A/N: Here's chapter twenty-eight! In case I needed SigmaFang to hate me even more, I gave him this. I like his pain.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bloodlines, but I do own my OCs.
The apartment was clearly loved before it had been sold. It made Harper wonder why it was sold at all. The paint on the surfaces, holes in the walls, and the empty bottle of beer that caught her eye under the couch. A pained artist's loft? The place told a story and she liked that.
It wasn't tidy and perfect and immaculate like anything he'd buy for her.
"S'at it, babe?" The gruff voice of the mover behind her jolted her from her thoughts.
"Yes, that will be all. Thank you." She reached in her pocket and handed him a few dollars as a tip.
"Take it easy." He didn't question why she only had one box. Less work for him. He got back in his truck and drove off.
Harper laid her bag on the couch as she walked around and took the place in. It felt like the walls were staring at her. Like she wasn't their owner, she didn't belong. The man who owned this place before her must have really cast an impression.
She checked the cabinets and drawers, coming up with nothing. It was pretty clean, at least, besides the beer bottle, which was hard to find in a place like this. She was thankful enough. The only thing she found was an old family photo, two kids playing in a pond. She left if in there. Someone would come back to claim it if it mattered that much.
But where was the mother? Or the father? Maybe taking the photo? It made her chest hurt as she remember the dream she had discarded. The life she decided to leave behind.
Then, there was a series of vicious bangs on the door. Her body thrummed with nervousness. Someone was after her already? Was it the previous owner? Would she open the door to the sight of a barrel of a gun?
She didn't recognize the man that stood behind the door, and the look on his face revealed the very same. Only he looked as if he was expecting someone else. Someone very different. "…the hell…?" He asked, lowering his shotgun, "Who the fuck are you?"
His voice was laced with frustration. Not anger, just irritation. She still shuddered, raising her hands and stepping back, "H-Harper…"
His eyes narrowed, "You one of his whores?"
For some reason, such an accusation didn't hurt her as much as she thought it should. Maybe because part of it was true. "Uh…I'm…not sure who you're talking about…"
"Fitzroy." He spat out, "Archie. You know him? Don't fucking play with me."
"Oh…um…" She stepped back, nearly tumbling back over the coffee table, "I just bought this place from him…"
Now he seemed baffled, "You…bought the place from him? You…bought the place from him? Was he selling it?"
"The um…real estate agency offered it to me on account of corruption…"
His shoulders dropped. "…yeah…?"
"Yeah…" She said slowly. His mood pulled a complete one-eighty. He went from this tough, no-nonsense brute to an unstable mess in a remarkable amount of time.
Harper was never able to relate to someone more in her entire life.
He stepped inside and shut the door, throwing the gun down to the floor, "It wasn't loaded. I'm sorry for…this shitstorm." He wiped a massive hand over his face, "Fuck my life…"
"…did you want to…to buy the place?" She asked.
"No. I was the one who had it before he did. Uh…sorry about the holes in the walls."
She blinked a few times. This was the previous owner? This man who looked like a statue of one of the Greek gods? "It's alright…it…has character." She nudged the gun and then rested it against the doorframe, "Could…I get you something to drink?"
"I…uh…no. That's alright." He waved a hand, "I gotta get the hell out of here."
"Oh…I'm sorry…" She stepped back out of the way, watching him pick up the gun, "If it isn't loaded, then what are you hoping for?"
That question seemed to really stump him. "Uh…look, it's not any of your business, alright?"
"He mentioned something about Vegas."
"What?" He looked over his shoulder.
"Mister Fitzroy. He…mentioned something about living in Vegas. If you're still looking for him."
"Shit. I don't have time for that. I can't be seen here. Fuck!" He suddenly shouted, "I gotta go."
"…do you need a disguise?"
"Disguise?" He scoffed, reaching for the doorknob, "That ain't gonna work."
"Why not?"
"…It's…just too fucked for someone innocent and…uninvolved. Don't worry about it." He went outside, slamming the door.
