Night's Children: Acteus Reus
AN: You guys get a SUPER DE DUPER long chapter this time since I'm going to be on a mystical voyage for a few weeks. Updates will resume probably towards the end of June for all of my stories.
Chapter Eight: Little Darlings
Riley struggled desperately as she tried to peel off her heavy sweater backstage, since she was overheated from playing under the copious amounts of stage lights. The article of clothing had snagged on her elbows and was halfway over her head, impairing her vision as she writhed her arms and neck about to loosen it up. It wasn't until a pair of helpful hands pulled the olive fabric off of her that she allowed herself to sigh in relief as sweet, cool air hit her.
Her face fell when she realized that it wasn't Imy, Art, or hell even Zahi that had aided her escape from the wool deathtrap. She blinked as she eyed the grinning face with cold eyes. "What do you want?" She demanded quickly, tensing into a defensive position.
Tymmie, holding onto the sweater that she was sure she didn't want back anymore, smirked, three hoops glinting with the motion, "Just helping you undress," He said, smirk growing.
Riley grimaced, knowing he loved to mess with her mind in other ways besides telepathy. She glanced, and noticed that neither Imy, Art, or Zahi had made their way back. Anxiety for her friends took over, as well as some uneasiness at being alone with Tymmie. She cleared her throat awkwardly, and set off to go after them, going around the older boy.
The lieutenant of Infidi stopped her with a firm hand on her bicep, "We need to talk." He said levelly.
She took her other hand and tried to pry his grip off, "We don't have anything to talk about," She said calmly despite the worry starting to build up in her chest. She didn't sense any hostile emotions from the powerful Follower, but Tymmie was one of the few who could actively shield themselves from her ability.
The smirk dropped from his face, "I know of something-someone, rather, who we need to talk about."
Riley froze, knowing that he was cornering her. Tymmie had stopped her twice this week already to have the so-called 'talks'. Mostly he skirted around the issue, the big issue, and had led her on with cryptic riddles and disjointed hints. She wasn't sure what game he was playing, but she knew he was luring her in to something.
"You've told me twice about Trysten," The name felt dry on her tongue, and she brushed away the stigma attached to it, "Both times without actually saying something." She muttered, "I don't know what scheme you're trying to manipulate me into, but I don't want any part of it."
Tymmie pouted, "You are so harsh sometimes. I'm trying to demonstrate concern."
Riley's eyebrows rose skeptically.
Tymmie sighed, "You're in danger." He said flatly.
Riley was a bit startled as the entire façade around him dropped suddenly, "Why should that matter to you?"
His granite colored eyes seemed to drill holes with their stare, "Because I don't want you getting crossed over," Riley almost startled, "Unless I'm the one doing it." Her shock faded.
The empath shook her head, "I need to get back to Imy-"
"She can wait," Tymmie practically ordered, his grip on her upper arm trailing down and grabbing her hand, steering her away from the stage area.
Riley grit her teeth as she felt frustrations grow in her, "What are you doing?" She asked crossly, trying the worm her fingers out of his hand.
"Taking this conversation away from prying minds," He responded vaguely, gesturing with his head towards the back corner of the stage area.
Riley looked over her shoulder and felt all the warmth drain out of her when her stare landed on the bassist for Absinthe, a big guy that was glaring at the pair with profound interest. A bit of panic fluttered in her chest, how long had he been there? And why hadn't she been able to sense him?
Riley stared at him again, and shivered when she noticed the starving look he kept throwing at her. "This had better be important." She whispered in defeat.
A wicked gleam caught in Tymmie's eyes, knowing that he had the empathetic girl right where he needed her, "Let's dance." He offered.
Riley paled, "I don't-"
She was cut off as Tymmie pulled her along into the crowd.
OoO
Imy leaned against the wall outside of the club, her head tilted back and her breathing starting to even out from the exertion of singing. Her eyes lightly fluttered shut and she winced inwardly when she replayed the discussion between her and Riley moments ago.
What the hell had she been thinking? Imy knew better than anyone what a sensitive topic the night of Trysten's Cold Fire was for Riley, so why did she bring it back up? The picture of her friend's crestfallen face kept flashing across her mind and Imy bit the inside of her cheek, ashamed and feeling like scum. This wasn't how she wanted to behave, Imy had always despised the catty, bitchy girls who threw a tantrum whenever circumstances didn't go exactly their way. She lived by an optimist's code, and wanted to live her life as best as she could while always looking for positives.
So why was she still stewing over something as mundane as being grounded for a week? She punched someone in the face, of course she was going to get grounded. Her rationale and self-righteous anger was ridiculous, and even worse, she was throwing her frustrations in her friends' faces.
Even if teleporting Aria into a dumpster had been rather funny…
Imy shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts as she folded her arms across her stomach. Maybe all of her stress from being a Daughter was just accumulating and these outbursts were just a way to let it out? She groaned, realizing that her reproachful inner voice was beginning to sound like Jimena.
The teleporter heard a door creak open, and a hesitant voice called out, "Imy? Are you out here?"
Imy's eyes widened, Art! She had completely ignored him all night, hadn't even said hello. She grimaced, she had a lot to figure out about herself before she went and hurt more people, "I'm right here." She said quietly.
Art stepped out into the alleyway, the dim light from the stars and half-moon illuminating his handsome, boyish features. His brown hair was still crazily disheveled as always, but there was a slight sheen of sweat in it from playing the drums under the heavy lighting. He smiled sheepishly and stood next to his girlfriend, who was staring out into the darkness contemplatively.
