It wasn't hard for Valerian to find his old friend, even in a place as crowded as this. He hadn't needed Lauren to tell him where to look. All he had to do was let down his defenses and let the pull of his sire lead the way, like a beacon leading him homeward. Tobias might even sense his presence as his protege grew closer. Valerian was a fledgling no longer, able to shield himself from most vampires, including his maker, but he saw no reason no reason to do so when it was his maker he sought. His search led him to an apartment in Greenwich Village Valerian found quaint, if simple.
Tobias felt him coming, though not from a distance. Valerian had come a long way from the fledgling who had been so eager to be a vampire that he had broadcast his whereabouts to anyone with a blood connection to him through his sire. The older vampire glanced up as he felt that ring through his system that he hadn't felt in a long time, rising from his seat to open the door as his childe approached the apartment.
"Valerian, come in," he welcomed the other man, stepping aside to invite him in. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
Valerian hadn't been sure what to expect upon seeing his old friend again. So much time had passed since they'd spoken that he wasn't sure whether he'd be welcome. And then there was the matter of Laurentia and Tobias' request that she not seek Valerian out. "Tobias," he greeted the man cordially, politely even, as he stepped inside. "I think you know why I'm here."
It might have been a stretch for a human to guess accurately, but Tobias could smell Lauren on Valerian as the man passed him. He sighed softly, closing the door. "That girl has an impulsive streak that is going to get her killed one of these days," he muttered, turning to offer Valerian a seat. "Please, be comfortable. This could get lengthy."
"Not so long as I can help it," Valerian replied, having a hard time not gritting his teeth and raging at his maker, but it wasn't Tobias who was to blame for their troubles - as always, it was Josef. "I only have a few hours, so let's not beat around the bush," he told the other man, as he claimed a seat. Whatever Tobias had become over the years, Valerian had prided himself on changing with the times, and the vampire that stood now before his master was as much a modern man as anyone who had been born in this age.
"You're angry." It was a simple statement of fact. Valerian looked angry, which meant that what Tobias felt from him was way off the scale. He sat down with Valerian, resting his forearms on his thighs as he leaned forward. "How much did she tell you?"
"Enough to know that it's all come to a head. We should have hunted down the bastard and killed him years ago," Valerian said, clearly agitated and unable to allow himself to relax until he had some answers.
"And do you remember why I said no to that plan the last time you brought it up?" Tobias said calmly. He, of all people, wanted Josef dead and gone, but he wasn't prepared to put anyone else in danger to do it. He had failed badly when Josef had turned Nick, but at least he had managed to save Nick's marriage.
"I am no longer a child, Tobias," Valerian argued, as if he ever was. A childe vampire, perhaps, but never a child - not in a very long time. "I have made my own place in this world. I have been careful, painfully careful to avoid Josef and others like him. I made a promise to you and I kept it, but things have changed. The stakes are too high. There are too many lives in danger, and I will not stand idly by anymore while he wreaks havoc on my city and my people and those I have come to care for. That includes you, by the way." Perhaps that much went without saying, but he needed to say it, nonetheless. He owed Tobias more than even Valerian cared to admit.
"You will always be a son to me, Val," Tobias said quietly. "I will never stop trying to protect you. I had thought I should warn you that Josef might return, but I also know that you have your hand on the pulse of the city. I've had my hands full trying to prevent Nicholas from initiating a hunt of his own. Ideally, we want to draw Josef out, not get caught in one of his traps. And the possibility of his allying himself with Serena unnerves me."
"You cannot draw him out without some kind of bait, Tobias. Who or what are you planning on using for ..." Valerian broke off, dropping back into his chair as he seemed to suddenly realize something. "Please tell me you are not planning on using yourself to draw him out," he said, his expression one of obvious horror at the thought of that prospect.
Tobias' eyes rose to meet those of the only son he would ever have, a faint smile on his refined features. "Of our group, I am the only one he will come straight for who would have a fighting chance before the others could join in," he pointed out. "I refuse to let Lauren reveal her existence to him, and Freya is less concerned with us than she is with Julian and Anabelle. You, however, are the only one to have pinpointed my role in all this."
"Pinpointed your role?" Valerian echoed, unable to hide the anger from his voice. "Bloody hell, Tobias. Do you really think I'm going to allow you to play the sacrificial lamb' Josef won't think twice about killing you. It's too risky. There has to be a better way."
"And what better way can you think of?" Tobias countered. "Would you really send a neophyte out into the open, knowing that neither one of them can protect themselves against that first rush' Would you try and tell Freya what she should or should not do' The only ones I am certain will not be in any danger at all are Lauren and Alessandra, and that is only because they will be in Alaska, where no one will be a danger to them."
"Alaska" Valerian echoed again, pausing a moment to consider that, before a smile spread across his face when he realized the reasoning behind it. "You're planning on sending them there for the summer solstice," he said, more statement than question. With nearly 24 hours of daylight, it was a damned near perfect way to keep them safe while the others set a trap. He was glad he wouldn't have to insist on Lauren's safety.
"Naturally." Tobias raised a brow at his childe's smile. "You seem surprised. Do I really come across as that old and slow these days?" He chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "I wouldn't put any of you in danger if I could possibly help it. Josef turned Nick and set this round in motion. Nick killed Lorelei. Josef's ideal target will be Willow."
"Possibly," Valerian murmured, as he quietly thought it over. "We need to consider all the variables. Josef will want revenge for Lorelei's death, certainly, but his primary goal is to make you suffer."