She chased after him, "Wait…" She didn't succeed in stopping him, but she asked anyway, "What was your name?"
"Don't worry about it."
"But, you left something."
"Left something?" He turned around. That stopped him dead in his tracks, why? She didn't question it, she just turned and walked back towards the room. "Hey. Hey, what do you mean?"
She opened the door, "Come inside and I'll show you."
"What the hell…" He grumbled, following after her, "Look, I don't exactly have time to go fucking around with random chicks—" He cut himself off when she opened the end table and took out the little photo.
"I wasn't sure if it was yours or not." She admitted, "But he…that little boy, he kind of looks like you."
He looked at the photo for a handful of seconds before he shook his head, "It's not mine."
"Oh…I'm sorry…"
"Yeah…" He looked at it too long for it to be unrelated to his life, "Dammit…" He felt his eyes leak.
He remembered asking the woman to take a picture of him and Lark when they were at the pond. They were without either parent, but as a kid, that was nothing unusual to Killian. It was their summer 'camping trip', an excuse to run away for a while. Lark never caught on, but she loved it. She loved being with her big brother, eating weird bugs, hunting squirrels and roasting them over a fire like survivalists. Killian never told her it was because they couldn't afford to buy real food, or because they didn't have blankets to wear to keep them warm at night. To her, it was all a game.
What happened to his ability to lead the ship? To guide people, or even himself? Did Lark take that from him when she died?
He didn't notice Harper leaving and returning with a bottle of beer, handing it to him, "Here."
How he wanted to take that from her, drink the whole thing, the whole pack. He shook his head, "I told you I can't." He wiped his tears away and turned for the door.
"The sun's almost up."
"What?" He suddenly glared out the windows.
Bingo.
"Stay here for the morning." She instructed. "I'll pull the curtains shut in the bedroom."
"Wait, what?" He looked over at her, "Uh…why….why—"
"Enough acting. You aren't very good at it. We can talk tomorrow night." She decided.
He seemed disturbed with her assertiveness, "Who exactly are you?"
"I used to be in the Camarilla." She admitted, "But not anymore. That's all you need to know for now. Go." She pointed.
He still didn't budge, "But…you're a human…or a ghoul, I guess…"
"Yes." Her eyes were as jaded as ever.
"Who's?" He demanded, "I can't have them after me."
"He won't come after you." She said firmly.
"How do you know that?" He asked, pacing away from her, "It's them I'm running from, you know."
"I figured as much. He isn't here. He's in New York. You're safe enough."
"And you don't give a shit that I'm here."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because you aren't going to hurt me, and you're going to leave when the sun sets tomorrow."
"No, that's not what I meant. Why aren't you in the Camarilla anymore?"
"It's a very long story I don't feel like telling."
His gray eyes looked over her, "I didn't think they had ghouls in the Camarilla."
"You're not very experienced, are you?"
"Hey, watch it. Cammy rat or not, I can still kill you. You don't have an inch of authority over me, alright?" He stepped over her.
She stepped back, "Killing me is a very good way to attract Camarilla attention."
"I thought you just said you weren't involved in the Camarilla."
"Doesn't mean Cadmus isn't." She spat back, then flinched. What had she just said? Then again, what were the chances he knew Cadmus?
"Did you just say Cadmus…? Is he your regnant?"
Apparently, very high.
"Uh…no, I said—"
"Fucking hell." He held his forehead and turned around, "It doesn't matter then. If he finds out. He already knows everything." He turned back to her, "Look, girlie, I'm not gonna do anything to you. I kinda like Cadmus, or at least, I'd like him enough to stay on his good side. I'll stay the night and get out of your hair." He walked past her, towards the bedroom.
"Why do you know him?" She asked, stepping after him.
"It's…cause his sister. His sister's part of our movement."
That's when it came crashing down on her. He was one of the runaways. One of the people who'd destroyed the Tremere Chantry, got into a massive battle about it, and fled after the death of Nines. "I'm…so sorry…" She said softly.