"Want to talk about it?" He asked gently.
She slowly shook her head, "I'm not sure what I would even say."
Art stared at her, watching the slight downward turn of her mouth she always got when she was overanalyzing something, "You don't need to say anything," He said soothingly, "But maybe it would help if you did?"
Imy chewed on her lip stud, "I'm sorry," She said clearly, her voice was still a bit raspy from singing earlier.
Art's eyebrows rose slightly, "I don't think it's me you should be apologizing to," He said.
Imy sighed, "I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but I honestly don't know what's gotten into me lately," She admitted, "I feel…smothered all of the time."
"Is Jimena riding you guys too hard?" Art questioned, concern in his eyes.
Imy shrugged, "No more than usual, I suppose. Even if she were, it's not like we can just quit. Aria tried that once, didn't quite work out for her."
He gave her an understanding look and rested an arm around her. She leaned into the embrace, resting her head on his shoulder. "It will get better," He promised. "Riley will forgive you, so will Zahi."
Imy stared at him, their eyes meeting. Unlike other people who would say something along the lines of 'everything will work out', Art actually meant it. He was a lot like her in that respect. Both of them were profound optimists, and she deeply admired his conviction of people being inherently good, even though they sadly always seemed to end up disappointing him. She smiled, and rested her forehead against his own, and he mirrored the expression. Her hand found his, and his rough thumb ran itself comfortingly across her knuckles.
He really was her rock, and it was times like this that she was so thankful to have him. Even when she lost her own purpose, he remained grounded in his own, which gave her hope. Art had been dealt the rough hand, but he still persevered. She could persevere too. With so few words, he made her feel safe, like everything really would work out in the end.
Imy exhaled, "I'll go apologize to Riley and Zahi." She murmured.
Art lifted his head before placing a chaste kiss on her forehead, "I'm always here for you, Imy. No matter what you may be dealing with." His green eyes glistened playfully, "But you need to remember to ask for help sometimes too."
She wrinkled her nose, "Are you saying I'm stubborn?"
He suddenly looked very uncomfortable, his eyes darting around, "Well…"
She laughed, and pulled away from him without untangling their hands. "I have a lot that I need to work on," She admitted, the mirth dying away to be replaced with embarrassment.
Art grinned and tilted her chin up, "I'll be here every step of the way. I know better than most people what it's like to lose yourself," He assured.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his chest, "Thank you." She whispered into his shirt.
"No problem…" He trailed off, and Imy could tell there was something he wanted to say.
"What?" She asked, confused.
He gave an awkward smile, "Um, are you sure you don't want to wear my jacket or something?" He said, trying desperately to keep his eyes only on her face.
She snorted, and elbowed him in the stomach, "Most guys would kill to have their girlfriend wearing something like this. But no, I get the guy with manners."
He rubbed the back of his head self-consciously, "And they say chivalry is dead…"
She rolled her eyes, "Give me your coat, dork."
He beamed and happily consented.
OoO
Tessa sauntered over easily towards the area where she had felt the stares coming from the most, tossing a golden curtain of hair over her shoulder haughtily and smirking when she saw several heads snap towards her direction. Cautiously, so not to appear too eager, Tessa sat gently at a bar stool, smiling charmingly at the bartender, an attractive man in his early twenties. Correction, an attractive Follower in his early twenties.
He smiled back, a crooked little gesture, "Can I get you anything?"
Her favorite answer, gin and tonic, was on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed it down when she remembered she was on duty, "Any virgin drink you have." She supplied instead.
His eyebrows shot up, "Playing it safe tonight?"
Tessa winked, "For now."
He chuckled, approving of the answer as his eyes lingered for a moment longer than necessary, before digging out a can of regular soda.
"Put it on my tab," Came a smooth, baritone voice from behind Tessa's shoulder as the seat next to hers was suddenly occupied.
The blonde rolled her eyes, knowing that it was quite possibly the lamest maneuver ever to score, but she turned to look at her impromptu benefactor anyways, if for nothing else than to see if he was cute or not.
She felt her eyes widen slightly when they met a saffron stare. Remembering herself and her objective for tonight, she slowly shook away her shock, "Thanks." She said quietly, grabbing the can and popping the tab.
The Follower who had paid for her drink, someone who looked a few years older than her with a charming grin and obvious posh accent grinned, "I can spare a few dollars," He drawled, square-cut features morphing handsomely into a half-smile.
Tessa did a quick assessment of the person next to her. Judging by the aura surrounding him, he appeared to be a weaker Follower, and since he didn't seem to be staring her down like a hungry man does a steak, she took it to mean that he had just taken someone's hope- so she wasn't in immediate danger.
"What's your name?" She asked amiably, deciding he would be an optimum target to pump for information.
"Cheshire," He supplied, and Tessa snorted.
"Like the cat?"
His grin stretched, "Like the village." He politely corrected, extending his hand, "And you must be Tessa."
The illusionist felt the air rapidly leave her lungs, "Excuse me?" She stammered.
Cheshire laughed quietly, dropping the proffered hand to gesture with his thumb towards the back, "I believe you've met my friend?"
Tessa followed the direction of the thumb, and tremendous anxiety overcame her when she saw Tsiro lingering in the back with his brother and a few Follower girls. "Oh, shit." She proclaimed, her stare darting back towards Cheshire, "We're in the neutral zone, it would be suicide for you to fight me-"
The older boy chuckled, "Relax, love. I'm not here to hurt you," He leaned his head forward, his face inches away from her own, "I'm simply curious."
