A/N: Here's chapter twenty-two! What happens when Killian gets ants in his pants? Is it the scene chopperlover14's been waiting for? Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bloodlines, but I do own my OCs.
"Why do you look so antsy?" Cissy peered her head over at Killian. The two were standing a little distance away from their camp, a new location they had set up at even deeper in the woods. They had started actually building a shack. Killian had done an impressive amount of work, and needed a little break to pull the splinters from his hands.
Cissy on the other hand was more of a cheerleader than a builder.
"I don't know." He muttered, tearing into a callous with his teeth.
"You thirsty?"
"No."
"Anxious?"
"No."
"You must be horny then."
"Yeah, sure."
"I see the way you look at her. Honestly, I don't know who else she'd give herself away to. Sure, maybe she has more of a connection with Skelter, but I wouldn't fuck someone with a dog leg, not sure she would either. I don't want to know where it starts and stops, you know?"
"Why don't you go hunt something for us to drink? Just make yourself useful."
"Sucks to be you." She smiled before she walked off into the woods. He hoped she got lost.
"Yo, Killian!" Skelter called, "You wanna help me with the roof?"
"Sure." Killian walked over and got back to work. Clearly, considering they were all Kindred, the roof was almost more important than the walls.
Catalina and Anastasia relaxed as bit as they looked at their work, "We finished a bed…" Catalina said, "One…bed…"
Skelter was more of a spotter for Killian, since he was taller and could reach more, even on their scaffolding, "Hey, good job." He smiled at the girls, "How many does it fit, one or two?"
"Uh…" The girls exchanged a glance, "One." Catalina said.
"Two." Anastasia said.
"It cannot fit two."
"Sure it can, in a pinch…"
"No sane person would share a bed this small…"
Killian peered over to view the debate. Skelter crossed his arms, "Maybe one Killian, two girls?"
"Yeah, Catalina, maybe you could share it with Cissy." Killian said.
She looked embarrassed, "Uh…right…sure…"
Cissy walked back over, "Hey, how are we going? I tried hunting but as soon as I found things, they were too fast for me."
"Maybe we shouldn't let Cissy do the hunting…"
"Sorry. My bad." Killian said from the roof, "She was telling me to go hump a tree so I told her to make herself useful."
Cissy's brow twitched, "I did not tell you to hump a tree. I told you to hump An—"
Killian dropped a two-by-four on her head. "Oops."
"Fuck yourself…" She threatened, taking the two-by-four and throwing it back at him.
Catalina perked up, "Do you guys hear that?" She flinched as a helicopter came into view, "No…don't tell me…"
Killian squinted, "Fucking hell…please tell me this is your brother, Anastasia…" The anxiety could be heard in his voice.
They all looked up, being very relieved when they only saw a singular passenger and a driver. Once it landed, Cadmus got out, the wind whipped up by the helicopter billowing his outer trench coat around.
"Cadmus?" Anastasia asked, "You look terrible…"
Sure enough, it looked like he hadn't slept in a while, "Speak for yourself. Where's Damsel and snake-guy?" He glanced at Skelter, "And what the hell happened to his leg?"
Killian went back to hammering the last plank on, "Well…Sirius stabbed us in the back, and Skelter went crazy and killed Damsel."
"Reader's digest." Skelter muttered in agreement.
"Yeah, he works in the Camarilla with you, genius." Catalina frowned.
Cadmus ignored her, until he let it sink in, "Wait…the Follower of Set…is Camarilla?"
"Yeah, what, did you not know he was on your side?" Killian hopped down.
"Course he doesn't." Skelter said, "You remember that fight. I bet Sirius is on a-hundred different teams about now. The only person he's working for is himself. He'd never do anything for anyone if it didn't benefit him somehow."
"This…this doesn't make any sense…" Cadmus said, "Sirius always goes out and attacks Phaedra, to the point where she has to stay indoors half the time. He can't be Camarilla…why would he attack his own members?"
"We don't know…" Anastasia said, "Why did you come here?"
His shoulders sunk, "Cause…last time…"
"You want to apologize?" She asked, "Why should I listen?"
"I…" He looked utterly defeated that she seemed so iron-willed this time, "Look…you can still be mad at me…but you guys have to listen…all of you…this will affect all of you. The rest of the Camarilla doesn't know it yet, but…I…or…we could use your help…"
Skelter crossed his arms, "Kid, take one minute and look at us. Just one minute of silence. Do you think we are in any position at all to go ahead and take on something like that?"
