Well, I'm back, but I certainly have no sense of time. I keep having these nice, concise chapters planned out, and then they just sort of get away from me. As such, this chapter is pretty long – definitely the longest we've had so far. I'm going to take about a week to get Chapter IX out – it's a really important one that's central to switching gears from all of this thinking to a lot more doing. Remember my teaser? Well, we've had our "journey," but we're still missing our "guest." Expect that around Chapter X!
Okay, enough with my soapbox. Here are my traditional expressions of gratitude and worship to those that review. You guys crack me up with some of your responses, and you ALWAYS humble me. Thank-you so much for reading this story!
scary miss mary:evil grin: I've had that particular line in my head since this entire fanfiction started. I was so happy to finally be able to use it and I'm glad you liked it so much. I'm also glad that you feel the characters are realistic. It's hard to do since we know Ash is supposed to be a redeemed soul, but the exact manner of said redemption is left up in the air. Your reviews are always a pleasure.
Pyrope:chuckles: My story is like caffeine? I never would have thought it could happen, but you won't get any complaints from me! Hopefully this chapter will feed your addiction and provide some insights into your questions!
Chrios: Oh, we've got plenty of conflict coming up. Most of it funny, but much will be on an emotional level as well. And sneaky is one of my fortes ;)
Lunatic: We have much plot shiftage ahead of us. You guys don't have a clue what I've got planned for you :evil laugh: I think you'll like it, though – it's totally out of left field. And I'm really happy you liked Ash's sisters – I have such an appreciation for Jade now. Enjoy this next chapter!
sweettooth/Shattered Immortality: I thought the writing styles of these two names were the same – I'm glad that you resolved the confusion so I don't feel like I'm being over-analytical. Your comments are always so thoughtful and supportive – I look forward to getting them. :chuckles: I can't promise a series for each book, but I'm going to do my best to get through as many of the couples as I can. And I certainly don't mind the gushing or the compliments – it puts me in my happy place!
fate22:chuckle: It's always lovely to hear that people can actually understand why I write the characters the way I do – your reviews are always a wonderful voice of validation. You're also crazy perceptive about why I chose Poppy and James in particular – so I think you'll be pleased with this chapter.
Arya84: I shall do my best to fulfill your wishes :grins: Some of them you'll get now ... and some will be within the next few chapters. Daybreaker interaction is high on our list, I promise.
laura: You're reading my story while on holiday? Excellent. Don't worry about the story ending ... we have a really long way to go, and my style is of the meandering sort. You will have a lot to read for quite some time!
filanvampire: Marlow is a character in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. I tried to make the reference as accessible as possible, but I knew I was going out on a limb by tossing in some heavy literary analysis. I think Mary-Lynnette and Ash would have a lot of really dense discussions about books, so I was trying to show their intellectual side. I'm sorry if it was a little over the top O.o Hopefully, you were able to appreciate the banter and random cuteness that surrounded it, and I promise, we're going to leave the academic analysis behind (for at least awhile) in favor of some actual activity.
amber-rules:chuckles: The 'special parts' line was really one of the best things I've ever written. Sorry it disturbed your mum, though .
Aglaia di Willow: I've been ghosting for probably around five or six years now. My NW name is Creide DiWillow, but I haven't logged into the site in so long that I'm off the Clan page. I just went and updated, though, so hopefully Cassie will put me back on. So, it seems we are kin :grins: And, this chapter will definitely give you Daybreaker goodness.
Ria: LoL! Your review owns – it's so blunt, and the no-nonsense demand made me get my act in gear to finish editing this chapter for tonight's release. I'm flattered to inspire such intensity. ) Enjoy!
Okay, and now on to our saga.
For a Knight's Lady
By: EarthDragonette
Disclaimer: Ash is not my original character. Mary-Lynnette isn't my original character either. Neither are Thierry, or Hannah, or, well, anybody really. Except Reina, the blonde kid from the club, and the pup. Those I'm rather fond of – even if Reina DOES vex me so. Anyway, I'm not making any money off of this story.
Rating:PG-13
"He ... changed you?" Mary-Lynnette asked, Poppy's small, bouncy form doing a horrible job of meshing with Mary-Lynnette's preconceived notions about vampires. She didn't look anything like Ash's sisters: not graceful, not elegant, and not vaguely dangerous. Instead, Poppy looked like a pixie. A wild, exotic pixie, but a pixie nonetheless.
"I was dying of cancer," Poppy explained, giving James's arm a squeeze. "But lucky for me, he turned out to be a full-fledged vampire and saved me. It only happened about a year ago, so I'm pretty new at this." Giving Mary-Lynnette a cheerful wink, she suggested: "Think of me as a bloodsucker-in-training – I still have a lot to learn."
