Chapter 11
The ball
Talia woke up, feeling much better than she had before. She frowned, remembering everything that happened last night. She heard knocking on her door.
"Hello?" She called.
"Talia, may I come in?..." It was David's voice.
"Ok?" She said. Talia wasn't sure what Owen had told him.
He entered the room, carrying a tray with pancakes, a mug of coffee and orange juice. He had dark circles around his eyes, his hair was a little unkempt and he was a bit pale. "Hey..."
"You look tired. Is Fox ok?" Talia asked.
"Still resting, but she will get better soon." Xanatos walked to her bed, limping slightly. "I brought you breakfast. The coffee is for me, though." He said sitting down with a groan.
"Are you okay?" She grabbed the tray and set it down, cutting up a pancake.
"More or less. Wearing that armor suit isn't as easy as one would think, especially for a long time. It takes a toll on the body." He sipped his coffee in silence for a few moments, letting Talia enjoy her breakfast. "I wanted to apologize."
"For what this time?" She looked at him.
"I'm apologizing a lot these days, aren't I?" David smiled slightly, before returning serious. "This month has been...a lot. So many things happening all at once, and I feel like I haven't given you enough attention."
"I didn't really notice." Talia said, somewhat joking but partly serious.
"Still, I would like to make up for it. Is there a place you would like to go outside of New York? Fox and I are going to get married a couple of days after the ball, but we'll be able to have some family time all together right after."
"Go... out of New York?" Talia furrowed her brow.
"Yes, I have a private retreat in the upstate, surrounded by trees. It's quiet and has everything needed to live comfortably. But if you want, we could go somewhere else, anywhere you'd like to go."
Talia had wanted to go back to Oregon for so long, now the opportunity came. She bit her lip. She felt hope and fear at the same time. He said anywhere. "Can... Can we go to Oregon?"
"Oregon? You mean..." David took a deep breath before releasing. "Well, I meant somewhere happy to go and spend the time, but...alright. I imagine you wish to see your old house...or what remains of it."
"I shouldn't have said anything. That isn't a very good honeymoon. I'll think of something else." Talia felt bad. Roxanne had said she kept picking things up from the past.
"Honeymoon? I didn't propose to make a journey for mine and Fox's honeymoon." He shifted closer to Talia, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I did it to spend time together. If this is important to you, then it's alright. We'll go to Oregon." He smiled.
"Really?" Talia sniffed.
"Really." David kissed her temple and nuzzled her. "I'll search for a good place to stay in while we're there."
Talia leaned to his touch. This was nice. Like the willow tree. Talia realized the scent she had smelled on him wasn't cologne, but his natural scent. Maybe she was wrong about the medicine, that he had a good reason for it. He hadn't just put her on it because he was tired of her outbursts.
"Do you want me to call you something else? Not David?" She asked.
"Only if you're comfortable with it. It's fine to me either way." He said.
"Owen is my daddy so you'll be... Poppa." Talia smiled.
"Heh. I call my own father pops." Xanatos grinned and leaned closer to Talia. "I've heard that you're going to visit the clan tonight."
"Yeah." She nodded.
"As much as I don't like them...they helped me yesterday. I can't just ignore that, so...you have my permission to see them whenever you want."
"THANK YOU, POPPA!" She shouted, hugging him.
David was able to hold the tray and glass just before they fell on the floor. "You're welcome, Tai."
Talia nuzzled him before scooting back. She saw he was holding the tray. "Oops."
"It's okay. Now finish your breakfast. I'll go back to Fox and see how she's doing." He stood up, slowly walking to the door, before turning and clearing his throat. "I...love you." The words were strange for him to pronounce, and made him feel a little embarrassed, but he meant them. He just wasn't used to say such things.
"Tell her I hope she feels better soon. I, I love you too." She smiled genuinely.
David nodded and got out of the bedroom. Owen saw David walking down the hall. He smirked. "Poppa?"
Xanatos almost tripped, blushing and turning his head away. "Yes, uh, well..."
"You don't have to explain it to me, Poppa. Just enjoy your new bond with our daughter." Owen got close purposefully, whispering in his ear.
Xanatos groaned and passed one hand over his face. "I feel old just hearing that word...but I like it."
"Talia really needed to break that divide between you two." Owen told him.
"Mh...how is it going with Roxanne?" David asked out of nowhere.
"Roxanne? It's fine..." He frowned, confused.
"She came into my aid last night. I didn't expect that from her...I've hired her to be Talia's bodyguard, she didn't have to help me and Fox. So I wonder if there were...ulterior motives."
"She saw you were trying to save Fox, that you loved her, and she decided to help." Owen explained.
