As Alysia found her way into the Red Dragon Inn, she heard Kitty Onxyfire, asking, ?Who hasn't hit the bar?? Kitty, lounging on the couch with Taneth Mercer, seemed to be projecting a reasonable, reassuring aura.
Nearby, Lucien Mallorek, gently holding Taneth?s hands, chuckled and nodded, adding, ?A lot of people have hit the bar. I've hit the bar. On more than one occasion.?
Surveying the Inn with a signature, scarlet-eyed gaze, Alysia noted Sylvia Nightshade, companioned by Kieran Logansson, a gentleman she?d seen once or twice before. Icer was lurking in the rafters. The Priestess saw the trio at the couch and smiled wryly, butting into the conversation with the comment:?I haven't hit the bar. Well. Not yet, not tonight anyway.? She headed for the bar, weaving carefully through the crowd . Hearing her, Lucky smiled, his eyes following her.
Kitty grinned at Alysia. ?Well, but you have lost your temper. I've heard the stories.? The were-panther nodded at the alabaster pale Priestess. Kieran and Sylvia looked toward Alysia, murmuring softly to eachother.
?Yes, but that's all they are. Stories, right?? Alysia remarked dryly, aware of but indifferent to the scrutiny. Just stories. Right. She?d be surprised if Kitty hadn?t personally witnessed at least one of her mercurial explosions. She was sure Chryrie had.
Taneth removed her hands from Lucky and stuffed them into her sleeves. She mumbled a few inaudible words and offered a tiny smile to Alysia. The smile was not particularly convincing.
Lucky returned his attention to Taneth as she disengaged her hands. ?You don't believe me.? His query was more of a statement.
?I do,? Taneth nodded to Lucky.
?Uh huh... I'll buy that for a dollar.? Kitty grinned; she was obviously trying to help Taneth, who didn't look too healthy at the moment.
That tiny smile, forced as it was, convinced the Priestess, who changed direction and headed for the couch, sitting near Taneth?s feet. She looked up, leveling a concerned stare upon the usually gregarious and bubbly blonde. Taneth, who was now scratching her arms, paused and blinked at Alysia. The barrister leaned close, brushing a chaste kiss against Alysia?s cheek.
?You are tired?? Taneth asked as Alysia knelt.
?No. I'm worried about you.? answered Alysia bluntly. While not particularly close to the sweet-tempered blonde, this distracted, gloomy behavior was completely unfamiliar, disturbing on some elemental level. It was as troubling as if the sun had forgotten to rise in the morning. ?This is the first time I've seen you like this, so something dreadful must have happened.?
?I did not sleep,? explained Taneth. Kitty gently put her hands on Taneth?s cloaked arms to stop the scratching.
?Because you got angry and hit the bar?? Lucky asked. The Priestess paused to rub the bridge of her nose against the side of Lucky?s face, then she sat back on her heels, observing Taneth with pensive concern.
Taneth nodded and said, ?I killed the fruit.?
This made no sense at all to Alysia, until Kitty looked at her and said one word: ?Tara.? The name said it all, or almost all, and Alysia wrinkled her nose, frowning a little. She suspected that Tara was not a vampire at all, but a natural and spontaneous manifestation of Chaos.
?It splattered in the kitchen,?Taneth continued.
?Before or after you hit the bar?? Alysia was still confused about what had actually happened. A roughly trained empath, she could grasp only blurred hints of emotion drifting around the Inn; those undercurrents made more sense to her than Taneth?s terse words. Not for the first time, she considered that Taneth was probably slightly more than human.
?The mugs broke first, before the kitchen.?
Gaining a little bit of insight, the priestess rested her hands on her knees, silvery head tilted to one side. ?And . . . you're upset because you displayed your temper?? Alysia murmured.
?Do you think the moon rejects me for being mad, Kitty?? Taneth asked as she snuggled restlessly into the were-panther. ?To be angry is to be evil.?
?No,? said Kitty, firmly.? Nobody will or ever would reject you for getting angry. Especially when it comes to Tara. In fact.. I'm sure the moon would sooner reject Tara.?
Taneth pressed a finger to her lips. ? Well, to destroy in anger is to be evil.?
?You are a better lady than I, Taneth. I couldn't even count the number of times I've hit the bar, broken glasses, or torched things because I got angry. Or petulant." Alysia studied the brooding blonde a moment longer, trying to avoid the peculiarly thorny implications of anger and destruction being considered evil.
Generally known for her destructive flashes of temper, the Priestess had already had that argument with herself too many times already. Alysia was well aware that by many standards, even notwithstanding her demonic origins, she was evil. For some reason, the thought made her uncomfortable.
