Kindred Spirits 5 - finished chapter
May. 31st, 2020 06:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wiseheartKindred Spirits
by Soledad
Rating: Teens and above, for some canon-compliant violence.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Part Five
When Henry came to, right at sunset, he knew at once that something was very, very wrong. Even from the distance of the apartment next door, he could hear the agitated heartbeats of Vicki and Coreen (the latter even more concerning, due to the girl’s heart problem she was born with); and he could feel the anger of an old, powerful vampire radiating though the walls between them.
He never got dressed as quickly before, ignoring the small, vague pain on the left side of his chest. He couldn’t imagine where it came from, but right now he had more important things to deal with.
What have those two women done?
He localized the heartbeats in the apartment in which he had put up the visiting Kindred. What on Earth were Vicki and Coreen doing there? It couldn’t be good; beyond the ancient vampire’s wrath he could also feel some dark power emanating from there. A dark power that felt nauseatingly familiar. They could be in mortal danger!
When he kicked the door open and stormed the apartment, the sight that greeted him nearly froze his blood.
Shackled to a chair by her wrists and ankles, Phoebe was writhing in pain, the Iluminación del Sol having clawed itself into her heart. Behind the chair stood Vicki, with a can of petrol in one hand (where had she possibly found that?) and a zippo in the other one, shielding Coreen with her own body.
They were facing down Prue and her Sire, both wearing their true face, both obviously enraged. But they couldn’t do a thing to overwhelm the mortal women. Vicki had cleverly chosen the only weapon against which even the oldest, most powerful vampires were helpless: fire.
Henry forced himself to calm down. He had to tread very carefully here, to unravel the situation. Or they could all die a grisly death, leaving Toronto wide open for Astaroth and his legions of demons.
He called upon his heritage and allowed the natural authority of a royal prince born and bread for ruling to emerge above his pretty boy disguise.
“Would somebody care to explain me what’s going on here?” he asked icily. Having been established in his own household as a child already had taught him the authority to which most commoners instinctively answered.
Even millennia-old undead commoners.
“Your mortal pet is using a barbaric device to torture my sister!” Prue spat. She was clearly very protective of her siblings, even though their relationship didn’t seem to be an easy one.
“I can see that,” Henry said calmly. “What I would like to know is: why? Victoria doesn’t do things without a sound reason; although I must admit I find it hard to imagine a reason that would justify this.”
His calm manner seemed to have a calming effect on Vicki. Her heartbeat slowed down a little, and her blood pressure lessened to almost normal levels.
“An explanation is something I’d like to get, too,” she said. “You see, I wanted to borrow one of your books to have Coreen check something for me. Imagine my surprise when I couldn’t leave the apartment. Key and lock worked perfectly, and yet the door refused to open.”
Prue and her Sire exchanged worried looks. Their features smoothed out, returning to their human disguise.
“A containing spell?” the professor asked.
“Not by me!” Prue assured him. “We wanted to protect them, not to imprison them.”
“Well, your sister clearly had other ideas,” Vicki said dryly. “Fortunately, she forgot about the balcony. We climbed down the fire ladder, got inside the house the normal way – you might want to make Greg forget it, by the way, he was a bit shocked to see us – and found your front door unlocked.”
“That was when we knew something was wrong,” Coreen added.
“So you ran back to Vicki’s place for the Iluminación del Sol?” Henry asked doubtfully. It just didn’t add up. They wouldn’t have the time for that; not if they wanted to act quickly.
“Oh, no,” Vicki said darkly. “I had that cursed thing in my pocket ever since we moved in next door to your… allies here.”
“What for?” Prue clearly didn’t see the reason. Perhaps she was used to be seen as one of the good guys.
“Because I didn’t know a thing about you – still don’t, in fact – and despite Doctor Sagara’s reassurances, I wasn’t sure I can trust you,” Vicki replied. “And I was right, it seems. Because I got to Henry just in time; at the very moment when your sister attempted to drain him in his sleep.”
“What?” Prue whirled around to her sister in shock. “Phoebe, is that true?”
Phoebe didn’t answer, just moaned in pain.
Their Sire seemed fairly shocked, too.
“I don’t know what to say,” he shook his head. “She’s always been a handful, but doing something like this… there will be consequences, I promise. Still, subjecting her to this device – and yes, I know exactly what it is – was cruel.”