"And how is her relationship with Talia going?" He let Owen finish his sentence.
"Talia bonded with her deeper than expected. She calls her mommy now." Owen reported.
"What? Really?" David blinked in surprise.
"Yes." Owen confirmed.
"Oh. And Talia is...feeling well? Nothing strange?" He asked.
"Ah, sir. I wanted to talk you about that. It seems Talia is having side effects from her medicine. Blurry vision, headaches, nausea, body tremors. We should lower her dosage of mood stabilizers and antidepressants." Owen suggested.
"Side effects? That's no good. I agree on lowering the dosage." Xanatos frowned.
"Talia said she was going to tell Dr. Alice, but I think she was being dishonest. She clearly thought that was better than asking us to change her medicine again." Owen frowned.
"But why?..."
"That I do not know. Perhaps Roxanne might have more information." He thought out loud. "I was busy last night."
"Then we'll ask her later. I better go check on Fox, excuse me." David nodded at Owen and walked away.
Xanatos decided that Talia could take a day off from her lessons. He didn't seem to believe her when she said she was feeling better. Talia spent the morning reading and writing. David chose to go repair his exo suit and make some updates. Owen had used his free time to sleep in a bit. He was too exhausted to pretend to do any work. Puck knew Talia was in her room. They would go see how Fox was after lunch. The morning passed quickly and everyone reconvened in the dining room. Lunch was clam fritters and potato soup. Talia finished up then they went to see Fox.
"David, I told you, I feel fine now." Fox smiled, leaning on her fiance who kissed her hand.
"I'm happy to hear that, my dear." He told her.
Talia hadn't been in Xanatos' room since the family dinner. It was mostly the same, but it had some of Fox's stuff in it. Makeup, jewelry. Fox was laying in bed, wearing a silk nightgown.
"I'm glad you feel fine now, Fox." Owen told her.
"Thank you, Owen, a few hours of sleep were just what I needed." She told him. "We all needed some rest today. How would you feel about spending some time all together in the gardens this afternoon?"
"I'm sure Talia would enjoy that." Owen looked at her.
"Uh, sure." Talia nodded. They left Fox to get dressed.
The weather was mild, save for the chilly breeze. The garden was winding down, getting ready for winter, but there were still flowers. Owen walked behind as Talia sniffed a rose. It was fragrant. David and Fox were walking out.
"And where is Talia's bodyguard, Roxanne?" Fox asked while hold onto David's arm.
"Sleeping. Her shift starts at night, that's when I prefer her to be around Talia, so she can get out at evening." He said.
Talia realized Fox didn't know about Roxanne. She guessed that it was just going to be this way. Owen got out some outdoor games from the shed. Talia looked them over. Fox walked over.
"What're you thinking, Talia?" She asked.
"Um, horseshoes?" Talia shrugged.
"Good choice." She grinned.
Owen set up the steaks while Fox explained the game. They both got a steak and they couldn't bump the opponent's shoe. They would do a horseshoe toss to decide who goes first. The winner of the toss throws both horseshoes, one at a time, at the opposite stake, and then the second player throws both of their horseshoes—again, one at a time—at their end. Then they would swap turns each round. They would go try to get the most points at the end of a round for 5 rounds.
Fox won the toss. They played competitively. Fox teased Talia and she teased back. Owen and David watched, amused. Talia hadn't gotten any ringers, horseshoes that landed on the steak, but she did get better. Consistently getting her shoes near the steak. During the last round, Fox raised the (metaphorical) steaks. Double or nothing. Talia concentrated hard before throwing. It landed within two inches of the steak. The closest she ever gotten! Fox congratulated her. After the game, the two sat on a bench. Owen went to get them something to drink and David was cleaning up. Fox looked at her.
"What?" Talia asked.
"You know, I was rebellious when I was your age." Fox started conversationally.
"Yeah?" Talia said.
Fox lowered her voice a bit. "I know what it's like to have parents who don't understand you. If David starts to get frustrated with you again, I'll talk to him."
At sunset, the family had a quiet dinner. Talia went to prepare herself to get out and visit the clan, while Roxanne went to find the others.
Owen heard Roxanne's footsteps. "Did you need anything, Roxanne?"
"Just wanted to tell you that me and Talia are going out to visit the gargoyles. Is Fox feeling better?" Roxanne asked him.
"Yes, Fox is better. We know you're taking Talia out." He said.
"Okay, good. I'll see you later or...tomorrow. Bye." She waited for Talia out of the building.
Talia was excited, bouncing, as they went to the clock tower. Elisa got them inside and led them up. Leather and stone tickled her nose.
