Russian Ice Station Kovalevska, Antarctica

Eight hours later

Prize: Three mirror amulets, used as glamours, worth twelve points each

'Oh no,' Lucindeya told the vampire when they had reached the bottom of the mountain in Kovalevska. 'There is no way on this frozen planet that you are tracing me to the top of that mountain,' she finished. Yes she had agreed to be his partner in this competition, this Hie, but she drew the line at having to trace with him. She would never willingly go into his arms, and for some reason she believed that was what he wanted, but she couldn't understand would a grown vampire, who felt no emotion, whose heart did not beat, and whose pants did not stir, why would he want to feel the warmth of a woman in his arms? And most importantly, why her? If she didn't know any better she would have feared that she was indeed his Bride. But she did know better.

'Do you want the key or not?' Kristoff asked and she sighed with frustration. Would he always play that one with her? He knew how much she desired that key, he knew what she wanted it for. And like the cruel callous vampire that he was, he would not hesitate to use it against her. Not for the first time did she wish she had not vowed to the Lore to partner with him. Unfortunately he had made it too good to be true, and it probably was.

'What am I to do with this equipment that I bought with me?' She asked and he shrugged, as if to say: I don't believe that is my problem. 'Never mind,' she finished and began to hook up all of her equipment to herself. She did not trust him to keep ahold of her and to not drop her down the mountain. Yes only a beheading would kill her if she fell too oddly, but if she fell at an odd angle she could lose her precious voice and that was just as bad as losing her life, after all she was a siren.

'Well, let me just say that my general Sebastian is closing in along the top of the mountain where the prize is and I do believe that he feels gifting it to Kaderin will make her heart melt for him,' at this he paused and looked over at her. 'But surely that is impossible, nothing can make her heart melt. Right?' He asked and she nodded back.

'Of course not, this is Kaderin we speak of.' And they both had a vampire with them, but unfortunately it seemed that Sebastian could trace directly to wherever he wanted, whether or not he had been there before. In the back of her mind, Cindey wanted to cry cheat, but knew that she could not. However she knew that she could use the vampire lord beside her, to transport her to get the second amulet before Kaderin or the Kobold she had passed did. And so, with a regretful sigh, Kaderin held out her arms for the grave walker to take and when he wrapped her up in his arms she felt, oddly enough, as safe as she had ever felt. And her heart beat twice as fast as it should have done. Every single one of her nerve endings vibrated with awareness, and she was reminded of the one night she had spent with that man, twas the same night her son was conceived.

Yes Kristoff reminded her very much of the immortal male she had slept with that night and oh how clever he was with his hands, his mouth, his...everything. Yes they could have been twins but for one very distinct difference, Kristoff's heart did not beat and the man's did. The male immortal that she hadn't thought to take his name. That man was her child's father.

'So, you've come round to the fact that I was right?' Kristoff asked sneeringly and Cindey frowned.

'No, I've merely come to the conclusion that if we do not get one of those amulets Kaderin will get it before us and she will be twelve points ahead of us,' Cindey said, and tried to keep her voice mutual. She tried to keep the sudden arousal out of her tone. If he knew that her body, at least, was aroused by his, he would use it against her.

'Of course,' he said and although he was indeed aloof, he was still oddly enough saddened by her reply. But how was such a thing possible? Cindey had always thought it an irrefutable fact that vampires only emotion was blood lust. And in a flash, as if to mask his sadness, he traced them to the top of the mountain, apparently he could see further than many other vampires could.

When he let go of her she wobbled and fell back into his chest - consequence of her first trace with a vampire - her hands lighting upon his chest she looked up to gauge his reaction and saw that he was gazing at her, as if...no, no, she would not believe it, there was no such thing. If she was his Bride then surely, surely he would not have hurt her as bad as he had before. Vampires were supposed to want their Bride, want to love them and take care of them, not harm them. Yet again another fact that they were the most heartless beings in the Lore.

'Steady Cindeya,' he called down to her and she tightened her fingers, her claws into his chest, even as he tightened his hold on her. She watched as he looked down over the side of the mountain ledge they stood upon. 'Wouldn't want you to fall now would we?' He spoke so softly, so carefully, so concerned that for a moment she thought that the Forbearers could be a lot better than the Horde vampires, and then she remembered what the Forbearers had done to her, and to her coven. They had killed, slaughtered and taken more from them than any other vampire faction ever had.

'Take your hands off of me Vampire,' Cindey spoke the words, but they were tinged with a husky need and her claws tightened as if to refute what she had just spoke. Treacherous body, how thy defy me, she cursed herself.

'Take your hands off of my chest first siren,' Kristoff said and she tried. She really tried, she had the will, but her hands did not. If her body had had its way, and his had been alive, she knew that she would have been tempted to reach up and press a kiss to his cold lips. He was a handsome man, and surely it was her sirenae body that could not separate the body and the man into two different categories, into evil and gorgeous.

'I cannot,' she informed him and he pulled her closer to him, as she tightened her hold, her claws puncturing his chest, she was not meaning to harm him so her vow was not in violation.