Thank you everyone for bearing with my craptastic update schedule. Saying I work full time is an understatement. But hey, here we are with an update!
*Also, I'm thinking Tamsin's lil sister looks like Amber Heard.
"Kenzi! Lock the door and don't open it until we say so!" Bo screams. Tamsin and Dyson quickly dart to the doors and windows on the first floor, locking and bolting everything in sight. Tamsin grunts as she upends a couch, barricading a window.
"Shit! The fire place is a dud!" Dyson curses as he throws a fake log back into the pit.
"It doesn't matter. We need to get out of here," Tamsin says, ripping a poker from its hanging on the wall. "The cars!" Tamsin says, sprinting to the window. "Shit!" Several bodies stagger between the front door and the row of parked cars in the driveway.
"Check the basement!" Dyson says, pointing Bo towards the basement door. Bo disappears down the darkened stairwell as Tamsin and Dyson continue pushing furniture against the glass windows. Moments later she reappears.
"There's a passage behind an old wine rack," Bo says, out of breath.
"Where does it go?" Tamsin asks, hefting the poker in her hands.
"I don't know but there's a cold draft. I'm thinking it goes pretty deep underground," Bo says.
"Shit. Let's get Kenzi and try to make a break for it," Tamsin says.
"What's about Tatum?" Bo asks.
"What about her?" Tamsin snaps.
"How about tonight?" Tatum asks, leaning against her crumbling cage. She nudges against the worn ties on the wooden slats. Kristin and Alexandei glance at Tamsin hesitantly.
"Let me think about it," Tamsin says, tightening her lips in thought. "No."
"Seriously?" Tatum asks. "Kristin and Alexandei could keep pace with a fleeing mountain goat. For hours. Do you really think I could get away from you if I tried? With these?!" Tatum waves her heavy chains at Tamsin, dramatically clacking the links.
"It's not that I don't want to. Our law demands that we take you straight to the Royal Courts. We could lose body parts if we don't," Tamsin says with a shrug.
"Sorry," Kristin mouths from behind Tamsin. Alexandei interlocks her fingers in front of her stomach and motions for Kristin to move. Alexandei waits for Kristin to step into her palms before hoisting her up to the top of the caravan.
"We'll take first watch," Kristin says, patting Tamsin in the shoulder. She takes a step back before jogging forward and leaping several feet into the air. Her fingertips barely touch the roof of the caravan as she pulls herself up. Tatum winces as she lands on the top of her cage with loud crunch.
"Sorry," Alexandei says looking down through the slates. Tamsin grasps their thick sleeping rolls and heaves them up into Kristin's waiting hands. Before long the last fires are extinguished. Their steeds stand quiet in the night. The moon inches slowly across the night sky. Alexandei flinches when a finger jabs into her back.
"Did you hear that?" Tatum whispers, looking up at Alexandei with wide eyes.
"What?" Alexandei whispers, scrunching her nose at a most unpleasant stench.
"Fire baked shit pies! Honey Ash again?" Kristin coughs, sitting up suddenly. All three girls gag harshly as an overwhelming wave of fetid, rotting offal blows in on a breeze.
"There!" Tatum points at the silhouette of a helmeted warrior in the mist. Both Alexandei and Kristin quietly unsheathe their weapons, eyes nailed to the moving shapes in the distance.
Alexandei jumps off the cart, landing quietly with ease. Kristin rolls over and drops to her feet. She follows Alexandei, stepping in her tracks as they move into the dark. The girls move under the cover of one shadow. Kristin breaks to the side as Alexandei sprints forward and leaps at a towering figure. Her long knife glints in the darkness as it sinks into the crook of exposed skin at the figure's neck. Alexandei withdraws her blade in an instant, and continues running, barely breaking her pace. Kristin appears in a flash from the side, axe in hand. She pivots into the staggering body and swings her axe hard, cutting into the hulking warrior's torso like a plow gliding through wet dirt. The axe head lodges with a sickening wet pop as it sinks into a thick bone. Kristin pivots again, pulling on the stuck handle with the full weight of her body. A segment of wet ribcage rips from the warrior's chest stuck to the blade. Kristin quickly steps back as coagulated bodily fluids and organs spill onto the ground. Alexandei appears behind him silently. She lunges forward, effortlessly pushing her long knife into the base of the warrior's spinal column, severing his brain stem.
