Fuzzzzz…Buzzzzz..

Snapping from the trance she was in, Casey noticed that the images she’d been watching had just turned to cycled lines and an annoying noise. Reality came back to Casey and she realized that she had been entranced by an old television. “Wow. What just happened?” Casey stammered as she blinked her eyes to readjust to the dim lighting of the barn.

Green light flashed from a simple flick of Denise’s wrist and the old black and white television snapped off and rolled back to its place in the corner of the small living room. “Careful, too much television will ruin your eyes.” Denise laughed and winked at Casey. “I assume the little show there was enough?”

Nodding slowly, Casey glanced down at Vivienne and saw the blank look in her blue eyes. “Loved One?”

Running her fingers through Vivienne’s raven black hair, Denise gleefully enjoyed hearing her name being called with permission. “Oh, Marion. You have a good one in this young lady.” Denise waved her hand to Casey, “Speak, young lady. What is on your mind?”

Vivienne spoke before Casey could respond, “It is one of the many reasons I chose her. She is astute, as you will certainly find out.”

“You kept the light on all this time?” Casey put her hand over her heart and sighed, “That is a heap of devotion.”

Denise leaned over and kissed Vivienne lightly on her ear and gently swiveled her hand along Vivienne’s arm. “Over sixty years, yes.” She pointed a gray finger at Casey, “I haven’t looked, but given the state of my home, I can’t pretend to think that the light made it through the mess you and Brian made.”

“What did you do between then and now?” Casey leaned back and crossed her legs.

Denise waved her hand dismissively. “Enough of your little antics, young lady.” Denise flicked her fingers to move the marionette and Vivienne sat up just like the wired doll did. “Now then, Marion. Your little girl there has delayed the inevitable long enough.”

“Delay wha..” Casey felt her mouth snap shut and her body freeze once more.

Denise lowered her hand and shook her head, “I am many things, young lady. Stupid isn’t one of them. You’ve been delaying my plan for the last..” She pointed to the television, “… however long it took for me to show you what I wanted you to see.” Denise stood up and pressed the wrinkles out of her dress and stood in front of Vivienne. “My Darling.” Twin fingers flowed over Vivienne’s cheeks down to her chin. “We have a little issue with the woman in the corner. I know I mentioned her before all this started.” Denise cackled. “You see, she’s a distraction.”

Vivienne stared into Denise’s eyes, her own blue ones flowing with anger.

Pointing her thin fingers at Vivienne, Denise’s lip curled with disgust. “That look right there, defiant. Hateful. She is altering your mind and I have to stop it.” Pausing to look at the docile vampire in the corner, Denise then took a breath and smiled. “I know your kind very well, Marion. I have worked very hard to get you here, using everyone I could to bring this moment to fruition.” Denise took the liberty of feeling the soft curves of Vivienne’s breasts down to her tight stomach. “You will free her. Then you will..” Denise paused and laughed, “…drain her.”

Vivienne stood motionless and glared at Denise. “You want the bond broken, and me to betray whom I saved?” Vivienne blinked her charming blue eyes. “If I refuse? I surmise that there are two reasons for you doing this. Torture…” Vivienne paused and smiled, “...And you can’t force me. My mind is my own.”

“You’d be surprised what influence I have over the dead and undead, My darling Marion.” Denise pointed to the statue of Wendy on the second floor. “She wouldn’t comply with my wishes either. I had to take a few measures to ensure she would listen to reason.” Denise placed both her hands on Vivienne’s cheeks. “I know the pain of loss, My Darling.” Raising herself lightly on her toes, Denise kissed Vivienne. “Trust me, in the long run we will be happier and you will forget all about this tiny hiccup.” Cupping Vivienne by the chin, Denise’s lovely voice darkened, “Now, do as I ask, My darling.”

Vivienne sighed and focused on Denise. “I need the use of my hands.”

“No you don’t, nice try.” Denise placed her small finger on Vivienne’s ruby lips. “You can do it with a thought.” Rolling her mustard colored orbs, Denise giggled. “It took me years to pull the truth out of your brethren to learn that tiny secret.” Denise raised one of her long black eyebrows. “No more poison from your lips, Marion. Last chance before I get a little more drastic.”

