The quartet left Emma and Rayn's sanctuary, hurrying through the darkness. The two purebloods kept the women between them, their senses alert to any danger that might come.
Priest couldn't help but look at Rayn who was holding herself away from him. She was such a pretty little thing. For a moment, he allowed himself the fantasy of running his fingers through her short auburn-red curls and gently stroking her soft skin. A low growl from Chupa brought that little fantasy to an end, though. "Keep your mind on what you're doing, Priest," his friend told him quietly, his blue eyes serious. The redhead nodded and did just that.
Chupa was more than pleased at the way that Emma stayed close to his side. He glanced at her profile and was surprised to realize just how much she looked like Jirina. If his memory served, Jirina was harder looking where Emma was the epitome of soft womanhood. But he also knew that, when pressed, she could be just as hard as her mother had been.
"You doing all right?" he asked her softly, lightly resting his hand on her slender shoulder. Emma glanced up at him and nodded. "Just a bit tired," she murmured into his mind. He smiled. "We'll be there soon," he assured her, slipping his arm around her shoulder. His smile grew when she sighed softly and leaned into him. She felt good against his side.
Rayn sighed silently, cursing herself for even thinking that there could be anything between her and Priest. His smile made her insides quiver and it was a wonderful feeling. And the sound of his voice...she wouldn't even think about that. It sent too much heat through her. Truth be told, she wanted nothing more than to feel his arms around her again, but she knew what would happen if he held her again.
Beside her, Emma was trying desperately to figure out a way around the Mother's 'no intimacy' rule. But try as she might, nothing came to mind. The Mother was very particular about that rule. "Intimacy with your subject will cloud your judgement and make you weak. You must be strong and your mind must be clear of useless emotions," Emma had heard her say on more than one occasion. She couldn't help but wonder if the Mother had ever been attracted to anyone or if anyone had ever been attracted to Her, for that matter. The Mother was not an ugly woman. On the contrary, she was heart-stoppingly beautiful.
Thinking of such beauty made her think of her mother. While not the most loving creature in the worlds, Jirina had been an exemplary mother. She'd taught Emma to survive in both worlds and how to use the vampiric abilities that she'd been born with. Most importantly, she'd explained to Emma the difference between mere vampires and purebloods like herself. "A pureblood is born in darkness and lives in it always. A vampire is like a parasite introduced to a host. They are not like us, nor will they ever be," her mother's voice murmured from her memory.
Emma sighed and leaned against Chupa when he put his arm around her shoulder. To hell with the Mother, she was tired and needed the support.
The building they stopped in front of looked like all of the others on the street with the exception of the blackened windows. "Is this the place?" Rayn asked softly, barely glancing at Priest. "That it is," he replied, smiling at her.
Chupa pushed the door open and came face to face with a very worried Verlaine. "Where the hell have you been?" she demanded and then stopped short. She stared at Emma and Rayn. "Relax. They won't hurt you unless you try to hurt them," he told her, picking her up under the arms and bodily moving her out of the way. "This is bullshit, Chupa. You know better than this." "They've already had one run-in with Kasha tonight. I figured that they didn't need another one," he replied, glaring at her. Verlaine gasped. "I didn't know." Priest laughed. "How could you?"
As Verlaine watched them, she noticed that the taller of the two women looked very familiar. Then it hit her. "Jirina," she whispered in surprise. The blond turned her head. "No. I'm Emma, her daughter," she told Verlaine softly, her pale violet eyes dark with exhaustion. "You look so much like her. It's kind of spooky," Verlaine said apologetically. Emma shrugged. "I imagine that it would be. I'm sorry for any inconvenience our presence is causing." Verlaine shook her head. "For Jirina's daughter, it's no inconvenience," she murmured with a smile. Emma bowed her head. "We thank you," she murmured as Chupa took her hand and led her down a short hallway to a flight of stairs.
Priest kept his hand on Rayn's lower back, concerned that she wouldn't be able to make out the stairs. "It's all right, Priest," she murmured in his head as she cupped her right palm and held it at waist level. Her lips moved and a soft glow like candlelight appeared in her palm. "Thank you, Rayn," Emma murmured from ahead. "No problem," she replied.
At the bottom of the stairs, Chupa led them partway down a long hallway before stopping at a door. He opened it and said, "You can both stay in here. There are two beds and anything you might need. If you do need something, I'm on this side and Priest is on the other." As he spoke, he gestured to the doors on either side of the room.
Rayn and Emma carried their small cases in and set them down, looking around the lovely room. "Thank you, Chupa. This is very kind of you," Emma murmured, looking up at him. Rayn nodded. "We appreciate this a great deal," she murmured, trying not to look at Priest.
Chupa stepped closer to Emma and used his finger to tilt her chin up. "Get some rest," he ordered softly, smiling at her. "I will. Don't worry," she whispered, wishing for a moment that he would touch her face like he'd done earlier. He leaned down and whispered, "I don't mind worrying. You're worth it."
Emma felt her cheeks flame. She looked up at him from beneath her lashes and returned his smile.
"Sweet dreams, Rayn," Priest murmured, winking at her. Rayn blushed slightly and nodded. "And to you, Priest."
As the two purebloods left the room, both women wished that they weren't.
