Act 1: Blood Red, Black Rose

Wherein the Bleak Winter passes, Thawed by the warmth of Blood, the Last Host is named, And a Black Rose blooms.

*****

A billowing, silvery ankle deep fog flooded along the corridors, obscuring the passing footprints of any who would pass through, seeming somehow natural in a place intended to obscure things from view. Silently, a raven hopped through the Mist, its head bobbing along seemingly merrily, its black feathers marred only by a lightly glowing red mark upon its forehead.

The bird pranced nervously, occasionally sending skirls of Mist into the air to briefly hold a man's shape before slipping away to nothingness again. In a recognizably human yet mocking call, it tentatively cried out, "Sister, sister..."

It's head bobbing back and forth anxiously, as if waiting. Suddenly a twin Raven hops out of the Mist; this one more silent and albino, alighting beside the black on a raised dais.

*****

Layla headed down to the catacombs under vampire house. She hated to do any "business" dealings this close to home. A man walked a few feet behind her. It was clear from his demeanor that he was following her lead. He was tall and had an athletic build with a strong face. His long dark hair was loose and a few strands were in his face. His dark eyes were deep and solemn. He was wearing a long black trench coat that hid everything except a small glimpse of his black pants and black combat boots.

She was wearing a one-button black blazer; even though it was low cut, it wasn't as revealing as one would think. Although, one would have to get close enough to see if she was wearing anything on underneath it, and it would probably be their last discovery. She was also wearing simple black pants and black pumps. She was adorned with platinum and diamond jewelry. None of which was her usual tastes, but she was there on behalf of her company so she liked to look as professional as possible and this was as close as she was going to get. She stopped in the mist, waiting.

*****

The two Ravens leapt up, their wings the only noise in the vacant catacombs and perched aloft....something. Something that shouldn't have been able to support their weight, since it seemed made entirely of Mist, yet was in the shape of a man; like some sort of ethereal phantom, the figure glanced behind her and its head tilted. ?"this is....not the man I thought you would bring..." the voice deep, and soft. His head tilted, as if peering intently at her again, seeming to slide forward yet keeping his distance in a circumfrence around her as he neared the man behind her, Kaiden.

"Sometimes you have to take what you can get.? She said with a slight bite to her words.

It did take a few moments to happen but it was made curious by the fact that the entire of the Mist sought to enter the body, in one swallow - but eventually it did happen, leaving him laying there quietly, not breathing, thin streamers of mist at the corners of his mouth before fading away....until Kaiden suddenly sat, bracing himself with one hand against the cold of the catacomb floor, long dark hair obscuring his face momentarily from her sight as he raised a hand before his face, flexing the fingers, testing them, allowing every muscle of his body to feel life once more, Kaiden's memories briefly tickling Knightfall's own....where they now met was impossible to discern, his voice slightly more rough than normal as a hand raised to his throat. "....Layla...?"

She released a small sigh as she watched Kaiden sit up. "At least it wasn't a waste of a perfectly good body' she thought to herself. She looked upset by his response. She could still see Kaiden, but this was no longer the man who she hired. "They weren't supposed to tell you my name." She spoke tersely.

His head glanced up suddenly at her voice, hair falling away from his eyes as they blinked at her three times; Red, Grey, and Green. The change of color followed by several more rapid blinks before he responded, voice still a little raspy. "...what makes you think ....they did?" His eyes not leaving her, glancing over her entirely, lost for a moment in memory.

"Have you been stalking me?" she practically growled. Her stance took a slight defensive posture. She was not beneath taking out someone who was already down. She watched his eyes, trying to decipher his intentions and secrets, but she was distracted by the color shifting.

Not realizing her question was in regard to knowing her name, as that would have been asking about something too natural to him. Her name was in his mind now, he knew her face and they went together. A brief look of confusion veiled his eyes. "I was....watching the grounds....and by times the city, until ....it doesn't matter, but I was. I wasn't looking for you, Layla" Her name just slipped out. It wasn't intentional, and how it looked wasn't registering to him.

This only made her more confused, leading to increasing her anger. She was desperate for answers so she was trying very hard to restrain herself. She said harshly, "You were watching me" Who were you talking to' Who told you my name?"

Looking over Kaiden's body over with a soft glint in her eye, she saw no real physical changes, which pleased her. But this couldn't be the man that worked for her. Her eyes narrowed and she shook her head slowly. "Kaiden was no vampire." She didn't want to let on that she was a vampire, herself. Not just yet. She knew he couldn't know her secret, since she never got a chance to work with him long enough to trust him with that.