"She's being modest," James commented. "She has a better grasp of her powers than most full-grown lamia."
No kidding, Ash thought, his temples momentarily contracting with the memory of his own encounter with Poppy's powers.
Poppy tossed her head back, making a small "hmmph" sound. "You're just showing off in front of Ash. Be nice to him – he looks mad."
Mary-Lynnette glanced over at her soulmate and was forced to admit that he didn't look exactly pleased to see the other couple. He was still leaning against the car with his arms crossed, and his eyes were a solid brown. "'He'," Ash informed them, "is generally discontent, yes."
James shrugged. "The West-Coast Cavern is available for all of the Redfern family to use. You're lucky that it's just Poppy and me right now – a lot of the family is trying to get time here before the war cuts people off from the estates."
"Nobody was supposed to be here this week," Ash pointed out, his eyes changing from brown to a multi-hued state.
"Things were slow in Vegas. We wanted to get away for a couple of days," James defended, his posture becoming slightly more agitated. "I have just as much a right to use the house as you do."
"I'm sorry to hear life in Thierry's luxurious Las Vegas mansion became too difficult for you," Ash retorted. "And I really appreciate you showing up to crash my vacation."
"How were we to know when you'd be getting back? It could've been weeks."
"Could have, yes," Ash admitted. "But point is: wasn't. And I repeat: nobody was supposed to be here this week. Even you guys – you never use this place."
"Neither do yo —"
Not interested in the current male-to-male pissing contest, Mary-Lynnette interrupted the bickering with a concern of her own: "What war?" she demanded, shooting Ash a look of shock. "You said your family was having a 'little disagreement.'"
Poppy started to cough and James sighed, rolling his eyes. "Don't tell me she doesn't know about the breakup of the Nightworld."
Backed into a corner, Ash was extremely annoyed. "Of course she knows," he snapped. "I'm not about to bring my soulmate around Circle Daybreak without her knowing the situation. I just didn't tell her about the family side of it. Yet."
"And why not?" Mary-Lynnette demanded, not enjoying the prospect of looking ignorant in front of Poppy and James.
"You had a lot to deal with. I was trying to ease you into the politics."
"But," she began, but then stopped and took a deep breath. He wouldn't keep something from me unless he really thought it was necessary, she reminded herself. And I shouldn't make him look bad in front of these two, either.
"Okay," she finally said. "You can bring me up to date later on – I think I can handle it." Reaching out for his hand, she pulled his arm loose from the defensive posture and then tugged a little more to bring him next to her. "Come on," she said. "Let's get our stuff out of the car and just relax." She looked at James and Poppy, "Unless," she ventured, "You two wanted the whole house for yourselves?"
James snorted and Poppy couldn't quite hold back a giggle. "As if," she grinned, gesturing at the house and doing a little twirl. "This place is huge. We could have another five people stay here and not even realize it."
"Not to mention," James drawled as Ash opened the trunk, "I don't think we'd have much luck getting you to leave." Mary-Lynnette gave him a quizzical look, not exactly sure what his meaning was. Elaborating, James said, "Ash doesn't like to share. I don't think he'd even consider forfeiting his stay here."
"No, he would not," the blonde vampire declared, tossing his duffle bag beside Mary-Lynnette's suitcase and slamming the trunk shut. When James moved to help with the bags, Ash shooed him away, taking all of the luggage himself.
"Hands off," he huffed, marching towards the house. "If I'm taking Mary-Lynnette on a trip, I'll carry her stuff."
Following Ash into the mansion, Mary-Lynnette did her best to school her features, not wanting to appear overly awed by the unfamiliar luxury. As they passed through the front hallway and made their way up the stairs, she only had enough time to glimpse an enormous family room filled to the brim with delicate, Hispanic-looking furniture. The stairs were also soft on the eyes, being made out of the same pristine, white marble that covered the floor of the rather impressive foyer. It was all she could do to maintain her dignity.
Poppy, however, had no such qualms.
"Isn't this place amazing!" she gushed, hopping up the stairs. "It has six bedrooms and eleven bathrooms. Eleven!" she exclaimed, leaping up to the landing. "My old house didn't even have eleven rooms, much less more than two that you could actually bathe in." Grabbing James as he came up the stairs, she pulled the young man's arms around her small torso and declared, "It isn't as nice as Thierry's mansion, but still."
"Um ... how many rooms does this house have in all?" Mary-Lynnette asked, readjusting her backpack as she continued to follow Ash down the hallway. As they passed various expensive-looking paintings, she made an extra effort to keep her distance for fear of accidentally bumping up against one of them.