“And what else could I have done?” Vicki demanded. “We are no match for a vampire who’s also a witch, and the two of you were not here. She’s already taken some of Henry’s blood, and was clearly ready to take the rest, too. She looked as if she’d been drugged up to the eye-teeth.”
“The blood of the True Undead does have that effect on our kind,” the professor admitted ruefully.
Vicki pulled a face. “Great. So, should I have let her kill Henry in his sleep, so that she could get properly high on his blood? I used the only weapons I had to my disposal: my baton to knock her out, and this… thing, because I knew it would at least incapacitate her.”
The professor glared at her. Other people, even lesser vampires, would have gone to their knees from the sheer power of that glare, begging for mercy. Vicki, however, just glared back at him, completely unimpressed.
“That won’t work,” Henry said quietly. “She’s a resistor; an unusually strong one.”
“It appears so, yes,” the professor sighed, admitting defeat. “Do you have the key?”
Henry shook his head. “I didn’t even know Vicki kept the Iluminación del Sol. I wasn’t exactly… myself right after it had been used on me and thought it was destroyed.”
Prue looked at him aghast. “Somebody used this on you?”
“It’s a long story,” Henry replied. “Perhaps one day I’ll tell you. Right now, we must see to your sister because believe me, she’s in more pain than you can even begin to imagine,” he turned to Vicki. “I assume you have the key?”
She nodded. “Of course. But I won’t take the thing off before I can be sure that her… family will keep her – and themselves – under control.”
“I give you my word,” the professor held out a hand. “Can I have the key now?”
“You think I’m a fool, don’t you?” Vicki scowled. “We’ll use the key; and if either of you as much as breathes the false way, I’ll ignite all this petrol in a second.”
“Killing yourself in the process?”
“I’m on borrowed time already, so what’s the difference? So, if you want Batgirl relieved while she still has some life in her, stay put.”
Prue and her Sire exchanged helpless looks… and then backed off indeed, putting more distance between them and Vicki.
“Henry, keep an eye on them,” Vicki ordered. “Coreen, the key!”
To Henry’s mild amusement Coreen fished the key out of her corset and threw it to Vicki, who caught it in the air an inserted it into the gold disc above Phoebe’s heart.
“I’d be very quiet if I were you,” Henry warned the Kindred vampires. “If she turns the key in the wrong direction, Phoebe’s heart will stop at once.”
“Don’t tempt me!” Vicki muttered. Then she turned the key.
Phoebe screamed in agony, and for a moment they feared that Vicki had chosen the wrong direction indeed. In the next moment, however, the claws retracted from Phoebe’s heart and the disk fell off and onto the floor with a quiet thud. Before anyone could have stopped her, Coreen picked it up and stuffed it into her corset.
“Coreen!” Henry cried out, agitated.
The girl shrugged. “What? It’s not supposed to harm humans. And Vicki isn’t the only one who’s protective towards you.”
“I don’t know if I should be flattered or frightened,” Henry commented, but he couldn’t quite suppress a smile. It felt good to be cared for, even though he couldn’t always condone the methods the two women used.
He turned to the professor. “I’d say what happened today doesn’t help with the trusting each other part of our alliance. Your Childe did something that I find intrusive and unethical, and my friends might have… overreacted a bit.”
“I don’t think so,” Vicki said stubbornly. “If I hadn’t, you wouldn’t be able to hold your morale sermon right now.”
Henry closed his eyes for a moment. “Victoria, please! I’m trying to bring us all to a certain level of agreement. Don’t forget that we still have Astaroth to consider.”
“With allies like these, who needs Astaroth?” Vicki countered, not the least modified.
Henry briefly prayed for patience.
“I didn’t say that we needed him; on the contrary,” he then said. “But he is out there, whether we like it or not, and to get rid of him, we need help.”
“Some help it is,” Vicki shot the still moaning Phoebe an accusing look.
Henry sighed. “It’s not that I disagree with you; but should I remind you that she wasn’t the first one to take my blood without my concern? Or despite my protests, may I add?”
Vicki became deathly pale at that and her eyes narrowed in anger. “I did it to save your life, not because I wanted to eat you for dinner!”
“That doesn’t really change the outcome,” Henry said tonelessly. “Fact is, there have been three people who’ve taken my blood without my consent: Miss Halliwell, Javier Mendoza… and you. And while I don’t question your best intentions, I don’t think that you are in any position to throw stones in a glass house.”