"Then just send one of you…or two…please…if Lafayette gets that Antediluvian…I mean, sure…he'll kill the Camarilla first…but it won't be long until he's after all the Kindred and kine in the world…"
"I…I forgot about that…" Anastasia said.
"What's he talking about?" Catalina looked dubious.
"Lafayette is going to New York to drain the Tzimisce Antediluvian…" Cadmus said, "If he succeeds, we're all fucked."
There was a slight pause. Cissy kicked a pinecone and sent it rolling.
"I mean, I'll help, if I'm not needed." Killian said.
"We have to leave someone strong here." Skelter said, "Someone to watch the place."
"You guys have time to think about it." Cadmus said, "Right now, Strauss is dealing with a Setite Temple…that I'm like…a-thousand percent sure Sirius has to do with it."
"That'd be convenient if he knocked him off…" Catalina muttered.
Cadmus looked at Anastasia, "I'm sorry…about before…"
Anastasia sighed, "I can't stay mad at you…"
"You guys need like, cash or something?"
"What?" She asked, "No, no, we don't need handouts…"
"Be quiet." He dug through his pockets, "Here….it's just pocket change, but…"
Anastasia looked at the twenty dollar bill, "Thanks."
"I could come back with more later…it's not like I'm actually doing anything in the Camarilla…" He said, "So…I'll just go now…I'll call you about the updates on New York…"
"Right…bye…" She said, and the engine of the helicopter roared as Cadmus jumped on it midflight and it took off.
Killian stood beside Anastasia, looking down at the twenty, "Jeez, I wonder what we should use it for…"
"Savings." Skelter said, "We'll save it until we really need it."
Anastasia folded it and put it away, "That was nice of him."
"It was. Glad he's not trying to take our heads off." Skelter said, stifling a yawn, "Christ, I'm exhausted."
"Why don't you lay down?" Cissy said, "You take the bed tonight. You're gonna be more sore than either me or Cat are."
"…you sure?" He looked at Killian and Anastasia, "Either of you want it?"
"Nah, I should be fine." Killian swatted a hand.
"It's okay, you take it." Anastasia said.
"Alright. Just make sure you all get inside by the time the sun rises." He hopped onto the bed, seeming comfortable for once.
"Nah, we're gonna roast." Cissy rolled her eyes and walked off to the other side of the room with Catalina.
Killian headed back outside and looked at the roofing. "I was gonna put shingles on or something…but…I have no fucking idea how or where to get shingles…"
"We're pretty far away from civilization, aren't we?" Anastasia asked.
"Yup." He crossed his arms, "Maybe I can use tree bark or something. I don't know." He sighed, "If it rains it's gonna soak right through." He combed his fingers through his hair, "It should keep the sun out at least."
"One of us could take the Jeep out or something…"
"Yeah…" He said distantly, "Maybe." He turned and looked over at her.
Maybe Cissy was right. Maybe he was antsy for her. It hadn't been nearly long enough, and he knew she was still with Skelter. But it was that sort of hopelessness that made him want her more.
Watching those eyes flicker around the cabin, observe all the little nooks and crannies, the flaws and imperfections was almost mesmerizing. The way her eyelashes would follow her gaze, her lips would curl in the slightest smile at just the presence of nature around them.
"At least he's comfortable. Feels like it's been a while since he actually relaxed for once." He said. There was a light pause. So why isn't she with him? They can't be together anymore, if that's the case… It didn't make him any more or less willing to try anything.
"I honestly think it's because he has the whole leadership mentality around his head now." She sighed, "I wished Damsel didn't push him so hard with that…it…could have been one of the many things that caused him to frenzy…"
"I'm sure it was. I try to help him, but I don't want to push anything. I know I'm still pretty new so it'd probably piss him the hell off if I started giving orders and taking names."
"None of us are really that old in the grand scheme of things…it's kinda half the problem…"
"I know…you still have more experience than any of us do. You'd be second in command." He looked down at her and smirked, "Deputy Anastasia."
She laughed, "Finally…some recognition…"
He laughed back, then slowly moved his head up and looked at the stars, "Well I'll be damned…is that the Milky Way?" He pointed at what appeared to be a colorful cloud of stars in the sky, "I've never…actually seen it like that before…"
"I think just out in the nature and without any artificial lights it looks better. Brighter." She said, "That's probably why it looks so pretty."
"Yeah…god, makes me glad I'm nocturnal…"
"There are perks to it." She smiled.