His eyes closing and opening again as a slow smile spread over his face. "You don't recognize me," now more a statement. "And....Kaiden....was no vampire." betraying a momentary wince, a split second, that his hand covered his stomach. "....but....is he....am I....now?" Whatever was within him, one had either given in or....was silent. His eyes moving to meet hers now with that last comment, aware of her anger and yet ....amused by it' With his last question he had suddenly become aware enough to sense her anger at the confusion, but just couldn't help himself. The fact was betrayed by the grin.

She lost her self control at his apparent impertinence. She lunged at his throat with a clawed hand, and lifted him up by his coat collar and slammed him into the wall behind him. "Don't play games with me. You're not the only one with secrets." She paused to restrain herself. "Show me your fangs. Show me what you are." She spoke between gritted teeth as not to expose her own fangs. Her words had been more than a statement; they were a Command, issued through the auspices her Blood.

His fangs appeared as he slammed up against the wall, a trickle of blood coming from the corner of his mouth which was serious, though his eyes maintained the humor of the grin. Images flickered between them, an armored man, in Kaiden's colors of black and red wading in amongst masses, protecting; a Vampires Court at a place called Westhaven, with the same diverse crowd as one would find in Rhy din, though more nobly born; of a man with a long harp, playing, singing, and dancing in a place that looked like the local Inn, but couldn't be, since the faces were all wrong. And finally, Kaiden. An attractive but luckless young man, really of no other seeming significance, hired on by her, and now a hapless victim of one of the Company's dealings.

She sighed softly. "No. I....think I ...scared it away." She sounded confused herself. She kept staring at him, trying to analyze him.

Looking suddenly self-conscious, he would have followed her anywhere, and he remembered being eager to accompany her but, "....you're wishing you'd brought someone else..." Someone more capable..." His eyes having left hers, searching for anywhere else to look suddenly.

She snapped back into her business side. 'This is a job, remember,' she told herself. "No," she said in her normal blunt tone as she stood, "you did satisfactory. I'll be taking you on more assignments. I want to see how well you conduct yourself. Maybe eventually you can earn a spot on my crew." She folded her arms and glared at him, waiting for him to come to his feet.

His eyebrows raised for a moment, and perhaps that look of amusement was more at home on Kaiden's face that it had been a moment ago, as he watched her turn of character and glanced away. There was something attractive in her dominant sensuality, something he'd been aware of before but now much heightened by her previous display towards him. "...eventually?" Rising to his feet slowly, the Myriad - the Dragst Energist, flaring briefly, the only truly outstanding mark that there was anything different about him, and even that seemed to now be slipping from sight, although it was still evident if you weren't looking right at him, in peripheral vision.

A slight frown furrowing his brow, "I" think so. It's not the same as it was anyway' but' I think the wine is bad." His fangs were retracted now, only a little nub longer than they would normally be, and barely discernable. Dark strands of hair hung in front of his eyes, partially shielding his warmth at her constant awareness from her.

She took his glass and finished what was left. It filled her lips making them bright red. A small drop rested on the side of her mouth. She opened her mouth lightly and slowly stroked her lip with her tongue. She placed the glass down and turned to the door without looking at him as she said, "Yes, it seemed bad." She turned to face him from the doorway, lips still bright red.

Lilting his head forward somewhat as his eyes tracing the soft contours of her body, unconciously biting and drawing a single drop of blood from his own lip. "....I thought so too." his voice somewhat husky, pushing his hair from his eyes, still watching her and trying to ignore the sudden hammering in his chest. "...where now then" I followed you here....I follow you still."

She was too concerned for him to allow him to leave. She couldn't confirm anything yet, but she was almost certain enough. He might do something dangerous on his own, like go out into the sunlight. "It's late. It will be morning soon. Maybe we should stay here during the day. We will pick up our assignments tomorrow night when we are refreshed."

He gave in to her instructions and smiled as he followed her to a suite and paused in the doorway a moment before slipping inside, watching her walk away. He'd likely sleep the entire day through, now.