For a moment Vicki stiffened, as if he’d slapped her. Then she swallowed hard and turned away.
“I see. Well, in that case I apologize for saving your life… again. I’m going back home and wish you fun with your fellow bloodsuckers. Coreen, you coming or staying?”
“Are you kidding?” the Goth gave her a look full of disbelief. “Of course I’m coming with you. We mere mortals ought to stick to each other, seeing as the bloodsuckers are doing the same.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“That went well,” Prue commented, after the two mortal women left. “What now? With them gone and Phoebe out of it, our chances to take down Astaroth have lessened considerably.”
“Oh, Phoebe is definitely out of it, believe me,” Nahir said darkly. “This will have consequences; and when I’m finished with her, she’ll be even more out of it, for a very long time. Right now, however, we need to regroup and rethink our strategy. As Mr. Fitzroy has pointed out, we’ll have to deal with Astaroth, regardless of our personal disagreements,” he turned to Henry. “If that is what you want, we’ll move out of your haven.”
“And go where?”
“There are hotels and other accommodations. For us it’s easier to blend in with mortals, since we aren’t exclusively nocturnal.”
“Can you guarantee that what happened today won’t happen again?” Henry asked.
Nahir nodded. “I can and I will. I’ll send Phoebe into torpor. She’ll be as dead to the world as you are during daytime, until I call her back. She won’t be bothering you again.”
“In that case it would be more practical if you stayed here,” Henry said. “It’s better if we remain within reach… just in case.”
“Can you persuade Ms Nelson and Miss Fennel to return, too?” Prue asked. “They are in grave danger on their own.”
“I seriously doubt it,” Henry said with a wry smile. “Victoria is perhaps the most stubborn person I’ve ever met in my almost five hundred years, and the mere idea that she’d need protection (although she does) would send her into full defensive mode. Unfortunately, Coreen tends to follow her on that path of self-destruction.”
“Has she really taken your blood?” Nahir asked. “What for?”
“She drank it to poison her life force and thus eliminate a murderous, undead Inca priest named Pachacamac that was after my powers,” Henry replied matter-of-factly.
For a moment Nahir forgot to breathe. It was fortunate that, strictly seen, vampires didn’t need to breathe.
“Is she insane?” he finally asked.
“Sometimes I ask myself the same question,” Henry admitted ruefully. “But no; she’s just determined to save those she cares for, no matter the costs.”
“I guess she didn’t take the reminder kindly,” Prue commented.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” Henry sighed. “I said back then that I might never be able to forgive her; bringing it up again only made her more stubborn and defensive.”
“So, what are we doing now?” Prue asked.
“You do for her what you can and must,” Henry glanced at Phoebe. “I’ll have to feed; and then I’ll go and watch over Vicki, without her knowing it. It’s fortunate that Astaroth is nocturnal indeed. I wouldn’t be of much use during the day.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
He left without a further word, and Prue looked at her Sire questioningly.
“What now?”
“Now I’ll drain Phoebe until she falls into torpor,” Nahir replied grimly. “That will give her the chance to heal… and keep her out of trouble. We’ll place her into one of the bedrooms and seal the door magically to keep her safe. With her actions I’ll deal when we return home. This is not something I’m willing to tolerate; and frankly, I’m shocked that she’s managed to go behind my back, despite being Blood Bound to me. No-one of my other Childer could do that.”
“You’ve never had a witch as a Childe before,” Prue reminded him. “She’s an empath; and due to her gift of premonition, she can foretell your reactions and manipulate you accordingly. Don’t forget that she has more insight into you due to your bond than the rest of us.”
“There’s more, I’m afraid,” Nahir sighed. “Perhaps being intimate with a demon had tainted her more than we’ve thought.”
“She’s not evil!” Prue protested. “Irresponsible and inconsiderate and maddeningly stubborn, yes, but not evil!”
“Perhaps,” Nahir allowed. “But there’s a darkness in her that the rest of your fortunately lack. Perhaps that’s why she was so attracted to the Vitae of a True Undead. Their kind has more animalistic traits than ours. The Beast is closer to the surface by them than by us. She must have instinctively felt it.”
Prue nodded glumly, for this was certainly true, in both points. As the most scholarly one from all four sisters, she had learned what she could about other vampire subspecies. Among other reasons because one of Nahir’s older Childer lived in Los Angeles; and the Prince of that City, while consensually elected, was definitely not your average Kindred.
