Sylvie

Chapter 19 – “Lesson Learned”

Other than speeding through the battle zone close to Richmond, Sylvie took her time getting back to the relative safety of Colonial Heights. She considered stopping by her bar to check in, but the little HUD that Code had in her vision, flashed the time as three o’clock in the morning. “Code, can you call Amos for me?”

“Processing request, connecting to your mobile device. Amos Whitelock contact acquired.” Sylvie’s AI quickly responded and dialed the number.

“Sylvie. What can I do for you?” Amos gleefully answered. “Please tell me you have good news.”

Swerving her bike through a few cars that had stopped, Sylvie burst through a red light and kept heading down the main street called ‘The Boulevard’. She looked into her mirrors and happily didn’t see any police chasing behind her. “Yep, I have good news Amos.” Sylvie paused when she felt Casey tapping on her shoulders as though listening to a song playing in her head. “Amos, hang on a second.” Muting the call, Sylvie reached one hand behind her and squeezed Casey’s thigh. “Oh, I’m your drum set now?”

Keeping her hands going to the little beat in her head, Casey ignored Sylvie’s little quip and decided to let her girlfriend hear the song she was thinking about. She suspected why the song ‘Please Don’t Stop the Music’ by Rhianna with its sultry beat invaded her mind. Initially clutched tightly to Sylvie, the music took over Casey’s senses and she couldn’t help matching the drum beat with her hands. Using her vampiric-enhanced voice, Casey sang a few lines of the song pitch perfect.

“Baby, are you ready 'cause it's gettin' cold
Don't you feel the passion ready to explode?
What goes on between us no one has to know
This is a private show

Do you know what you started? I just came here to party
But now we're rockin' on the dance floor, actin' naughty
Your hands around my waist just let the music play
We're hand in hand, chest to chest, and now we're face to face

I wanna take you away
Let's escape into the music
DJ, let it play
I just can't refuse it
Like the way you do this
Keep on rockin' to it
Please don't stop the, please don't stop the music..”

Once she lightly sang the last word, Casey slipped her hands back around Sylvie’s waist and laughed, “I didn’t mean to interrupt you and Amos.” Speeding past a twenty-four-hour department store, Casey spoke up. “While you tell him this great news, can we stop in there for a few minutes? I want to run in for something quick.”

“What are you up to, missy?” Sylvie snickered and lightly swatted Casey’s thigh. “Now I want to hear the whole song. Damnit.” Sylvie had Code start playing the fun track in the background while she spoke to Amos. “Alright, Sorry about that, Amos. Are you still with Miss Walker, helping her to adjust?”

“Yeah, she doesn’t believe that she’s both still alive and a vampire. The woman is pretty strong, she’s held off a few of my commands…I don’t know how she’s doing it.” Amos quickly changed topics, “Anyway, you said good news. Please tell me that you have the diary.” He waited a second, “Taini don’t tease me.”

Turning at a few wide intersections, Sylvie gunned her bike and leaned it down as she rounded the large circular parking lot. “Damn I love this store, they always make a race track.” Sylvie laughed and a few seconds later stopped in front to let Casey off. “Should I be worried about what you are doing, darling?”

Laughing, Amos spoke up. “I didn’t know you still cared about me Sylvie.” Getting a light kiss from Casey, She watched her newborn vampire dart off inside the store. Figuring that she had a few minutes to waste, Sylvie took off and opened the bike once more, doing concentric circles at a breakneck speed. “Oh, Amos. You think too highly of yourself and that awful mustache of yours.” She stopped talking as her tires squealed lightly coming out of a little turn. “However, I am a lady of my word and I have the diary and ledger. I didn’t look at the personal stuff, but the list of politicians all the way to DC is impressive.”

Excitement clear in his voice, Amos chimed in. “Luna…Luna..I can’t find the words to thank you properly. Can I have the ledger too? I think a little pressure on some of these locals could help me in the long run.”

Hearing Amos as he clapped loud enough to reverberate in her headset, Sylvie shook her head. “You are entirely too excited..and sure you can have the ledger, Just let Code scan it when I get to the apartment.”

“Do I want to know what you mean by code, Sylvie?” Amos inquired. “Just so you know, the boy and your older blood bunny - Vera, are safe. Samantha hasn’t tried to attack either of them.” Amos added, “Have you had her blood-muffins?”

Making her fourth loop around the department store road, Sylvie affirmed and recalled the sweet taste of the little cakes, “Yeah, she’s got a talent for it.” Sylvie stopped talking long enough to get through another loop, “How much longer are you going to be there with Samantha?”

“You made me change her, Sylvie.” Amos quipped. “Technically, I am with her forever…like I am with you. I made you both, even freed…you are sorta my responsibility.” Amos laughed, “Although you ditched my advice years ago.” He heard Sylvie purposefully sigh, “Fine, fine. I planned on being here until she is stable, at the very least.” He paused, “Though, she hasn’t left my side really..through no command of my own. Her son…he’s jazzed about it. Wants to tell all his friends that his mother is a bloodsucker, wants little fangs and everything.”

“I didn’t need all that, I am sure you will handle it with the same grace you’ve always claimed to have.” Sylvie sarcastically replied. “I want to drop off these books and go home, sunlight is coming.”

“Yes, I will be here. Just bring me the stuff like you promised.” Amos dear demanded. “Alan will be happy that at least one part is done.”

Refusing to get baited into more conversation that would reveal she and Casey had gotten the skull, Sylvie simply said, “Thanks, I’ll be there soon.” She muted the microphone and spoke to Code. “End call.” Hearing the line drop, Sylvie focused on her frantic pace around the parking lot, grateful for the late morning so that she didn’t draw attention to herself.

Lost in thought, Sylvie found herself going over the events of the last few days that brought her to this frantic-paced point. Taking her thoughts out on her motorcycle, Sylvie kept the bike near its red line whale going over everything that had occurred between her and Casey.

