A/N: Here's chapter thirty-one! What happens when brawns falls in love with brains? Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bloodlines, but I do own my OCs.
He wasn't the dumbest person alive, but Ferrum certainly had his unintellectual moments. When he tried calling Cadmus, it took him a few moments to process why it would never work. He sighed and put the phone back on the table.
He didn't worry a lot, but he was certainly a little distracted, at least. He couldn't get those two off his mind.
Miranda watched him from the table, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah." He sat up and cleared his throat, "I hope Cadmus's alright."
"I'm sure he and Angelique are doing fine in New York…leading the others into battle, most likely."
"Mmm hmm…" He sat for another moment, then got up, heading to the fridge. He took out a bottle of blood out and pulled the cork out between his teeth. Then he paused. He remembered Miranda telling him that wasn't polite. He looked up at her, stuck the cork back in, then pulled it out with his hand.
She smiled and folded her hands, "The Prince informed me about their mission. It isn't different than what we've done before. We travelled through Andrei's warrens together. Through that house on King's Way." Her smile grew, "Wasn't that where we first met?"
He scratched the back of his head, pouring a glass for himself with the other hand, "Uh…yeah…funny enough, huh?" He handed her his glass, losing his appetite, "Who woulda thought?"
She took a sip, "Then if memory serves I wouldn't see you again until Hallowbrook."
"Yeah…" He said, "Hell of a place…" He put the bottle back into the fridge. Why did the box in his pocket suddenly feel so heavy?
"Do you remember fleeing the blood hunt after that?"
He snickered, "Yeah, thought I was gonna die. I remember that."
"I'm overjoyed that you didn't."
"Yeah, so am I." He sat back down at the table, "I'm still tryin' to…figure out what made you crazy enough to fall for someone like me."
"Because you're so brave, strong and sweet." She smiled, "What made you fall for me?"
"Maybe it was just cause you didn't try to kill me." He grinned.
Her expression wilted, "That's it?"
He laughed, "Nah, you're right. I thought you were a princess and I wanted to get rich." He teased.
She looked at the floor, "You make me feel like a princess." She said quietly.
He wiped a tear away, "I hope you know I'm pulling your leg."
She looked up, "Of course…you still make me feel like a princess…I thought you should know that."
"I think you should know I thought you were a princess for at least two weeks."
She chuckled, "I'm not surprised."
"I dunno, you acted like one. You were all…cool and calculating, you knew what the hell was going on. And you're easily the smartest woman I know. You're clever, resilient, reliable…huh…guess I should just shut up and give you this already." He reached in his pocket for the box and plopped it on the counter in front of her.
Her eyes widened, mouth agape slightly, "Is…is this…?"
"I hope so. Unless someone…pranked me or somethin'."
She opened the box, seeing a silver band with a small crown of diamonds on the top. They were highly reflective in the light, and sparkled in her eye. A beam lit up her face, and she left her chair and darted over to Ferrum with the giggles of a little girl as she squeezed him with an iron grip and kissed him on the lips for a while.
He kept his arms around him tightly, gently massaging her lower back.
"I…I didn't think you'd ever do that…"
"Miracles can happen. Cause here you are."
She smiled and gave him a squeeze, kissing his lips, "This is why I said you were sweet."
He held her face and gave her another searing kiss, "Now yer all mine…"
"Ooh…I am…" She kissed him back for a while.
"What are you gonna do about it?" He grinned.
"You'll see." She started to slip off her robes, kissing him harder and harder.
She wasn't exactly sure what to do.
After a bit of an argument last night, she somehow managed sleeping in the bed, while Skelter slept on the floor. She somehow managed to wake up before him, which might have been a blessing in disguise, because there was a cat tucked in behind his legs.
A bobcat.
"Aw…" Anastasia whispered quietly, "Hi." She waved at it.
The feline picked its head up and put its ears back.
"I wonder if you two are friends or not."
A low growl started in the back of its throat.
Skelter stirred. He sat up, then the cat whacked him in the leg. He jumped, and so did the cat.
"What the hell is that!?" He demanded answers.
The feline kept growling, its stubby tail swishing back and forth.
"Aw…I was about to be friends with it." Anastasia retreated slightly.
He wiped a hand over his face, "Where the hell was it?" He asked, "Please don't tell me it was on top of me."
"It was by your legs."
