Ace in the Hole
Summary: [Sequel to Celtic Aurora's Dark Ripples in Blood] When an arcane necromancer offers his allegiance and powers to help him defeat the vampires in the grisly war, Lucian cannot refuse. With Kraven as an unpredictable factor in the game, he needs an ace in the hole to win. [LucianxSonja & other various parings]
V: Positioning the Chess Pieces
Text:
"Speech"
Thoughts
Flashbacks
Music/Poems/Sonnets:
"Beware" by Xandria
"The Days of the Phoenix" by AFI
A/N: For those who are reading the prequel to this fanfic, Celtic Aurora's Dark Ripples in Blood, there will be some hints/spoilers in what betided between Kraven, Catherine, and Edward while they had been staying in the Ordoghaz coven. Just wanted to give you all a heads-up.
Disclaimer: Like that will ever change. I don't own, you don't sue. Savvy?
"No, you don't take me as I am
No, you don't want to know at all
Who is the face behind the mask
I'll be the one who'll make you fall.
Beware! Beware! I'll be the one
The one to take you under
Beware!
I hate the light of day
I'm happy when it rains
The stars shine on my way
But the memory remains.
No, you don't take me as I am...
Beware! Beware! I'll be the one
The one to take you under
Beware!
I am the night's revenge
I've got a soul to sell
And yet a fist to clench
So wait for me in hell."
-Beware, Xandria
A lone ivory finger trailed along the smooth, worn leather bindings, a deep devotion for the written word hidden in this simple action. Thanatos scanned his private collection of books, he never wanted to be parted from his precious stash–especially the novels he had since childhood. They were all he had left of his previous life, all that was worth cherishing. Everything else was scars…and violent, gut-wrenching memories. And Thanatos didn't like dwelling in the past.
"Thanatos-sama."
The clear-cut tenor of Ukon distracted the brooding necromancer, pulling him away from his troubling recollections. Tilting his head around, Thanatos fastened his smoky viridian eyes on his most loyal and dedicated follower.
"What is it, Ukon?" he inquired, striding away from his bookcase, "Is something amiss?"
The master swordsman and assassin nodded, his pallid visage betraying nothing. "Edward attacked Kraven and is proceeding to throttle the life out of him. I didn't want to intervene because I wasn't certain of your view on the matter or if you even wanted Kraven to live."
With a sigh, Thanatos exited the room, Ukon trailing right behind him like any true bodyguard would. "Thank you for informing me, Ukon. Much as I despise that revolting bag of slim, I'm afraid I must stop Edward from murdering Lucian's vampiric ally." Although, a shadow of a smile, a devious one, flickered on his ivory features as he spoke.
"However, once we have no use for him…I'm sure I could allow Edward to finish him off for us." The necromancer added before he and Ukon descended into the main lobby of the lycans' lair. There he beheld both Kraven and Edward on the ground, the vampire-demon hybrid on top of the reagent, white hands constricting Kraven's throat. During all of this, Edward was hollering on and on about his wife and children.
"—you disgusting prig! You could have sent my wife and Michael to slaughter! Two innocent lives–just save your own skin!" Edward snarled, slamming Kraven's head against the stone floor and the vampire cried out in pain, viciously clawing at Edward's arms but with no avail. His grip was tight as Death itself. "And because of you, I never got to see my unborn child! I don't know if the infant lives or not! You, Kraven, robbed me of my family, my life, everything!" The enraged hybrid's onyx eyes were ablaze, changing into a hellish orange hue. Kraven truly thought he was staring into the fires of Hell.
Deciding Edward had enough fun for one day, Thanatos took out his gun and fired upward, letting the crackling resonance startle all the occupants in the foyer. Only the dark-haired hybrid ignored the noise, too consumed by his lust for vengeance to notice Thanatos walk up from behind until he was yanked off of Kraven and the necromancer pried his hands away from Kraven's throat.
"Master!" hissed Edward, orange eyes flaring irately, "What are you doing?!"
Thanatos arched one brow at the demonic vampire, giving him a 'what-does-it-look-like' expression. "I should be asking the same question of you, Edward. Attacking one of our alleged allies, especially Lucian's, won't shine favorably on you or me. Next time, do try to restrain yourself."
