“You've returned and brought guests with you it would seem.” Idel greeted the trio and their vampiric company as they walked through the front door. He noticed that Stella was moving slower than usual and kept a hand on the wall when she walked. “I take it things didn't go as smoothly as originally planned?”
“Styx and Shaffra weren't the only surprises we ran into out there.” Aileen stated dryly, keeping close to her partner. She briefly explained the events of the night, starting with their initial scheme, not sparing any details up until they began their venture home. As she did so, Styx wandered into the kitchen and inspected the contents of the fridge.
Idel shot him a glance but continued speaking to Aileen and Stella who waited at the foot of the stairs. He lightly closed one eye and refused to meet Stella's gaze, “Things here were largely uneventful although I may or may not have accidentally told Luna about what happened to Síochain...”
She glared at him and he flinched.
“Wha's the prob'em with'at?” Styx joined on the conversation, his cheeks slightly puffed out and a half-eaten slice of cheesecake in his hand.
Stella rolled her eyes. “You're as gentlemanly as ever. The issue with Luna learning about what happened to Síochain is that now it's more likely she'll tap into the memories stored within the Ríastrad. That means she'll be at least as angry as her father was at that time, and you remember how that went.”
He swallowed his food and muted a burp before replying, “You mean when he went bat-shit crazy and threw an apocalypse sized temper-tantrum?”
“The hell's that supposed to mean?” Stella growled.
Styx shrugged his shoulders, shoved the last of the food into his mouth and fell down into the couch with his arms crossed. “Every one of you needs to get a better handle on your anger.”
Stella stomped towards him but got held back by Idel and Shaffra who urged her in hushed tones. “Now, now. Attitude aside, it's good that we can have this little reunion. Perhaps we can take advantage of it and have a strategy meeting to discuss what we'll do going forward. I'm sure we can all agree that something as immoral as Beast Bane can't continue to exist and I'm positive this Sandalphon character will be returning before long.”
Styx's head shot up, “Idel! Cheeky bastard, how long have you been here?”
The mage's expression dropped, “It's good to see you too, brother, though I seem to have been the only one to do the seeing.”
Nao smiled embarrassingly from the doorway where Shaffra joined her. As the brothers partook in an exchange of sarcasm and verbal jabs, their significant others discussed their actions since they had last met. Stella and Aileen sighed and excused themselves so that they could change out of their armour.
They arrived at their room where Stella immediately threw her top half onto the floor before Aileen finished closing the door. Stella gazed into the mirror, turning her body to look at the raw scar from every angle. “Damn near cut me in two...” she muttered under her breath.
“Well, even if he was a counterfeit, he was still technically an angel, right?” Aileen asked. “If that's the case, we were probably lucky that we didn't suffer more damage.” As she spoke, she grabbed a hangar from their closet and hung it off the doorknob. She removed her top, folded it neatly in half and hung it up, doing the same with her bottom. Aileen stopped when she noticed that Stella hadn't gotten any closer to changing and was instead staring through the mirror with clouds in her eyes. “Stella?” She called out.
Stella gently poked at her stomach with one hand and scratched her chin with the other. “Pathetic, huh? It's no secret that I was always outclassed but...” Aileen placed one hand on her partner's back. Stella shook her head and with her best fake smile declared, “It's nothing. Don't worry about me.” She then tossed the remainder of her armour into a pile and threw on a baggy, purple t-shirt with grey sweatpants. Aileen watched in concerned silence before nodding. She put on a white nightgown that was tight around the neck and they both rejoined the group in their living room.
“The birds have returned,” Styx stated, drawing attention to himself. “So what's the plan?”
“Let's start with this,” Idel stood up and with a tap of his staff, a spectral chalkboard appeared, floating in front of the large window. At his command keywords were written down automatically as well as occasional diagrams when applicable. “We currently have two main issues: the continued existence of Beast Bane and Sandalphon. What do we know of each?”
