Measha didn’t have to ask what had happened. And blissfully, Porter didn’t have to break it to the forlorn feline.

She merely looked up at him with her wet rimmed, hunter’s eyes and saw it in his own. Loss. Defeat. Failure. The faint, grief stricken miaorw that rumbled from her throat seemed to add to the weight the Gangrel bore, sending him out into the storm. The ring Eve had thrown clattered to the floor, briefly rolling before the cat siezed it under a weary paw.

He stormed towards Gabriel. Rage and grief swatted the young Ventrue out of his path, sending him skidding to the floor. Gabriel, now devoid of fight, merely sat in a heap as Kathy came to his side. Porter climbed onto the railing, clearing his hair from his eyes before turning to the two Kindred.

[i:5917641aef]“And you think you are so superior! You huddle together in the rain, afraid that something will rip you apart! Now! Now do you understand why it’s better to walk alone! Caine be damned, will you never learn!”[/i:5917641aef]

With that he spat contempt, ignoring the spittle that failed to clear his chin. Letting it crawl downwards. Kathy pulled the shaking, nigh-broken, Ventrue closer.

[i:5917641aef]“It’s not our fault, Porter! Damn you!”[/i:5917641aef] She fumed albeit shakily.

Porter merely growled. Leaned forward. And was gone.

Gabriel knew better than to think the Gangrel was plummeting earthward.

((nicely done! apparently it's bitch slap the Ventrue day! :) will add on tonight.

Below. The gathering of Toreadors looked up at the falling figure. Lightning seemed to strike at Porter as he fell, facing the earth as it approached. He closed his eyes, hearing the voice again.

[i:13b7ea188b]Unleash.[/i:13b7ea188b]

A bolt struck him, sending sparks spiralling into the air. As the sparks faded a new cry echoed that of the thunder. The figure of Porter was gone. A vast, winged fusion of bird, beast and electricity in it’s place.

The Thunderbird shrieked at the Toreador, lightning striking one of their cars. Before it too was gone.

Julius flew and the the storm flew with him, each second his grief submerged further and further beneath his burgeoning wrath. The Beast uncoiled and raged with him, the essence of Caine's curse becoming one with the raw power of the unleashed magus to create a terrifying, destructive force flattening everything in it's path. Finally, the centre of annihilation lay directly above the chateau which had so recently witnessed the Final Death of his beloved Eveshka.

Lightning began to strike upon the stones of the chateau, over and over. Tendrils of electricity fell upon the masonry, like claws, grasping at the heavy blocks, pulling them from their mortared rest and hurling them to the ground. Sheets of white fire cutting into the roof, peeling it back like a sardine tin to expose the finely decorated, carnage filled interior.

The belly of the chateau now exposed, rocks, pulled from the earth by the ferocity of the storm now began to rain into it, cold, hard rocks at first, then as the pulverising rain continued, hot rocks. Rocks fired like meteors from the sky, burning and hissing in the rain as they fell like bombs to explode upon the floor of the chateau spreading molten destruction about the increasingly ruined building.

In the centre of it all, a tight knit group stood. The man in the centre, dark skinned, bald and one armed man, shouting at the few who surround him. The few becoming less and less as each one fell to the fire and lightning, becoming ash on the wind until only the leader stood, unharmed, watching the chaos around him with some disdain.

Lightning flashed one more time, an arrow of blazing silver, arcing directly toward the target. He calmly raised his hand and the lightning fell upon it, ineffectual. With a roar of defiance, Ali, Ishmael, slayer of the Firebird took to the skies to join his second battle of the night.

At the centre of the raging storm hung Julius, lightning crackling about him, as much a creature of electricity as flesh and blood. Defiant, confident, Ali joined him in the arena of wind and weather, feeding from the storm as Julius did, each increasingly empowered by the elemental forces Julius had summoned.

Wave upon wave of ferocious primal power were thrown one at another, two evenly matched opponents in this war of wizardry. Sheets of scorching white flames flowing over the two combatants, each one receiving and giving in equal measure, yet neither breaching the protections of the other. Rocks now, pulled from the ground, or from the turbulent clouds about them hurled at each other to be deflected or shattered, raining further destruction upon the tortured ruins of the chateau.

By some unspoken agreement, the tiring duellists paused. [i:21b424b199]"You cannot defeat me, wizard."[/i:21b424b199] Snarled Ali, his voice clear even above the sound of the raging storm. Julius gave no answer, but curled his lip in a feral smile, as a collection of boulders fell from above Ali's head, raining down upon him and knocking him from the sky. Yet, even as he fell, Ali threw a ball of glowing plasma at Julius, hitting him in the chest, burning through cloth and into his body. Both mages dropped through the air, spiralling down and down to land with a crushing thump amongst the burning stones on the chateau floor. Ali, buried beneath a ton of rubble, Julius laying with smoke curling from his ruined torso.