"Is this what I think it is?" Kristin groans, covering her face with her sleeve. Chunks of rotted lung and filmy tissue cling to her axe, releasing an unbearable stench. Kristin gags and throws the axe into the ground. Alexandei nods, squinting at the messy viscera splashes in the dried grass.
"TAMSIN! DRAUGAR!" Kristin shouts. Tamsin sits up, clutching a pickaxe in one hand.
"Everyone up!" Tamsin yells. "We need fire!"
"Draugar?" Syban groans, striking out with her flint in the dark. The Withering Honey Ash sparks to life. The scent of honeyed smoke in the air struggles against the increasingly potent stench of death. Alexandei quickly sheathes her sword and pulls out her hatchet. Holding her ax high on the neck, she sets off, sprinting towards a tilted, saggy looking warrior on horseback lingering several yards back in the woods.
"Horsemen!" Alexandei yells, speeding up her run as the ghoulish figure on horseback retreats into the darkness.
"We got one!" Kristin yells, waving at Tamsin.
"Torch it!" Tamsin reaches back to throw a lit branch in a high arc. The ball of fire somersaults in the air before landing at Kristin's feet. She quickly kicks the burning log into the decayed armor. The flame covers the soft torso, leaking innards like a split sack of custard. "We have a grower!" Tamsin yells. The girls turn to see a giant Norseman limping grotesquely at them in a hurry. Kristin stares in disgust as the giant steps over and over again, mashing his already crush ankle under his lumbering weight, each step punctuated by a wet slap of flesh and cracked bone.
"What the fuck!" Alexandei gasps when she finally catches up to the bolting horse. The sprinting fae pushes herself, taking longer and faster strides until she's ahead of the rider. She spins and steadies her axe against her side. The protruding axe head sinks into an armored thigh, ripping the rider off the frightened stallion. With a practiced swipe, the head flips away from its shoulders in a perfect golf chip. "I need a torch!" Alexandei calls.
"Look out!" Tatum shouts, colliding into her just in time to knock her from under a falling sword. Alexandei crashes to the ground roughly. Tatum quickly rolls to her feet and faces the warrior. Her picked manacle dangles open from her wrist. Tatum lashes out, catching the creature in the face with the heavy shackle. Alexandei stares as Tatum swings again. The chain whips in an arc, wrapping around the warrior's neck. A sharp tug later, the head leaps from sagging shoulders with a wet pop.
"Alex!" Kristin yells, throwing a torch at Alexandei before receiving a reply. Alexandei flinches as the torch flies through the air. Tatum quickly snatches the burning wood from the air, showering Alexandei with sparks.
"Get back to the fire," Tatum says, sweeping the torch over the remains in the grass.
"Come on you pudgy shit sack," Tamsin growls as she circles the giant Draugar. The pickaxe in her hand twirls nervously as she carefully moves around the destroyed campsite. Tamsin glances over her shoulder and smiles. "Just a little closer." Tamsin grins at the giant following her. The Valkyrie jogs forward and jumps, pickaxe held high overhead. She swings down, executing a crushing attack with both arms. The sharpened metal sinks into the giant's collarbone with a loud, wet smack. Tamsin blinks as rotten, coagulated blood sprays out from the pierced flesh. Using her momentum, Tamsin pulls herself up with the pickaxe handle. The giant waves his arms around, swiping at the climbing Valkyrie in vain. With a yell, Tamsin slams the point of her elbow into the giant's skull. Three heavy blows later, the giant begins to stagger forward. Tamsin reaches over the giant's shoulder and grips her pickaxe, wrenching it to the side, effectively steering the beast towards the blazing campfire. "Shit." Tamsin frowns when she feels the giant falling toward. At the last second, she releases her grip on the pickaxe and bails from the falling mass.
"Let's go!" Alexandei yells, sprinting into the campsite.
"How many?" Tamsin asks, struggling to pull her pickaxe free.