"Um, eleven bathrooms, six bedrooms, and ... maybe, fourteen 'other' rooms? So, I guess around ... thirty-one?"
Thirty-one! "Um, 'other' rooms?"
"Other. You know," Poppy urged, "Like, a media room, bar room, breakfast room, dining room, cabana room –"
"Cabana room?"
"It's an outside room by the pool," Ash explained, stopping in front of one of the several doors Mary-Lynnette had noticed. "It has a lot of swimming stuff for people that forget to bring their own."
Poppy seemed to buzz with even more energy. "Exactly! It's a great room to have. And what's even better is that the pool's ready to use and it's perfect swimming weather! We could even go out tonight!"
"Poppy," James warned. "They just got here. Give them some time." He tossed her an intense look, and Mary-Lynnette figured that he was giving his request some telepathic emphasis.
Grumbling slightly, Poppy tucked some of her windblown, coppery curls behind her ears. She then turned to Mary-Lynnette with a sheepish grin. "Sorry about that. You guys'll definitely want to settle in."
"Which rooms are yours?" Mary-Lynnette asked, glancing up and down the carpet covered marble hallway for any open doors.
Poppy grinned at her, an impish light in her eyes. "Jamie and I share a room," she replied. "Since we got here first, we took the master bedroom. That means you're free to choose from the other five."
"Sure, kick the full-blooded Redfernout of the master bedroom," Ash grumbled.
"Well, if he'd shown up first, then the Redfern playboy could've had it," James argued back. "But we're not moving, so you're left with just five others to choose from. You poor thing."
"Is this about me getting the North Wing room in the Vegas mansion with all the sky-lights? You know you never had a chance at it."
"You always bring that up. I've told you before ..."
Mary-Lynnette's focus was far from the conversation as she realized her miscalculated assumption ... and some of its consequences.
Was she supposed to share a room with Ash? Feeling more than a little flustered that she hadn't considered the sleeping arrangements beforehand, she gave him a desperate look that was intense enough to distract him from his argument.
On one hand, we're soulmates, she thought. It seems silly to stay in separate rooms. On the other hand, however, it's only been a few days since he came back.
Thankfully, Ash noticed the panic in her eyes and knew enough not to push her. Turning abruptly to ignore James, he informed her, "This is your room." Motioning to the door that they had stopped in front of, he continued, "Mine is next to yours. There's a connecting door between them in case you need anything."
Breathing a sigh of relief, she nodded to him. "That sounds fine."
"We'll let you guys get settled," James offered. "Come downstairs when you're ready and we can figure out what Mary-Lynnette wants to order for dinner." With that, he turned and tugged Poppy down the hallway.
Mary-Lynnette turned to Ash. "Order?" she asked.
Ash nodded as he opened the door to his room. "Unless you've developed a taste for various kinds of animal blood or wine, which is all that we have here as it is a vampire household, you'll probably want to get something from the city."
Feeling somewhat nauseous, she assured him, "Ordering in sounds fine."
A few hours later found Mary-Lynnette stretched out on one of the overstuffed couches in what Ash had identified as the family room. After having spent some time examining the Jacuzzi tub in her own private bath, the numerous pieces of well made, comfortable furniture (like the canopy bed in her room), and the full-fledged entertainment system that spread throughout the entire house, she decided that if push came to shove, she supposed she could acclimate herself to the Redfern Fortune.
Only if push came to shove, though.
After finishing the Chinese food she'd ordered, Mary-Lynnette sat back on the couch to enjoy a few minutes alone. Ash, Poppy, and James had left her to her dinner while they went for their own meals, all three declaring that the ostrich blood in the refrigerator was positively revolting.
"I refuse to drink the blood of a bird that's taller than I am," Ash had grumbled before taking off into the evening air. They had only been gone about an hour, and Mary-Lynnette knew from her time with Rowan, Kestrel, and Jade that it could take up to two hours to feed if the hunting was slow.
Because of her past experiences, she was surprised when she heard the front door open and slam shut only about an hour after the trio had left. Not feeling the tingles of her connection with Ash, she stood to see who it was. Rounding a corner, she nearly crashed into Poppy, who, fresh from feeding, was even more charged with energy than when Mary-Lynnette had first met her, if that was possible.
Startled, the human girl stumbled back, grabbing on to a coffee table to keep her balance. In the process, however, a very expensive-looking vase was disturbed from the surface, which, after a few seconds of unsteady wobbling, began a heart-wrenching descent toward the marble floor.