He turned to Aileen, beckoning her to speak while she and Stella dragged in chairs from the kitchen. “As of now, the only thing we can say for certain is that it was a local priest, the same one that followed me from the hospital, who grew the initial batch we encountered. He learned the methods from Aldus's journal which must've been stowed away in an underground laboratory before Cain got there. The priest said that he's effectively told anyone who would listen about the flower as he understands it but doesn't seem to have told anyone else how to grow it.”
“Not exactly narrowing it down.” Styx grumbled.
“You mentioned before that all of his current produce has been taken?” Idel continued, ignoring Styx's comment.
“Yeah, he doesn't have any idea who could have taken it.”
Idel rubbed his chin, lost in thought. “What of the police officer? How does he play into the equation?”
“Luna accidentally put a curse on his son, resulting in his death.”
“Revenge?”
Aileen nodded.
“Should we consider him a threat?”
“Not a high priority one. Up to now, I believe he's only carried a handgun on his person. If he hopes to hit us with it, he'd have to take us by surprise and that's effectively impossible.”
“What do you think Stella? Does he have any degree of a risk factor?”
His question was met with silence, and all eyes turned to the Raven Guardian. She had her head tilted down slightly and gripped the fabric on her knees. “Hey, bird-brain!” Styx yelled and Stella's eyes widened. She looked up to see everyone watching her. Styx leaned towards her and continued, “We're doing this for you, dumb-ass. Why don't you try listening instead of spacing out and being useless?”
“Oi!” Aileen barked and put one hand on Stella's shoulder who only scowled in response to the vampire's words.
“You want to protect that girl upstairs or not? Wake up and get your head in the game.”
She clenched a fist and stood up. “Stella?” Aileen called after her as she moved towards the stairs.
“Where the hell do you think you're going?” Styx snapped.
“I'm going to check on Luna.” She replied sourly and quietly left.
Styx tried to follow but Aileen grabbed him by the wrist. He attempted to break her grip but her wings emerged, tearing through the back of her gown. She tossed him further into the living room and glared at him. “Do you ever shut the fuck up?” She shrieked. “Get your head out of your ass and learn to take a hint. Did it ever cross your mind that you're bringing back bad memories for her?”
The entire room remained hushed for a moment, a tad shaken up. Styx recovered from the shock quicker than anyone else and adjusted the cuffs of his jacket. With a bored expression, he mused, “So even the air-headed doctor can lose her temper. Regardless, She chose this life of her own free will. If she can't handle being called pathetic than she should just quit.”
“Easy for you to say. You got kidnapped and married a vampire princess as a result. Her family pampered you into their home and welcomed you as one of their strongest. She watched her family get killed, got her wings cut off and was tortured.”
“Don't sell me short. I was tortured when I was initially taken away from my family-”
“For what? Three days? Boo-fucking-hoo.”
“It was rather vigorous torture, I'll have you know.”
Their quarrel continued for some time. Meanwhile, the others present exchanged glances and laughed nervously among themselves. Idel was the first to speak. “At moments like these, it feels like Cain is still right here. Given that he and Styx hated each other and argued like this all the time, it's no surprise that those loyal to him would adopt the same flaw.”
Shaffra sighed but couldn't hide the amusement in her voice. “To think it would be calm and gentle Aileen who would get so heated up. Even a healer can get aggressive when someone attacks -verbally or physically- a loved one I suppose.”
“Should we break it up?” Nao inquired.
Idel shook his head. “Just let it run its course for now. They'll run out of steam eventually. Stopping them would only divide their attention. I guess I should have brought some earplugs after all.”
* * *
Stella stopped at the top of the stairs, listening to the bickering below and mentally thanked Aileen for standing up for her. She then slowly approached Luna's room, keeping light on her feet so as to not risk waking her up. She opened the door a crack and peered inside to see Luna fast asleep, one foot outside of her blanket and one hand up by her head. Stella smiled and wandered inside, halting just beside Luna's bed. She gave the peonies on the nightstand a sideways glance but otherwise ignored them.
Stella caressed Luna's cheek softly and whispered, “Animal traits aside, you really do look like just like your mother.” As she did, she found herself lost within a labyrinth of her own memories.
