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Demonizing an Angel *(Silvana | Areawin)

Mina uncrossed her legs, those crimson hues seeming to flare slightly as he called her a succubus, grinning faintly, "It's called quality breeding." She remarked bluntly in response to his comment on her power, lifting a brow, "We come in all different forms and shapes, but my particular bloodline... Let's just say some of us have... improved in the last hundred or so years."

She leaned forwards, standing up once more. Circling around the back of his chair, as her fingertips dangled down just enough to touch back of his neck, lifting a brow as he mentioned how her emotional energies could easily sustain him, "That's just like a man, isn't it? To think of his own belly first." She sneered. As if she would allow him to feed upon her in such a way. She laughed even more at the thought, slinking further around the back of the chair, "You've better think twice about that. So far you've been acting foolishly." Behind him, where he couldn't see, her voice had changed, becoming more mature. More womanly. Breathing into his ear, "Does the name 'Vermina' ring a bell?" She purred.

As he turned to look back at her, crimson locks had bled black, the curls falling slack as her hair straightened, cheek bones shifting just a little bit higher than Mina's own, her lips becoming slightly thinner, yet still full. The red lipstick turning just as black as her raven-hued hair and red eyes gave way to violet and a savage smile lit her face. A completely different woman standing there where Mina should have been. Grabbing the sides of his face between her claw-like hands, she leaned forwards, biting his lip hard in a sudden kiss, and then, abruptly, her entire form seemed to melt away into black wisps of smoke that faded away completely.

A Shape-shifter.

Mina's laugh sounded, though she herself couldn't be seen, her body reforming next to the exit, "Just some food for thought." She purred, winking at him and then leaving him alone once more. Leaving him to make the connection between Mina and the woman who she had named and shifted into.

The face that Mina had worn belonged to a rather... ancient demon named Vermina, the succubus who had given birth to Mina roughly nine-hundred years ago. In the dark ages, Vermina's reign had been absolute, even going as far as to name herself 'Queen' in the now unnamed icy kingdom she had claimed for her own in the far north.... however, such a time was long behind them and the demon's whereabouts were now uncertain.

Which was for the best.

As she reached the ground floor once more, looking just as she did before she had stormed off, Shiori approached her, "Mina? Are you oka-"

"I've never been better." Mina was grinning triumphantly, "Let's get out of here." She commented, seeing that the band had already packed up and was waiting on her. Ratri seeming relieved to see that she was okay. As they shuffled out the door, Mina was the last one to depart, pausing just long enough to glance back to where Damien surely watched, blowing a kiss in that general direction followed by a rude guesture of her hand, and with that, slipped out.

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"It's fine." Keiran's voice was somewhat amused, yet assuring. The chill not seeming to bother him much at all. He had experienced far worse in the past, after all. Not that he shared with her, "I take it this happened quite regularly." He commented, watching her as she dug out any candles she could find. He would have offered to help, but was unfamiliar with the home, so, he stood out of the way until the house was at least dimly lit, the tiny flames flickering all around the room and casting shadows across the wall.

Exhaling softly, it was still chilly enough that his breath was visible, and he glanced towards Silennia, "You know, body heat is a excellent way to stay warm in the winter." He winked towards her, teasingly, rubbing his hands together as if trying to warm them up, breathing into them before letting them fall at his side.

"I've been told I'm quite the warm-blooded fellow." He teased further.
 
Damien watched as the woman stood, beginning to circle him. He was very familiar with this predatory demeanor. Demons were constantly going through clever ways to get what they wanted; women seduced the men, the men overpowered the women. Whatever needed to be done. So when Mina spoke, with the tips of her nails barely tracing the back of his neck, he became even more alert. He was too old to fall for any tricks.

"Does the name Vermina ring a bell?"

He spun around, a snarl curling from his throat. Eyes swirled into a deep red with golden flecks. Yes, he had certainly heard the name. Before he had a chance to react, her lips were pressed against his in a rough kiss; his hands gripping her hip. But he wasn't fast enough, and just like that she was gone, feeling more frustrated than he could ever remember being before.

The demon glared after her, looking absolutely furious, but doing nothing about it. There was no point; there was nothing that could be done. He saw her rude gesture, and the kiss she blew, but he was simmering with rage. Now she had gotten under his skin. He and the ancient demon had met before. He was more than just familiar with the name, and he had a feeling that Mina knew it.

It clicked, then. Vermina. He nearly threw his fist right through the table. How could he not have seen it before?

For the rest of the night, he sat in his one spot, glaring down at the dance floor. Jerry took over in closing, leaving Damien alone and quiet. It was rare that the manager got like this, but Jerry had seen it before, and knew what to do under the circumstances now.

----------------

Silennia peeked inside her fridge to check the temperature, glad for the cold since they'd just gone shopping that day. The freezer could stay at a constant state of temperature for a day or two so long as it wasn't opened. "You don't have to stay here." Her tone was almost apologetic. Truthfully she preferred him to stay, but could understand why he wouldn't want to. He seemed very upper-class, and staying in a shabby apartment in the freezing cold probably wasn't up to his standards.

Instead of waiting around for any kind of reply, Silennia went into a closet and pulled out blanket after blanket; using two on top of the regular bed sheet for extra warmth. When she was satisfied, she put on a pair of sweatpants over leggings, two pairs of socks, and a hoodie over her normal night shirt; keeping her hair down. She'd had enough practice with this sort of thing to know what would eventually become too warm under the blankets, and what wouldn't be warm enough.

She came out with clothes in her hand. "If you're staying... you can wear these." She shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. "They're all clean. My dad's at some point, but he hasn't worn them in years. Most of them he hasn't worn at all." She was talking about sweaters, sweat pants, and socks. Her father had lost so much weight so quickly due to the drugs that by the time he had an opportunity to wear the clothing, he simply didn't fit in them anymore. They swallowed him up.

The girl sat the clothes at the end of the bed, curling up tightly beneath the blankets in efforts to keep warm. The bruises on her back tugged at her sanity a little too hard, making it difficult to become comfortable beneath the weight of the blankets.
 
A succubus kiss was a dangerous thing. For some men, even a single touch was enough to enslave him to the pure desire that those dark creatures planted in the hearts of their victims. A kiss was to be avoided at all costs. However, Mina had stolen one from Damien before he could react. Smirking as she walked out of the club, licking her lips slowly, most of her lip stick having been smeared off at this point of the night, but, Damien's taste lingered there, "Not bad. Not bad at all." She mused to herself.

Her adrenaline was pumping, excitement rippling through her veins. Oh, right now at this moment, surely she was all he could think of. She'd cast her hooks into him before he had realized the danger, and just the thought of getting under his skin in such a way made her giggle with delight as they piled into a taxi to head back to their hotel.

"Goodnight." She waved off towards the others, climbing into the elevator and heading to the upper floor where her room was. The hallway was deserted, and Mina moved down the hallway, drawing the key to her room out of her bra. Upon entering, she shut the door behind herself, immediately changing into something more comfortable than what she was wearing, cleaning off the remaining make-up she wore and pausing as she looked into the mirror, jumping abruptly when the surface rippled, the reflection suddenly shifting and changing-

Shiori.

"I thought I've told you to use the door."

A white-haired version of the drummer with icy blue eyes smirked back towards Mina through the glass, "It's far easier to speak this way, no?" She leaned forwards, leaning her elbows against the frame of the mirror, "What happened between you and Damien?" She questioned, lifting a brow as she started climbing through the glass- her hair bleeding back to black and her blue eyes doing the same as she pulled free from the mirror, the surface rippling like water until Shiori was free, then, it became still and solid once more.

"That's hardly any of your concern." Mina mused, though, she moved over, stretching out on the bed, "But if you insist, we had a completely friendly demon to demon chat."

"It wasn't friendly at all, was it?" Shiori sat on the edge of the bed, lifting a skeptical brow towards Mina, who seemed amused, "It was perfectly friendly! Why do you think so poorly of me?" She pouted, crawling across the bed and throwing her arms around Shiori from behind, "I have it completely under control."

Closing her eyes, Shiori sighed, "If you believe so, Mina...." She shrugged Mina's arms off uncomfortably as she stood up, looking towards Mina with a suspicious glance, "Please keep in mind we're trying to keep a low profile. There's plenty who would like your head on a stick just because of who's spawn you are. You best remember that before you go running your mouth about what blood runs through your veins again."

Mina's smile faltered a little bit, watching Shiori exit the room through the door without another word. While Shiori was right, Mina didn't want to acknowledge it, and instead, she rolled over on her side, turning the lamp off at her bedside with a frustrated growl.

Was she never allowed to have her fun without being fussed at?

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"It's perfectly fine, I assure you." Keiran had answered her without hesitation. It wasn't as if the cold particularly bothered him, after all... and though the apartment was quite... drab, compared the hotel that he was staying in, it wasn't bad enough to drive him off. Not when the object of his interest was so close to him.

When Silennia brought out clothes for him, he almost winced to see them, yet refrained.

