by Tiffany Foxe
She opened the bathroom door and peeked inside. Donnie was already busy freshening up for his anticipated encounter. Sophie opened the medicine cabinet and casually picked through its contents. An ivory handle caught her eye. She picked it up to inspect it closer. It was an old fashioned razor. She open it to reveal the blade. It was still sharp. Donnie poked his head out of the shower. Sophie quickly closed the razor and hid it behind her.
“You coming? The hot water won’t last long,” he added.
“Yeah,” she replied.
He dipped his head back in the shower and wallowed his face under the water. Sophie climbed in a second later. Donnie wiped his eyes.
“Whoa. You know that’s supposed to come off, right?” he joked as he looked at her standing in the shower in her bra and panties.
She gave a smile that was infectiously beguiling. She motioned toward him, each little movement and look, spellbinding. She began kissing the side of his neck. Donnie leaned his head back and closed his eyes, engrossed in his senses as her tongue danced on his skin. He placed his hands on her hips and turned his head so that their lips met. He kissed her hungrily. She clutched his chin and shoved his head back against the cold tile. She returned to her previous position, perusing his neck with her tongue, sucking, and tasting his delicate skin. Her eyes grew luminous, a deep blue that swiftly faded. She opened the ivory razor with one hand, the other still firmly grasping his chiseled chin. She pulled away and promptly sliced the side of his neck with the razor.
“Ouch!” he flinched as he clasped his neck with his palm.
Crimson droplets trickled through his fingers. Sophie shot a look that left him transfixed. She gently pulled his hand away from his neck as she gazed into his eyes. He stood motionless as she pushed her body against his. She moved in and placed her lips against his tender flesh. He winced at the sting of her tongue on his open wound. She placed one hand on his chin and held him firmly against the wall. She heartily drank the blood that freely flowed forth. Donnie stood paralyzed, bewitched by the events that currently transpired, confusingly shocked and aroused at once.
Sophie eyes began to glow a deep blue once more as the rush of adrenaline and euphoria pulsed through her veins. She felt a rush of energy as she saw his memories begin to reveal themselves to her. She watched as a little boy gazed upon his father shaving in front of the mirror with the very same blade she currently held in her hand. She felt a pang of guilt.
Donnie, on the other hand, felt himself grow light headed as he stared at the ceiling enthralled by the oddest, most enticing sensation of his existence. He fixated on the complete loss of control, on the power that overtook him, holding him fast against the wall, stealing his most valuable commodity in the most seductive fashion as water beat unapologetically against his body. It was a high unlike any other. The loss of power, so rarely rescinded, so eagerly sought. He felt weightless as he closed his eyes and relished the moment.
Sophie continued to feed. Other visions of his life rapidly followed. She saw his father, once again. This time wielding a belt against his son for playing in his mother’s high heel shoes. Sophie’s heart sank. She pulled away from his neck, though her body yearned to continue.
Donnie opened his eyes and looked at Sophie inquisitively.
“Wha...what?” he managed to muster.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
He looked at her unsure. She gazed upon his oozing flesh once more, the tug of euphoria beckoning her back for more.
“It’s okay,” he assured her, hoping she would return him to that peculiar moment of ecstasy.
He grabbed her arms and stepped forward. A surge of dizziness sprang forth and his sight grew faint. He tried to steady himself against her. Sophie stepped back as he was overcome by darkness. He grabbed at her as he went down, passing out on the floor, water spraying in his face. Sophie picked him up and set his torso against the wall of the tub, careful to keep him from aspirating water. She place firm pressure against his cut until she was certain the bleeding had subsided. In her fervor for sustenance she had drank more blood than she intended. She pulled her palm away from his neck and sucked the blood from her hand. For a Watcher that didn’t feed often, she wasn’t going to let it go to waste.
