Act 15
Music blared loudly in the Raven, teeming with its usual nightlife once again. Lacroix stood in the darkness of a corner, sipping from a goblet, surveying the room. Catching the antics of two in the darkened booth with his acute vision, he smiled to himself. *Maybe it wasn't the right time to leave, yet.*
Sitting at the bar, Vachon absent-mindedly whirled his index finger over the rim of his empty glass, lost in thought. "Why such a long face, my good man? We're back in business!" Lacroix filled the empty goblet. He didn't answer. *Screed, Urs, Tracy. More names to add to a list of those left behind. Too long a list.* "You need to go out and find some real action, Vachon. Sitting in mourning is not healthy for a vampire. Or becoming."
A young, dark-haired beauty slithered by Lacroix, eyeing him with hunger.
He leaned in closer to Vachon. "You need to snap out of this." His gaze followed the woman to the corner of the Raven "You're going to bring this place down with your mood." In a flash, Vachon was once again alone.
Vachon barely glanced up as Lacroix trailed off after the young woman. *No, not now. I can't even think of enjoying myself, not for a little while.*
Taking a long drink from the glass, his thoughts went to those of the dark blonde who waltzed into the Raven and instantly altered their world. *Time's up.* In a final gesture to those he left behind, he silently held his glass in a toast, set it down and went off into the night.
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Rolling over on the couch for the millionth time, Katherine took a look at her watch. *Four o'clock. I've been here all day. Still some time before work to take a shower, relax.* She stretched, trying to get the kinks out of muscle she'd forgotten she had. She got up from the couch and looked around, finally locating some paper and a pen and she left a note:
Nick, I know all of your questions weren't answered. You've probably come up with a few more. Sorry about that. We've got time. I promise you'll get those answers soon. Thanks for the couch and your ear. Tell Natalie it's ok she heard.
See you later. Kath.
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Room service had delivered a pot of coffee and she sat perusing the classifieds for a reasonable place to rent. Can't stay in this hotel room forever. Besides, she missed her baby. *Nothing here. I'll ask around at the station, maybe some one will know of something.*
She glanced at the clock. Time enough for a long shower. She let the water pound her tired limbs for a while. Humming to herself, she dried off, dressed and leaned over the sink to look into the mirror. "What did I do with that brush," she asked herself.
"This one?" that now familiar voice came from the corner.
She spun around, surprised and angry that he could get in without her sensing it. "Will you *please* stop doing that?" Grabbing the brush, she returned to the mirror, ran the brush through her hair a few strokes and then turned to him. "Just how long have you been standing there?"
He smiled, as if he were keeping a secret, "Long enough. Long enough." He watched her finish her make-up.
She was determined not to let him bother her. Or at least she didn't want him to know he was bothering her. *Damn! He's looking right through me. Those black eyes, that hair. Your master really took you at a perfect age, didn't he?* She sighed involuntarily. Realizing she'd been staring back at him, she turned her attention back her image in the mirror and readjusted some hair.
"You look just fine," he whispered into her ear. He took the hairbrush from her hand and set it on the counter. Something made him spin her around to look at him. They were face to face. In that moment of weakness, she caught her breath, started to say something stupid and stopped. The moment passed. " Do you want to stay in this bathroom all night or can we step into the other room?" She led him into the sitting area of her room.
He leaned against the wall and watched her.
"Vachon, why are you doing this? And don't tell me 'Because you can,' because I've heard that one before."
That was exactly what he was going to say. He continued to stare at her, trying to figure her out. *What are you, Katherine Collins? Who are you? Why have you invaded my life? Why are you haunting me like this?* He wanted to ask her all these things and more. Instead he said, "You didn't come home this morning." It wasn't a question; he stated it as fact.
"Oh good, now you're watching me. What are you, my guardian angel?" She'd crossed over the room and sat on the side chair. He took the chair across from her and watched her with intent brown-black eyes. She felt her heart speed up and hoped he didn't notice, but the smug amusement in his eyes told her he was aware of the effect he was having on her.
"So, are you going to tell me why you're here? I have to be at work soon."
"In two hours, Katerina; we've got time." He tipped the chair back and waited, toying with her.
"I'm not in the mood for games, Vachon. If you want something, then get on with it. I've got things to do." She was irritated now and was making mental pictures of her planner to try to erase that face looking at her.
"You still haven't told me why you're here. Lacroix has an idea, but I want to hear your version."
Knowing he was trying very hard to get to her, she chose to ignore 'Katerina'. "Why are you so interested in what I am doing? You're not my keeper, you know."