She blinked, confused, "Curious?"
His deft fingers hastily tucked back some of her blonde hair behind her ears, "It's not everyday we get Goddesses in our clubs, now is it?"
Tessa jerked back, eyes narrowing, "What do you want?" She demanded.
Cheshire smirked, "Just conversation. I've been watching you since you've come in, and you've piqued my interest, that's all."
Tessa stood up to leave, placing the unfinished soda down on the counter, "As much as I would love to satisfy your curiosity, I'm actually here for a reason."
"That wouldn't include gathering information about Infidi and Incinti plots, now would it?" He called after her, sounding far too smug. Tessa whirled around to face him, and he was absently picking at his fingernails. When he sensed her bewilderment, he shrugged, "Just a hunch."
Tessa snorted in disbelief, "What if it were?"
"I could help you out…for a price," Cheshire posed, still playing the nonchalant act.
Tessa's posture tried to assert itself as intimidating, "And what would that price be?"
Cheshire smiled, "You answer a few of my questions, of course." He paused, "And I won't give you any information from my side."
Tessa rolled her eyes, "What good would that do me?"
The Follower's smile spread, "I know enough Incinti secrets to satisfy you, I'm sure." He snorted, and his gaze trailed back towards Tsiro, "My new friend hasn't yet figured out that I'm loyal to Infidi."
Tessa worried her lower lip between her teeth, her gaze going to Cheshire, back out into the crowd where she knew Aria and Carlos were. This seemed like far too good of an opportunity to pass up, a Follower was willingly offering to give her answers. Still, it seemed a bit farfetched to be legit.
"What's the catch?" She demanded, despite herself intrigued.
"No catch," He explained, "It's really a win-win situation for me. You get information to undermine my rivals, and I get information about you."
Tessa sighed, "What kind of information about the Daughters do you want?"
Cheshire grinned, "You misunderstand me. Not the Daughters, you."
For some reason, this made her more uneasy than being asked to give an alphabetized list of the Daughters' weaknesses, "And why would you want to know about me?" She ventured hesitantly, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.
He leaned back comfortably in his seat, "You interest me, that's all."
Tessa seemed to weigh this in her mind. On the one hand, it could be an obvious trap, and this was some sort of elaborate scheme to undermine the Daughters of the Moon. Yet, if this Cheshire guy was being honest, she would be a complete idiot to pass this opportunity up.
Begrudgedly, Tessa sat down next to him, "I go first." She muttered bitterly.
The Follower's smile could have lit up the room.
OoO
Zahi wasn't far from surprised when he realized that his way towards Imy and Art was blocked. He had sensed the presence of the onlookers ever since he had finished his set, and had been attempting to draw them away from both the Daughters of the Moon.
"Can I help you?" He drawled, his coffee-colored stare narrowing in on the two lax forms in front of him.
Nurse, the scantily dressed male guitarist from Absinthe, was stretched out against a wall, his long legs crossed over each other and the tips of his fingers tucked into the small pockets of his short shorts. To his side stood Uschi, an annoyed expression on her bony face as her scrawny arms were folded in a haughty manner.
"I'm Nurse, but I'm sure you knew that," He said, his voice rather pitchy as he straightened from his slouch, his mouth fixed in an almost constant smile, "Just like I already know that you're Zahi."
"Achem," Came Uschi as she cleared her throat, obviously irritated with being overlooked.
"The runt's Uschi," Nurse amended, rolling his eyes, "We're very pleased to meet you."
"You didn't answer my question," Zahi said flatly.
"We're just dropping by to say hello," Nurse said, a yellow gleam in his brown eyes. "Maybe for a little fun as well?"
The once Immortal Follower allowed the tiniest of superior smirks to crawl on his face, "Does fun include crossing over two Daughters of the Moon?"
Nurse giggled, "You're quick," He paused, allowing his own smirk to go over his features, "But wrong."
"This is boring," Uschi grumbled, thin lips pressed in scowl of disapproval, "I thought facing an Immortal would be fun."
"What do you want then? I have things to do," Zahi mumbled, playing the nonchalant card in an attempt to lure them into a false sense of security.
"Are you always so impolite?" Nurse said, approval in his tone.
"Do you always make a habit of avoiding questions?" He retorted.
"Hm, you're snarky," pouted Nurse, pushing himself off of the wall to face Zahi, "It makes me want to cross you over even more."
Zahi rolled his eyes, and gave a flicker of power to demonstrate his darker side. The girl to the side stiffened, obviously effected by it, "I've already been crossed over." He said dryly, "Twice."
Nurse's face quirked up into a grin as he took a step closer, "Perhaps, but you have your hope still." He tapped a finger against his chin, "I wonder if the rumors are true? If the fabled Witch Goddess was the one who restored your hope?"
Zahi felt a sting of something familiar enter his chest whenever someone mentioned Serena, and his teeth grit, "You are not to speak of her."
Nurse giggled yet again, and Zahi wondered if this was a normal reaction for him or if he was high, "You're getting angry."
"More like irritated," He said coldly, another outburst of power coming from him as shadows began to whirl around him.
"Nurse, I think we should go get Wickett-" Came Uschi, her snotty persona discarded when she noticed the darkness gather around the ex Follower as well as the malevolence beginning to surround him.
"Shut up Uschi," He said, his tone light but edged with annoyance, "Go play with Mendicant if this is too much for you to handle."
Uschi chomped on her lower lip, obviously pissed with the casual dismissal, but she wasn't stupid and knew her limits. She sent Zahi a glare, before turning around and heading back towards the stage.