"Too many," Tatum says, appearing behind Alexandei.
"Who the fuck let you out?" Tamsin asks. Her eyes land on Tatum's picked shackle.
"Someone wants you dead," Tatum says, ignoring Tamsin. She quickly sets to picking the other lock on her wrist. She tosses the shackles at Tamsin's feet. "Look we can stay here so you can bitch at us some more, or we can get the hell away because someone just raised a dead army hungry for your blood," Tatum says. She keeps her eyes on Tamsin as she leans down to pick a dropped war hammer off the ground. She calmly slips the weapon into her waistband and holds her hands up. "I know you and your girls are skilled in the art of war, but twelve thousand horsemen died here less than a month ago," Tatum says.
"Tamsin! Come on!" Kristin says, tugging on her sister's arm.
"Tamsin!" Kristin screams. Tamsin flinches as her sister swings at a figure behind her. She hits the ground in a rough roll and turns to see her younger sister swinging at a warrior. Something is different about this one. Tamsin's stomach turns when the figure spins into the light. His lower jaw is missing and the mangled maw below his upper lips drips with bright red blood. The rage and focus in his eyes are of a living man. He doesn't stagger about like the other creatures.
"Kristin!" Tamsin moves to assist her sister when Alexandei slams a flaming torch into the back of his head. Kristin takes advantage of the distraction and darts in, smoothly gliding her axe blade across his throat. The warrior's head lolls back as fresh blood leaks from the slit in his windpipe. Kristin spins into the body and slams her elbow up into his face, knocking his head back with a loud snap. The spilt in his throat grows as the weight of his helmeted skull drags the head backwards and off its shoulder's completely.
"Watch out!" Alexandei shouts when the headless body reaches out for Kristin's unsuspecting back. Kristin ducks as the Alexandei's thrown torch knocks into the headless corpse. The flames quickly consume the body, finally bringing it to its knees.
"Shit!" Tamsin quickly backs up when the giant Draugar starts dragging his flaming mass across the ground. Tatum and Tamsin both set to bludgeoning the stubborn corpse with torches until flames cover the entire body.
"I don't want to die here. Do you?" Tatum asks, chest heaving from the exertion.
"Tamsin!" Syban's voice calls from the shadows. A loud whinny fills the air as a pair of dead warriors pull a steed to the ground. "They're surrounding us!"
"Come on," Alexandei says quietly, eyes scanning the moving shadows around them.
"If she gets away, it's on you," Tamsin says, glaring at Alexandei and Kristin. The girls quickly gather their weapons and take to horseback.
"Come on, you're with us," Kristin says, handing Tatum a torch. She mounts a steed with ease and extends a hand to Tatum.
"What the hell is this?" Bo yells. She stares in disgust as a dripping torso pushes through a slat of glass beside the main door. The undead warrior gurgles black sludge as it reaches for Bo with torn, fingerless palm. Bo screams and slams the butt of the musket into the undead's skull. Bo jumps back as the force of her blow pushes the torso down on the broken glass severing it from its base. The mangled torso lands on the floor and continues to drag itself across the marble, leaving a slimy trail of blood and grime across the foyer. Bo gags and kicks at the mashed head, sending it into wall with a wet slap.
"Let's get Kenzi and get the fuck out of here," Tamsin says, catching a glimpse of a less decayed and more able bodied warrior through the window. "This is a fight we don't want." She grabs Bo by the elbow and pulls her away from the mass of bodies pounding against the front door. Another decrepit body pushes through a broken window and lands at Dyson's feet.
"Tamsin!" Dyson yells. He stomps hard on a neck.
"I said leave it! We can't stay here!" Tamsin yells. She pushes Bo up the stairs roughly.
"Kenz?! We gotta go!" Bo shouts, jogging up the stairs towards Kenzi's room. "Kenzi?!" Bo shouts again when Kenzi doesn't answer.