She set the razor on the floor beside him. She got out of the shower, picked up her clothes and dressed herself as she walked to the front door of his apartment. She was still buttoning her shirt when she entered the elevator. An older lady in the elevator gave Sophie a smug look as she eyed her buttoning up her wet shirt.
“It’s wet out there,” Sophie commented.
The prim and proper lady looked cross as she peered at the elevator buttons. She knew full well the woman with wet clothes did not come from outside.
“We’re going down,” the lady asserted.
Sophie noticed a smidget of blood on the corner of her mouth in the elevator door reflection and carefully wiped it away.
“Aren’t we all?” said Sophie as the doors opened and she stepped out.
***
Sophie flew over to Corazon Diablo. She arrived just before dawn. She had arranged for the Sons to rescue Em during daylight when there was no bouncer on duty and it would be more difficult for the Watchers to pursue. Unfortunately, the weather was not on their side as it was an extraordinarily foggy morning and sunlight was nowhere to be found. She perched on the roof as she waited for the Sons to arrive in their car. About 5 minutes later a black Mazda sedan pulled into the parking lot. She watched it park and turn off its lights, though the engine remained running. She swooped to the ground and entered the club. Music blared in her ears as she searched for Luce. Customers and staff had already gone home for the night. She found her seated in her office, tallying her earnings for the night. Sophie surveyed several monitors that sat on a shelf behind her. One of the monitors showed the basement with Em seated in her cell. She reached into her jacket pocket and pressed a button on her phone. A prewritten message transferred to Cecelia’s cell phone saying, “Now.”
Cecelia and Faelan got out of the car and entered the strip club. Sophie watched the two move about on the monitors behind Luce.
“Where were you last night?” inquired Luce. Her eyes remained focused on her paperwork. “I called you several times.”
“I was feeding,” Sophie explained.
Luce looked up at Sophie with disbelief.
“Wow. It’s about time! You look great,” she said as she looked her over.
She noticed Sophie’s appearance was a little more youthful, her skin glowing and eyes more lively.
“Thanks,” said Sophie automatically. “You can’t starve forever,” Sophie said as she watched the two maneuver through the club on one monitor, then enter the basement on another.
“Indeed,” said Luce.
She set her pen down. Sophie returned her focus toward Luce. Luce swiveled her chair around toward the monitors.
“I almost forgot what it was like to hunt,” Sophie spat out, hoping to return Luce’s attention toward her and away from the monitors.
Luce turned her chair back toward Sophie and smiled.
“You actually hunted?” she said with disbelief.
Sophie nodded.
“You mean you didn’t just pour yourself a cup of ol’ blood bank special of the day?”
“Yeah,” she replied as she saw the cell door opening in her peripheral.
Sophie held extra sets of keys for all of their buildings in the city. She had given Cecelia the key when they were making their plan, though she warned her the lock may have been changed. Sure enough, Cecelia discovered the key would not work and had to have Faelan pick the lock on the cell.
“Well?” asked Luce, impatiently. “How was it?”
Sophie thought for a moment.
“Time consuming,” she started. “But, exhilarating.”
Luce’s eyes became alive with joy.
“Yes! It’s fun isn’t it? All of that power. To pick and choose an
d have them swoon over you left and right.”
Sophie nodded. She noticed the cell was now empty. She didn’t see them on the monitors, but she knew they must now be on the main floor or out of the building. Luce stood up and walked around the desk and stood in front of Sophie.
Faelan and Cecelia exited through the back door. Emiline followed close behind, but stopped in her tracks when she noticed Sophie down the hall.
“Look at you, you’re practically glowing,” she said as she placed her hand on Sophie’s cheek.
Luce leaned in and kissed Sophie on the lips. Em stood paralyzed, her mouth agape. Cecelia held the back door open and motioned for Em to come on. Em watched as their lips intertwined and her heart sank. She forced herself to stop watching and made her way out the door.
“What are you doing?” Sophie demanded as she pulled away from Luce.
Luce stepped back and sat on top of her desk.