Edward opened his mouth, about to demur but the warning glint in his master's eyes halted his protest instantly. Shutting his lips tightly, he settled for a lethal glare, his rage rolling off him in waves. Thanatos took a quick glance behind him. Kraven was still coughing and massaging his neck, not even making an attempt to collect his bearings and stand up.
Seizing the opportunity, Thanatos leaned in and whispered, "Don't worry, Edward, I still remember everything you told me about this worm. Keep an eye on him; I reckon he'll betray us and Lucian the moment he realizes his life is in peril. And if he does…" The arcane necromancer trailed off, a dark smirk slithering across his lips. The fiery hue in Edward's orbs faded back to nigrine and an identical fleer was on his face.
"I shall dispose of him properly, should the event arrive," he murmured with delight, his lips curling upward to reveal his pointy, lethal fangs.
"Excellent, I know I can count on you to do just that. Till then, watch him like a hawk," instructed Thanatos and Edward nodded, quitting the foyer with Ukon, Jacob, and Blanca. Besides Thanatos, only Kraven's entourage remained in the room, the shock wearing off the stunned vampires when Kraven finally managed to stand on his own two feet.
"Quite a welcoming you had."
Kraven's head jerked up, hard obsidian eyes boring suspiciously at Thanatos and he dusted off the dirt from his crisp, new black pants. "Who are you? I've never seen you around here before." Kraven queried rudely, lips curved up into a deigning sneer. Resisting the urge to slip his saber into Kraven's ribs for his haughty manner, Thanatos willed a nonchalant mask on his countenance.
"Like you, I am an ally of Lucian. My name is of no consequence to you, Kraven." Thanatos responded smoothly, observing the reagent akin to a serpent watching its next meal.
"How do you know my name?!" demanded the lewd vampire, ire flashing across his rather handsome, alabaster features.
"Oh, a little birdie told me," was the answer. A complacent, eat-shit grin found its way on the necromancer's lips and Thanatos crossed his arms, giving him the appearance that he had better tasks to do that stand around and chit-chat with Kraven. "Now, as much as this conversation thrills me, I, unlike some people, have many duties that require my full attention. So, please, Kraven, go and try to make yourself useful…for once."
With that disparaging repartee sinking into Kraven's wounded pride, Thanatos exited the foyer, leaving Lucian and his men to handle the baffled and agitated vampires. After all, there were more pressing matters at hand and he needed to address them–pronto.
Let the chess match begin. So far, my side is winning.
To Zael, the process of gaining access to the Elders' tombs was far too easy, she had thought she would had have to knock out the guard in order to replace his position. But no, a few words of telling him that his shift was over was simply all the vampire needed in order to leave the room.
After thoroughly scanning the vicinity, Zael concluded she was alone and free to roam around the tombs. As the glass doors slid open, she furtively slipped into the chilly chambers, walking around the sealed vaults of Amelia and Viktor before stopping at Markus's.
"Hello there, Markus," she murmured, grasping the ornate insignia and fiercely yanking the heavy, embellished sarcophagus up. When the tomb reached a certain height, she then shifted the coffin around so it would be laying face-up. Thanks to the mechanisms littered inside the tomb, Zael was able to haul Markus along and set his sarcophagus behind some old, musty curtains behind the throne. Carefully, the female opened the coffin's lid and was granted the sight of a shrunken, shriveled body. Glancing down at her watch, Zael deduced she still had several more hours before Bristol's potion wore off and her original identity would reappear.
"Better get to work then," she said to herself, taking out a piece of paper and another vial from her coat pocket. Unscrewing the lid, she poured the murky brown liquid down the sleeping Markus's gaping mouth. Once the tiny container was empty, Zael unfolded the worn, archaic paper and softly recited the mystical spell she had received from Bristol beforehand.
"Forces of the beyond, powers unseen,
I call to thee with a solemn request.
Bind this man's soul to me,
Make him mine, let him be possessed.
My will becomes his will,
For I shall be the lord
And he, the servant."
As she chanted, she brought out the pocket knife from her boot and pricked her thumb, letting a small, thin river of blood to trickle out. Dangling her bleeding appendage over Markus, she squeezed until tiny garnet droplets fell into the open mouth.
"By these powers, make me his ward,
Keep him bounded to me,
My blood becomes his blood,
Have him heed my every decree,
Until I have him released."