Zahi processed this slowly, if this Mendicant were at the stage, no doubt he was the one meant to engage Riley. While Riley could more than handle the overweight bassist, it made him feel a tremor of anxiety for Art, who would now likely be cornered by someone stronger than what he could handle.
"Wickett is your leader, then?" He asked shrewdly.
Nurse's nose wrinkled, "Don't be thinking about him, you're facing me." He said with mock despair, blinking away false tears.
Zahi gave a hiss of aggravation, "Who is he after?"
Nurse stuck his tongue out, "Not you!"
Zahi's patience was beginning to become severely strained, "I'll just find out for myself then." He mumbled, closing his eyes and trying to read Nurse's thoughts.
"Now you're just being naughty," The androgynous male replied, and Zahi was slightly startled to see that his telepathy had been blocked off, "It's rude to go somewhere you're not invited."
"Seems I underestimated your shielding ability," He said to himself, after a pause, he continued, "But you have underestimated me."
Nurse tilted his head to the side, "Now why's that?"
"If you think that only one of you can defeat me, you are sorely mistaken." Zahi exhaled, "I'm getting quite sick of people assuming I don't know how to have telepathic battles simply because I've been in Nefandus for a decade or two." He gave a dark smile, "I've been a Follower for eight hundred years, think you can compare?"
Nurse's eyes widened slightly, as he had not been expecting such a high number. He coughed awkwardly, "Well, when you put it like that…"
Zahi just shook his head, "You're grating my nerves, so I'm going to ask you nicely one more time, who is your leader after?"
Nurse sighed, but he was wising up to just how much strength Zahi had at his disposal, "The girl." He said shrugging.
"Nice try. There were two girls, which one?"
"The one with the brown hair. Wickett likes challenges," Nurse continued before turning around nonchalantly, his abrupt shift in attitude confusing Zahi immensely, "I see I'm going to need a bit more research, but it was a pleasure to meet your acquaintance." He said, waving his hand as he stalked off down the hall.
Zahi watched him go, his powers falling away as his jaw dropped in confusion.
OoO
"Does the frigid have an off switch?" Tymmie asked, his hands resting lightly on the tops of Riley's hips as the pair danced slowly underneath the lights. He was standing behind her, craning his neck to whisper in the empath's ear.
"No," She answered bluntly, putting a few more centimeters of distance between them as she leaned forward slightly. She noticed with some irritation that Tymmie's hands remained firmly in place, "What did you need to talk to me about?"
Tymmie tsked in disapproval, his tongue barbell clicking against his teeth with the motion, "With you Daughters it's always about business, isn't it?"
Riley tensed even further, "What else would this be about?"
He smirked, even though Riley couldn't see the action, "Two friends enjoying each others' company."
Riley felt her eyes widen, "F-friends?" She stammered, a rare sign of her being actually caught off guard.
Tymmie laughed, a sound far too cruel to be genuine, and he spun Riley around so that she was facing him, "Of course," He said smiling like a cat who ate a canary, "I am looking out for your best interests after all."
The empath sent him a scrutinizing look, and yet again backed away from him slightly. As if sensing a challenge, Tymmie took a half-step forward, enjoying how his physical proximity made her uncomfortable and anxious.
"And what would those best interests be?" She posed shrewdly, her eyes darting around in an almost a paranoid fashion as she searched for enemies.
Tymmie chuckled, this time a bit lighter, "You're a very amusing little girl," He complimented, "Thinking I'm setting you up in plain view of some Incinti bigwigs."
"Pardon me for suspecting the Follower who wants me dead of dishonesty," She said in her familiar monotone dryness, shifting away again.
"Not dead, converted," He quickly corrected, "You're no fun if you're dead, Riley." He said, eyes gleaming yellow for an instant.
"You're avoiding my questions," Riley mumbled, "Which implies that you're stalling for something." One of the hands on her hips crawled around to rest on the small of her back and she grimaced.
A long index finger tapped her affectionately on the nose, "I knew you were the smart one," He said with false approval.
Her voice became softer, "What is this about, Tymmie?" Her gray eyes lifted to meet his, searching for something, "What do you want?" There was a slight furrow to her eyebrows, as if genuinely confused.
He seemed vaguely unnerved for a moment, her stare making him almost as uncomfortable as his hands' locations made her, but he cleared his throat and pulled her a little closer towards him. "You'll find out in time," He whispered somewhat menacingly, before his tone lightened, "You need to do me two favors." He drawled.
Riley could feel his heart thudding, his chest against hers, and the closeness between them was beginning to frighten her, especially when she could sense the darkened aura hanging around him like a second skin, "What sort of favors?" She mumbled back flatly.
"There's rumors floating around the higher ranked Followers that a member from the Cinti is coming," He said casually, like he was talking about the weather and not some foreboding power of doom. "Stronger than anyone you've ever come across."
The question was in her eyes, because he quickly elaborated, "Perhaps stronger than me," He admitted sourly, "And they're after a Daughter."
Riley felt something lodge up in her throat, "Why are you telling me this?" She whispered shakily.
He snorted, "Easy. I don't want some bastard Incinti Follower swooping in and ruining my plans. I have a reputation to protect, and I'll look like shit if some asshole converts the Daughters of the Moon when I have yet to convert one." When he mentioned 'one' his eyes flickered down at her and she felt his hunger for hope almost painfully strong, "Infidi will lose the advantage, and I can't have that."
Riley chewed on her lower lip, "So you want us to defeat this Follower so you, in turn, can defeat us?"
"Something like that."