While the clothes weren't exactly to his tastes, they were much more appropriate to sleep in than the formal suit he had worn for dinner. He couldn't deny that, and so, he thanked Silennia for the clothing, and stepped into another room to change. By time he returned, Silennia was already snuggled beneath the covers, seeming rather pitiful.

Smiling at such, he lifted the covers, slipping underneath to join her. Her scent flooding his senses, nearly taunting him. He wanted nothing more than to run his fingers along her form and become familiar with that beautiful body-

But now was hardly to time, and he suppressed such thoughts. Biting back on the hunger that clawed deep inside him at being so close to her. The warmth of her body drew him in closer, and by time he was settled, his back touched against hers, facing the opposite way from her. He didn't sleep. Laying there with his amber hues wide open, he listened to the sound of her breathing, conscious of the spots where their bodies touched. Why didn't he make his move? Why didn't he take her for his own? Rolling over to face her, such thoughts crossed his mind.
 
Damien stayed long after the club closed, sitting in the darkness for a while before moving into his office. He pulled off his jacket and shirt before flopping down onto a couch. His brain ticked, feeling agitated. None of his books were here, but he didn't feel like leaving. Eventually, the demon realized that he wouldn't get any answers unless he went home. Not the home nearby, either. The home in another country, with all of his documented findings from anywhere between angels and demons. Neither species being what the world thought of them now.

He drove to his condo on the other side of town, greatly wishing it was facing a beach. However there were no beaches in Nevada. It was one of the few things he despised about the place. But he was still working his way to a larger territory. At one point, he'd had several small countries in Africa. At another, he had larger countries in South America. He moved his way across the world, coming and going as he pleased, until eventually he landed in Louisiana during the time of slaves.

Like most slave owners at that time, he had a cotton plantation. On the adjacent property -- which he soon acquired -- there was a grape vinyard. Damien considered himself a good owner to his little pets, making sure that they were properly fed and housed. They stayed warm in the winter, and there was ice in the summer. They were tended to when they were sick, and sometimes they got mentors in for reading and writing.

It didn't last long, and the world was ever-changing. He'd killed countless numbers of both humans and demons, and even the odd duck hybrid in between. Then there were those that technically didn't classify: vampires, wraiths, nymphs, werewolves, faeries, vetala, davea, rakshasa, kitsunes, djinns... hundreds of others. He only killed a female when it was to protect his own life, but there were still enough where he'd lost count.

When a demon moves, their territory is up for grabs. How well they can protect it to begin with is an entirely different matter.

He came to a parking lot, slid in a key card, and went in; parking expertly before taking an elevator up into his condo. Another key card and two pins later, he was in, tossing his jacket off to the back of a couch. An enormous dog bound toward him, tackling him to the ground -- but in truth it was only a puppy, less than six months old.

For the next few hours he planned a trip away, occasionally reaching down to pet the large pup in its own bed beside his desk. His true home was in such an odd location that it took hours, sometimes days, of planning just for a single trip. Not only that, he had to have someone manage the club.

By the time his plans had been made, he realized he still needed someone to manage the club while he was gone. The trip was going to last exactly four days. The demon looked through his staff's profiles, narrowing it down to two folders sitting on his desk. Both could use the money, and both would do brilliantly at the job. It was just a matter of which one would be able to take it.

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Silennia was asleep as soon as she felt the warmth of Keiran against her back. She tended to be restless, but the alcohol calmed her nerves enough so that she hardly moved during the night; just once, rolling onto her other side so that she was unconsciously facing Keiran, even sliding closer as it grew colder.

A few hours later, she woke to her cell phone ringing. She was too cold to move, but still managed to reach over and grab it. The caller ID said "DAMIEN LAROUX" -- she was tempted to ignore it, especially considering it wasn't even seven in the morning yet. Instead, she sat up with a sigh.

"Hello?"

"Ah, did I wake you?"

Silennia bit her tongue, not wanting to snap at her boss. "Yes," was her simple answer.

"So sorry." He didn't sound the least bit sincere. "I have to leave for a few days. I called Jerry but he wasn't able to take up the position."

Silennia yawned and rubbed her eye with her spare hand, "What position?"

"Assistant manager... just while I'm gone. When I come back you'll go to work like normal." He sounded very patient, which was a strange quality to experience when it came to him.

"Sure," she snorted. "If you can turn my power back on."

"I'll call you right back."

She grumbled, curling back into the warm spot where she'd been laying. There was something else next to her, something warmer... "Oh, fuck!" The young woman nearly fell off the bed, having completely forgotten about Keiran being there. "Shit, shit, sorry." Just then, the hum of electricity sputtered. Since all of the lights had been off when she came in the night before, they were still off; but it was definitely on. To double-check, she clicked on the television. "You gotta be shitting me," she mumbled.

Her phone rang again, and she stared at it incredulously. "I was actually joking," was the first thing she said.

Damien chuckled. "You're doing me a huge favor. It's on for six months. Don't let me down. You start tonight." He didn't say anything else, and hung up; leaving Silennia sitting on the edge of her bed with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Six months? He must have really been in a tight situation.

She breathed out a sigh of relief as she felt the heat kick on, tilting her head back to feel the warm air brush against her face. Hesitantly, she crawled back beneath the blankets next to Keiran, pulling them up to just below her eyes and peeking at the man almost suspiciously. Her eyelids drooped heavily at the sudden warmth, not bothering to fight sleep as it took hold of her once again. She didn't have to be up until around 8pm, so there was no point in setting an alarm with it being 13 hours away.
 
Amber hues cracked open in the darkness at the sound of a cell phone ringing. Which promptly disturbed the sleeping woman beside him. The air was icy, making anyone reluctant to get out of bed, so he didn't blame her much when she sat up with a sigh. Not making a move, Keiran stayed nestled into the blankets, listening in on the conversation. A sharp ear identified Damien's voice almost immediately.

Assistant manager?

Damien was heading out of town it would seem. Now, that certainly was interesting. Still not saying a word, Keiran ended up erupting into a fit of laughter as Silennia abruptly remembered the stranger she had brought home with her, watching the woman nearly topple off the bed, "Are you going to answer that?" He questioned, nodding towards the phone as it started ringing again promptly after the lights flickered on. What had happened that was enough to make someone like the club owner suddenly jump up and leave his job to some girl who had been waiting tables the night before? No matter how he looked at it, everything seemed to point back to Mina, and he groaned a little, "I need to get back to the hotel some time today and make sure Mina hasn't burned anything to the ground in the last 24 hours."

This was all very interesting indeed. What exactly had Mina done in his absence? He would worry about that later, "What was that all about?" He questioned, nodding towards the phone and pretending he hadn't eavesdropped on the conversation, yawning as he stretched a bit. In reality, however, he was very much alert, considering the early hour.
 
Keiran's words roused Silennia from consciousness just long enough for her to put her hand on his face, sprawling her fingers out. "Shhhhh. I like sleep." She opened one eye and smiled at him, though, before removing her hand. "Hell if I know what it was about." She sat up, adjusting the blankets and laying closer to him, so that her forehead was just a few inches away from his chin; blinking sleepily at his throat. "He did this once before, but Jerry took over... Jerry must not be able to take it this time. That's alright." She yawned. "I was in management before. I know what I'm doing."

She peered up at him. "It'll be better than walking around like... well, like a high-class prostitute. I pretty much make sure the band gets paid, organize for a DJ to be there, make sure we have two bartenders and see to it that we have full staff. Things like that." The woman played at the collar of his shirt, and her tone instantly slipped into slight disappointment, although she was attempting to hide it. "You're leaving tonight, aren't you?"

The door opened, then, and Silennia peered up over Keiran with a simple lift of her head. Korina stood there in the doorway, two bags of McDonalds in one hand. "Hey baby girl, I-- what the fuck?"

She tossed the bags onto the table, marching over to the end of the bed. "You best hope for your sake that you've got clothes under all those blankets," she snapped. "Although I wouldn't blame you if you didn't." She wiggled her eyebrows at Keiran, burst out into laughter, and strode back toward the door. "Nah I'm just kidding babe, you do whatever the hell you want. But not right now. I brought us breakfast! I figured you could use some unhealthy food after--" She didn't finish, remembering that Keiran was there. "Um... if you need me to step outside so you can put on clothes..."

"Shut up Korina," Silennia finally sighed.

"Damn, why's it so cold in here? Almost as cold as your tone." Korina sneered at her friend, wrinkling her nose.

"My power just came on. It was off all night. And I asked Keiran to stay..." Her eyes flicked toward the man, urging him to go along with it. Korina had always been protective over Silennia, and she didn't blame her. Especially with the kind of people that used to come into the house to see her father.

Korina scoffed. "You working tonight?"

"Yeah, until... whenever four days from now is."

"Thursday."

"Definitely until Thursday." Silennia felt exhausted from lack of sleep and being freezing all night, but a growling in her stomach informed her that she could go with some food right now.