End of Act 1

Layla wanted to find Kaiden before he got a chance to bump into' someone else. She didn't know if the sisters were up and about yet, but she wanted to make sure he wasn't set upon by the Twins. She worked hard to keep candidates that showed a lot of potential safe and secret from others that were in the Company ? the way power worked in the Company, the more talent that lay in the Crew that you lead, the more influence was garnered by that Crew's leader. She walked up to the doorway of the long room. She was initially taken aback by the lighting in the room, but when she saw Kaiden, the normally unfazed, professional businesswoman had to catch herself on the doorway to momentarily hold her up. She quickly gained her composure, and entered a few steps into the room.

As she entered, the routine progressed. Not gone, but perhaps less used were the formal stances and stretches, as they give way to higher speed, and more deadly grace. Lost in the footwork and sending thrust and riposte both forward and back, the monotony broken by graceful leaps into the air, spinning with blades outstretched or tucked in close. Finally, the perspiration was too much, and in mid leap one seemed to slip from his hand - but as it fell his leg lashed out, the toe of his soft boot catching the hilt of the blade and sending it darting towards a makeshift target at his end of the room, where it lay embedded, and quivering. He dropping to one knee, breathing deeply and looking up at it, back still to her as his he took slow, deliberate breaths. And one brief pause as his head canted slightly, glittering emerald eyes now visible in profile as they closed and he scented the air.

As his head was turned, Layla didn't hear a word, only able to stare at his body. When he spoke about the pictures, she quickly snapped back and became defensive as he noticed the pictures of the Twins. She assumed a defensive posture as she walked up to him with hard steps. She spoke sharply, not even realizing what he was saying, "It is none of your concern. You should just forget you ever saw them. It changes nothing. Leave it alone."

Kaiden was suddenly self conscious, and his face flushed again from her full attention.

And the fact that it was, or seemed, more than a little negative. Setting the sword he still held into a setting before them and taking a few steps back and away to retrieve the one he'd sent airborne, bearing it in a completely non-threatening manner, but gesturing to the last painting in the line with it.

"You....don't need to take it so hard." Adding in a softer, much quieter tone ....as if something in him is extremely hesitant to make such an admission to his boss, but...."You're much more beautiful than either of them; it's your eyes, I've never seen anyone with a shade quite so?" His voice trailed on; although when practicing with the blades, perhaps there had been....something more to him, his observations were now exclusively Kaiden's, with all the awareness of the difference in their social station swimming in his head, but simply too boyishly innocent to notice that he should have shut up.

His words kept insulting her, talking about her beauty. He had no right to speak to her like that. Her eyes flashed angrily as he dared to turn his back on her. He wanted to play with swords" She'd show him how to play with swords. She quickly grabbed a long sword off the sword rack in front of her and lunged at him. She grabbed him from behind, holding the blade to his neck. She growled.

"Don't ever talk to me like that again.? She then quickly released him and threw him forward a few feet in front of her.

Momentarily stunned that her disarm did not work, she stood motionlessly. "Good time?" He was mocking her" She quickly realized the situation and ran back to meet him at the rack, knowing he would try to grab another sword in his defense.

Kaiden switched his remaining sword to his off hand as he quickly towards the rack, but caution overtook him at the sound of her hurried approach. He spun away from the rack leaving nothing between them, his good hand sweeping his hair back from his face and circling once more, a look of worry crossing his face.

"....why is it ....I get the sense..." and now a confused look added...."this isn't a game to you anymore..." he was panting, wasn't he. The intensity of his training coupled with this unexpected workout "

Layla rounded on him and spoke angrily, "Game" Play with this!? She lunged at him, no longer content in trying to disarm him. She was grateful he made the mistake to put his sword in his off hand. Trying to cut his good hand, she swung violently at him.

It had been foolish of him to assume his weapon offhand and he was forced into a graceful sidestep, followed by a not so graceful tuck and roll, his sword bearing arm thrust behind him as he tumbled and slipped between her and the weapons rack again; unknown to him the flat of his blade having slapped the back of her thighs in mid roll with not enough to do any harm.

But in her current enraged state...

Layla realized exactly where she landed against the exterior wall of windows.

Though the sun was out, they were unharmed in Vampire House with its heavy curtains; curtains that protected them fully from the deadly rays of the sun. She knew every inch of the house, including the curtain drawstrings.

She made sure she was protected by one set of the heavy velvety curtains, as she grabbed at the drawstrings of the set of curtains before Kaiden.

Still outraged and determined to win at any cost, she desperately pulled it once to open it, allowing the sunlight to hit him.