"What's this?" Kenzi murmurs, noticing a fat, perfectly rolled joint on the dresser. She raises her eyebrows as she sniffs the joint. "Mommy likes," Kenzi sighs. She glances around the room and smiles when she spots an old table lighter. After several sparks, she finally gets the wick lit. She grins as she takes a long pull from the joint. "Ooh, that is some stank shit…" Kenzi smiles at the burning fatty in her fingers and takes another pull. Suddenly the pleasant smoothness takes a harsh turn. A rough cough wracks her body as her throat sets on fire.
"Sorry Kenz," Tatum frowns, watching the coughing human rub her throat through the two way mirror built into the ceiling. She closes the tin mint box that once housed the joint laced with Fae Mongolian vitality fungus caterpillar. The worm will infect Kenzi, yet she will not lose her mind. The fungus will merely extend its bodily powers of regeneration to include its host, a now frantically thirsty Kenzi. "A small price to pay for immortality," Tatum whispers with a shrug. She turns around and freezes on the edge of the tiled roof. The telltale scent of death wafts over her on a night breeze. "Oh no." Tatum quickly turns and leaps to the lanai extending from the grand library. The glass door clicks open with ease.
"What the fuck are you doing?!" Tamsin shouts shoving Tatum into a wall. Tatum winces as a heavy, leather bound text falls off an upper shelf and down into her head.
"So you're the bad cop today?" Tatum asks.
"What the hell was that?!" Tamsin yells, yanking Tatum forward before slamming her back into the bookcase. "What did you do?!"
"Woah, police brutality," Bo says, jogging into the room, immediately noticing the tight grip on Tatum's neck.
"Looks like someone's regaining some of their strength," Tatum croaks, calmly holding on to Tamsin's wrists. "I didn't do anything."
"What set off the Draugar?" Tamsin shouts, slamming Tatum into the bookshelf again.
"I don't know!" Tatum says coarsely.
"Tamsin! We need to move!" Dyson says.
Kenzi crashes to the ground as she continues to cough. She tosses the burning joint away in anger. She takes a deep breath and reaches up to the windowsill to pull herself up. Kenzi's eyes widen in fear as she looks out the window. Three gigantic figures appear in the broken ground. They push up and slowly work to drag themselves from the confines of the earth. Kenzi gags as the stench surrounds her. Blood drains from her face as the behemoths clod steadily towards the mansion. A legion of dead warriors swarm lethargically around the giant's feet, clambering over each other in an attempt to the reach the house first. Kenzi gags roughly as the stench of decay fills the room, seeping in through the cracks in the window seams. One of the giants raises a telephone pole sized sword. Kenzi quickly retreats into the hall as the mighty weapon begins to fall towards her window. With an ear ringing crash, the sword cleaves into the mansion. The force of the blow cuts through the floor, opening a gash right through to the ground floor.
"Help!" Kenzi screams as she begins sliding into the opening. Expensive heels clatter against shattered wooden flooring as she struggles to anchor herself.
"Kenzi!" Dyson shouts. He jumps and crashes to the floor, catching the tiny human just as she's about to drop. He pulls Kenzi up and quickly drags her towards the other end of the collapsing hall.
"Tamsin, how we do deal with this?" Bo asks, squeezing Tamsin's shoulder.
"We need fire," Tatum says, rubbing her throat. Bo quickly points to the musket she's been using as a bludgeoning tool. Tatum quickly pulls several books down from the shelf. Tamsin quickly follows suite, ripping pages from old tomes and balling them up. Dyson fumbles frantically with the flint trigger. Tamsin swipes a remaining decanter from the study desk and splashes crumpled pages with liquor.
"What a waste," Tamsin mutters, almost pausing to take a last sip. "Oh come on!" Tamsin snarls, ripping the musket from Dyson's hands. She sparks the trigger mechanism angrily. Finally a spark catches and falls to the liquor soaked pages at her feet. A small flame grows, running a blue and yellow trail along the paper. Tatum and Bo quickly open the books in their hands, allowing the fanned pages to catch before throwing them down the hall.
"We have to get out of here," Dyson says, tossing a flaming book down the stairs. It hits a crawling body in a shower of sparks. A shriek fills the air as the fire grows, enveloping the stairwell in a mass of burning, dead flesh.
"The basement," Bo says, pushing another book into the growing fire on the floor. "Go!"