“Oh, don’t tell me you’re still pining over that wolf, are you?”
Sophie rolled her eyes.
“Well, if I were you I’d be sure to quell that.”
Sophie felt her phone vibrate. They had made it out of the parking lot with Emiline.
“Rules are rules,” said Luce as she crossed her arms.
Sophie shook her head and walked away.
“I need a drink,” she said as she walked toward the bar.
Luce gave a devilish grin as she looked over her shoulder at the monitor showing an empty cell. She stood up and strutted out of the office.
“I’ll have one, too,” she said.
Chapter 11
“You know what this means,” said Cecelia as she stood across the room from Ralph.
Emiline sat quietly at a table in the next room with Faelan. She held a cup of hot tea in her hands as they listened to conversation next door.
“They’ll want a war,” Cecelia asserted.
Ralph shook his head as he paced over to the window and stared outside. A steady drizzle obstructed his view.
“What did you expect me to do? Just leave her there to be executed?”
Cecelia sighed.
“No...but we need a plan.”
“And I have one,” asserted Ralph.
“I never thought it would end up like this,” said Faelan.
Em looked at him quizzically.
“When I saw you in Chinatown,” Faelan reminded.
Emiline was still confused.
“I was actually down there to visit my girlfriend, but ran into some trouble. You know that’s Watchers’ turf. We’re not supposed to be there,” he muttered as he sipped his coffee.
“Wait!” said Em.
“That was you? The wolf?”
Faelan nodded. They stopped to listen when they heard Ralph begin talking.
“I’ve led this clan through worse than this. If they want a war…they’ll get it.”
“Many of us will die,” Cecelia said earnestly.
“What’s the point of living if you don’t have something to die for?” Ralph asked as he watched the rain come down.
Emiline and Faelan watched in an awkward silence as Cecelia stormed out of the room. Ralph stepped out and looked at the two of them seated at the table. Faelan straightened up.
“Emiline, could I speak with you for a minute?” he asked as he turned and walked back into the room.
With apprehension, Emiline stood up and walked into the room. Ralph shut the door behind her. He let out a big sigh and walked back over to the window and crossed his arms.
“I know this is all new to you. It must be difficult. You haven’t been a member of this family for very long…”
He turned and faced her. She stood uneasily by the door, holding her arm with one hand.
“But I need to know if you are with us?”
She stood quiet as she pondered what he meant. Then, she remembered seeing Sophie and Luce as she fled the club, their lips locked together. Emiline nodded at Ralph. He sighed, his mind a bit more at ease.
“Okay,” he said.
***
Sophie and Luce drank for hours reminiscing over past adventures.
“Remember when we first showed them fire and they thought it was fucking magic?” Luce laughed. “Story of our lives,” she resolved as she took a shot.
“Do you miss home?” asked Sophie
“Nope,” said Luce.
Sophie scowled.
“You don’t miss anything about it?”
“I have everything I want here.”
“Everything?” Sophie cocked an eyebrow.
“I have more power here than I would have ever had back home.”
Sophie grimaced.
“You don’t regret it?” said Sophie.
“Hmm?”
“Being stuck here?”
Luce twisted her lips, musing over the thought.
“You can’t dwell on the past. It won’t change anything.”
“That’s not what I meant. Do you think we made the right choice?”
“Does it really matter? We disagreed with his sentence, but we still had to carry it out. And, they left us here...because we had one moment of dissension . ” Luce shrugged. “Good riddance,” Luce said as she poured another shot and slammed the bottle on the counter. “That’s what I say.”
She lifted her glass to her lips. Sam busted into the room in a panic.
“Where is she?” Sam demanded of Sophie. “Where is she?”
Sophie gave a look of surprise and confusion.
“Where is who?” Luce asked bluntly, as she put the glass to her lips and drank her shot of vodka.
“Zadok,” Sam answered in desperation.
Luce placed her glass on the counter.
“Why is he asking you, Sophie?”