Vivienne nodded and looked at Faye again before speaking, “It’s done. She’s no longer under my command. Our bond is broken, as you wished. If not for the stake in her chest, she could fly away now.” Vivienne sighed, “You win, Denise.”

-Crunch!  Squish!-

Faye stood and looked at the back of Denise’s skull where one of the yellow orbs hung on her claw. With her other hand, Faye tore the bejeweled ferronnière from Denise’s head, yanking a handful of hair with its removal. “How’s that for drastic?” Faye crushed the black quartz and a cloud of dirt exploded close to her nose and mouth. Acting on instinct, Faye breathed in the contents of the gem and allowed the dirt to swim around in her lungs for a few seconds. Exhaling, Faye didn’t see the soil come out as she expected and her confusion was quickly replaced with the feeling like something had fused into her chest.

Vivienne glanced at the marionette as it withered away into harmless pieces of wood.

Suddenly free of the magic that held her body in place, Vivienne grabbed the doll that was in

Casey’s image and destroyed it. “You certainly took your time, Mon amour.”

“I had to be sure it was the ferronnière, Viv.” Faye pulled her claw out of Denise’s head, and watched as the woman fell to the floor. “I guessed that it was the quartz, I didn’t know for sure it was your grave soil until I breathed it in.”

Casey stood up and pointed to the floor. “Um, guys…”

Faye with her green cat eyes scanned her scantily clothed woman. “Oh, Viv. Can you stay in that nightgown?”

Vivienne grabbed and hugged Faye close, relishing the lavender scent that Faye emanated naturally. “Never do that to me again, Mon amour.” She frantically kissed her lover and slid her fingers through Faye’s black-pink locks. “I knew you were waiting..but..” Vivienne paused with a small amount of blood tearing up in her sparkling blue eyes. “I love you.” “GUYS!” Casey screamed and frantically pointed at the floor.

Vivienne and Faye followed Casey’s finger and saw what the ward was screaming about. “She’s gone.” The two said in unison.

“Finally.” Casey wiped her auburn locks from her face. “I watched her melt into the floor.”

Vivienne shed the long shawl and tore the nightgown so that her legs were free and exposed. “We don’t have much time then. She recovers quickly.”

“I know, I felt the lightning when she reformed the first time.” Faye added as she looked at Vivienne again. “How am I supposed to concentrate when you look like that?”

Vivienne looked at her see through nightgown and shrugged, “Alas, Mon amour, you are on your own. I freed you, I didn’t want to take the chance.”

“Somehow I know.” Faye shrugged and looked at her open chest, before using the blood she conserved and closed the hole.

Casey started for the steps and then looked back at her friends, “How did you remove the stake anyway?”

Vivienne looked at her ward and smiled, “Allow me, Mon amour?”

“Sure, go for it.” Faye purred and laughed.

Vivienne watched curiously as Casey started poking around in the artwork. “This might come as a slight shock, but not everyone is built the same way, my ward.” Vivienne ran her hand over the right side of Faye’s chest lightly. “She and I both have a condition called dextrocardia.” Vivienne patted her own chest on the right side. “Our hearts are on the right side of our body. I knew that she wasn’t staked from the beginning.” Vivienne cupped Faye’s cheeks, “I trust you, Mon amour.” Vivienne kissed Faye’s forehead lightly.

“Nice trick.” Casey kept going through the myriad of artwork. “I know it has to be here..they all have the flaw.”

Sniffing the air, Vivienne turned and looked outside where an eerie green glow had started pulsing. “Time’s up.” Vivienne pulled Faye into another loving embrace and whispered into her ear. “I trust you smell..”

“Ozone, yes.” Faye giggled and relished her partner's arms around her, and the light scent of rosemary that always permeated from Vivienne. “I think it's..”

Vivienne clasped Faye by her hand and headed for the barn door entrance, “...a hint to her magic. It took me a bit of time to piece it together. It happens a split second before one of her abilities goes off.” Vivienne placed her hand on Faye’s chest again before giving her a longing kiss. “You know, you gave yourself to me in our tub, with your blood…” Vivienne looked up and saw Denise’s green and gray form oozing up from the middle of the cornfield. “...I have given myself to you now.” Vivienne blinked her compassionate, brilliant blue eyes. “Thank you..” Vivienne paused and held Faye once more. “My love, from first..”

“..Sight, Vivienne. At first sight.” Faye softly agreed and wiped a half bloody tear from her tigress eyes, “We have to deal with that.”