He sighed, "Miracle it didn't try and eat either of us."
The cat started slinking towards the doorway.
"It's because we're Gangrel." She smiled, "Ones with nature." She said, "Okay, new goal. I want to have a pet at some point during our travels. It'll be fun."
He couldn't help but crack a smile, "You gotta get some sorta food then. You oughta know the way to anything's heart is through food."
Her smile grew, then it faded, "Aw…that means I'd have to kill another animal first…"
"Unless you can find something else."
"Yes, that's what I'll do if I have time."
They heard the sound of an engine. They both went silent. A mutual understanding between them led Anastasia to stay inside as Skelter peeked his head out. She was relieved to see him step back in, "Just Killian."
A moment later, the man himself walked in, but something about him seemed a little off. "Hey guys. Nice to see you still…in one piece."
"Yeah, guess the same can be said for you." Skelter grumbled. Killian sat on the floor, up against one of the walls. Skelter sighed, "I'll bite. You kill 'em?"
"No. Didn't even find him. I'm going back tomorrow. I just…wanted to make sure you two didn't need me."
"We're just fine. All this back and forth shit needs to stop if you're worried about our safety."
"Yeah…yeah, I know, I'll…I'll axe him tomorrow."
"Good." Skelter said, "Don't get the goddamn Sabbat on our asses, or anyone else. You gotta be fast and sneaky. Two things you're not."
"I'll sort it out, okay?"
"You'd better."
Killian rested his head up against the wall, "Any blood left?"
"Hardly." Skelter said, "I could go get you some."
"Yeah…thanks."
"You're getting mine next time." Skelter said as he headed out of the shack.
Killian closed his eyes, "Some girl bought my old apartment. Your brother's ghoul."
Anastasia looked surprised, "Angelique?"
"No. Said her name was Harper. Maybe she was lying. I have no clue, she was batshit."
"Harper…" Anastasia repeated, "I…I don't know her…I…didn't think Cadmus had multiple ghouls…"
"Well…" He gave a staccato laugh, but it really looked like more of a dry sob, "Guess I have a girlfriend now."
Her eyes widened, and her jaw slightly fell open, "A…a…girlfriend?"
"Yeah…" He stared at the floor, "She didn't really get the whole…'I'm not interested'…so…yeah…"
"But you can't seriously date her." She frowned, "She's a Camarilla ghoul…that just…that just sounds fishy…"
"Oh, it's fishy as all hell. She's a goddamn lunatic. But if she fucking kills herself because I don't give her whatever she wants, Cadmus will hang my ass out to dry." He crossed his arms, "I deserve it anyway."
"But if he finds out you're dating her, it won't change his reaction. It's lose-lose."
"What, you think that'll piss him off too? If I'm the only thing that makes her stop trying to fucking drink herself to death?"
"It's not your problem though." She said, "Even if she went and killed herself, it wouldn't even lead back to you."
"Yeah, but…" He sighed, "I don't want to see her kill herself…that'd be terrible…"
She shrugged, "I could call Cadmus about it…but…he's in New York…and…it would give away that you two are together."
He shook his head, "I'll…figure it out…" He held his face with his hands, "We're really perfect for each other. She's a horny psycho and…hey, look, I am too!"
"You shouldn't do this as some kind of phony atonement. Then you're just as messed up as she is."
"I am as messed up as she is." He said, "That's the whole point…"
She sighed and lightly put a hand on her forehead, "Alright…"
There was a staggering silence, then he snapped, "I mean, think about it. Even if for some godforsaken reason I did end up with you at this point, I wouldn't be happy. Not after the shit I did. I don't deserve that…I have to learn my lesson from something."
Her eyes shrunk, "And being with this drunk is how you want to do that?"
"Yeah. Maybe it is. I don't know. Maybe she's just…a stone on the pathway there."
She gave a dry smile, "Yes…a stone on your little pathway to your oh-so heroic redemption. Is that what this is? Is that what I'm supposed to believe? Because that's what you're parading it around as."
"I never said it was heroic. It's pathetic. I'm always going to be shit, I get it…" He gave a heavy sigh, "I just need help…cause I'm never gonna make it anywhere if I keep thinking about it…" His voice trembled.
"It?" She repeated, crossing her arms, "You mean me."
"Yeah. I mean you." His voice was low and almost inaudible.