She shook her head, "Why should I listen to you?"
He grinned, and the hand on her lower back trailed up slowly to rest between her shoulder blades, pushing her closer, "Because I, at least, am willing to give you a few more weeks of freedom." He hissed, "Which is more than what you're going to get from a Cinti member."
Riley's hands gently rested on Tymmie's chest, and she started to push him away, "What does this even have to do with why you wanted to talk to me in the first place?" She accused, beginning to feel the tinniest flickers of annoyance break passed her serene composure.
Tymmie's face actually morphed into a stoic mask, free of teasing, and Riley felt herself freeze mid-shove, "That's my second favor, this one just for you."
She was silent, an indicator for him to continue.
"Trysten is going to be coming for you," He paid no attention to how she flinched when he said his name, "It happens to all of the newly crossed over Followers, sooner or later."
"What happens?" She questioned dumbly, a wave of apprehension coming over her involuntarily.
"When people first lose their hope, you know what they crave the most?" He chided, continuing before she had the chance to answer, "They crave the hope of those most important to them." His lip hoops glinted with the curving of his lips, "So I'd be awfully careful, if I were you."
The words weighed heavily on her mind, and she felt a bit of nausea overcoming her, "Why are you warning me?" She spoke softly, terror and pain and longing all threatening to consume her.
His cold, black-nailed fingers trailed down her cheeks, his face hovering centimeters over hers, "Because I want Trysten to suffer," His said darkly, his tone drenched with an acrimony so intense Riley felt her blood run cold, "I want him to be denied the one thing he wants so desperately. I want him to be alone, cold, and tortured. I want him to fully comprehend what it means to surrender to weakness. I want him to-" His rant was cut off as Riley violently shoved him off of her, a demonstration of aggression that she normally never showed.
"You're sick," She said darkly, a quiet strength surrounding her as she glared at him, and Tymmie felt a smile creeping up on his face when he discovered he had pushed all of the correct buttons.
"You think I'm sick?" He questioned with a sugary false innocence, "You should see what Trysten's been up to, now that he's the Prince of the Night. All of those poor, helpless people begging for mercy-"
Riley backed away from him, her ears refusing to hear what Tymmie was telling her as hurt and betrayal stung her chest, "You're lying."
"Of course I am," He said in a manner that made it painfully apparent he was telling the truth, "After all, I'm a Follower, Riley. That's what we Followers do." His eyes shined yellow, "We lie."
Silence reigned between the two as the implications of his words sunk in, and Riley felt herself losing control over her power as it began to draw upon the negative sentiments in the crowd.
"You'll understand better when you've figured yourself out," He said in a patronizing tone, "I can feel it in you even now. Remember our old talk, Riley? Damnat quod non intellegunt (1)?" There was a teasing quality in his words, "Stars burn brightest before they fall."
Riley's fingers curled into fists at her sides, "Please don't talk to me again," She politely, but coldly, requested, as she swerved on her heel and tried to navigate her way through the crowd.
Tymmie's smiled sinisterly, "I'm coming whether you like it or not Riley," He whispered, before calling after her, "Remember my first favor." A pause, "One of your friends could be in incredible danger," He said sarcastically, obviously not caring either way.
This made her pause in her step, and she tried to battle with the warring emotions inside of her. Finally, she looked over her shoulder, and wasn't surprised to see Tymmie staring her down.
He waved slightly, "I'll see you around, because eventually, you are going to come looking for me." He said, "Sweet dreams, Riley." He crooned before he dissolved into the shadows of the club.
Riley watched the spectacle with a sensation of fear so thick it lodged in her throat.
OoO
Tessa's eyes widened as she took in what the Follower beside her was saying, "A member of the Cinti? You've got to be shitting me." She groaned in exasperation, rubbing the bridge of her nose. At her elbows rested an empty soda can, as well as a half-downed gin and tonic. "Who is it after?"
Cheshire gave a cluck of disapproval, his index finger waggling side to side, "It's my turn now."
Tessa winced, she had just spent the past twenty minutes or so listening to Cheshire as he discussed the possible plans of the Incinti. So far, none of it had really sunk in, and she failed to grasp the horror of the situation, settling instead for ordering an alcoholic drink. This would be Cheshire's first question for her, and she tensed, mentally drawing conclusions of what he might ask.
Where do you live?
How does your power function?
What is your greatest fear?
Who are the people closest to you?
When are you at your weakest?
"What's your favorite movie?" Cheshire asked simply with a languid roll of his shoulders.
Tessa snorted out her sip of G&T, coughing a bit and thumping her chest, "Are you serious?" She demanded in a sort of relived amazement.
Cheshire nodded as he sipped at his own lager, "Answer the question."
Tessa paused, and blinked owlishly, "But…really?" She still wasn't able to comprehend why a Follower was so willing to sell out his own kind (well not exactly but close enough), and only wanted her entertainment preferences as compensation.
"Of course."
"Wow, um," Tessa scrambled to find the correct answer in her brain, having never really though about it before, "Old Grace Kelly movies, I guess." Ezra collected old, vintage films on his time off, and seeing as the Locklands had no cable, it was Tessa's only source for movies.
Cheshire seemed to mull this over, before smiling, again, "In regards to your previous question, I don't know. It's sort of classified information within the Cinti, and those are hardly the types to leak out information." His smile stretched again, "My turn!" He paused, in deep thought, "Favorite drink?"
She didn't say anything, just indicated to the beverage below her. Her blue eyes narrowed, "When is the Cinti member supposed to be here?"