"Sorry, I didn't bring enough for three," Korina apologised. She held a sarcastic tone, and when she dumped the contents onto a plate. There was definitely enough for three, but she and Silennia could eat this in one sitting. Not only that, Silennia was sure that Korina was still miffed about bringing a stranger into her bed, although nothing had happened.
 
'You're leaving tonight, aren't you?'

At her words, Keiran's smile had faltered a bit, "I don't know." It was a simple, yet honest answer. Unsatisfying as it might have been. Mina would want to skip town as soon as Damien wasn't around to try to get her to stay, and what better opportunity than tonight? Silennia wasn't wrong to make such a assumption.

When Korina arrived, Keiran tossed a charming smile towards her, holding his hands up in a innocent gesture, "I have pants on." Though, he slid free from the bed, excusing Korina with a wave of his hand at her comment about there not being enough food for three, "I live on the joys of life." He commented, his voice sarcastic as he departed from the room to change out of the oddly fitting borrowed clothes. By time he returned, the pair were already sitting down eating.

So, he took his opportunity to leave. Keiran walked out the door, "I'll call you later, Silennia." he called simply, and before she could possibly protest or ask him to stay, he was out the door and gone. Making his way out to the street where he promptly caught a cab back to the hotel. It would be hours before Mina was awake. Stopping at the main entrance, he glanced back over his shoulder.

A uneasy sensation creeping up his spine for a moment before he shook it off. As if someone was watching him, yet, with a quick sweep of his gaze, no one was to be seen. Turning, he stepped inside, finding Shiori in the hotel lobby with her head thrown back in a uncomfortable position and a book opened on her chest, seeming asleep. When Keiran approached her, however, black hues snapped open, directly locking onto his gaze, "We're being watched."

Her voice was low, and she sat up, closing the book she had been reading and tossing it into the chair next to her carelessly as she stood up, "Wrap your business up with that girl if you must, but staying here any longer will put Lady Mina in danger and I won't allow that on my watch." She hissed into Keiran's ear, unflinching when he pushed her back from him, "Then go wake Mina up and we'll leave immediately." Keiran answered her bluntly, which caught her off guard.

"Only a fool would do that."

"Then we wait until nightfall to leave. It's as simple as that."

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It should have been simple, at least. Packing their things up as the sun sunk behind the clouds. Mina was upstairs in her room, looking out the window. So Damien had skipped town. At least, that's what Keiran had said. Ratri came in, picking up more of the red head's bags to carry them down, and she closed her eyes a moment. While this sort of life could get rather boring with only a occasional fun streak from time to time, it was also necessary for the likes of her.

Mina was sought after and hunted, whether she liked it or not. After hundreds of years preying upon humans and demons alike, a girl tended to gain more than her share of enemies. Her lineage was of no help either... yet, hiding in the shadows wasn't Mina's preference. She liked to be seen. Admired. Desired...

Moving constantly was just a means of running away from her problems.

By time Damien came back, she would be long gone. Walking towards the door, Mina picked up her purse, heading for the elevator, someone stepping in behind her as she headed down.

Outside, next to the bus, Keiran leaned back, drawing his cell phone out... well, he had promised a phone call, right? Punching in Silennia's number, he closed his eyes. One ring. Two. Three....
 
Silennia and her friend ate in silence, although Korina's questioning looks didn't give her much comfort. She waved weakly when Keiran left; standing and taking the dishes into the kitchen before balling up the paper bags and packaging to throw them in the trash. Korina followed her in, leaning up against the wall with her right shoulder.

"'I have pants on'," she mocked teasingly.

"Korina, I'm really tired. Can we just--"

"Hey, I'm tired, too. Raoul kept me up all night."

Silennia gave her friend a blank expression. "I really just want to get some sleep before I have to go in tonight. Damien put me in charge of management for the next few days."

"What? Why?"

"I didn't ask. I told him I'd do it if he turned on my electric... I guess dad didn't pay for it after all. Not surprised." She walked over to the front door, realizing that she hadn't even bothered to lock it the previous night. Did she really feel that safe with the man? It was strange, considering she'd lived in the city her entire life. Nothing was safe here. Hell, even the food was questionable most of the time.

"So, what, he turns on your electric and you agree to take management?" Korina watched as Silennia sighed with frustration and drew all the blinds in the place so that it was dark, aiding the blackness by turning off all the lamps except for the one next to the fold-out bed. "Alright, alright, we'll both get some sleep. Then you can tell me about it later." She went and changed into an enormous t-shirt and pants, crawling into the blankets with Silennia. Within no time, both girls were asleep.

Silennia woke before Korina did, slipping on a pair of jeans and a few sweaters before walking down the street into a coffee shop. She was greeted with smiling faces, all of them knowing what she wanted before she even walked through the door. A few minutes later she exited with a brown paper bag and a carrier with large coffees, pushing open the door to her apartment just as Korina was stretching.

The ginger glanced over at Silennia. "God bless you with your coffee," she muttered. "What time is it?"

"Around seven. I need to get ready for work. You coming?"

"Yeah, yeah."

Silennia was appreciative of the fact that she didn't have to wear her short black dress, or even ridiculously high heels tonight. She was allowed to dress classy for once, and she would make every minute of it count. After nearly twenty minutes of going through the closet, she pulled out a red dress that was longer on one side than the other; the longest side reaching to just below her knee. It swooped upwards, creating the short side that came to the middle of her thigh. It was adorned with black dangled earrings and one-inch heels.

Korina didn't bother dressing up, since she knew she wouldn't be kicked out by Damien. Eventually Silennia persuaded her to put on something relatively nice, although it still wouldn't have been up to her boss's standards. Eyeliner and dark red lipstick was the final touches to Silennia, and they were out and going into the club relatively early. Still an hour before it opened.

The girls went into Damien's office to find a sort of agenda, to help Silennia get through the next few days with little to no contact with the manager. Jerry smiled encouragingly as she walked by, appreciating the new look. Waitresses were coming in to set up, eyeing Silennia with somewhere between jealous and appreciative looks.

For a few seconds she didn't realize that it was her phone that was ringing, since she'd forgotten about the ringtone set for unknown callers. Damien could have given her number to anyone; she knew that he received quite a few calls regarding the club during his hours. Using her thumb, she slid the bar on the touch-screen to answer. "Silennia speaking." As she answered, her eyes swept the men coming in, hoping to see Keiran, but with no such luck. Disappointment created weight in her chest. Damien had left an envelope on his desk to pay Mina, knowing that she would not have stayed another night.
 
"It's Keiran." It was good to hear her voice, and he almost felt disgusted at the satisfaction that just hearing it brought him. Judging from the background noise on Silennia's end, she was already at the club, serving in her boss's place as manager for the night. Why had he called...? Well, he hadn't really thought on that until now, and after a moment, he sighed, "Mina won't be playing tonight...." Glancing towards the hotel, Mina still wasn't outside yet, "... I'm going to head down there to pick up her check."

A last minute thought. He could have easily sent Ratri or Kenny to get the money, but why skip a opportunity to see Silennia before leaving? Already, he was walking away, "I'll be there shortly." With that, he hung up. Flagging a cab down. By time Mina stepped outside, he was long gone, "Where did Keiran go?" She scowled, tossing one of her last bags to Ratri, "I think he went to get your check...? He was on his cell phone, so I overheard a little bit... Looked preoccupied so I didn't stop him."

Probably the best choice for Ratri's sake.

Stepping away from the bus, Mina turned, "Tell Shiori I went to fetch my brother." She growled, Ratri looking towards her surprised, chasing after her, "But Mina-" He tried to stop her, but she pushed him away, "If I'm gone longer than a half hour, then you can come look for me." She sneered, shutting the cab door behind her and wiggling her fingers at him as the driver pulled off.

----------------------------------------------------

A good ten minutes later after his phone call, Keiran had reached his destination, making his way inside as amber hues searched for Silennia, ordering himself a drink until finally, he located her, smiling towards her. He was dressed in all white tonight, and as he approached her, he swept his gaze over her. While she had been ravishing the first time he seen her, this look suited her much better, and his eyes alone showed his approval, "May I have a moment with you?" He questioned, grinning to her softly, rescuing her from the dreadfully dull conversations she was most likely having to deal with for the night.

"I'm sure things will run perfectly smoothly without you for a moment or two."
 
Silennia grinned at the voice on the other end, excusing herself to the upper level where Damien's quiet corner was. "Yeah," she replied, speaking a bit louder over the music. "I had to call in the DJ. No problem, though." Her heart sank. He was just coming to pick up the check. It had been a mere few days, yet she already felt attached to him. At least she'd be able to see him before he went, even if it wasn't just to see her.

She began mingling as more people came in, handling business matters in Damien's place. When a young woman and potential business partner grabbed her attention, though, Silennia was rooted in place by a conversation she had no interest in. Repeatedly she told the woman that she would relay the information to Damien, but she couldn't actually make any business decisions in his place unless they were absolutely necessary.

