Bellora awoke at the first sounds of the Huntress stirring, but wait, no...it was Belle De'Morte again. She played possom, however, and remained snoozing; breathing deeply and controlling her heart rate to mimic sleep. She waited to see what the vampiress would do, and was rewarded with a correct guess.

Slowly stretching that lithe, tall form, and unfolding it from the chair, Bellora stood. She smiled wickedly at Belle, and winked. "Forgive me, madamoiselle. Can I get you something to drink? Oh, wait. That's right, you have already eaten!"

She unlocked the small cage's door and stalked around the autopsy table, grinning at Belle. "You do remember feeding, don't you? That couple you slaughtered were to be married soon. Did you know that? They had two young children, twins, who were sleeping over at Grandma's house so Mommy and Daddy could have a "date night." You remember what it was like being an orphan, don't you? Yes...I can see you do. Well, now you have made two more for Rhy'Din."

Bellora turned her back to Belle, her voice was velvety rough, and haunting. Dulcet tones were no longer soothing; she picked up a wicked looking ceremonial daggar and returned to stand over her captive. Light glinted off the blade from the rows of candles that lined the far wall outside of the cell. Cooly, she spoke again, the blade pressed against Belle's fleshy, upper thigh. "Why did you do it? It is not like you. Before I bring retribution for those you heartlessly ravaged, speak. I will hear your confession, my child. Perhaps the Goddess will have mercy on you, if you feel remorse." A soft, throaty chuckle. She did so enjoy this part!

She heard the girl, sensed her prescence almost too late. Turning, arm swung up to block the downward thrust of the pilfered dagger, Bellora growled and grabbed the wrist with her other hand.

Forcing the girl back, locked arm in arm with her, she shoved her hard into the bars of the cage. How had she gotten in here? It was a cell...she would have had to have crept passed her when her back was to the cell door...she was slipping!

Shoving her harder, listening to the breath get forced out of the young woman she had tangled with before, she grunts in frustration, "Just what do you think you are doing, girl? Don't you know it's not nice to sneak up on a person like that? Someone could get hurt." Shoving once more, she yanked the dagger from Veronica's hand and motioned with it. "Get over there where I can watch you both. I was going to let you go, Ronnie, despite lying to me about the whereabouts of Belle. I was going to let you off with that warning, but not now. Now? You must watch. I will not punish you more than that, because you don't really deserve it. Belle, on the other hand, has slaughtered again."Purring, she says sweetly,"Haven't you Belle? Care to tell you little girlfriend what you've done?"

She slid the dagger into the back of her belt, for later. The magic of it hummed, soothing her; Veronica had chosen well. It was the only thing in here that would probably do permanent damage to Bellora.

((Nice try, Susan. Try harder!))

She had obeyed, torn her grip free from the woman, and stood at Belle's head, a hand brushing that cool cheek. Defiantly, she stood her ground and glared at the woman.

"What have you done to her? Look at her eyes! Did you torture her into madness? She would never kill, she saved me, she saved Valentine. She turned her to save her. You LIE!" Shouting the last words, she lay across Belle's body, hugging her and shielding her from this tall, dark, wicked woman. She didn't know Belle well, but from what she did know, the aged vampire would NEVER do the things she's been reading about.

She stared at Bellora, body still resting across her friend's body. She would stop this madwoman. She didn't know how, but she would! Then it came to her, the silver blade hidden up her sleeve.

Slowly, as the woman watched Belle's odd behavior, Veronica lifted a hand, with a quick flick, the bladed throwing knife was in her hand and then thrown at the woman's chest. It may not kill her, but it would slow her down. Enough to free Belle from these steel bonds? She didn't know, but she would try.

Belle was losing her grip on reality, on herself. She watched the room blurr, then blacken, the swirl as if in some horrible techni-color acid trip. She growled, or at least thought she did, and smelled fresh blood.

Veronica had lain across her chest, her head turned, and her eyes snapped with the green hell fire's of long ago. Her mouth opened wide, she watched Veronica's face as her attentions were on the woman at their side, and Belle was gone again. Zaruk's hand touched her, and she was the Huntress.

Her cheek was against the girl's neck, her bosom lifted and waiting, hovering so near her lips. Those lips curled back into a sneer, and she strained, moving her face closer to that sweet pulse point.