"Oh, no! Oh, no! Bad vase!" Poppy cried, making a seemingly impossible dive over Mary-Lynnette to catch the delicate urn. In a scene that either female had only seen in slapstick comedy routines, the vampire's leap created a domino effect, pushing Mary-Lynnette back into the wall only a few feet from what appeared to be an original Picasso painting. Feeling her heart take yet another plunge into her stomach, the painting swayed back and forth before becoming unbalanced and beginning to slide off the wall. A quick glance revealed Poppy curled up in a fetal position around the vase and unavailable to save the second work of art.
Although she only had nanoseconds to act, Mary-Lynnette would later recall thinking something along the lines of, I hope my human reflexes are good enough for this. Throwing herself along the wall, she managed to catch the painting with a minimal amount of scrapping or bumping. For a few seconds she couldn't move, her body trying desperately to attain equilibrium after the rushes of adrenaline and relief.
Hearing a sound from her right, she turned and saw Poppy sitting up in Indian-style position with the vase in front of her. She had her face in her hands, and Mary-Lynnette was terrified that the young woman was crying.
"Um, Poppy?" she tested, not sure whether or not she should interfere. Poppy looked up, and Mary-Lynnette could see the tears in her eyes – but not from crying.
"I've dealt with everything from psychotic witches to rabid-werewolves, and I don't think I've ever been so scared!" she giggled, jumping to her feet before reverently placing the vase back on the table.
Taking a look around the room, Mary-Lynnette could see how very possible it would be to start a chain reaction of motion that would easily destroy more than half of the family room. She gave Poppy a smile, feeling more at ease with her. "You're right," Mary-Lynnette agreed, slowly standing up to set the picture to rights. "I'm not sure what I would've done if I'd had to tell Ash that I'd killed his house."
Poppy, still in the throes of the giggles, nodded. "He would've been furious!" As soon as she'd said it, however, she paused slightly to give Mary-Lynnette a scrutinizing look. After a few seconds she amended, "Well, actually, I don't know if he'd be mad at you. I'm not sure he could be mad at you."
Sitting down on a chair, Mary-Lynnette smiled wryly, "Oh, he can all right. And he has been – several times."
Poppy flopped on to the couch and waved her hand dismissively. "I don't believe it," she declared. "With the way that he talks about you, and the way he looks at you, I know that he's crazy about you."
Not sure why she felt the need to open up to Poppy, Mary-Lynnette let herself admit, "Oh, I know he cares about me. I'm just not sure that it means I get a whole lot of special treatment. He is Ash, after all."
Poppy blinked at her. "Well, he is Ash, yes. But what do you mean by that?"
Mary-Lynnette shrugged. "I know he had ... girlfriends," she delicately described, "before me. So I'm sure he has a set routine for the position by now. On the other hand, he's the first guy I've really been with, or dated, or anything. It's sort of uneven," she explained.
"You're joking, right?" Poppy asked, leaning forward. "As somebody who was on the receiving end of his 'routine,' at one point, I can tell you for a fact that he's completely different with you."
Mary-Lynnette wasn't sure what to ask about first – the idea of Ash behaving differently around her, or the idea of him trying out his routine on this emerald-eyed beauty with ridiculous psychic powers. Eventually, curiosity won out and she hesitantly asked, "Um, he tried his routine with you?"
Snorting, Poppy rolled on to her stomach. "Sort of," she answered. Seeing that Mary-Lynnette was going to need a lot more than that, she explained, "Right after James changed me, like, the morning after he got me out of my coffin –"
Got her out of her coffin? What the heck did he DO to her? "Coffin?"
Backtracking, the female vampire realized, "Oh, right, you wouldn't know about that. Well, see, when humans change into vampires, their body does this thing where it shuts down for a little while, sort of like death. In my case, since I was supposed to die anyway –"
"You had to go through a burial," Mary-Lynnette finished, unable to hide a shiver at the thought.
Poppy nodded, "Yeah, it was really hard on my family. Especially my twin brother, Phil. He knew the truth about what James and I were doing, and helped Jamie out when he came to get me. Actually," she said, looking thoughtful. "It was while I was asleep that I first saw Ash. He came to me in a psychic dream."
Mary-Lynnette coughed. "Excuse me?"
"Well," Poppy elaborated, "It wasn't as though he was trying to come to me – I think I was more predicting the future than anything. Point is, when he showed up the day after James had rescued me from my coffin, I was already pretty weak and unsure of myself." Here she gave Mary-Lynnette a conspiratorial wink. "He is awfully handsome, you know."
Mary-Lynnette couldn't hide the blush. "I know. And I know that he knows it, too."
Poppy groaned, "And if he knows that you know ..."
