Lannan: Oh, it's okay. You can say it again and again. ^_^
Ac_bworm: This chapter's for you. And about the vampires acting weirdly- originally I'd ascribed to Siete a power that, after rereading and asking a few questions and thinking about it, decided it was one he wasn't supposed to have. I was going to leave it in, but right before I posted I thought better of it and took it out. Which is why the vampires are acting rather OOC. I'm thinking about going back and putting it in. After all, this is fanfiction, it's not as though it's supposed to be 100% accurate. ^_^ And about your requests…. I write whatever the plot demands.
TheShadowPanther: I made up most of the story. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Chapter Ten: Tiger, TigerI lay awake, but cannot sleep. My thoughts drift to when we first arrived at Midnight. The office and the papers come to mind. I wonder what Jaguar is keeping in there? If it is true, and he is plotting against Jeshickah, it would be interesting to see what he has hidden there.
Curiosity is not a common trait among vampires. It must be quenched, or you may not live to see your next meal. Only those greatest in power have the time and the means to spy and play games. For years I had watched as Jager, Aubrey, and others make trips on a whim, simply because they could.
Perhaps now it is my time to do so as well.
Violating the privacy of others is not socially acceptable, but what have I done as a vampire that is? I am stronger than Jaguar, and if we were to fight, I know I would win. And I wouldn't anger Siete if I were clever. Siete's approval means little to me. After this trip, I will have as little to do with him as possible.
I quietly get up and make my way to Jaguar's office. It is now past dawn, and there is no one there. I go to his desk, and would have opened the drawer, but the aura there stops me. A witch has done something to the lock, so that it will not open. Only Jaguar or a stronger witch could break the lock. It seems I have my work cut out for me.
I reach out with all my senses, searching the building for any sign of the witches. Jaguar may pay them, but if I offer a high enough price, they ought to be able to do what I ask. It is no guarantee that they will not talk later, but I will be far away by then. I do not care if Jaguar becomes angry. It is his fault he employs morally questionable people.
I am able to locate the witches' quarters, as their collective aura is quite strong. I find one just outside. He is young, but strong. It does not matter what line he is from, as he most certainly has been cast out. Otherwise, he would not be working for Jaguar. He senses my approach, and turns to see who is there. We regard each other for a second, before I make my move.
" I need a job done. No one must know of this, and no one must ever find out. I will pay you whatever sum you wish. And if anyone finds out, I will break your neck." The boy regards me thoughtfully, before naming his sum. It is enough to make a mortal gasp, but I agree to it without even batting an eye. What is it to me if he asks for money I don't have? The mortal I will get it from will assume someone is taking from him, and I will create it so that it is so. I disappear, and get the money I need and return. No more than five minutes passed between my departure and my arrival. I hand half of the money to the boy, and pocket the rest. I may be a relatively young vampire, but I am not foolish. It is stupid to pay upfront when you are dealing with mercenaries.
I take the boy and myself to Jaguar's office, and tell him what it is I need done. The boy looks surprised, but in the end greed wins out over his discomfort at betraying the hand that feeds him. He closes his eyes and concentrates.
I stand off to the side, trying to sense if anyone is near. The wait goes on for some time, before a slight clicking sound reveals that the lock has been undone. I hand over half of the money I have with me, and tell the boy he will get the rest if he stands guard. I pull open the drawer, and begin to search inside.
There are notes, letters, even a journal. Most are boring, only a few mildly interesting. I am about to put them back when a small packet catches my eye. I had missed it the first time, and take it out of the drawer.
At first glance, I know it contains no ordinary papers. If I had been just a bit weaker, these papers never would have caught my eye. I rifle through them, seeing various plans. Messages to the Bruja Guilds, and notices for a renegade witch are some of the things I find. There is even a draft of a letter to the great assassin Tizoc Theron. There is also a strange list with many names on it, and numbers next to the names. It is fairly interesting, but nothing in there seems to warrant such protection. Until a bit of a poem catches my eye.
Tiger! Tiger! Burning bright,
In the forests of the night
What immortal eye or mind,
Hath witnessed thy foolish treachery?
It is the poem that my stalker had sent me. My paper shuffling becomes frantic as I find more and more verses.
From what distant deeps and skies
Have I watched with my spies?
Oh, with whom would I conspire
If only I could quench thy brilliant fire?
What the methods? What the pain
Would I endure to forge thy chain?
What demons would I willingly clasp
If I could have thee in my grasp?
I have watched thee many a year
Would that I could teach thee fear!
Then you would finally see
Thyself as weak as you seem to me.
Tiger! Tiger! Burning bright
In the forests of the night
This immortal hand and eye
Would dare to mar thy symmetry
My hands are trembling as I put the last of the papers down. They do not tremble with fear, but with fury. If I could, I would find Jaguar and kill him, but the boy has just signaled that someone is coming. I quickly thrust the papers back into the packet, and put everything back in the drawer. I toss the last of the cash to the boy, and he quickly seals the drawer. We leave just as the door handle is turning.
After dropping the boy off at his quarters, I go to my room. I am now unable to sleep, and pace up and down the length of my room. I do not pause once to even sit, my legs keeping pace with the rush of my thoughts.
Why would Jaguar be threatening me? What does he have to do with the witches, if anything? Yes, he pays them and gives them room and board, but he does not strike me as the type to want to destroy others. He could not be the one who wants to harm other vampires.
Or would he? He need not kill every one of the vampires, only the most powerful. Then, if he were to go after Jeshickah, no one would be there to challenge him. It may seem far-fetched, but in a world of predators and prey, you can never be sure of a person. It is the same with humans, but to a lesser degree. They have the rules of society, their cage of steel. Vampires have no such cage. We are as free as the wolves of Europe and the tigers of Asia. We know no law but that of blood. And the only way to acquire more blood is through power. Political power, and personal strength are the means by which this is accomplished.
I stay awake long into the day, with two questions weighing on my mind. Could he? Would he?