So when Keiran came up and stole her away, she sighed with relief and pulled him toward Damien's office, shutting the door behind them both. "She would not shut up," she growled, and flopped rather ungracefully onto the couch. "Coming to say goodbye?" Her tone was teasing, but her eyes showed the slightest hint of pain. He looked stunning tonight, and she found herself looking over him appreciatively before looking away, nodding toward the table where an envelope lay. The word BAND was elegantly scrawled across the front; sealed... and it was thick. Damien had promised to pay her double, and he wasn't about to go back on his word.

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Silver eyes watched from afar, outside, under an overhang in the shadows. A long black coat adorned strong shoulders. Silvery hair, tinted with shades of greys, blues, whites and the occasional purple, was tucked beneath a black beanie. The body was lean and tall, but it wasn't human. No, this body hadn't been human for a very long time.

"Kaleb," a voice whispered from behind the the black coat.

He turned, peering into the darkness.

"When do we go to our stations?"

The man, Kaleb, turned back around, watching a man grab a cab... and then a woman. "Now," he replied absently. He shoved off the wall, feeling in his pocket for something. A wicked smile touched his face. "Go."

Inhuman powers allowed him to stay in the darkness, and still arrive to the spot across the street from the club. His met eyes with the cabdriver, nodding from the darkness, and the cab went past the club.

The cabbie swore, apologising profusely to Mina, saying that he'd turn around. "There's something wrong with the doors," he said easily. "I have to open it from outside. We'll be there soon enough, I promise."

A man with silver eyes slid into the cab, just as it slowed. "Mina Crisimion!" he exclaimed. His right hand was in his pocket. "So good to see you. My name is Kaleb. And you have something that we want." His hand came out from the pocket, holding a needle, which he promptly shoved into the soft flesh of her arm; pushing down the plunger.

"Holy water is a bit painful, I'll admit," he murmured. "But it does the trick. Maybe daddy will come out to play."
 
Keiran had little interest in the envelope in truth, not even bothering to check to see if the full promised amount was inside, casually placing the envelope into a pocket on the inside of his suit, those amber hues fixing onto Silennia, "I couldn't leave without seeing you again."

He didn't break his gaze from her, calmly walking across the office towards her as he came to stand right in front of her, leaning down, "I never even got to have a kiss." He teased softly, never once breaking his gaze on her, not even blinking, his hand moving gently, tipping her chin up slightly.

His face only a mere inch or two from hers, and then without waiting for her permission, he had closed that distance, his hand slipping behind her head as his fingers wrapped themselves into her hair slightly. Deepening the kiss with something that emerged from him like a hunger, pressing her body against the back of the couch with his own.

------------------------------------------

"You passed the club, you imbecile." Mina's voice hissed, pale green hues narrowing towards the cab driver in the rear-view mirror. Leaning back against the seat, she was looking out the window when the door opposite to her was pulled open as the cab slowed down, drawing her attention immediately as a man climbed in, hearing her name spoken upon unfamiliar lips.

Her eyes widening when she spied the needle, not having time to react by time it had found it's way into her arm, only jerking back out of late reflex, causing the needle to break off into her arm painfully, "What-" She didn't need to ask, her body violently tensing up as she threw herself back against the door, ripping the needle out, feeling the burning sensation that was already rapidly crawling up her arm. Snarling as realization sank in, her other arm going for the man's throat.

Mina shoved her thumb straight into his jugular vein, slamming his skull against the back-window of the cab hard enough to crack it. Bashing him into it a second time as she tried to use his body to bust through. Though, just as she succeeded, her body refused to obey her any longer. Her grip growing too weak to hold onto Kaleb, and she let loose another snarl as her grip grew lax, until Kaleb slip out of her grasp completely, Mina collapsing into the seat of the cab as a scream escaped her. Her body violently thrashing around for a moment before finally, she fell into a whimpering curled up mess, her muscles twitching against her control.
 
Silennia lifted a single brow at his first comment, not wanting to feel too hopeful. He would, after all, leave. And that wasn't something she wanted to deal with right now. As he slid the envelope into his pocket, she pulled her fingers through her hair. Minutes until he was gone. Seconds, even. Then silently, she scolded herself. She shouldn't be counting down like this, especially not when it was upsetting her. She always had been good at putting on a face.

For a moment, she didn't think she heard him right. A kiss? He was leaning down in front of her, leaning his body forwards. She only blinked at him, feeling dazed when her eyes locked onto his. Her mind went blank. There was only a force pulling her toward him, suddenly locked against the other; feeling her body being pressed back as he deepened the kiss. She reacted slowly, and upon relaxing, realized that her entire body had tensed considerably.

His hand is what pulled her deeper. The feeling of absolute security there. It was like drowning, but without the pain of suffocation and water in the lungs. Both of her arms wrapped around the back of his neck, pulling her knee up so that it rested against his hip. A tapping sound drew her from the kiss, suddenly feeling very tired. Another tap. "Christ," Silennia breathed, escaping his kiss and moving away from him; briefly pulling a hand through her hair to untangle it a bit before pulling open the door.

Korina stood there, holding a large glass that smelled like peaches. "I brought you a fuzzy navel... I know you're bummed about Keir-- ... Oh." She had peeked around Silennia, wondering why she hadn't opened the door further, when she noticed Keiran there. "Oh-- ohhhh. Um. I'll just..."

"No, it's okay, Korina," Silennia said with a forced smile. "He's leaving soon anyway. Just came to pick up the money for the band."

-------------------

Kaleb snarled at the woman, knowing he was going to get injured in the process. However he didn't expect to become this injured. It all happened rather quickly. By the time the driver got out to sedate Mina, she was already coming down from the adrenaline of trying to save herself.

There was glass in the side of Kaleb's face and neck, and his hand was over the deep wound that had been caused by one of her long nail into his jugular. The driver gave her an extremely heavy sedative as her body protested the water. They didn't want to kill her, after all. They just wanted to drive out the ancient being that was her father. If that meant getting wounded in the process... so be it.

Kaleb adjusted Mina so that she was sitting up, leaning against the corner of the backseat to the cab. The cabbie drove off with the two, coming to a full stop and park in front of an empty apartment complex. It was a single building, with multiple rooms inside. Some of the upper windows were busted. The silvery-haired young man felt dizzy, but still managed to pick Mina up and bring her inside.

At first looks, it seemed to be nothing more than any empty rat hole. But Kaleb and the cabbie didn't go upstairs... they went down. Through a room, into a closet, then down stairs, which led to more doors. It was a nest of sorts. There were rooms between each locked door, and it nearly had a layout of a jail, except the inhabitants were not locked away. Vampires came out to greet Kaleb and look at Mina curiously, some of them backing away when they realized who it was.
 
Mina laid against the seat, trying to pull away when the cab driver had come around to sedate her, but her body refused to cooperate, instead, the demon only managed to weakly swing her fist at him. It was quite pitiful, in truth. Unable to fight the man off as once more, she felt a needle prick her skin.

She struggled to keep consciousness, but her eyes grew heavy. At some point realizing that the car was moving again, her eyes only open a crack, unable to see anything except the glow of the car's inside electrical controls. Where were they taking her...? And why? By time the cab stopped again, Mina had succumbed completely, not even reacting when Kaleb had picked her up into his arms. Even with good care and rest, it would take days for Mina's body to completely recover from the damage done inside her body from the holy water. Her skin was cold to the touch, covered with a light sheen of sweat and several shades paler than her natural hue. Alive yes, but seemingly sickly.

------------------------------------------------------

Just a taste...

That had been his intention but he found he couldn't resist. Silennia was simply divine. Finding himself lost for a moment as his lips grew more hungry for her, pulling the poor girl deeper into the spell he had woven- until a tapping sound distracted him. He snapped back to reality, backing off abruptly as Silennia escaped from him, seeming rather bewildered, going to answer the door.

Keiran however, stared after Silennia intently, barely even managing a polite smile towards Korina. He didn't want to leave, yet, at the same time he had no choice. He stepped pass Korina, "That's right. I'm on my way out." He commented, though, his voice was low, barely audible.

Making eye contact with Silennia one last time before he finally turned away, waving to her. A silent goodbye.

His mind was racing, however. What had that been just now? Never before in his short five-hundred years had he ever tasted a mortal so sweet. Stepping outside into the night air, she consumed his thoughts. To a point that he almost turned back to return.

It was Shiori who stopped him. The drummer came running, dark eyes wide, "Mina isn't with you?" She wheezed, as if she had been running, the girl leaning over, resting her hands on her knees for a moment before she straightened her posture, "Ratri said she's been gone for about a half-hour but-"

"Mina was never here." Keiran cut the other off, seeming to snap out of his daze, "I would have sensed her." He looked around, "She's not at the bus?" Shiori glared at him, "Do you think I'm a idiot? Of course not. She was supposed to be here. Looking for you."

Mina? Missing?

That couldn't be possible.
 
Silennia smiled weakly at Keiran when he waved, finally opening the door up for Korina once he was out of sight. She watched every step he made, nearly cringing when the entrance door closed behind him.