"Soon. It may be in Los Angeles even now," He supplied. "Would you rather have a snake or a hamster for a pet?"
Tessa could only shake her head in bewilderment at his odd questions, "A snake, probably. Hamsters die too fast." Her lips pursed as she took another drink, "Why does the Cinti member only want to destroy one of us-?" She was startled abruptly when she felt a hand close around her shoulder.
Whirling on her bar stool, she was amazed to meet the steady gaze of Los Angeles's resident empath, "Riley?" She asked in disbelief, "Aren't you supposed to be keeping tabs on Absinthe-" It was then that she noticed that despite Riley's calm countenance, there was a slight, panicky wave of emotions that were projecting from her. Tessa's eyes narrowed, "What's going on?"
Riley shook her head, "We need to find the others and leave as soon as possible to Jimena's." She paused, "I got a warning that a Cinti member-"
"Yeah, actually, that was just what-" Tessa turned to her side to face the stranger that had kept her occupied for the past half hour with his question game, and her jaw dropped when she realized that he had disappeared, "-he was saying."
Riley's eyebrows drew together in confusion, "Who?"
Tessa shook her head, wondering if she should tell her fellow goddess. After a few moments of inward debate, she settled for a half-truth, "An Infidi Follower told me about some Incinti plots against us."
The maroon haired girl's eyes widened a fraction, "Who?"
Tessa gave a half-hearted shrug, "Some guy. He said his name was Cheshire."
The tension dispelled instantly, and Tessa idly wondered what had gotten the normally docile girl so jumpy, "…like the cat?"
"Like the village," She replied vacantly, before it dawned on her, "Who told you?"
Riley seemed to be having her own internal war, before she gave up, sighing slightly, "Let's just go find the others, and we'll both explain everything at Jimena's."
Tessa eyed her critically for a moment before nodding, "Aria and Carlos were out dancing over there," She said with a general sweep of her arm, which she noticed, was a little sluggish.
Riley exhaled, "Have you been drinking?"
Tessa snorted, "Only one-" Her eyes widened when she noticed there were three empty glasses in front of her now, she blinked, "Or three." She admitted sheepishly, scratching her head as she did not recall having that much to drink.
The empath just shook her head slowly, "Don't let Aria know." She said blandly, obviously dreading the possible confrontation.
Tessa smiled, bringing her hand down over her face like a curtain, with it a slight golden aura. As soon as it had passed over her, it appeared as if she had completely sobered up, "Good as new!"
Riley, whose nerves were a bit too frazzled to go into a responsibility speech just breathed deeply in an attempt to get a grip on herself, "Let's go find Aria and Carlos."
Tessa blinked, "Where are Imy, Art, and Zahi?"
Riley's shoulders tensed slightly, something that did not go unnoticed by the illusionist, "Imy's been acting…strange tonight. I assume Art and Zahi both went to speak with her."
"Strange how?" Tessa queried as she launched herself off of the barstool, trailing after Riley as she used her empathetic ability to part the crowds.
Riley worried her lower lip, struggling to come up with a refined term for Imy's abnormal behavior recently. Apparently giving up, she exhaled, "She's been a bit of a bitch."
Tessa laughed, amazed that Riley had resorted to ordinary swear words, "That bad, huh?"
Riley shook her head, "I don't know. One minute, she's the same Imy I've known since third grade, the next she's a completely different person…" She trailed off, "One I don't like." She admitted softly.
Tessa replayed the actions of the teleporter over the past few days and she nodded as understanding dawned on her, "Like how she socked The Spawn in the face?"
Riley nodded, "Tatum and Imy have always bashed heads, but Imy has never hit her before." She paused, "And Tatum wasn't acting unusual enough to warrant a physical reaction of aggression."
"And she's been wanting to use her powers more," Tessa deducted, facing Riley, "Do you think this has anything to do with a Follower's influence? Like a Cinti's, for instance?"
The soft spoken girl was quiet for a moment, "That was one of the first things I checked for, to see if it was an outsider's manipulation. But so far, all the sentiments Imy's been projecting are completely her own." She paused, before continuing sadly, "And I was so sure I had felt a flicker of something at the RockOut last weekend…"
Tessa mulled this over, a bit of concern- as well as apprehension- surging up for her fellow Goddess. It wasn't like Imy to be so angry or condescending, normally she was the most playful and carefree of the four. If what Riley said was true…then something drastic was definitely going on with everyone's favorite teleporter.
"Is there a way your powers could have, I don't know, screwed up or something?" She posed.
Riley's features became a bit grim, "They've never been wrong before. It takes tremendous discipline to fake a feeling and have it be genuine. No one's been able to alter their feelings through willpower alone, at least not fully. Not even Followers like Tymmie, who's only been able to hide his emotions from me. It's not a matter of the mind, but of the heart…if that makes any sense." She mused intuitively.
"And your power reads emotions?" Tessa asked for clarification, "So you would know if Imy was being genuine?"
Riley nodded contemplatively, "It not only reads them, but it sees through fake projections, of clouded-over feelings. That's how I know whenever someone is lying." She paused, "If Imy were to be under the control of a Follower, I would know, since only the superficial emotions would be affected. But…but what Imy says she's feeling, she's actually feeling." Riley exhaled, "She honestly has conviction about whatever she's saying or doing, and that's what frightens me the most."
Tessa groaned, she so did not want to think about this right now. And it didn't help that her mind was slightly fogged over from the alcohol she had consumed. Despite outward appearances, the stuff was still screwing her up internally and she found that her reaction time was a little sluggish as it took her longer than normal to process Riley's statements.