Stoically standing and unable to take her eyes off her half-Korean lover, Vivienne reached out and touched Faye on her shoulder, having missed the feel of her skin. Breaking her semitrance because of a loud crash from the studio, Vivienne reluctantly focused on the task at hand. “Indeed, it would appear that Denise is bent on seeing this to the end.” Catching the green eyes locked on her perky breasts, Vivienne smiled and tilted Faye’s chin until they were staring at each other once more. “Tigerlily?”

“MMhmm?” Faye purred at the utterance of her pet name. “What?”

Turning Faye’s head so she looked outside at the impending storm, Vivienne sighed. “I admit to being confused with you so close to me, however, it would appear that our current state requires less desire and more aggression.”

Lost in her lover's visage, Faye had not bothered to see what it looked like beyond the inside of the barn. Until now. Taking in the complete scene, Faye could hardly believe that the place she saw was the same farm. Gone were the life filled green cornstalks, replaced by chemically ashen lifeless husks. Various farm animals such as pigs, cows and horses that had softly neighed when she’d arrived, were gone and in their place nothing but bleached bone reminiscent of time in the desert under the scorching hot sun.

While she hadn’t seen the farmhouse, Faye grunted and rolled her eyes at the damage she could see from her location. Holes punched in the kitchen wall, the wrecked back door, missing windows on the upper floor, and the overall fact the home was still smoldering from whatever had gone on. “You certainly know how to bring the party, Viv.” Faye paused, “I heard the commotion, but I never thought it was this bad.” She pointed to the open hole in the ground in front of the farmhouse and then back to Vivienne. “They can do that?”

Nodding slowly to Faye, Vivienne calmly responded, “There were four of them here. Five if you count the guy in the street.” Vivienne watched as clouds swirled and formed overhead,

streaked with lighting and an eerie green light. “Now it’s just her.”

Giving Vivienne another tight hug and kiss on her shoulder, Faye let the comfort of Vivienne’s presence flow and give her the strength to continue. “I wanted to help.” Faye watched as the flashes of lightning illuminated the farm in murky green light. “It took every bit of control I had to not run out and ..”

Glancing over her shoulder to where Faye had walked around and hugged her, Vivienne softly smiled. “..not come and save..me..” Vivienne took a small breath, “..I know, mon amour. I know.” Vivienne blinked and turned after another set of green fluorescence cascaded overhead. “I would advise that we leave the rest of this for later, Faye.” Vivienne winked, “I promise not to be obtuse.”

Chuckling to herself, Faye nodded in agreement with her girlfriend. “That will be the day.” When a light icy flake passed through Faye’s vision, the young vampire noticed that although the farm was in shambles, there was a soft and peaceful light blanket of snow forming.

“Vivienne..” Faye hesitated, “...What if we just forget it, take Casey…”

“..and leave? Go somewhere far from here and move on?” Vivienne completed the thought.

“Yeah. We know what to look for now. We can avoid her.” Faye wrapped herself tightly around Vivienne from behind.

Visions of the soft and lush grassland of France popped into Vivienne’s mind along with the cottage that she once remembered in an age gone by. “You know we cannot, mon amour. What of your sacrifice, what of the sacrifices of the others? What of the myriad of refugees that are now domiciled in Ravenstead manor?” Vivienne glanced at the much bigger cloud, and turned away to give Faye a quick kiss. “No, this has to end now.”

“It was just a suggestion.” Faye offered kindly and pulled herself away from Vivienne. “I hate it when you are right.” She winked.

Clouds of bright green and heavy black dominated the sky and blotted out the soft peaceful light of the full moon. Much like before, eight streaks of spidery lightning crashed to the ground and pulsed for a few seconds before Denise’s form pulled itself free of the ashen ground she called home. “Years, decades of doing what needed to be done to get you back in my arms, and this is how you repay my love, Marion?” Denise flashed her sinister smile and shook her head, “I knew that to get you back, your mission had to be complete.” Denise pointed to Vivienne. “More importantly, I had to show you I was equal to you, worthy of the love you placed on my body all those years ago.” Waving both of her hands in a simple pattern over her body, Denise made the dress she was wearing scorch and burn away until the flower that was tattooed on her body became visible. “Once I knew the great Raven existed, my heart..” She patted her chest lightly, “..told me that it was you, my darling Marion.” Denise looked up and swirled her runed hand, “The marionette was me being reasonable. I suspected that you might need some convincing. I’ll happily show you, my darling.” Denise’s murky yellow orbs brightened, “Let it rain!” She paused, “Let it rain with the dead..come do my bidding and show my Marion what we are capable of.”