“I assure you, this one has been a personal favourite of mine, even if it is a bit spoiled with age.” A fat man gloated from the shadows.
“A raven type you had said before, correct?” Another responded and a sausage-of-a-hand started playing with Stella's hair. “Black as midnight, yet silky and smooth to the touch.” It moved onto her shoulder and she flinched. The first man barked at her to cooperate though the second didn't seem to notice. “She lacks a certain factor of muscle, not to mention she's a bit bony. You must keep her underfed to ensure she doesn't have the strength to retaliate, is that it? I have to admit, I'm disappointed as it takes away from her appeal, but it isn't as though I don't understand the reasoning.” The man then slid his hand down her shirt and groped her bosom. His hands were cold as ice yet she couldn't back away no matter how badly she wanted too. “Soft but also firm, she is a pleasant specimen. I could do with her being a bit more developed but I doubt I'll ever see another raven-kin again. How much are you offering her for?” He asked without removing his hand. He didn't wait for an answer before his other hand started pulling at the strings holding her skimpy uniform together.
“She isn't for sale, but she is up for rent. Fifty gold and you're more than welcome to keep her for the night, though she has to stay here.”
“Fifty gold? I could visit the public brothel for a measly five silver. A common prostitute could be bargained for nothing more than a dry slice of bread.”
“This lass is anything but common. You said it yourself, you'll likely never see a member of her species again. If you're not happy with the price, then I can have a guard escort you out. I've got others waiting who I'm sure will actually recognize her value.”
“Hm.” The second man hummed and squeezed Stella's breast. His other hand moved from the ties of her uniform to her crotch where he started rubbing while lost in thought. He stepped back and she let out a short sigh of relief for the moment only to be startled when he grabbed her butt hard and lifted her up. She yelped as he threw her onto the nearby bed and he waved to the first man, “Fine, you have a deal. I would like some privacy then.”
“A pleasure doing business with you.” He bowed his head slightly and then locked eyes with Stella. “You'd best earn your keep. For every complaint this man gives me tomorrow there will be a day that you don't get any food, understand?” He then immediately turned on his heels and left. She heard a door slam nearby.
The darkness at that moment was unsettling, even though she usually found refuge and freedom within it. Presently, it was a mask, hiding the oncoming intentions of a vile noble with too much money and not enough goodwill. She tensed up as the man she couldn't see immediately tore off what little articles of clothing she was permitted to wear and latched onto her chest. Something wet began drawing circles on the side of her neck which moved up towards her ear and began nibbling on her lobe. Her fear and anxiety welled up and became something hot, something she couldn't control. She instinctively cupped one hand and hit her abuser in the side of the head, yet he barely flinched. He retaliated by punching her under the nose. Stunned, she could do nothing as he grabbed both of her hands and pinned them above her head with only one of his own. A finger danced in between her thighs and she tried to close her legs, but something prevented her from moving them. Even though she was still blind, she could tell he was on his knees in front of her. She heard his belt hit the floor, followed by what sounded like his pants. The finger that danced before moved up to penetrate her and he bragged, “Don't get cocky. You're just some pathetic whore who couldn't stand up for herself. Just lie there and keep your legs open, else I'll put some extra love into it, understand?” He pulled his hand away and something larger than his finger brushed against her lower lips. He let out a mute laugh and mumbled, “Just like-”
Crash!
A bright light filled the room as splinters of wood scattered across the floor. The man jumped and immediately reached for his trousers, yelling, “Who-”
She could barely make it out as the silhouette of another reached towards the abuser and grabbed him around the mouth. The abuser was lifted into the air with muffled screams of protest and held onto his attacker's wrist, flailing his legs about wildly. There was a sickening crunch and the man's body went limp as a dark red liquid was sprayed all over the floor. His body dropped to the ground, laying motionless and the newcomer approached the side of the bed. He felt familiar to her, even if she couldn't see who he was. Nothing about him, despite having just killed a man without hesitation, screamed that he was dangerous. She didn't react at all as he draped a linen shirt over top of her and lifted her into a bridal carry.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Her thoughts were interrupted by someone gently hugging her from behind, and a mass of silver hair rested on her shoulder. Stella then realized that at some point while she was walking down memory lane, she had sat down on the bed. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you.” She apologized and started rubbing one of Luna's ears.