"Talia!" Broadway, Lexington and Brooklyn exclaimed, grinning. "We're so happy to see you again."
Talia hugged them. She missed them. The leather and stone scent was much stronger now. Talia nuzzled Broadway, letting out an inhuman whine.
"Whoa, what was that?" Brooklyn asked, tilting his head.
Talia shook it back. "My bad."
"She's been doing things like that for a while now. A couple of weeks back she absolutely hated me, and would growl and try to bite my face off." Roxanne said casually.
"The lass sounds like a hatchling." Hudson commented.
"Woah, hold up. What are you talking about?" Elisa asked.
"She becomes feral whenever there's a dangerous situation or if she feels threatened." Roxie said. Bronx came and licked Talia's hand.
"Hey, Bronx." Talia petted him.
"Feral?" Goliath asked.
"I think she means wild, lad." Hudson said. "Talia cannot speak when she goes 'feral'?"
"Seems not. I don't think she even realizes it or remembers it." She shrugged. "Anyway, I promised her that I would bring her here to visit you."
Talia and the trio moved to the TV set and sat around it, chatting.
"We're glad you brought her." Elisa said.
"Is that why Talia hasn't called?" Goliath asked.
She nodded. "And, uh...there's been a few changes...me and Owen are together." Roxanne cleared her throat. "And Talia called me mom."
"WHAT?!" Goliath shouted.
The room was quite. Brooklyn stared at Talia. She squirmed. Her eyes turned red. Talia whined loudly for her daddy. Where was he? Where was she?
"Sssh! Look what you've done!" Roxanne hissed as she walked slowly towards Talia. "Hey sweetheart, it's alright, mama's here with you. Remember them? They're your friends."
Talia looked at her. She sniffed her. A strange mix of bad scent and perfume filled her nose. Food giver! Talia let her get closer.
"Thaaat's it honey, good girl." Roxie caressed her hair gently.
"If you have some snacks, I suggest you to take them out now." She whispered to the gargoyles.
"Snacks?" Elisa asked.
"Talia is wild now. She doesn't remember our home." Hudson told her. Goliath went to the fridge and got out some food. Talia turned. She was going to bolt towards him.
"No, no, sweetie! It's alright, Goliath is a friend." Roxanne calmed her. "He just wants to give you food. Goliath, sit on the floor, open the snacks and let her come close to you."
Goliath sat on the ground. He opened the packages. Talia smelt the meat and cheese. She slowly made her way toward him.
"Why's Talia crawling?" Elisa asked.
"When she's feral, she does that. She behaves like...like an animal." Roxanne added hesitantly.
"Have you never seen us run, lass? We run on all fours." Hudson added.
Talia warily stopped near the edge of Goliath's reach. Goliath carefully got out a bit of cheese. Talia took it and ran to the other side of the room. She ate it then looked for more on the floor. Bronx padded towards her.
"Someone grab Bronx." Hudson told the trio.
"Wait, maybe his presence will help her. Bronx, show her she's safe, boy." She encouraged.
Bronx looked at the vampire, tilting his head. Then he continued to Talia. Talia growled at him. He patiently waited until Talia realized there was no food. Talia sniffed him. He stood still. She deemed him ok and tried to play with him. She bit his ear. Bronx growled.
"Be patient, Bronx, I think she wants to play." Roxanne told him.
Talia backed off a few steps. "Gaowwww."
Bronx barked back and they began to tussle for a minute. They got closer to Goliath. Talia broke off and went to him for more food. He gave her a chunk of chicken. Bronx whuffed and the clan leader tossed him one too.
Roxanne rubbed her chin. "Seems like it's working."
"Yeah, but...we still don't know why she's behaving like that." Brooklyn said.
Talia finished her chicken and boldly went up to Goliath. Goliath stayed still. She knocked the cheese on the floor.
"Talia, no." He said sternly.
Talia whimpered. He gave her another piece. She stayed where she was and ate it quickly. Goliath let her sniff his hand. Talia smelt leather and stone. Her back was itchy. She turned and waited. Goliath picked up on what she wanted and scratched her back.
"How exactly did you get Talia to calm down?" Elisa asked Roxanne.
"It was thanks to Owen. Took a lot of work, but with cuddles, patience and food, in the end she accepted me."
"Wait...Owen? that Owen?" Lexington blinked. "What does Burnett have anything to do with any of this?"
"As much as I don't like him, we can't have Talia acting feral." Elisa sighed.
"Call him, bring him here if you must." Goliath told her.
Talia wanted more cuddles and sat on Goliath's lap. He gently rubbed her shoulder. Roxanne took out her cellphone and called Owen.