The last rays of the dying sun poured through the windows, striking him completely and covering his bare to the waist form in dappled sunlight.

As the light struck, his skin burst into flickering yellow flames and he gave an agonized cry, one word. Her name, "....Layla!!? Whaa-" His cry cut the otherwise silent room, filled with pain and the gentle, innocent confusion of someone not understanding why the consequences befalling them have occurred. The only momentary salvation being the sun thankfully settled with only moments of exposure to him, letting him collapse to the floor, wisps of smoke rising slowly from him as he now lay helpless on his back.

Act 3: Fortune, Like the Moon

Wherein she could doubt the stars were fire, Wherein she could doubt that the earth moved, And although the truth would turn them both into liars, But she could never doubt his love.

*****

Layla continued to sit next to him as she spoke, absent of emotion, though her mind was full. Regret. Anger. Lust, even, was a not too distant emotion at this point. "I'm used to it. I've seen worse, much worse, vampires who weren't as lucky as you."

Kaidens's eyes didn't meet hers as she spoke, but as if in afterthought and ignoring the pain he turned to her again, eyes locking onto hers. "...Vampires?"

His eyes betrayed his confusion. "...how....when" I haven't left your side?" He blinked rapidly, his skin cooling in the absence of the suns baleful glare.

"No, you did not. You were with me, or I was with you, the whole time. Down in the catacombs, last night....The assignment we went on..." She couldn't even find the words of what she had done, not directly, but to her it was just as bad. "The assignment was to donate a body according to certain" required characteristics."

"How long" have you known?" His eyes blinked as he tried to shut out the slowly diminishing ache of his skin, perhaps just becoming accustomed to the pain. He placed his palms against the floor and starting to push himself upward, his eyes not leaving hers, a tumult of emotions being broadcast through them. "...you're....going to kill me" now then" You were" just' waiting to' make sure?" He felt pain on so many levels, but also a sense of completion deep within that served to lessen it. "...you did it.....on purpose" That's why' you let me" in" I'm ....better than that....why??"

Kaiden had maneuvered himself upright, wincing, his eyes still on hers. "...are there a lot of....vampires....on your crew?"

It was obvious he still didn't know how to feel about what he now was, as his vampirism had not fully registered in his mind. "...how..." So lost....."....What do I do?" Looking away at saying that, his voice tinted by rage, that of those who feel totally and utterly alone.

"Yes, there are a few vampires on my crew. I leave it up to them to decide if they wish it." She paused a moment, then continued, "Well, there's a lot we can do. Some have different abilities."

As he opened his mouth to speak, he caught himself. His head turned quickly to fix her again with a curious stare. "....how many....exactly....how many?" The words left his lips quietly, rage quickly burned away.

"Well, about half overall. You don't know all of my crew yet. I have several groups scattered around. I keep my most trusted around me, though. Ten of the twelve in my closest crew are vampires. If you include me, that would make thirteen."

His eyes registered disbelief at the numbers. How could he not have known" True, he was new but ....vampires were essentially monsters. Weren't they' He couldn't help but look closer at the soft, full curve of her mouth. Didn't vampires have fangs or something..." But as hard as he looked, her revelation only made it possible for him to a new fullness to her lips when he looked at her mouth....and his eyes reluctantly left them to focus on her eyes again. "...you? How long....this, entire time...?" He spoke the last softly, his tone touched lightly by disbelief at his own lack of perception.

His eyes were closed for just that one moment as her fingers started to graze him, opening slowly, slowly dragging his eyes from the full curve of her mouth. "I....never thought this must....'Potential'....either..." For a moment, his words were as fragmented as his thoughts; he didn't realize how little sense he'd made. Whispering softly as his eyes flicked towards the window, darting just above the horizon and noticing the sliver of the moon, "Oh fortuna, velut luna. ...something they used to sing to us when we were children. 'Fortune, like the moon.' It means....all things under the moon can change." He had added the last quite simply, no need to say what had changed. Not in regard to his humanity, at least. He left unspoken that other thing that was between them now.

She felt him lean against her touch and she interpreted his words to mean more, causing her face to go blank and her eyes fill with panic. She didn't need this. She had a job to focus on. She would refuse to be anything other than his boss. She could deny any of her feelings and any of his advances. She was the strong one, though he had certainly surprised her with his swordsmanship tonight. Many he was right about change. No, the moon and everything underneath could change. But not her.