Both of them were preoccupied by the little knife accident, good. Belle caught whiff of the demi-goddess' blood; for that was what she knew she was. She had smelled blood like that before, but it would have to wait. First, Veronica, then she would free herself and devour that little know-it-all Goddess Bastard. She would slice her open from neck to navel and turn her inside out, licking her clean of that sweet blood!

The Huntress roared, lunged, and nicked Veronica on the collarbone, missing her throat and breasts. She sunk her fangs as deep as they would go, giggling as her face was splashed by warm, salty sweetness. Lapping at it, she strained against her bonds, slicing her arms and ankles again. She did not feel that pain, she was beyond it.

Sudden pain in her neck, in her bosom caused her to shriek and lose her balance, falling completely across Belle. She tried to stop herself with a flung out arm, but that wrist was instantly grabbed in a vice-like grip. Try as she might, she could not tear loose from Belle. Belle's wrist was red, slick with blood from the restraints, but she was not letting go.

Veronica felt faint from fear, and with eyes wide and pleading in whimpers and screams, she struggled in vain with the vampire.

"Please, Miss! Help me! Belle no! It is me! What are you doing!?" Sobbing, she felt those fangs sink deeper, and she knew it was over for her. How could this have happened? Belle had just moments before been pleading on her behalf!

Veronica never gave up, however, and she wriggled, squirmed, and even sank her own teeth into the flesh of Belle's shoulder. Drawing blood, she gagged and vomited copiously; the vampire's blood tasted of bitter poison.

Weakened from this bout of sickness, Veronica could no longer fight, but lay there, whimpering weakly and staring up at Bellora.

As Bellora was tending her wound and studiously trying to ignore the smug, self-satisfied look on Veronica's face, all hell broke loose.

She should have seen it coming; she'd seen the Hell B*tch in action already, she should have recognized the signs. Belle's pleading for Veronica had thrown her off, though, and she had doubted her own initial gut-instinct. The vamp was being taken over or controlled somehow; she had visual proof now.

The transformation had been subtle, for when Bellora looked back at the bound and be-spelled captive, her face did not differ much from the horrified and terrified face of Belle. Bellora began thinking of them as Belle and 'Hell B*tch', and wondered if there was a way to separate the two, or if Belle was truly damned now.

With a grumble, Bellora jumped into the fray, attempting to save the poor girl from her fate. She tore at the Hell B*tch's hand, shredding the skin with her own nails, attempting to free Veronica's hand from it's grip. Then, thinking to herself..."Sh*t, what am I doing? Get her to stop tearing her throat out, first, stupid!

Bellora then moved around to the head of the autopsy table, now noticing the horrid stench of Hell B*tch's blood as it ran down the gutters of the autopsy table, steaming lightly. It had a green sheen to it, and then she was vomited upon. Oh yuck. She ignored it and gripped the Hell B*tch by the hair, trying to haul her head back and away from Veronica's neck and chest. This, however, did not work out as she had hoped.

She had to save Veronica, but she did not want to kill the Hell B*tch in the process for Belle might still be in there, somewhere. SO, drawing the humming, thrumming (and now glowing) blade from the small of her back, Bellora sliced the Hell B*tch's cheek. Cutting down to the bone, blood stained teeth winking at her through the gash, she hoped this would get her/it's attention.

It did. With a horrendous, blood curdling screech, the Hell B*tch's mouth let go of it's poor, nearly dead dinner, and rolled those green hell-fire eyes up to glare at Bellora. She smiled sweetly and wriggled her fingers. "Hi. Remember me?" With a cocked arm, a grimace of utter disgust that bordered on hatred, Bellora let loose and cold cocked the Hell B*tch in the temple, sucessfully knocking her out.

Panting from the adrenaline rush, she quickly got Veronica out of the cage, making sure to lock and re-cast binding spells on it in the process. The girl needed medical attention and Bellora was not the one who could provide it.

Wrapping the now in shock and convulsing girl in her own cloak, Bellora took off in the night, hoofing it as fast as she could towards houses and what she had thought was a free clinic up the street. She could only pray she would get there in time.

The Huntress was sliced mid-slurp, and she instinctively lifted her lips from her meal to scream. Her hand still held that bird-like broken wrist tightly, as if clinging to a wooby or a teddy bear. No. Mine.