Pretty snowflakes that were supposed to hit the ground twisted in their fall and became as red as the rain that started to pour from the murky verdant clouds. Within seconds, old coagulated and rusty smelling blood stained and melted the heavenly peace that the snow had begun to provide. Sounds of hollow and dry wood hit the ground, and tinkled briefly before the tolling was replaced by outlines of skeletons coated in blood.

Clanking like a wooden wind chime, the undead began to march towards Vivienne. Spotting the extended claws on each of the animated dead, Vivienne pointed the blades to Faye. “I suspect that those will…”

“...go through me like butter.” Faye smiled and crouched as though she were going to spring. “I liked my version better than what you were going to say.” She winked at Vivienne, “I am going to try something, I had lots of time to think.”

Anticipation built up within Vivienne as she waited for what she knew was about to happen.

“You can do it, Tigerlilly.”

Remaining crouched as though she were going to strike, Faye pictured herself as a lithe and well-proportioned orange and black striped Bengal tiger. Transforming much easier than she did practicing the osprey, Faye felt the rush of her blood mingling with her new form. Flexing her heavy muscles, Faye turned to look at her lover and partner, her cat eyes shimmering with anticipation.

“Beautiful, mon amour.” Vivienne beamed and extended her ravenesque talons from her

hands and feet. “I would join you, but my form is a little less bulky.”

While the squad of blood-soaked skeletons made their way across the barren cornfield, Denise looked to her left and aimed a streak of green lighting from the clouds above her towards an empty space a couple feet from where she stood. Sparks flew and twisted into a vortex that consumed the energy and opened a black portal. “Come forth my shadowed pets, let my Marion see your devoted forms.”

Three midnight shaped dogs bounded from the portal and devilishly barked before their mistress. Lean and ready to run at a command, the greyhound shaped canines flashed their three rows of teeth and snarled at their targets. “I think Shakespeare will capture this moment well, Marion.” Denise pointed at her four legged minions, “..Raging for revenge, With Ate by his side come hot from hell, Shall in these confines with a monarch’s voice – Cry ‘Havoc’ and let slip the dogs of war…” Denise waved her hand, “Get the tiger my pets.” Laughing maniacally as the four ran off towards Faye, Denise added, “Perhaps a tad literal with the dogs, but I couldn’t resist. You never know when or where art will strike your fancy, Marion.”

-Get the what?- Faye thought to herself just as she slashed through a pair of skeletons, and ignored the rest of Denise’s speech. Deftly dodging the swipes of her two opponents, Faye focused on the three supernatural dogs sprinting across the field in her direction. Biting into one of the legs of the corpses, Faye tore the bone free so that it fell and started clawing at the ground in the effort to re-engage. -This is going nowhere.- Faye crouched and jumped over the various attacks without much effort as the animated minions were much slower than she was.

Deciding to make a run in an effort to put some distance between her and the dogs, Faye froze when she saw pieces of bone shattering all around her. “I have these, mon amour.” Vivienne smacked her hands free of bone powder and winked. “You have to break them, not slash them.”

Watching as her small army was getting turned to dust, Denise just shook her head. Raising her non-runed hand to the sky, Denise repeated the spell and more bones dropped from the heavy cloud. Using her glowing hand, Denise shot a wave of twisted tendrils to her right to open a vile green portal. Emanating from the wicked new door, the foul stench of a bog mixed with rotting wood and the dead crept across the field. “One, two…Shuffling dead come for you.” Denise laughed, “Three, four…Awaken and form your corps.” Tendrils shot through the newly formed portal , coating the visible gravestones in a bath of heinous green. Thereafter, painful screams of the dead echoed and the first of what looked to be a small army of zombies covered in mud and roots came through the evil door and lined up, waiting for further commands. “Bring me the one in white, kill the tiger. Feed on the girl in the barn.” Denise raised one of her wicked black eyebrows. “The dead answer to me, Marion.” Denise pointed to Vivienne as she watched the ancient vampire turn more mindless drones to bone powder. “I see, this is still part of your test.” Denise clapped and ran her hands through her black and dead gray hair. “Very well, since you insist.”