A moment of quiet followed, though the storm raged on. Drops of water falling upon the still glowing meteors, dissipating into tiny clouds of hissing steam. Julius groaned, barely moving upon the wet stone floor, yet the rubble cairn which marked the point of Ali's fall began to move. A wet, dirty hand appeared from the detritus fingers moving, sliding off, to reappear, searching for grip upon the wet rock. Soon a head appeared, dragging a broken body from the beneath the boulders, staggering slowly to it's feet by sheer force of will.

[i:21b424b199]"Time to join your lover, wizard."[/i:21b424b199] Said Ali to the groaning form of Julius still laying upon the floor, picking up a blade from the many discarded in the previous battle. He staggered slowly toward Julius, hefting the weapon, preparing to deliver the blow that would send him to Eveshka. Julius managed to raise his hand, tried to raise flame, but the light died in his fingers before he could use it. Ali raised the blade and fell to one knee under it's weight. He lowered the blade and used it as a prop to once again climb to his feet. For a second time he raised the blade and this time, his feet were steady

A great clap of thunder rang from the storm, causing Ali to reel and throw his hands to his ears. Swooping down from the turbulent sky, the Thunderbird, revealed in all it's power, lightning crackling about it's feathers flew at the ancient cainite.

[i:21b424b199]Wake up, stupid wizard. [b:21b424b199]WAKE UP DAMN YOU[/b:21b424b199]. Inside him, for fucks sake, [b:21b424b199]INSIDE HIM[/b:21b424b199][/i:21b424b199]

The words seemed to echo in Julius' mind. [i:21b424b199]Inside who?[/i:21b424b199] He wondered for a second.

[i:21b424b199][b:21b424b199]NOW! Wizard, before it's too late[/b:21b424b199][/i:21b424b199]

Again the words in Julius' mind. He forced his eyes open and saw the Thunderbird in it's stoop, careening at breakneck speed towards the disoriented form of Ali. Julius summoned his final reserves and with his last ounce of strength teleported the mythic bird inside the body of Ali.

Ali began to shake, arcs of electricity coursing throughout his body, as the Thunderbird burst from him, in a spray of blood and lightning. Ali fell to the ground as the Thunderbird took again to the skies, wheeling to stoop again at his ruined form.

[i:21b424b199]"Be seeing you wizard."[/i:21b424b199] Whispered Ali, choking up blood and grabbing at an amulet about his neck. With a blaze of white light, Ali vanished. The Thunderbird wheeled in the sky, screaming it's rage at being denied it's prey, before landing next to the unconscious body of Julius and transmuting into the form of Porter.

[i:21b424b199]"Look after the cat."[/i:21b424b199] Said Porter in a gutteral tone, shaking his head. [i:21b424b199]"Yeah, right."[/i:21b424b199]

[i:47d932f9db]" Porter wait"[/i:47d932f9db] Gabriel gasped as he held his shattered ribs and tried to stand up.

[i:47d932f9db]" Let him go wander with the beast's where he belongs, what he said was uncalled for and quite frankly rude, we are all upset, but there was no need for that at all"[/i:47d932f9db]

Gabriel spluttered and a thin tendril of blood ran down the corner of his thin lips, Kathy hepled him onto to his feet and leaned him against the wall. Their progress was going to be slow and the rapid approach of police sirens had set Kathy's senses on full alert.

[i:47d932f9db]"Tyler, look please I beg you, don't ask questions but expect us back real soon Gabriel's in a bad way, and ..."[/i:47d932f9db]

Her voice wavered, she hadn't really known Eveshka that well but she was family, of the clan Toreador and that was enough for kathy.

[i:47d932f9db]" Kathy?"[/i:47d932f9db] Tyler held the mobile to his ear expectantly, he had heard there was a disturbance at the other side of town but had merely put it down to sheer boisterousness(sp? of late night reveller's.

[i:47d932f9db]" Eveshka's dead, I'll explain later, have the back door of the hotel open though, please"[/i:47d932f9db]



Kathy had wiped much of the blood off his face with a towel she had found strewn on the bed of the apartment they were in, the noise of the sirens had ceased and she sat him on the bed and ran to the balcony. Below about 8 police cars and 4 fire engines sat, people that looked like ants milling about them.

[i:47d932f9db]" Kay..."[/i:47d932f9db]

[i:47d932f9db]"I'm here love, we have to go and I mean now, we will get away with playing the walking wounded, I will make sure of that"[/i:47d932f9db]

Kathy let her nail run along her wrist and held it against Gabe's mouth.

[i:47d932f9db]" this will have to do you till we get to safety"[/i:47d932f9db]

Gabriel moaned as he felt her blood coursing through her veins, but it was all too briefly.