When the last word left her lips, there was a flash, and abruptly, Zael felt warm all over. Glancing down, she witnessed two glittering silver threads wrapped around her wrists and when she directed her scrutiny onward, Zael realized the same glowing strings were attached to Markus's forearms as well. There was another thread, a cinnabar one, connecting both Zael's and the vampire Elder's hearts together. The carmine strand blazed and crackled with life, possessing most of the power in the binding spell. More scintillating yarns appeared, wrapping themselves around the two figures, tying Markus's soul to Zael's. After a few more minutes, the spiritual strings evanesced, leaving not a trace behind. Soon, it was simply Zael standing over Markus's coffin, the scene looking exactly same right before the incantation was recited.
A very faint smile twisted itself on Zael's lips and she mockingly dragged a finger across Markus's icy, dark cheek. Her wintry azuline eyes sparked with wild delight as she gazed down at the slumbering Elder, loving how vulnerable he was to her right now.
"And now, Markus," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, "you belong to me."
Exile wasn't so awful as everyone allegedly believe. In fact, Tanis managed to flourish rather well in his humble conditions yet most of the success was due to Lucian's generosity. When he had supplied with the lycan leader enough information of weapons to kill his own kind and helped him retrieve the ultra violet bullets, Lucian rewarded Tanis by sending him more comfortable and luxurious accommodations. In retrospect, Lucian treated him far better than Viktor ever did.
The irony regaled Tanis greatly.
Of course, his tranquil lifestyle was soon shattered when Selene, the very person who delivered his sentence of exile, came storming right into his abode, her pale, beautiful face dead set with resolve.
"Tanis!" she barked, pinning the said scribe with her stern, uncompromising glare, "Get up, I'm in the dire need of your expertise."
Rolling his eyes, Tanis bit back the urge to smirk at her attempt to act intimidating and authoritative around him. He would never tell Selene but he found her amusing and rather cute when she did all that. However, unlike Kraven, he was intelligent enough to show interest in Selene was one sure way in getting a swift, detrimental cuff in the face–or in another equally painful region.
"Manners, Selene," he drawled out, getting up from his chair, "How I am suppose to help you if you treat me in such a vile way?"
"Don't patronize me, Tanis," spat Selene, freezing azure eyes flashing menacingly up at him, "I am not in the mood."
"You're never in the mood for anything," he retorted, ambling over to her with a frisky grin on his face. "Now, what could you possibly need me for? As I recall, the coven banished me to this dismal place and clearly has no need of my skills."
"Tanis," Selene intoned darkly, resisting the urge to take out her gun and shot him in the foot, "Listen to me–immediately. I don't have time for your childish games."
"I wouldn't call them 'childish', Selene," Tanis riposted smoothly, straightening his pristine charcoal robes, "You just don't have a sense of humor or know how to have fun." He then noticed the said Death Dealer reach back for her gun, a warning marked on her alabaster features as she glowered intensely at the exiled scribe. By these actions alone, Tanis reckoned if he didn't act soon he would be nursing a fairly agonizing injury on the floor.
Clearing his throat, he hastily added, "But anyway, what can I do for you?" Selene dropped her hand and moved it away from her holster.
"During one of my hunts, I came across a peculiar woman. She wasn't a human, vampire, or lycan. Kahn and I have reason to believe she was a different race altogether, one we never faced before." she explained, watching Tanis head towards his enormous bookcase and scan his leather-bounded tomes, running a finger down each spine.
"What did she look like?" he inquired methodically, his tone becoming more professional and business-like. "Hideous, gorgeous, or in the middle? Green, blue hair? Scaly skin?"
"She was definitely beautiful, unearthly so," Selene began, taking small steps towards Tanis, suddenly curious in what he could possibly have stored in all those grand shelves, "She had dark brown hair…although I couldn't get a sufficient enough look at her eyes yet they weren't your average color. Maybe yellow or gold."
"Go on," urged Tanis, pulling down several books and slamming them on the wooden table, "What else about her?" He started flipping through the top book of the stack, eyes glued to the pages.
"She could summon spiders," the female Death Dealer added quickly, vividly remembering the horde of those nasty creatures assailing her, "Any shape, size, and type." She glanced back at Tanis, noticing he had stopped leafing through the thick, heavy tome and was reading the section before him intently. She peered over his shoulder, trying to read the small print.
