A/N: Here's chapter forty-six! (Yes, he's dead. Yes, the fic is still going.) And yes. I didn't forget about Chester either. SigmaFang LOVES this chapter. So will you ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own Bloodlines, but I do own my OCs.

"I don't understand."

"Of course you don't. You never do."

"If you don't want to do work for the Sabbat then why are you selling them flesh? For all the graces you go through to make yourself invisible, this is practically transparent."

Lumi looked up at Chester as she dropped the bagged body to the ground, "How do you know about the Sabbat?"

He blinked. The expression on his face didn't change as he shifted his weight to the other leg, "It's common knowledge."

Her eyes narrowed, "It is?" She mused, "I'm not dealing with the Sabbat. I'm simply selling flesh to someone who is interested."

"Who is Sabbat."

"Chester." She crossed her arms, "Go take care of it. Neither of us have time for this."

"What's going to happen when you get caught?"

"Caught? By who?"

"The Camarilla?"

She glared at him, a cold stare he wasn't particularly fond of. "You shouldn't know about that either."

He looked away from her. "You shouldn't be keeping me in the dark."

"Chester. Tell me who."

He pulled a shoddy joint from his pocket and lit it.

"Chester."

He looked back at her, was that frustration on his face, "It doesn't matter. I learned it myself. I dug into it."

"Where did you find the information?" She stepped closer, he stepped back, "Chester."

"I just remembered, I have to—" He pointed back towards his car with his thumb. The back of her left hand silenced him.

She turned away, "Go. If you're going to stray into the depths of Jyhad, don't pull me down with you."

"Lumi…I…" He reached out, "Don't do this."

"I can find a new ghoul."

His heart lurched, but he didn't take another step. There was a gash in his cheek where her ring had sliced him. "Please."

"Then I'll give you a choice. You can forget everything you learned, stay here, be safe." She held up a hand, "Or you can continue to learn, become part of the game, and die cold and alone."

It wasn't her ultimatum that unsettled him. It was his own. Without a word, he turned to his car. Lumi looked furious, watching him leave.

Whoever was responsible for this was going to pay.

Chester meanwhile put the pedal to the medal, chewing on his joint. He swiped the scratch on his cheek with his thumb and licked the blood off. He was learning for her. He was learning to keep her safe, and this is how she repaid him?

She wanted him to leave Lizolette. And there was no way that was going to happen.

When he drove to her house, she wasn't there, and the door was locked. He cursed to himself and knew he should have called. The joint found its forever resting spot on the concrete outside her doorstep. He drove all the way to Vegas to see if she was there, where he met her.

Any time he walked into one of those casinos he was treated well. The girls were always friendly, well, those who weren't customers. He showed no interest. He was hunting a particular hound tonight.

The third casino he got it right, and saw her at a table, playing a game. There was a man sitting beside her, attractive, wealthy, didn't care about how much he gained or lost. He kept smiling at her, and she smiled back whenever he forked over a handful of cash to her.

And that was the first time it hit him.

It was as if a lead weight had dropped in his chest. He knew she had been with men before. He knew there was a good chance she was with other men while she was with him. But it was avidly seeing it, even if it wasn't there at all which actually disturbed him. He felt aggression, he felt anger, he felt fear.

She was his, wasn't she?

He stepped forward, "Hey. Busy?"

The man looked up to Chester, still smiling. Clearly he was high. Maybe Lizolette had a thing for crackheads. He was just happy her attention was on him and him alone. "Hmm? Chester? Hi." Lizolette smiled, "How have you been?"

He gave a little nod, "You think it's possible we could swing by your place?" He scratched the back of his neck.

"Uh-huh, sure." Her smile grew as she headed for the exit with him, "I doubt he even knows I'm gone."

"Hmm? Who?"

"The slob I was sucking money out of."

"Ah. I'd noticed." He scratched his neck again, checking his watch briefly. He opened the passenger side for her, then went around and got on his side, "Who's your regnant?"

"What happened to your face?" She held his face with her hand, "Nix?" She guessed.

He tore himself away and rubbed at it with his thumb, "No, I hit myself funny with the seatbelt." He looked back over at her urgently, "I need a new regnant."

"I could get someone lined up for you." She said, "Would you want it to be Malkavian?"