The escape from the complex seemed almost too easy, there where many kine running around with cuts and bruises from the fallen debris that had ensued the onslaught of the building from Julius.
Kathy walked though the lobby with Gabriel, her arm around his waist as she carried his now almost dead weight. She had felt the life draining out of him gradually and speeded up as she approached the door.
A paramedic rushed forward and looked disturbed at Gabriel's ashen face.

[i:47d932f9db]" Everything will be fine Miss, he's lost a lot of blood by the look of his pallor, let me help you take him to the ambulance"[/i:47d932f9db]


Kathy lifted her head and looked at him, then smiled , and he felt like he had been touched by some ethereal being, his whole body sung as he looked at her face.

[i:47d932f9db]" he will be fine with me,the blood he has lost will be replaced....easily...believe me it will, now if you will let us pass"[/i:47d932f9db]

he simply nodded and waved them through.

.....................................................................

The journey back had been easy, Kathy had smiled sweetly at a police officer and he had kindly given them a lift back to their hotel, the tears of the pale faced young girl had won him over, and he really couldn't have cared if he got a reprimand fo leaving his post.
The adrenalin that pumped though Kay's body had kept her calm and collect, but as she watched Tyler take Gabriel from her arms and lay him on the bed, the shock hit her and she openly wept in Tyler's arms, hard hot tears of grief for Eve and love for Gabriel.

[i:47d932f9db]" Kathy, he needs vitae then he will heal, forgive me, but I must go bring what he needs"[/i:47d932f9db] Tyler sat her on the sofa and walked to the kitchenette.

When he returned kathy was laid on the bed, her head resting on Gabriel's chest and her wrist held to his mouth.

:?:

[i:b6b49355b3]"Tyler, please hurry...he seems to be accepting it...but he needs his blood pref..."[/i:b6b49355b3] she was cut short by a series of spasmatic coughing fits that sent Gabriel seizuring in her arms. The normally complacent Ventrue was stiff as a board and shuttered violently. [i:b6b49355b3]"TYLER!!!"[/i:b6b49355b3]

Kathy watched in horror as his pupils disappeared in his head and he gazed wildly with white, empty eyes about the ceiling. His lips curled back and blood stained fangs gnashed and bit at Kathy which she managed to avoid with some degree of difficulty. Finally the feral attacks became more than she could bare and she lept back from him, distancing herself from the bed.

A torrent of blood tears were beginning to flow down her cheeks as Tyler burst into the room, an open bottle of vitae in his grasp. In an almost absurd moment, Kathy marvelled at how he always seemed to change clothes, each outfit more appalling than the last. Now he stood stone faced in a pair of baggy grey sweat pants and a black undershirt, staring his beloved master in the eyes.

Gabriel rose to his feet, towering over them from the bed's added height. He snapped his famished gaze between them, sizing them up.

[i:b6b49355b3]"Come on then...lets have it."[/i:b6b49355b3] Tyler said, raising the bottle of vitae slightly towards him. Gabriel lurched off the bed awkwardly and bolted towards Tyler, jaws agape. The nimble young ghoul spun 360 degrees neatly to the side, avoiding his injured master's advance. As he spun he produced a sizeable pen knife and thrust it neatly into Gabriel's chest, piercing his heart.

The Ventrue once more shuddered, and then fell to the floor at last at peace.

[i:b6b49355b3]"And that Ms. Belvadere...."[/i:b6b49355b3] Tyler said, propping the Ventrue up against the headboard, "[i:b6b49355b3]...is why Ventrue have blood preferences."[/i:b6b49355b3]

++++++++++++++++++++++

An hour later found Gabriel in a more agreeable state, having healed himself and indulged in a rather satisfying blood feast. He sat wrapped in a heavy evening robe, on the suite's patio. No reaction could be detected from him, even as Kathy emerged from the sliding door.

She walked cautiously towards the seat next to him, only to be ushered into his waiting embrace, which she graciously clung to. As she burried her face in his chest, she once more fought back a sea of blood tears from the horrendous events of the evening.

[i:b6b49355b3]"I'm so sorry Gabriel!"[/i:b6b49355b3] she sobbed, tugging at him slightly. He looked down a bit surprised.

[i:b6b49355b3]"For heaven's sake, what for?"[/i:b6b49355b3]

She looked up, now mirroring his surprise. His green eyes displayed no mockery of her, merely earnest curiousity.

[i:b6b49355b3]"T...the blood...I fed you my blood."[/i:b6b49355b3] she whispered pitifully. He broke into a broad smile as he pushed her back onto his chest.

[i:b6b49355b3]"Oh that...well consider the alternative. I could've stayed on that balcony at Julius' suite, unable to move until the paramedics found me in a state of perpetual undeath. I would be dead in short order, the Masquerade severly strained, and you alone. So I would say your solution would suffice...in a pinch."[/i:b6b49355b3]

He chuckled softly with the last words, and Kathy found herself chuckling as well. The two sat comfortably, happy to be at some bit of peace after the night. At least they could sit under their canvas of stars and pretend that Eveshka wasn't dead and their whole world had come crashing together rather abrubtly.