"Did you find something?" she asked softly and his head jolted up at her question.
"Do I get a reduction on my sentence since I'm helping you?" he responded, his lips forming a crooked smile. Selene's reply was a vicious smack to his head. Tanis winced, doing his utmost best to ignore the fiery pain shooting from the back of his skull. "All right, all right, don't give me any merit. I was just wondering, that's all."
"Tanis," Selene sighed exasperatedly, almost at the end of her rope, "What did you find?"
He nodded, moving over so she could have a better look at the two pages he had displayed. "What you came across was a succubus. A female demon who has the power to seduce men with her unnatural, incomparable beauty and charm. Originally, they were believed to only allure their victims while they slept but that theory soon turned out to be nothing more than a myth.
"The male equivalent of a succubus is called an incubus. They are just as deadly, charming, and good-looking as succubi." Tanis explained as Selene studied the detailed, rich drawings of an incubus and a succubus that were off to the side of the text.
"But how can they summon spiders?" she asked, failing to see the connection of why the demonic temptress she encountered earlier had the ability to control arachnids.
"Incubi and succubi are commonly referred to as the demons of lust and love, able to toy with people's hearts. Besides being indestructible in fire (all demons can withstand flames, you know), they have a link to three possible animals that mirror their personalities. The spider: the creature that spins a web around its prey before pouncing; birds of prey, such as hawks, vultures, eagles, etc.: they swoop—" He broke off, seeing Selene's aggravated look that signaled she comprehended the symbolic importance and he didn't need to delve into detail. Averting his eyes away from Selene's, Tanis resumed his speech. "And lastly, there are some incubi and succubi who can summon more…mythical beasts."
"Like what?" queried Selene, pondering what sort of hellish monsters these demons could summon to their side.
"Mostly hellhounds, howlers, and haunts–all nasty dog-like creatures," answered Tanis, flipping over to the next picture, "But lucky for you, a succubus and incubus can only have the power over one of these beasts and you ran into the one with the spiders."
"But why?" Selene realized this had been the first time in awhile since she voiced out any level of curiosity to something new. When she had discovered the ultra violet bullets, she had no interest in where or how the lycans received such devastating weapons. She had thought first once she figured out what the mysterious woman was, she would just care about how to kill her and be done with it. But now, she was being pulled into Tanis's fascinating world of knowledge and books, and all of the troubles inside her mind were temporally washed away.
"There's a long, complex hierarchy of these demons, not to mention several obscure legends and stories that explain why incubi and succubi can only control one out of the three animals. I would hate to bore you with such details and plus, they won't tell you how to kill them." Tanis gave Selene a little sly grin. "That's why you're here, to kill the succubus you fought. Am I correct?"
"Yes, does your tome say how to kill them?" As Selene's eyes roamed over the print, she found Tanis's pointer finger rested neatly underneath the spot she was looking for. Nearly touched and perplexed by his small gesture of assistance, she thanked him softly, about to read the paragraph in how to eliminate them when Tanis interrupted her.
"I could save you the trouble of reading, Selene," he said, looking down at her expectantly as she lifted her gaze up to face him. With her wordless nod of acceptance, he went on. "The basic weakness that most succubi and incubi share is they can die of broken heart. If they were to every fall in love and their target rejected their advances, or more precisely, their love, the succubus or incubus would slowly waste away, dying eventually. They are meant to please and gratify; the rejection of love, a force so foreign and powerful to them has a disastrous effect on them. That's why they take extra measures to not fall in love."
"Are there any other weaknesses that I should know of?"
"Yes," stated Tanis, directing her attention back to the tome, "The lesser, weaker succubi and incubi can also die of dismemberment. Don't attempt that method with the stronger ones, they'll butcher you in a flash."
"How can I tell the stronger ones from the weaklings?" Selene questioned imperiously.
"Simple. The lesser succubi and incubi will have a hard time controlling their beasts of choice so you won't find them summoning them. Lke their more potent kind, they shall rely on their inhuman strength and speed to defeat any enemies."
"Duly noted," replied Selene, carefully absorbing all the information Tanis was feeding her, "Anything else that I should know, Tanis?"