“You didn't.” She declared, her voice muffled into Stella's shoulder. “I woke up on my own and saw you crying.”
“Crying?” Stella poked at one cheek and inspected the tear now on her fingertip.
Luna continued, “This eye patch blocks most of it, but I can still bits of an aura around you, and it was starting to flare up pretty bad.”
“My bad. I usually have a pretty good lid on it but Styx hit a soft spot.”
“That prick is here? I thought I smelled something rotten.” Luna lifted her head up so that her voice was clearer. “What's bothering you? I can't very well see into your pain with this thing on.”
“That's probably for the best.” Stella replied and finished wiping away the drops of saltwater on her cheeks. “He just... called me pathetic is all. Sounds like I'm being pretty dramatic when I say it out loud. It reminded me of how I used to be. When I was taken to be a slave, when my parents were killed and my brother was tortured to death. One of the captors used to tell us we were pathetic for not being able to defend ourselves and that it was our fault that our families were slaughtered. It wasn't much different when I was sold to those pedo-nobles. I was so happy when I met your parents. Just one glance at them was enough to know that they could have stomped on the entire continent if they so desired. Humanity itself was an ant compared to them. I started thinking that maybe they could save me, and they didn't disappoint. The guards could do nothing as we just walked out the front door. Even then, I still wanted revenge, to kill those pricks with my own two hands. I never figured out why, but your parents were more than willing to train me. Specifically, Lilly. I learned how to fight as a trickster under her guidance and got what I wanted, yet I still couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't enough.”
Luna moved from behind to beside her and leaned into her shoulder again. “What do you mean?”
“I felt like I was still a nobody in comparison. I wouldn't go as far as to say I was jealous but I wished I could be as strong and as useful as them one day. Cain was probably the most powerful vampire hunter or paladin to ever exist. He could take on anyone one on one, even entire nations and had healing powers so unfathomable that he could resurrect the dead under the right conditions. Your mother is arguably the most powerful demonkind, excluding the angels, and just as well perhaps the greatest night blade. Hell, she even managed to send us three forward in time a thousand years and it barely looked like she broke a sweat doing it. Then there's Aileen who is almost as good a healer as Cain. Even if she couldn't fight very well on her own or heal as well as him, she still had a clear purpose. He couldn't heal everyone all at once, so there was still something she could do. Me on the other hand... What purpose do I serve? Ultimately my strength lies in killing but I'm far outclassed by those two. Every time I went out on a contract with them, it felt like they were holding back so that I could share in some of the glory. How the hell did I ever manage to stand beside them as one of the Guardians of Síochain?”
“Síochain...” Luna echoed.
“Idel showed you what had happened to it, right? Some guardians we were, letting it fall like that. Demi-humans are just about extinct now, all because we couldn't protect it. No, it would be more accurate to say it was because I couldn't protect it. There was supposed to be four of us, but the Panther Guardian, Eve, was missing at the time. Cain had gone undercover in the human empire to look for her, and bring her home. Aileen had left to deal with the aftermath of what we believed to be a new illness on the outskirts of the forest. Lilly, unsure of how pregnancy would affect her, was resting at the heart. Since she herself wasn't a demi-human, her senses didn't immediately detect the miasma. I, alone, held the responsibility of defending our home. I, alone, failed to protect it. I wasn't even conscious when Cain arrived. I can't begin to guess how he saved me then but was in turn unable to save anyone else.” Stella leaned her head on top of Luna's. “Styx made a comment to me today, about pretending to be a mother. I wonder if I would have been better off abandoning my desire for vengeance to pursue having a family instead?”
“You have a family right here.”
Stella chuckled. “I guess I should have seen that coming. Hey, do you think they wasted their time training me? Am I useless after all? I can't heal like Aileen can, and Styx, as much as I hate to admit it, is on a totally different level than me. He's at least as strong as your father was.”