"I'm not fussy." He sat back, starting to drive.

"So you don't care what clan?"

"I mean, preferably not Nosferatu." He shrugged, "I don't give a damn. I just need blood."

"Okay." She said, giggling, "You're lucky I know such a high and mighty group of Kindred."

He rubbed the scratch again, "I hope she doesn't come after me…"

"Did something happen between you and your old master?"

"She's absolutely furious I know about Jyhad." She said, "So much so that she's fired me."

Her eyes widened, "What do you mean…for knowing about the Jyhad? That…that should just be common knowledge…"

He quirked a brow, "That's what I said.

"I don't get it…" She confessed, "You chop up bodies for the Sabbat anyway…why would knowing who you work for be such a problem?"

He shook his head, "I doubt it's that simple. To her, placing the source of her discomfort is worse than not knowing what's behind it. I told her the Camarilla could come after her now; that she's exposed herself." He shook his head, "Didn't take to the idea very well."

"Choosing a side is always dangerous." She said, "On the other hand, so is being neutral. The Jyhad is dangerous, even if you hardly know what it is."

He sighed, "You should talk to her." Then he processed what he said, "Hypothetically. That would be idea hypothetically. Too dangerous."

"Where would she even be?"

"At her house. With her…braindead husband."

"Braindead husband, huh?"

He shook his head, clearly frustrated, "I wish she was capable of making good choices."

"Wanna…clarify…maybe?"

"It's no use…" He muttered, pulling into her driveway. "Oh." He said, in a tone like he remembered something, "I know you said you don't do anything because…you don't. So, I got you this instead." He smiled and pulled a bottle of wine out from under his seat, handing it to her.

"Ooh, for me?" She grinned, eagerly taking the bottle, "Hey, don't try to turn me into an alcoholic like your girlfriend, 'kay?"

He smiled, "She was like that long before I knew her." He shut the door and went inside with her, "That reminds me."

"Hmm?"

He paused, "This is gonna come off as impersonal." He walked in and sat on the couch, "But…are you seeing anyone else?" He then covered himself, "I don't care if you are, I'm just…just curious."

"No." She said, "I mean…sometimes I might…sleep with guys to get money off of them…but…I haven't really been doing that recently."

He nodded, trying to seem as nonchalant as possible, "You wanna be exclusive?"

She gave a loud laugh for a while, "Exclusive, but I'm your mistress!"

He crossed his legs, "Exclusive mistressing, then."

"Well, maybe if you keep getting me nice booze, I'll allow it."

"Of course. Not a problem."

There was a rumbling in the driveway. She saw the whites of Chester's eyes as he glanced back out the window, then got up and pushed the curtain aside, "Shit."

"Who the hell is that?" Lizolette asked.

"Lumi." He said, "Shit. I knew she'd follow me." He said, but there wasn't much fear on his face, "I'll deal with her."

She blinked, "Okay."

He made it to the front door, opening it to see Lumi standing there. "You tracked me."

"This is where you've been going? What is it, a library?"

"A friend's house."

She sighed, "This is too dangerous for you. Especially you. It would be different with any other ghoul. I know you. You're going to become a thorn in somebody's side and they'll kill you. No vampire has more mercy than I do."

"I'm sure there are exceptions."

"And I'm sure there aren't." She said firmly, "Where is this friend?"

"Leave her out of this."

"No, they need to learn what happens when they tamper with someone else's ghoul." She pushed past him.

"What, am I your property too?" Chester challenged. Lumi ignored him.

Lizolette looked up from her book when Lumi entered, setting the ancient text down, "So you're Lumi? Chester's regnant?"

"Yes." Lumi crossed her arms, "I now see why my ghoul stumbled into your lair."

"Lair?" She half-chuckled, "Look, you might as well cut to the chase with this."

"It's simple. I'd like for you to cut communications with him. I can't have him knowing this sort of information. It's dangerous."

"Ha, dangerous? If I didn't tell him anything, he could've just walked into a Sabbat whorehouse and get himself killed."

"He wouldn't do that. He was loyal to me. Now he has strings pulling him in every direction."

"Uh-huh…look, lemme just give him a new regnant…you can go back to…being a flesh supplier for Gideon…and that'll be that. He doesn't want you anymore."