"Maybe we're just reading too much into this?" She muttered, "After all, everyone's entitled to have a bad week. It happens to the best of people."
Riley, still walking forward, paused in her step slightly, "If this were any other person, I would agree with you. But I've known Imy for almost a decade, we grew up together. This isn't how she acts. She's been mad before, but she recovers quickly. It's been a week, and each day she gets worse." She licked her lips nervously, "It feels like…we're losing her."
Tessa thought of a response to that, but was cut short when she saw a familiar face in the crowd, "Isn't that the guy who used to hang out with Aria?" She questioned out loud, seeing a familiar light blond head in the crowd.
Riley's introspection was cut short when she heard the illusionist, and her head snapped up, "Where?" She murmured.
Tessa pointed discretely to the side, "Across the dance floor. It's hard to tell, since we're so far away, but he looks like him-" She squinted, and as soon as she had caught sight of the blond boy, her shoulders slumped, "Never mind, he's gone now."
Riley's eyes narrowed, "Why would Ian be at a Follower club?" She asked softly.
Tessa shrugged, "It might not have been him, I've only seen the guy a handful of times." She giggled a bit, "Besides, I'm sort of drunk."
Riley appeared pensive for a beat longer, before she noticeably calmed down, "I'll go get Imy, Art, and Zahi, you go grab Carlos and Aria, and I'll meet you at the front exit?"
"Sounds good," Tessa said, a hiccup bursting from her mouth, "I'm off then, be careful." She said as she strode off towards where she saw the couple previously.
Riley took a deep breath, and turned around to head back towards the stage area. She was shocked to see Zahi, standing only a few feet away. He appeared slightly disheveled, his normally slicked back hair tousled and his eyes less dark brown in color and a bit more amber than usual.
"I was just about to come find you," Riley said, looking behind him, "Where are Imy and Art?"
Zahi's face became a scowl, "They aren't with you?" He asked crossly.
Riley shook her head, staring at him in evaluation, "What happened to you?" She asked with genuine concern.
He shook his head with an expression of distaste, "Had an…irritating run in with an Incinti Follower." He said casually before his tone hardened, "When was the last time you saw them?"
Riley blinked, "After Imy had gone off stage."
Zahi's posture stiffened, "Let's go look for them." He said gesturing with a turn of his head as he went backstage. Riley followed after him.
"What's wrong?" She could feel the agitation around him as it swarmed like a nest of angry hornets.
"The person I ran into was a member of Absinthe, from the sound of it, their leader is after Imy for some reason." He explained calmly, despite his emotions spiking.
Riley's heart rate increased along with her pace.
OoO
Imy shivered as she and Art were walking back towards the door for the club, a repulsive sensation crawling up her spine. Art, to her side, paused in his step and eyed his girlfriend.
"What's wrong?"
Imy opened her mouth to reply, but something different spewed out of it instead, "O Mater Luna, regina nocis, adiuvo me nunc."
Art noticeably tensed, whirling around as his green stare searched the shadows, "Followers?" He asked carefully.
Imy froze, the prayer was only something that came out involuntarily when a Daughter was in significant danger. She mimicked Art's actions, paranoia taking over her as she tried to locate the unseen threat, "I'm not sure, it felt like one-"
Suddenly, as if he were struck down by lightening, Art crumpled to the ground, an expression of pure horror etched onto his face.
"Art!" Cried Imy desperately, darting to his side and crouching down beside him. She cradled his head in her lap and closed her eyes. She could feel the darkness hovering around the former servus's head and immediately deducted that he had been a victim of a telepathic attack. Relief filled her when she noticed that the shadows were dissipating, indicating that the boy's condition wasn't permanent.
But who would have that sort of power-?
"Hello, Imy isn't it?" Came a drawl from Erebus's doorway, and the teleporter froze in recognition of the voice, "You'll have to forgive me, I'm not so good at names."
She felt her heart slow down to a crawl as she hesitantly turned around. Her golden eyes widened in raw terror when she stared down the man who had taken out Art with a single blow.
Tymmie leaned against a wall, absently inhaling on a cigarette perched delicately between his two fingers. The moonlight cast shadows over his cold features and his eyes glinted eerily like a cat's. To his side stood a Follower Imy didn't recognize, a twenty something male with square-cut features and tawny hair.
Imy felt her power spike as rage replaced her fear, eyeing the manipulative bastard with pure hatred, "What did you do to Art?" She demanded.
Tymmie took another nonplussed drag, "Who?" He asked with fake ignorance.
The white light that often signified the use of Imy's abilities seemed to encompass her, "You know who."
The second in command of Infidi snorted, and took a few steps in Imy's direction. The moon amulet draped around her neck emitted violent sparks and the other Follower at Tymmie's side winced in pain. "That weakling?" Tymmie scoffed as he exhaled a perfect smoke ring, "I thought I was doing you a favor."
Imy's nostrils flared, and her stance widened, her mind assessing the countless drills she had run with Jimena last week as she faced down the Follower, "What do you want?"
Tymmie laughed, the sound was callous and cutting, "What all Followers want, I was searching for some hope and as luck would have it, I ran into a Daughter of the Moon."
Imy grit her teeth, and was about to charge him, but she noticed a flicker in the shadows by Art's head. Coldness grasped her heart when she discovered that she had all but forgotten Tymmie's counterpart, and she quickly latched onto Art and prepared to teleport him to safety.