Freed from the encroaching skeletons, Faye bolted as fast as her powerful legs could take her towards the farmhouse itself. -See if I can split this pack.- She told herself as she reached the broken kitchen entrance. Desperate to give herself time to think, Faye leapt on top of a well stocked wood shed and turned in time to see a row of teeth nipping at her hind leg. Kicking out as hard as she could, Faye thought she connected with the inky greyhound and yet felt nothing. Confusion turned to pain when the dog was finally able to sink its fangs into her back leg and tear away part of the flesh. Roaring in pain, Faye backed herself against the wall of the house and used some of her precious blood to repair the damage to her leg.

Two of the three dogs took up guarded positions at the base of the woodshed, while the one that had bitten Faye prepared for another attack. Assessing that her immediate issue was the one close enough to bite her again, Faye attempted to swipe the dog’s jaw off much like she plucked Drake’s off days before.

Devoid of fear, the black beast didn’t bother to move as the big orange claw passed through its head. Aware that its catch couldn’t harm it, the dog tried to snap his fangs closed around Faye’s paw and missed.

Thankful that she was faster than the dog in her face, Faye knew she had moments before the other two became brave enough to join their companion in the attempt to pin her in place.

Flashes of Faye’s father formed in her mind and centered on her childhood fear of the dark.

Huddled in her bed with a heavy white woolen blanket, Faye cried out to her father, “P..please Daddy, It’s so dark. I can’t sleep, I am scared.” Confessing the fear just as her father’s fingers had reached the lightswitch, he turned and looked at his daughter. “I have just the thing.” Returning a few minutes later, her father plugged in a small light and flipped the switch, leaving a soft glow in the room so Faye could see. “I used to be scared too, Faye.” He winked, “My dad told me, like I will tell you. Light is the answer to the dark. Light keeps it all away, until we no longer fear…because we know the light will always come.”

Instant as the memory came, the images left and Faye was once again staring down the maw of three hungry attack dogs. Deciding on her course of action, Faye jumped free of the woodshed the instant she saw the dogs try and make their move. Slipping between the two on the ground, Faye’s large tiger form landed safely and she looked back in time to see the three dogs tangled together.

Rushing off towards the barn, Faye shifted back to her human form and pulled the doors shut with a slam. Devoid of the eerie low light from inside, the area outside around Faye cascaded into almost complete darkness.

Howling and snapping at each other, the three hounds finally were able to untwist themselves and resume their hunt. Bearing their hateful red eyes on Faye, the dogs dashed from the shed and closed the distance to the vampire within seconds.

-Wait..wait and pray this works.- Faye held tightly to the handles of the doors and shoved them open right when the three jumped at her with their mouths open, fangs gleaming and shadow dripping from their maw.

Light splashed across the ground and just like her father’s advice, and pushed away the darkness that protected the shadow-hounds. Screaming in both agony and anger, the three greyhounds were caught mid-flight and fell to the ground where they were penetrated by the illumination until they popped like balloons.

Pleased by the thousand pieces of shadow floating in the air, Faye looked up. “Thanks dad.” Once she’d given praise to her father, Faye looked across the field at her beloved Vivienne. Plowing through the waves of mindless undead, Faye felt herself captured by her fluid and graceful movement much like she had while climbing the stairs in their home. “Really not fair, Viv.” Faye huffed and pushed back her feelings for the moment. “I know why she blotted out the moon.”

Tearing a zombie in half with no effort, Vivienne took a second to address her progeny and girlfriend. “Enlighten me, If you..” Vivienne took out another zombie and adjusted what she intended to say. “Enlighten me, mon amour, please.”

Faye ran to stand with Vivienne and tried to mirror her movements, “Funny you used that term.” Faye clawed at a zombie turning it to meaty shreds. “It’s her way of using shadow things, like the dogs. She needs darkness.”

“Astute, observation mon amour.” Vivienne praised Faye and felt the rush of pride in her lover and partner. “Amazing as usual, Faye.” Vivienne hacked apart a couple more zombies. “I am of the impression that we need to break her concentration.” She pointed to Denise, “Last time I tried to interfere, there was some bubble around her. Then she slammed me to the ground with power derived from my grave.” Vivienne touched Faye’s chest. “Where it now remains safe and sound.”