He smiled back, meeting her gaze briefly before he looked away and looked down at the ground. His smile faded, before he looked back up at her. His sudden stare captured her attention, long enough for him to lean in and plant the kiss. Her eyes widened, she only kissed him back for about a split-second, before she backed away, looking terrified, "Killian…"
"Shit. My bad." He took a step back and crossed his arms, his mind hazy from the rush of her taste, her touch, "I uh…misread that one…"
"I…I'm sorry…but…I'm…but I'm not interested…sorry…"
"No, no, I get that…" He scratched the back of the head, "Thought you were into it. I don't know, I'm rusty. Don't apologize that was…that wasn't right."
"Uh…uh-huh…right…"
"Dammit." He crossed his arms, "I don't know how the hell to get over you."
"…I…I don't…I don't know…I…I'm sorry…"
He gave her a brief hug, ruffling her hair, "Stop apologizing." He pat her head and broke the hug, "I'll get over it and leave you alone. See you tomorrow, alright?" He headed for the Jeep.
"Uh-huh…see you tomorrow…"
Gottfried could have sworn there was some sort of painting that looked exactly like what he was looking at.
Therese looked so perfect, for a lack of a better word, so illustrative. The lighting in her apartment was always dim, a warm darkness created from flame-lit bulbs. She was in a twilight robe, some sort of satin material, yet it was conservative. Although it showed a bit of chest, it covered her arms and fell to her knees. It certainly wasn't something Jeanette would be caught dead in.
She sat poised at the chess board, her left arm resting against it, the other elbow leaning on it as it supported her head. She held her glasses in her right hand, pressing the end up against her lips subconsciously. Her hair, although wet, stayed in a bun, but looked more of a muddy bronze color.
Her attention wasn't directed at the chess board. It was outside the window, and that's what made it all the more stirring to him. The moonlight shone down on her face and made her look like some sort of specter, her gray eyes shining brightly back, as if challenging the moon. Although the look on her face was nothing but hopelessness. A combination of fear and apathy smeared her features. This look rarely shifted, no matter how many times he made her chuckle or kiss him.
He knew what was plaguing her mind, and it wasn't the Sabbat.
"I didn't know your sire still tried to be in contact with you."
"It's nothing but a pathetic obsession." She said softly, turning away from the window and staring back at the board. "After my Embrace, we lost contact with one another. Not that we had much to begin with. I slipped away into obscurity and he seemed discontent with that." She met his gaze, "In his eyes, a childe is to faithfully serve their sire for life. I've…never agreed with that. Especially his definition of servitude."
He shrugged, "I never even knew my sire's name. Neither did Poe. We were Embraced at the bottom of that well…as a blessing…or maybe a curse. I couldn't even tell you where he is today…I guess they're all kinds of different sires…"
She picked up her glass and took a sip, "I would consider it a blessing. The relationship between a sire and childe is always a messy, muddled thing. An entirely different type of blood bond that's impossible to dismiss without death."
"That's…usually the impression I get out of it…" He said, "What does he do?"
"Well…" She sighed, looking down at the board as she fidgeted with the King. "Esau, I believe his name is…he's quiet. A shadow in the Jyhad. He's never done much. It's his…his madness that does the most damage. Though, I don't know much. Jeanette knows more, she was…close to him." She knocked over one of his bishops, "Though she insists his name is Jacob. Some sort of Biblical title to make him out to be a savior."
"It could be where your…" He stopped himself short. Therese wasn't exactly aware of her split personality, so it probably wasn't a good idea to blurt it out now, "Still…I wonder what he wants with you. What he wants done with you…if he has no ties to other Kindred…it begs the question of what he'll have to gain by having you at his side…"
"I'm doubtful it was Esau who called. It was certainly Jacob. He…" She folded her arms over herself as she became visibly uncomfortable, "He's always appreciated what Jeanette gave to him. I believe he mentioned he wanted to…break me down into something like her…whatever that might mean…" She added quickly, like she had no idea what that entailed, although she clearly did.
"Well, we should be safe in a Camarilla city like this." He said, "Or…not…it depends on how old he is…"
"Fifth generation." She murmured against her fist.
He swallowed hard, "Okay…" He said in a smaller voice.
She closed her eyes, "I don't care if he finds me. He can do whatever he wants as long as it keeps him quiet. But if he finds my sister…" She shook her head, "I can't allow that to happen."
"He won't…the fact that he wants to contact you on the phone pretty much confirms that he isn't willing to stumble into the city."