Korina stepped inside the office, shutting the door behind her and watching Silennia crumple into the couch. "Aw, honey. Did he hurt you?"

The darker haired of the two only grumbled, looking up at the clock. She had to stay here until the place closed... but Damien never said to stay out on the floor the entire time. Being in the office, holed up, would suit her just fine. "I want ice cream."

"Alright," Korina replied, patting Silennia's knee. "I'll be right back."

Silennia smiled, sprawling out on the couch and kicking off her shoes. She texted Jerry to let her know if she was needed, and he replied with, "Slow night." Damien must have alerted his regulars that he was going to be out, so most of them wouldn't be coming for a few days.

The ginger pulled on a coat, stepping outside to walk less than a block to a small store she knew carried Silennia's favorite flavor of ice cream. On her way down the sidewalk, she noticed Keiran and another woman. At first, she became angry, thinking he was leaving simply for another girl, until she recognized that it was the drummer. That wasn't so bad. It was normal for them to be familiar with each other.

As she walked by, she picked up on a bit of the conversation. "She was supposed to be here. Looking for you." Was someone missing? Korina pulled out her phone, texting Silennia that they were still outside.

Somethings up with boytoy it said. Outside came a second text.

Silennia stared at her phone with mixed feelings before slipping on her shoes again and making her way outside, being rather forceful about not making any conversation on her way there. It took her a moment to find Keiran, but when she did, she slipped over to where he was standing. "Is everything okay?"

It didn't feel right to be asking him; not wanting to look desperate for his attention by coming outside. But Korina didn't text her with matters unless it was serious.
 
Mina was no where to be found.

Even after a swift peek inside, there wasn't even a trace. No one had even seen the crimson-haired beauty. Slowly, it was sinking in that Mina might have actually been taken... but how? How had someone managed to so easily snatch a demon, of all things? Stiffening a little when a familiar voice sounded. Silennia. When she showed up, it didn't seem to help matters. She still lingered on his lips, and his hunger was very real, so when she approached, his throat grew tight as he turned his head away.

No, things were not okay.

"My sister is missing." He finally answered, regaining his composure as he look towards the woman, "According to Shiori, Mina was supposedly on her way here to meet up with me, but she never quite made it." He was looking around, approaching the street in front of the club where various cabs were parked, some of them having the drivers lounging around, waiting for a customer... but down near the end of the street, away from the building in the shadows, something drew his attention.

He started walking off, Shiori looking after him, "Keiran?" She questioned, hesitating before she chased after him. There, at the very edge of the road, shards of broken glass could be seen. The silvernette kneeling down, "See that?" He poked at one piece in particular with the tip of his finger, the opposite end of the sharp covered in fresh blood, "That's glass out of a car window."
 
Silennia noticed that he looked away from her. Quite deliberately, too. She took a step back, away from him, and began to walk away without saying anything... until he finally spoke. His sister was missing? Mina? She certainly seemed like she could have handled herself in any situation, but who was Silennia to judge? "Do... you want me to call the cops? Do you think she was just spiteful and ran off?"

However she knew her questions went unheard. Keiran seemed to be a protective big brother... yet it didn't seem as if he were the older of the two. She watched him make his way toward the end of the street, behind the line of people that were waiting to get inside of the club. Most of them were women too high or too excited to have noticed anything.

This is exactly the kind of shit I didn't sign up for, she thought silently, but immediately felt guilty for it. This wasn't Keiran's fault, or Damien's. It was nobody's. She didn't follow him to the end of the street, so she didn't hear his words. Just saw him kneel down, as if to look at something. It was still cold out, and she wasn't wearing a jacket, so she decided to turn and go back inside for it.

The same woman from before caught her by the arm as she was halfway to the bar. Silennia spun around to face her. "So sorry we couldn't have finished that conversation," she offered halfheartedly. "I'm needed outside, howev--"

"Kaleb really would like to partner with this place," the woman said.

The name sent chills up Silennia's spine, making the hairs on her arms stand up. Kaleb. There were many Calebs in the area, but nobody said his name with such an ordinary tone. It was most certainly Kaleb.

The man was known for practically owning the city until Damien got there. He seemed to be the go-to guy for everything illegal. Sex slaves, drugs, even organs. All on the black market. There was a crisp edge to his name when someone said it, and Silennia was all-too familiar with how it was spoken. Her eyes suddenly turned hard, yanking her arm away from the woman. "I'll relay the message," she said cooly.

The other woman -- a blonde, taller than Silennia was and far too skinny to be deemed healthy -- took a step back. Her bright blue eyes widened, and she instantly looked away. "Thank you for sending the message," she murmured. With that, she exited the club. Silennia stood in place, glaring after her. There was a deep ache in her shoulders again, far worse than what she'd ever experienced before, and it caused her to stumble a bit; rushing into Damien's office and sitting down on the edge of the couch.

A few minutes later, Korina had returned with a two-pint container of ice cream. It was Andes-and-chocolate-chip cookie dough with large chunks of fudge brownie pieces. She'd even bought two large spoons. "What's up with hottie?"

Silennia's elbows were on her knees, and she didn't look up. It barely looked like she was even breathing.

"Silennia? Hey, Sil, what's--" The ginger had set the ice cream on the desk and moved toward Silennia, kneeling in front of her and gently wrapping her fingers around her wrists.

Silennia abruptly snapped her head up, and she wore a rather aggressive expression.

"Silennia what the fuck?" Korina jumped back. "What the hell's up with your eyes?"

The other girl opened her mouth to speak, suddenly blinking rapidly and allowing her torso to fall backwards against the back of the couch. Her palm went flat against her forehead, groaning out. Pain sliced through her body in waves, but just as soon as it had come, it was gone; leaving her feeling exhausted. She pointed toward the door. "Something happened to the singer," she mumbled. "Mina. Keiran's sister."

Korina looked almost... scared of her friend. She nodded, whispered a quiet "I'll go check on him" and left, closing the door behind her and leaving Silennia curled up on the couch. The dark-haired woman reached up, pulling a folded blanket from the windowsill and wrapping it tightly around her. What's happening?

---------------------------

Kaleb got Mina adjusted. She was tied down in several different ways. Leather clasps held her wrists and ankles down to the bed. The material went through the fabric of the mattress and wrapped twice tightly around metal bars underneath. Then there were leather straps with hard silver wound into it, over her shoulders just above her breasts, as well as just below her kneecaps. Those tied beneath the bed, but they were each a single piece instead of single pieces tying each leg. Finally, as more precaution, she was hooked up to an IV with an odd silvery substance. It was mostly clear with almost microscopic flecks of silver. The needle went in just above her ankle, so that no matter how she moved, it would be near-impossible to remove it.

The vampire was making damn sure that he could keep her here... for as long as he needed. Now they played the waiting game.
 
With a quick glance, Keiran could see that Silennia had gone back inside. Turning towards Shiori, "What do you think?" He asked lowly, eying the blood-stained shards of glass that still laid in the road.

"Well, whoever's blood this is, isn't Mina. This is vampire blood." Shiori comment, smirking, "I imagine she didn't go very quietly. Judging by the direction the glass seemed to have fallen into the road..." Her black gaze shifted further down the street, "They went that way, but once the street turns off, there's no telling where she could have been taken..." The black haired demon sighed, "Getting police involved is definitely not a option."

Tapping her boot against the pavement, after a moment, she finally stepped back onto the sidewalk, "We're going to have to wait until something leads us to her." She finally said, looking to Keiran, "She was already hard to detect with her lack of feeding... and I'm hardly a bloodhound." She ran her gaze over the male, "Not that you're much better off." She scoffed, knowing well that look on Keiran's face. That hungry, predatory expression that he threw towards the club where Silennia had vanished, "You don't even care about your poor sister."

"No, I-" He blinked, tearing his gaze away, "It's not that at all."

He could hardly focus.

"You need to feed." Shiori's voice sounded in his ear, "Keep this up and you'll be a easy target to pick off even for a lowly human." Something sharp poked him in his back, and Keiran laughed softly, a dangerous edge taking to his voice, "Oh? Says the one who wears her very 'heart' around her pretty little neck." He turned his head, amber hues falling upon the small mirror around the drummer's neck. The blade quickly withdrew, and Shiori walked around him. Not saying another word to him. The underlying threat had been clear, and she would pester Keiran no more on the subject. Whether or not he fed tonight was left entirely up to him. Though, a backwards glance showed the doubt upon the woman's face.

Keiran watched her go, and once she had walked far enough that she was no longer in visible sight, he headed back towards the building, crossing the street. Where he met with Korina at the door. Noticing the expression upon her face, "Korina?" It had taken a solid five seconds to recall the human's name.
 
Korina didn't feel right about any of this. Something was wrong, both with Keiran and Silennia. What was she even doing outside? Right, checking on Keiran. He seemed fine. She was about to turn sharply on her heel and go back inside when he said her name, and she mentally scolded herself for not turning away sooner. There was a lurking... something, there in his eyes, and she didn't like it; taking a step back and pulling a bit of hair behind her ear.

