CHAPTER 5: ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW

•

Fifteen hours after what occurred with Selene, she arrived at Ordoghaz, thanks to the cars specially designed of the coven. As she directed to a room in particular she received looks of disapproval, but the only thing she could think at the moment was what she was going to say to the members of the Council and the few death dealers of higher ranking that she knew would be present.
All the way back to Ordoghaz she only thought in what she was going to tell them and if they would believe it.

"They are waiting for you." said one dealer in charge to watch over one of the members of the council.

She nodded as she took a deep breath and shook the thoughts off her mind, she entered in the room. Immediately she noted that it was very different than the last time she was in, now it had large lamps, expensive carpets and curtains of a deep red color, big panels in wood, several devices of surveillance, a big and new wood table to accommodate the Council members, no the table was almost empty, but what called her attention was that in the spot in which was sat Amelia the last time, now was a man dressed as a death dealer, he looked young and quite muscular, had short brown hair, and electric blue eyes, she didn't know him, but she assumed it was Marcus. She looked at a death dealer and this nodded, she got close to Marcus and bowed to him.

"You can get up." He said after a moment and she went back to her spot to be interrogated but she didn't sit, she kept standing, knowing that this made her more credible.

"We already were informed of your history...very interesting." A deep voice said when he noted that she wasn't going to sit up, he made a pause to see her reaction but he couldn't see emotions in her face "Seeing that you didn't bring Selene back, I guess that you failed in the mission you were recommended..."

"Yes, I failed." She looked at him with her chin high, a gesture that said that she wasn't intimidated by him.

"If you failed in bring her back, you didn't fail in hurt her, right?" Asked another man, an experienced death dealer called Logan turned by Amelia, he had lived in Ordoghaz for almost five centuries and he was the one who informed her of what was happening on Viktor's territory, he occasionally was partner of Selene and her in some hunts. "I say it because I can smell her blood in you..."

"We fought and both sides were hurt."

"Care to explain why you failed in the mission you were highly recommended?" The vampire that had recommended her and that she didn't want to see asked angry and raising his voice slightly.

"The... Hybrid was with her, so the plans changed and we had a fight, I had the new ammo and I used it, but the new bullets didn't have the expected effect in him, so we were forced to fight. As the other three death dealers fought against the hybrid I fought with Selene, after a while the hybrid let unconscious the dealers and as I was going to shot at Selene with the sedative he attacked me. I shot at him several times, one with the sedative and another with the liquid bullets but he kept attacking until he left me unconscious, I was out for almost one hour and when I woke just a dealer was standing, we tried to follow them but their scent was gone and it was beginning to dawn, we brought the other dealers to the car and took care of our wounds, then we drove to Ordoghaz..." She said and she noted the look of her interrogator at know that Selene wasn't alone.

"Why didn't you stay there and try to follow them tonight?" Marcus asked distrustful.

"My Lord, I was given the order to come back today, with or without Selene" She expressed respectful towards Marcus, he nodded and looked towards the vampire in charge of the interrogatory.

"What did you do to Selene?" Asked the vampire, "I ask because we know the kind of relationship you had with her and Viktor, you could have changed your opinion about bring her back..."

"I didn't. I didn't let my emotions to get in the way, but she did and that was an advantage I took..." She lied knowing that if she said the truth about what happened, it would be considered high betrayal to the coven, "...I shot at her once with the gun that had the liquid bullets. I was careful and the bullet just grazed her, then we had a fight... hand at hand combat, the rest you already know it." She noted that Marcus was not interested in this, maybe to him Selene was another vampire that didn't follow the rules, but she killed Viktor! He should be more interested, she thought as she looked by the corner of her eye that he was reading some papers.

"According to some lycans that were tortured, the hybrid...Michael, is very fast and strong, if he was able to keep a fight with Viktor then some death dealers wouldn't be a problem to him, where were you when he was fighting the dealers?..." asked the vampire in charge in a suspicious tone.

"I told you, I was with Selene"

"What did you observe of him?" Asked Marcus suddenly very interested, and this it seemed not to like to the council, but to the death dealers was very important.

"In my opinion, he is not as fast and strong in human form, but he is when he is transformed, his eyes are totally black like the lycans', he has big and long claws, his body is almost human except for the color of his skin... And he seems to change when he is experimenting strong emotions... That's all I noticed." She said very sure of it but frowning in a thoughtful way.