To put it mildly.
“Shall I leave the two of you alone?” she asked.
Nahir nodded. “That would be the best. What I’m about to do is not a pleasant thing to watch. Especially not if it’s being done to somebody you care for.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The next thirty minutes Prue spent in the other bedroom, talking on the phone to Piper, who was already on the plane heading Toronto and needed to be filled in about everything that had happened so far. Piper became understandably agitated by the news. They lived in San Francisco, on the sufferance of its Ventrue Prince, Julian Luna. In a city that was firmly in Camarilla hands diablerie was not tolerated.
Not even attempted diablerie, almost-committed by a clueless fledgling.
Only that Phoebe wasn’t a fledgling anymore. While she would never become truly independent – no vampire Blood Bound to their Sire ever could –, she had been accepted by the Prince of the city. Such disastrous behaviour could not only cause her demise – the Prince would have been within his rights to demand her destruction –, it could also cast the shadow of doubt on her sisters… and on Nahir’s integrity.
They were Lasombra, after all; and even though they belonged to the very small minority that didn’t join the Sabbat, they were still looked at with suspicion. They might be disguising themselves as Tremere, but the Prince and his closest advisors knew what they truly were. They had to tread carefully around the other Camarilla clans in order to blend in. The unlife of Lasombra antitribu was extremely dangerous.
“We’ve been lucky that this happened so far from home,” Piper said unhappily. “We wouldn’t be able to keep this under the lid in San Francisco. The Prince has his eyes and ears everywhere. In fact, I’m not sure how we’ll be able to take her home… unless Master Nahir is planning to put her into a coffin, like in some cheesy B-movie.”
“I have no idea,” Prue admitted. “Perhaps it would be better if we took her to Los Angeles and leave her in Heather’s care. She could hide her under that club of hers, without having much to do about her comfort. Torpor is our version of coma; only that we don’t need all those machines to keep us alive.”
“Since we’re dead already,” Piper commented wryly. “Have you discussed the possibility with Master Nahir?”
“No; I thought I’ll leave it to you,” Prue suddenly grinned. “You are the girl with the common sense and the practical ideas.”
“Dream on!” Piper commented tartly. “The times when I was doing nothing else but running around, ironing out your messes – yours and Phoebe’s – are over. You’ve cooked up the idea; you’ll dish it up, too.”
They both, laughed, albeit a bit hysterically.
“I’m so glad you’re coming,” Prue then said. “I’ve missed you. You’ve always been my rock in the branding. It will be like old times: you and me, against the rest of the world.”
“More or less,” Piper replied, her voice still containing a hint of a smile. “There will be a few other people, too, this time.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Henry hoped that Vicki and Coreen would at least have the common sense to stay together. Not that either of them could have protected the other one from Astaroth or his minions, but it would make easier for him to keep an eye on them.
For that, he needed to be at full strength, though. So on his way to Vicki’s he called one of his emergency contacts; a so-called volunteer, one of a dozen or so people who were willing to… err… spend a little blood in exchange for a generous tip. He used this source as sparsely as possible, not wanting to become dependent on his herd, as he called them… and because he loved the excitement of the Hunt. Right now, though, this was an emergency – and it saved him a lot of time.
It was only a fifteen-minute delay; then he was already on his way again, well-fed and hyper-aware of his surroundings.
To his dismay, he could only hear one heartbeat upon arriving at Vicki’s place: that of Vicki herself. The two women had apparently split up, and Coreen was now probably on her way home – or already at home. Alone. Unprotected.
Henry shook his head in exasperation and let himself into Vicki’s apartment through the kitchen window. This was his best chance to remain undetected – at least for a while – since Vicki only ever used the kitchen in the morning, to make coffee. It mildly concerned him that the window was open; but again, it couldn’t really keep out Astaroth, had he decided to pay Vicki a visit.
He honed on to Vicki’s heartbeat, which revealed that she was currently in her tiny living room. Since there was no other sound that even his acute vampire hearing could have perceived, he couldn’t even guess what she was doing there. Especially as the room was completely dark; and her breathing wasn’t slow and deep enough for her to be asleep.
Still, he was mildly startled when he suddenly heard her voice. A voice that was raw with recently shed tears.
“I know you’re here, Henry. Why don’t you stop playing hide and seek and come in?”