"Look…Killian…" She paused, trying to construct some sort of statement, "It…it doesn't matter anymore. I don't think about it much anymore. We don't have the luxury to cling to the past and stuff like we used to. We live in a log cabin out in the woods, because we lost the war against the Camarilla. And one of the biggest reasons we lost was because none of us meshed well as a team. In a twisted way, I think staying out here, just the five of us…it could make us into a better team than we ever were with the Last Round. But we can't grow or get stronger if a member is constantly holding us back. So…if you're worried about what I think of you…don't be…we don't have time to dwell on the past."
He shook his head, "Even if you forgave me, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. The way I treated you, it's…it's no different than the way my old man treated girls…treated anyone…"
"Well…you feel guilt over it." She said, "That counts for something."
"Of course I feel guilty…I'm not a monster…"
"So I doubt you're like your father." She said, "I never met him, but if he's anything like mine, then you're not like him."
He looked up at the roof, "If he goes…then that's it. That's the last chance I'll have of ever seeing anyone related to me…" He closed his eyes, "He always acts like he forgets my mom, and he never even knew my sister, but I know he remembers. He's got a memory like a steel trap. You don't forget your family. He has them somewhere…when I kill him, I'm gonna kill them too…I'm losing anything else I had about them…"
"But he's hurting people, and using them to meet his own Sabbat goals." She said, "This isn't like Lark, or your mom. This guy killed VV. We can't hesitate before he kills someone else."
He nodded, "I should have done it earlier."
"That's okay. Lots of stuff was going on."
Skelter came in with a dead deer, "Here."
Killian looked up, then looked a little grossed out, "Uh…"
"Wow…" Anastasia looked surprised, "Where did you find that?"
"In the woods."
She narrowed her eyes, "I meant more specific than that…whatever…it'll give us some blood, right?"
"I think so." Skelter said.
"Someone wanna…test that theory before I do?" Killian said.
"I drank dead animals before, it ain't a big deal." Skelter said, dropping it to the floor.
"What does it taste like?" Killian asked.
"Better than a homeless person."
"…that's where the bar is set?"
"Just drink it, wiseass."
He stood up and picked up the dead body, hesitantly biting into the neck and drinking. He didn't look that thrilled, but at least it filled him up. The two Gangrel followed his lead quickly.
"What do we do with what's left?"
"Well, I could use the bones for—" Skelter started, but Killian promptly interrupted.
"No. No, no, using the rest of it…we'll just burry it or something."
Skelter shook his head, "Waste 'a resources, but alright. Have fun diggin'."
"God, my feet are killing me…these floors are the worst…" Cissy moaned.
"Try not to think about it." Phaedra said.
"I just want to lay down…" She moaned.
Raven kept her eyes averted. She had walked for much, much longer than this, and hardly felt like she had even walked an hour.
"Who the hell was that guy supposed to be anyway?" Cadmus asked, "Was he LaSombra?"
"I have no idea…" Sirius muttered, "Never thought I'd freaking see a Kindred fighting alongside vampire hunters…"
"That man…" Poe said, "He had a Baali power."
"Turning into fire?" Cadmus asked, "They can do that?"
"Shit…I didn't know that…" Sirius said, looking back at Poe, "What else do you know about the Baali?"
"Not much." Poe said, his face souring slightly at the demand, "Aside from their supposed grandeur and self-delusion about their own greatness, and a few of their horrid rituals. Usually they live in a well. They whipped me and abused me …they weren't exactly giving me history lessons…"
There was a pause that went by for at least minutes. "So…I guess if there was an evil clan…it would be the Baali…" Cadmus finally said.
"Yeah, either that or the Tzimisce." Sirius said.
Poe gave a dry, hopeless chuckle, "Please. The Tzimisce at least have some sort of refinement in their disgusting ways. They have a network of allies. They have the Sabbat. The Baali have nothing, aside from Satan. Anything that isn't part of them and their clan, they burn. They openly seek Gehenna…as part of the True Black Hand…"
Again, there was a silence that lasted for minutes after he spoke.
"Yes…it was…not always like that. The True Black Hand." Phaedra said, "My sire allies to it, but…would never follow any paths similar to the Baali." She said, then she added, "At least, I'd like to think she wouldn't do such a thing. She didn't tell me much about the True Black Hand, but she told me enough to know why it collapsed into what it is now."