“You're still the one who taught me how to fight. Not to mention you've probably done far better as a parent than that cunt ever could have done.”
Stella smiled. “It's a scary thought, imagining him as a father.”
“Right?” They both laughed together then Stella stood up.
“I didn't expect you to ever be the one comforting me. This has been a strange night on all accounts. I hope it didn't hurt too much for you to move around.”
Luna shook her head and rolled her shoulders slightly. “I'm still a bit tingly, but the pain is mostly gone. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get back to sleep anytime soon though since I've just woken up.”
“Well then, maybe once the strategy meeting, if you can call it that, downstairs is finished, the three of us can watch a movie together? It's been much too long since we could all relax without worrying about anything else.”
Luna nodded, “That would be nice.”
Stella smiled and stepped outside. She stopped just behind the door and thought to herself, You've just reminded me why I stuck with them all those years.
* * *
“It would appear that the evening bickering is out of the way, yes?” Idel joked and looked at both Styx and Aileen who had readopted their seats. The Dove Guardian bowed her head both in embarrassment and apologetically. Styx simply waved it off without a word. “Very well then, let us resume. Where did we leave off?”
“We were determining whether or not the police officer was worth worrying about.” Nao stated with one hand raised. “The verdict had been that he's effectively harmless unless he switches to a weapon with more range.”
“Even then, he'd still be harmless.” Styx interrupted.
“Those who are already dead can't accurately make that assumption in this case. In any sense, we know that his primary target is Luna for the time being, but he may come after Stella and Aileen as well given that he's acutely aware that they're connected.” Idel declared.
“Is there any way to track down the beast bane?” Shaffra asked.
“A demi-human could detect it from a good distance away, but not pinpoint it. For example, I could heighten my senses to be able to smell anything, no matter how faint, within a kilometre radius. The moment I did though, the scent would incapacitate me as you've seen before. The only thing it would confirm is the radius of an area it's in.” Aileen answered.
“We can already reasonably assume it's within the city limits, so I don't see much point in torturing anyone just to potentially narrow it down.”
“Why not?” Styx spoke up.
“You're as charming as ever.” Aileen scowled.
“No particular leads on where it is, no good clues as to where to start searching... what are the main consequences we should be aware of?”
“As I've said, demi-humans would be incapacitated by it. Stella and Luna may be able to resist it for a little bit provided it's only a single flower, especially now that they're expecting it. All three of us will be carrying those masks you made on our persons, so those two at least should be able to don them before it saps all their strength. The most critical problem, however, is that the smell could trigger a direct path into Cain's memories sealed within the Ríastrad.” Aileen explained.
“So she'll repeat her daddy's temper-tantrum if she goes sniffing roses?” Styx teased.
Aileen shook her head but it was Nao who answered. “Luna is currently living within Cain's failure. All she has to do is look around her to realize that the world Cain tried to create for her did not come to pass. It's more likely that she'll take it a step further and erase this world.”
“Huh?” Styx gave the fairy a sideways glance, not bothering to hide his annoyance. “You honestly believe she's capable of that?”
“I have no doubt in my mind she could.” Idel cleared his throat and everyone turned to face him. “While everyone was out, I think she may have tried to send herself backward in time to save Síochain.”
“No way in hell she has the mana for that.”
“She doesn't. At least, not on her own. You two wouldn't have seen it unless you were spying on us, but I tested Luna's affinities.”
“And? Don't keep us in suspense old man.”
“I'm only two years older than you. Anyway, I've sealed the space to temporarily block any sound from leaving. I've already informed her of her first branch, but I think her second should be kept secret until we ascertain her control over Wrath. She's purely of the celestial tree, plus her natural abilities as a succubus including some degree of moulding and blood magic. Her affinity branched into Lunar, which I can say with certainty. The other, though I can only hazard a guess and I believe it to be Eclipse.”
Styx sat up and spread out his arms slightly. “Right, Lunar I think I remember is basically fire magic but benefits from the moon instead of the sun. Eclipse would be what? Both at the same time?”