She was cut off by a heavy, sinking sensation that dragged her back to the ground and dispersed the light that was beginning to surround her. She gasped as she felt something akin to worms or maggots crawling through her skull and her hands shot up instinctively to grab the sides of her head.
"How-?!" Imy spat, and her air left her when she realized that the other Follower with Tymmie was now beside Art, his hands over the boy's eyes while his stare grew yellow.
"No!" She screamed, mustering enough willpower to struggle against Tymmie's mental hold and launch herself at the young man. She was able to tackle him in the side, and after a surprised little 'oof' the man's concentration was broken.
Tymmie sighed, "You are positively annoying," He said with a sniff of disdain, "Giving my new recruits so much trouble."
Imy panted as she battled to break the painful grip on her thoughts. She could feel her mind being tugged into the dark recesses of Tymmie's worst memories, and she fought against it as hard as she could.
Tymmie turned and faced his oddly calm underling, "This is going to get nasty in a little bit." He ordered flatly.
The young man seemed to pick up on his drift, because he gave an odd grin before vanishing into the shadows.
Tymmie sauntered forward towards the prostrate goddess, cracking his neck from side to side and stubbing out his cigarette underneath his boot, "Your choice, you or your little servus first?"
Imy stifled the scream of frustration bubbling up in her throat and she prayed frantically that one of the other Daughters, Carlos, or Zahi could sense her dangerous situation intuitively. "Help me," She cried out to no one in particular as she felt her resolve weakening and her knees give out. She turned her head up to gaze at her tormentor and was surprised to notice that he wasn't even giving her a second glance, his eyes seemed trained to the shadows, watching the darkness expectantly.
Suddenly, there was this crushing, cold sensation that smothered her like a blanket. The mental attack on her psyche was dispersed instantly as a raw chill overtook her instead. Imy collapsed onto the ground and started to cough pathetically, wincing as something frostbitten seemed to settle into her very blood.
Tymmie staggered a bit from his crouch, a flash of shock over his eyes before he settled back into a nonplussed expression, "Been wondering when you were going to show up." He croaked out idly.
"Get away from here," Came a surprisingly soft voice, and Imy's eyes rolled up as she gazed at the figure who had suddenly appeared.
It was a strikingly beautiful girl, who appeared to be about the same age as Imy, perhaps a year or so younger with haunting onyx colored eyes. She was lithe in build, tall and elegant, and Imy couldn't help but feel that there was something tremendously otherworldly about her.
"Or what? You going to give me a spanking?" He jeered with a suggestive wink.
The frozen feeling in the air intensified, and Imy began to cough violently once again. Tymmie backed away cautiously, his hands in a surrendering position.
"Alright, alright, I'll give you this round," He said, his tone still playful despite the fact that he was retreating, "But you can't protect them forever." Still backing up, Tymmie molded into the shadows.
As soon as he had vanished, the icy sensation went with him and Imy inhaled deeply, her hand going around her throat as she sat up abruptly, inching backwards with the heels of her boots. She glanced at Art, and allowed her heart to beat steady when she saw him beginning to stir.
"Are you alright?" Came the mystery girl as she sent Imy a side glance.
Imy nodded fervently, "What the hell was that?"
The girl gave a rather cryptic smile, "You should look out for your friend, he was trapped in one of the scum's memories," She instructed.
Imy scrambled up and began to promptly slap Art across the face, "Wake up!" She demanded fussily, like an old wife over her husband who had fallen asleep during church.
Art groaned, and rolled over sluggishly, "Stop hitting me…" He murmured.
Imy exhaled, and turned around, "Thank-"
Her words fell when she realized that as quickly as her unknown savior had appeared, she had vanished into the night.
OoO
Tymmie walked down the narrow hallway, his newest recruit flanking him on his side as he reached the end of the passageway. The man next to him seemed uneasy or nervous, as this would be his first time seeing the man who controlled Infidi with an iron fist in a velvet glove.
"What's he like?" Mused the man next to Tymmie, as he struggled to keep up with the lieutenant's long strides.
"Cheshire, he's the most ruthless bastard I've ever met," Tymmie said off-handedly, his hand resting on an elaborate door handle, his cold stare flickered to the man, "Perhaps you better wait outside."
Cheshire nodded, and quickly hid within the coiling shadows of the hallway.
Tymmie shoved open the door without any hesitation, taking steady, sure steps to an ornate marble writing desk, where a man sat with his back towards the entry.
"She's here," Was all the second-in-command said, a bit of unease in his tone.
The man turned around, and a cruel smile curled up his face, "Very good." A pause, "Things will get interesting now- that Cinti member will have her work cut out for her."
Tymmie shook his head, "She's very strong, she may be too much for her to handle-"
"Then we will simply sit idle and watch our enemies destroy each other," Responded the wise voice carefully. A few moments of silence, before, "You may go. Excellent work."
Tymmie gave the barest inclination of his head, and quickly exited the meeting room.
"Very interesting," Mused Lambert out loud to himself once again, his eyes looking through the window and at the night sky.
OoO
Oy, this was a beastly chapter. But the rest should be easier to write : ) I'm just now realizing that this fic might become as long as Nox Noctis. I really, really hope this isn't the case, because, you know, that story took me over two years to finish. Yeah, that sucked.
Note:
1. Damnat quod non intellegunt- They condemn what they do not understand. A reference to book two when Tymmie tells Riley about her potential as a Follower.
Up Next: More new students? Turney High seems to be hitting its quota for transfers…
Remember kiddies, feedback of any sort makes Nym a happy camper. Happy campers are statistically proven to be faster writers. Trufax.
Till next time!