~TBC~
by Soledad
Rating: Teens and above, for some canon-compliant violence.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Part Five
When Henry came to, right at sunset, he knew at once that something was very, very wrong. Even from the distance of the apartment next door, he could hear the agitated heartbeats of Vicki and Coreen (the latter even more concerning, due to the girl’s heart problem she was born with); and he could feel the anger of an old, powerful vampire radiating though the walls between them.
He never got dressed as quickly before, ignoring the small, vague pain on the left side of his chest. He couldn’t imagine where it came from, but right now he had more important things to deal with.
What have those two women done?
He localized the heartbeats in the apartment in which he had put up the visiting Kindred. What on Earth were Vicki and Coreen doing there? It couldn’t be good; beyond the ancient vampire’s wrath he could also feel some dark power emanating from there. A dark power that felt nauseatingly familiar. They could be in mortal danger!
When he kicked the door open and stormed the apartment, the sight that greeted him nearly froze his blood.
Shackled to a chair by her wrists and ankles, Phoebe was writhing in pain, the Iluminación del Sol having clawed itself into her heart. Behind the chair stood Vicki, with a can of petrol in one hand (where had she possibly found that?) and a zippo in the other one, shielding Coreen with her own body.
They were facing down Prue and her Sire, both wearing their true face, both obviously enraged. But they couldn’t do a thing to overwhelm the mortal women. Vicki had cleverly chosen the only weapon against which even the oldest, most powerful vampires were helpless: fire.
Henry forced himself to calm down. He had to tread very carefully here, to unravel the situation. Or they could all die a grisly death, leaving Toronto wide open for Astaroth and his legions of demons.
He called upon his heritage and allowed the natural authority of a royal prince born and bread for ruling to emerge above his pretty boy disguise.
“Would somebody care to explain me what’s going on here?” he asked icily. Having been established in his own household as a child already had taught him the authority to which most commoners instinctively answered.
Even millennia-old undead commoners.
“Your mortal pet is using a barbaric device to torture my sister!” Prue spat. She was clearly very protective of her siblings, even though their relationship didn’t seem to be an easy one.
“I can see that,” Henry said calmly. “What I would like to know is: why? Victoria doesn’t do things without a sound reason; although I must admit I find it hard to imagine a reason that would justify this.”
His calm manner seemed to have a calming effect on Vicki. Her heartbeat slowed down a little, and her blood pressure lessened to almost normal levels.
“An explanation is something I’d like to get, too,” she said. “You see, I wanted to borrow one of your books to have Coreen check something for me. Imagine my surprise when I couldn’t leave the apartment. Key and lock worked perfectly, and yet the door refused to open.”
Prue and her Sire exchanged worried looks. Their features smoothed out, returning to their human disguise.
“A containing spell?” the professor asked.
“Not by me!” Prue assured him. “We wanted to protect them, not to imprison them.”
“Well, your sister clearly had other ideas,” Vicki said dryly. “Fortunately, she forgot about the balcony. We climbed down the fire ladder, got inside the house the normal way – you might want to make Greg forget it, by the way, he was a bit shocked to see us – and found your front door unlocked.”
“That was when we knew something was wrong,” Coreen added.
“So you ran back to Vicki’s place for the Iluminación del Sol?” Henry asked doubtfully. It just didn’t add up. They wouldn’t have the time for that; not if they wanted to act quickly.
“Oh, no,” Vicki said darkly. “I had that cursed thing in my pocket ever since we moved in next door to your… allies here.”
“What for?” Prue clearly didn’t see the reason. Perhaps she was used to be seen as one of the good guys.
“Because I didn’t know a thing about you – still don’t, in fact – and despite Doctor Sagara’s reassurances, I wasn’t sure I can trust you,” Vicki replied. “And I was right, it seems. Because I got to Henry just in time; at the very moment when your sister attempted to drain him in his sleep.”
“What?” Prue whirled around to her sister in shock. “Phoebe, is that true?”
Phoebe didn’t answer, just moaned in pain.
Their Sire seemed fairly shocked, too.
“I don’t know what to say,” he shook his head. “She’s always been a handful, but doing something like this… there will be consequences, I promise. Still, subjecting her to this device – and yes, I know exactly what it is – was cruel.”