Lumi looked over to Chester, "Is this true?"

Chester crossed his arms, "I-I…" His gaze fell to the floor. "I was doing it to keep you safe, Lumi. If you can't appreciate that—"

"Appreciate it?" She asked, "It's too risky."

"Too risky, what are you even trying to do?" Lizolette asked, leaning her head on her fist, "I get that you make profits from flesh, but what for? What's the point?"

Lumi was as unflinching as her ghoul. "I don't see why that's any of your business."

"Is it to pump money in your vegetable husband or something?"

Chester genuinely looked concerned, "Lizolette…"

A vein appeared in Lumi's forehead, "What was that, dear? You should speak up."

"I wouldn't try it." Lizolette said, "The reason you're here to 'reprimand me' is because you don't want Chester making too much noise. Nothing would make more noise than if you harmed a hair on my body. I'm part of a network of Kindred who are older than most countries. They don't hear from me for a couple days and all of a sudden, the entire west coast of America gets quite a bit more populated. Don't go picking fights you can't comprehend."

Lumi paused and took a step back, "Very well. All I ask for is my ghoul. I want him back, and I want him back as innocent as he was before."

"Innocent?" She asked, "If he wants to be with a Kindred historian like myself, it should be by his choice. I could find him another master, and you could get yourself another flunkey."

Lumi looked Chester's way again. He was looking away from her. She stepped closer to him, the sound of her combat boots were intimidating to say the least. Then she held her arms out.

Chester looked up, and without hesitation, hugged her back. It was instinctual. "I'm sorry I hit you." She said softly, "But I do wish you would be more careful."

"More careful…? With what?"

"With who you acquaint yourself with." She broke the hug, "I trust this one. Enough to keep you alive, at least. Learn what you will, but…please…don't stop me from doing what I need to do." She shot a little glare Lizolette's way, "My vegetable needs the funds and, so do you. If you like having your wounds treated for free."
Chester swallowed hard, "Just don't make me stay away from her."

"I won't."

He gave a little nod, "Then I'll deal with the body tomorrow."

She stepped over to Lizolette to shake her hand, "I don't know where your unending thirst for knowledge comes from, Chester. I just hope that isn't what gets you killed."

Lizolette grabbed her hand, "One day you'll be in a predicament and you'll be thankful to have that knowledge at your side."

She sighed, "Let's hope so." She said, headed for the door.

Only when the sound of her truck pulling out was heard did Chester sit on the couch again, "I'm sorry that got out of hand."

"I don't get what that was all about." Lizolette crossed her arms, "It's like she wants you to be dumb."

"Yes, I'm sure she'd prefer that."

"Well, if you want to switch regnants ever, just let me know."

"I will." He said. Then he reached over and grabbed her by the braid, yanking her into his lap.

She smiled, hugging his waist, "Hi." He smirked, a brow raised, then he leaned in to kiss the plump lips he'd been waiting to taste all night.

The first thing she noticed was the wrinkles in his shirt, his crooked posture, his unkempt hair. She greeted him with a smile nonetheless, "Good evening, dear."

"What is it?" He brooded.

"The Prince hasn't decided to kill you. Well, not yet, because Ella is living with me."

"And?"

"And?" She stepped in, "I'm here to chat."

"I'm in no mood."

She flicked the lights on, he winced. "So, you two were an item. I was wondering."

He covered his eyes with a hand, not dignifying anything with a response.

"When was the last time you fed?"

"Within the last few hours." He mumbled, watching her take the empty glasses and bring them to the sink, cleaning them out.

"Good. So you aren't going to attack me." She looked over her shoulder, "Now, why don't we be good and tell me what happened. This argument. What was it."

"I wish I knew." He sat on the couch. He had given up his pride, Ella and Aileen worked hand and hand to stomp it to bits. There was none left for Phaedra to dance on.

"You have to have some sort of clue." She dried her hands off with the hand towel, stepping around the chairs and standing beside him, her hands on her hips, "When did tensions start to flare?"

"The other night. I suppose I kept her up with my pacing."

"And she woke up and scolded you?"

"She didn't scold me." He corrected, "She said we needed to talk about it. I insisted there was nothing to talk about."