-Kigatilik..is that the thing behind the dark decision to make Casey a vampire? Or was it her laying there in my bed..looking so hopeless, charmed by my body that betrayed me?-

Moments after she asked herself the question, a flow of innocent warmth seemed to pulse through her dead veins and comfort her mind with Casey’s genuine smile and softly glowing eyes that conveyed her appreciation and devotion to Sylvie.

-It was always that first touch. The one that turned my head to notice her curly auburn hair and velvet chocolate eyes. Yet, the vision was in shadow. What I saw couldn’t ever be and…and..-

Sylvie instinctively glanced at the moon, admiring its simple white glow.

-..never saw an eclipse. Sunshine, yes. People running in an open field..both adults and kids, a lovely lake house, a bright and sunny summer day…then time seemed to just flow like a river, and I still stood there..was it me?-

Before she really knew what she was doing, Sylvie slipped out of the circle and brought her ‘Indian’ to a slow and easy stop in a parking space close to the department store front door and looked at the large circular lot.

-I grabbed Casey shortly after that vision. There was a freedom in seeing the pretty day, just like the freedom of going around in circles. Freedom..sunlight…sparks of life…-

Sylvie flipped the kickstand down and noticed Casey and her full strawberry-blonde hair bouncing with her hips as she walked.

“You look happy. You should see the look in your eyes, they are not moving. Full moons.” Casey held a small plastic bag and hopped back on the motorcycle. “I hope that look is because I came out of the store showing my sexy walk.” Casey laughed for a second before it faded, and she reached out to touch Sylvie on her shoulder. “Taini. Where are you?”

“I think I was wrong about something.” Sylvie revved her purring engine once more and after putting the bike in gear, did a couple more loops on her makeshift Bike speedway then merged onto another road leading the two back home. “Nothing to fear, Casey. Just a little confusing is all, berry-bear.”

Once she heard Sylvie create another name for her, Casey relaxed and snuggled tightly to Sylvie’s back. “Confusion huh?” Casey soothed, “We will figure it all out, I promise. I can’t have you all mixed up inside.” Casey lightly kissed Sylvie on the shoulder. “My pookie-pudding.”

Minutes later, Sylvie pulled into the apartment complex. “This won’t take long, I just..”

“I know, Taini. Pay the debt, I will be here.” Casey assured Sylvie, “Unless you want me to come with you.”

Flicking the visor that protected Casey’s bright loving eyes, Sylvie shook her head. “I am just going to knock on the door. Think you can be two feet from me for a couple of minutes?”

“No clue. Do you want to take the chance?” Casey laughed.

Impulsively picking Casey up without any issue, she cradled her partner and walked up to Vera’s back door. “Nope.”

When Amos answered the door, he snorted with a smile and twisted his mustache. “What a greeting. I didn’t know you could fit in her arms like that Sylvie.”

“You don’t want to know who I learned it from.” With her free hand, Sylvie handed Amos the small bundle of books. “All yours. I consider us even, right?”

Nodding, “We’re square and I’ll keep my word. Sam…Samantha…um, yeah.” He looked at Sylvie wide-eyed. “Yeah..”

“Don’t look now Sylvie, but I think Amos likes his new vampire.” Casey chuckled, “Looks like it’s just us, Sugar-snap.”

“Thankfully.” Sylvie turned and planted a generous kiss on Casey’s bloodstained lips, holding them together until she heard Amos clear his throat. Sylvie pulled away and watched Casey’s eyes flutter open, and let out a pleasing purr. “Sorry, Amos.” She looked back at Casey and then to Amos and winked. “We will be leaving now.”

“If you need anything. Just ask. Don’t forget about the council meeting tomorrow night. Alan is frantic.” Amos rolled his eyes.

“Unbelievable bastard.” Both Casey and Sylvie said at the same time.

“Jinx.” Sylve quickly shouted

“Jinx.” Casey replied in unison.

The two said the word for another couple of minutes until Amos shook them both. “Stop already. No one is going to win.” He laughed. “Just go home, or you will be here until sunrise yelling jinx.”

With the business with Amos complete, Sylvie got the two of them home in record time. Walking through the door and throwing her keys on the table like they didn’t matter, Sylvie flopped and spread out on the sofa. “I feel like I have been driving all night, you know dizzy like you play in the ocean all day?” Sylvie dug around in her pocket and pulled out the little lens case and pulled the AI contacts from her new moon eyes and looked up at Casey. “That’s bunches better.” Sylvie rolled onto her stomach and shoved a pillow under her head.

“Cutie.” Casey lightly chuckled as Sylvie took up all the space on the sofa. “Where exactly am I supposed to sit, my candy-kitty?” Casey tapped her foot, “We have things to discuss, young lady…plus I have to show you what I got from the store.” She shrugged when Sylvie rolled on her side. “That will work. The good thing is you can tell me what you want to, what I am doing requires very little actual skill.”

“Candy-kitty, is it?” Sylvie slinked herself around Casey and ended up in her lover's lap. “How’s this, angel-apple?” Sylvie smiled and reflected on the fact her own body was the one that smelled like baked apples at the right time. She watched Casey pull ten packs of blue ribbons that appeared to snap closed. “What are those for?” She inquired, fearful that the childlike bows would somehow be pinned in her hair.

Pulling the first bow from the cardboard, Casey pulled off a rubber band that held one of Sylvie’s cornrows tight then snapped the little blue bow into place. “Playful vengeance.” Casey chirped. “You put me in underwear with a pink bow right on my swwwweeet spot.”

With another three plastic hair holders snapped in place, Sylvie tried to rebel. “I didn’t think a thong was appropriate while you were turning into a vampire. I picked something cute..” Another click echoed in Sylvie’s ear. “..oh come on.”