"Silennia isn't--" she stumbled on her own words, looking away and crossing her arms tightly against her chest in attempts to feel more secure. "She's not feeling well." Her gaze turned back toward him. "Said something was wrong. Your sister is missing?" It had been so long since anything like kidnapping had happened in this city -- documented, at least. Ever since Damien came to town, actually.

It struck her that it was entirely possible for something to have actually happened to Mina... Damien was no longer in town. Not for a few days. She wasn't trying to brush off the fact that the possibility of Mina being kidnapped was very real, but she was trying to be lighthearted about it. "Maybe she found some guy to hook up with. I don't know her. Girls are spontaneous." She had no idea about the glass in the road.

Silennia had kicked off her shoes once more. Her fingers tightened along the blanket that had been folded over the back of the couch, pulling it around her and laying down. It was just long enough to fit her height. When was the last time this had happened? Shortly after Jiselle, her step-mother, had died during childbirth. 'This' being pure exhaustion; a helpless feeling that sank into her bones and made her want to stay in bed all day. Doctors told her it was depression, and so she went to therapy when she was little. She met other girls and boys alike, but she was too afraid of becoming close to anyone in fear of losing them. At four years old, it was a heavy burden to bear.

For the time being, she would stay cooped up in the office unless needed otherwise. There was still a while before closing time, but at least the office muffled the outside noise. The only reason Damien ever mingled was because he enjoyed doing so; business matters were taken into his office. If there was a man that became too rowdy, he would take care of that, as well, but Silennia noticed that tonight there were... extra-large, extra-aggressive looking body guards throughout the place. No doubt in precaution of Damien not being there.

The pain in her shoulders was very real. Her fingers fumbled around for her phone, hesitating as she scrolled through her contacts and looked at Damien's name. Finally, she clicked the green button and pushed the phone up to her ear. It rang once before he picked up.

"Silennia?"

"Yeah, hey," she mumbled. A long pause.

"... Is there trouble?"

"No, no." She sat up, pulling the blanket a little more tightly around her, and gave a weak laugh.

"Stressful, isn't it?" He sounded quite sincere, and not annoyed at her in the least.

Relief flooded through her. He didn't sound the least bit annoyed. "I'm actually calling because, well there's still a while before we close, and there's something going on with my shoulders. I don't want to leave."

He understood immediately. "There's something in my safety-deposit box. 21-35-04."

Silennia stood and went over, twisting the knob to the correct numbers until it opened. There weren't many things in the box, but he directed her to a small black bag that could fit in her hand. Inside it were vials, neatly aligned. The first one was a clear blue; second, a yellow, third, a red, and it went on with varying thicknesses and colors.

"Take the dark red one. It's... number seven, I think," he instructed.

She pulled the vial out of its little slot, twisted off the black cap, and sniffed it. "Ugh it smells disgusting," she muttered.

"It'll help. Don't take it now, though. Go ahead home; Jerry can take over for the rest of the night."

Silennia was surprised at how understanding he sounded. Almost... concerned. "What is it?"

He sighed on the other end. "Don't ask me what it is. You don't want to know. But it will help. Go home, relax, drink it, and go to sleep. It'll make you tired. If you feel better enough to come in tomorrow, then that's fine, but don't push yourself."

This was the most understanding she had ever seen him be, and it scared her a bit. Was he planning on firing her when he got back? If so, she may as well take advantage of getting paid to not work now, although it was really the furthest thing from her mind.

"Oh, and Silennia? Don't be alone tonight. Have someone with you. It's not from the... medicine, but I'm concerned."

She thanked him and locked his box back up, pocketing the substance and pulling on her flats before heading out to the bar. Jerry nodded and smiled at her. No doubt Damien offered to pay him more as well, otherwise she'd be receiving sour looks. His phone was also on the bar, which said that she'd just missed the conversation between the two.

The young woman pulled on her jacket, pressing the heel of her hand against her forehead as she walked outside into crisp air, where Korina and Keiran were still standing.

Whatever conversation they were having, she interrupted it. "I'm headed home."

Korina looked at her questioningly, but Silennia only closed her eyes momentarily and shook her head. "I took care of everything. I think I just need some rest."

Her friend shifted from foot to foot. "Sil... I can't come home with you tonight."

Now her blue eyes turned toward Keiran, although with extreme hesitation; more or less ignoring her friend's words. "What's going on with your sister?"
 
"Silennia isn't--"

A pause. Amber hues studying her movements, sweeping over her form.

"She's not feeling well."

When Korina back-stepped from him, Keiran realized that he had been eying Korina as if she had been a slab of meat that had been presented to him, almost feeling disgusted at the realization. The ginger girl didn't suit his tastes in the least, and he made no question of her back-step, "Silennia's ill?" He muttered lowly, frowning. Choosing to address the question about his sister, "It wouldn't be uncommon for her to dash off with some 'handsome stranger'."

Not a lie, but he knew better than to believe such a story.

"I'll wait until morning. If she doesn't show up by then, then I'll report her missing." He finally commented. As if. He almost chuckled the idea. Though, his head craned to the side as he spied a familiar figure stepping out the doors.

Silennia.

Korina was completely forgotten, his interest now completely invested into the raven haired beauty. How could she mesmerize him so? It was almost shameful how quickly he forgot about Mina's absence, hearing Silennia ask him the same question Korina had, "Oh, knowing her, she hopped into a cab with someone she took a fancy to. If she's not back at the hotel by morning, I'll report her missing."

Smiling towards her, "As for you, would you like someone to escort you home?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the darkness, crimson hues cracked open weakly. Where was she? Her head craned towards the side slightly, her vision blurred, but she could still make out of the sight of tubing that hung down near her. An IV? She tried to reach her hand out to snatch at the clear plastic cylinders, but found that she couldn't move. Red hues shifting to see that her wrists were firmly strapped into place. No....

Mina's entire body was restrained. She thrashed against those leather bindings, but fell silent once more quickly. Her vision swimming.

Laying still, she closed her eyes again, recalling the events that had taken place perhaps a mere hour or two ago. A man... no, a filthy vampire, had injected holy water into her body... and the damage had yet to heal. Even now, she could still feel the faint traces of what felt like fire in her veins.

Taking a slow, ragged breath, she opened her eyes again. As far as she could tell, she was in the room alone. She almost regretted making the mistake that had brought her here.... but, then again... it had been a while since she had felt truly threatened. It... was thrilling. Her captors had been through in restraining her, and had left little room for escape.




Outside of the room where Mina had been imprisoned, however, things were just getting started. In the main hall, the front doors flew open as a dark haired woman entered, grinning from ear to ear practically. Blood smeared on her neck and chin, though, she hardly cared, "I want to see the Demon-bitch." She cooed, shoving anyone who got in her way to the side, though, no one seemed to take such a action too seriously. It was usual behavior for the vampire, though, the wild gleam in those golden eyes was concerning to any familiar with her.

"I know she's here." She nearly crowed, shoving yet another out of her way who hissed in response, but, her target was set, and as she reached her target, Kaleb, her hands grabbed hold of the fabric of his shirt, shoving him back against the wall without warning as that characteristic smirk lit the vampiress' face, "Show me?" She purred, "Oh, be kind to a poor old sinner, will you?" She giggled, letting go and spinning away before she finally came to a full halt.

Then, her entire 'friendly' demeanor changed. Those exotic eyes narrowing sharply, "I won't accept 'no' as a answer."

Sailene Cordelia.... or rather, 'Lilith', as the vampire who had made her had named her. A woman who had been tortured in both body and mind to the point that it was a wonder that even a fleck of sanity remained in her grasp. She possessed nothing, save for the blood that flowed through her veins... and with that blood, she had spread the curse forced upon her. She killed for sport. Men, women, even children. It made no difference to her. A life was a life. Blood was the ultimate power, and to her, there was nothing else.
 
Silennia noticed Korina's look of pure discomfort, and her blue eyes shifted from the two a few times before nodding slowly. "That... I'd like that very much," she replied to Keiran. "May I have a moment with Korina?" She put on a sweet smile, tugging her friend several feet away.

"I don't want you going home with him," Korina hissed immediately. Her green eyes were wide and frantic, and Silennia noticed that she couldn't stop fidgeting.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" the raven-haired woman demanded. "You've met him twi--"

"He looks like a starving dog, Silennia," she snapped suddenly, and glared in his direction when Silennia took a step away from her.

"Excuse me?"

"You-- he doesn't let you see it. It's like..." she grasped for words. "It's like he's been starved, and suddenly there's a three-course meal in front of him and he doesn't know what to eat first. It makes my skin crawl."

There was a long silence between the two, and Silennia ran her fingers through her hair with agitation. "Damien told me not to be alone tonight," she stated bluntly.

"Since when do you ever fucking listen to him?" Korina was outraged, and a vein was swelling against her hairline; a common occurrence when she got angry.