Why was she sorry? Why did she feel such pity for an Anarch? Was it the fear she could practically feel, oozing off of him? Or the tears she saw him cry? Was it because he was one of the most human vampires she'd ever seen?
"The hell are you talking about?" He pulled the sheets off the bed and paused, debating whether or not he should take a shower. He didn't exactly have clean clothes, or the time, either. He decide to just take his shirt off and sleep, maybe if he made it back to a motel on the way home, he could shower.
Her eyes slowly gazed over him, but quickly snapped away to the floor, "Your movement…it…fell apart, it must be terrifying."
"Pfft. Whatever." He sat on the edge of the bed and held his forehead. Even being in here brought a headache on. He remembered all the nights he spent lying in bed, sick with thoughtlessness or maybe just a hangover. He remembered the many insomnia-spent nights, the nights in bed he spend with her.
His dead heart throbbed in his chest as he looked back up at the ceiling, a more familiar sight to him than anything else, "Fuck…" He hissed.
Harper could tell there was something heavy on his mind, but had no clue what. Regardless, she asked, "Do you need a drink?"
"I told you…" He started, then looked over at her, "Oh. You mean….uh…you mean you."
"I'll go."
He wasn't going to lie to himself and say he'd pass, because a drink would ensure the beast wouldn't come roaming out for his sister or ex. "I mean, that's kinda impersonal."
"I know." She looked over at him.
"Oh…" He looked down at himself, then suddenly became enraged, like a match struck on a cold stone. "Fuck, piss off!"
She jumped back, "I…I'm merely allowing you—"
"You're not allowing me jack shit, got that?" He spat out, "I'm done hooking up with every chick who rubs up against me. I'm not Jeanette fucking Voerman, get that?"
It came out of nowhere, and it absolutely terrified her. "I-I'm so sorry, sir…"
"Damn straight you are…" He grumbled, sitting up and staring at the wall. There was a painting there, once. One he hung up after a week with her.
"Ooh, I like it." It was the same thing she said to all his works. "Who is it?"
He wasn't going to tell her it was her. Not if she couldn't see it, "I don't know. She just kinda came to me."
He smiled, and she'd smile back, resting her head in his chest and falling asleep like a kitten in a warm lap.
Harper spoke up, "Impersonal or not…I can't have you frenzy in my apartment."
He grit his teeth, "Fine. Then get over here."
She slowly stepped forward. Maybe this would be it. Maybe he'd drain her dry. Death by orgasm wasn't exactly the worst way to go, she decided. She'd take her chances.
She slowly sat next to him, then reached out to brush her hair over her shoulder before she realized it was too short for that. He reached around and held the shoulder furthest from him, pulling her in and biting into her neck.
Despite her fifteen years in Jyhad, it was only the second time she had been bitten, the first from LaCroix when he attempted to Embrace her. It was a very different experience. She first noticed the difference in size, not so much of his body, or even his teeth, but just the size of his mouth. The distance between his canines was much greater, but they didn't go in as deep as LaCroix's. LaCroix's punctured the artery and plunged right through it. Killian's fangs were wider but shallower, so they just reached the artery and stopped there. It was a different type of pain. LaCroix pulled the blood from her while Killian let it flow all on its own. But just the feeling of fangs in her neck wasn't all that pleasant until the euphoria kicked in.
When he pulled himself away from her, he really didn't want to lick the wound closed, so instead, he licked his thumb and rubbed that over the two holes in her neck. She seemed nearly unconscious, then she passed out on the bed.
But he remembered selling Lark's bed. He sighed through his nose and laid Harper on the other side of the bed, taking one half for himself. With a satisfied blood pool, he drifted off, the familiar smells of the apartment coaxing him into a restful sleep.
When Harper woke up, she was in a warm, tight hug. In fact, she was being spooned. Her cheeks flushed as she looked over her shoulder and saw his face right there. She tried to pull herself away, but he pulled her closer, pressing a kiss on the back of her neck.
Her eyes widened as she was nearly choked in his embrace. It wasn't like having a muscular man wrapped around her was unpleasant, but when she was screamed at hours ago for offering her neck to him, she was extremely confused. She knew she needed to wake him up.