Mary-Lynnette concluded, "Yeah, things get complicated." Shaking her head, she inquired, "Is that what happened to you?"
Poppy wrinkled her nose. "No way. James and I have been together for years – he was my best friend way before he was my active soulmate. It's just forbidden in the Nightworld, that's all."
"What is?"
"For Night People to fall in love with humans. James broke a lot of laws to keep me alive. The thing is, I didn't know all about that when he did it, and Ash, uh ..."
"Knew that you didn't know."
"Right," Poppy replied. "Because of that, it was pretty easy to get me to go with him. We ended up going to Vegas, and after some awkward sightseeing, he took me to a Nightworld party. James showed up after that and got me."
"Wait," Mary-Lynnette said. "I don't understand – why did you go with him?"
Poppy had the grace to look a little sheepish. "Well, he told me that if I stayed with James, then I would be a threat to him. I couldn't stand the thought of my existence hurting him, and Ash seemed very sure of himself."
Don't I know that, Mary-Lynnette thought. "Why did he take you to the party?"
Poppy shrugged. "Oh, I'm sure he had his reasons. James thought he wanted to turn me over to the Elders so that they'd kill me for being an illegal made vampire – Ash told me at one point that that's what he planned to do."
Mary-Lynnette blanched. Well, she mused to herself, you were waiting for direct contact with one of Ash's former prey, and it seems you've found it. Taking a deep breath, she simply asked, "Can you tell me more about it?"
Tucking a pillow under her chin and kicking off her shoes, Poppy thought for a second before answering her. Eventually, she offered, "When I was traveling with Ash, he tried really hard to make some kind of connection with me. It was pretty obvious, though, that he was doing it more because I was a semi-helpless female than because he actually had any kind of feelings for me."
This is not what I want to hear.
"But," Poppy said, her change in tone resurrecting hope for Mary-Lynnette.
"But what?"
"But," Poppy continued, "I'm not sure that he would've really done it. Oh," she grumbled, "don't get me wrong, he was the most irritating, frustrating, impossible person I'd ever met. Still, I don't really think he wanted to hurt me. I think he wanted to play with me. It was all a game to him."
A game. That must've been what his whole life was like before me, Mary-Lynnette supposed. Tentatively, she asked, "Do you still hold it against him? That he manipulated you that way?"
Poppy shook her head, "No, not now, but I was pretty uncomfortable with him for awhile. Before he met you, he really hated humans, and he was crazy into this weird 'everybody takes care of himself or herself' philosophy. The only reason I got away from him at the party was because I'm a strong telepath."
Did she use a Jedi mind trick? "Did you just convince him to let you go?"
Ducking her head, Poppy gave Mary-Lynnette a mischievous look. "Nothing so subtle, I'm afraid. I ended up using my thoughts like a weapon and he had to let me go. Before I could do anything else, James and Phil came."
Processing this information, Mary-Lynnette probed, "So, you said you used to be uncomfortable around him. What changed?"
Poppy grinned. "He did. A lot. After James and I left my hometown, we had some problems settling down – we're a hybrid couple and that's still a sensitive issue. One day, Ash called and told us about Circle Daybreak." She spread her hands out in front of her, looking at her palms. "So, he really helped us out when we needed it. After that, and after seeing how ... honest he'd become, we sort of made our peace."
"This was all after he met me?"
Poppy chuckled. "Of course. He's been completely different for the last year or so – calmer, somehow. He's also nicer, and not nearly as confusing as he used to be. He and Jamie still fight a lot, but I think it may be more out of habit. And that," she added, giving Mary-Lynnette a direct look, "is why you shouldn't think for a second that he treats you the way he treated his previous ... interests. You're a whole different story."
Hearing a door open and the sound of two sets of feet walk inside of the house, Mary-Lynnette wasn't too surprised when she felt the chord's tug. Accompanied with the footsteps, however, was the tail end of some sort of argument. Looking wryly at Poppy, she observed, "I think that 'habit' just walked through the door."
Sitting up, Poppy grumbled, "They're at it again. I swear, one of these days I'm going to telepathically bind them to each other so they'll have to get along just to survive."
Looking at the small woman in awe, Mary-Lynnette couldn't keep herself from asking, "Telepaths can actually do that?"
Giving Mary-Lynnette a wry grin, the coppery-haired vampire replied, "I don't know for sure, but sometimes those two push me so much that I'm really tempted to try."
Before Mary-Lynnette could reply, Ash and James came in through the doorway, both looking refreshed from their meals. Mary-Lynnette was momentarily distracted from the argument by the moonlight-esque glow shining out of Ash's silver eyes.