The wine rack is old and dusty, sitting heavy against the wall. Dyson and Tatum both throw their weight against it, screaming in frustration when the wooden structure refuses to budge. Bo and Tamsin stand, facing the narrow staircase leading down from the main floor.
"I thought you said there was a passage!" Dyson grunts, pushing against the rack.
"There is isn't there?!" Bo says, watching the door thud under the assault of bodies.
"You didn't mention the entrance was stuck!"
"Well I thought you could handle it!" Bo glares at Dyson.
Bo rushes up the stairs and slams a fire poker into a soft skull. She grimaces as soft brain matter squishes out from eye sockets. A dead hand continues to wriggle, latching on to her ankle. Bo shouts in disgust and kicks it towards a wall, splattering the decaying flesh against old brick.
"Bo! Get back!" Tamsin yells. She sprints after the hardheaded Succubus and quickly drags her back as another handful of bodies slump in through the doorway. "Any time now!" Tamsin yells.
"What are you doing Kenz?" Dyson grunts, shoulder pressed against the wine rack. Kenzi's hands move rapidly, pulling dusty wine bottles from the rack. The glass bottles fly up the stairs, smashing into the walls as the tiny human continues to strip the rack of its belongings.
"I don't know! Don't trap doors have triggers?" Kenzi says. She staggers for a moment, the effects of the joint being taking over her body. Kenzi falls against the wall, smashing the bottle in her hand. A long, deep gash opens up in her palm as the wine bottle shatters into her hand. "Fucking warmed nuts!" Kenzi throws the shattered bottle into the ground, not noticing the cut in her skin. Flicks of blood and wine soar through the air. Crimson droplets land on the dried wood.
"Damn it!" Tamsin shouts. Tatum, Tamsin and Bo all set themselves against the rack, straining against the wood. With a loud creak, the cobble-stoned floor begins to rip apart.
"Oh shit," Tatum says, as the floor begins to shake. Dyson shoves at the wine rack one last time, managing to land a solid heel against the wood. The ancient shelves crash forward, separating from the crumbling walls. Tatum quickly pushes Kenzi through the opening and dives in after her. Dyson turns and follows, catching a falling block of mason in the shoulder on his way through.
"Come on!" Tamsin grabs Bo's arm and roughly pulls her towards the rip in the wall.
Kenzi's head spins as they tumble through the wall. A thick blanket of dust envelopes them, forcing their eyes shut. The tiny human coughs as ash and soil fill her nostrils. As the forces of gravity start changing direction on her, Kenzi shakes her head roughly. Suddenly up feels like down, and everything starts flipping again the moment Kenzi thinks they've stopped tumbling through space. Kenzi wheezes violently as her back slams into a smooth surface, knocking the wind clean out of her. Her stomach turns as she starts sliding down a slope at a frightening speed. Finally, after what feels like an eternity of near free falling, they slow to a stop.
"Jesus Christ on a saltine cracker…" Kenzi coughs, struggling to regain her breath. Even before she opens her eyes, she can hear the slap of fists against flesh. Blow after blow lands, thudding in the otherwise silent room. Kenzi blinks, feeling cool, smooth glass under her cheek. Her eyes snap open, suddenly taking in the view in front of her. She lays immobile on her side, face stuck to the ground, staring out of a floor length window of an impossibly tall skyscraper. A vaguely familiar city skyline looms across a harbor. The lights glow in a muted sepia, peppering the night sky eerily in the near distance. Kenzi panics, realizing she can't feel her body. She gasps, hyperventilating like one stuck in the grasp of sleep paralysis. Suddenly her foot twitches, skittering a heel across the polished floor. Tamsin's voice pulls Kenzi out of her stupor.
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Tamsin shrieks. Kenzi's eyes widen as she watches the furious Valkyrie tackle Tatum to the floor. Kenzi wonders if she's late to the party, a line of blood is already streaked across Tamsin's forehead. "What the fuck did you do?" Tamsin yells as they crash to the ground in a cloud of dust in an otherwise pristine, obsidian-lined room. The natural glass floor cracks under the force of the two falling women. Tatum quickly pulls Tamsin close, using their momentum to throw her into a roll. Tamsin glares up at Tatum, finding herself on her back.
