing," Quinn shrugs.
"Oh." I hadn't thought of that. I hope Jacob can't do it. It would make tracking us down too easy for him.
I hear footsteps and look up to see Klein and Jackson returning. "Ready?" I ask them. They nod. I raise a brow at Victoria.
Victoria: I smirk at the thought of it being a female thing. Sands looks at me strangely, I wonder if he trusts me, or is concerned about his privacy. I'll have to reassure him of it later. I wait for him to offer me his arm, "Lead the way."
Sands: "We have to get your coat upstairs. I don't want the camera freak or our un-fan club to see that we are leaving with these two." I glance at the thralls. "Why don't we have them go out through the tunnels and we'll pick them up at the end of the drive?"
Victoria: I nod, "Worried that they will attract attention? It isn't like we having been doing that all night long." I smile.
Sands: "No, worried that there might be some here in league with Jacob."
Victoria: My eyes grow wide with surprise. "I hadn't thought of that," then my expression changes, "But I thought you said he was now the enemy of the entire house?"
Sands: "Have you ever dabbled in espionage?"
Victoria: I glance at him sideways with a silly little grin, "I am a product of the 18th centuries social circle."
Sands:
"Surely you had traitors and spies."
Victoria: "Of course, the entire age was, . . .never mind, you're just toying with me now."
Sands:
"When it comes to survival, I don't joke." I'm wondering if she doesn't understand this or if she's pulling my chain here.
Victoria: I touch his arm, "I know you don't and I'm very glad to fallen into the company with the likes of you." I smile for him genuinely.
Sands: She mentioned 'the company.' Does she know? Did I tell her?
"Klein, Jackson, go out through the tunnels and we'll meet you at the end of the drive. Skidattle."
I flash a quick smile at Victoria as I usher her out of the room. I salute Quinn with a grin. "Night."
Victoria: We walk quickly. "We've had an interesting night."
Sands: "It's just started," I remind her. It can't even be eight o'clock yet. "We can let the boys out about a block from your building so they can scout it out."
Victoria: Sometimes when he looks at me a see a flash of something behind those eyes. Something unsure, something wild. It's a little disconcerting, but it could just be the situation we've been thrust into.
Sands: I imagine Victoria's going through something of a culture shock. She's handling it pretty well. I usher her towards the stairs and we climb in silence, the only sound our shoes. I feel a sense of dread as we come out on the ground floor. I wonder if that jerk with the camera is hanging around.
Victoria: He's uneasy, I can feel it. I wonder what will await us up top. Probably that horrible Cerese, she's managed to be everywhere this evening. "Really only eight? I would have thought it was much later."
Sands: "Once more into the breach," I tell her.
Victoria: I put on a pleasant face. "As long as you're here, I'll endure."
Sands: I have to grin. "We'll get your coat and vamoose."
Victoria: "Vamoose? That means to go ?" He's spent a lot of time somewhere where Spanish is spoken. I've heard a few phrases come from him over the past two days.
Sands: "Yeah. Like in a hurry." I gesture her towards the servants who guard everyone's coats. "Here."
Victoria: "Well we have made it to the cloak room with being assaulted. That's a step in the right direction." I whisper.
Sands: I walk her to the cloak room, ignoring the vampires still milling around the entrance to the main ballroom. Their talking quiets, as if they're all waiting to hear what we have to say. I am forced to look at them, because I still want to rip the heart out of the guy taking my photo.
Victoria: I look through the others. The small annoyance created by them will soon pass. Sands seems distracted, not a wonder with what has been going on. I begin to smile. They are all waiting and watching. Fine let them watch!
Sands: I walk Victoria over to the cloak room and while she gets her coat, I stare back at the rude little crowd. Too bad Andre's not here to fend them off.
Victoria: I slip into my black woolen coat and button it up over the gun Quinn provided me with. Looking over at Sands as he returns their stares it appears if he is standing guard. A girl could grow to like this kind of protection. I pull my hair out from under the collar and slip one hand into my pocket. "Ready."
Sands: I'm seriously tempted to give this crowd the finger, but for Victoria's sake, I restrain myself and walk her out to the car as quickly as possible. Klein and Jackson should be heading down the tunnels by now.
I open the door for Victoria, and we go through. As it shuts behind me, I sigh in relief.