"Like I've told you before," James snapped, walking over to Poppy and sitting down next to her, "The problems we had in Albuquerque last month were not my fault."
Ash was so involved with his argument that he didn't even notice as his natural path took him in front of Mary-Lynnette, where he sat down in front of her on the floor. "Of course they weren't," he soothed, stretching his long legs out in front of him. "Because you have no history whatsoever of ignoring protocol as soon as you think Poppy's in danger."
His green eyes hard, James's voice was dangerously quiet, "Careful, Ash. That's not the best of subjects for us."
Ash shrugged, his eyes warming to amber. "Say what you like, I'm just trying to point out that if you'd actually kept watching the entrances to the club, then I wouldn't have had to get ... creative."
"Taking an entire club hostage because you claimed to have a biological weapon from the Harman witches was not creative," James grit out. "It was stupid."
"It was creative," Ash maintained. "Not only was it creative, but it worked. While you were out jumping roof tops because your soulmate wasn't within a fifty-foot radius of you, I managed to get the lost witch out of the club and into the limo."
Lost witch? Mary-Lynnette mouthed to Poppy.
Witches that don't know they're witches, Poppy said, her voice projecting clearly inside of Mary-Lynnette's mind. Humans call them psychics – I was actually one of them before the change. That's one of the reasons I'm such a strong telepath.
"Also," Ash added, reaching down to absently play with the hem of Mary-Lynnette's jeans, "I seem to remember that Poppy wasn't in any danger. She can take care of herself."
Seeing a chance to diffuse the situation, Poppy jumped into the bickering. "But," she reminded Ash, "I really appreciated James's help, and you should remember that we were able to take a couple of Nightworld lackeys with us after the mission. They gave us a lot of information."
Biological weapons? Lackeys? Missions? Prisoners? This is all out of some weird spy movie, Mary-Lynnette thought.
Ash held up his hands in defense. "Don't look at me, he's the one that started to yell at me for being irresponsible and not calling ahead before we got here." He muttered under his breath, "Of course, it makes so much sense to let a supposedly empty house know you're coming to visit."
Poppy shot James an amused look. "Jamie, you're just as bad as he is."
Acutely aware of Ash's agitation, Mary-Lynnette also wanted to do something to calm her soulmate, but without getting in the middle of the fight. After a moment's hesitation, she reached down and began to comb her fingers through his hair, straightening out the windblown tresses. Much to her surprise, the physical contact had the desired effect, and instead of feeling the usual sparks and electricity, she felt a cool sense of calm between the two of them.
Ash jumped slightly, finally becoming conscious of where he was sitting. He turned his head to look up at Mary-Lynnette, who let her hands slide down to rest on his shoulders. She could read a trace of sheepishness in his eyes – now green – as he became aware of how close to her he was, and how naturally his hands had been wandering up and down her calves.
I'm surprised she actually let me get away with it, he mused, sitting up a little straighter so he wasn't leaning on her quite so much.
"Um ... so, how was the Chinese food?" Ash asked, glancing at the half-empty cartons.
Mary-Lynnette smiled at him, relieved that the disagreement seemed to have been left behind. "It was good," she said. "I wasn't that hungry, so there's some left over."
"Are you two going on to Vegas tomorrow?" Poppy asked, having taken the opportunity during the brief lull in conversation to rest her head on James's lap. The dark-haired vampire was still glowering at Ash, although he seemed more passive than he had been.
"Yeah," Ash answered, turning around once again to face the other couple. He was surprised, but extremely pleased, when Mary-Lynnette didn't remove her hands from his shoulders but rather began to gently rub his neck. As she worked out some of the tighter muscles, he noticed that, somehow, the emotions she was projecting at him through the chord made him feel at peace. In fact, he couldn't remember what he and James had been arguing about in the first place. "This was just a place to stop and spend the night. I want to get us back to Circle Daybreak as quickly as possible."
Although he didn't explicitly say it, Mary-Lynnette caught the tail end of his worry – by being away from the protective fortress of Thierry's mansion, the human-vampire soulmate couple remained in a constant state of danger. Although she trusted that Ash could, and would, fight dirty to protect her, she would just as soon rather he not have to do any fighting in the first place.
"Well," Poppy said brightly, jumping to her feet. "Since James and I are going to stay here for another couple of days, we just have this one night to hang out here." Turning to Mary-Lynnette, she held out her hand. "How about it? In the mood to beat these guys at a game of pool?"
Mary-Lynnette couldn't help but grin up at Poppy, adding, "Sure. We'll even be nice and let them go first."