"He has already made me suffer, Val," Tobias said quietly. "He took my wife from me, he killed my daughter. He threatened my home not once, but twice. If he knew about you, he would come for you, and I will not allow that to happen."
Tobias felt him coming, though not from a distance. Valerian had come a long way from the fledgling who had been so eager to be a vampire that he had broadcast his whereabouts to anyone with a blood connection to him through his sire. The older vampire glanced up as he felt that ring through his system that he hadn't felt in a long time, rising from his seat to open the door as his childe approached the apartment.
"Valerian, come in," he welcomed the other man, stepping aside to invite him in. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
Valerian hadn't been sure what to expect upon seeing his old friend again. So much time had passed since they'd spoken that he wasn't sure whether he'd be welcome. And then there was the matter of Laurentia and Tobias' request that she not seek Valerian out. "Tobias," he greeted the man cordially, politely even, as he stepped inside. "I think you know why I'm here."
It might have been a stretch for a human to guess accurately, but Tobias could smell Lauren on Valerian as the man passed him. He sighed softly, closing the door. "That girl has an impulsive streak that is going to get her killed one of these days," he muttered, turning to offer Valerian a seat. "Please, be comfortable. This could get lengthy."
"Not so long as I can help it," Valerian replied, having a hard time not gritting his teeth and raging at his maker, but it wasn't Tobias who was to blame for their troubles - as always, it was Josef. "I only have a few hours, so let's not beat around the bush," he told the other man, as he claimed a seat. Whatever Tobias had become over the years, Valerian had prided himself on changing with the times, and the vampire that stood now before his master was as much a modern man as anyone who had been born in this age.
"You're angry." It was a simple statement of fact. Valerian looked angry, which meant that what Tobias felt from him was way off the scale. He sat down with Valerian, resting his forearms on his thighs as he leaned forward. "How much did she tell you?"
"Enough to know that it's all come to a head. We should have hunted down the bastard and killed him years ago," Valerian said, clearly agitated and unable to allow himself to relax until he had some answers.
"And do you remember why I said no to that plan the last time you brought it up?" Tobias said calmly. He, of all people, wanted Josef dead and gone, but he wasn't prepared to put anyone else in danger to do it. He had failed badly when Josef had turned Nick, but at least he had managed to save Nick's marriage.
"I am no longer a child, Tobias," Valerian argued, as if he ever was. A childe vampire, perhaps, but never a child - not in a very long time. "I have made my own place in this world. I have been careful, painfully careful to avoid Josef and others like him. I made a promise to you and I kept it, but things have changed. The stakes are too high. There are too many lives in danger, and I will not stand idly by anymore while he wreaks havoc on my city and my people and those I have come to care for. That includes you, by the way." Perhaps that much went without saying, but he needed to say it, nonetheless. He owed Tobias more than even Valerian cared to admit.
"You will always be a son to me, Val," Tobias said quietly. "I will never stop trying to protect you. I had thought I should warn you that Josef might return, but I also know that you have your hand on the pulse of the city. I've had my hands full trying to prevent Nicholas from initiating a hunt of his own. Ideally, we want to draw Josef out, not get caught in one of his traps. And the possibility of his allying himself with Serena unnerves me."
"You cannot draw him out without some kind of bait, Tobias. Who or what are you planning on using for ..." Valerian broke off, dropping back into his chair as he seemed to suddenly realize something. "Please tell me you are not planning on using yourself to draw him out," he said, his expression one of obvious horror at the thought of that prospect.
Tobias' eyes rose to meet those of the only son he would ever have, a faint smile on his refined features. "Of our group, I am the only one he will come straight for who would have a fighting chance before the others could join in," he pointed out. "I refuse to let Lauren reveal her existence to him, and Freya is less concerned with us than she is with Julian and Anabelle. You, however, are the only one to have pinpointed my role in all this."
"Pinpointed your role?" Valerian echoed, unable to hide the anger from his voice. "Bloody hell, Tobias. Do you really think I'm going to allow you to play the sacrificial lamb' Josef won't think twice about killing you. It's too risky. There has to be a better way."
"And what better way can you think of?" Tobias countered. "Would you really send a neophyte out into the open, knowing that neither one of them can protect themselves against that first rush' Would you try and tell Freya what she should or should not do' The only ones I am certain will not be in any danger at all are Lauren and Alessandra, and that is only because they will be in Alaska, where no one will be a danger to them."
"Alaska" Valerian echoed again, pausing a moment to consider that, before a smile spread across his face when he realized the reasoning behind it. "You're planning on sending them there for the summer solstice," he said, more statement than question. With nearly 24 hours of daylight, it was a damned near perfect way to keep them safe while the others set a trap. He was glad he wouldn't have to insist on Lauren's safety.
"Naturally." Tobias raised a brow at his childe's smile. "You seem surprised. Do I really come across as that old and slow these days?" He chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "I wouldn't put any of you in danger if I could possibly help it. Josef turned Nick and set this round in motion. Nick killed Lorelei. Josef's ideal target will be Willow."
"Possibly," Valerian murmured, as he quietly thought it over. "We need to consider all the variables. Josef will want revenge for Lorelei's death, certainly, but his primary goal is to make you suffer."
"He has already made me suffer, Val," Tobias said quietly. "He took my wife from me, he killed my daughter. He threatened my home not once, but twice. If he knew about you, he would come for you, and I will not allow that to happen."