“And what else could I have done?” Vicki demanded. “We are no match for a vampire who’s also a witch, and the two of you were not here. She’s already taken some of Henry’s blood, and was clearly ready to take the rest, too. She looked as if she’d been drugged up to the eye-teeth.”
“The blood of the True Undead does have that effect on our kind,” the professor admitted ruefully.
Vicki pulled a face. “Great. So, should I have let her kill Henry in his sleep, so that she could get properly high on his blood? I used the only weapons I had to my disposal: my baton to knock her out, and this… thing, because I knew it would at least incapacitate her.”
The professor glared at her. Other people, even lesser vampires, would have gone to their knees from the sheer power of that glare, begging for mercy. Vicki, however, just glared back at him, completely unimpressed.
“That won’t work,” Henry said quietly. “She’s a resistor; an unusually strong one.”
“It appears so, yes,” the professor sighed, admitting defeat. “Do you have the key?”
Henry shook his head. “I didn’t even know Vicki kept the Iluminación del Sol. I wasn’t exactly… myself right after it had been used on me and thought it was destroyed.”
Prue looked at him aghast. “Somebody used this on you?”
“It’s a long story,” Henry replied. “Perhaps one day I’ll tell you. Right now, we must see to your sister because believe me, she’s in more pain than you can even begin to imagine,” he turned to Vicki. “I assume you have the key?”
She nodded. “Of course. But I won’t take the thing off before I can be sure that her… family will keep her – and themselves – under control.”
“I give you my word,” the professor held out a hand. “Can I have the key now?”
“You think I’m a fool, don’t you?” Vicki scowled. “We’ll use the key; and if either of you as much as breathes the false way, I’ll ignite all this petrol in a second.”
“Killing yourself in the process?”
“I’m on borrowed time already, so what’s the difference? So, if you want Batgirl relieved while she still has some life in her, stay put.”
Prue and her Sire exchanged helpless looks… and then backed off indeed, putting more distance between them and Vicki.
“Henry, keep an eye on them,” Vicki ordered. “Coreen, the key!”
To Henry’s mild amusement Coreen fished the key out of her corset and threw it to Vicki, who caught it in the air an inserted it into the gold disc above Phoebe’s heart.
“I’d be very quiet if I were you,” Henry warned the Kindred vampires. “If she turns the key in the wrong direction, Phoebe’s heart will stop at once.”
“Don’t tempt me!” Vicki muttered. Then she turned the key.
Phoebe screamed in agony, and for a moment they feared that Vicki had chosen the wrong direction indeed. In the next moment, however, the claws retracted from Phoebe’s heart and the disk fell off and onto the floor with a quiet thud. Before anyone could have stopped her, Coreen picked it up and stuffed it into her corset.
“Coreen!” Henry cried out, agitated.
The girl shrugged. “What? It’s not supposed to harm humans. And Vicki isn’t the only one who’s protective towards you.”
“I don’t know if I should be flattered or frightened,” Henry commented, but he couldn’t quite suppress a smile. It felt good to be cared for, even though he couldn’t always condone the methods the two women used.
He turned to the professor. “I’d say what happened today doesn’t help with the trusting each other part of our alliance. Your Childe did something that I find intrusive and unethical, and my friends might have… overreacted a bit.”
“I don’t think so,” Vicki said stubbornly. “If I hadn’t, you wouldn’t be able to hold your morale sermon right now.”
Henry closed his eyes for a moment. “Victoria, please! I’m trying to bring us all to a certain level of agreement. Don’t forget that we still have Astaroth to consider.”
“With allies like these, who needs Astaroth?” Vicki countered, not the least modified.
Henry briefly prayed for patience.
“I didn’t say that we needed him; on the contrary,” he then said. “But he is out there, whether we like it or not, and to get rid of him, we need help.”
“Some help it is,” Vicki shot the still moaning Phoebe an accusing look.
Henry sighed. “It’s not that I disagree with you; but should I remind you that she wasn’t the first one to take my blood without my concern? Or despite my protests, may I add?”
Vicki became deathly pale at that and her eyes narrowed in anger. “I did it to save your life, not because I wanted to eat you for dinner!”
“That doesn’t really change the outcome,” Henry said tonelessly. “Fact is, there have been three people who’ve taken my blood without my consent: Miss Halliwell, Javier Mendoza… and you. And while I don’t question your best intentions, I don’t think that you are in any position to throw stones in a glass house.”