Owen's phone rang. "Hello?"
"Hello, hot stuff. We're at the clock tower of the police station, you need to come here...Talia's acting feral again." Roxanne watched her.
"I swear to Avalon... Talia likes them. What happened? What did you tell the gargoyles about me?" He got up, rushing to the elevator.
"Nothing, don't worry. It's just that Goliath raised his voice and she went feral. Now she's calm, he's petting her."
"I suppose that's better than Talia being upset. Don't let her leave-." Owen turned the corner. He bumped into someone and stumbled.
"Owen, where are you going in such a hurry?" Xanatos asked.
"Roxanne needs me... to bring Talia another pair of pants." He lied.
"Why? What happened?"
Owen whispered. "Talia's menstruating."
Owen changed direction and went to Talia's room. Grabbing a pair of pants, he was unaware that Xanatos had followed him.
"Oh, I'm sorry...don't forget the pads, then." David said, nonchalantly.
"Right, yes. Roxanne, I'm getting her things. Tell Talia I'll be there soon." Owen went to her bathroom and got a pad. Roxanne ended the phone call.
"What did he tell you?" Elisa asked.
"He's coming here." She announced.
"Isn't it dangerous to let him know where we live?" Lexington asked.
"Elisa and Roxanne will meet him downstairs. Talia needs him." Goliath said. Talia grabbed at the food again. He gave her another bite.
Roxanne sighed. "And here I hoped we could have a relaxing night..."
"Well, you kinda dropped a bomb on us." Elisa said.
"I will apologize to Talia once she is fully aware." Goliath petted her hair. Talia left his lap and explored the room. She skittered past the trio and tried to climb on the TV.
"Talia, no." Roxanne scolded.
Talia pouted, waiting a moment before trying again.
"She thinks it's a rock." Hudson told Roxanne.
Goliath stood. "Brooklyn, Broadway, Lexington, come and get some snacks to share with Talia."
"Uuuh...okay." Brooklyn shrugged and sat near Talia, Broadway and Lexington did the same.
"Heh, the kid loves snacks just like me." The biggest one of the three chuckled.
Talia saw that there were more snacks. She approached Lexington first. He smiled encouragingly as she ate it. Then she sniffed him. He had a similar scent to the big one. But less mature. It went the same for Brooklyn and Broadway.
Roxanne's phone rang. "Hello?"
"Roxanne, I'm outside the police station." Owen told her.
"Okay, we're coming to get you." She nodded at Elisa. "Let's go, I can't go around the police station alone."
"You guys keep Talia distracted while we go get Owen." Elisa told the clan.
They went down the ladder. Talia realized there weren't any more treats and walked around the room. She came across a wall that smelt like magic. She wanted in. Talia crouched on her legs, pawing at the door.
"Goliath, the lass is trying to get to the Eye." Hudson frowned.
"Come, Talia. We have more treats for you." Goliath picked her up.
Elisa led Roxanne out to the front. Owen was waiting off to the side with a bag in his hand.
"Hi babe, thanks for coming." Roxie kissed Owen and smirked wickedly. "But maybe I should say this later, once we're in bed..." She purred.
Owen blushed. "Enough flirty talk. We have to go back to Talia. And you better not tell Xanatos where they live." Elisa crossed her arms.
"Alright, alright..." She rolled her eyes and took Owen by the hand, pulling him into the police station and up the stairs of the clock tower.
Talia quickly discovered Food giver went missing. She called out for her. Talia didn't want to be alone. No amount of snacks would make her go quiet. Goliath tried his best to soothe her.
"And what's all this noise, mh? Why's my baby girl crying?" Roxanne asked as she entered the attic. "Look, daddy is here." She smiled.
Goliath set her down. Talia ran to Owen. He bent and they hugged. Talia whimpered. Owen pulled Roxanne in.
"Shh, Talia, it's ok. Daddy is here now. Mommy just went to get me. You're okay, Sweetheart." Owen kissed her forehead.
"Hopefully, no one heard Talia crying." Elisa said, unconvinced but still hoping.
"This is all very adorable, but how do we get her back to normal? It's a bit weird to treat her like an animal." Brooklyn sighed.
"I'm trying to get her to calm down." Owen hissed.
"You might as well take the chair, lad." Hudson got up.
They moved over to the recliner. Talia was sitting on Owen's lap. Roxanne straddled the arm rest. Owen hummed softly. Talia yawned, bleary eyed. She was tired.
"Hush, Talia, go to sleep..." Roxanne whispered softly, kissing the girl's hair and caressing it.
Talia leaned into Roxanne and yawned with a soft little roar. She fell asleep. Everyone breathed out a collective sigh.