Sophie responded with a look of dubiety.
“Oh, come on! Everyone knows you’re keen on her!” he shouted.
“I’ve been with Luce all morning. Weren’t you supposed to be watching her?” said Sophie.
Sam stood dumbfounded. He had been ordered to keep guard, but he took the demand lightly. Considering their location and the material of her cell, he didn’t see any possibility of Zadok escaping. No Son could get in there without their help. That’s why he was sure Sophie was involved.
“The door was unlocked. I know you have a key,” he accused Sophie.
“Well, it’s all recorded,” resolved Luce. “I need only look at the tapes.”
Luce got up and waltzed into her office. The other two followed suit. They watched as Luce rewound the footage, revealing Faelan picking the lock. Luce paused the video and turned to Sophie.
“You think she saw us? As she was leaving? Our lips locked in a lovers’ embrace?”
Sophie thought back to when Luce had kissed her that morning and realized she had been played.
Luce walked up beside Sophie and place her hand on her shoulder as she leaned into her ear.
“I know she did,” Luce whispered.
Sam clenched his fists as he glared at the monitor for Luce’s office camera. The footage was frozen on Luce and Sophie’s lips locked together.
Luce strolled out of the room. Sophie stood paralyzed as she looked at the paused footage of Luce and her together. She immediately felt a rush of adrenaline. She stormed out of the office and called out to Luce.
“You wanted her to leave!” she yelled.
Luce stopped and turned around.
“You wanted them to take her,” she accused.
A sly smile twisted on her face as she lifted her hand and snapped her fingers. Sophie felt something wrap around her neck and pull tightly at her throat. She grasped at the object that cut into her skin. Sharp barbs sliced her fingers as she struggled to pull it away from her throat. She heard the person behind her grunt as he pulled harder. Sophie felt her airway completely close. The warm sensation of blood trickled down her hands. She leaned her torso back, gathering momentum, then swiftly bent forward sending the attacker tumblin
g over her back onto the floor. She straightened up and looked upon her assailant as she removed the barbed wire that clung to her neck and gasped for air. She caught her breath as she watched him roll onto his back and scramble to his feet. Then, she saw his face. The sight hit her like a bombshell. It was Sam, her trusted friend and employee. She felt blindsided. They had never quarreled before, not even once.
“She killed our own people,” he said as he gained his bearings.
Sophie stood still trying to catch her breath.
“How could you?” he asked as he stepped forward and swung at Sophie with a right hook.
It landed square on her cheek, planting her other cheek firmly against the wall.
“A mutt!” he yelled in anger.
Sophie pushed her face away from wall, noticing the blood that remained on its dark paint. Sam rushed in and took several swings which Sophie either dodged or blocked. She backed away and he stopped for a moment.
“She didn’t know, Sam. She didn’t know what she was or what she was doing.”
Sam sprang forth, hurling a series of throws in a torrent of rage. Sophie refused to reciprocate his attacks, opting only to defend. Sam backed up when he realized he wasn’t making any progress.
“You know, she just uses people,” said Sophie.
They slowly circled about each other.
“Just like she’s using you, right now,” she continued.
Sam swooped down to the ground and picked up the length of barbed wire. He bolted for Sophie and slung one end of the wire out toward her throat. Sophie jutted her head and torso backward, avoiding contact with the wire. Sam quickly yanked left on the wire, sending it in a different direction, catching Sophie’s right arm. The steel barbs wrapped tightly about her wrist. He jerked the wire toward himself. Sophie was sent flying toward Sam who swiftly moved to the side. Her body crashed against the wall. She twisted her wrist and wrapped the barbed wire about her hand. She then grasped the wire, the sharp barbs cutting deeply into her flesh, and jerked it toward her in retaliation. This time Sam was sent hurling through the air as he hadn’t thought of letting go of the wire. Sophie jumped out of the way right before Sam’s head pounded against the wall. Sophie left him lying there and began to walk down the hall.