Ignoring Sylvie’s light protests, Casey changed the subject. “You mentioned you were wrong about something and confused?” Casey snapped another plastic bow to Sylvie and then leaned down for a quick but heartfelt kiss. “No secrets.” She offered quietly. “I have had my fill of hiding things, Sylvie.”

Taking an unnecessary deep breath to steady herself, Sylvie let herself see the first vision that drew her to Casey. “I told you about the vision I had in the manor? The reason I stuck to you like glue?”

“I remember, You said it came true with us at the lake.” Casey stopped clipping bows into Sylvie’s hair. “Are you telling me that you were wrong about us?” Casey jumped up and pointed both of her fingers at Sylvie, shaking. “We’ve been together twenty-four hours and you are breaking up with me?” She threw her arms in the air and huffed.

Upon sitting up, Sylvie raised her eyebrow and rolled her eyes as she heard the clacks of the cute bows in her hair. “Will you settle down? I wasn’t wrong about us…That part of the vision has come true and I understand it.” Sylvie stood up and almost floated over to her partner. “Do you think I would take the time to change you, teach you, cherish you…” She took Casey’s hand into her own, then brought it to her lips. “I told you, that first touch. I was connected to you in that one touch.” Sylvie slipped behind Casey and took a deep breath and purred as Casey’s copper-strawberry hair tantalized her senses. “My visions are always right, love. It is me that can be wrong.” Sylvie slipped her arms around Casey’s thin waist and began swaying to a silent song. “The vision was you..It came to pass exactly like it was supposed to.”

Suddenly relaxed by Sylvie’s sensual fingers and calming words, Casey leaned back into her girlfriend and stepped in beat with Sylvie. “Sorry. I overreacted. I guess there is still a little fear of being left.” She twisted just enough to kiss Sylvie on her cheek. “You told me that you used your glamor to set Rose free…What…if…” Casey choked and began crying lightly, sending thin rose-colored tears running down her beautiful cheeks. “I never want to forget you…us..”

Sylvie closed her eyes and summoned a healthy portion of her blood, switching into her ghost form. Once she was a warm blue and gray mist, she wrapped herself around Casey. Forming many sets of lips out of her loving cloud, Sylvie kissed Casey at dozens of spots at once. Counting to ten, Sylvie reformed her physical body in front of her partner and slowly dropped to her knees. “Bound by blood, Casey. I will give you all I have..you only have to ask.” Sylvie looked up and into Casey’s gleaming eyes. “I. Love. You, Casey Rivers.”

Even though the dainty vampire had knelt in front of Casey, She felt too far away from her partner. One slow leg at a time, Casey knelt as well. “That…that..Sylvie, I could feel you all through me. It was like you touched…” She sighed and flopped into Sylvie’s waiting arms. “Sorry…so sorry. Viv called me reckless and impulsive….look at what happened…” Casey sniffled.

“No damage done, Casey.” Sylvie softly chuckled, “I am just as reckless and impulsive. I think that is why we get along so well.” Tired beyond belief, Sylvie crawled over to the couch and climbed up. “Would you mind …”

Jumping to her feet, Casey didn’t hesitate and ran to the kitchen and back with a couple of bottles of blood. “Let me. Just open your lovely lips and I will do the work. You tell me the rest of the problem, and I promise not to freak out.”

Sylvie took a few mouthfuls of blood quickly and instantly felt the relief in her veins as they refreshed and brought her ability back to normal. “I was wrong about the first part. You see, the rain scene with us at the dam and lake was the second half. I replayed that the most because I was looking for the one.” Sylvie leaned up and kissed Casey. “You are the one, I think I said it before..but the girl of my dreams.”

“Still good to hear, no matter how many times you tell me.” Casey licked the residual blood from her lips.

After polishing off one full bottle of blood, Sylvie resumed her position of laying in Casey’s lap. “This is going to be strange to describe.” She snorted when the snaps of the plastic blue bows resumed. “What's more is that I don’t know how the first part connects to where we became a couple.”

“Snort all you want to. This will teach you to put me in a pink bow.” Casey tickled Sylvie’s tummy playfully. “Do your best, I am sure I will understand.”

Reversing the vision in her mind to the beginning, Sylvie’s eyes rotated to half moons before she began. “I touched your hand and thought I saw a lifetime. Mine. At the time I didn’t think much about it, the feeling was so loving and serene that I didn’t consider that it was impossible for me.”

“So that means the vision was wrong at the beginning.” Casey affirmed.

Shaking her head, “I saw the eclipse for the first time the night I left Rose. That is when I knew the whole thing was real.” Sylvie paused for a breath, while Casey kept swapping out the rubber bands for her fun bow idea. “Which means somehow the first part was real.”

“Do you ever get split visions like that, or was this the first?” Casey inquired.

Reaching for the second bottle, Sylvie extended her claw and wiggled the cork free. “Yes, on occasion. It is pretty rare though.” She sipped from the new bottle and offered it to Casey.

“No, I am alright. You drink it.” Casey finished her little joke and rather than tickling her partner, opted to run her nails lightly around her tummy. “First part?”

Sylvie took two gulps and went into detail. “It was a sunny day. A fair-sized group of people on a lake, playing and having a picnic. Behind the group was a three-story lake house that melded into the woodline in an effort to not disturb the nature around it. I saw a lifetime - their lifetimes. It was like I walked in the shade with them.” Sylvie paused. “But…now..” She sighed, “I don’t think the shadow was me.” Sylvie turned and sat up so Casey could see her face-to-face. “I think the shadow was you, Casey.” Sylvie reached up and took her partner's cheeks into her hands. “The vision was never mine to try and force, or look for. It was yours, your decision. The one that you didn’t get because…” Sylvie stopped talking and just looked into her lover's glowing eyes.

Both due to her promise and refusal to get upset, Casey let the initial rush of fear and anxiety pass over her like a cold breeze. Sylvie was here, cupping her cheeks tenderly in reassurance for the news she’d half delivered and let Casey figure out the other half. “I…I.” Casey began but then pulled Sylvie’s to her lips and slowly kissed her lover's open palms. “The three-story house was the giveaway.” Casey whispered. “My dad built it with the intention of it being part of the environment, all parts of the house were made to break down. He always told me that we were just visiting the lake and the woods...time takes back all works.” Casey absentmindedly commented, then smiled. “If you think I was in the shadows, then that was the summer I had chicken pox.” She laughed, “I was the only one who couldn’t be around others of my age, because they hadn’t been exposed to it.” Casey resumed clipping bows in Sylvie’s hair for something to stop the nervousness. “You saw two choices? Whether or not I lived in sunlight with those who loved me, allowing me to live a full life with children or choosing a life in the dark with someone.” She paused and grinned, “That someone being you.”

Nodding and looking down, “I took that choice from you, Casey. I took advantage of a friend whose mind wasn’t in the best place. I forced the image that I … I …. I … Oh Casey..” Sylvie leaned up and grabbed her partner around the neck, hugging her tight.

Dropping the little bows from her hands, Casey didn’t hesitate to return the hug and start kissing Sylvie gently on the neck. “No..no…” Casey recalled with complete clarity the way she became a vampire. “You didn’t charm me, you gave me a place to stay when I was lost.” She pulled back and wiped the tears from her own cheeks as well as Sylvie’s. “I made my decision.” Casey’s voice got low and comforting, “I choose you, Taini.” She slid her fingers under Sylvie’s chin and then pulled her into a kiss, exchanging the little bit of blood Sylvie still had in her mouth before pulling away. “My…My…Taini Miakoda. No regret sweetheart, no regret.” Casey quietly sighed and smiled as Sylvie’s eyes rolled to their quarter-moon, the sliver of white begging to be seen.

“I swear I didn’t know, Casey.” Sylvie shyly offered and held tight to her lover. “I wanted to be in love so…so badly.” She leaned over and grabbed the children’s bows and handed them back to Casey with an angelic look radiating from her moon-sparkling eyes. “..I’d seen Vivienne and Faye for days. Saw their meeting…I wanted love like that.” She paused, “Then I touched you…”

“No more of this, Sylvie.” Casey whispered. “Everything we are, came naturally and over time for us.” She stood up and pulled Sylvie with her. “Come on.” Casey flowed down the hallway to the room she’d been given. “You gave me my own room, no coercion.” She pulled Sylvie close and snapped on the final two bows. “I never knew I could love or be with another woman, but I should have suspected.” Casey then walked the couple back to their room. “I said before that sex was a weapon of mine, right?”

Sylvie nodded as she pressed a few buttons on her side of the bed to sunlight-proof the house. “You did just before I turned you.”

Casey crawled on the bed and got comfortable on her back with her legs bent at the knees. “There was a time when I enjoyed a guy’s companionship. I recall the feeling of being connected so intensely to someone that I never wanted whatever guy I’d picked up…to never leave. Many nights I slept peacefully with Brian’s sex nestled deep inside my body.” She smiled when Sylvie slid in beside her. “What changed?” Casey rolled her fingers over Sylvie’s cheeks. “You. Not Vivienne, I mean sure Vivienne is beyond beautiful… goddess-like.” She wiggled her fingers down Sylvie’s chest. “Vivienne and I had a blood bond, where..like you pointed out…loved her feeding from me.” Casey leaned over and brushed her lips to Sylvie’s. “The moment you took me from that graveyard, I felt…us. I felt like I had missed part of my life and…and..” Casey sucked on her lip, “...I wanted it back. I wanted you.” Casey rubbed her feet against Sylvie’s. “That? I feel it deep with me..your touch… it all links to me in a way that I can’t describe.”

When the little needle of doubt was removed from her mind by Casey’s tender words, Sylvie felt an instant rush of relief and crawled on top of Casey, leaning back against her partner’s legs. “Just making sure, Not angry?” Sylvie placed her hands on Casey’s tummy lightly and grinned softly. “No one has ever…wanted me.” Sylvie paused, “My talent, yes. Me? Not really.”

Playfully Casey leaned up on her elbows and raised one of her coppery eyebrows, “What about the poor girls like Rose? They wanted you.”

Swishing her head back and forth for the bows to make the plastic snap in the air, Sylvie giggled. “Look you aren’t supposed to make sense. For all I honestly know it was those apples that they liked.” Sylvie shyly pointed between her legs. “Even you kept complaining about it in your human cries.”

Allowing her arms to drop their weight, Casey dropped back against the stack of pillows which then lightly hissed as they became compact. “That was part of your devilish plan to turn me into this.” She waved her hand around her perfectly shaped vampire body.

“I recall it was you begging me.” Sylvie reached behind her and scraped her nails up and down Casey’s shapely things. “Alright.” Sylvie stopped playing with her girlie plastic bows and hopped up. “I think we should look at this book and see what the passages are.

Grunting in a little frustration, Casey rolled over on her side and let out a vampiric growl at her creator. “That is the damned third time you’ve done that.”

Sylvie turned and looked back as she reached the door to the bedroom. “What? Third what?” She pointed to the living room. “I was going to get Code and the book.”

Casey laughed and swirled her finger at Sylvie, “I thought I was going to get you.” Casey completed the roll and ended up on her belly, which pushed her huge breasts tightly against her blouse and accented her ample cleavage. “Don’t take too long.” Casey wiggled her feet in the air.

Speeding through her home much like she’d been racing all night, Sylvie made a single pass through the living room, into the kitchen then back to their bedroom. “Was that too long?” Sylvie joked and set her items down. She looked at Casey with a look of boredom. “I really don’t want to put this AI back in my brain. It’s been like a little ant walking around in my head.” She laughed, “I can feel it there and while its not threatening, it is annoying.”