The distant roll of thunder echoed in the distance, making it's way over the quiet city. Kathy sighed.

[i:b6b49355b3]"Will that storm never pass?"[/i:b6b49355b3] she said rhetorically.

[i:b6b49355b3]"That's no storm my beloved. It's Julius and Ali."[/i:b6b49355b3] he replied, all too calmly. She rose from his chest and looked him in the eyes. [i:b6b49355b3]"Well look for yourself."[/i:b6b49355b3]

He motioned behind her. Kathy turned, and far in the distance, well beyond the city limit paranormal lights danced on the horizon. The flashing patterns burst white, then red, the orange, and with each silent explosion a grumble of thunder followed several seconds afterwards.

[i:b6b49355b3]"Oh my God...."[/i:b6b49355b3] she gasped. [i:b6b49355b3]"W..what do we do??"[/i:b6b49355b3]

[i:b6b49355b3]"Nothing. We'd be more trouble than help."[/i:b6b49355b3]

They sat in heavy silence, watching the production go on. Neither could make out what was happened or which side seemed to have the advantage, but shortly after a streak of particularly mobile lightning disappeared into the fray, all fell silent.

(OOC: I hit a spate of writing so you're all going to get hit with this at one time, in several postings!! Enjoy :D

Cyrilynn rolled over to her back, and moaned in ecstasy as a protruding rock found where the innoculation had been jabbed home. Another wave of pleasure swept through her as the bones of her broken arm and ribs ground together and she waited out the peak. Then, slowly opening the only eye that wasn't swollen shut, she watched the stars wink merrily at her folly. She cursed herself for having made an error in judgement that hadn't been seen since her early training days. She didn't count trying to kill Toisal a mistake on her part, only on the part of those who'd hired her to do the job.

Judiciously burning some blood as she healed the shattered skeletal areas, she crawled to the back of the van and pulled herself upward. She would need replenishment, and soon, for her Beast was beginning to stir and the beating had taken a lot of the precious fluid from her flesh. Opening the back of the trailer was easy enough and she pulled the child's body out and laid it as gently as she could on the ground. Closing the trailer back up made some of the more aggravated wounds weep again and her legs and hands shook with weariness.

Stumbling back to the Harley still parked in front of the house, she arched the saddle bags in hopes of some spare clothing. A pair of torn up jeans was her reward but she was grateful for that much. She donned them as quickly as she could and then, using her Auspex, she scanned the main floor for watchers. Once again she was lucky and no one was around, not even the doorman. She quickly padded back and scooped up the girl and used left over pieces of her shirt to tie the unconscious form to her upper torso. She returned to the bike and tore out in a bigger shower of gravel then when she'd arrived.

Most of the journey back was a blur of need and concentration. Her Beast roared and clawed to be free in a way she'd not had to deal with in quite a while and the petite frame that lay against her chest, with it's pulsing heart, constantly reminded her of the food that was so available. Cyrilynn was sweating when she finally halted in front of her own mansion's doors and stumbled into the sumptuous livingroom. She made it to the carpet before going to her knees and twisting sideways, to avoid falling on top of her precious cargo, as her body folded the rest of the way down.

Serai, having heard the front door close and the heavy thud in the front of the house, found her lying there, panting. Calling for another servant, the handmaid kneeled down and reached out to her mistress, murmurring soothing words and promising nourishment. [i:66d6187e19]"No, not yet! The Child, Serai, the child"[/i:66d6187e19] Cyrilynn closed her eyes and fought the Beast again. [i:66d6187e19]"Get her out of here, [b:66d6187e19]NOW![/b:66d6187e19] Then I will feed."[/i:66d6187e19] Serai finally noticed the bundle attached to her mistress's chest and reached to tear off the ties as gently as she could. What tumbled into her arms made the ghoul's eyes widen.

The little girl was given over to the arriving servants and bourne away. Once she was safely gone, Serai sent the last hovering staff member to the larder to fetch a glass of her lady's preferred vitae and then pressed her wrist to those thirsting lips. The vampire struck hard and Serai's eyelids dropped down to half-mast in the rush of pleasure as her lover suckled there. With the deftness of long practice, Serai weened Cyrilynn from her arm to the fluid in the fluted glass and then helped her to her feet. She put an arm around Rogan's waist and helped him limp away to their private chanbers.

The efficient servant stripped her lady from the jeans then steered her in to the bathroom, where she drew a bath in the large tub, while her lady sipped at her drink. With a weary sigh, Cyrilynn healed the last of the wounds but knew she would need sleep to truly be ready for the next night's final act. She stepped into the warm, soothing waters and allowed Serai to bathe her, then wrap her in a towel and steer her to their shared bed. Once they were both supine on the down-filled mattress, Cyrilynn tossed off the last of her drink and pulled her ghoul close. She cupped her hand behind Serai's head then stroked the ebony strands in a rythmic gesture as she drifted toward healing sleep.