He nodded once more, saying, "There's a special way to kill the stronger ones. Since they cannot die of a broken heart, a special killing method has been discovered. You must create a venom out of holy water and virgin's blood–or someone who's pure of heart if you cannot require a virgin–and inject or stab the toxin directly into their heart. This will kill them instantly."
"Holy water and virgin's blood?" repeated Selene, an incredulous expression slowly spreading on her visage, "Are you serious?"
"Serious as the plague," answered the lecherous librarian swiftly, "Now you understand why they are so damn hard to kill."
"Evidently so," grumbled Selene, "At least I won't be returning to Kahn empty-handed."
"Indeed." Shutting the tome, Tanis looked back at Selene, a faint, hopeful impression in his dusky grey eyes. "Any chance you could still decrease the years of my sentence? I promise I'll be a good boy."
Even after being shot at over his head and then clubbed with one of his heavy tomes, Tanis still had the gall to smirk afterwards when a fuming Selene huffed and stormed right out of his abode. "That's all right, you think about it, Selene!" he called out, laughter ringing in his voice.
Pushing Selene buttons never been this much fun.
Bitterness encompassed Erica during her descent into town, resisting the urge to take a cursory glance back at the coven that stood up on the hill, towering over the bustling, unsuspecting village. Kraven had sent her to find a proper evening gown for Selene to wear once she returned from her little mission because he wanted Selene to look her very best when he announced her as his future queen. Erica refused to believe that was the real reason for his impending news but that was all her mind was screaming at her about while she strode down the busy streets of Ordoghaz. Never in her life had Erica felt so belittled, so demeaned when Kraven entrusted this trivial task to her. The job was servants' work, something designed for someone of a lower status than her to act upon. And yet, against her better judgment and wishes, Erica suppressed all her indignant emotions and accepted the humiliating decree, rushing out of the coven before her bottled-up feelings betrayed her.
Erica surveyed all the shops laid out about the roads, ruthlessly searching for prominent, expensive store that specifically carried fancy dresses and gowns. She knew Selene's size by heart so she wouldn't run into snags there. After a five minutes or so of scouring, the blonde vampiress at last espied a mammoth-sized store displaying models of breathtaking, lofty gowns for any female to wear for special occasions.
Sighing in relief, Erica was about to enter the luxurious store when someone collided into her side. With a startled cry, she fell back and would have surely collided against the hard, cold ground if it weren't for a pair of strong, muscular arms shooting out and encircling themselves tightly around her trim waist, halting her descent abruptly.
"I'm terribly sorry about that, miss. I was in a hurry and didn't use my eyes properly to see that you were standing right in front of me."
The man possessed a velvety, suave timbre, the dexterity of his voice was caressing Erica's ears to a point of maximum bliss. Somehow, she was unable to speak, she couldn't find the right words to articulate and unfreeze her tongue. So instead, the vampire merely rotated her head around so she could at least get a better view of her rescuer and maybe, just maybe, manage a quiet 'thank-you'. When her gaze met his, Erica was faced with a beautiful pair of smoky, smoldering viridian eyes. The sight of them instantly took her breath away and for once, Erica mentally thanked Kraven for sending her out on this dress-shopping errand for Selene.
"I remember when I was told a story of
Crushed velvet, candle wax, and dried up flowers.
The figure on the bed,
All dressed up in roses, calling...
Beckoning to sleep...offering a dream..
The words were as mystical as purring animals
The circle of rage...the ghosts on the stage appeared.
The time was so tangible I'll never let it go.
Ghost stories handed down, reached secret tunnels below
No one could see me."
I fell into yesterday.
Our dreams seemed not far away.
I want to, I want to, I want to stay
I fell into fantasy."
-The Days of the Phoenix, AFI
Color Glossary:
Nigrine- black
Cinnabar- red
Azuline- blue
Who wants to take a wild guess in who Erica just bumped into? I'll give you three estimations and the first two don't count.
Yes, I have managed to come out with another update before Christmas break ends! Let's say this is an early New Year's gift to you all. Hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter!
And of course, I would like to thank: Celtic Aurora, keili77, and Aelweyn for their wonderful reviews. I appreciate all the thoughts and feedback guys!
Stay tune for chapter six!
:SpeedDemon315: