· x ·
Tendons popped as Aiden Aguila tilted his head from side to side, stretching his neck. He sat rigidly, contemplating the evening's interesting turn of events. He had heard reports of the Ash appointing a so-called "champion". Accordingly, he had sent several of his minions to infiltrate the Ash's compound and use their various skill sets to shake things up while keeping an eye out.
That Lachlan's champion was nothing other than a sniveling baby succubus was an indication of how small a threat the Ash considered Aiden to be. It was as though killing four of the naga quintuplets was insufficient proof of his worth as an opponent. He bristled with wounded pride.
His antics had thus far been to test the waters, but the garuda sensed it was now time to dive in headfirst.
He gripped the arms of his cobbled-together throne. The seat had taken him months to create. He had painstakingly stacked sticks, stones, and bones of various creatures, using clay to lock them together. It had been an arduous task, one that he had gladly undertaken as a means to channel his anger and misery while he rebuilt his strength.
The Blood King may have killed off the rest of the garuda by writing his laws and suing for peace, but Aiden had clung precariously to life, feeding off the remaining tension between the light and dark and biding his time until he could exact his revenge.
And the time had finally come, he decided, as the throne's arm crumbled beneath the crush of his fingertips.
· x ·
Lauren sat in the conference room studying an ancient tome she had dragged from the restricted section of the Ash's library.
After leaving Bo at the clubhouse with Dyson, she had only taken enough time to go to her apartment and change into dry clothes. Cleo had eyed her curiously as she prepared to leave again, but the erised seemed to have the sense not to question what the doctor was doing. Neither woman remarked on the bizarre nature of their day, but as she left Lauren thought she heard Cleo mutter something about there being no rest for the weary.
It had come as a mild shock when she found James already in the conference room with his head cradled on folded arms. He snored and mumbled when she walked in, but remained asleep. Lauren found herself hoping he wasn't drooling all over her precious books, then laughed deprecatingly at the absurdity of the thought.
She had almost lost her life tonight and her brain still defaulted to worrying over inconsequential things; although she realized it might be her mind's way of suppressing the day's events to allow her subconscious to process.
Lauren couldn't completely compartmentalize everything, however. In a fit of panic, she had broached the subject of Bo's safety with Dyson. She hadn't anticipated his response, but she eventually grasped that he couldn't possibly have had any other reaction.
It wasn't fair of Lauren to place such a burden on him. After all, he was suffering much more than he let on. He struggled with the loss of his love for Bo. Lauren had known it when she first began sparring with him because he had been especially reserved, pulling punches and taking extra care not to get too involved. It had more to do with what she represented than the fact that she was a fragile human. In the back of her mind, Lauren had known that, if pushed, Dyson might accidentally punish her for what he couldn't have.
Lauren had initially found it difficult to set their differences aside, too. The doctor admitted to herself that she had at first tried to spur a reaction from Dyson. She was thankful he had never risen to the bait.
Attacking him today without provocation had been the catalyst that brought about the realization that they were experiencing a new dynamic of their relationship. It felt almost like a friendship. And it was for this reason that Lauren nearly felt comfortable approaching him about healing Bo. If she hadn't been under stress, she might have found a more tactful way. More likely she would have abandoned the idea altogether.
Seeing that Bo continued to bleed, even after nearly draining Lauren's chi, had frightened the doctor so badly that she actually tried to manipulate the shifter into doing something her rational mind might never consider: have sex with Bo.
Dyson had been right, of course, when he said that Bo was a grown woman and could choose her own partners; except Lauren wasn't entirely convinced that Bo understood exactly how choosing the doctor might negatively impact her health, since she would never be a complete cure. It had been a worrisome thought in the back of Lauren's mind, prompting her to research ways she might make herself a stronger energy source for the succubus.
In all her life, Lauren had never thought of what her existence might boil down to—what she might have to endure in the name of love. This was it, though, the complete and ultimate sacrifice: to offer herself up as sustenance for the one she loved, even if doing so might mean the end of her own existence. She told herself she would gladly do it again, but like all living things, Lauren suffered from one tiny drawback: the pesky instinct for survival.
She wasn't sure if she could do it again.
"Lauren!"
The doctor startled at the same time as James' head snapped up, his eyes suddenly wide with terror. Bo's voice echoed down the hallway, trailed by the angry tattoo of her heeled boots. Both doctor and research assistant stared at one another in anticipation of the arrival of one very pissed off succubus.