"I hope you're right." She looked up at him. "It's…um…it's your turn."
He looked back at the board, of course, not very sure of his move, "You know, I'm not nearly as good as this game as you are…"
"It's been quite some time since I've played anyone, let alone someone who's made it this far."
"Is Jeanette any good?"
She chuckled softly. "I don't think she even knows how to play."
He chuckled back, "I'll have to keep that in mind."
"We don't have to keep playing."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course, I don't mind."
He gave her a concerned look, "Did you want to lie down?"
She put her glasses on, waiting a beat. "I would like that."
"I could stay with you too." She nodded as she stood up, peering down at him. She took a step closer and planted her lips against his.
He kissed her back, slowly wrapping his arms around her and giving her a tiny squeeze. She placed her hands against his chest and continued to kiss him, for once seeming at ease.
He squeezed her a little tighter, "It's alright…you're fine, just relax."
She moved herself in and sat on his lap, pausing for a moment, like she was asking herself if this was appropriate. She must have dismissed the thought because she just went right back to kissing him. He rubbed the small of her back with one hand and gave her squeezes with the other arm.
After moments of bliss, she moved away just a touch, "Did…you want to lie down…?"
"With you? Of course." She stood up again, reaching for his hand. He rose from his seat, taking her hand and getting comfortable with her in the bed.
She took her glasses off, lying them across the night stand before she pulled her hair from the bun and let it tumble around her shoulders. She moved in and gently hugged him, still seeming a little timid about the whole thing.
"It's alright." He gave her a gentle squeeze, making sure the blankets were snug around them both. She reached her arms up and put them around his neck as she kept kissing him.
He kissed her back, decompressing under the feel of her touch and the warmth of her bed. One of her hands slowly ran down the length of his arm before both of them landed on his shoulders and gently massaged them. He closed his eyes, sighing, "Thanks…" He said, "That feels nice…"
"Well, you're always doing such hard work for me…"
"That's because I know you can get overwhelmed sometimes."
"I'm sorry I'm so…high-maintenance…"
"No, I didn't mean it like that…I'm used to dealing with nervousness. Poe's my brother, remember?" He smiled.
She gently rested a hand on his face, "But I shouldn't be an obligation for you."
"You're not. You're the love of my life. Or…unlife…as it were…"
She seemed shocked with such a strong, casual declaration. She held his face with both hands and kissed him furiously. He was surprised at first, but he closed his eyes and kissed her back, giving her shoulders a little massage in return.
He felt her loosen up under his touch, pressing herself against him as she kept kissing him. He was a little hesitant on touching her anywhere else, knowing she could snap at him and call him a pig, but when he saw her start to untie her robe, his uncertainty slowly dissipated. Thinking she was just adjusting it, he moved back slightly to give her some room.
Before she changed her mind, she moved in and kept kissing him, her body exposed now.
He held her close, trying to keep up with her, he still felt like he was playing with fire a little. Compared to her sister, Therese was a much gentler creature.
She moved her lips down and gently kissed him along his jawline, resting a hand against his chest, occasionally rubbing tiny circles with her fingertips. He figured it was now or never, once her hand left his chest, he slowly took his shirt off, hoping that it wasn't crossing the line.
Her eyes quickly glanced over his chest. She couldn't quite understand why it was appealing to her, but she wasn't going to question it. Not now. She wrapped her arms around him and met his lips again for a heated kiss.
He did what he could to keep up, moving onto his pants. He rubbed her back a bit more furiously now, still too nervous to touch anywhere else.
She hadn't caught on to his nervousness quite yet, she was too lost in her own world. She let out a soft sigh, moving her lips down to his neck. What got him the most was just the sound of her voice. That deeper pitch almost surprised him. He was so used to Jeanette's higher squeals and moans that Therese's throatier tones were a refreshing change of pace.
He tried to relax a little bit, rubbing her sides and her stomach to see if she was comfortable with that.
"Gottfried…" She said lowly, "I'm not a china doll…"
"Oh, you're not?" He smirked.
"I appreciate your care for me." She kissed his lips briefly, "But, I…I'm ready to push this aside…" She kissed his neck again, "So long as Jeanette or the Camarilla don't hear a word of it."
"Very well." He gently reached up and caressed her breasts, more or less shoving himself on top of her, kissing her with fury.
She shifted herself so none of his weight was on her, considering how heavy he was. She reached his hands out behind his shoulders, gripping on there as she kept up with his kisses.