"There. Now, we can take her home." Owen brushed her hair.
"And next time big guy, just try to not raise your voice, okay? Talia is going through some changes, so we all need to be calm around her." Roxanne said standing up.
"You're right, I will apologize when we see each other again." He looked at Talia, worry etched on his face.
"When Talia said her parents argued, I didn't think it was this bad." Elisa frowned.
"Yeah, well, luckily she's got a good family now. Including all of you." Roxanne smiled.
Owen paused. He honestly didn't feel like a good father. This had to stop. Talia needed better. He shifted Talia to his hip.
"We should get going, Roxanne." He told her.
They both got out of the police station and put Talia in the car, laying her on the rear passenger seats.
"Is everything alright?" Roxanne asked Owen as he drove.
"We need to talk to Fox and Mister Xanatos. Talia can't go on like this." He frowned. "Tomorrow night. It's too late and we need the rest."
"Talk to- what do you mean?" She looked at him.
"... David and I haven't been good parents to Talia. Part of it is because we kept secrets, from her and each other. You don't know how it was before. But before we can fix our relationship with Talia, we need to get everyone on the same page." Owen glanced at rear view mirror.
"You want to tell Fox what I am, don't you?" She pursed her lips in a thin line.
"It would help, but that's your call." He admitted.
"It would mean to put another one's life at risk..."
"Roxanne, Talia and I know, the Manhattan clan already knows. Just think about it, ok?" Puck added softly.
Roxanne closed her eyes and sighed. "Let's wait until after the ball."
"Alright." He nodded.
They went home, put Talia in bed and went to sleep. In the morning, Owen remembered the lie about Talia's pants. He would tell Xanatos that he washed them himself if he asked. The family had breakfast then it was Talia had lessons. Owen kept them as simple as he could. The day passed and turned into night.
Talia was getting ready for the ball. Her dress was dark green with crystals sewn on the bodice and upper skirt. Her mask was in the shape of a butterfly with green crystals on the wings and body. There were a few bigger ones near the end of the wings.
"Talia, are you ready?" David appeared in the hallway, wearing a black Victorian suit with silver decorations and a mask of the same color. He was also carrying a black cane with a silver pommel on it.
"You look beautiful." He grinned.
"It's pretty, I guess." Talia reached out to touch the cane.
"You like it? I thought it would look good with the outfit." He said.
"Shiny." She told him.
"Is everyone ready?" Fox walked towards them in an elegant black and silver ball gown, a silver mask on her face and her red hair tied up.
"Hi, Fox." Talia said.
"Hello Talia. Look at you...you look like a princess."
"Everybody's giving out compliments today." She smiled wryly.
"Be happy about getting compliments, kiddo. At least you look good in your outfit." Roxanne huffed as she walked from behind the corner: her dress was long, with a keyhole neckline between her breasts, black, to then become crimson at the end. Her mask was black and simple, covering only her eyes. "How am I supposed to protect Talia like this?"
"Because no one will suspect that you're her bodyguard dressed like this, just a guest. You will have the element of surprise...besides, it suits you." Xanatos grinned.
"They're my parents, they're supposed to tell me I look nice." Talia said.
"Both of you look lovely. Besides, you can make it work if you really need to." Owen walked up. He was wearing a blue suit with black patterns. His mask was half blue, half gold with a swirling vine pattern.
"Well, look at you..." Roxanne smirked, looking at Owen from head to toe and back. "Suddenly I'm much happier to participate at this party."
"Shall we be off then?" He held his arm out.
The hall was decorated with elegant crystal and black lace decorations, long amaranth velvet curtains ran down the walls giving the great hall a gloomy look. The orchestra was finishing up its final rehearsals, and the waiters had just finished setting up the buffet table.
"Not bad." Said Roxanne, smiling.
Talia eyed the buffet table. Owen whispered sharply in her ear before letting her go. Talia brushed it off, going to get some food.
"If Talia gets cranky or overtired, just give her to me." Owen told Roxanne.
"I'm sure she will be fine." She said dismissively.
"Talia's gotten better, however, I'm afraid Talia will want to pull some pranks on the guests. This is the first big event she's been to." He explained.
"Then we'll keep an eye on her. Although, I wouldn't mind if she brightened up this boring party with a few pranks." She smirked.
Puck's voice came out of Owen's mouth. "At least someone appreciates our work."
Owen frowned and pushed him back. "Don't encourage him."
"Is everything alright?" Fox asked.
"Oh, yes, it's going great." Roxanne replied.
"The guests will be here any moment." David looked at his watch. Talia heard their conversation from the buffet. Ugh, all those boring business men. She grabbed a lobster tail and then walked over to David.