She smiled ruefully. ?You're nearly the farthest thing from evil I have ever encountered, Taneth,? Alysia concluded honestly. ?Trust that I know evil.?
Nearby, Lucien Mallorek, gently holding Taneth?s hands, chuckled and nodded, adding, ?A lot of people have hit the bar. I've hit the bar. On more than one occasion.?
Surveying the Inn with a signature, scarlet-eyed gaze, Alysia noted Sylvia Nightshade, companioned by Kieran Logansson, a gentleman she?d seen once or twice before. Icer was lurking in the rafters. The Priestess saw the trio at the couch and smiled wryly, butting into the conversation with the comment:?I haven't hit the bar. Well. Not yet, not tonight anyway.? She headed for the bar, weaving carefully through the crowd . Hearing her, Lucky smiled, his eyes following her.
Kitty grinned at Alysia. ?Well, but you have lost your temper. I've heard the stories.? The were-panther nodded at the alabaster pale Priestess. Kieran and Sylvia looked toward Alysia, murmuring softly to eachother.
?Yes, but that's all they are. Stories, right?? Alysia remarked dryly, aware of but indifferent to the scrutiny. Just stories. Right. She?d be surprised if Kitty hadn?t personally witnessed at least one of her mercurial explosions. She was sure Chryrie had.
Taneth removed her hands from Lucky and stuffed them into her sleeves. She mumbled a few inaudible words and offered a tiny smile to Alysia. The smile was not particularly convincing.
Lucky returned his attention to Taneth as she disengaged her hands. ?You don't believe me.? His query was more of a statement.
?I do,? Taneth nodded to Lucky.
?Uh huh... I'll buy that for a dollar.? Kitty grinned; she was obviously trying to help Taneth, who didn't look too healthy at the moment.
That tiny smile, forced as it was, convinced the Priestess, who changed direction and headed for the couch, sitting near Taneth?s feet. She looked up, leveling a concerned stare upon the usually gregarious and bubbly blonde. Taneth, who was now scratching her arms, paused and blinked at Alysia. The barrister leaned close, brushing a chaste kiss against Alysia?s cheek.
?You are tired?? Taneth asked as Alysia knelt.
?No. I'm worried about you.? answered Alysia bluntly. While not particularly close to the sweet-tempered blonde, this distracted, gloomy behavior was completely unfamiliar, disturbing on some elemental level. It was as troubling as if the sun had forgotten to rise in the morning. ?This is the first time I've seen you like this, so something dreadful must have happened.?
?I did not sleep,? explained Taneth. Kitty gently put her hands on Taneth?s cloaked arms to stop the scratching.
?Because you got angry and hit the bar?? Lucky asked. The Priestess paused to rub the bridge of her nose against the side of Lucky?s face, then she sat back on her heels, observing Taneth with pensive concern.
Taneth nodded and said, ?I killed the fruit.?
This made no sense at all to Alysia, until Kitty looked at her and said one word: ?Tara.? The name said it all, or almost all, and Alysia wrinkled her nose, frowning a little. She suspected that Tara was not a vampire at all, but a natural and spontaneous manifestation of Chaos.
?It splattered in the kitchen,?Taneth continued.
?Before or after you hit the bar?? Alysia was still confused about what had actually happened. A roughly trained empath, she could grasp only blurred hints of emotion drifting around the Inn; those undercurrents made more sense to her than Taneth?s terse words. Not for the first time, she considered that Taneth was probably slightly more than human.
?The mugs broke first, before the kitchen.?
Gaining a little bit of insight, the priestess rested her hands on her knees, silvery head tilted to one side. ?And . . . you're upset because you displayed your temper?? Alysia murmured.
?Do you think the moon rejects me for being mad, Kitty?? Taneth asked as she snuggled restlessly into the were-panther. ?To be angry is to be evil.?
?No,? said Kitty, firmly.? Nobody will or ever would reject you for getting angry. Especially when it comes to Tara. In fact.. I'm sure the moon would sooner reject Tara.?
Taneth pressed a finger to her lips. ? Well, to destroy in anger is to be evil.?
?You are a better lady than I, Taneth. I couldn't even count the number of times I've hit the bar, broken glasses, or torched things because I got angry. Or petulant." Alysia studied the brooding blonde a moment longer, trying to avoid the peculiarly thorny implications of anger and destruction being considered evil.
Generally known for her destructive flashes of temper, the Priestess had already had that argument with herself too many times already. Alysia was well aware that by many standards, even notwithstanding her demonic origins, she was evil. For some reason, the thought made her uncomfortable.
She smiled ruefully. ?You're nearly the farthest thing from evil I have ever encountered, Taneth,? Alysia concluded honestly. ?Trust that I know evil.?