She sat on the couch across from him, narrowing her eyes, "Why are you pacing? Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I feel no need." He looked away from her. This was no different than the therapy his parents sent him too. Only this was with a woman, a very confusing woman.

"You're exhausted." She said, sitting back, "They say sleep deprivation is equivalent to intoxication, you know."

"Not for me." He declared.

"Mmm hmm…" She sat back again, "Tell me about Ella."

"No."

"Just tell me your thoughts on her."

A shred of pride glimmered through his chest, "This is not therapy. I am not going to dump my life onto your shoulders and weep and sob and expect you to patch things up. You're a filthy tramp and I want you out of my room." He pointed to the door.

"You haven't had sex yet." She said, "And that's upsetting you greatly. Have you kissed? I'm assuming you have, or there wouldn't be any sort of anger. I think there's a…a hole, right there, if you will. If a couple never kisses, they could easily sever the relationship and neither would be disappointed. However, if they have kissed, there is an implied frustration." She wove her fingers together, "Do you understand? That level of intimacy…connects dots. I would be able to explain it so much better in Italian. It makes both partners expect more." She sat back, "What were the conditions of your Embrace?"

"If you aren't going to leave, I'll call Vanderbilt to haul you out."

She swatted a hand, the threat was water off her back, "I'm assuming it was some sort of relationship. So you have experience? She does not. Those lights, that connection, it didn't happen with her, but it did happen with you. So when you expected more, she didn't give because she was frightened. Maybe there was a connection, but she couldn't understand it."

"Are you done rambling?"

"And then there's the entire…swamp of your power drive." She said, "That is getting tangled with your sex drive. Put simply, you're scaring the living daylights out of her."

He appeared to be listening, because when she said the last thing, he piped down.

"You know what it's like to be scared, don't you?" She asked, leaning in, "Do not forget the places you've been. You've been where she sat once, haven't you? In front of your sire, perhaps? Being held for the first time, all your trust on her shoulders? What if those shoulders were unstable?" She cleared her throat, then smiled, "Or, perhaps 'his'."

"Hers." He corrected firmly, without hesitation. She rolled her eyes.

"What would you do if she was acting up?"

"She was." Derek looked aside, "Which is another thing I don't understand. The mouth on that girl…" His chest heaved, "She says whatever's on her mind. She's never been taught anything else? I find it difficult to believe she got away with that in the Society."

"Perhaps she didn't." She shrugged a shoulder, "Perhaps it's something she only feels comfortable around with you."

He looked up at her, "Being disrespectful? She feels comfortable being disrespectful around me? How cruel…"

She shook her head, "What I meant to say was she feels comfortable being herself." He didn't respond, "Or she feels so uncomfortable, she doesn't give a damn. I would guess the ladder."

He crossed his arms.

"Well, in any case, she doesn't want you dead, but she has no interest in being near you. She made it seem like you refused to apologize."

"I have nothing to apologize for."

"For making her feel uncomfortable." She said, "You must learn empathy."

His eyes narrowed. His therapist had said the same thing once, word for word.

"She is hurting, scared and alone. She trusted you. She trusted you at one point, to give her innocence to you, to hand over her life. And you let it slip through your fingers."

He stood up, pacing away from the chairs. Phaedra sighed, standing up and stepping after him. "Who's saying I'm even interested in having her anymore?" He said, "Perhaps she was right. Perhaps there is no connections. She's loud, childish and disrespectful. I could never live with someone like that."

"Well, then perhaps romance isn't the answer." Phaedra said, "But the Prince still assigned you to care for her and see that she is raised well. I have enough on my plate as it is, I cannot take care of your childe." He was silent for a moment, "You must know, as a business tycoon, how dangerous it is to bring love into work. How many flames it can start."

"I don't want her at all." He argued, "I don't want her in my room, I don't want her as a childe, I don't want her as a recommendation to rise through the ranks. I want to leave, go to another city, wipe my records and try again."

She crossed her arms, "How many times has something like this happened, Derek?"

He whipped away from her, striding towards the windows, "In order to become Prince, I need to succeed without the help of others. This is not helping me. If you want to help, then go!"

"You dream of becoming Prince?" She gave a small smile, "How precious. What city?"

He looked away, "The first that I can get my hands on."