Idel shook his head. “Again, I'm only guessing but it's a cross between Cain's light and Lilly's void. I can hypothesize that she'll probably be able to weaken her enemy while strengthening herself. That all being said, I can't speak to its scope. In any sense, I will be monitoring her magical growth moving forward.”
“So you think she may be able to take the mana from the people around her?”
“Yes and no. I think she can take the mana from around her, period. The demonic mana that houses itself within living creatures, the mana of the earth called spirit which demi-humans tap into and finally, the crystallized mana humans use as the catalysts for their spells. My main theory at the moment is that she can convert all of it into a source that she alone can tap into as someone who is of all three species types: human, demi-human, and demon.”
Everyone thought to themselves for a moment. After several seconds, Styx scratched his head and crossed his arms. “Troublesome brat...”
“She has a name.” Stella snapped as she rejoined the group.
Styx let his arms drop and he sarcastically replied, “Well, well, well, look who decided to show up.”
“Can it.” She turned to Idel. “I told Luna that we'd be watching a movie as a family, so I'd like to wrap this up sooner as opposed to later.”
“Oh, how exciting!” Idel started rubbing his hands together. “Shall I prepare popcorn once we're finished or-”
Stella raised a hand. “I meant her, Aileen and I.”
Idel quietly stared at her and readopted a firm posture. Masking his embarrassment with confidence he stated, “Yes, of course. The uncles aren't usually invited to such events after all.”
“Maybe if you hadn't admitted to her that at some point in time you tried to kill her father, you could have stuck around for it. Until the Ríastrad stabilizes though, I think it's best your involvement remains business-related.”
“Right, that would... that is... right. I guess we should move onto our final concern then, that being Sandalphon.”
Styx stood up and walked in front of the spectral chalkboard. As he spoke he continuously tried to grab the animate pieces of chalk and erasers to prevent them from being able to complete their task which appeared to lash out at him. He didn't stop until he was scolded by his wife and carried on with his explanation. “Sandalphon is a counterfeit angel as noted by his four, shiny white wings and cocky attitude. Most likely he was sent down here by Big Ugly himself with the intention of eliminating Luna. Or at least, as far as he's concerned, eliminate Wrath since he likely doesn't know Luna as a person yet. Amidst the counterfeits, he's probably one of the strongest but still ultimately pretty weak. Against Luna, who is half-succubus, he likely wouldn't stand a chance. As such, chances are he's looking for the remaining sins to put together a team to take her down. I already know that he's recruited Pride and Greed. Nabbed a third but the kid looked pretty wonky and I don't think it was because they had just popped back.”
“Popped back?” Nao inquired.
“Three of them let from the park in a blinding flash of light, four of them came back in a blinding flash of light. They were pretty beat up and the new guy looked like he had mentally been through the wringer.”
Aileen and Stella exchanged glances.
Idel spoke up. “It wouldn't be far fetched to say that a counterfeit could invade the world of the Ríastrad. That matches with my theory on what happened to Luna as well.”
“What are you blabbing about?”
“Luna went berserk this afternoon, albeit briefly. Before doing so, her consciousness kept bouncing between the present day and her father's memories. Sandalphon, if he really did invade Wrath's world, may have put a hole into Luna's psyche.”
“Yikes.” Nao coughed.
“Yikes indeed.” Idel agreed. “So we can assume that he's already recruited three of the sins, though one of them is currently decommissioned. So three are still missing? Ah, no, sorry. Only two are missing. I forgot that Luna also inherited Lust from her mother.”
Stella's head snapped towards Idel so quickly she gave herself whiplash. “Come again?”
“Oh, yes. That was a matter I had intended to bring up before she went berserk. The Dúil has manifested on her chest.”
“What were you doing looking at her chest?” Nao glared at her husband, a slight drop of venom in her voice.
“Now, now, a red snake on pale skin is hard to not see.” He defended himself.
Everyone's attention turned back to Stella as she flopped down into a chair with one hand on her head. “She has both of her parent's curses?”