"If I'm too heavy, we can always switch places."
"I think this is just fine." She gently ran her fingers over his hair, then kissed him again, slowly bringing her legs up around him. He sighed and relaxed even more, kissing her back and continuing to give her breasts a massage. She gave a small groan, a little smile on her lips, "You…you like those, don't you?"
"Perhaps." He kissed one, giving the other a squeeze.
She hummed with contentment, "You're quite talented…"
"Thanks." He kissed you, giving her a long kiss as he went to take his underwear off.
He could vividly remember Jeanette's grin when he saw his size. He didn't know what he was expecting with Therese, but he almost snickered when he saw her look of shock. She very quickly tried to dismiss it and pretend she wasn't shocked, but he still saw it in her eye.
"It's alright…I don't want to overwhelm you." He said in between kisses.
"You're not, don't worry, darling." She placed a cool hand on the back of his neck, her other rubbing his upper chest as she kissed his neck.
He smiled, "I love you."
She still seemed absolutely touched by that, kissing him deeply, "I love you too, Gottfried…"
He closed his eyes as he kissed her back, rubbing her sides and her breasts whenever he could. She sighed into his mouth, another deep and spine-chilling sound. Her hips, whether consciously or not, started to build up some sort of rhythm beneath him, craving some sort of action. "Are you ready?"
She gently broke the kiss, thinking about it for a moment. Then she nodded, "Just…please be gentle…I know what I said earlier but…" She accidentally eyed his manhood again.
"If you're not ready, I won't start…it's up to you, I want to make sure you're comfortable."
"No, no, that's alright." She kissed him again, "I am."
"Alright, I'll be gentle, I promise."
She nodded, "Thank you." A little smile tugged at her lips.
He pushed in slowly, looking at her facial expressions to more or less tell him when it was a good time to go in further. At first, she seemed in pain, but it very quickly resolved to pleasure. It seemed to be an unexpected pleasure as well, like she didn't expect any of this to be as pleasant as it was.
As soon as he saw she wasn't stressed, he went in further, holding her close so she knew that everything would be okay. She let out a loud cry as he finally pushed in all the way, covering her mouth with a hand. She closed her eyes and gave a shaky sigh of bliss, clearly enjoying him thoroughly.
He followed the rhythm she unintentionally began to set, letting out a groan or two as he finally began to penetrate her. He could feel the weight of his load being reduced, hoping dearly that she could take it. She bit her lip as he pushed in and out of her, moaning his name and grabbing at the bedsheets in ecstasy. Clearly this relieved all the stresses of the day for her, and that much was evident with the look on her face.
He moved off of her once he finished, holding her close, "You alright?"
She nodded, smiling, "…of course…what, did you expect me to be injured?"
"No…I just wanted to know if I was slow enough…"
"It was perfect." She kissed him warmly. Something in the back of her head was screaming for more, but she knew that would be beyond improper. She felt sinful enough, now that the realization of what they'd done actually sunk in.
"Feeling's mutual." He kissed her back.
"Gottfried…thank you." She met his eye.
"What are you thanking me for?"
"For loving me."
He smiled, "You don't need to thank me for that. I benefit from our relationship just as much as you do."
She held onto him dearly, closing her eyes, "I can't thank you enough…"
He rolled his eyes, "It's alright Therese." He said, "You'll always have me by your side."
The height and the fact that the stairs felt like they went on forever didn't help any of them with their nervousness. Poe for one was literally hiding behind Phaedra, as they were the only four to be provided clearance to the top of the Setite temple, as the rest of Strauss's forces were fighting the ground forces.
"I don't like this…" Prospero said, "What are our chances against a crazy snake lady like Natalia anyway?"
May seemed entirely overwhelmed with everything, including the fact that her heels kept getting stuck between the stones. "Hopefully the chances will be high."
"We'll just have to be careful." Phaedra said, "If it looks like we're going to lose, we'll run."
"Well, you're the expert, right?" Prospero looked at her.
"Expert?" She asked, "What gave you that impression?"
"I don't know…I thought you and that Setite guy always butt heads or something…you know what they're capable of, right?"
"A little."
"Wonderful…" May muttered bitterly.
At the summit they were met with four opponents who didn't belong there in the slightest. From left to right it was Lafayette, Remus, Cedric, and Madame Vaska. Unlike the Camarilla, they seemed eager for battle.
"Madame Vaska?" Prospero asked, "Aw…come on, what the hell are you doing here?" Then he added through clenched teeth, "I thought you severed your ties with the Sabbat."