Animalistic in nature and hungry, pissed, and annoyed, the Huntress growled and spat at the half goddess whore standing above her. Oh, she would pay for this. The cheek was already healing, but the pain was a HUGE inconvenience!

Then, as the b*tch had the gall to wave at her, all went black.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Belle struggled against a sea of pain. Blackness, total, more complete than she had ever known. She swam against the current, panting and sobbing in frustration and confusion; where was she? She called out for Veronica, for her blood child Valentine De'laCroix. "Val! PLEASE! Come find me! BLOOD CALLS TO BLOOD!" She screamed and fell back into nothingness, floating, weak and exhausted.

Belle floated for a time, how long she had no idea, but she sensed her old Master near. She had so desperately wanted to go with him not so long ago, but he had chosen that Dalia Blackthorne, instead. Now she did not regret it. She missed Rie terribly, but had found that she could go on without her. Life had been okay.

Then the blackouts had started, and she awoke in odd places, covered in human blood, and it had frightened her. She dared not go to anyone with it for fear of finding out what it was she had done. She had not even spoken of it to Valentine, who of all people, would understand!

She floated, half conscious, and hoped like hell Valentine could hear her from wherever it was she was trapped.

Belle was there, somewhere, lost inside herself, however, the Huntress was rousing.

Smelling vampire, she pried a lid open, and smiled, wincing as the still knitting flesh of her cheek tugged. Licking her lips, the Huntress watched Valentine as she circled the cage, staring in at her.

"Well? Like what you see? Or are you going to get me out of here."

Staring at the woman who just walked in, confused and not sure what to do, she sat.

"Um. I...I am...Belle is my sire. What has happened to her? Cause I know THAT is not her."

She sighs, watches the woman closely, totally unnerved by those eyes, and then fidgets with the zipper on her leather jacket.

"Look, I should just go. I was called by my Sire, I was compelled to come, but...I don't know what's going on. Is she in there for a reason? I mean, those murders, did she do them?"

"Yes, she did. Ask her for yourself. But remember, she is controlled by something other than herself. I doubt you will get an honest answer."

Rising from her seat, she set the beer aside and wandered to stand next to the cell, watching the Hell B*tch squirm and fidget. It seems that whatever was controlling Belle was quite uncomfortable. She wondered what was causing it; the cut with the holy blade, the presence of her "offspring", or was it something else?

...

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Belle heard Rie's voice, and she thought she was hallucinating. She cried softly, hands over her ears to stop the tormenting sound of her lost love.

The voice stopped. She sagged in relief, and lay floating in that darkness, but a scent wafted to her weakened senses. Rie.

With a primal growl of rage, she fought against the inky blackness, the foul smelling nothingness in which she was suspended. She fought fang and nail, and won.

With a cry of rage and dispair, Belle's eyes shot wide open and a deep breath was drawn, and she cried out, "RIE!"

Wide eyed, she looked around, caught the face of her captor hovering near her, and she pleaded, "Don't kill me. She's here, she's back. Please...I don't know what it is I have done, but I will fight it. Help me."

Something in that pupiless, inky onyx gaze told Belle that the woman had already decided to do just that. Belle's head fell back, she was exhausted, but in full control of herself. She could smell the poisonous, fetid stench of Zaruk on her, in her, and near her. She shook her head and shouted aloud. "You banished me, Zaruk. That broke our contract. I am no longer yours to protect, provide favors for, or take care of. You insisted on that clause, remember? Well, it goes both ways. You kicked me out, you banished me from your side and your dimension, that means I am no longer yours to order or control."

Belle screamed in pain as the demonic-gifts where stripped from her, powers, strength, and most of all, those velvety bat-like wings. Writhing in pain upon the autopsy table, bleeding from the torn wing-joints at her back, she cried and laughed together. She knew what this meant, that he had given her up. It was in the contract, and he had written it.

An unearthly voice was heard, echoing in the chamber, "I give you back to the humanity that caused your fall, my sweet Belle. I rather enjoy your replacement, you know. Dalia has turned out to be a fine pupil. She's a better lover, too. Enjoy the rest of your life, Belle. Living for love only leads to pain and suffering. You'll be back, and you'll come begging."