"Did he have some erratic behavior?"

To her, Marcus seemed very interested about the hybrid thing, but she assumed that after all it was normal, just Michael's existence went against the Covenant and more important, against the vampires as specie, "No, he seems to be in control of his change; he knows what he is doing when he is transformed..." She said feeling uncomfortable under the Marcus' intense look.

"Anything else we need to know?" He asked.

"No, My Lord." she shook her head subtlety and felt a shiver as she looked back at him. I'm lying to the only Elder we have.

After a moment of study her he nodded, "That's all, you can retire now." he said as he went back to his papers. She couldn't help to feel relieved; she didn't think that it was going to be that easy.

"But my Lord... The interrogatory is not over yet..." Said the person in charge of the interrogatory.

"She already said what happened, I don't see a point in she be here." Marcus said feeling irritated "And if you want to know more then you will read her summary of the mission." He ordered. "Besides, we have to interrogate the other death dealers and I assume we will hear their version, which it seems to be similar and brief." Reluctantly the other vampire nodded but she knew that this was not over yet. After bowing to Marcus again she let the room, relieved, but knowing that the next searching team already left the mansion hours ago.

She immediately went to her old room, it was big and had changed since the last time she was there, now it was like the reunion room, with wood everywhere and red curtains, but she didn't pay too much attention on this and directed to the bathroom to take a shower, when she got out, she noted a death dealer suit neatly folded on the big bed and a cup of blood that it was over the table, she immediately drank the blood, until that moment she hadn't noticed that she was hungry and very tired. Se directed to the closet and opened it in search of something adequate to sleep, she accommodates the other suit on the table and got into bed ready to rest, but there were many things in her mind, the principal was how she had let herself give into her emotions, she knew that Selene gave too and that if she had been the one who killed Viktor, Selene would had killed her without thinking it much, maybe this was what caused the resentment towards Selene, besides that she killed Viktor, of course.

And it didn't change anything, to the others, if Selene was telling the true, to them that Viktor killed her family was not important, as it either was it that he was who began the war, but for Selene it had changed everything. But why am I assuming that Selene said the truth?
Not so long ago she knew Selene very well but time could have changed her, even now she was helping a being half lycan, but he was different to anyone, she had to agree in that. He cared for Selene, if not he would have let her bring Selene to Ordoghaz. The worry he showed for herself was another thing, after all not everyday your enemy gets concerned for you well being when you are fighting him, definitely he isn't what they say and maybe that's why Selene is helping him. Shaking her head she decided not to thinking more on him.

Although she loved Viktor as a father, the father she didn't even have when human, she knew she didn't pass much time with him, but in that short time he won her affection and devotion, she would have die if he needed her life...As she would have done it for Selene. Selene was the person that finished her training as death dealer although they hated each other at the moment, she became the closest thing she had to a friend and passed almost all her live as a vampire fighting at her side, their temperament proved to be a problem since the beginning but with time she began to admire her. But with time everything changed, everything keeps changing...
Shit! I'm too confused! The only thing she knew was that Selene shouldn't have killed him just because he killed her family! That was two centuries ago, she should have forget about them some time ago, but no, that was what drove her against the lycans, thinking about it, is Selene now with the lycans because they didn't kill her family? That didn't matter. She is not going to change her mind just for that. She doesn't care, Selene is going to pay...

After a while she fell asleep, but she kept having dreams about Viktor and Selene, somewhere this dreams became nightmares and tired of this she staid in bed, but awake, and her mind kept going back to her problem, tired of this she settled to write her resume of the mission, but even like that she couldn't stop thinking. Unable to take a definite decision she decided to go to the practice room and try her preferred head clearing activity, beat the crap out of new and arrogant applicants to death dealers, knowing that neither of her experienced colleagues will fight against her the way she wanted, so, don't having another option... rookies should be.