"Hold this." She pushed the plate into his hands.
"Pace yourself, Talia! She's going back for dessert." Owen hummed. Xanatos blinked looking at the plate.
Roxanne sighed, taking it from his hands. "Talia, you should wait until the guests are here before starting eating. Have some manners."
"This is my food. I don't want those-" Talia growled. "-strangers touching it."
Owen glared. "You better keep your instincts under control, young lady."
"Talia, the food was prepared for everyone invited to the ball. Don't be greedy, there is enough for all." David scolded.
Talia screwed up her face, trying not to snarl. She took a deep breath. She calmed down enough not to show her displeasure. "Fine, I'll wait until the guests come."
"Good kid." Roxanne patted her back gently.
Xanatos and Fox went near the elevators to greet the first guests that started arriving. Roxanne stood right next to Talia and Owen, nodding politely at every person. Talia nodded along the first few times before she subtly took her plate back from Roxanne and took a little bite of steak. She had did exactly what she said. She waited until the guests came.
"Alright you rascal, you can eat to your heart's content now." Roxanne chuckled, pinching Talia's cheek.
Talia pouted at getting her getting her cheek pinched. "Mo- Roxanne..."
Owen looked briefly at her. He had forgotten about that. She couldn't call them mommy or daddy in public. Luckily, she had caught herself.
"Alright, alright...no more fussing over you." The woman winked.
A few minutes later, after all the guests entered the great Hall, Xanatos drew everyone's attention. "Welcome to my castle, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here, I hope that you will have a magnificent time tonight, and enjoy the banquet and the music. Let us start the ball." He clapped his hands twice and the orchestra started playing a haunting waltz.
Owen looked at Talia. She was hanging behind Xanatos and Fox, eating. He pursed his lips. Puck wanted to dance. He made his decision.
"Talia." Owen walked up to her.
"Yeah?" She ate her food.
"Come dance." Puck told her.
"But food..." She whined.
"It will still be here." Owen reassured her. "Puck wants to dance with his daughter."
"... Ok." Talia gently put her food down and followed him to the dance floor.
Roxanne was sitting in a chair near a wall, not feeling much like dancing; she smiled when she saw Owen take Talia on the dancefloor, chuckling as he taught her the right steps. It was such a sweet father-daughter moment.
While she watched Talia and Owen dance, a man approached her, dressed in a black and golden suit and wearing a dark mask with a golden sun embedded on the top; he bowed and held out his hand. "May I have the honor, madam?"
Roxanne blinked. "Well, I-"
"Just for one dance." The stranger said with a smooth and mellow voice, taking her hand; he and Roxanne twirled far from the center of the dancefloor.
"Do I...know you?" Roxanne asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Yes and no. Although you have never met me, you surely have heard of me from my faithful assistant..." The stranger nodded towards a corner of the hall and sure enough, with a suit and a thin mask on, there was T.
Roxanne's jaw clenched as she stared back at the man, her eyes becoming two bright embers. "You."
Talia saw Roxanne was on the floor as well. They had just missed each other. The smell of vampire filled her nose. Was it just Mommy or someone else? Puck calmed her before she attacked.
"Talia, don't watch at the other dancers." Owen told her.
"Mommy is dancing with someone." She answered.
Owen twirled her around, using it as a chance to look around. He saw Roxanne and the man. He thought for moment before realizing that this must have been the new business partner that Xanatos had mentioned. He was an older man with gray hair. Puck grew jealous. Owen refocused his attention onto Talia.
"Give me a good reason why I shouldn't just kick your balls and shoot you into space, Maxwell." Roxanne growled, her grip becoming stronger on the man's shoulder; anyone else would've screamed in pain, but not the stranger, who impassively kept dancing.
"It's Prince Bennet to you. And I have a very good reason, my dear... I've heard that you wish to get rid of the Sabbat: what a lovely coincidence, the Camarilla does too." He said calmly.
"I'm not going to spend the rest of my unlife by being a servant to your stupid sect!" Roxanne told him.
"Hush...there are humans all around us. Let's go somewhere more private." Once the waltz ended, the guests clapped their hands as both Bennet and Roxanne walked outside, into the castle's gardens.
Talia and Owen went in different directions. Talia went back to Xanatos and Fox. Her food was there. She ate a bite of steak, scanning the crowd. Her eyes were drawn to a woman in a red and gold dress. She had a full face mask on. Talia wondered why she had hidden her face. Her magic nudged the nearest person next to the woman. The man bumped into the woman. She stumbled into Owen. Owen looked at her. He paused. Something about her was strange. She seemed powerful.