"Um…" She said softly, "Excuse me…
He grumbled something, peeking an eye open, "Mmm…what is it, 'Stasia…?" He pulled her in a bit tighter, "She's…she's fine…she's not dead…not anymore…"
"Um…."
"Shh…" He brought a hand up over her mouth, kissing the back of her head and pulling her in even tighter, "We'll…deal with it tomorrow…"
She stared blankly at the wall as he fell asleep again. It'd have to be addressed tomorrow.
Or, maybe not. Maybe she could get used to this. She wasn't 'Stasia', but maybe she could pretend for just a little longer. It had been a while since someone held her like this. She closed her eyes and rested her head on his arm. Who was she to deny him of his good dream?
"Night, babe…" He muttered under his breath.
"Goodnight…" She whispered softly, melting as he locked his hands around her stomach and left one last kiss on the back of her neck.
"Well? How do I look?" With a twirl, Aurora held the layers of her dress in the air, "Does it look okay?"
"Uh huh."
"Finley, you're not even looking."
"I am, I am, you look good."
"What color is the dress?" Aurora tested.
Now Finley looked up, "White."
"Uh huh." Aurora giggled, stepping over towards her vanity and picking out some jewelry for herself. Finley was sitting at the desk meanwhile, grading paperwork. Or at least, the worksheets her students had mostly completed. "You should still come with me."
"I'm still thinking. I really want to, but…I also have papers to grade…and it's not like you'll be alone. There will be other people in the restaurant."
"What does that mean, I'll be 'alone'?" She asked, "That wasn't what I was worried about at all."
"Really?" Finely asked, "You hardly know this guy. He could step all over you." She sighed, "Fine. I'll come. But don't expect me to get changed."
"You should dress up a little…I'll help you!"
"No way." Finely decided firmly, "If I'm coming, I get to go like this."
Aurora gave a disappointed sigh. "Okay…."
"What time is it again?"
"The date? Eight thirty."
"You realize we have fifteen minutes left, right?"
"Really?" Aurora's eyes widened. She got herself ready in five more minutes before both girls flew out the door. One in a white cocktail dress with white curls and shining pearls, the other in a blue shirt and tie tucked into dress pants, with a messy bob of dark hair. When they entered the restaurant, Finley received a few looks, but for the most part, she was tolerated enough to enter the building and sit with her friend.
"Where'd you even meet this guy?" Finley asked, already growing bored in the stuffy atmosphere.
"He came into the café a few nights ago. He came in a week before that too, but it was just the other night that he actually asked me out."
"He asked you out here?" Finely asked, looking around.
"Mmm hmm. Why?"
"I think he's compensating for something." Finely muttered.
"Hmm? Compensating? For what?"
Finley sighed, "Oh, nothing."
The man who walked in was charming, dressed up and all-too-calm looking. He sat across from her, "Brought a friend?"
Finely glared at him, "Uh huh. So don't pull any funny business."
"She doesn't mean it. She didn't have anything better to do tonight." Aurora giggled.
"It's not a problem." He clearly ogled over Aurora's figure, and she didn't seem to mind that much. Finley did.
"Hey, her eyes are a little higher, bud." Finely muttered.
He glared at Finely, but Aurora calmed his nerves, "It's…it's fine, I'm sure he was just looking at my dress, Finely."
"Mmm…" Finley crossed her arms and looked away.
The date glared at Finely again before he sat up and combed his fingers through his hair, "So, how've you been? Besides good. Cause you say that every time I see you."
She giggled, "I guess you got me. I dunno, everything's been…under control. For the most part."
"Enjoy it while it lasts."
"Was that a threat?" Finely looked over.
"Of course not." The date insisted.
"Finely…" Aurora looked a little peeved, "Maybe you should go."
"No way. Not when you're sitting with a creep like this."
"You know, I have to get going." The date stood up, "Maybe next time, don't bring your guard dog to dinner." He threw a few dollars at her and left.