[i:66d6187e19]"Two things, my pet, that need to be done, before I next wake."[/i:66d6187e19] Cyrilynn's speech began to slur as drowsiness began to take hold. [i:66d6187e19]"The new member of our little group will stay asleep until I've wakened her, which I will do before I leave to complete my mission tomorrow."[/i:66d6187e19] She missed the haunted look in Serai's eyes as her own were closed in preparation for Morpheus's arms. [i:66d6187e19]"She will need bathing and feeding once she's up and about and have some clothing ordered in for her. Then pack everything we brought with us and have the entire household transferred to the plane for departure by early evening. I will meet you at the hangar after that.'[/i:66d6187e19]

[i:66d6187e19]"Should a situation arise where it is necessary, you may sedate the child and stow her in the special compartment on board the craft, but I doubt you'll have to."[/i:66d6187e19] There was a long period of silence before Cyrilynn stirred enough to finish giving instructions. [i:66d6187e19]"Prepare enough metal vials of the Atropine, to administer to 15 mortals, and two steel syringes and have then ready for absorbtion. They are my key to the success of my mission. I want to make sure I make it out of there alive.........and the Sabbat don't!"[/i:66d6187e19] The last three words faded on a whisper as she felt the first rays of the morning sun pierce the horizon, casting her over the edge and into oblivion.

Once again Rogan's Harley swept the driveway and ground to a halt in front of the Sabbat house. Only this time, the gaze smoldered in the direction of the watchers. Pure defiance in every move, he stormed up the small stairway to the main door. Again, Brutus was on watch and his grin was wide as he mouthed the bywords. Once again Rogan crossed the threshhold and strode down the hallway, flipping his finger in the doorman's face, which only set the hulk in to unending chuckles as he quietly closed the outer panels.

Tracing the same path as the day before, Rogan enter the inner sanctum. A member he'd not seen before admitted him with less "enthusiasm" then before. And far less abrasions too. He stepped into the main area and noticed the room was more occupied than last time. More vampires than he felt comfortable with. Garson broke away from one group at the far end of the chamber and approached with a malicious smile. He looked Rogan up and down as he sauntered forward.

[i:8e839e7507]"I see that you are on time, Rogan.........for a change."[/i:8e839e7507] He reached up and fingered the black bikers jacket and then flicked one of the silver studs worked into the sleeve. [i:8e839e7507]"New clothes, Roggie-boy? I must say that all black becomes you."[/i:8e839e7507] He stepped back and perused the scowling pack member once more. From the black, shining leather boots to the black leather pants with a black stretch t-shirt underneath the even more ebon bikers coat. [i:8e839e7507]"My, my, all decked out for a night at the party............"[/i:8e839e7507] He took a hefty swallow of the drink he'd brought with him. [i:8e839e7507]"Too bad it's wasted on the doorman!"[/i:8e839e7507]

Rogan wisely kept his mouth shut but he glared daggers, which only caused Garson to smile more hugely. The wiry tormetor opened his mouth for another round of insults but Bishop Cardigan chose that moment to step in to the room. Instant silence descended. [i:8e839e7507]"I have received word that our new members are rounded up and on their way to the graveyard. It is time to begin the rituals and prepare our recruits for what they must face. Garson, the honor of First Blood to the Cup will fall to you, since Rogan has "volunteered" to be the butler tonight."[/i:8e839e7507] Desiree' sent her ex-favorite an I'm-so-sorry look that never quite reached her eyes. Garson looked [b:8e839e7507]more[/b:8e839e7507] than pleased. He looked downright smug.

As the the departing members left they cast the disgraced vampire looks of glee and delight that it was he who was now low man in the coterie. The one's who'd assaulted him the day before merely winked at him and flashed fangs. Rogan threw his frame into a nearby couch, scowling, and picked up a much thumbed biker's magazine, ignoring them all.

Several hours later, Cyrilynn emerged from a mediative trance, her inner clock alerting her to the passage of time. Unfolding her frame from her position on the settee she used her Auspex to deteremine if anyone else was in the house. Trusting to the information that she was quite alone, except for a couple of watchers on the front lawn, she opened the fly to her jeans and pressed the edges back, exposing flesh. Gazing down at her stomach, she began moving the internal pouch forward until it emerged from her abdomen where it had lain protected. Setting it aside on the floor, she closed the fly.

Scooping up the bag, she crossed to the entrance Garson had passed through with the medicine carrier the day before. Opening the door there, revealed Cardigan's office. The place was disgustingly neat. Shutting that panel and trying the second portal revealed a longer set of stairs that descended downward and ultimately opening out into an enormous feasting hall.