"So why are you in L.A.?"

"To gain attention. To gain approval."

"Approval?" She asked, "From Strauss?"

"That's right."

"If I'm not mistaken, don't Ventrue usually seek approval only once, then claim a city and grow from there?"

"I am an exception."

"In what case?"

"In the case that my sire died before the agoge could be finished."

"Ah…I see…" She said, then her smile grew, "That's it."

"What's it?"

"Your agoge was never finished. You can't succeed because….because something that's out of your control…that's what's driving you mad, isn't it? That's why you're looking to control everything you can, shut off everyone around you."

Her eyes widened before her head hit the wall and his hard body pressed her there. The grimace on his face was none too pleasant. She was more upset about the pain in the back of her head than anything else.

"The more you talk the more I want to tear out those dirty teeth."

"Really?" She asked, raising a brow, "How would you like a kiss then?"

He slid his hand through the slit of her dress and groped at her rear, "Clever."

Her leg rose, flexible she was, but none to helpful for Derek at this point. Her heel jammed into his stomach as she pushed him back, knocking him to the floor. She stood over him, spitting on his shirt and stepping on his nose, a satisfying crunch. "Boy, you really are a madman, aren't you?" She smiled curtly.

He brought a hand up to his gushing nose, moaning as he rolled over to his side.

"Lucky that didn't kill you. I've heard fragments of nose-bone can pierce the brain and immediately cause death." She stepped across the room, "So now my only issue left would be determining a proper solution." She watched him slowly rise to his feet, "That I'm not so sure of."

He kept touching his nose, evidently very disturbed about it. Eventually he gave in and rushed to the refrigerator, prying it open and pouring himself a shaky glass.

She sighed as she approached the couch and sat, "Giving you more power isn't the answer…neither is giving you control to anything…You don't seem to have many allies, many friends of the like…" She mused, "And really, you haven't done any talking at all. So you haven't gotten anything off your chest. I've pulled a great load off, but you need to give the final push."

He felt his nose as he set it back into place. He stared listlessly at the floor, motionless.

"I'm here to talk, dear." Phaedra said, "You don't have to be afraid." She smiled, "Your agoge is over, you're not going to become Prince at age twenty. You can accept a little bit of help. It isn't going to—"

"I want her…"

"Who? Ella?"

"I want…I want Aileen…" Nobody was a pretty crier, especially not Derek. He quickly covered his eyes, but he couldn't help it, "I want…I want to go back to being a fool again…I want to just go back to the nights where I stayed up and waited for her to stop by…the nights where I could go out and see my family, despite how much I loathed them…oh, I've taken it all for granted…" He wept, "I just want to go back…"

Phaedra crossed her legs, "You've been moving around so much, you haven't had much time to adapt, have you? And I doubt having a childe around gave you much chance to vent this either. How are you supposed to show how strong you are if you're just as weak as she?"

"I wish…I wish she did go and tell the Prince to lob off my head…I could find her in heaven…I could find her before this…monstrous curse she cast upon me…I could find her before her elders forced her to sire a childe…"

"Were you truly in love with this woman?"

"I was!" He admitted, "I truly was, and she never gave back to me!"

"Perhaps it's time for Ella to come back."

"I already told you, I don't want her…I want Aileen…"

"And don't you think she will miss the one who took care of her in her time of weakness?"

He looked away, "I don't deserve a childe…I'm not to be trusted…" He said uneasily.

"Well, she's got a strong independent voice. If she doesn't like something you say or do, she's got the capability to escape. And then the Prince can kill you, and you can reunite with your lost love." Phaedra wondered why men like this kept stumbling to her doorstep. "Just please open yourself up and try."

He looked away, "I must compose myself before she comes in…just give me a handful of moments…"

"Of course." She snickered, heading back to her room, "Take all the time you need."

"Iphigenia…" Delilah's eyes were wide with shock as she saw her friend. But, she didn't hesitate, she grabbed her bony wrist and tugged her inside, slamming the door shut. Iphigenia didn't have time to talk before Delilah dragged her into a meeting room and slammed the door shut.

"Delilah—" Iphigenia started, but Delilah smothered her mouth with a hand.

The shorter witch looked infuriated, "What are you doing here?" She hissed in a whisper.