Aurora seemed absolutely shocked. Tears gathered in her eyes as she looked down at the money, then back at the door, "He never even told me his name yet…"
"Then why the hell did you say yes to going on a date with him?" Finely asked, "He was clearly a jerk." She stood up, "You can't be this desperate."
"I'm not desperate!"
"Then what was this?"
"I wanted to get to know him…he seemed nice…"
"Yeah, well, he's not. Not for you. You'll find someone better, alright? C'mon, let's go back home."
Aurora sniffed, "Why'd you do that to me?"
"Because I don't want to see you get hurt, alright?" Finely said, extending a hand, "C'mon."
Aurora took her hand and followed her out, "I'm sorry I ruined your night."
"You didn't. I promise." Finley let go of her hand, "Let's just…go change into something comfortable and watch some crappy movies."
"Okay…" Aurora offered a small smile, "That sounds like fun."
Everything was starting to look the same, maybe it was just because the walls looked the same, disgusting, fleshy, and sickly. In fact, it was starting to gradually look worse as they progressed, but they were still fundamentally lost.
"Let's take five." Sirius said, "I got to chat with my best friend Cadmus, why don't the rest of you wait here?"
"Beg your pardon?" Cadmus asked.
"Alright, we'll try and come up with some sort of strategy then." Phaedra said as she pulled the rest of the group aside in something resembling a huddle.
Sirius glared at Cadmus, a horrid smile on his face, "This way…"
Cadmus narrowed his eyes. He knew Sirius was up to something, nevertheless, he followed him down the hall, back where they came from.
"Uh…where are we going?" Cadmus asked after five minutes, "We're going to lose the others if we—" Sirius punched him in the face. Cadmus growled and staggered back, "Bastard." He said, "As much as I'd love to fight you, it's pointless to do it now. The world's at stake."
"This isn't a fight." Sirius cracked his knuckles, "It's discipline."
"Discipline?" He snarled, "You got some nerve."
"The fuck did you bring Anarchs here for?"
"Because…we needed more numbers…especially for something like this. I was just calling in help."
"So…instead of choosing Kindred from the Camarilla, you chose Anarch trash?"
"It's better this way. The home front is more protected now. We're safer—"
"We're exposed!" Sirius grabbed Cadmus by the neck and slammed him into the disgusting, slimy wall. "You don't think they're using us to get information?!"
"Tch…" Cadmus grunted, luckily he didn't need to breathe, or this wouldn't be an ideal situation to be in, "They wouldn't do that now…not with all the crap that's going on."
"Your fondness of your sister blinds you to what the Anarchs really are." He narrowed his eye, "That's right, I know that your sister's an Anarch. I bet quite a few vampires in the Camarilla know too. It's more than just a fleeting rumor…"
"…what are you saying…?"
He punched Cadmus in the torso, with such force that Cadmus yelled out, "This will be a difficult mess to clean up, especially if that stupid Assamite and Ravnos survive, but I don't intend on that to happen. You get where I'm going with this?"
Cadmus felt his midsection, "We don't have time to be petty with Camarilla and Anarch stuff…we need to kill Lafayette and the Tzimisce Antediluvian…"
"You do what you want, kid." Sirius let him go, "But if you get in my way again…ever. I'll tell."
"Tell." He snapped, "Tell what?"
"I'll tell Strauss that you have Anarch sympathies." Sirius grinned, "Then you'd get killed. Cadmus, the one-time hero of the Camarilla who ousted LaCroix, was really a scummy Anarch underdog the whole time. How do you think Strauss will like that, huh? What about Victor, think he'll enjoy it? How do you think you'd die?"
Cadmus fell to his knees, his eyes a combination of fearful and laced with hatred, "You are a sick, twisted, man…"
Sirius snickered, "So it's a deal, you'll let me do things my way?" He laughed. "I'll take that silence as a yes." He said, gradually walking back with him to the group, "We're back." He said, Cadmus meanwhile looked more like a zombie, given how blank his eyes looked.
Phaedra looked over both of them with the typical grim look on her face, "Very well. Let's continue onward."