She had finished of defeat four death dealers when no one wanted to keep fighting, having nothing else to do she went again to her room but as she passed by Selene's room she couldn't avoid the curiosity, she put her hand over the doorknob and she froze knowing that she shouldn't do it, but she turned it and got inside anyway. Everything was as she remembered it, just with some modern devices, a computer, a camera, death dealer's suits some clothes and her favorite guns, she supposed at seen four guns over the desk. She continued to search for what she had entered in the first place, and there it was, the picture of Selene's family. She went for it and got it out of the wood frame then she walked towards the chimney and turned it on, but suddenly she had another idea. She thought darkly as a smirk was visible in her face.
She turned the chimney off and saved the picture in one of her trench coat's pocket, before get out she made sure of had let everything as it was before she entered. With no one in the halls she got out of the room and directed to her room to take a shower and then to go hunting with the others.
When she walked out of the bathroom a sound distracted her and immediately her senses told her that the person that she didn't want to see was in her room, it took all she had to not turn around and go back to the bathroom, but she concealed it very well, even when he didn't take his eyes off her.

"Where were you?" He asked wishing that she hadn't that towel on, but at the same time intrigued. She rolled her eyes wanting to answer that it was not his business, but she restricted herself, after all he now was a member of the Council. Seeing that she wasn't going to answer he didn't wait more and walked towards her and stopped when he was right in front of her, "Remembering the past in Selene's room?"

"Among other things..." She said uncomfortable to be so close to him but smiling in her classic roguish manner. "Why are you here?"

"I came for you to thank me..." He closed the little distance between them. Since she came back he noticed that she hadn't changed much, although she tried to hide her hate towards him he still saw it in her eyes, other thing he noticed it was her red hair that now had black streaks through it and that it was cut short and in wild jags, the rest was the same as the last time he saw her...

You, son of a bitch."To thank you?" She asked frowning and putting her hand in his chest, to stop him if he tried anything.

"Yes, I'm thinking of many ways for you to thank me and none of them involve to be standing up, but if you want other posit-"

As he spoke, he touched her hand, arm, and elbow, suddenly she shoved away his hand but she didn't put space between them, "Thank you for what?" She interrupted him defensively.

"For give you an opportunity to revenge...Although you didn't do it, right?" He noted her change, her fangs grow and her eyes changed to blue, certainly he was intimidating her and that had been something he always liked to do, especially to her.

"Look, I already -"

He interrupted her, "I need to talk with you..." He said touching her wet hair and bringing his mouth close to hers, "I will wait for you in my room..." after a couple of seconds like that he walked towards the door.

"In your room?" She asked suspiciously when he opened the door.

"Yes, in my room, and don't worry... Don't make me wait though." He said without turning and getting out, then he made a comment he knew she wasn't going to appreciate, "And by the way, I like your hair." he said closing the door.

She sighed, relieved of be alone, although she knew that this relieve wasn't going to last long, "And to think that once I was after that son of a bitch..." she said as she dressed, looking for her guns she remembered she left them in the weaponry room, that must wait.

In the way to his room she has mixed feelings, for a side he was an asshole and coward but he 'deserved' respect, she knew that was something she couldn't do when he began to demand things from her... and on the other side, with the questions that he was going to do, he could after a mistake of her, know that she lied in her declaration, after all, he was the best liar she knew.
When she was in front of his door she was going to knock, but instead, with the feelings of the moment, she threw the doors open and looked at him defiantly, letting him know that she was not intimidated by him.

At first he was speechless by her actions, no one had done that ever, "What the hell is this?!" he asked angry.

Completely unaffected by the tone of his voice she looked at him annoyed, "I don't have time for this, so ask me whatever you want..."

"Watch your modals." He said trying to control his anger. "That attitude is not going to work..."

Fiona entered in the room, "You are the one who wants something from me..." She said as she looked around herself in a gesture that gave him little importance.

"Enough of that! You have to respect me, now I'm member of the Council and Viktor nor Selene are here to defend you." He said trying to intimidate her.

"I can defend by myself," If she was sure of something, it was of that. "and my respect you haven't won it, Kraven... Maybe the day when you prove yourself..." she walked by the room as her green eyes swept the area.

No one had ever talked to him in that way, not even Selene, who the hell does she think she is? But wisely he ignored her behavior...for now. "How could you do that to me? I recommended you because I knew that if someone could stop her it was you!" He said pissed off "And what do you do? You let her run away!"

"I didn't let her run away, if it hadn't been for Michael I would have brought her here..." She said sincerely.

"And why was she with Michael? I had understood that she left the sewers alone." He was resentful towards them.

"Well, we didn't have much time to chat and know what has been of our lives in all this decades..." She smirked knowing that this would get him madder, "And I can't believe that after all she has done, you are still jealous." she shook her head in a disapproving way, but she really was mocking him.