"It wasn't me." Iphigenia whispered back, figuring whispering was going to be the loudest she should get.

"What!?" It was hissed.

"That was fucking Gary!" Iphigenia said, "This is me!"

Delilah took a step back, "W-What…?" She used a tiny bit of voice, "Prove it."

"We're the witches, right?" She gave a weak smile, "The two real witches…"

Delilah looked away, "I'm not convinced."

Iphigenia gently hugged her, that was all the convincing she needed, "I'm so sorry…I don't know what that bastard said or did, but none of it was me."

"Thank god…" She trembled, "You can't see the Magister. You'll have to let me have a word with him."

"Yes, alright. That's a wonderful idea."

"Where were you…?"

"I was in the Nosferatu warrens." Iphigenia said bitterly, "They pinned me to a cross and beat me."

"Why…?" Delilah looked horrified.

"Gary and I don't get along."

"…is that why he came here?" She asked, "To get you killed?"

Iphigenia nodded, hugging Delilah again. For some reason, she couldn't understand why hugging her was so relieving.

Delilah rubbed one finger over her fuzzy hair, then tore herself away, "Let me to chat with the Magister. Please, stay here. Just stay put. He will not hesitate to kill you."

"Yes, okay."

Victor walked through the halls, entering the meeting room, "Ladies." He greeted, before smiling at Delilah, "Admirable job at killing the Harbinger."

Iphigenia froze like a statue and Delilah would have been white as a ghost. She bowed, "Thank you, sir." Out of the corner of her eye, Delilah noticed a cloaked figure, in the distance of the hallway. It didn't look like anyone that naturally belonged in the Chantry.

"Um…sir…" Delilah pointed behind Victor.

"Hmm?" He looked at the figure, who was navigating the Chantry as if they knew it well, "Who is that?"

"I-I don't know…" She trembled.

Victor raised a hand, gesturing the two of them to follow him. They tailed the figure down a secret stairwell. Victor looked more and more perplexed as the travels went on, "This doesn't belong to us…" He said, feeling some of the stains on the wall, "Blood…"

Delilah gave Iphigenia a nervous look, then turned back to the blood on the wall. She scratched it with a fingernail and brought it to her lips to taste it. "It…tastes like blood of kine, not Kindred…"

Victor only looked more concerned at this revelation, "Come, hurry." He said, quickening his pace.

At the basement level, there was a strange ritual with a pentagram in the center, and dozens of torches around. There seemed to be just as many cloaked figures too, with the one they were tailing being the last holdout.

In the center, was Donatello, "Alright, let us start with today's…" He trailed off, an ugly scowl on his face as he saw the three Tremere, "Christ. Kill them!" All their bodies lit on fire.

Victor's eyes shrunk, "Baali!" He stood protectively in front of the two girls, putting up a blood shield.

The other two Tremere took after their Magister with Blood Shield, clinging together back to back. They both used Blood Salvo to fire off bolts in all directions.

Donatello scowled, "Summon as many demons as you can! Screw up their aim!" He said, and his fellow Baali obliged, summoning flaming demons at an alarming rate.

"I knew it." Victor seethed, "You infiltrated us…all along. You played the simpering fool to a T…but…but why?"

Donatello laughed, "Like I'll ever tell you, Camarilla dog!" He blasted fire at Victor. Victor countered with his own fiery blast, every so often, checking on Delilah and Iphigenia to make sure that they were okay.

"Should I go contact someone?" Iphigenia called. It was possible Delilah asked, but her voice was too soft to be heard.

"Heh, heh, go ahead and try, girlie! But you ain't gettin' outta here!" Donatello said, "Our forces are four ta one, and with our demons it's eight ta one! Feel safe with dat math?"

Victor clenched his fists, "Whatever your real goals are…they won't work…when Strauss finds out about this…"

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! I've been converting the population into Baali my entire stay here! I have an army now, and the Baali will take over this state, and then, we'll bring Gehenna into reality! The Antediluvians will return!"

Iphigenia grunted as she was struck from the side. This left Delilah open as well. Iphigenia grabbed her sledgehammer and started beating on them, but with the amount of flames around her, it was nearly impossible to do anything. Delilah decided to stick to Victor's side, her eyes forlorn as she watched Iphigenia battle the flaming demons and Baali alone.

