LUCIAN.

_{lucian   simply   couldn’t   stomach   the   thought,   sitting   up   and   pushing   his   palms   against   the   floor   below.   no   longer   tied   with   her,   pressed   close   and   seeking   her   warmth,   he   stared   off   to   the   horizon.         ❛           when   the   opportunity   arises   sonja,   i   cannot   say   i   won’t   take   it.           ❜         sparing   a   glance   to   her   over   his   shoulder,   he   gave   a   tight   lipped   smile.}

          it’s nearly heartbreaking when lucian responds with such a thing, for the vampire can’t bear to live a life without the lycan. she isn’t able to mirror the smile he gives her, sonja’s gaze instead falling to the cool ground beneath them.   ❛ if such an opportunity comes about, i don’t want you to come back for me. if it is safe, i will come find you. ❜   now her gaze lifts, dark orbs meeting lucian’s own in a silent plea.

THE COUNTESS.

The Countess leaned her chin into her hand, forever the watcher of others’ emotions and now, Sonja’s reaction to her words. “There was passion, from what the tales spread of Lucian and you.” A smile revealed itself over the sordid details. Even one or two Lycans she bartered with likened the couple to a Shakespeare tragedy. Shakespeare was close to his Romeo and Juliet as it was for Lucian and Sonja. Thoughts of the master player distracted her from continuing the conversation, but only a moment.

“But no ice to your spine,” she replied, reaching towards her goblet to fill herself with blood wine. “Passion can lead us so far, but it is resilience and resistance to keep us from falling behind. Selene resists against the old ways and returns from the dead no matter how hard the Elders fought to keep her silenced.” She stood from her seat, her long train sliding behind her as Erzsébet made her way towards Sonja. To say what needed to be said, must be done close to her.

Close enough for her to see the acceptance in her own eyes and the rage, oh, the rage at how this war needed to end.

A firm hand reached for Sonja’s shoulder, tightening to accept her presence. “Did you fail to notice I never once requested a favor or boon from you? Never did I request you to pay tithe or rent for the aid and shelter given to you over the centuries?” Coin came and went, but down in the blackened soul all of their kind held, there was absolute patience. Patience that when she asked of Sonja, it would be for an important reason, a worthwhile survival for all.

The Countess held her hand out, to receive not only the dagger, but Sonja’s word on her promise. “What I ask of you now can rectify the loss of Lucian, your child. It can solidify that the old ways can never be, but the new generation, Selene, and her daughter will bring us into a new era. Where Lycans and our kind can mingle, can live beside one another, and remove enemies in the humans and in one another who would want us to go back to the old ways. I will never allow myself to go back to subjugation under egotistical Elders. You shall never hide in the shadows because of them.”

“Selene shall be here in a few hours’ time and in that time, I will have her to our side. The three of us will usher in profound change to make the ghosts of our lovers smile in triumph. This is debt I shall ask of you to end all debts you ever held with me.”

          it’s truly difficult for sonja to hear others speak of her former and only lover, for they did not know him as she once had. even after he’d believed her to be dead, he’d never ceased being the man she knew, though he’d hardened in ways she’d never expected. but lucian had fought for his kind, something she’ll never forget and will ALWAYS admire. her anger wavers, taken over by sadness for the briefest of seconds.

          her bright gaze will dim to chocolate brown hues as the countess stands, goblet filled with what smells like a mixture of blood and wine. but that matters little to sonja as she follows every movement of the other, her guard once more back up as if she hadn’t just relived the death of lucian in her own mind.   ❛ the elders have grown weak since i was on the council. it is no surprise selene has been able to outwit them. ❜   that is not sonja putting the former death dealer down or dismissing the PURE cleverness and strength the vampire in question possesses, it is a simple statement of fact. their kind have become noticeably weaker over the last few centuries, especially with the diminishing number of death dealers.

          when the countess stops beside her, hand at sonja’s shoulder, the vampire stiffens. contact of any kind is something she doesn’t come by often, and being touched is practically a PEEVE of hers by now. nothing is said against the one who had given her safety while asking for nothing in return, but the vampire should have known a day like this would come. focusing intently on the brunette, her chin lifts at the words spoken, for there’s no way to dispute what’s said. it’s irksome, truthfully, but it is fair.

          ❛ — and what makes you so sure she’ll want my help? how do you know she’ll ACCEPT it? ❜   it’s a last ditch effort on behalf of the rightful head of the vampire coven to get out of paying such a debt, for it’s a heavy one.   ❛ but if she does, i truly hope you are right about the aftermath. our kind have seen more than enough death. ❜   and all three women put together have seen enough to last lifetimes.

THOMAS.