"I didn't do anything!" Tatum grunts, closing her eyes as the dust and soot shakes loose from her hair and clothing.
"Centaur shit!" Tamsin hisses, throwing a knee into Tatum's kidney. Tatum winces, but holds her stance, knees planted at Tamsin's sides. Tamsin rips an arm free and lands a solid punch against Tatum's mouth. Bright red blood flies from her newly split lip, landing on Dyson's hand.
"Dude! Gross!" Kenzi hisses when Dyson licks the blood from his hand. A low moan escapes his lips. "What the hell?" Kenzi whispers when the crushed bones in Dyson's shoulder visibly and audibly crack and snap back into place. The bruised and mottle skin peaking out from Dyson's torn shirt begins healing slowly. "Bo, can you get this mutt under control because- gah! Shit balls! No! No not now!" Kenzi says when she gets a good look at Bo. A telltale blue glow spills from Bo's eyes as she watches the two women fight. "Psst! No! Stop!" Kenzi hisses, frantically waving at Bo.
"What did you do?" Tatum snaps, finally losing her cool. She releases her grip on Tamsin and catches another wayward swing before Tamsin can land another punch. Tatum quickly shifts her weight and traps Tamsin's arm in a lock. "You're the fucking Valkyrie! Draugurs are right up your alley aren't they?!" Tatum stares pointedly at a struggling Tamsin.
"Guys?" Kenzi says, frantically glancing between the fighting women and ravenous wolf and succubus.
"Hungry…" Bo whispers lowly.
"Seriously Bo? This is turning you on?" Kenzi mutters. She staggers to her feet, preparing to intercept Bo. Before Kenzi can finish dusting herself off, Bo and Dyson both launch themselves at the grappling women. Dyson shoulders Bo roughly aside, sending her sliding across the polished floor. Bo's eyes glow brighter as she rights herself. Claws explode from the tips of Dyson's fingers as he reaches for Tatum's throat.
"Stop!" Kenzi yells. Tatum jerks back at Kenzi's warning. She catches the swing of Dyson's swipe in the shoulder. She screams in pain as his grip locks, claws ripping through tendon into bone.
"Dyson!" Tamsin screams. She quickly releases her grip on Tatum. Tamsin slams an elbow into Dyson's snarling face repeatedly to no avail.
"Mine!" Bo regains her posture and tackles Dyson hard. He rips away from the interlocked women in a spray of blood. Kenzi watches in horror as he sets to enthusiastically licking his bloody claws.
"Tatum?" Tamsin says, daring to take her eyes off Dyson for a moment.
Tatum breathes heavily, slumped against Tamsin's chest, clutching her torn shoulder weakly. Although the brunt of Dyson's blow missed her neck, a deep puncture is visible at the base of her throat. Blood pools warmly on Tamsin's chest and neck. Tamsin's eyes widen when she sees Bo crouched over Tatum's shoulder. Bo's arm hangs lamely at her side, courtesy of Dyson's rough tackle. A long, bloody tear runs from her chin to her ear. Her blood drips, mingling with Tatum's on Tamsin's skin. Bo leans down, bracing herself with her functioning arm. She presses a kiss to Tamsin's lips, smearing her cheek with blood. Tamsin gasps, feeling Bo's pull on her energy. The succubus sits, straddling the back of Tatum's thighs, pressing her painfully against Tamsin. With a rough twist, Bo sets her dislocated arm. With renewed strength, Bo reaches down and pushes Tatum's shirt up, exposing her back. Tatum gasps in pain as Bo presses her chest against her exposed back. Bo moans, savoring the sensation of warm skin on hers. Kenzi blinks, wondering if she's really seeing chi passing between their bare skin.
"Bo, please," Tatum groans in pain, feeling her strength wane as her wound continues to bleed. Tamsin struggles to sit up, finding herself pinned under the weight of two fae. Bo leans down and licks Tatum's neck, running her lips along her weakening pulse. Strong fingers slip into Tatum's hair and yank her head back forcefully. Tamsin watches futility as Bo's lips meet Tatum's. The energy flows intensifies as Bo sucks hard on Tatum's mouth. Tatum's cuts open and blood pulses rapidly from the wounds.