"Since he seems to be more understanding than the person I grew up with, about all of this stupid shit," Silennia snapped back. That sharp pain took hold of her shoulders again, feeling as if her spine rippled, and her eyes clenched shut. Not before she watched Korina's face pale, though.

"You're doing it again," the ginger whispered.

"Doing what?" Silennia's eyes were closed, pressing her palm against her forehead once more as she waited for the wave to pass.

"Your... eyes."

"What about them?"

Instead of answering her, Korina began walking away. "I'll call you in the morning to make sure you're still alive," she snapped, and shoved past Keiran; storming inside.

Silennia wanted to punch something; to slam her fist against bricks and destroy them. Pure rage built up inside her like nothing she'd ever experienced before, and for once, she let it; taking a few steps before slipping into a tiny alley next to the club, where the bins were kept... and slamming her fist so hard against the wall that it made an echo. She screeched. Not in pain, but in fury; burying her fingers into her hair.

Then she screeched in pain. She noticed a stickiness in her hair, and as she pulled her hand away, it appeared to be bloody. A dull throb turned sharp within just a second or two, and her wrist was swelling up. "FUCK." Her eyes drifted toward her right as she steadied her breathing. The bricks where her fist had landed were broken and shattered, crumbling onto the ground. She stared at them. There was no physical way she could have done that sort of damage. They must have been damaged she thought absently.

Keiran was far from her mind as she recoiled from the memory of Korina's expression. Her best friend had looked utterly terrified of her. With her left hand, she fumbled for the vial in her coat pocket, sighing as the glass touched her fingers. She wouldn't take it until she got home, but Damien had assured her... it would help.

Pushing off from the wall, she put her bloody hand in her pocket and ignored the pain; walking out and just jerking her head at Keiran, in the direction that they walk in to get to her apartment. Too much adrenaline was coursing through her to take a cab at this point.

-------------------------------------

Kaleb had left for a few hours to feed, rather enjoying his time alone. Upon coming back, however, a specific scent made his lip curl back with disgust; fangs drawn in a natural predatory manner. He couldn't blame his kin, though, for letting pure scum into his home. She was stronger than most everyone here.

He heard her speaking, and before he could react, he was shoved against the wall, looking at her blood-smeared face. "I've never seen this side of you," he purred. "You should wear it more often. The more men you disgust, the better."

She was demanding to see Mina, and he wasn't having any of it. Silver eyes flickered with the tiniest hint of gold flecks. Their blood reacted against each other; even now that she was standing away from him, it boiled in his veins and made him want to slaughter. "This is my nest, Lilith," he hissed. "You have no right to invade it and begin to make demands."

His eyes faded back to pure silver as he relaxed slightly, and even took a seat. As far as he understood, Lilith had history with Mina... well, not so much her, as her father. And he simply was not going to throw out all of the hard work and planning that had gone into capturing the succubus, just so that Lilith could get petty revenge.

"You're not seeing her, Lilith," he said simply.
 
What have I found?

Staying out of the two women's argument, Keiran kept Silennia within his sights, her back turned towards him, though, his eyes narrowed just slightly as a familiar look of fear took hold of Korina's face, and then, watched her as she hurried away. As if she wanted nothing more than to be as far away from Silennia as possible, as Silennia headed his way once more, only to shove past him.

"Silennia-" He turned to follow her, and that was when he saw it.

Her fist struck the wall, followed by a scream as bone snapped under the abuse, but his eyes was fixed upon the brick... it had cracked, crumbling apart. No human girl could have accomplished such damage in a mere fit of childish rage.

"Shit, Silennia, are you okay?" Still tagging after her as she only motioned her head in the direction she wanted to go, "... your hand..." He tried again, but gave up when she refused to talk about it. It was a problem that could be addressed once they reached their destination. Keiran staying right at her side.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

If there was anything that Lilith hated to be told, it was the blunt and simple reply of 'no'.

Any remaining friendliness that she had maintained melted from her face, her gaze darkening. Golden hues seeming to burn brighter for a split second, "I have my reasons for making my demands." She sneered, "What about you?" She approached a table, finally tearing her gaze off of Kaleb.

From a nearby table, she located a napkin, using it to wipe at the still wet blood smeared on her pale skin. Smirking a bit as she looked towards him once more, "What selfish desire are you chasing?"

Dropping the bloodied napkin, her eyes darted across the room, "I know about the little demon locked in your basement..." She laughed, "A child of the angel with the blood stained wings... and not just any child... no..."

"No, you have Miiiiina~" She cooed, "Precious, little Mina." A smirk spread across the vampiress' face, "So. What are you going to do? Hide your little demon here until daddy comes searching? Maybe I'll go get some popcorn and enjoy myself a hell of a show."

Lilith's hand tightened into a fist as she approached Kaleb once more, though, this time she didn't touch him, simply standing before him. Traces of blood still evident despite her feeble attempt to 'clean up'. Gold clashing against cold silver, "That angel stole something important to me." She eyed Kaleb like a worm, feeling her very blood boil at the sight of him. How he repulsed her. Angered her. She could rip him apart if she so desired, she was sure... but, at this point in time, they had a common interest.... which was the only reason she would even tolerate him.
 
Silennia didn't hear anything he said. The only sound she heard was her own blood pumping, and she arched and rolled her shoulders in attempts to calm down. It were as if she'd blacked out and lost a sense of time; blinking and dropping her keys when she realized she was standing in front of her apartment door. They'd already went past the first gate and up the stairs.

For a few seconds, she stood there, looking at the doorknob, before slowly reaching down with her bloodied hand to pick up the keys and unlock the door, half-expecting her father to be inside with how badly her night was going. But he wasn't there; the place was empty, and thankfully, it was warm. Now that she was in a warmer temperature, she realized just how cold she was, and shivered; turning around to see Keiran and nearly punching him with her wounded hand. He'd been there the entire time, and yet he'd startled her. What the hell is going on?

Without saying anything, or muttering the slightest of apologies at nearly swinging toward him, she shrugged off her jacket and tossed it onto the floor; kicking off her flats and walking to the sink in the kitchen so that she could examine her hand under better light.

It was definitely broken. It looked mangled, black and blue, and swollen. Blood was drying and beginning to crust, as yet more still flowed from the skin at a slow trickle. She hissed inwardly, turning the water to a warm setting before running her hand under it and gritting her teeth together painfully. "Fuck!" she finally shrieked, slamming down the handle to turn off the water and crumpling into a kitchen chair; crossing her arms and burying her face into them, pressing her forehead against her knees as she drew them up onto the seat.

Truthfully, she was terrified of what was going on. The odd pain in her shoulders, the way that Korina had looked at her, and even this golden-eyed man appearing into her life at such an inconvenient time. The way that she was drawn to him; the strange reason for Damien leaving.

Damien. The vial.

She looked up, wiping at her face which adorned puffy eyes and red cheeks. One thing she couldn't stand was crying in front of anybody. "Keiran?" She flinched harder; her voice sounded like a pathetic wimper.

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"I know very well you have reasons," Kaleb said simply. He smiled, and for possibly the first time, something truly demonic -- not vampiric, but demonic -- glittered in black flecks, tainting silver eyes and shimmering out. He looked up at her, feeling amused at her attempt to clean up. "You may stay for Adriel," he said, standing and placing himself in front of her. "But you will not have Mina." He began walking away, turning on his heel and then walking backwards with a little motion of his fingertips toward her. "Ta-ta now, kitten. The bigger show will arrive soon enough."

He nodded toward a few of the vampires near him, and they understood immediately. She wasn't to go past this specific point of the place. He headed down, chuckling at the irony. A basement... within a basement. There was a surprisingly high amount of security in the place as well, even though three, even four floors above them, squatters were sleeping or getting high. They didn't bother him, and sometimes someone came along that one in his clan were able to eat. Typically they stayed away from the drug addicts, because they weren't as filling as a sober human... but there were times when someone new to the drug industry crept in, and the vampires could smell them immediately.

He slipped past doors, entered key codes, and finally, opened the door to the room where Mina was being kept. "Ah, she's awake!" he exclaimed. "Hungry? Oh-- that's right, you don't eat regular food, do you?" He pulled a chair near her bed, tapping the IV that was inserted into her ankle. "Quite effective, really. Near-microscopic shards of silver bind other agents into the solution... like holy water, of course. What was it? Jesus was going to be handed over to the Romans for a mere thirty pieces of silver. So, as you can see, it works quite well as a binding agents. So many other fun things in this bag." He leaned back in his chair, clapped his hands once, and put them in the air. "So! How are you feeling?"
 
It was a quiet walk to Silennia's apartment. After all, what was there to say to her? Had Keiran been any other man, he would have distanced himself from her a good hour or so ago... but instead, she had only drawn him in closer. He was fascinated with her. Not even seeming concerned when they shuffled inside and she had nearly punched him.