For a moment Vicki stiffened, as if he’d slapped her. Then she swallowed hard and turned away.
“I see. Well, in that case I apologize for saving your life… again. I’m going back home and wish you fun with your fellow bloodsuckers. Coreen, you coming or staying?”
“Are you kidding?” the Goth gave her a look full of disbelief. “Of course I’m coming with you. We mere mortals ought to stick to each other, seeing as the bloodsuckers are doing the same.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“That went well,” Prue commented, after the two mortal women left. “What now? With them gone and Phoebe out of it, our chances to take down Astaroth have lessened considerably.”
“Oh, Phoebe is definitely out of it, believe me,” Nahir said darkly. “This will have consequences; and when I’m finished with her, she’ll be even more out of it, for a very long time. Right now, however, we need to regroup and rethink our strategy. As Mr. Fitzroy has pointed out, we’ll have to deal with Astaroth, regardless of our personal disagreements,” he turned to Henry. “If that is what you want, we’ll move out of your haven.”
“And go where?”
“There are hotels and other accommodations. For us it’s easier to blend in with mortals, since we aren’t exclusively nocturnal.”
“Can you guarantee that what happened today won’t happen again?” Henry asked.
Nahir nodded. “I can and I will. I’ll send Phoebe into torpor. She’ll be as dead to the world as you are during daytime, until I call her back. She won’t be bothering you again.”
“In that case it would be more practical if you stayed here,” Henry said. “It’s better if we remain within reach… just in case.”
“Can you persuade Ms Nelson and Miss Fennel to return, too?” Prue asked. “They are in grave danger on their own.”
“I seriously doubt it,” Henry said with a wry smile. “Victoria is perhaps the most stubborn person I’ve ever met in my almost five hundred years, and the mere idea that she’d need protection (although she does) would send her into full defensive mode. Unfortunately, Coreen tends to follow her on that path of self-destruction.”
“Has she really taken your blood?” Nahir asked. “What for?”
“She drank it to poison her life force and thus eliminate a murderous, undead Inca priest named Pachacamac that was after my powers,” Henry replied matter-of-factly.
For a moment Nahir forgot to breathe. It was fortunate that, strictly seen, vampires didn’t need to breathe.
“Is she insane?” he finally asked.
“Sometimes I ask myself the same question,” Henry admitted ruefully. “But no; she’s just determined to save those she cares for, no matter the costs.”
“I guess she didn’t take the reminder kindly,” Prue commented.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” Henry sighed. “I said back then that I might never be able to forgive her; bringing it up again only made her more stubborn and defensive.”
“So, what are we doing now?” Prue asked.
“You do for her what you can and must,” Henry glanced at Phoebe. “I’ll have to feed; and then I’ll go and watch over Vicki, without her knowing it. It’s fortunate that Astaroth is nocturnal indeed. I wouldn’t be of much use during the day.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
He left without a further word, and Prue looked at her Sire questioningly.
“What now?”
“Now I’ll drain Phoebe until she falls into torpor,” Nahir replied grimly. “That will give her the chance to heal… and keep her out of trouble. We’ll place her into one of the bedrooms and seal the door magically to keep her safe. With her actions I’ll deal when we return home. This is not something I’m willing to tolerate; and frankly, I’m shocked that she’s managed to go behind my back, despite being Blood Bound to me. No-one of my other Childer could do that.”
“You’ve never had a witch as a Childe before,” Prue reminded him. “She’s an empath; and due to her gift of premonition, she can foretell your reactions and manipulate you accordingly. Don’t forget that she has more insight into you due to your bond than the rest of us.”
“There’s more, I’m afraid,” Nahir sighed. “Perhaps being intimate with a demon had tainted her more than we’ve thought.”
“She’s not evil!” Prue protested. “Irresponsible and inconsiderate and maddeningly stubborn, yes, but not evil!”
“Perhaps,” Nahir allowed. “But there’s a darkness in her that the rest of your fortunately lack. Perhaps that’s why she was so attracted to the Vitae of a True Undead. Their kind has more animalistic traits than ours. The Beast is closer to the surface by them than by us. She must have instinctively felt it.”
Prue nodded glumly, for this was certainly true, in both points. As the most scholarly one from all four sisters, she had learned what she could about other vampire subspecies. Among other reasons because one of Nahir’s older Childer lived in Los Angeles; and the Prince of that City, while consensually elected, was definitely not your average Kindred.