Victor's eyes darted to where Iphigenia was, holding a hand out. The Baali immediately in front of her exploded as they were boiled alive. "I wouldn't be so cocky, Donatello…or shall I call you…Mister Sorrentino…our beloved Regent? You won't last much longer fighting us."

"Ha! I know all about Blood Boil and how it works. You think dis is my first con job as a Tremere! I know how much blood it takes up, you three don't got enough to take down all of us!" Donatello said.

Iphigenia spit out blood, using her sledgehammer to smash up the demons as much as possible. Delilah adjusted her hat as she stood back to back with the Magister, looking over her shoulder more often than not. "Let me boil him…" She hissed to Victor.

"Getting an aim on him might be tricky." He said, getting interrupted as Donatello stabbed his burning cane through Victor's chest. Victor's pupils shrunk in agony, as he choked out blood.

"Victor!" Delilah screamed, grasping onto his shoulders.

Iphigenia, in her warrior-like fashion, ran forward to smash her hammer into Donatello's face. Donatello jumped back, avoiding her strike, "I feel bad for you chumps." He said, "You're all gonna burn to death down here."

"I…" Victor coughed, "I wouldn't be so sure about that…" He said, smiling, "Because they're here."

A series of thuds were heard, as a dozen Gargoyles flew into the room, they beat the demons back, causing the Baali to retreat. They roared, adamantly wanting to defend their master.

Iphigenia seemed surprised, "How did they…"

Delilah grit her teeth, her expression twisted but in a sense almost cute as she held a hand out to make Donatello vomit up his own blood. Iphigenia then ran forward to clobber him in the stomach.

The Gargoyles pushed the Baali back to the point where they all escaped the Chantry. Unfortunately, Donatello, the ringleader, was able to get away as well. The Gargoyles swarmed around Victor, "What are your orders, master?" One asked, in a booming voice.

"I want you all to chase after them. Kill whoever you find." Victor said.

"But, what about you, sir?"

"I'll be fine, I just need blood."

"Allow me to give you some of my blood." The Gargoyle said, "It's upstairs. I'll give some to you and all the apprentices."

Delilah smiled, "Thank you very much."

Victor examined the ritual grounds, "I'll have to conduct a thorough investigation on this area…but…it's no doubt that Donatello was a traitor all along. A Baali."

Iphigenia rubbed at a particularly deep set of burned scratches on her shoulder while Delilah looked up at Victor, "I wonder if Strauss will give you the Regent position after killing Lafayette."

"I'm afraid it won't be that simple." He said, trying fruitlessly to wipe all the blood off himself, "It takes more than that to wipe away the earlier repercussions."

"Speaking of…" Iphigenia said, "I know it may be inopportune timing, but I'd like a word with you, sir."

"Iphigenia…." Delilah said nervously.

Victor paused as he headed for the stairway to go back upstairs, "Such things can wait, Miss Crystallia, I'm sure."

Her mouth opened, but then she closed it and looked away, "Yes, of course, sir. My apologies."

"That wasn't her." Delilah called out, "In the Chantry. The other night. When Strauss came…" Victor only took another step further as he looked back again, waiting for Delilah to continue.

Delilah looked over to Iphigenia. "It was Gary." Iphigenia said, "Using a powerful level of Obfuscate known as Mask of a-Thousand Faces. You know how much we fought. He wanted my corpse in a hole in Hollywood above his filthy warrens. He thought you would be my quickest way there."

He turned around, "What reason would he have for doing that?"

"To see me dead and watch the Camarilla collapse on itself. A painful reminder of his loyalty to his own sick fantasies, rather than the Camarilla. I could guess a-million different things." She dropped her hammer to the ground, still holding the handle, "I'm not sure what he made me out to say that night, but I assure you I meant none of it. I was horridly negligent to the other apprentices, to you, to the Prince, to the Camarilla. I was especially insolent with you and for that I cannot apologize any more. But I would never stoop to whichever level of hell he made me that night." Victor continued up the stairs as her message was concluded, as did his Gargoyles, most of them reminding the two girls that they had blood upstairs.

A/N: And…the cold shoulder…how does it taste, Iphigenia? Thanks for reading!