As she went and attempted to attend to her broken hand, amber hues watched her intently from across the room. Slipping his shoes off, he didn't seem too surprised to hear her scream out, "Normally, people go to the hospital for things like that." He remarked off-handedly. Perhaps a inappropriate comment given the situation, but he couldn't resist.

Though, as she cut the water off and flopped into her chair, his attitude changed a bit as she spoke his name. Her voice wavering just a bit, betraying the underlying fear. In a short moment, he had approached her, kneeling down, "May I see?" He asked, meeting her gaze. Sapphire hues a brighter shade than usual due to the red puffiness that had taken to her eyes.

Very gently, he looked over her injury. Bruising splayed across her already swollen knuckles, and he almost winced as he saw where a piece of bone jutted up sharply, nearly shoving through the thin tissue completely.

------------------------------------------------

"Where are you going?!" Lilith snapped after him, taking a step in his direction as he stood up and excused himself, waving her off. Her tightened fist trembling at her side in anger. How dare he... Upon taking another step after him, a blade met her throat, just slightly cutting skin, freezing her in her tracks as her gaze shifted, sneering, "You wouldn't be bold enough."

"Try me." At the other end of the blade, a female stood her ground boldly, "Take another step and I won't hesitate to take that head from your filthy shoulders-" Another vampire, a male this time, laid his hand on the girl's shoulder, "I wouldn't go threatening her..." he remarked, meeting Lilith's gaze, "Rumor has it, she tends to take them personally."

"Luciano, I can handle this."

"Of course, of course you can. I wouldn't doubt you in the least." Meeting Lilith's gaze, the male smiled a bit, "But best take caution, yes?" He let the female's shoulder go as Lilith finally stepped back, turning away, "I won't be far." She growled lowly, and with that, slipped off out of sight.



Beneath them, Mina had been lying awake for some time now. Tugging at her binding occasionally, trying to find a weakness.... no, anything, that could allow her to slip even just one of her limbs free... but she found herself to be too weak. She didn't even manage to budge the leather straps, much less break them. By time Kaleb had entered the room, she was utterly spent, laying quietly as crimson hues snapped in the vampire's direction.

The man from the cab.

Her entire body was in pain. As if every moment, acid was being pushed through her veins. Even breathing almost hurt... but there was another pain. It centered itself in her stomach, and spread up her spine. Pain that any starved succubus was familiar with. When her lips parted, rather than comprehendable words, a pained moan escaped her.

Dark shadows were visible beneath her half-lidded eyes, and the color in her lips faded. Even her hair seemed less vibrant than before, that bright crimson having faded to a duller hue of red. The first effects of her lack of feeding beginning to physically show. In this condition, she almost didn't have the energy to be angry... almost.

The vampire's prattling annoying her until abruptly, as clear as day, she became aware of his words in time to hear his question, her eyes opening fully as her head turned. Her lips quivering just slightly as she abruptly spit at him in response.
 
She ignored his comment, not wanting to go to the hospital. No. She couldn't afford it. She could fix this on her own, just like she'd fixed everything else... except, Silennia had never broken a bone in her life. Even now, as she saw the bone snapped and attempting to push up through the skin, there was something different about it. The longer she looked, the more she noticed that it was going down.

"Oh," she sighed. "In, in, um, my pocket." She was stammering. The pain was beginning to subside from her hand and spread into her shoulders. "Jacket," she said. "Please." Silennia rested her forehead against the table, and once the small vial was back in her hand, she opened it. Her lips parted to tell Keiran about her conversation with Damien, but something punched her in the gut just then. Don't. She coughed, feeling as though she'd been physically assaulted, although there was nobody else there but Keiran. No. Whatever this was, it needed to stay a secret.

There was a glass of water left there on the table from the previous night, and she abruptly tipped back the contents of the vial and washed it down with the water before breathing in order not to taste it. For the most part, it had worked, but there was a lingering sweetness in the back of her throat; metallic and thick, like cotton candy and blood.

The room spun for half a second. A small "oops" slid from her lips. He had said to take it and head straight to bed... but she hadn't even changed yet. It didn't matter at this point. Relief beautifully flooded through her body, becoming more intense with every heartbeat. Her hand twitched as the skin started to slowly knit together; bone adjusting itself so that it was no longer poking upwards. The swelling and bruising remained, for now. Meanwhile, Silennia was barely conscious; her wounded hand touching Keiran as he stayed beside her. Her breathing went from heavy and pained to relaxed and easy; her left cheek resting on her other arm, on the table.

In the back of her eyelids, quick images of red feathers flashed into her mind. Her forehead creased unknowingly, as if trying to squint at them to get a better look. There was a quiet whooshing noise, and it were as if she felt the feathers touching her skin. Milky white flesh, smooth like marble, was there in front of her, but when she went to look up at it, the image burst into thousands of feathers; crimson, falling off of wings -- more than two, three, four... six? They clouded her vision; reaching up to shield her face--

She abruptly sat up, jerking away from the dream; choking on air and looking around with a bewildered expression. There was a thin sheen of sweat along her entire body, yet she felt cold to the touch.

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Kaleb chuckled darkly, angling himself away when she spat out at him. "Well lucky enough for you, we do want you alive," he sighed. "So I brought you a little treat." He stood and went to the door, where it was opened and he was able to pull in a young woman. She looked rather clean, with fang marks along her flesh. A willing feeder. "Mina," Kaleb stated, and he pulled the girl over next to the bed. "Meet Patricia. She's going to be feeding you tonight."

He looked at the girl, who had dyed-blonde hair and brown eyes, cupping her face in his hands. "Mina feeds a little differently than we do," he said quietly to her. She smiled and nodded, as if in a slight daze. Carefully, he led her over to the bed, motioning for her to come to rest straddling on top of Mina. "You girls enjoy," he said whimsically. "I'll be back in a little while."
 
"... of course." Keiran stopped his examination of her wounded hand. For a moment... for a moment he had been sure the bone had been slowly moving back into place... but... that couldn't possibly be right, could it? Then again, nothing this evening had seemed normal about the girl. With reluctance, he rose, walking across the room and fetching the jacket, letting her retrieve the vial herself.

He hadn't even been concerned until a sickeningly familiar scent touched his nose, his head snapping back towards Silennia just as she tipped the vial back, downing the red liquid inside. Amber hues widening a little as they came to rest on the now discarded glass tube, a few tiny red drops still inside.

Blood.

Before he could say anything, she had already swallowed, and from there everything seemed to unravel. A short minute later, Silennia had lost consciousness.

"Dammit!" He hissed under his breath, and after a moment, sighed. Carefully, he lifted her up into his arms, carrying her to the couch where she usually slept. After a moment of searching, he found a fold up blanket and pillow, covering her up and seeing to it that she was comfortable. Pausing just above her, he gazed at her, leaning down slowly to press a soft kiss to her forehead, and then, without wasting another moment, pulled away and stood up.

Going back into the kitchen, he picked the vial up, staring at it in disbelief. How did THIS end up in Silennia's possession-

Damien.

Buy why?

He shifted, craning his head back towards Silennia's room.

-----------------------------------------------------

Disgust filled her when that girl entered the room... but a sharp stab of pain was stronger, Mina's body twisting slightly at the intensity of it. Just the sight of the girl drove Mina's starved body into desperation. While Mina was repulsed at the idea of feeding from such a individual, there was no denying that she needed to feed.

Watching the girl climb on top of her. She couldn't move. A frustrated growl tearing from the red head, though, those hungry lips found their mark. To anyone watching, it was quite perverse, but it was through bodily contact that Mina took her sustenance. Sapping away at the very essence of one's life. If only done once or twice, it was harmless...

Though, it was rather easy to sap away at one's life until there was nothing left to feed off of. After all, a soul departs from the body upon death.

Mina bit the girl's lip, hard, before shoving another kiss onto her. That faded red beginning to brighten a bit with each touch, or kiss... but that was all Mina could do. A kiss wasn't enough.... She wanted more. With that thought, her lips grew more needy. Drawing in as much as she could with what little physical contact she could make. The entire while, her wrists pulling against their restraints.

Faded hair flushed back into a deep crimson, a smirk tugging at the edge of Mina's lips, her tongue pushing into the girl's mouth, drawing a soft moan from the bewildered thing perched on top of Mina.

Set me free...

Mina's voice whispered through Patricia's hazed thoughts, the blonde shivering visibly in response, her body wanting to obey Mina's request. Drawn under the succubus' spell. Brown hues shifting towards the leather binds on Mina's wrists, the red head's lips having slid down the girl's neck when she leaned up just slightly, closing her eyes at the sensation,

That's right... be a good girl...

Patricia's hands had slid towards the binds, clumsy fingers fumbling at the leather clasps that held down Mina's arms. In that moment, all she wanted was to be closer to the creature that she straddled. Wanted nothing more than to obey. Mina's poisoned words filling her thoughts with more and more persistence until the human could hardly stand it. Tearing the binds free enough that one wrist came free. Mina's arm slipping free, her hand closing on the girl's windpipe.
 
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