"Pfft, Madame Vaska also followed it." Sirius said, "Seems like a cesspool for all the dirt and shit of Kindred society."
"So wait, what is this hand shit, is it another sect?" Cissy asked.
"It was actually the first 'sect' in existence…supposedly." Sirius said, "It believes Gehenna and the existence of Antediluvians. But unlike the Sabbat, who want to destroy them…those in the True Black Hand actually welcome the return of the Antediluvians and the arrival or Gehenna." He said, "They're a really small and secretive group. Their main card carrying members are Nagaraja, Old Clan Tzimisce, and True Brujah." He said, casting a look at Phaedra, "Kinda makes you an outlier."
"Wait…what the hell are True Brujah?" Cadmus asked.
He shrugged, "Don't know. Gideon mentions them a lot…but, not many people 'round the table listen to him unless its battle related."
"Yes, it's…one of the reasons Pisha wants me dead." Phaedra muttered, "She says I'm such a loud and headstrong thorn in Jyhad's side that I'm going to get her killed first."
"I'm telling you, you should just kill her first." Cadmus said.
"You got a bloodthirsty sire? Join the freaking club…" Sirius said.
"Bloodthirsty? Huh." She snickered, "She acts more like a spider than a Kindred. Snaring people in her territory and eating them live."
"Jeez…" Cissy shuddered.
Angelique wheezed a bit, pressing her forearm against the wall as she paused to try and catch her breath, but that only seemed to hurt her more than help her.
Phaedra turned over her shoulder and looked down at Angelique with nervousness, "When was the last time you drank something?"
She didn't respond.
"How long have we been down here?" She looked over at Cadmus.
"Uh…I have no idea…probably days…" Cadmus said.
"Well, guess it's time for the emergency Embrace." Sirius smiled, clasping his hands together, "I think it should be me. She'd get the best generation that way."
"Stay away from her!" Cadmus snapped.
"Of course…Cissy might want to bring back her Ravnos heritage…"
"No one's Embracing her."
"I mean, you probably want another Ventrue around. Can't even deny it, either."
Angelique dropped to the floor, her eyes half-open, her breathing shaky. Cissy ran over, being the closest. "Shit…" She gently held her shoulders, then scooped her up, "She's so light…" She looked back up, "Cadmus, did you want to give her some blood? I don't know if that'll…help her or not."
"I…can't do that." Cadmus said.
"If you don't, she'll die." Catalina said flatly.
"It's not like it'll be a glass of water or anything…shit…who knows what this will do." He walked over to Angelique, shaking her slightly, "Angelique, Angelique, can you hear me?"
Her eyes met him, but she gave no verbal response. Looking closer, he could see she was trembling.
"She looks dehydrated." Phaedra said.
"I'm not sure if it's anything we could help with." Raven looked over at Rainy.
Rainy swallowed hard, "We…we close wounds…heal diseases…"
"Angelique…don't die…please…" Cadmus gave her a hug, "Isn't there any water…anywhere?" He looked around frantically.
Sirius shrugged, "Whatever's down here is contaminated as all hell…"
"Angelique…the only choice we have…is for you to drink my blood…it…it might help…" Cadmus said.
"Just do it." Cissy said, "Or if you don't want to, I'm sure anyone else here besides Sirius would be willing to. And if that doesn't work, we could see what the healers can do."
Cadmus fumbled around for one of his many knives, slitting his wrist. He gently held it near Angelique, "Drink it, Angelique…just drink it."
When she didn't budge, Cissy laid her lower half on the ground and untied the handkerchief, "I don't think she's really conscious…"
"Angelique…wake up! Please, wake up!" Cadmus's eyes were getting glossy as he gently shook her, "Damn it…" He wilted.
"Here." Cissy gently took Cadmus's hand and brought his wrist to her lips. She pushed them together a bit to the point where it hurt, then all of a sudden, Angelique lurched forward. Her eyes flashed open and she drank like she had never drank anything before.
Cadmus smiled once he saw her awaken, "Angelique…"
"God, this is so mushy…I think I'm gonna throw up…" Sirius muttered.
She reached a hand up as she rubbed the back of her eyes, then lunged forward to kiss him.
Phaedra couldn't help but laugh.
