CHAPTER TWO

Cerri sighed and snuggled deeper under the thick blankets. She could smell sandalwood and felt a wave of longing crashing over her. That was the scent Sabre smelled of. She wanted to go home. Reluctantly opening her eyes -which was like prying a Succubus away from her victim, nigh impossible- she made the effort to sit up and look around. It took a few minutes to remember everything that had happened.

Where had her 'host' gone off too?

"Good morning, Miss." A man with dark black eyes and hair to match walked into the room, carrying a pair of pants and a top over his arm. "The Master will not be up until sundown, so please make yourself comfortable. I can make you something to eat if you wish."

"Eat?" She managed a slight smile, peeking under the blanket confusedly. She made a face when she seen the black garment she wore. "Vegetables? Raw?"

If the man was surprised by this request, he didn't show it. He just bowed and backed out, leaving the clothes on a chair.

Cerri slipped from the bed and stared down. She hated black. Picking at the silky fabric, she pulled it away from her skin. Black was not a good color.

*****

When the sun had left the sky, his eyes flew open. He bolted upright, katana drawn and held at the intruder's throat. "What are you doing in here?" He demanded in a low growl. "Nobody is allowed in my chambers!"

"I did not know." Cerri replied meekly, though the beginning of a scowl was on her lips. "I was looking for the way out. Every time I turn around, I am lost." She frowned, trying to move away. "I wish to leave now, I have spent the night. May I go?" She stared up at him, seeing the color of his eyes for the first time at this close range.

Sparkling, emerald green. They were blazing with anger.

"No, I wish to speak with you. Leave. I will be downstairs within the hour."

*****

Feeling along her shoulder blades, Cerri stared in the fireplace. She was waiting on her host, contemplating. She had changed back into her clothes after a bath. She had found the taps amusing, though the hot water coming from the odd indoor waterfall had scalded her. In the end she'd bathed in cold water.

She had also taken the time to study her new body. It wasn't all that different from how she normally looked, just a few appendages missing. Some of the things on this body were a bit larger then she was used too and it felt ungainly. Sighing at the smooth flesh under her shirt, Cerri moved her hands onto the fireplace mantle. She then mused on the Human's body, wondering if all Human males looked like that.

"Would you care for something to drink?"

Cerri whipped around to find her host standing in the archway, blocking out the already dim light from the room behind him. He smirked at her, apparently knowing she was disturbed at not having heard him.

"Would you care for a drink?" He asked, walking over to a liquor cabinet and pulling down two glasses. Without waiting for an answer, he filled them both with whiskey. "I have some questions for you."

She accepted the glass he thrust at her, frowning slightly as she sniffed the drink then tentatively took a sip. Instantly, Cerri regretted it. She made a face as it burned down her throat, trying not to retch. Holding the glass away from herself, she looked down at it distrustfully. "What is this?" She demanded, her belly filling with warmth and knew it was from the amber liquid. "It makes me feel light headed."

"It's called whiskey, alcohol." He replied evenly, settling down on a black leather couch. He downed his own drink without a flinch, just watching her. "Now, let's get to business. I want to know who you really are and where you've come from. Obviously, my Gargoyle has already spotted it, but I want your background."

Now she was alarmed. Especially when he produced his ka-ta-na. She had been warned that not all Humans were idiots. Some were almost Fae-like, though Mortal. Shaking her head, Cerri feigned confusion. "I am sorry, I do not understand you." She murmured, occupying herself by taking another sip of the whiskey. That only made her wince and cough harshly.

Pressing a hand to her mouth, she could feel tears stinging her eyes. "How can you imbibe this?" Cerri rasped, her hand moving to her head a moment later. "Am I supposed to feel like this?" She raised the glass to eye level, watching the liquid slosh around and giggled.

He shot the glass a bored look, nodding, his features clouding over with anger. "STOP LYING TO ME!" He roared, his voice echoing off the walls. "You are not human, you are something and-" At this point his katana was once more at her throat. "I demanded you tell me what you are before I spill your acid blood all over the carpet."

"Acid blood? My bloods not acid." Cerri said confused. "I'm mortal, a Human." She shivered at that afterthought., looking vaguely horrified by the mere idea. "Human…" She whispered, reaching back to feel behind her shoulders again, the glass of whiskey slipping from her fingers to the floor. Slowly, Cerri looked up at him with wide, frightened purple eyes -eyes that were slightly hazy. "Humans die, don't they?"

"Frequently, and you're not human." He replied, almost like talking to a five year old, disgust evident in his tone. "I'm not going to ask you again, tell me what you really are or I'm going to splatter whatever keeps your dark heart pumping all over my walls." He pressed the katana blade to her throat, applying enough pressure to let her know he meant it.

"But I AM Human." She protested truthfully. Gasping when the sword pricked her, she reached up to feel the spot. Silence reigned when she seen the red blood, holding out her hand mutely. She was Human through and through. The thought was enough to set her to crying, the despair washing over her intensified by the alcohol. Now wonder so few Fae made it home, they died from this ordeal.

"What the HELL are you?" He roared, flames from the fireplace erupting with a crackle. "You are NOT human, stop lying to me." When she didn't answer, he squared his shoulders and sliced her arm.

Cerri screeched in pain, blood seeping from the thin wound. The wound itself almost immediately began to heal, becoming nothing more than a memory. Frowning, she stared at the spot. Maybe she WASN'T without all her powers. Leave it to the Elder's to make this more difficult then it already was.

"I am part Pixie, part Vampiress and part Demoness." She said flatly, looking at the strange man with defiance burning in her large eyes. Her mind was racing, wondering what else she might be able to do. Maybe just regeneration, though that wasn't at all bad.

"That's better." He said gravely, eyes never leaving her arm. "So what is that exactly?" He demanded, eyebrows raising. Never in his life had he heard of something this strange and he'd seen a lot of oddities over the many years. Part pixie, a fairy maybe? Vampiress, okay she drank blood. And Demoness… now there was an interesting concept.

An even better question was on did one of her kind wind up on Earth?

"I guess telling you to go to Hell would suit you then."

"Hell? That place Mortals think they go to if they're bad? No. I'm not evil." Cerri frowned. "Pixie, a Fae or Faery, very large Faery mind. Vampiress, like your idea of a vampire but without all the stigma attached and as for the Demoness…" She tinged pink. "We can't control our lineage. But I'm none of those things at the moment except maybe part of the Vamipress, I'm Mortal."

"So you do drink blood." He stated bluntly, staring at her contemplative. A second later he walked over to the liquor cabinet and pulled out a small capsule from a lacquered box. He dropped it into a glass, watching the capsule dissolve and filling the glass with a thick, red liquid. He placed the glass in her hand, next making his own. "I'm not all human myself."