Chapter Thirty-Five
https://youtu.be/tDwvFEPj1Nc
I stood awkwardly in the main sitting room downstairs where Scarlett was seated patiently. She held a small glass of what appeared to be blood in her hand and was watching me with those heavy, black eyes. Theo stood in the distance silently, his appearance only possible because he didn't trust me alone with another vampire unless it was one of his brothers.
Scarlett had only just arrived several minutes ago, though I wasn't sure why. Sebastian asked for me to keep her company while he retrieved whatever it was she wanted. And whatever it was, Sebastian obviously hadn't prepared it sooner because he'd yet to return. Regardless, I was certain he would've asked anyone else to keep her company, but I had been the one curious enough to peek on who our visitor was and therefore I had stepped into the position rather accidentally.
It was only luck that Theo had appeared as well. Or perhaps no luck at all. He stood silent like a statue as though he weren't there at all. The awkwardness of the silence only added to the atmosphere until I was cursing my unexpected curiosity.
"So, Katia was it?" Scarlett finally spoke, not removing her gaze from me.
"Yes and you're Scarlett," I replied, my tone unintentionally sharp.
"Did you ever make your choice?" She asked curiously, though something in her gaze was absent of real emotion. It was more logical; predator-like even. I recognized her mimicked humanity; a politeness not necessary but something all vampires attempted around me.
"My choice?" For a moment, I wondered if she knew about the decision Sebastian had forced me to make, but then I recalled her words in the club and paled.
"Did you choose which of the Genesis brothers you'll ask in the end to be your one true Master?"
Theo cleared his voice, obviously suddenly amused.
"Do you truly find that outrageous, Theodore?" Scarlett asked, inspecting his form with her heavy gaze. Theo finally looked from her to me. I felt more comfortable under his stare, a warmth of joy flowering within me just from one admiring glance. He turned back to Scarlett.
"Katia is our master," Theo finally answered simply before closing off once again.
"A vampire admitting a pet has authority over him," Scarlett mused nearly skeptically.
"I'm not a pet," I replied quickly, crossing my arms uncomfortably as those eyes targeted me once again. "I live and work here. I will do so until I no longer wish to... or until Sebastian no longer wishes me to." Scarlett was silent for a considerable amount of time as she continued to observe me.
"Or until you kill for them and become one of us," Scarlett stated simply, "Is that your goal, little witch?" I blanched at the thought, tightening my hands into fists.
"I would never... I wouldn't kill anyone," I told her determinedly. And besides, I wasn't sure if a Phoenix could convert to a vampire as a normal witch could. What if murder held a more dangerous consequence to my kind? What if I would cease to exist at all?
Scarlett was suddenly addressing Theo, "You know it's quite similar to Desmond; what you all are doing. Collecting witches and converting them in the long run..."
Theo tensed as my heart thudded painfully in panic just at the mention of the name. An image of Desmond flashed across my mind; him leaning over me and snuffing my life just after delivering his dangerous promise. I'm coming for you, Phoenix.
"We are not converting witches," Theo snarled and I knew why that idea bothered him most of all. He was forced to convert himself; taking the life of a witch child to spare the lives of his family. "Do not mention that name in this house."
"So touchy," Scarlett cooed, lifting her hands in surrender. "You mimic well, Theo. I will abide your wishes, as I'm a guest and friend. My apologies."
Sebastian abruptly entered the room, holding out a package to Scarlett politely.
"Apologies. Things have been a bit unorganized lately while we try to settle with a new employee," Sebastian explained and I felt as though he only further put me under the spotlight. Scarlett stood and took the package easily, smiling reassuringly.
"It's no concern. I must say, it's quite genius to employ a witch under your business. I do hope she's skilled in her abilities, at least," Scarlett winked at me suggestively, causing me to blush for some unknown reason. "I will see you again, Katia. Hopefully." I released a breath of relief when she finally left, causing Sebastian to look at me with amusement.
"She's terrifying," I shivered, rubbing my arms. It wasn't a complete lie; she did terrify me, but not because she was threatening in any way. She was just... intimidating and so blunt. Plus, she was far too curious.
"She's nosy," Theo said for me, leaning close so that I absently reached for his arm for comfort. I could feel him stiffen next to me, but I didn't need to look to know he was pleased. I looked at Sebastian to find him watching me almost as curiously as Scarlett had; though there was something else unreadable in his expression. When he caught me looking, he cleared his face and smiled warmly.