"Bo! Stop! You're hurting her!" Tamsin says as warm liquid washes over her throat and neck.
"Don't be jealous, Tamsin baby," Bo purrs. With considerable strength, Bo pushes Tatum aside roughly. Tatum chokes, her body wrenched in an awkward position. Bo's grip tightens in Tatum's hair, barring her from retreat. Tamsin winces as Bo's boot slams on the floor next to her head. The succubus leans forward, stretching against Tamsin's body. Tamsin gasps as Bo leans down for another harsh kiss.
"What the hell," Dyson mumbles. He shakes his head and looks down at his bloody hands. "Shit!" Dyson stumbles back and leans against a cold wall. His eyes slam shut as the full brunt of his healing hits in an instantaneous surge of pain. He squeezes his recently crushed shoulder, massaging the healed flesh. The scent of blood fills his nose. Nausea ripples through his body as he remembers the searing hunger that drove him towards Tatum's blood. His vision blurs as the energy drains from his body. Bo's pull on Tamsin strengthens, she doesn't feel her feeding extending over the entire room.
"Bo," a voice calls out. Bo's head snaps up, releasing a limp Tamsin. Through foggy eyes, Bo spots a familiar blonde standing at the edge of the room. "Bo. Stop," the voice commands. She drops Tatum and Tamsin and stands. Bo pauses, sniffing the air.
"Lauren?" Bo whispers. Her control on the room wavers as she moves towards Lauren. Bo moves closer and leans in to kiss her when a hand appears out of nowhere. The resounding clap of palm meeting cheek echoes loudly in the room. Bo quickly reaches up and clutches her face in pain. "Ow!" Bo's hold on the room drops. Dyson and Tamsin both gasp as much needed energy floods back into their systems. The blood flow from Tatum's wounds slows to a mere trickle.
The figure staggers back, and rips Lauren's leather jacket from her shoulders. Lauren's features dissolve before her eyes. Bo blinks, staring a gorgeous young blonde woman. She berates herself silently as her body reacts to the beautiful female before her. Bo can feel a blush spreading across her face, not to mention the glow of blue returning to her eyes.
"Fuckin' Minotaur cock, you're relentless!" A breathless young woman gasps. Her eyes shimmer from hazel to green to violet before finally remaining a steady aqua blue. She quickly staggers back and draws a Glock 18 from the small of her back. "You got a hold of the reins again?" The girl lowers her aim to Bo's knee and studies her face.
"Who are you?" Bo asks, eyeing the gun. Her eyes fall to Lauren's leather jacket clutched in the girl's other hand. "And where the fuck did you get that?" Bo snaps.
"Relax Succubustline. You can have it," the girl scoffs, tossing Bo the jacket.
"Hey!" Bo begins when the girl's attention falls to the two bloodied women on the ground. The young woman tucks the gun back into her belt as she hurries to their sides. She pulls her shirt over her head and pulls Tatum into lap. She quickly sets to wiping the blood from Tatum's face.
"Tay," the girl whispers, smiling sadly when Tatum's eyes focus on her face. She leans down and presses her lips to Tatum's for a moment before resting her face in the crook of her neck.
"It's nice to see you too, sis," Tamsin groans, propping herself up. Tamsin frowns when Kristin, without looking, shoves her balled up shirt at her face haphazardly. Tamsin scowls as she snatches the fabric away. Bo, Dyson and Kenzi stare at Kristin silently.
"Sis? As in sister?" Bo says out loud. "Huh…I see it."
"Yeah. Totally," Kenzi says, cocking her head at Kristin and Tamsin.
"You can close your mouths now. It's not polite to salivate in public," Tamsin says, wiping at the blood on her on body. "Bo, Dyson, Kenzi, this is my sister Kristin," Tamsin says monotonously.
"Hi. Nice to meet- how did you?" Bo says, glancing at the jacket in her hands. "You looked like someone else."
"Valkyrie, remember?" Tamsin says before Kristin can answer.
"I'm still learning what that really means," Bo says.