He continued to tip back on the chair's hind legs. *Oh, but I want to be, Katerina, I want to be.* "This is a very big and bad city." He glanced around indifferently, but still very aware of her just a few feet in front of him. "I just wanted to make sure you made it home okay. That's it." He brought the chair down and tried very hard to penetrate the shield she seemed to have around her.
*In a pig's eye.* "I made it back all right. Thanks for your concern." There was a touch of sarcasm in her voice and she didn't care.
He leaned forward to hold her hands, and looking into her eyes he softly replied, "You're welcome." He held her gaze for what seemed like an eternity, and he noted she was returning the clasp he had on her hands.
Her mind was racing, and her heart skipping beats like a schoolgirl. She knew he heard every heartbeat. She was disquieted by his ability to sense everything about her.
He moved closer to her. Her eyes betrayed confusion and her heart told him he was getting through. He was getting the response he half-hoped for. *Can't read what she's thinking; this will have to do.*
She closed her eyes to break his gaze, his spell. She continued to hold his cold hands. An all too familiar touch with another face attached. *No, not again. I won't let this happen again.* She opened her eyes to find him still trying to read her. She drew in a breath. *Damn, why do you have to be here to complicate things? This assignment was supposed to be easy. Ha!*
"Because I'm here and I want to know so much." His voice broke her into her thoughts like dozens of canons echoing through her mind. Startled, she pulled back from him. "How did you do that?"
His eyes lit with amusement and satisfaction. " So, it can be done."
She was worried. It had been many years since she let a vampire into her mind, and it had a disastrous ending. This was clearly something she hadn't bargained for. She wouldn't be the cause of another vampire's death. Flashes of hysterical screams, dark brown hair and blue eyes enveloped in a swirl of flames made their way through her mind. Disturbed by this picture, Vachon pulled away from her.
It was her turn now. She hadn't done it in awhile, let her defenses down long enough to probe a mind. It would be more difficult without his blood in her, but instinctively she knew she must try.
Vampires do not routinely share their innermost thoughts with anyone. Not other vampires, and certainly not mortals. The few intimate moments between Natalie and Nick and Tracy and Javier were just that. Short pieces of a long life shared only to make a point. Through their victim's blood, a vampire will absorb the thoughts and secrets of that short life. In passing, the victim will glimpse his attacker. It is a short revelation, then it's gone forever. Some psychics have seen parts of the vampire life, not understanding what they are dealing with. When the vision is clear, it takes a lot out of both involved. Katherine used all her experience to reach the edges of this vampire's mind.
He immediately sensed her probing into his psyche and stiffened. He had never felt this sensation without the exchange of blood. He felt his eyes glow and his fangs start to emerge in self defense, but just as quickly, he relaxed. She was not a threat and the gentle probing was more comforting than anything he'd experienced. It actually was beginning to feel good. As strong as she was, he was able to let her see only what he wanted her to see. "Are you about done?" he asked, almost wishing she'd go on forever.
"You were in love with Tracy Vetter," she said softly, gently. There was no surprise in her voice, no derision of a vampire in love with a mortal.
It happens all the time. He was trying so hard to forget. He was angry that she had been able to sense something that only until now he had been able to admit. That she could probe that far.
His expression changed from relaxed and caring to animalistic anger. His eyes glowed green and his fangs dropped, threatening. "That is none of your business. I do not want to talk about that ever again," he hissed threateningly.
Most would have become frightened at that display of power. Even Urs would have backed off, but Katherine held her ground. All at once, she understood the creature in front of her. Through the years he developed enormous power to the extent even he was not aware. At the same time, he still had the capacity to love. He was becoming more attractive with each moment.
The tension in the air melted as she reached out for him, her voice soft, nurturing, "It's ok, Javier, I know. I've known since before I got here. I won't ever mention it again, I promise." She stopped and looked once more into his brown eyes, her own eyes full of trust and acceptance. "I understand how it was. I've been there too."
He pulled her in closer to him and buried his face in her hair, devouring all of her. She let her guard down and held him to her, allowing feelings she buried a long time ago to flood over her. It had been many years since she allowed herself to care for someone. It had hurt too much when she lost, but this felt so good. They stood in each other's arms for minutes and then reality checked in. They pulled away from each other, both uncomfortable with what just transpired.
Katherine looked away from his eyes and walked to the dresser, poured herself a glass of water and took a long drink. Lake blue eyes and flames haunted her. "I didn't mean for that to happen," she stammered. "It can't happen again, Javier. It can't." She pretended to be absorbed by the pattern in the carpeting. She didn't want to meet those eyes again. Those eyes that could see right through her; the only ones that had in ages.