Belle moaned, and tried to turn onto her side, easing the pain in her currently ruined, but slowly healing back. She grunted and gasped, and pleaded with Bellora with her eyes. One might notice that those brilliant green eyes were just that, brilliant. They no longer glowed with an inner fire, nor burned with the images of hell-fire. Her demonic gifts were gone.

((For those that may be confused as to why I am playing Zaruk here, it is because he was a character initially made by me for a story line involving Valentine De'laCroix. Someone then asked for permission to make him, was given it, but he is playing him different than I had hoped and I do not wish to continue playing the SL this way. I have taken the liberty of getting Zaruk out of the SL, instead of ignoring or having Ecstasy-mun remove his posts. Sorry for the confusion, folks! Just a bit of a misunderstanding, I think. Now...on with the show!))

Startled into silence, for once, Bellora stood and watched the woman appear and rush to Belle's side. A faint tug at her near non-existant heart strings, and she turned her back to give them a moment's privacy. This must be the elusive Rie Darkrave. Hmmm, had she been missing because she'd been playing hanky panky? The lovely young woman was obviously pregnant.

Turning this over in her thoughts, she spoke softly to the both of them, back turned still. "Pardon me for intruding, but your wife looks half starved, Belle. Once you have kissed and made up, I wish to run a few tests on you, to be sure you are sans-Demon Lord. Then I will release you. You both will find sustinance and human food in that small ice box in the corner."

Bellora turned then, a saddened look fleetingly passes over her face, those inky solid eyes of onyx soften for just a moment, and then her look of sterness returns. " I must warn you, I am returning all those memories you lost while incapacitated. He may have made you slaughter, but you should know what you are capable of. Make damn sure it never happens again, or I WILL come after you. I hope you can live with what you have done. I feel that it will be punishment enough." She waves a hand in dismissal,"I also expect you to make some sort of arrangements for those orphans you have made, of course."

Bellora sighed, watching the stricken look on Belle's wife's face. She shook her head slightly and went in search of Belle's "blood child" and friend, Valentine; leaving Belle with her wife. "First time for everything, I suppose."She mused, referring to the slight baby bulge in the other woman. Vampire's giving birth. Huh.

Rie smiled and stroked Belles hair then sighed sofly. "Belle you know how i fear taking blood from any one but you or anyone i know has blood that my body wont have a bad reaction."

She sighed and smiled at Bellora "Thank you very much." she said then turnd back to Belle and said in a aoft voice. "Belle please dont be angry with me... Im so tired i can hardly keep my eyes open."

She nuzzled her tiredly and kissed her sofly then lied her head on Belle's sholder whispering sofly. "is this real? Is it really you?"

Tears streaked down her cheeks as the memories of those things her body, but not her mind, had commited. Belle was on the verge of a total breakdown, when she saw the lovely and distraught face of her dearest love, Rie.

She stood with the aid of Bellora, and went to Rie. Collapsing before her, head buried in her lap, hands pressing to the small bulge of her belly. Belle sobbed into her lap, voice shaky and filled with remorse. "Rie I am so sorry. I have done terrible things. Things that I can never even begin to make amends for. I will give everything I have, all my money to those orphans, but it will still not be enough. Can you ever forgive me? I love you with all that I am, please forgive me!"

Rie pulled Belle up to her chest and coed sofly stroking her hair gently. "oh Belle my dearest love ive told you once before and now i say it again....you were firgiven before you did it."

She smiled to the women her eyes flashing. She shook her head and jestured tords Bellora saying in a gentle tone. "I will alow her to teliport us home. Belle needs to get there as soon as posible.But thsnk you Val, please know that out doors are always open to you and Bellora"

After this she alowed Bellora to teliport them both home.

Nodding, awed at the powers this woman held, Valentine stood and turned to go. She could not find the words to thank this vigilante of the Goddess for saving her Sire, but she would find a way to repay her kindness.

She exited through the sparse and shabbily furnished front office, making a mental note to send over some decent office equipment and some more cheerful art work for the walls. None of it would be hers, of course. After all, those that would come here would have suffered much, they would not need to see portraits of further pain and torture. Perhaps that landscape that lovely young apprentice had done, or maybe the doodles Lyric had been doing? The young Fae teenager did have some talent.

With a nod, and a faint smile, Val knew this woman was skirting the edges of the law, but she also knew that she could do some good for this place.