"I'm glad I ran into you, Katia. I was wondering if you could try helping me find something," He asked me in that same voice I'd heard him use on the others before. It was a question of participation, but at the same time he clearly expected me to do exactly as he wanted. It felt both intimidating and exhilarating to be address like so; like I truly was no longer a pet, but one of them. I smiled pleasantly.
"Of course," I answered simply, looking to Theo most reluctantly. He tilted his head as he watched me. "Can I come play the piano with you later, Theo?"
"Always," He replied immediately, and then hesitated as if he hadn't meant to sound so agreeable. "I'll see you later, Master Katia." I stuck my tongue out at his tease, releasing my grip from him to follow Sebastian.
I had my own office now and I had begun adding my own touch to my bedroom. I liked music and so Theo had begun to gift me with music boxes; small and delicate and wondrous. I placed them around my room and began to work around that, adding furniture and décor that matched my preferences. Many times, I found artwork that reminded me of memories that flashed across my mind and I couldn't help but want to keep it. Beyond this, I had vases filled with an assortment of flowers Levi liked to shower me with.
Oliver's gifts came in the shape of accessories that satisfied my taste for a more fierce appearance. He filled my cabinets with jewelry and my closets with clothes he'd found interesting; some of which were far too revealing to want to wear in public. Miles gave me no gifts except that of his presence; lecturing me on practicing and teasing me in his typical mocking manner. And yet still his touch was soft as he guided me and still he was the easiest to declare his love for me, despite how abrupt it may be.
Jax helped me with my office. He organized it so that I would be able to properly work within it towards my own goals; activating whichever artifacts they passed on to me and occasionally attempting to locate artifacts unknown. I had to admit that not soon after his cleaning, I only proved to move things out of order in a way that pleased myself. The look on his face was enough to humor me for days.
Surprisingly, Sebastian didn't lead me to his familiar office. Instead, he opened a separate door and waited for me to enter. I hesitated; almost concerned that he had made a mistake and took us to the wrong room. But then I realized it must be his bedroom and my curiosity got the better of me.
Sebastian's room was filled with all types of items, including layers of large and overflowing bookshelves. It held some basic furniture such as his large bed and a sitting area with a table in the center. Spread across the table were papers, ink marking over various places filled with notes. Maps were folded or otherwise spread precariously about the room. The amount of random objects, books, papers, and maps made the room feel like a collector's habitat. The only truly personal item I saw was a small framed photo.
I absently stepped to it, not noticing Sebastian's eyes watching me as I lifted the frame curiously. It was a photo of all of them; Sebastian, Theo, Oliver, Miles, Levi, Jax, and standing with them a stranger I hadn't met before. It looked to be a young man, maybe in his teens. His hair was a cinnamon brown and his eyes just as dark as the others. His face was softer, though, as if vampirism hadn't been able to completely darken his heart.
"That's Shiloh," Sebastian said, looking over my shoulder at the picture. I observed the picture a moment longer before brushing my finger over the edge where I noticed a rip on the side. It looked as though there had been one more person in the photo at some point.
"Who was the eighth man?" I asked quietly, looking at Sebastian. He smiled at me, but it wasn't genuine. Then he reached for the photo, placing it back on one of his many shelves.
"Nobody important, Katia," He told me simply before holding out his hand. I sighed, but took it without pressing for more information. Sebastian led me to the table, reaching to shuffle around his paperwork easily. He spread a map in front of me as he had done before when I had to search for Miles. I stood waiting for something to link me to whatever it was that I was looking for.
"This will be a little different from before," Sebastian informed me carefully, "But I'd like to see if you've advanced enough to be able to do it. I need you to find something without any connection to it. All you have is this..." Sebastian placed a hand-drawn photo next to the map. I looked at it with hesitation before I reached for it.
It was a wedge or something similar to a wedge. There were designs etched into it and an ancient language miswritten onto the photo. I touched the area where the language spoke, trying to correct in my mind what was misconstrued onto this art. I could only translate bits and pieces, but what parts I did understand made me sick to my stomach. I paled, lowering the piece of paper onto the table in front of me.
Sebastian only watched me with a blank expression; careful not to reveal his thoughts.
"It's a weapon against witches," I told him, my stomach tightening, "It rips apart their souls." Sebastian tilted his head, looking at the artwork as if he could try to read what I had.
"You can get that from a poorly drawn photo?" He asked curiously.
"Why do you want something like that?" I countered, crossing my arms uncomfortably.
"It would be worth quite a lot, if we were able to properly appraise and activate it," Sebastian answered, leaning against the table as he watched me as if I were an artifact of great intrigue myself.