                 ^{“Used to be? I have not heard of another family reclaiming
                  this fortress since the last lord lived here.”}

^{He remembered the stories all too well. A romance, doomed from the very beginning, and a tragedy that befell the lord’s daughter and the man she loved. His father often recounted that story to him and his sister, to REMIND them not to mix with certain bloodlines. It wasn’t until his twelfth birthday that the true meaning of those ominous words was revealed. But it was a secret he wasn’t going to tell a stranger.} 

                  ^{“But I may be mistaken. You are comfortable here, are you not?”}

          ❛ —— as comfortable as one can be in a place they were cast out from. ❜   a small smile is given in response, for she’s trying ( with difficulty ) to be indifferent about her past. it’s a hard time for her to think about, for sonja had lost MUCH with little to no warning. bringing herself back into the moment, however, the vampires darkened gaze settles on thomas.   ❛ what do you know of the people that lived her before? ❜   she’s already given herself up, if he’d even believe such a wild statement. after all, it would mean she’s quite old, to say the least.

LUCIAN — CHAINGIVEN.

_{their   love   for   one   another,   despite   how   they   may   have   not   voiced   their   compassions   yet,   had   rarely   received   time   to   blossom.   it   was   a   secret   to   most   and   lucian   craved   the   touch   she   could   supply   any   time   away   from   their   nights;   the   touch   they   could   simply   not   share.   lucian   set   his   lips   into   a   line,         ❛           perhaps   if   we   were   to   leave   at   separate   times?           ❜}

          she hesitates. though sonja wishes to answer in the most assuring of ways, she simply CAN’T.   ❛ — my love… we would have to wait so long if we were to do that. ❜   she’s almost overly paranoid when it comes to their secret love, though; she can’t help it. with a soft sigh as gaze is averted, the vampire speaks again.   ❛ you are not leaving soon, are you? ❜   the question is voiced, one she’s avoided asking for weeks now for she fears the answer that may follow.

MICHAEL.

“I was chained up to a fucking table at first and then I was also shot with silver fucking nitrate. You really want to blame someone, you blame Kraven. He’s the one who killed Lucian. You don’t think I would have stopped it if I could have.” He growled, eyes black again as he glared at Sonja. He should have known better to come here, especially if she was so willing to let Michael lose his mate because of a pointless vendetta against them. “It’s not themselves the coven is destroying. It’s Selene. You could stop another pointless death from this bloodshed. None of this needs to happen. But of course, you’re just like your father. Willing to let people die for a grudge you’re holding against someone when it wasn’t their fault in the first place.” He knew the words probably were a low blow, but Selene was going to die if he didn’t get help, and she was refusing to help him. 

          the fire burns brightly in her as he yells back, her heart racing with the rush of it all. however, michael’s accusation, the way he claims she’s just like her father, will stop her in her tracks in more ways than one. jaw clenches, chin lifting as the rest of her frame goes stiff. that’s hardly fair for him to say, for he’d only known one side of the man she’d called her father. viktor had been different with her, and she knows even selene can vouch for that.   ❛ you know nothing of what you speak of. ❜   sonja hisses, mere inches from his face now as her fangs are bared and eyes are alight with anger once more.   ❛ KRAVEN was weak and a coward, easily overpowered. ❜   but she’s not done yet, though the vampire takes a few small steps back in order to mockingly look the hybrid over.   ❛ i owe you nothing. ❜   she spins on her heels so that her back is now to michael, the action almost disprespectful; as if she’s done with him.

MICHAEL.

“I expect you to help me. I guess that’s too much to ask, isn’t it. History is going to repeat itself with Selene since you’re too scared to do anything.” He knew he was taking his fear of losing Selene and turning it into anger. He knew she wouldn’t come out of hiding, but he was desperate. He should have figured this would be the result. “You could. You’re the rightful ruler of the coven.” He figured she wouldn’t help. He was on his own to try and rescue Selene. He didn’t know if he would be able to do it on his own. He was stronger, sure, but there were far more vampires than him. He would swiftly be overpowered and quickly captured. There would be nobody to help Selene then. 

          ❛ why would i help you? what would that do for me? you are part of the reason lucian is gone. you were the one, you and your MATE, that made him meet his end. ❜   she’s blamed the hybrid for her lover’s death for many years now, but has only just voiced such a thing aloud for the first time. tears begin to slowly fall down her cheeks, the vampire hardly even trying to hide them. she lost her mate because of ( even though it truly wasn’t his fault ), so he will lose his own because of her. or rather, he will lose selene due to the LACK of sonja in aiding him.   ❛ i have stayed away this long and i intend to continue to do so. if the covens wish to destroy themselves, so be it. ❜

MICHAEL.

Michael nodded, a small smile appearing on his face at the mention of his mate. “I’ll leave as soon as I can.” He reassured her, not want to overstay his welcome here. “Selene is my mate, yes.” He loved his mate, and it showed by the smile on his face. If only he could bring himself to track her down again and show her that he’s alive. Even if he wanted to, he didn’t know where to look, or anything. “I haven’t seen her in such a long time, I think she thinks I’m dead.”

          a brief nod follows, sonja not exactly rushing to object to words of parting soon.   ❛ sometimes such a thought isn’t all that bad… being dead can be a good way to live. ❜   she speaks of her own past situation of the time BEFORE lucian had been killed, of which she knows michael is knowledgeable of.   ❛ and it can push those you love to fight harder. ❜   which both selene and lucian had striven to do.   ❛ how long has she believed you dead? ❜

MICHAEL.