"Consider it a one-time reunion." Madame Vaska said, with Lafayette clearly looking annoyed with this entire setup.
"Well, if it isn't the Ishtarri who betrayed us." Remus said, drawing his sword, "I will personally make an example out of you."
"An example of what?" Phaedra reached for her axe, "How not to behave? How not to settle and find yourself? I can't wait for you to gaze into death's eyes and realize what a fool you've been."
May looked absolutely horrified, and regretted every choice she's made so far.
Footsteps were heard as another being climbed to the top of the temple, "There you are, Sabbat cretin!" A harsh Italian accent was heard as Giuseppe faced Lafayette, "I've finally tracked you all the way here, now you will die!"
Lafayette merely smiled back, "No, no, no…I'm afraid you're wrong, Giovanni…anyone who tries to kill me merely makes me stronger. Have you not learned?"
"Giuseppe!" Prospero screamed at the top of his dead lungs, immediately pumping Celerity to apprehend the Giovanni.
A sadistic grin spread across Madame Vaska's face, she held a hand out. Prospero glowed blue and stopped in his tracks. As usual, she had her favorite puppet once more.
"Giovanni!" Cedric drew his scythes, diving at Giuseppe as the two of them engaged in a fierce duel atop the tower.
Remus's target was painfully obvious, "I shall make this quick for you. I do not have time to waste, you see."
Poe narrowed his eyes and drew his gold sword, dashing at Remus at high speeds.
Remus clashed back with ease, "How disappointing." He said, cloaking himself in the shadows of Obtenebration, "You intend to fight your way to the grave. Allow me to show you why that is a foolish mistake."
Poe may have had speed, and of course, the righteous power on his side. But it seemed Remus was too seasoned a veteran to fall for his tricks. Even with his Celerity at its maximum power, Remus was able to outplay him. Once he caught Poe off guard, he floored him. Poe grunted as he hit the ground, trying to get up, but Remus quickly stabbed him in the back before he could.
Nothing was heard for almost a full minute after that aside from his screams. Remus's yellow, animalistic eyes widened, for such a deafening scream did not warrant the simple attack he gave, either that or the Ishtarri's pain tolerance was horribly low. "What…do we have here?" He gashed him again, his curiosity becoming borderline torture as he began to give Poe's scars a fresh coat of paint. While not at Final Death, the Kindred of the Laibon was surely close.
And of course Phaedra was being blocked from doing anything by a big blue wretch. "We have similarities, the Nagaraja and the Tzimisce…" Lafayette held his hands out, "You eat flesh. I use it for power. Why don't we see which clan would come out on top in an ideological fight, hmm?"
"Because that would be barbaric and stupid." Phaedra was beyond her usual self. She was beyond her cool intelligence and flexible patience.
She was pissed.
She held a hand out and summoned a specter to distract the Tzimisce and dashed towards Remus and Poe. She could have fought Remus off, however, she brought the back of her axe down to clock Poe in the back of the head and knock him out.
Remus narrowed his eyes, "That was not a miscalculation." He said, "You intended to strike your Ishtarri lover…" He said, "Perhaps, to save him from the grief of his old pains? Oh, how marvelous…how marvelous!" He laughed.
She seemed a lot calmer now that he was unconscious, not reliving any of the pain he had felt. "Marvelous." She scowled, "Meraviglioso, come la vista del tuo cadavere!"
Prospero whirled in, his mind blurred and controlled by Vaska, he had a Potence-laced fist out towards Phaedra, but she blocked it just in time with her axe. "You misunderstand, Nagaraja." Remus said, "You're not going to get your lucky kill on this eve. You and your Camarilla are going to be caught for what it truly is. Foolish and fragile. Tonight will mark a victory for the Sabbat, marked by the ash of all your fallen bodies."
"Oh, I'm sure." She slurred, "At the very most you're looking at a retreat, you crusty oaf, and nothing more. Is it ever any different?!" She laughed, "You aren't capable of killing us, you never have been!" She made sure not to slice into Prospero, instead she beat him around with the back of her axe, which left strikes that actually dented his armor, "Let us not play pretend in such real world situations. It shows your childishness, dear."
"Oh, I am doing no pretending." He scowled, "I will have my revenge on the Tremere. You are but brambles I need to slice down to continue on my path!"
"I recognize a familiar speech before our Tremere Prince threw you from a window."
