Title: Legacy (part XIV)
Author: BELOVEDbyWAR
Rating: PG
TV verse: Blood Ties
Disclaimer: Not mine, not making any money.
Summary: Alliance & Abduction
AN: Thanks to luvinmike for beta-reading!
WK: 947
Legacy XIV:
(Earlier, somewhere in the city)
A dark shadow roamed the streets of Toronto.
That by itself would not have been noteworthy except for all the forms of life fleeing its path, as though sensing the death-like presence among them.
Death…you might as well call it that because that was its evil intent: Death, chaos, and utter destruction to everything living!
But before this primitive world could be overtaken, there was one last obstacle to be removed.
The fair-born.
Eerie rasps, like those of someone having trouble breathing and frequently interrupted by deep sniffing, were the only noise disrupting the dead silence of the night. The wraith could detect the Elf's stench practically polluting the air!
But not for much longer. Following a fairly fresh trail, the dark figure moved steadily on until it quite suddenly and abruptly stopped. With one intake of breath, it groaned in delight.
"Come out, evvvvil one! You mayyyy come before me," it hissed. From behind one crumbling, forsaken building's entrance, a lone man, ironically clad in a priest's garb, quietly stepped forward.
After bowing deeply in respect, Astaroth then moved closer.
"Oh, mighty one, long has it been since this unworthy world looked upon a glorious one such as yourself. I come before you to offer my servitude and allegiance."
"You know your placccce. I therefffore will refrainnn from snifffffing out your little liffffe. You may servvvve me! Come and follow to witnesssss what shall happen to all thosssse who dare opposssse me!"
Without looking back, it continued on its way with Astaroth following obediently, all the while reminding himself that it would not be long before his 'Master' would remove everything in his way. Then he would find a way to rid himself of the wraith!
***
It didn't take them long to reach a neighborhood that Astaroth had only too recently been in, and he couldn't hide a big, devious grin when the shabby-cloaked figure stopped in front of a dark, but familiar house.
Yes, he couldn't have arranged it better himself.
Soundlessly they entered the building, doors miraculously opening the second the wraith stepped in front of them.
It had been a while since the demon lord had enjoyed himself just watching things unfold!
Then, without a moment's hesitation, his temporary master glided into the room with the grace of a deadly snake. To his utter surprise, their arrival wasn't as unexpected as they had anticipated. The moment he was through the door, something hard and unforgiving struck him over the head and his attacker dashed for the exit. But it took only a few hissed syllables from the wraith to freeze the fleeing woman mid-movement.
Picking himself up from his position on the floor, Astaroth watched the wraith circle the figure of none other than his little, irritating sacrifice – a barely clad sacrifice - whose skin, and other more intriguing parts of her anatomy, pebbled as the dark figure approached, as if the closer it came the colder she got.
Interesting! Very interesting! Not to mention nice to look at!
Once again the sniffing started, followed by a blood chilling, screeching laughter.
"Ssssshe isss the Elf'ssss, yet sssshe is yourssss!"
Smirking, he bowed even as he wondered what, or should he say whom, the wraith meant by 'Elf'.
"Already you provvvve your worthhh! Tomorrow night we will ussse your little gate keeppper and summon my brotherssss to thisss world! Bring her!"
Though that new revelation did not quite fit into Astaroth's plan, he was nothing if not flexible!
***
(Meanwhile at Henry's house)
"Shit, shit, SHIT!!!"
Mike threw the phone back into its cradle.
"She isn't picking up! I have a really bad feeling about this!"
He started to pace while Henry watched him and speculated what best to do next. Mike had not exactly reacted either positively or negatively at discovering Henry's previously hidden feelings. Though the vampire had initially planned to let the detective get used to his new talents step by step, if the blond was correct in his suspicion that something had happened to Vicki as he claimed to have sensed, then they simply didn't have any time to waste on Mike's training. The fact that the PI didn't answer her phone at this time of night, when she almost always was at home, didn't exactly bode well, either.
"I think we should go and check on her."
This stopped the elf's pacing and Henry could clearly feel Mike's conflicted sentiments. He could sympathize. After all, how often had he had to control his superhuman abilities, and even now from time to time they still tended to overwhelm him. And he had had centuries of practice! Mike must feel completely overburdened.
Of course, it would be now of all times when they had not yet had the chance to thoroughly investigate the blond's new powers, much less practice them, that something would happen!
The posture of the taller man's shoulders signaled the decision had been made. They would go no matter how uncomfortable Mike felt because nothing would ever stop him from helping his Vicki. Henry, of course, had already known what the detective's answer would be since the man was hopelessly in love with the PI. The vampire only hoped to someday be able to inspire such devotion in a beloved of his own, even if he might not have earned the loyalty.
"Yes, let's go!"
His mind made up, Mike purposely left the room. Henry followed, silently hoping that Celluci's instinct was wrong and they would find Vicki simply sleeping deeply and therefore not having heard the phone ring. Unfortunately, his gut feeling agreed with the Elf and he feared the worst.