"Think of a genius idea while we were gone?" Sirius said, walking at her side.
"Yes. Tie you up to the wall and leave you behind."
"I got a better idea." He said.
"Here we go." Catalina rolled her eyes.
"How about for the next dozen hallways, the Nagaraja fights off the fungal monsters, so we can save energy?"
"That's ridiculous." Cadmus said, "None of us could fight that many alone—"
Sirius silenced him with a glare. Cadmus looked away and didn't comment further.
"If she's so great and kill Tremere Antitribu, this should be no problem." Sirius chuckled.
"Sometimes I wonder if you're so insolent because you're half blind." Phaedra mused.
"Or we can use the stupid ghoul as bait." Sirius said, "I'm kinda tired of hearing her do nothing useful aside from wheeze and complain."
Cadmus opened his mouth, about to step in for Angelique's defense, but he stopped short, going back to staring at the ground.
Angelique was about to argue before she started coughing. Cissy gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "Leave her alone, you prick. Pick on someone your own size."
"Are you too scared to fight, is that it?" Catalina said, "Why don't we just keep fighting them as a group. That's the most effective strategy."
Sirius's eye zeroed in on Catalina. He chuckled for a while, "You seem to be so chipper…for being someone's mistress."
Catalina froze as the others kept walking, looking incredibly embarrassed. However, she laughed it off, "I'm not stupid enough to listen to whatever crap you have to say, understand?"
"I mean, I heard you and Cissy from several rooms over. So it's good that you're at least a functional Anarch relationship. Those don't really exist for long periods of time, do they?"
At the mention of herself sleeping with Cissy, she looked even more flustered, "So what…what's the big deal?"
"Is it fun competing with Killian?"
Her eyes shrunk.
Sirius shrugged, "I'm just saying. She seemed really into Killian, while I was there. He got more attention than you, I bet. Also, I used Obfuscate a lot, when I wasn't supposed to, so…you learn things when people think you're not there."
"You're wrong." Catalina trembled with rage, "She likes me, not him. That's not true…that's a lie! She doesn't like him! She doesn't care about him at all! They're not a thing! You're lying!"
Evidently, watching Catalina break down was enjoyable to him, given the sick grin on his face, "Alright…keep telling yourself that. I'll always know the real truth."
"Then you know that I'm not into Killian." Cissy said, her eyes narrowing on the ring on his finger, "Jeez, I feel bad for the poor bitch who thought marrying you would be a good idea. Clearly neither of you know what love is. What, is she just your blood doll? Did you marry her to shut her up?"
"What the hell would you know about marriage?" Sirius smiled, "You were a street rat all your life, and then were Embraced into the stupid Ravnos clan. You holding a relationship intact is a joke. You'll probably cheat on her soon and then just avoid all responsibility by claiming that it's part of your 'weakness'." He said.
Catalina kept shaking, eventually falling to her knees with wide eyes.
Sirius looked from Cadmus to Catalina, like they were two masterpieces he had created, his eye kept looking around for new targets. "So, anyone else want to reject my idea of using the Nagaraja as bait?"
"C'mon, Cat, you know he's wrong." Cissy reached for her hand, "What the hell, do you really get off to this so much?"
"He's a Setite, yes?" Raven said, "He must be close to Kemintiri's blood to enjoy such a sickening game. For our survival, we should push forward and ignore his statements."
Sirius froze, he looked at Raven, "I am nothing like Kemintiri. I'm going to kill her and her stupid childe Natalia, I'll have you know."
"That would be a very good deed for all of us. Thank you."
He smirked and narrowed his eyes, "No problem, Salu—"
Rainy gasped and shot the ground by his feet. Sirius was jolted and his sentence was cut off.
Nevertheless, he looked quite pleased with himself, he looked at Phaedra, "Go." He barked, "Clear a path for us."
She flipped her hair over her shoulder and pushed onward.
A/N: Phaedra can't wait for the night she gets to go to Strauss's office and retell this entire tale to him…what a fun scene that'll be. Thanks for reading!