He snarled like a mad-bull, knowing full-well that she was too busy dealing with Prospero to block a second attack. He charged at her and slashed her with his Potence-laced blade.
It left a deep scratch in her right thigh. She stumbled back and waved her hands to start concocting zombies, "May dear, are you here as a cheerleader or are you here to fight?"
May stood like a statue, she had been slowly backing away during the entire fight. When Phaedra pointed her out, she just ran.
"Sei un dannato pazzo, Prospero…" Phaedra grumbled, realizing exactly how one-sided the battle was. She knew she wasn't going to be able to get Prospero back on her side any time soon, so she tried to scoop up Poe and make a run for it.
She bumped into someone on the way down the stairs, hearing a sharp and angry baritone voice asked, "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Sirius…" Remus's eyes glowed with pleasure as he entered the battlefield.
"Sirius!" Lafayette said as he was fighting off the ghost, "Help me diablerize this Nagaraja!"
"Oh, it would be my pleasure." Sirius smirked, as his snake-like tongue flickered out.
Phaedra was a little dizzy as it was from knocking into Sirius with such force. "Damn…" Her bright eyes nervously flickered around. It certainly didn't look as if she was really going to escape with ease. She kept one hand firmly on her axe as the other held Poe over her shoulder. At least she was adept with carrying limp bodies. She would have loved to bargain with them, but she knew they would make a ridiculous request. She couldn't think of much else to say as she was slowly surrounded, "I'm not sure it would be a wise idea to grow hungry from the very material you require to work with."
Sirius took out a knife and stabbed it into her open wound, grabbing her by the neck, "Shut up." She felt a presence behind her, most likely Lafayette. He most likely shafted the specter onto Remus.
Poe fell to the ground as she gasped and clawed at his hand. Her eyes grew vicious as she reached forward to claw out his other eye and dig a heel of her boot into his stomach.
Sirius flinched, trying to fight her off. Phaedra was then grabbed from behind by the Tzimisce. Evidently, he was tired of just watching. He pinned her down, turning slowly into his Zulo form as he gave a big roar.
She grunted as her head cracked against the hard floors. Her axe was just out of reach, unfortunately, so she reached right where nobody would want to. Into his mouth.
She grabbed his tongue and pulled, pulling as hard as she could. She knew he would try to bite her arm off, so she held the bottom of his jaw with her other hand, her fingers dripping with blood. Lafayette roared, thrashing about and trying to free himself.
Sirius cocked his pistol and aimed it at Phaedra, "Come on, make this quick for us, Nagaraja trash."
"We both know that isn't going to help anyone." She said, referring to his gun, as she tried to make sure he didn't grind her fingers off.
"Don't be stupid." He got close to her ear, "A bullet might not kill, but it'll distract a vampire enough to lose concentration. You let go, the jaws close. You're dead. Comprende?"
"Comprendere? Comprendo ti strapperò gli occhio. Serpente sporco."
"Save the squawking…jeez…" He was about to fire, then he stopped, "Shit…" He looked up, "You guys hear that?"
The Sabbat members momentarily stopped, "Hear what?" Madame Vaska asked.
"All the hissing…"
"Hissing?" Cedric asked, still locked in his conflict with Giuseppe. A tornado could go by and they would still be clashing blades.
"No…no…we're too late!" Sirius said, looking properly nervous for the first time in his unlife, "She's coming…"
Up the stairs with all the pomp and circumstance of a red carpet event was Natalia, flanked by her four most loyal followers, and more snakes than a zoo could fit. "Lock them all up again." She ordered.
Lafayette turned back to normal, "Ignore her for now. I need to begin my feast on the Nagaraja."
"Are you insane?" Remus frowned, "She'll imprison us again!"
He rolled his eyes, unhappy with the change in plans, but agreeing anyway. He leapt off of Phaedra to join his Sabbat comrades in fighting the former Serpents of Light. This left Phaedra under the watch of Sirius and Natalia, though she was the last thing on their mind at the moment.
"Hello Sirius." Natalia smiled.
Sirius's knees buckled, his shoulders shook. He did everything he could to make it look like he wasn't shivering. "…hey…"
"Why so quiet?" Her grin grew, "What was that? I can barely hear you over there."
Phaedra licked her injured fingers, hoping to encourage the healing process. She gently lifted Poe up again, scrambling back out of the way.
Natalia smelled the air for a moment of so, "Our blood…she smells like our blood." Her eyes flickered to Phaedra, "Leaving so soon, darling? I don't think we've properly met…"
She wearily got to her feet, "If whatever he told me of our clan differences are of any truth, I really should be going…"
"She isn't one of us?" Natalia looked at Sirius.
Sirius shook his head, "A Nagaraja."
"Nagaraja? Ew…disgusting…get rid of it, I don't want to look at it."
"Hey!" Sirius barked, "I don't follow your orders—"
"Ah." Natalia raised a hand at his hand.
Sirius snarled, rushing at Phaedra like an animal to the beck and call of his master. He pulled a knife out and went to slash at her with it.
Phaedra ducked out of the way, her leg screaming at her for such a strain, "I thought you didn't follow her orders." She smirked, still stepping back out of the way.
"Come on, Sirius! Why is she still alive?!" Natalia screeched, "You're of my blood! You're of the blood of the great Kemintiri! Don't sully our name with your weakness!"
He grabbed her shoulder, holding her in place. Instead of giving her a brute attack, he looked her in the eye. Their faces were inches apart. "Should've left the city when it was just me."
She continued to smile, "I really would have if I could. You don't know how much I've wanted to leave." She briefly glanced at the ring on his finger, "But I'm sure you can understand the attachments that've kept me here. They're worth the risk."
"I guess I'm just going to have to kill you both! You're making a mess of things, as usual!" Natalia said.
"Quiet." Sirius turned around, "I've been hunting this one for a while. She'll be ours in a matter of time!"
"Oh, is that right?" Natalia smiled, "Have you been trying to wrap her in a burlap sack and deliver her to the high council of the Setites as an apology gift? For being related to Kemintiri and I? They won't take you back, Sirius darling. They'll never accept you. They've never accepted any of us. Embrace your destiny, my childe. Embrace who you are. Fulfill Kemintiri's destiny with me!"
"You poor thing…" Phaedra sympathized, "My sire wasn't nearly as persistently irksome as yours is…I suppose that explains a good deal of your behaviors…"
"You stay outta this!" Sirius spat.
Natalia cackled softly, "Let me show you how a real Follower of Set dispose of such Nagaraja trash." She held a hand out, a green glow came from it.
Phaedra's bones began to crack and her body began to change form until she was a massive green snake. Sirius's eye shrunk. There was no Phaedra anymore, it was just a snake now. "What the hell…" He shuddered, "What the hell did you do to her?!"
"The same thing I do to anyone who crosses me." Natalia smiled, as Phaedra slithered over to her and she pet her head, "Where do you think I get all my snakes from?"
"You are seriously fucked up…"
"Kill him." She pointed, and Phaedra, or, Phaedra the snake rather, lashed out at Sirius.
"Ah!" Sirius was bitten everywhere, constricted too. If not for his clan, he would have been poisoned to death several times over by now, "Damn it, Phaedra! Not now!"
"Ha, ha, ha! Join me or die, Sirius! Those are your choices, those have always been your choices!"
Sirius tried to fight Phaedra off. To his luck, Giuseppe was either defeated, or he fled, because Cedric was freed up to fight Natalia.
There was also the multi-pronged siege on the temple, from the Camarilla and the Sabbat. Sirius looked around, seeing Poe's downed body.
There was still a job to do.
He had no idea why Natalia put her temple so far away from the main city. It made lugging two unconscious bodies all the more difficult. Finding help wasn't going to be easy in the middle of the wilderness.
He growled as a raindrop hit him on the head. Sure, a little rain meant nothing now, but there were muddy slopes he had to go over soon, and with a downpour, it was going to be a practical marsh.
Lightning stuck every so often, masking Sirius's swears as he trudged through the mud and splashed some of it on himself. The two bodies? Forget it. They were going to be a little messy.
Poe was slung over one shoulder, while the large snake was on the other. Every time Phaedra stirred, he bonked her on the head to knock her out again. It was either that or get bitten.
After a mile or two, his muscles screamed with pain, as Phaedra most likely got heavier in the transition to snake. (Or the same, who was Sirius to judge?) He was nevertheless pleased when he finally reached downtown Los Angeles, and happier still when he found the Skyline Apartments. He was slathered in mud, but he didn't care.
On the other side of the apartment door was Rainy, and she immediately screamed when she saw who was on the other end.
"Hey. Me again." Sirius half-smiled, "Mind helping me out?"
A/N: FYI Rainy screamed at the bodies, not Sirius, don't worry. I mean, who wouldn't scream if they saw Sirius at the door? I would. Thanks for reading!