"May I?" He held his hand out.
The woman didn't speak, keeping her gaze fixed on Owen as she gave him her gloved hand. Owen felt her strong grasp. He wondered what she was.
"I'm afraid I don't know your name, Miss." He said lightly.
"My name is Irene." She turned her head in the direction of the gardens. "What a gentle man my dear Adrasteia has found. I'm happy for her." Her voice was like velvet, her pace steady as they danced.
"Adrasteia?" Owen repeated.
"It means 'one who does not run away' or 'courageous'. It's an ancient Greek name. Her real name."
"Real... name? Why are you telling me this?" Owen and Puck asked her.
The woman used her strength to take the lead during the waltz, making Owen feel like a ragdoll.
"I can see your aura...so many colors...I know what you are." Irene's mouth got close to Owen's ear. "You are a faerie." She whispered.
Puck felt a chill down his spine. Being dragged around didn't help. Clearly, she knew Roxanne. But how? "Who are you?"
Talia finished with her dinner. Now, Daddy was dancing with the woman in the red dress. Talia growled.
"Hey kiddo, good seeing you again." T said as he got closer to Talia, smiling. "How ya doing?"
There was another vampire right in front of Talia. The bad smell creeped closer. Her eyes began to flicker between green and red.
"W- Who are you?" Talia struggled. She tried to shove her instincts down. Her fangs itched.
"It's me, T. Don't you remember the arcade?" He asked.
"Uh, a little bit. A lot's happened since then." She said. Her magic rebelled against her and her fingers turned into claws.
T noticed it immediately. He wasn't completely surprised, since he was used to see Gangrels do the same, but from a human girl it wasn't normal. Unless she wasn't human at all. He made a couple of steps back.
"The child seems to have some troubles." Irene told Owen, stopping their dance and turning him towards Talia.
Talia looked around the ball. Mommy was gone, Daddy was dancing, Fox was getting dinner, and Poppa was busy.
"Want Daddy and Mommy." Talia told T, her eyes getting dewy.
Owen saw Talia, too afraid to move and starting to cry. He went over as quickly as he could. She hugged him.
"Hey, Talia. You wanna go out to the garden?" He asked softly.
T frowned and knelt down. "Aw, hey kiddo, come on don't cry...see? Your nanny is here." He smiled.
"N-nanny?" She asked.
"Yeah: Xanatos is your father, right? He's there, talking. So this must be your nanny. Butler? Someone that takes care of you? I know nothing about high society families." T shrugged.
"David is my Poppa. This is Da-" Talia started.
"Come along, we'll go out to the garden now." Owen pushed her.
"Alright, Bennet: what do you want?" Roxanne snarled shortly.
The man stopped by a willow tree. "A deal: you become a Camarilla ally, and in exchange I will help you."
"I can get rid of the Sabbat on my own." She insisted.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that. They have become stronger, more organized. And you are alone...do not be foolish. You have a family now." He frowned, shaking his head.
Roxanne's eyes widened in shock. "How-"
"Do you really believe that I was invited to this party by chance?" Bennet asked her.
"...Xanatos."
"Indeed. I've met young David two years ago, and I found him so interesting and with so many qualities, that I couldn't resist... At first I wanted him as my ghoul and a possible infant. But he's much more useful to me like this." He explained, almost happily.
"And you used him." She said plainly.
"To finally get to you in person, since you so rudely refused all of my invitations." He sniffed haughtily.
"I'd rather stay away from that nest of vipers that you call Elysium." Roxanne spat.
"Yes, well. Now I'm here." He gestured to the garden.
"You better not be here to try and blackmail me! You touch my family and you're ashes!" She hissed dangerously.
"My, my: you Brujah and your temper...I assure you, my dear, that I have no ill intentions towards your family."
"Good. I'm still not accepting your offer." She refused.
"Not even if I told you..." Bennet started, pacing calmly towards a bush of roses. "That someone from your past is in New York? From before you lost your memory?"
Roxanne frowned. "Is this a trick?"
" I don't need tricks, only good offers." He smiled. "If you become an ally, not only the Camarilla will help you fight the Sabbat, but I will allow you to meet this person. Of course, you can still refuse...but aren't you curious to know your origins? Your past life?"
Roxanne lowered her gaze, pondering.
"After all, we're on the same side. You would be treated with all the honors and respect from every member of the Camarilla, and the sheriff would be relieved to be able to assist you without hiding it from me." Bennet smirked.
Owen took a flute of sparkling cider for Talia as they went out to the garden. He guided her to stone bench. Talia drank the cider. He paused when he heard Roxanne's voice. They were making a deal of some sort. So, he was a vampire.]