"It did happen Katherine. We were both in each other's minds. We can't change what we saw." He came closer to her again.
*No, please don't,* she begged silently.
His face was serious as he heard her mind. "Talk to me, Katherine, talk to me."
"Talk to me." His voice rang in her ears.
She knew she had given up pieces of her mind to him. Not enough to clear his questions yet just enough to create more. *The Old Ones are going to have my hide when this is over. First Knight and now you. I'm tired of fighting. Resisting. Javier Vachon, I'm going to trust you. With my life.*
She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, then glanced at her watch. Only twenty minutes passed since they had sat down. An eternity had spun its way through them. "What do you think you know?"
"Lacroix thinks you are a mixed breed. Vampire, yet not. Mortal, but not. There's a term for that kind; even Lacroix won't speak it. He said it would be dangerous to know you."
"He said that, huh? Does he still think I'm his long lost love, Fleur?"
"No, I think he got over that once he was convinced his theory was true." Vachon glanced at the door as he heard a clang of trays coming from the hallway.
Then there was a knock at the door. "Can I turn down your bed, ma'am?"
"No, thanks, I'll take care of it myself. Goodnight."
The maid looked in long enough to see a very handsome young man sitting on the edge of the bed. She glanced from him to the young blond woman at the door, gave her a knowing smile and toddled off down the hall to the next room.
"So, you're here, wanting to know more than he told you. Don't you believe your kind leader?" He smiled at her and shook his head. The light from the bedside danced on his hair.
"I want to hear it from you. I want to hear your story." Once more she sat across from him, bringing the chair closer to the bed.
"You can't resist playing with fire, can you?" She asked him.
He chuckled. "Let's say I like to make life interesting." He smiled at her, his voice softened. "Make my life interesting, Katherine."
*So you're calling me Katherine, now. Progress.* For the second time in one day, she told her story. "Well, Lacroix is partly correct. To make a very long story short, my father was a vampire and my mother a witch from the islands."
The look on his face told her he was not prepared for that." When I was seventeen, they were both destroyed in a fire. A group known as the Old Ones took me from the burning house. The Enforcers were right on top of things. If it weren't for the Old Ones, I would have been killed too."
She paused, letting her words sink in. "A guardian was assigned to me. His name was Geoffrey and his wife, Amelia. Together they attended my wounds and taught me to understand who and what I was. I am. They had told me it wasn't my time to die and that and I had much to learn. I stayed with them for quite some time, and then the Old Ones gave me assignments working with mortals who died and weren't supposed to. That was two hundred years ago. That's what I do today." She stopped and looked at him. *Enough?*
"So are you a vampire or a witch?" He was interested, and staring at her intently.
"Neither. Both. I can walk during the day, I don't drink blood to exist, and I don't fly. I hate heights. But I can read minds both mortal and not, and like you, my senses are heightened and I've been told I'm rather strong, for a girl." She giggled. "I've taken down a few who are bigger than I. They are usually pretty surprised. I have some powers from my mother, but I don't use them. I choose not to. She was not my favorite person in the world, and I don't like even thinking about her.
"But you said she was destroyed?"
"Yes she was. I saw her go up in flames. But ever since it happened I've been afraid that if I think about her, she'll some how manage to return to life." Katherine shook her head as if she were trying to shake her mother away.
"You haven't told me why you are here." He prodded, hoping he wasn't going to lose her now.
"The most I can tell you is that the Old Ones intervened when Nick tried to bring Natalie across and failed. It wasn't their time, Javier. They have much to do. I'm here to guide them back to their normal time line and keep the Enforcers off their backs awhile. Nick's relationship with Natalie hasn't gone unnoticed by anyone. For that matter, you and Tracy were becoming an issue with the Enforcers too."
He hadn't thought about that angle. *How would Tracy have handled it if she'd met one of them? What would they have done with her, me?*
She felt as if a ton of bricks had been removed from her shoulders. Twice in one day, must be a new record. "Satisfied?"
He nodded slowly, staring at her as if she had been dangling a crystal in front of him.
"Javier?"
All he could do was nod. He had a million questions. Millions of ideas floated through his head. *The one word she mentioned twice as if she had mentioned her own name was the Enforcers. They could present some minor problems. I can handle them if I need to. I think.*
The alarm on her watch let them know it was time to go. They both stood up.
"Will you be coming back here after work?" he asked.
She smiled and nodded. "If you want me to."
He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll be waiting."
End of After Last Knight