Bouncing her legs on the bed, Casey pointed to herself. “I’ll do it if you want me to.” She reached for the contact case and frowned when Sylvie pulled back.

Opening the case, Sylvie put the first one into her eye. “They were made for me, I don’t know what will happen if someone else wears them. For all I know thanks to Code’s little glitch it could just die.”

Laughing and again fidgeting enough to lay on her back, Casey sighed and closed her legs tightly. “I vote for the faster you get this goofy book done, the faster you … meeee…owwww. baby.”

Flutters all through her heart pulsed sexual tension throughout Sylvie’s small body. “C-Code…um…p-print out the passage numbers please.” She glanced at Casey who’d now had unbuttoned her blouse to show off how plush and round her breasts were and stopped talking to the AI. With a swift swipe of her fingers, Sylvie plucked the contacts out and closed them back in the case. “I-I hear the printer in the other room, Casey.”

“So go get the paperwork.” Casey teased by slicing the button off of her jeans with her claw and flicking it to Sylvie. “You know I can entertain myself just fine.”

Raising one of her long and well-shaped eyebrows, Sylvie half-grinned. “Oh, you can?” She waved her hand and focused on Casey. “No, you can’t.” She weaved the words in such a way she felt the command leave her lips.

“Oh, goddamnit!” Casey huffed and suddenly knew she was forbidden to touch any part of her body that caused her arousal. “That was some dirty gameplay, honey-bee.”

Laughing so hard she doubled over, Sylvie took a moment to compose herself. “That really wasn’t fair was it?”

Casey simply glared at her girlfriend for a couple of seconds, “Now it’s four…damn…and it's vague enough that I can’t even really think about sex. Oh, you thought the bows were bad? You wait.” Drumming her fingers on the bed impatiently Casey watched Sylvie walk slowly out of the bedroom while randomly whistling. “Cute. You aren’t really going to leave me like this are you…” Casey changed her tone so it was endearing, “...my wonderful moon-cherry?”

Doing an about-face with one eyebrow raised, Sylvie tilted her head to the side and smiled. “Moon-cherry? I think you used that one though.” Nodding her head, Sylvie ended her domination over Casey with a single thought. “There, you should be normal again.” Pointing to the small office space along the hall with her thumb, Sylvie added, “I just hope you wouldn’t get started without me. I will be right back.”

“Teasey-pop.” Casey amended as Sylvie disappeared from view. “We have a nice lazy day now. Tonight we have a bar to run and a meeting to attend…which I must say I am not looking forward to.”

Reappearing in their room without a sound, Sylvie Held the paper for Casey to see. “I really didn’t want Code to see the passages, then Kody will know. Where the information goes after that we couldn’t be sure. The less that know what the numbers mean, the better. Sylvie smiled and ran one of her fingers down Casey’s cheek in a small ‘S’ pattern. “My lovely pretty-petunia…” Sylvie sighed, kissed her index and middle fingers then pressed them to Casey’s rich and red lips. “I would love a lazy day, Even though I am not physically tired, I feel like my mind has been used by a rolling pin.”

Casey puckered her lips and kissed the slender fingers in front of her. “I have an idea. While I am gone…oh like five seconds…You go ahead and find all the number references.” Casey laughed and darted out of the room after slipping out of her buttonless jeans, to make sure that Sylvie saw her black thong exposing her firm and round ass on the way out.

“Such a tease.” Sylvie repeated and managed to figure out the numbers and letters as they matched in the book. She had a few pages held between her fingers when Casey came back into their room. “Ten seconds. Awfully slow for a newborn.” She stuck out her tongue playfully.

Tossing a small pad of sticky notes to Sylvie, Casey stuck out her own tongue for a second, “Not a tease when you actually have sex, missy.” She motioned between them with her hands. “We have sex…We..the two of us. Not just one.” Wiggling her finger at the thin pink pad, Casey continued. “Mark the spots in the book and follow me. You’ll see why it took me ten seconds, my tantalizing-tulip.”

“Oh, I like that one.” Excited and feeling a bit warmer than she had been, Sylvie quickly shoved the sticky paper in the spots where the passages were. “Okay, now what?” Sylvie looked up and didn’t see Casey. “Um, where’d you go? Wait…what? How did you move out of here without me seeing?” Sylvie hopped off the bed looking confused.

Whistling from the bathroom Casey lightly called for her lover. “I am in here…” Her voice was whispering and warm. “My Taini. My Moon. Come in and see.”

Sensing the caressing tone in Casey’s voice, Sylvie knew that their little play time had come to an end and Casey changed the mood. First letting out a soft purr from her chest, Sylvie’s voice matched her partner's soothing one. “Let me put the book down, Casey and I will be right there.”

“Bring it with you, darling.” Casey cooed.

Not wanting the book to get damaged, Sylvie questioned her partner. “I am not so sure, Casey, I don’t want anything to happen to the book, at least not before we figure out what this all means.” Sylvie looked down at the Well-worn leather the book had been encased in. “My vision showed me that Franco went through great trauma to do what he did with the gate or portal thing. I’d hate for his sacrifice to go in vain.”

“It won’t. Please bring it with you and you’ll see.” Casey cutely pleaded.

Clutching the book to her chest, Sylvie silently walked to the bathroom and peeked around the corner. What she saw brought a smile to her face and caused her fangs to lock in place. Standing perfectly before her was her lover, completely bare and holding her hands out. Sylvie’s eyes darted over Casey’s shapely body, her toned muscles and up to her giant breasts topped with a pair of rose-red nipples. “You…” Sylvie swallowed hard and felt the golden sunlight energy pulsing from Casey’s body. “Radiant, Casey…simply radiant.” Sylvie walked up and put the book on the counter then pulled herself tightly against her lover, kissing her deeply.

More than willing to return the passionate kiss, Casey mewled from deep within her chest as their tongues flipped and turned together for a few minutes. Lightly tapping Sylvie on her shoulder, Casey reluctantly pulled back, licking a droplet of blood from her lips. “Love it when we trade blood.” She shivered. “However, Taini..This is your time.” Casey held up a small bottle of bath oil that had ‘space apple spice’ written on it and poured a generous amount into the tub while it was still filling. “Now I know why you smell like apples.” She winked and undressed her partner slowly. “Now then let me get in first and sit, then you relax against me, my chest and read. I am confident that the book will be safe.”

“Mmm..” Sylvie relaxed while Casey undressed her. “So this was your five extra seconds. I love it when you get ideas.” She opened her eyes and gave Casey a peck on the cheek. “I love you more.” Once she was completely nude, Sylvie picked up the book and took a step back. “After you, my love.”

“I think that is the first time you have said it like that, without a pet name attached.” Casey stepped into the hot and steamy, apple-scented water and sat down. “Your turn, my love.” She winked and placed her hands on the side of the tub. “You mentioned you felt exhausted, so I thought this might help.”

Stepping slowly into the water, Sylvie felt the heat shimmer up her legs and to her stomach even before she sat down. Her spiced apple oil calmed her mind almost to the point where she could meditate. “Best idea ever, my water-poppy.” Sylvie carefully sat down and let the heated pool crawl up her body, removing the stress of the day.

“Now lean back, Taini. My chest can handle it.” Casey lightly laughed. When Sylvie followed the simple instructions Casey adjusted herself so that Sylvie rested comfortably against her, then started rubbing her mistress's temples. “There we go. Now then, read what you’ve got marked.”

Gasping in pleasure, Sylvie’s body shivered once and then finally gave in to the gentle massage. “Heavenly. I don’t know if I want to read this anymore. The urge to just lay here, curled up against you is tempting.”

“Taini.” Casey whispered into her lover’s ear. “This is time for you, do what you’d like. I am here no matter what.” She kissed the top of Sylvie’s cornrowed hair. “Do you remember the months before I left for France?”

Nodding slowly so as to not disrupt Casey’s fingers, Sylvie quietly answered, “Yes.”

Casey slipped her arms around Sylvie’s flat stomach. “I spent as much time with you as I could, even then. Days and weeks before. Unless I was entertaining some random guy I thought was cute.” Quickly getting to her point before Sylvie could respond, “The thing is, even then..I didn’t want to be far from you.” She purred, “Even though I said no. Part of me cried out for this..us..I never feel alone with you close. I should have said it then, but I can’t take back the past.” Casey lightly kissed Sylvie’s neck and ear. “I can say it now. I love you. I love that you will cradle me even as a playful little gesture. I love your genuine nature, you are who you are..” Casey kissed Sylvie’s cheek. “I love you, only you.”

Happy to the point where she started to lightly cry, Sylvie let her emotions flourish like an open bloom. “You’ve told me a few thousand times now, Casey. Nothing like how you explained it a moment ago.” Sylvie tuned so that she could see the sunlight irises, “It’s like a living dream for you to love me. I love you so much Casey, there are times I wonder if I am in a wonderful premonition and have refused to wake up.” Sylvie snuggled back against her partner and smiled. “You are my one, Casey. Since I met you, there’s not been anyone else that I have given myself to.” Sylvie paused, “I think I was like you, I entertained women, tried to feel something, but in the end…” She wiped the red tears from her cheeks, “It’s been you since I saw your lovely rich brown eyes looking into me, becoming part of me.”

Sniffling softly, Casey nudged Sylvie and lightly coughed as she cleared tears from her cheeks and resumed massaging Sylvie’s temples. “Settled. We are completely crazy for each other.” Casey swooned and whispered a final time, “I love you Taini Miakoda. How about we read that weird book and let me pamper you?”

“Sounds lovely.” Sylvie purred and whispered, “I love you Casey Rivers.” Carefully drying off her wet hand, Sylvie opened the leather-bound tome and to the first passage.

..“Human turmoil in this time they bleed,
suits of blue and suits of gray bodies rot,
deep with a single mountain brethren find their need,
harmony unattainable, Dryods shall derive another plot.”..

Waiting until Sylvie stopped reading, Casey perked up. “I’m just a little marine biologist. History and literature were not my strong points. Music, water, fish..I’m there.” She laughed, “What in the world was that you just read?”

Barely able to think because she was trying not to laugh, Sylvie chuckle-spoke to her partner. “I can …” She chuckled, “..tell you are confused.” Sylvie wiggled and laughed harder. “Your…your…” She looked back into a pair of concerned golden eyes, “...nipples went flat.”

“What?!?” Casey muttered and laid her head on Sylvie’s shoulders, lightly laughing with her partner. “Oh girlie, that is five you owe me.” After composing herself for about a minute, Casey resumed her massage, but moved to Sylvie’s shoulders. “I am actually impressed that you know my body so well. Unreal, you actually said it out loud.” Shaking off the tiny bit of shock Casey asked again, “Can you tell me what that means?”

Once she stopped laughing at her own little observance, Sylvie took the time to articulate her response. “Alright. The good thing is that they are broken into lines of four to five, almost like whoever wrote this could actually see the future.” Sylvie paused, “Visionary, precognitive.” She looked over the lines again. “Given what I have already seen, the blue and gray suit reference is to the American Civil War, I assume you know what that is, missy?”

“Yes, smart-ass. I know about the Civil War, I grew up in Virginia..you know where we both live?” Casey responded sarcastically. “You can’t go three towns over without some reference to Lee.” She stopped herself and refocused. “Go on.”

“I’ll just call the writer the prophet, so you know what I am saying.” Sylvie resumed, “This prophet kept seeing battles and saw the vampires. The battles probably got too close, or even exposed their so-called mountain. In my sights, a mountain can be an obstacle or an actual hill. In this case, the last line is the key. This group must have lived almost like we did in Phantas. Combine what I have seen with this passage, we can confirm the dryods were looking for somewhere to get away from the fighting, presumably because blood was not readily available.”

Using her palms to work on Sylvie’s shoulders, Casey bit on her lip for a moment as a question formed. “Why would blood not be available?” Casey closed her eyes and sighed, the answer coming to her as soon as she asked the question. “Right, the war. Soldiers are a healthy portion of the population, so taking women and older men off the street would be noticed.”

“Pretty much.” Sylvie quietly confirmed due to Casey’s magical fingers. “You have to be using blood, this feels too good.” Sylvie randomly chimed.

“Nope. All me baby. My mother and I took lessons when I was in high school so I could help others on the team, she did it to help me.” Casey beamed as she spoke, “Sylvie, Sylvie…I remembered something!”

Shifting just enough so that she could kiss her partner, Sylvie planted her lips firmly on Casey’s. “I knew you’d adapt beautifully.” She nuzzled against Casey’s neck before turning back and settling back against her partner. “I swear you were made to be a vampire, Casey. Where the rest of us go through a tough time…just to recall our living life, you pulled it from the haze within two days.”

“I think it is because of all the time I spent with Vivienne and Faye.” Casey stopped massaging her girlfriend momentarily and reflected on her two close friends. “I do miss them, Sylvie. I also think Vivienne would be happy to see that I have transformed.” Pressing her fingers along Sylvie’s shoulders until she found a knot, Casey kissed the spot and began working once again. “Well go on, before the water gets cold.”

Pressing the button to let the water drain, Sylvie set the book on the floor beside the tub then turned on the faucet and twisted the knobs until she matched the steamy flow Casey started. “There, that should keep us warmer, not that we need to be warm.”

“Enough of that, Missy.” Casey leaned forward and stopped the drain and turned off the water. “That is my job, you relax and read. Let me rejuvenate your squished mind, rolling pin..remember?” Casey laughed.

Allowing Casey to take charge of her little project, Sylvie nodded and picked up the old book. “Alright, so we know they wanted to relocate because of the war.” She flipped to the next numbered passage.

“...liquid metal captured from the Earth swirls in metal bins,
A ring of iron wrought round and thin,
promise of peace beyond,
a land where darkness gone…”

“Liquid metal.” Casey confidently spoke. “Chemistry, that is mercury.”

Studying the layout and wording a bit longer, Sylvie affirmed what Casey mentioned. “Yeah, I am certain that is the right answer.” She ran her fingers over the heavy penned ink, and got a flash of a candle-lit room with a slender hand neatly and slowly writing out the passage. Sylvie shook her head to clear the vision and bit on her lip. “The next line is pretty easy, given my vision too. The ring is referring to the portal they made.”

“I felt that..” Casey softly urged. “Taini, what happened, what did you see?”

Somewhat upset that she didn’t immediately tell Casey what she’d seen, Sylvie lifted her fingers and wiggled them so Casey could see the faint ink stain. “I saw the prophet writing the words, slow deliberate almost like he or she was having the vision as they were writing. Astounding, simply marvelous. It’s vague enough to mean two things.”

“Oh?” Casey stammered and quickly grabbed Sylvie’s hand and pulled the fingers to her lips and gave them a quick kiss. “For more good luck.” Casey looked over Sylvie’s shoulder. “Is it common for double meaning?”

Still concentrating on the last two lines, Sylvie shrugged. “Depends on the vision and who the visionary is. When I ran Ventricular Venus, I did it to get my regulars to come back. So it was a half-truth.” She paused and tapped on the page, “I have to consider that I saw whoever it was, writing it. “It could mean a couple of things. The obvious is what the dryods wanted. Peace and a place to settle and live in harmony with humanity. their idea of balance. That would be the promise of peace, no darkness they took it to mean that their demons would be removed safely to not harm Earth.” Sylvie took a breath so she could keep talking, “My vision when I left you wanting…” Sylvie giggled then continued, “They’d planned to go beyond and purge their demons and come back. Groups of five.” Rubbing her chin thoughtfully, Sylvie added, “My vision swapped to Franco frantically closing the door with the seals. The Shadewraiths were all over him and his group of five. So I don’t know if the others were successful. We can guess that some of them were successful because of the number we are facing now.”

“We will know more when we check out the place where the ring was, I hope.” Casey kissed Sylvie’s shoulder. “I am scared to ask this, but what else could it have meant?”

“Truth?” Sylvie sucked in a deep breath and enjoyed how her dead chest expanded and filled for a few seconds. “Peace also means death, and the last part..darkness gone, could mean sunlight.” Sylvie opted to scoot forward in the water and turn around so she could see Casey. “That is an outcome I really don’t want to think about.”

Smiling since she could see the lovely lady she devoted herself to, Casey held up her finger again. “Don’t move, I have another idea. I will be right back.” Casey slowly stood up and exited the tub, then darted off into the house.

With the second passage mostly understood, Sylvie flipped to the third just as Casey returned. “Great timing.” She noticed that Casey had one of her dining room chairs and a set of wooden chopsticks. “Should I even ask?”

“Just put the book on the chair, prop it up with one of the sticks and turn the pages with the other.” Casey simply stated and made her way back into the tub then pulled Sylvie to her. Locking her legs around the smaller vampire, Casey resumed searching for knots. “I know it will work, I did something similar in college when I needed to look at multiple books for research.”

Without any hesitation, the master vampire did as her progeny asked and raised her eyebrows in fascination when the book did exactly as Casey said it would. “Inventive. Now I can get a little wet with you.” Feeling Casey’s long legs wrap around her small waist, Sylvie smiled brightly and read the next passage.

“...prudence provides a second sight,
demon and shadow inside wake up and take to the air,
moon and sun bare bracers and cure our blight,
an eclipse to reform mercury the path is sealed by the pair…”

“That one doesn’t flow as easy, Sylvie.” Casey purred and winked as she started gently squeezing her lover's breasts. “This is medicinal.” Casey pulled gently until both of Sylvie’s ample rounds slipped free from her hands. “It’s so I don’t start going crazy smelling baked apples.” She winked playfully.

Licking her fangs to tease Casey a little more, Sylvie chuckled as she translated the writing. “Nostradomus called his visions, quatrains. This is very similar.” Sylvie felt Casey begin working her biceps and leaned forward on her girlfriend. “The first line is a caution. Prudence is cautionary, and second sight…I think means that there can be two possible realities? I can’t be certain though, because these separate references are so far apart, I know the prophet is talking about the events that I saw, but there are things that Franco skipped over which add substance to what he wanted someone to read.”

Upon hearing the words moon and sun, Casey stopped her flirting and grabbed her hand. “Do you think the last two are about us?” Casey swallowed hard and explained what she meant. “Moon and Sun - I think that is you and I. We are already trying to fix the crap Alan started. Eclipses are our signal and it says pair.”

“Don’t forget the word bracers.” Sylvie tapped on her lover’s wrist. “Metal bands, to reform mercury?” Sylvie closed her eyes and tried to recall what little bit of alchemy from her past she’d learned. “When I laced the blood with THC for Vivienne and Faye, I used the internet to be sure.” She held up her finger when Casey stood up, “Wait…” Sylvie sighed when Casey left and within a few seconds she’d returned with her phone in hand. “Hey! You took your legs away without warning and now I am a little sad.” She playfully shot out her lower lip.

Flicking Sylvie’s hair to cause the bows to click, Casey smiled. “Look, this is supposed to be relaxing for you. Stressing over the internet is not relaxing.” She winked, “Besides, I have the answer right here.” She handed Sylvie the phone and resumed her seating. “Happy now, mistress?”

Choosing to not look at Casey, Sylvie tried to speak as snobbish as possible. “Very much so. You shouldn’t have gotten up without my permission anyway, I am entitled to your legs when I so desire.” Sylvie read the small screen and rolled her moon eyes up. “Right. Mercury bonds with many different metals and changes its composition. Question is, which one? I don’t see a hint in this group.”

“What about the other lines? Is that a reference to Shadewraiths?” Casey inquired and took back her phone and then tapped a few times clearly looking for something. “Bracers. According to this, they can be decorative and protective.” She paused, “Where is the blood magic entry? Clearly not written by a vampire.”

Laughing and scratching her ear lightly, Sylvie agreed with her lover. “A vampire entry would be most useful right now. However, I am pretty sure this is completely about the Shadewraiths and how to close the door again.”

“…made of gold and bonded by zinc then blood of fang,
moon and sun embrace, imbue blood..
music once more as the demons hover at the door, lost.. Confused.
fuse and churn blood used and metal burn,
empty ring is a door no more it's song fades, it's iron clangs.”

Desperate to put all the pieces together, Sylvie finished the last set. “I need to be more patient, it would seem.” Without warning, Sylvie stopped talking and went completely still. The flash vision showed a woman in her thirties, under a weathered white cowl, and her eyes with swirling sands looking directly into Sylvie as though they saw one another. Sylvie watched as the woman’s ruby-red lips parted to reveal four pristine fangs just before she spoke.

{ “You’ve learned what the others have not. The sands of time have not clouded your visions, your magnificent eye. The others years ago, took the book and misinterpreted it. You see the truth of the words and know the outcome.”}

Within her vision Sylvie nodded and replied,

{ “We were never supposed to know about the ring or this door, so while there could have been a good path, the dryods picked the one that caused the worst. I guess that is what they get for thievery…Vasia Kladdopili.”}

The sands in Vasia’s eyes stopped swirling for an instant when she heard her full name for the first time in years.

{“Impressive, Taini Miakoda. Amos picked well. As did you with Casey. There will be time for us to speak later, you know this. Just know that there are missing pages that were left behind in their original shelter.”}

Before she could respond, Sylvie felt the stinging of sand swirling around her and the image disappeared. Coming out of her trance, Sylvie felt her third eye closing then blinked her full moon irises at Casey. “Hey there honey-bell.” Sylvie fell forward into Casey’s arms tired from the quick ordeal. “I think I just met Amos’s creator..I thought she was long gone.”

“Don’t keep me waiting, apple-bunny. Tell me what happened.” Casey reached over the tub and pulled a bottle of blood for Sylvie to drink. “Take it slow, I know you are hungry.”

Without much fanfare due to how tired she was, Sylvie explained what she’d seen and how they were on the right track for what was necessary to remove the portal. “Vasia was pretty clear that the book was stolen, and that the contents were never meant to be used to create the doorway.” Using the chopstick, Sylvie went back a few pages and pointed out where the Dryods had misread the text. “Even here, they believed that this was telling them to remove their demon, but it was a warning not to.” She flipped to the back where she saw pages missing. “We have to find the missing pages, and they are likely in some hill or mountain where the dryods first lived.” She flipped back to the last passage, “The bracers…gold and zinc seemingly will burn the mercury and break the ring. Hence ‘door no more’. I don’t quite understand the song reference, perhaps it's with the missing pages.” She laid the book down and started to close the front cover when she spotted a list of names. “What in the…Look here.”

Casey turned and looked at the list and how it looked like a one-way family tree complete with boxes over each name. “Looks like there are four of us, Sylvie.” Slamming the cover shut, Casey pulled Sylvie up and slid her hands along Sylvie’s cheeks. “Our night is going to be interesting, I would prefer our day be…” Casey purred and ran her finger over Sylvie’s lips, before dipping them in the warm water. “There you are.”

Sylvie moved so fast it sloshed the water in the tub, nearly getting the old tome wet. “Yes, here I am..” She purred.