Since the trip from Beverly Hills to Las Vegas would only take Mary-Lynnette and Ash around four hours, the couple opted to sleep in the next morning and planned on leaving sometime in the early afternoon. Considering that they'd all gone to bed rather late, it was a welcome relief to Mary-Lynnette when she had the luxury of rolling out of bed around eleven.
After taking some time to eat and get ready, the pair managed to start the trip shortly before one. Although she knew that her skills were solid enough to get them through some fairly heavy traffic, Mary-Lynnette was more than willing to yield to Ash's experience when it came to driving on I-15. As such, it was from the passenger's seat that she waved to Poppy and James, promising to meet up with them again in a few days.
The drive itself was somewhat quieter than the one the day before. Almost thirty continuous hours in each other's company had brought Mary-Lynnette and Ash to the point where neither felt a pressing need to talk all of the time. Therefore, Mary-Lynnette spent her time reading a book of Isaac Asimov short stories, occasionally tossing a comment in Ash's direction; for Ash's part, most of his attention was fixated on the road and surrounding environment. Mary-Lynnette noticed that the closer they got to the once-Nightworld dominated city, the more cautious he appeared to be. At one point, she reached over to cover his hand with her own, using her newfound Soulmate Chord Trick to try to soothe his nerves.
"Thanks," he'd said, his eyes turning a soft green as he smiled at her.
They entered Vegas by way of Tropicana Avenue, and Ash deftly maneuvered the car along the road until they came to The Strip. "It'll be slow going," he warned Mary-Lynnette, watching her eyes as they took in the cacophony of lights and buildings. "But, it's a good way to get across town to Thierry's – lots of stuff to see."
From the beginning, Mary-Lynnette felt extremely uncomfortable in the city. Although she readily admitted that the wide street was dazzling and exciting, even in the late afternoon light, she felt a general ... unwholesomeness about the place that made her desperately want to take a bath.
"It's so weird," she commented, watching out of the window as they passed the Luxor. "Deserts usually make you think of Arabian tents, cool oases, and quiet nights under star-filled skies. This is anything but that."
Ash nodded, concentrating on flowing with traffic as best he could, given the congestion. "Yeah," he agreed. "In some ways, having this huge development here doesn't make any sense at all. I think you'll like the area better once we go camping, although, if it's a party you're looking for, this is the place to find one."
Not wanting to appear ungrateful for the chance to see Vegas, Mary-Lynnette quickly added, "Don't think I'm not impressed, though." Taking another look and trying not to wince at the gaudy signs that they passed, most of them advertising entertainment of a risqué sort, she said, "It's just ... different for me."
"That's what this trip's about, right? Seeing different things?"
Mary-Lynnette grinned at him. "Right."
Their sojourn down The Strip took another ten minutes or so, and by the time they turned off of it, Mary-Lynnette was positive that she didn't like the vibes of Vegas at all. Aside from the ever-present gambling-alcohol-narcotics triad that she saw everywhere, she had the strangest feeling of an underlying darkness.
"I'm not any kind of psychic," she told Ash as they picked up speed, leaving the more crowded streets behind, "But something is definitely rotten in the state of Nevada."
Glancing at her, he gave an approving nod. "That's true," he said. "Maybe it's because you feel it through me or something, but there's an unsettled aura about this place. I think it's because of all the problems the Nightworld is having."
"Do you think the humans in Vegas will ever notice?"
Ash shook his head. "Nah. They're too caught up in the lights and entertainment to notice the metaphysical side to this place."
Mary-Lynnette blinked. "So ... Vegas isn't just a tourist trap by human standards."
"Not exactly. It's been controlled by the Nightworld since the early 1970's. It's good for drawing in money, and uh ..."
"Food."
"Yeah. Exactly." After a few beats of silence, he added, "Somebody once told me she thought it was like a Venus' flytrap."
Mary-Lynnette arched her eyebrow. "Who was that?"
Ash smiled. "You'll meet her soon – we're here."
Turning to look out her window, Mary-Lynnette was surprised that they were far enough from the crowded city so that there was enough space for a long palm-tree-lined drive. Once they rounded a corner and the house came into view, she got her first good look at the heart of Circle Daybreak.
Ash's house had inspired reverence. Thierry's palace inspired shock. She had never realized that there were domestic buildings in the United States that could be such a size.
Trying to get her voice box to work again as Ash parked in a gated lot, she eventually managed, "How many rooms?"
Ash snorted, turning off the car before glancing up at the house. "Oh, I don't now. More than fifty, at least. We have a lot of special areas and wings for different parts of the organization. It's not just a house," he reminded her. "It's a training facility and fortress."