“On the bright side, at least we don't have to worry about all six of them gaining up on her.” Aileen stammered nervously with an optimistic smile.
“Is it even possible for one body to accept both?” Styx asked.
“Up until this afternoon, I would have said no, however, given her family's track record I don't think the laws of the world apply to any of them. It wouldn't do to let her run off unawares though. She need not be put on house arrest but it is imperative that someone knows where she is at all times, just in case.”
“Roger.” Stella replied tiredly as Aileen laughed anxiously. A small amount of energy returned to them and Stella barked at Styx, “Wait a minute, were you watching that bastard up until he arrived at the church?”
“Obviously.” He replied.
“Why didn't you just take him out then and the other three sins? Or help out a little sooner instead of just watching us fight him?”
“Where's the fun in that?”
“Unbelievable.” Stella growled.
“It's nearing midnight.” Nao yawned and stretched, distracting everyone.
“We still have much to discuss.” Idel exclaimed but after a yawn of his own, he said, “Well, it's no surprise we're fatigued. Between restoring a berserk Luna and duelling a counterfeit angel, it's been a tiresome day.
“Speak for yourself.” Styx and Shaffra stated.
“Undead with infinite stamina don't count. For the living and those with a shred of common sense, shall we resume this meeting another day? We still need to determine why Sandalphon went to that church in the first place, and what we'll do about him and the remaining sins.”
“Movie first.” Stella pulled her knees into her chest and rested her head on top of them. “Nearly getting cleaved into two pieces took a lot out of me. A break to spend time with Luna sounds like the perfect medicine.” Aileen grinned widely in agreement.
“Fine then.” Styx sighed and made for the door. “We're surrounded by a bunch of sissies.”
“Hold on a moment.” Stella's head snapped up and she ran into the hallway, opening a closet. She dug around in a box over top of the bar and pulled out a pair of leather gloves. She stood in front of Styx and threw one of them into his chest. He caught it before it hit the floor and looked at it curiously.
“What's this supposed to mean?”
“Don't tell me a vampire noble and son of a former paladin doesn't know.”
“You want to do it here? While you're already injured?”
Stella shook her head. “I told you, I'm going to be watching a movie. Luna means a hell of a lot more to me than you do. Just hold onto it for now. She reminded me of something today. The reason why I stuck by Cain's side even after I got my revenge.” Stella than pointed a finger at him. “The trickster versus the assassin. Beating you will be the first step I take to realizing that goal.”
Styx blinked rapidly then laughed. “I don't know what you're jabbering about but you're on. Just don't come crying to me when you lose.”
“That's my line.”
He and Shaffra waved and disappeared into the darkness.
“Well, I guess we should be taking our leave as well.” Idel stated awkwardly.
“Take care.” Aileen said cheerfully.
Nao waved excitedly and flew out the door. Idel stopped in the frame and sneaked a glance back at the duo. Stella shook her head, “Nope, find somewhere else to sleep. My point from before still stands.”
“Fudge.” Idel mumbled under his breath as he followed his wife and shut the door behind him.
Aileen walked up beside Stella. “That's bold of you, challenging Styx to a one on one duel.”
“I made a promise that I have to uphold, and I think if I can't beat him, I'll never be able to do so. Regardless, you're talking about being bold while dressed like that?”
“Like what?”
Stella peered around to Aileen's back. “If that tear had gone down any further, your ass would be hanging out.”
Aileen blushed. “It was just a spur of the moment type of thing. You don't think anyone saw anything, do you?”
“Well, I've been trying too and haven't been successful so I think you're safe.” Stella pinched Aileen's butt and started looking through an oak cabinet, shuffling through cases of disks. “You should dress like that more often.”
“You're in a really good mood all of a sudden.”
“I might have a shot at putting that prick in his place. Why wouldn't I be happy? Do you think Luna would like stand-up comedy since that she's still recovering from getting angry?”
Aileen sighed in amusement, “I recall she really loves that one where the redneck talks about getting a colonoscopy. Why don't we try that?”