The beverage bars had their arms and hands bound behind them and were gagged with duct tape across the mouth. They were propped against the left length of the wall, each mortal shackled by their ankles to their own personal length of chain links that ascended into the twenty foot ceiling above. All were naked and terror radiated from pleading eyes. A small few had shut their eyes, perhaps hoping it was all a nightmare.

Cyrilynn swiftly filled the syringe and began the injections. Fourteen in all, she worked quickly, trying to assess just how much to give each body mass. The Tzimisce made sure each puncture mark was thoroughly erased as it just wouldn't do to give away this second masquerade too soon. The injection just given needed time to infiltrate the human's system and spread into the blood that would be imbided before the effects were felt and manifested by both mortal and vampire.

She left the room and headed back up to the main room. Once there she replaced the hypodermics and bottles back into their protective bag and then pressed it into Rogan's belly and watched as it was absorbed back in to the pelvic cavity. Tucking the shirt back into the belt line, she'd just resettled on to her former seat when a group entered bearing the new members bound in restraints. Cyrilynn counted only three of the limp forms. Good, there would be far less of them after tonight.

The glass tilted a bit, shifting the thick red fluid it contained directly into the path of one of the balcony's floodlights. The oblique liquid sucked greedily at the light and became translucent, and as the light filtered through it took a dim almost soft red glow that reflected on the cream-colored satin that Gabriel wore.

The coterie, with the exception of their stricken leader Julius, had found themselves retiring to the balcony with more and more frequency in the nights following Eveshka's passing. Gabriel was rarely found inside the suite they all now shared at Kathy's insistance, as he was content to watch the nights pass by outside, absently gazing at the stars.

Tyler played assistant and grocier. By day he stocked the suite with supplies and did the dry cleaning. At night he ran Gabriel's businesses from a laptop, cellphone, and video phone. The strain was clearly beginning to show around his edges however, and his normally witty demeanor was showing signs of fatigue.

Kathy kept watch over Julius, tending to him in every possible aspect aside from that which he desired most. No amount of tender care could bring back what he had lost, and as it became apparent that he was not in fighting form the coterie fell into remiss.

Even Porter was making near nightly stops to check in on the Tremere. He hadn't spoken to Gabriel since the night of Eveshka's death, whether it was out of anger or guilt Gabriel could not determine. Porter had never abandoned him before and the Ventrue had no reason to believe he would break that record now.

And so that night, Gabriel stood sipping vitae and peering through the open suite window. He watched quietly as Kathy dabbed the blood tears from Julius' broken face. Even the strongest were broken now...

[i:ed79049897]"Everything's arranged Gabriel. Nash wasn't happy about it, but I got him to agree."[/i:ed79049897] Tyler spoke in a hushed tone as they all had since Julius had returned. His lithe form shone in the moonlight, his naked torso firm and tanned. If there was anything to said about inheritance in Caine's curse, it certainly did not present itself in Tyler. Where his master was a clothes horse, hording and collecting the finest fabrics he could attain, Tyler retained the wadrobe one might associate with a college student. He stood on the balcony in nothing more than a pair of wrinkled cargo shorts, the lack of under garments all too apparent by the low cut of the shorts.

He turned to Gabriel, offering him the palm pilot which presented the details of the arrangement. Gabriel declined and moved passed Tyler, moving away from the suite's window. Setting the glass on one of the patio's several french pieces, he leaned against the railing and looked up to the sky.

[i:ed79049897]"Is Mr. Darrant alright?"[/i:ed79049897] Tyler asked, joining him at the railing and casting his own gaze skyward.

[i:ed79049897]"I haven't spoken with him."[/i:ed79049897] he replied plainly.

[i:ed79049897]"Mm. What about Ms. Belvadere?"[/i:ed79049897] Tyler continued to pry. Gabriel forgave him inwardly, even though such a blatant attitude was generally never excused by a ghoul's master. In recent nights, the old ways seemed less and less relevant.

[i:ed79049897]"She's alright. I think she'll be fine."[/i:ed79049897] the pair fell silent, and though Gabriel felt as much at ease as he had at any point in past several days, Tyler's figetting made it clear he didn't share his Master's comfort. [i:ed79049897]"Go on inside Tyler."[/i:ed79049897]

The ghoul obeyed and disappeared into the suite, leaving the Ventrue to his thoughts. Eveshka was dead...for some reason he had never truly expected her to affect his unlife in such a dramatic manner. Perhaps he hadn't expected her to die...perhaps he didn't think her capable of it.

A grimm unease had passed over him since their arrival in Marseilles, peaking with the events at the chateau. It was nearly maddening.

The first hint that things had changed behind those doors was the descending silence that faded like the sun going down. Then the doors to the feasting area opened and one of the new recruits, a female, stumbled through, clutching her belly and moaning. She clung to the door's edge but eventually slipped to the floor, her eyes wandering widely and the pupils dilated to their fullest as if totally disoriented. It didn't take her long to lose consciousness.