Stepping out of the car and resting her sunglasses on top of her head, Mary-Lynnette tried her best to deal with the new environment. Although she'd adjusted to the Beverly Hills house, it was still something that had been closer to what she was used to than the pink stucco wonder before her. Sprawling over the ground like a natural land formation, it had walls, columns, and archways that stood almost arrogantly in the hot, June sun. There were gardens and fountains surrounding the building, and as they walked up to the entryway, she had an eerie sense of recognition when she caught sight of the stained-glass window above the double doors.
It had a black rose on it. In fact, glancing around to the other windows in her vicinity, Mary-Lynnette was sure that they all had black roses worked into them in some way, shape, or form.
Mary-Lynnette, you're not in Oregon anymore.
Glancing back at the car, she asked Ash, "What about our luggage?"
He shook his head at her as he went examined his keys. "We'll leave them. Thierry has such a crazy-loyal staff that they'd be really offended if we took it ourselves. It's just a good idea to let them ... serve."
Finding the correct key, Ash was about to place it in the lock when one of the doors flew open, revealing an older teenager in a suit with tied-back brown hair and sunglasses. Well, Mary-Lynnette thought it was a teenager, anyway, except for his matter-of-fact manner and his resemblance to a CIA agent.
"Mr. Ash," the man said, his voice sounding relieved. "You're back."
Ash gestured for Mary-Lynnette to go through the door, and he followed her, taking off his sunglasses once they entered the cool interior of the house. "Of course I'm back, Nilsson," he dryly answered. "This is my sanctuary, my home, my –"
"No, sir," Nilsson answered, gesturing up a set of stairs that Mary-Lynnette had noticed. "You don't understand – your cell phone was off. We haven't been able to get in touch with you. He wants to see you."
Ash blinked a couple of times before rubbing his temples. "You've got to be kidding me. I'm on vacation."
"Something came up, sir. It's very important that you talk to him right away."
Before Ash could respond, a very pretty girl with dark blonde hair and brown eyes walked in from one of the hallways. Doing a double take when she saw Ash, she rolled her eyes. "Well it's about time. Do you know how long we've been trying to get a hold of you?"
"No, I don't know, Thea, my cell's been off. Know why? Because I was on vacation." Looking more and more annoyed, he continued, "Why didn't any of you try James and Poppy? They certainly knew where we were."
"We've been trying since just this morning. They said you were on your way."
Giving her an impatient glance, Ash demanded, "So why am I being yelled at for not getting a message to come back ... when I was on my way back anyway?"
"Because he wanted to see you earlier."
Despite not being formally introduced to the conversation, Mary-Lynnette had a pretty good idea who "he" was – and he was standing in the opposite doorway.
"Ash."
Ash dropped his head. "Again, you've got to be kidding me." He turned around and leaned on the wall beside Mary-Lynnette, crossing his arms in front of him. "Thierry," he said, his voice oozing in an obvious attempt to be patient, "This is my vacation." He pointed to Mary-Lynnette. "That is my soulmate – I haven't seen her in a year. I would like to spend some time with her."
Mary-Lynnette watched Thierry in fascination, amazed that somebody who looked so young could have such a commanding presence. He mimicked Ash's stance, leaning on the opposite wall, before replying, "I know all about waiting, Ash."
Sighing so forcefully that it came out more like a hiss, Ash complained, "Oh no, not that again. Hannah's been back for over a month."
"And I haven't had a lot of 'time' with her. We have responsibilities, Ash. I need to speak with you." Turning his head away from her soulmate, Mary-Lynnette was surprised when Thierry looked at her, his dark eyes flashing. "Mary-Lynnette," he acknowledged. "I'm glad to finally meet you. I'm sorry to be taking him away so soon, but I felt you would understand."
Feeling that most of her awe had been used up in the past twenty-four hours or so, she managed to reply, "I'm glad to meet you, too. No, I don't mind ... I know that what you're doing is important." She reached for Ash's hand and squeezed it gently, giving him an intent look.
Go on, she thought.
For all that he couldn't hear her in his mind, Ash knew what she was thinking. Scowling slightly, he quickly kissed her before walking towards Thierry. As the two vampires left the room, Ash tossed out to Thea, "Show her around, will you? If she gets lost, I'm going to be very upset."
Giving him an encouraging smile, Thea assured him, "Don't worry, Ash. She'll be just fine until you get back." When he was gone, she turned to Mary-Lynnette and said, "Well, since the formalities got a little skewed, I'll just start with this: Welcome to Circle Daybreak."
Wow. That was absolutely insane to write. But the way I figured it, our couple was going to be in Las Vegas before Chapter IX if I had to start writing sub-chapters of chapters. I hope you had some fun with this, and I look forward to hearing from you!