Cadmus more or less fell back with the sudden momentum, trying to keep up with her. He gave her a squeeze, "You're…you're okay…"
"Thank you." She whispered, "I'm sorry I was a jerk…"
"No…it's my fault…I started it…"
"No, you didn't." She stood up, then looked at Cissy, "Uh…thanks."
"No problem, sweetie." Cissy smiled.
Cadmus sat there, with a stupid grin on his face. Like he forgot where they were.
Of course, until he heard monsters nearby.
"Damn it!" Sirius said, "Alright, enough of the mushy stuff, we gotta fight these things!"
Phaedra took her axe out, as all the others got their weapons and began to tangle with the beasts.
Cadmus got up as well in order to assist her. He looked around. Everyone's blood pool was most likely mediocre at best, with Sirius and Phaedra having used the most complicated Disciplines amongst the lot of them. How many more waves of combat were they going to have to face?
Catalina cut down one of the fungal monstrosities, looking exhausted afterwards. Her eyes then widened, "Zombies…zombies…!"
"Zombies?" Cadmus asked, "They…they aren't yours…" He looked at Phaedra briefly.
Cedric came barreling in. He must've stayed back to slow them down in an effort to give Lafayette a bigger lead. He ignored all the reputable Kindred like he did before and ran straight towards Angelique.
"Shit, someone stop him!" Cadmus snapped, jumping in front of Angelique as they clashed.
Angelique reloaded her sniper and aimed for Cedric's head, firing in a clumsy and speedy fashion.
Cedric flinched and fell back. Cadmus gave a glowing smile as the headshot connected, "Nice one!" He snickered, running in to attack him while he was down.
The fleshy ground beneath him suddenly caved in, and down he fell, screaming.
"The hell…?" Sirius looked back from the gross flesh monstrosity he was fighting, "Where did Vanderbilt go?"
"Did…did the ground eat him?" Catalina made a face.
"The cave could have collapsed!" Phaedra exclaimed, wild with fear.
"Cadmus!?" Angelique ran forward and fell to her hands and knees.
"Shit…" Sirius said, still trying to fight without trying to get spotted by the Harbinger. He ran for Angelique's aid, but he fell through the ground as well.
"What the heck is this?" Catalina looked around, "What's going on?"
Phaedra felt the ground under her cave in. Her eyes widened as the flesh wilted away and she fell. Angelique fell in next, given how close she was to Cadmus's spot. And Cedric, who was chasing after the lot of them, fell in too. More and more of the Kindred fell into the death trap. Apparently their stay in the warrens was nowhere near over.
Poe awoke next to the putrid fleshy ground. He sat up and felt his head, looking around.
"Ugh…where are we?" Catalina sat up.
"I…I'm not sure…" Rainy said, standing up and dusting off her bum.
"We're in a different section of the warrens." Poe said, "We could be closer or further, it's too hard to tell."
"Wait…we just fell into more caverns?" Catalina raised a brow, "Without the others?"
"If we keep going forward, we may find the others." He said, "Our objective is to stop Lafayette anyway. With any luck, we'll find the others on the way."
"And what if we don't? I don't know if we can do this without Sirius…" Cissy said.
"I think we could." Raven said, "They don't have us."
"Whatever…" Catalina said, "At least without Sirius we can all think straight…"
"Maybe we should try to find our friends first…" Rainy said.
"We've lost enough time as it is." Poe said, "We may find them on the way."
Raven walked forward with Poe, the others following behind them. She looked over at Poe, "Did you have injuries you needed me to heal?"
Poe shook his head, "I'm alright. Thank you."
"Of course." She said, looking ahead. "I'm unsure which direction we were heading and which we are."
"This is the correct direction." Poe said.
"What makes you so sure?" Catalina asked.
"The foliage is getting worse." Poe said, "But, the next time those creations sprout up, it will cement the fact that we're going in the right direction. It takes some time for them to manifest again, so areas we've already been too, we wouldn't be attacked."
"I didn't think of it that way." Raven said softly.
Cissy crossed her arms, "So if I ate one of those 'shrooms, would it be like diablerie?"
"Please don't try it."
"But what if I did?"
Catalina mildly pinched her shoulder, "Bad."
Cissy smirked at Catalina and faced away indignantly.
Raven's mind was meanwhile running with different possibilities. What if this was a dead end, and they were stuck in here forever?
A/N: Poor Raven hasn't even done the normal warrens, actually, the only person who has is Cadmus…huh…Thanks for reading!