Fate… she was saying that Selene’s death was fate, that this was meant to happen. He couldn’t keep himself from growling, from taking a few steps closer to her. For a moment, he had every intent to harm her for her statements. He needed her to help him save Selene. He couldn’t live without his mate, and he wasn’t afraid to hit low and hard in order to get help saving her. “So you’re going to condemn her to death for the same reason you were? You;re going to just allow her to die? Because why? You’re scared?” He needed to protect his mate and he would do whatever he had to to ensure her survival.

          it gives her a RUSH to feel this anger, to have it mirrored back to her by the hybrid. it won’t lessen her reaction, though, nor tone it down, sonja hissing her response back as she too approaches him; she will not back down.   ❛ because i am DEAD. if i do nothing, no one will suspect a thing. ❜   she reasons, but is hardly finished.   ❛ what do you expect me to do? break down the doors and reclaim the coven? ❜   it’s not necessarily a far off suggestion, though.

THE COUNTESS.

Oh, but she dared.

She dared when she kept her home and her lands while her husband was away. She dared to strike out at those who harmed the women in her village. She dared to feast upon the enemies after she freed herself from the confines of her castle. If she had not dared, Báthory would be nothing but an object flung away. Was this what Sonja wished to make of Selene? An object to fling aside and pay no attention towards? Did Sonja see herself as such?

“Yet, you would condemn the future of others, of Selene, or her child, to death? Her child.” The Countess scoffed at how lightly Sonja could accept an innocent to pay for the sins of their past lives. “You gave Selene the base to see herself as more than a mercenary for Viktor. She had her lover, and she bore from their unlikely union a child. Is this not similar to Lucian and your own? Their child does not deserve to be hunted and drained for others to continue to wage war.” If she must, she would strike down entire covens to protect the future of their covens.

Now?

Now their covens were torn to pieces over the greed of elders and unworthy males.

She struck her fist down against her arm rest, a point to reveal this was no matter to easily swept aside. Tension held its claws in The Countess to bring Sonja to a side that would need all of its allies, both past and present to give their future a chance to survive and thrive.

“Do not lie, you can easily pick a sword up and cleave an enemy’s clean off.” Even now, The Countess plucked a dagger from her nest of curly hair before flinging the object towards Sonja’s features. “Or hopefully catch the dagger and prove to me, our abilities to annihilate and decimate never fades away.”

          nostrils flare as eyes turn a bright blue, one that would scare any mortal. but alas, the countess is not mortal, nor is she easily scared off; not even by sonja. but somehow the female manages to keep herself in check, at least emotion wise, arms stiff across her chest until the other has finally finished her LECTURE. though irritated, sonja knows it’s needed.

          she’s on the verge of speaking, of negating her own purpose in this war, when the other grabs for a hidden blade and then flings it at sonja’s face. there’s no question as to whether or not she’ll catch it, for her reflexes are near legendary, hand lifting to grasp the hilt as if it had been in her own hand all along. the brightness of her gaze becomes obvious once more, words much more firm than before. there is no fear in the following articulation.

          ❛ you know, i could have used this passion centuries ago. ❜   someone at her side when it had been sonja and lucian would have helped… but the past cannot be dwelt upon, hence why the vampire will give in, even if only just.   ❛ what you’re asking of me evens out any debt i may have once owed you. ❜   after all, the countess has kept quiet on the vampire’s continued survival, and that had been the biggest debt she’d owed; the shelter and trust that came with it. and it’s not that sonja doesn’t wish to fight, for she KNOWS it’s what she should do, but the memories that follow it are overwhelming.   ❛ where is selene? ❜

LUCIAN — CHAINGIVEN.

_{the   sting   that   came   sharply   from   her   reply   did   not   hurt   any   less   than   when   she   said   it   last,   eyes   falling   to   the   floor   below   as   his   thoughts   attempted   to   form   a   coherent   response.   eventually,   he   gave   in   to   his   first   instinct   —         ❛           i   do   not   care,   sonja.   i   will   not   leave   you   here.           ❜         perhaps   it   was   greedy   for   him   to   say,   but   lucian   did   not   pay   heed   to   any   future   repercussions   in   the   moment.}

          she hesitates at such a response, despite the fact she expects it. lucian’s devotion to the vampire is admirable, just as her love for him is shocking, but it doesn’t make the situation any easier for sonja to handle.   ❛ — you might not have a choice, lucian. my father cannot know of us, and my running away will only make things worse. he won’t stop looking for us. ❜