"I can shimmer a little," Kristin says. "I'm better when I don't have a fucking concussion," Kristin says, holding a hand to her head. "Sorry about the," Kristin says, holding up her index and middle fingers like a gun. "You were getting a little frisky," Kristin says, helping Tatum to her feet.
"Ah, it's ok. I'm sorry," Bo says.
"Yeah, it's totally ok to pistol whip a bitch if homegirl starts hoovering the room like a killer pool drain again," Kenzi pips.
"Hey!" Bo says. She puts her retort on hold when she notices Tamsin struggling to move from her seat. "You ok there tall blonde and brooding?"
"Ah…I think it's broken." Tamsin reaches down and feels her leg. Her eyes snap shut, when she feels the shattered shin bone. "Sorry," Tamsin mutters before leaning over to take Tatum's hand.
"That's what I was trying to do before you sucker punched me like a little bitch," Tatum says, crouching to press a hand to Tamsin's knee. Tamsin scowls and scoots closer when nothing happens. Kristin glares at her sister and props Tatum up.
"Sorry," Tamsin says, avoiding Tatum's gaze. Tatum sighs and shakes her head. She wraps a hand around the Valkyrie's neck. Tamsin reaches up and mirrors her actions, holding her neck. Kristin rolls her eyes as Tatum presses her cheek to Tamsin's. Pain wracks Tamsin's features. Bo and Kenzi inhale sharply as Tamsin's broken bones crackled loudly back into shape. Tamsin stretches her leg tentatively. Satisfied, she slowly stands with Bo's help.
"So, you want to tell me how you got your hands on a Breathing Wraith?" Kristin says, glancing at Kenzi.
"A what?" Bo and Kenzi say in unison.
"She's not a Breathing Wraith," Dyson and Tamsin both say in unison. Tamsin squints at Dyson.
"No seriously guys. The last person I knew who ran with Wraiths became The fucking Morrigan, and we all know how well that turned out for everybody," Kristin says, oblivious to the dirty looks coming from Tamsin.
"You knew Evony before she became the Morrigan?" Bo asks. Shut up! Tamsin mouths silently.
"What? Who's Evony? I'm talking about A-," Kristin says.
"Wait," Tamsin cuts in. "Why did you think Kenzi was a Breathing Wraith?"
"A what now? What am I not? Hello?" Kenzi says, pacing between the taller parties.
"Look at her," Kristin says.
"Hey!" Kenzi says, throwing her hands on her hips defensively.
"She's the only one who landed without a scratch here," Kristin says.
"She's human," Bo says.
"Bullshit. If she was human she'd be on the floor with broken neck right now, and it seems to be working just fine," Kristin says, watching Kenzi bob her head back and forth as she digests the conversation. Kenzi reaches up and rubs her neck.
"Well I do feel a little stiff," Kenzi says, roling her head from side to side. Bo laughs and pulls her into hug.
"Hold on. How, and more importantly, why the fuck are you here?" Tamsin says.
"I was thinking you could tell me. I woke up a few hours ago with busted head. Slept the concussion off until I heard you guys fussing around. Though I'm pretty sure you pissed the wrong person off again. And I got dragged into your shit, again," Kristin says.
"Where'd you get the jacket?" Bo asks.
"Seriously, what's with your obsession with the jacket?" Kristin asks.
"I think it belongs to a friend," Bo says. Kristin notices the solemn look crossing her face.
"Sorry. I really don't know. I woke up and it was on me," Kristin says softly.
"Che Cosa?" Kenzi murmurs, subconsciously moving closer to the window. Her bodily troubles fade as the skyline shifts before her eyes. The skyline is vaguely familiar because it's a living mixture of several cities. Paris, Hong Kong, Manhattan, Dubai, Tokyo, Moscow, Shanghai, San Francisco, London, the skyline continues to blend slowly. Landmark towers move forward and back, fading in and out of the shoreline
"What?" Dyson says, following her gaze.
"Where are we?" Bo whispers, taking in the shifting skyline.
"The 13000th floor, apparently," Tamsin says, staring at a glowing panel materializing next to a set of elevator doors in the wall.