"You would sell it to someone who may use it to harm innocent people." I more stated than asked. I wasn't going to help him. Just the poor artwork was enough to send unwelcomed chills over my skin. When I closed my eyes, I could see a flash of the true artifact in my mind; so vivid and solid in my hand. I shook my head to wipe the image from my thoughts.
"What would you have me do, Katia? I'm not the only one searching for it," He inquired and this time he sounded sincere. I looked at him, taking in his open expression. He wanted my true opinion.
"I would find it... only to destroy it," I told him uneasily, expecting him to get angry. Instead, he only lifted his hand to his face, rubbing the side of his jaw in deep thought. I watched him as he thought over his choices, amazed that he wouldn't just demand me to look for the artifact.
"I'll look to see if there are any bounties for its destruction and maybe we can make some money off of it after all," Sebastian decided, leaning forward to write a note onto the side of the map. It was a list of names, though they didn't sound like names that belonged to people. Perhaps they were codenames or places. "Is that satisfactory, Katia?"
I wanted to forget that I'd ever heard of the artifact, but the idea that there were worse people looking for it made me hesitate. It was better to find it and destroy it, even if it was for profit. I nodded to Sebastian firmly, reaching for the photo once again.
I didn't look at the map. Instead, I closed my eyes and saw the artifact in my hand again. Images flickered across my mind like snapshots, many of which consisted of terrible things. I tightened my grip on the piece of paper, my heart thudding in my throat with fear as I heard a whisper of screams in my subconscious.
This artifact came from the darkest parts of Genesis. I could see it pass from hand to hand, locked away in secret cupboards and cases. I could see it found again and again before being stolen and hidden. It was an endless cycle and the images only proved to flicker past faster as seasons changed before me into centuries. Finally, I saw an image of a tomb and a coffin. I opened my eyes and looked at the map, placing my fingers over where I knew the artifact to be. Sebastian watched me, only looking to the location when I gestured for him to.
"A cemetery, hmm?" He inquired simply before looking at me again. I suddenly felt as if every part of me was being inspected and a flash of heat splashed over my skin in response.
"What is it?" I asked uncertainly.
"You didn't use magic," He answered, his voice deep in thought. I hesitated. I hadn't noticed if I truly casted to find the artifact or not. But now that he mentioned it, I realized I had instead looked at those memories within me... or perhaps memories that didn't belong to me. I always believed it to be a form of magic; a part of the Phoenix.
"When I... inspect artifacts from Genesis, I can sometimes see things or know things without having to research it," I told him honestly, my face reddened by a form of embarrassment. I was used to the other's watching me so closely, but Sebastian was like an absent figure of protection. He was always there, but at the same time not.
"Katia," He began before pausing with uncertainty. "I wonder if you'd let me ask for something inappropriate from you. Something... intimate."
I felt as though my heart had stopped mid-beat. What I thought was a blush before was nothing compared to the heat on my flesh now. I was speechless, but at the same time my body held a tense anticipation at the thought of intimacy with Sebastian.
"Anything," I replied breathlessly, before cursing myself mentally for sounding suddenly so desperate, "I mean... if you need help... or... I mean... what is it?" I stumbled over my words, trying not to sound stupid and failing miserably. Sebastian flashed a dangerously handsome smile with much amusement.
He stepped closer to me, reaching for my hand gently. I felt my breath lost as he brushed his fingers on the back of my hand softly, glancing at the warm glow responding to his touch.
"Would you allow me to call on you some nights so that I can begin recording the information on your skin?" Sebastian inquired, his tone aloof as he watched those words scrawl over my flesh as it always did. I felt both elated and deflated; loving the idea of spending time with him just so he could caress my body but also disappointed that it was purely for an academic reason. I resisted the urge to sigh.
"Yes, you can," I agreed simply, unable to hide the slight frown on my features. Sebastian smiled again, finding something in my expression just as humorous as before, and then he released me.
"Thank you," He said, pleased before looking at the map. "And thank you for helping me with the artifact. I will be sure to destroy it."
"I can't go with you? To find the artifact?" I asked, my frown now evolving into a pout.
"Finding artifacts like this is quite competitive. I'd rather not risk you out in the field," Sebastian responded firmly, though his tone softened when he continued, "I think sometime in the future I could take you, when you're ready." I sighed, but accepted his decision.
After I left Sebastian, my eyes kept wandering to my hand where his had drawn those letters over it so easily. My thoughts were distracted by the idea of what our future meetings would be like, but I drove it away determinedly. After all, it was purely academic.
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Music: Tribe (feat. Cam Nacson) by Yeah Nah
I'm hoping my inspiration lasts until I've completed this. Three chapters in two days. \o/
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