The other two new male members also followed her out in pretty much the same manner. One of them retching up some of the blood he'd imbibed. Cyrilynn closed the door and approached the one heaving on all fours. He was rather tall, about 6' 2" and she ran an assessing hand over his flank, then grabbing his head, she jerked it to the left with a practiced twist and broke the neck.

Ignoring the flopping body, she reached down and grasped the right leg behind the knee and, using a touch of Potence and leverage, she tore the thigh from the body at a right angle. Peeling the skin and muscle away from the femur, with a downward press of her hand and her Vicissitude, as if denuding a grape, she detached the lower half from the knee cap and tossed the excess aside.

Grasping the uppper protruding knob of her grizzly trophy, and working swiftly, Cyrilynn began to craft the length of the material to hand in the shape of a katana with as keen an edge as she could make and increased the density of the bone's mass. Crimson stained her arms to the elbow and bits of gore littered both her and the dripping makeshift sword as she swung it in an testing arc and severed the head of her victim from it's body giving him the final rest. She waded over to the other male lying comatose next to the female, stepped across and cut the head off the woman.

Using the sword to slice open the remaining male's chest, Cyrilynn plunged her hands into the open cavity and quickly pulled the upper skeletal frame from it's fleshy bed, discarding any extra vertebrae below the rib cage and cutting loose the screaming head. Which immediately ceased it's disturbing noise. Snapping the sternum from the front curving ribs, she molded it to the spine in a handle. Armed now with her gruesome shield and sword, the Scorpion opened the door to the feast hall and stepped inside.

Julius awoke with a start. He had been falling in his dream. It was one of those ones that felt so real that you had to be sure of yourself when you opened your eyes lest the rapid descent continue. Out of impulse his arm reached over to the left side of the bed where Eveshka would have lain. The pain came flooding back like the lightning bolts he had traded with Ali. Julius rolled over, entangling himself in the sheets, gritted his teeth and clawed at the Eveshka’s empty side of the bed. It had been nearly a week now since she had gone. The merest consolation, as pointed out by Montcalm, himself distraught over the once ravishing Toreador, was that she had met her end defending the unlife of a very old member of a very old coterie that seemed not to have ever split up. That Coterie was just outside the door. Kathy had gone to see what the others were up to and had left Julius alone.

[i:f4df263907] Porter. This was not his fault. This was not anyone’s fault, except for maybe Eveshka’s. Had she not gone back for Porter, this would not have happened. So maybe it WAS Porter’s fault. Had he not thought he could defeat the ludicrously powerful Methuselah single handedly, Eveshka would not have had to have gone back for him. But no, that wasn’t true either. He was trying to save her because Gabriel fucked up. So it was Gabriel’s fault in the end. Gabriel, who was expected to watch over….[/i:f4df263907] Julius rubbed his tired head. Gabriel, who was expected to watch over an extremely temperamental and powerful 800 year old Toreador who could have done whatever she wanted to the poor young Ventrue if he upset her. So this was really nobody’s fault after all. And it was everybody’s fault.

He’d seen her three times now since her Final Death. The first night alone, away from Kathy’s ministrations, he sat along the quai watching the mists shift on the Rhone. He could have sworn she walked out of the mist with a smile on her face only to disappear from view as she got closer. He’d not truly slept for days after she had fallen. The last battle with Ali had been tremendous. It had nearly been the end of Julius. He had expended so much blood to fight him off and yet in the end, for all Julius’ magic and power, Ali still got away. Julius had been exhausted, yet still he could not rest. The first Eveshka apparition he wrote off to hypnogogic hallucination.

The second sighting came in a steam bath. He sat in a corner brooding. He poured some water over the coals to get more steam and he jumped back as her torso seemed to materialize and reach out to him. She looked like she was in pain. That evening he had partaken of some cocaine in an attempt to relieve tensions. He had gone to one of the high-end brothels hoping to take his mind off of Eve. He had no intention of actually having relations with any of the mortal women, but he needed to be around beautiful ones. The sojourn was fruitless as he compared every single woman that crossed his path to the inhumanly perfect visage of his fallen Firebird.

The third sighting had occurred just that afternoon as Julius tossed and turned in bed. He still stayed with the coterie. This was probably a blessing as he would probably have gone to stay in the suit Eveshka had nad tortured himself endlessly. In his dream he yet grappled with Ali in the sky. He was falling faster and faster. The ground grew closer and closer. His skin burned. He gnashed his teeth and let out inhuman screams of pain. Then he heard her voice and felt her gentle caress. [i:f4df263907] Julius [/i:f4df263907] it said. [i:f4df263907] Wake up lover, it’s only a dream. This is all just a dream. [/i:f4df263907] He woke to large feline eyes of icy blue looking into his. Measha had crawled into bed with him and was stretched out along his flank sleeping. Her fluffly little paw gently touched his lips. With a soft ”Mrrpph,” Measha sat up and started to purr. Measha looked over Julius’ shoulder and made another “mmrrrph.” Julius looked over his shoulder and jumped in fright. Of all the people he imagined he would see this soon after Eve’s demise, this was the last. She was, without doubt, the only being he had ever beheld whose beauty eclipsed that of Eve’s.