Bo appeared in the doorway. Her presence filled the room, anger expanding out from her in a palpable wave. She spotted James first and her eyes narrowed as her cheekbones lifted when she clenched her teeth.
"You, out!" she commanded, pointing at the young man, her voice surprisingly even. Lauren sensed this might be the calm before the storm. A storm that was headed full force for Lauren.
James plastered himself to the wall, sucking in his belly to make himself as small as possible as he slithered past the succubus. The doctor felt sorry for him, listening to his footfalls fade as he raced away.
Lauren sat and waited for Bo to lash out, beginning the twisted dance that was a hallmark of their relationship. She had been down this road frequently enough that she could almost predict how Bo would react. She tried to keep her eyes from settling on the blood that was even now seeping through the bandages to soak Bo's blouse. The sight sent a sympathetic, hot knife through her stomach.
Bo stood before Lauren, trembling in an effort to master control. That Bo was not shouting at Lauren first, before retreating to lick her wounds and then process the reason for her anger, was a good sign. Yet, Lauren still waited.
"So," Bo began, pulling out a chair but unable to make herself sit in it quite yet. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the back of it. "I spoke to Dyson."
Lauren didn't move. "Oh," she said, because this too was part of their dance.
"He offered to help me heal completely, if you know what I mean," Bo continued. "Do you know why he would do that?"
Pinned under the stifling gaze Bo directed her way, Lauren felt small and powerless. Nevertheless, she swallowed and lifted her chin. "I asked him to," she admitted.
Bo accepted this as graciously as her currently frothed state would allow. She inclined her head and looked down her nose at the blonde. "Why would you do that, Lauren?"
"I panicked."
Bo didn't seem to know what to say to that. Of all the explanations she had thought Lauren might give, she hadn't expected such uncomplicated honesty. She considered for a moment and then dropped herself into the chair.
At first Lauren didn't understand why the succubus' shoulders were shaking and then she realized that Bo was laughing.
"Bo?"
Bo covered her face with her hands. "My God, Lauren, do you have any idea how fucked up our relationship is?"
"Yes," Lauren replied quietly.
"I mean, just this morning you were beating the crap out of Dyson because I fed from someone else."
Lauren breathed deeply, a vague ghost of jealousy swirling through her mind even now. She shut it out immediately. "I know, but these are extenuating circumstances."
Bo stared.
Lauren stood up. She walked over to Bo and plucked at the succubus' blouse where her blood had seeped through the material. "I can't fix this for you, Bo."
"It's fine," the succubus said, grasping Lauren's hand.
The doctor shook her head. "It's really not. You need to be one hundred percent. If anything, what happened tonight should solidify that for you."
"Why? We're all alive. And you, my dear, kicked some serious ass!"
Lauren's cheeks coloured at the praise, but she wouldn't allow Bo to so easily distract her. The succubus needed to start taking her role as champion more seriously. She was surprised that seeing the garuda reanimate the dead human didn't have more of an effect on the brunette.
But even as she thought that, it occurred to Lauren that Bo might also be blustering her way through a steaming pile of insecurities.
She frowned slightly as she placed her palms on Bo's shoulders. She leaned in and peppered the other woman's face with a dozen little kisses. "I did what I thought I had to at the time, Bo," Lauren said as she drew back to observe the startled expression on the brunette's face. "Unfortunately you're going to have to do the same."
Bo's ire spiked again at that, but Lauren acted quickly to quell it. She captured Bo's lips in a soft, yet passionate kiss. "I love you," she said. "And I would do anything to protect you. But right now you need to protect yourself because there are some things I just can't do." Yet, she silently amended.
"I won't sleep with Dyson, Lauren," Bo growled.
Lauren nodded. It wasn't possible to explain to the other woman that she would prefer the known quantity to the unknown. Whether the succubus wanted to or not, eventually her physical needs would override her heart, at which point Lauren dreaded the start of yet another vicious cycle.
"At least let me re-bandage that for you," Lauren said, accepting temporary defeat.
Bo nodded and allowed the doctor to draw her to her feet. "I guess I need to be somewhat presentable for our meeting with the Ash."
· x ·
Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me for this story. I know it's fairly character driven, but we'll get into some action again soon, I promise. I appreciate all the reviews and would love to hear any feedback, even constructive criticism. Anyway, buckle up, my friends, because I think this one is shaping up to be pretty epic. :S
Special thanks to eblane for being a trooper and lending her beta-reading expertise to the cause!