Knowing what she was trying to do, he smirked as he got closer to her and put his hand in her nape, he caressed it slowly with his fingers as his eyes scanned the length of her, from her chest, throat, nose until her eyes, "Are you still jealous?"

Fiona's expression changed by loathe and hate as she saw him getting near, but not wanting to fall in his trick she stood her ground, "Is that what you really think?" She looked at him seductively and not moving an inch.

"Now that Selene is not here..." He touched her cheek with his nose, "we can do what you once wanted..." he looked at her and then prepared to kiss her but then, at the last moment, she turned her face sighing impatiently.

"It you woke up for that, then you can go back to sleep." She said looking back at him with her intense green eyes and for to her surprise, after a moment of stare at her, he turned and walked toward his desk knowing that she had tricked him making him believe that she was going to give in. As he leaned on top of his desk, in front of her, he looked at her without say anything. "Well?" She prompted, arrogantly after waiting for him to say something.

"I know that she told you something else..." He answered calmly.

"Something about what?" She said playing dumb.

"Enough of that, what did she tell you? And I want the truth!" He yelled tired of her.

She sighed, "...She told me that Viktor was the one who began the war and...that he killed her family... is that true?" she asked, knowing that if someone knew both things it was him, the thing is if he is going to answer with the truth...

"What? You already know the answer to the last one, or have you forgotten it?" He said grinning evilly and with rancor.

What the fuck? That comment struck her like a car, "What the hell are you talking about?" She asked alarmed and at the same time angry.

"Are you going to say that you don't remember?" He had a cold gleam in his eyes knowing that she didn't, oh, but I'm going to make her remember, "One hundred and twenty years ago, you came here and asked me about a dream you had..." He smiled and by the look on her face he knew she remembered it.

Now she knew very well what he was talking about. After had been bitten by Viktor, she saw several images, but nothing too drastic; a girl, battles with several monsters, a chain, the same girl, a castle, something similar to a coffin with a V, Viktor drinking blood, but when in the distance was heard several voices she saw a blurry image of Viktor feeding of one man, that frightened her, but she was too weak to even try to separate from him, that was the last image she saw as a human. When she woke up again, he explained her everything that concerned vampires and the images she saw, she didn't doubt of him, but a couple of years later trying to make conversation with Kraven, her obsession of the moment, she told him that and he told her the same thing Viktor had said; that he was too old and in his time their kind fed of humans, but she noticed the gleam in Kraven's eyes when he told her that...

She quickly diverted her gaze before he noticed the mixed feelings she was suffering, "That's not true..." she said after a moment, looking back at him.

"You always knew the true, other thing is that you didn't want to see it." She looked absolutely consternated and sick, this made him feel better, "You betrayed Selene like Viktor did... since the beginning of your life as a vampire..."

"They weren't her family..." She said pretending she didn't hear him and trying to show indifference.

"Now, why would I want to do that?" He expressed cynically and pleased of her reaction.

"I don't know, maybe the fact that you are a liar..." she smirked trying to conceal everything from him; in these circumstances she might say something that revealed her, "But she is not –"

"Are you going to be in Selene's side now that you know the truth?" He interrupted her knowing that it was a possibility.

That's ridiculous, "Please," she said raising her chin stubbornly and smirking "you know what I thought about the situation with her family and I have not changed my mind..." she raised the tone of her voice and made visual contact, "Selene is going to pay..." she added with security in her voice but deep inside she was not so sure anymore.

"Does she? Even when it was her who convinced Viktor to turn you? You know he was reluctantly to do it, if it hadn't been for her you wouldn't be a vampire..." He wanted to know what would happen if he pushed her more.

"You may be sure of that..." She said looking at him knowing that he heard her the first time.

Sighing and shaking his head he dropped the topic disappointed of not be able to read her as easily as he did years ago, and also knowing that a problem could be in his future if she changed her mind, although he doubted that...still, he will send someone to follow her "Did she tell you anything more?"

She rose an eyebrow suspiciously, "No, is there something else I should know?"

"You tell me..." He smiled.

"No, things happened very fast to have talked about something..." She noted his tension. By his attitude she remembered what Michael told her. Is Kraven the vampire that betrayed the coven? Somehow that didn't fit... And why should she believe in Michael? She certainly didn't know him, but still...Kraven was the lowest of the vampires, at least in her point of view.
Seeing that he didn't say anything more she gave for finished their meeting so she turned to go out of his room.