To put it mildly.
“Shall I leave the two of you alone?” she asked.
Nahir nodded. “That would be the best. What I’m about to do is not a pleasant thing to watch. Especially not if it’s being done to somebody you care for.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The next thirty minutes Prue spent in the other bedroom, talking on the phone to Piper, who was already on the plane heading Toronto and needed to be filled in about everything that had happened so far. Piper became understandably agitated by the news. They lived in San Francisco, on the sufferance of its Ventrue Prince, Julian Luna. In a city that was firmly in Camarilla hands diablerie was not tolerated.
Not even attempted diablerie, almost-committed by a clueless fledgling.
Only that Phoebe wasn’t a fledgling anymore. While she would never become truly independent – no vampire Blood Bound to their Sire ever could –, she had been accepted by the Prince of the city. Such disastrous behaviour could not only cause her demise – the Prince would have been within his rights to demand her destruction –, it could also cast the shadow of doubt on her sisters… and on Nahir’s integrity.
They were Lasombra, after all; and even though they belonged to the very small minority that didn’t join the Sabbat, they were still looked at with suspicion. They might be disguising themselves as Tremere, but the Prince and his closest advisors knew what they truly were. They had to tread carefully around the other Camarilla clans in order to blend in. The unlife of Lasombra antitribu was extremely dangerous.
“We’ve been lucky that this happened so far from home,” Piper said unhappily. “We wouldn’t be able to keep this under the lid in San Francisco. The Prince has his eyes and ears everywhere. In fact, I’m not sure how we’ll be able to take her home… unless Master Nahir is planning to put her into a coffin, like in some cheesy B-movie.”
“I have no idea,” Prue admitted. “Perhaps it would be better if we took her to Los Angeles and leave her in Heather’s care. She could hide her under that club of hers, without having much to do about her comfort. Torpor is our version of coma; only that we don’t need all those machines to keep us alive.”
“Since we’re dead already,” Piper commented wryly. “Have you discussed the possibility with Master Nahir?”
“No; I thought I’ll leave it to you,” Prue suddenly grinned. “You are the girl with the common sense and the practical ideas.”
“Dream on!” Piper commented tartly. “The times when I was doing nothing else but running around, ironing out your messes – yours and Phoebe’s – are over. You’ve cooked up the idea; you’ll dish it up, too.”
They both, laughed, albeit a bit hysterically.
“I’m so glad you’re coming,” Prue then said. “I’ve missed you. You’ve always been my rock in the branding. It will be like old times: you and me, against the rest of the world.”
“More or less,” Piper replied, her voice still containing a hint of a smile. “There will be a few other people, too, this time.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Henry hoped that Vicki and Coreen would at least have the common sense to stay together. Not that either of them could have protected the other one from Astaroth or his minions, but it would make easier for him to keep an eye on them.
For that, he needed to be at full strength, though. So on his way to Vicki’s he called one of his emergency contacts; a so-called volunteer, one of a dozen or so people who were willing to… err… spend a little blood in exchange for a generous tip. He used this source as sparsely as possible, not wanting to become dependent on his herd, as he called them… and because he loved the excitement of the Hunt. Right now, though, this was an emergency – and it saved him a lot of time.
It was only a fifteen-minute delay; then he was already on his way again, well-fed and hyper-aware of his surroundings.
To his dismay, he could only hear one heartbeat upon arriving at Vicki’s place: that of Vicki herself. The two women had apparently split up, and Coreen was now probably on her way home – or already at home. Alone. Unprotected.
Henry shook his head in exasperation and let himself into Vicki’s apartment through the kitchen window. This was his best chance to remain undetected – at least for a while – since Vicki only ever used the kitchen in the morning, to make coffee. It mildly concerned him that the window was open; but again, it couldn’t really keep out Astaroth, had he decided to pay Vicki a visit.
He honed on to Vicki’s heartbeat, which revealed that she was currently in her tiny living room. Since there was no other sound that even his acute vampire hearing could have perceived, he couldn’t even guess what she was doing there. Especially as the room was completely dark; and her breathing wasn’t slow and deep enough for her to be asleep.
Still, he was mildly startled when he suddenly heard her voice. A voice that was raw with recently shed tears.
“I know you’re here, Henry. Why don’t you stop playing hide and seek and come in?”
~TBC~