“Hello, Khemintiri,” said Julius in an even tone.

The naked woman smiled sadly at him and sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Give me one good reason why I should not destroy you now just to ease my tension,” snarled Julius as he removed her hand from blanket covered thigh.

She looked down and softly said, “I shall give you two.”

“Those are?” he snarled again.

“You aren’t powerful enough,” she said sadly.

“The second?” he asked with venom dripping from his lips.

“I’ve seen her too,” she replied in a simple matter of fact tone.

Across the large chamber was Cyrilynn's main target. An enormous, and primarily unused, hearth that hadn't seen a fire there in many a year. Set before it was the Bishop's seat of office and Desiree's form was slumped in it's embrace. She appeared to be senseless. Garson stood next to her, swaying on his feet. The remainder of the coterie lay strewn about in vain attempts to bypass their own brutal discomfort.

Most of the mortals, strung upside down by their fetters from the wide beams overhead, were either dead or in the final stages of dying as they choked on their own bile behind their gags. Garson's head came up as Rogan made his entrance. His eyes blazed fury and he threw back his head and screamed in rage. [i:94536b641c][b:94536b641c]'ROGAN!![/b:94536b641c] You son-of-a-bitch! You're not fit to be a vampire, much less a Sabbat! I'm going to take great satisfaction in killing you!"[/i:94536b641c]

With that he burned blood and used his Celerity to charge down the main length of the floor, removing any obstacles in his path, where necessary. Cyrilynn kicked in a touch of her own and, as he finally reach her, she spun aside and tried to hamstrung his left leg. Unfortunately, his speed and strength were a bit greater than her own and he dodged easily. She would need to let him tire himself and hope the atropine in his system would work against him even more.

The next few moves of feint and charge left Garson panting, frustrated and full of small, quickly inflicted wounds. It left Scorpion smiling but thinking madly. She needed to end this and [b:94536b641c]soon[/b:94536b641c]. Long drawn out fight scenes were fantastic for the movies, not reality. Beginning to weave the sword in an impenetrable barrier of motion, the Tzimisce assassin moved in on her enemy and began driving him back toward the now stirring woman.

Having expended a signifigant amount of his energy, and with the ingested toxins active, Garson began to tremble with exhaustion. His fury had emptied itself into the fight and the burning in his abdomen had returned, two fold. It could no longer be ignored, especially with the disorientation of his senes beginning to reassert itself. He snarled his frustrations at being herded but he had no choice and little room to do other than was dictated to him.

He saw the sword's tip swing and made to block it with his forearm, but the damned thing almost seemed to take on a life of it's own and flowed under his outthrust arm, plunging unerringly into the Sabbat's chest, a handspan below the sternum. Mouth gaping in astonishment he looked up into his foe's countenace. Rogan's face lit with unholy glee as he turned the blade's edge up and thrust skyward, leaving an opening for the body's contents to make their hurried escape. The enveloping pain slammed into the Sabbat's mind and dragged him down into darkness.

Garson's body fell across Desiree's lap spraying blood, rousing her briefly from her state of oblivion. She forced opened heavy lids and gasped as a surreal scene met her disjointed sight She raised her eyes beyond the bloodied form cradled in her lap and saw The Scorpion, with his grotesque weapon and bone-cage shield, standing there. Her head cleared briefly and her eyes widened at the demonic figure that wore Rogan's visage, it's soulless orbs staring at her, the sound of sated laughter fading.

[i:94536b641c]"Who are?.........WHAT are....you?[/i:94536b641c] She stopped to pant as the drug clawed at her abdomen anew and she waited it out. She raised her gaze, again, to the statue-like figure in front of her, knowing she'd at last reached Hell. The answer echoed eeriely to her ears, [i:94536b641c]"[b:94536b641c]I[/b:94536b641c], Bishop Cardigan,......."[/i:94536b641c] It's hand plunged downward into Garson's ruined chest and pulled forth his stilled heart. Seconds later, the area on her lap that had been occupied was lightened and ash quickly settled there. [i:94536b641c][b:94536b641c]"I AM THE SABBAT'S WORST NIGHTMARE."[/b:94536b641c][/i:94536b641c] The voice rolled sonoriously down the vast room and the hand that had held Garson's heart tipped, and more ash settled on to her legs.

The apparition leaned down and captured her chin. Smiling, he grazed her lips with a ravaging kiss and then licked them. Her Auspex kicked in at last and she knew that what she faced was greater than herself. The aura crackled with excitement, hatred and a touch of sexuality. The combination so intrigued and bemused her that she never saw the blow coming that gave her surcease from her suffering.