"...Alright. I accept, but on one condition." She said slowly.
"Which would be?" His eyes fully focused on her, interested.
"From now on, the Eyrie Building and the castle atop will be considered my official domain and haven. Which means that whoever will want to get in here, will need my permission. And you will be free to destroy the ones who are stupid enough to enter without asking you. As for my family...tell those leeches that the Xanatos family and their friends are under my care and protection. No turning them into ghouls, no feeding from them, and obviously no hurting them." Roxanne listed.
"We'll have to make up a credible excuse on why a group of humans knows your true nature. You know that the punishment for revealing our existence is death, no matter if you are part of the Camarilla or not." He reminded her.
"Tell them that they're my herd." She told him.
Maxwell smiled satisfied, holding out his hand. "We have a deal."
Roxanne observed the hand for a moment before shaking it. Owen wondered what she meant by herd.
Talia heard Roxanne's voice. "Mommy!"
"Talia, no. Come back here." Owen tried to grab her. Both Maxwell and Roxanne turned around.
"Aaah, lupus in fabula. Your 'family' is here." He grinned.
She ignored him and hurried towards Talia, noticing that the girl had been crying. "Tai, what happened?"
"I tried really hard, I did. The bad smell was too much." Talia sniffed as she clung to her.
"Oh, Talia. I know you did your best. We're not disappointed." Owen told her.
"Sssh, it's alright sweetie, no one is mad at you baby girl..." Roxanne hugged Talia, rocking her gently.
"I will go back inside. If you wish to know more about your past, the person I told you about is here." Bennet said nonchalantly as he walked back inside the hall.
Owen glared at the vampire a moment before soothing Talia. He undid her mask and set it on the ground. Wiping away her tears, he looked her in the eye.
"I know controlling your instincts is hard. I didn't mean to imply they were bad; I wanted to keep people from asking questions. I'm sorry I wasn't clear enough." He said.
"Ok, Daddy." She nodded.
Roxanne kept caressing Talia's hair absentmindedly, while looking in the direction of the castle. Someone from her past, from before she lost her memory, was waiting for her. She felt suddenly anxious.
Talia felt Roxanne tense up. "Mommy?"
"...I need to go inside."
"We'll come with you." Owen said.
They went back inside; Bennet told Roxanne to wait there. As he walked towards the mysterious woman in red and gold, Roxie felt strange. Like a part of her was in the room. She looked at Owen.
As the guests chatted among each other, and Xanatos and Fox entertained them, Bennet came back with the woman dressed in red and gold. She took off her mask, revealing a beautiful face beneath it, two dark eyes observed Roxanne, who gasped and remained paralyzed.
"Hello...daughter." Roxanne felt weak all of a sudden, and fainted on the stone floor.
"Mommy!" Talia knelt beside her.
"ROXANNE!" Owen tried to check to see if she was fine, but he had no clue how vampires worked. "What did you do, Irene?"
People were looking at them now. Fox and Xanatos pushed through the crowd. Irene said nothing. She turned towards Bennet, who nodded and walked away from the small group. "Ladies and gentlemen, please: give me your attention."
Even though the crowd was more interested and worried about the woman who fainted, it couldn't avoid focusing its attention fully on Maxwell, who started making an inspired speech. Not even Xanatos and Fox could resist.
Talia's attention was split. Her mommy fainted, but the m- vampire made interesting sounds. Her eyes turned fully red. Protect mommy, listen, protect... Talia roared before passing out. Owen let Puck take control in all but appearance. He carried both of his girls to the sitting room. He laid them on an extra large couch, kneeling in front of Talia.
"Hey, Tai. C'mon, wake up for daddy." Puck coaxed. "I can't help you and Mommy at the same time."
Irene placed one hand on Owen's shoulder. "She is fine. They're both fine. Adrasteia simply had a trauma due to seeing me, but she will wake up in a night or two."
The woman turned towards the crowd, which was completely mesmerized by Bennet. "We need to go. Carry them somewhere safe. Tell Adrasteia that she will be contacted soon."
"You're leaving?" He frowned, picking them up.
"I think it's for the best. But I will stay in New York." Irene nodded. "Goodnight." She walked towards T and he ushered out of the hall. Maxwell finished his speech, and bowed at the crowd applauding him before joining Irene and T.
Owen didn't waste any time taking them to his apartment. He struggled to open the door until Puck intervened. Laying them down on his bed, Puck changed them into some pajamas. He wiped Talia's face clean and tucked them into bed. He kissed Roxanne and Talia on the cheek before going back to the ball.
Lupus in fabula: speak of the devil
