Roses Are Red

Summary: Hi. I'm Faith Isabella de Silva. Interesting name, not? Yeah, well, I'm not your average girl. My mom's the most powerful shifter around, and my dad (who my friends allllwaaays drool over-eew!) is pretty high up there on the mediator totem pole. So, what did I get from them? OK, a) I'm a shifter. And b) Thanks to being a mediator/shifter hybrid, I'm a "special" kind of shifter. I mediate vampires.

Disclaimer: What you recognize is either from The Mediator or Boys that Bite.

Chapter Eight: The Wisdom of Lucifent

I sat on the grass, sketching. I like to sketch. It totally calms me down.

Don't even ask who I was sketching.

Where I was sketching was a big field with tons of wildflowers. It's totally corny, but I like it.

"What are you drawing?"

I snapped the sketchbook shut and turned to look up at Magnus in all his glory. His arms were crossed, and he was smiling at me.

"Oh," My voice came out all high, "Hey Mags."

"What were you sketching?" He repeated.

"None of your business," I tossed my head. "Especially since you haven't been talking to me at all lately."

"Faith," Magnus sighed, "You know I can't ever since-"

"Well," I snapped, "It's not like it meant anything to us. It was a fluke. Pure fluke."

For a moment, Magnus was silent. "Yes, you're right," He concluded, "A fluke."

Why did I want him to say something completely different?

"Look," Magnus said, "I need to take you to see Lucifent. He needs to record us as partners."

"Lucifent?" I asked.

"My boss. Well, not really boss, leader of the coven that Charity and I belong to."

Huh. Might as well.

000

Lucifent was rich. That much was obvious. He lived in a big mansion in a clpudy area of the town.

"Now," Magus instructed me, "Make sure that you are very polite with Lucifent. He has a temper."

"Hello, Julia," Magnus nodded to the secretary vamp who giggled happily.

We walked into a huge room to find a little boy. He was the cutest thing, blonde curls, blue eyes, looked about six.

"Hi," I smiled at me, "Aren't you the cutest thing? How old are you?"

Then the little boy spoke in a not-so-little voice.

"About three thousand. Give or take a hundred."

I turned to Magnus who was cradling his head in one hand.

"This is Lucifent?"

"Yes," He moaned.

"Magnus!" Lucifent yelled, "What is a mortal doing here?"

"Hey!" I snapped, "Don't talk to him that way!"

I still had the mindset that he was a little boy.

Lucifent glared at me. "Silence, little girl."

Oh... you see, I am a vampire shifter. It turns out, as I read later on in the book that Charity gave me, that we command respect from vamps. It's our nature. Magnus and Charity had respected me, and Lucifent wasn't. That was fuel.

I then calmly scooped a squirming Lucifent in my arms, looked him in the eye.

"Look, buddy," I smiled sweetly, "I'm the vampire shifter. I am capable of staking you like that. I want respect from you, and I want it now."

Lucifent was pretty quiet after that.

"So," He said to Magnus, "What brings you here?"

"We're partners," Magnus sighed.

Lucifent took our a huge notebook and began flipping through it.

"What year is it again? I always lose count."

"2006, sir."

"Alright... hmm... Good."

"Well, Lucy," I smirked at him as Magnus made a slashing motion over his neck in the background. "It's been a pleasure working with ya."

000

I looked at Ben as he pleaded with me. "Please, please, please!"

"OK," I murmured.

"What?" As we stood outside my house, Ben looked startled.

"I said OK," I sighed, "I'll get back together with you."

000

Poor Faith. R and R!