"Who told you that our little meeting was over?" He wanted to make her angry, but at the same time wanted to know everything that happened when she fought with Selene.

"Now you know the same I do." She said without turning back.

"I want to talk about Michael." Kraven said the name with all the hate he could show.

"What about him?" She faced him again.

"What did you see? Apart of what you said in the interrogatory room."

"If you are asking me, if I think that Selene is fucking him like everyone says..." She smiled knowing his pride must be harmed.

"I didn't ask that...but now that you mentioned it..." He wanted to know exactly what she saw of Michael and Selene, after all, he still couldn't believe Selene left him for a lycan. And all information he gets may be used as retribution against her, maybe oblige her to watch how he kills Michael as Viktor did with the imbecile of Lucian, it was almost a disappointment that he had to wait to see that happening.

She rolled her eyes at his comment, "Until now is bullshit, if you ask me."

He didn't like that 'until now' "Why do you say that?" He asked too seriously, it seemed like he was talking about business of the coven, but he failed in conceal his happiness, "What happened?"

"She doesn't trust in him." It was the only thing she said but he made a gesture with his hand telling her to continue, "Selene backed away from him when he changed. I think she wasn't sure of how he could react. Although...he is very, mmmm, how should I put it?" she walked side to side and moving her hands trying to irritate him, "...Protective with her, yes, that's the word, protective. He likes her and maybe even has some feelings for her. And her, well, if she ran worried to his side it wasn't for nothing..."

"Yeah, but as long as she doesn't trust him, she will never reciprocate his feelings, whatever they are..." He said with some pointless hope but hiding it in the rivalry he had with Fiona.

"I wonder why you said that..." she exhaled with sarcasm, "It will be that we both know Selene would never have sex with someone she doesn't trust..." she added mockingly and knowing that that would infuriate him more.

He smiled, "Yes, she is not like you..."

He approached her again and this time something in his eyes told her that he was not playing, not anymore. "It's not the same; you took advantage of the situation..." She was disgusted and irritated.

"That it's not true, you wanted it, you wanted me... No one thought it was strange that you got into my room...to this same room..." He said smiling as he kept approaching and she began to walk backwards, not letting him approach, "...You know, I still remember it, you were very good..."

"Fuck you!" She expressed mad, but this time she got what she wanted, she made him angry, and she knew it because she felt his slap in her ego. Hate cursed through her in that moments, she could feel that she was loosing the control...

"I told you that you have to respect me! ...And you have done exactly the contrary since you put a foot in this house!" He yelled satisfied with himself, but suddenly happened the unthinkable, she slapped him back. That fucking bitch slapped him.

She could see that he was speechless and she used this at her advantage, "I'm now Viktor's only descent and one of the best death dealers in this Coven! And you are a member of the Council just because they had not other option, you are just a replacement!" she said motivated by his blow but somehow feeling well with herself, after all these years she was finally doing it, she was putting him in his place, "I have the power to get you out of the council and I know a couple of dealers that would gladly be at my side, I'm more important than you and I deserve, I demand, your respect..." She said confident in herself knowing that he was stunned for what she did.

He couldn't believe what just had happened, she knew she was more powerful than him and she was using it, but she is going to pay, not now, but soon...This time it is personal. Giving her a hypocrite smile he dismissed her, "Take care of your self..."

She smiled because she knew she beat him and he knew it. "Whatever." she walked out of the room feeling happy for the first time in days. As she walked down the stairway and directed to the training room she thought in what he said, 'Take care of your self' that wasn't an advice, it was a threat, but a good thing was that she knew very well how to do that.
Suddenly as she turned a corner she bumped with someone and immediately something caught her senses, this vampire smelled similar to Michael, knowing what that meant she lifted her head to identify the new hybrid but her surprise was enormous when she saw Marcus' face, "You?" she asked frowning.

Knowing that he had been exposed, he swiftly and without say a word took a hold of her arm and dragged her towards a lonely room, surprised that she didn't make a movement to detain him even when a group of death dealers passed by their sides, confident he entered in a room and there he lost his grip, "I –"

"What's going on? How?"

"I will explain it, with one condition..."

•