Allowing the rush of emotion to take her briefly, Faye lost her own concentration and caught a zombie claw in the shoulder for the lack of attention. “Damn it!” Faye swiped in a ‘Z’ pattern and the zombie fell apart in three sections.

Reflecting for a moment, Vivienne turned to face Denise as she focused on her hellish portals. “Some test, Miss Crow.” Vivienne taunted the necromancer a bit more. “Thoroughly unimpressed.”

Responding with a light laugh, Denise aimed one of her fingers at the breaker box on the side of the barn and let a single bolt of green lighting fly, destroying it and dousing the immediate area back in darkness. “That should take care of that.” Denise howled triumphantly. “Now then, Marion. You wish for a more advanced test?” Denise snapped her fingers and pointed to the dark portal. “If dogs can’t accomplish the mission, let's see what you do with true shadow.” Using her second hand, Denise pulled more zombies from the cemetery. “Let’s keep the other one occupied.”

A single pulse and a deeper than night form pulled itself free of the portal, looking much like a inky version of a person wearing a sheet. Pinpoint red eyes glared out from its shifting rounded head as it traveled without feet across the ground towards Vivienne.

Happy that it had finally stopped raining useless blood and bone, Vivienne looked quickly to Faye and saw her partner’s cat eyes already looking at her. “Meet in the…”

Faye winked and smiled, “..Middle, yes.”

Planting a quick kiss on Faye’s cheek, Vivienne cleared the immediate area of zombies and winked at her lover. “Just a little breathing room, mon amour.” Satisfied that Faye stood a reasonable chance against the line of dead bodies marching at her, Vivienne darted off in the direction of the amorphic specter Denise summoned.

Aware that she was close to the same area where she’d battled Captain Kino, Vivienne honed in on the bones of her opponent and the pile of animal bones for points of reference to Denise and Faye. Movement from her peripheral vision alerted Vivienne exactly where her new opponent was. Just as she was about to confront the shadow, Vivienne caught the smell of ozone. “Watch out!” Vivienne announced in the attempt to warn Faye while she jumped to her right side. Streaking by her in a loud scream, a skull made of obsidian landed on the ground and shattered sending needle like barbs through the area.

Shearing off bits of her nightgown and exposing more of her shapely body, Vivienne was relieved that none of the shards were able to pierce her skin. Moments after her revelation, Vivienne realized that her small triumph was short lived when the specter grabbed her arm and she felt an icy chill numbing her muscles and bones. Immediately thinking to pull away, Vivienne found herself trapped in the paralytic grip that the specter had.

Slowly the feeling crept along the pathways of her nerves, trickling the poison into her body. A drug. Unlike the other concoctions that were meant to distort reality, Vivienne felt the chilled touch reach ever so slightly into her mind and gently tug away her concerns. Dreamily, Vivienne offered the shade her other arm and waited for that initial frosty shock to wear off and allow the sensation of erasure to inch its way through her mind.

No pressure, no fighting. Nothing mattered except the specter and its empty touch.

When a set of cat-like green eyes pushed past the soothing erasure, Vivienne snapped back to herself.. -Another method of control.- Trying once again to free herself from her captor, Vivienne first tried to use blood in the effort to clear the slow moving mass in her body.

Dedicating all that she had left, Vivienne willed the blood to regain control of her arms. While the precious reserve did flow as she asked into her arms, it didn’t allow her to bring any extra strength to the struggle. -This isn’t right. Impossible, blood is everything.- Vivienne juggled the word in her quickly deteriorating mind. -Blood, blood…do I need it?-

Seeing the green eyes fade into saucer-like soulful brown ones hidden behind big round glasses, Vivienne recalled the first time she’d touched the olive cheek and swirled her finger around those smooth features. -Who’s features?- Vivienne stared blankly into the red mirror eyes of her new friend and saw her own half-white, half-blue eyes and marveled at their beauty. -My eyes.- She told herself and let out an audible sigh. -No!- Vivienne suddenly realized she was slowly being consumed, erased and replaced. -It feels so right though. It’s part of me.- Unwilling to be reprogrammed like a computer chip awaiting new instructions, Vivienne found herself holding ground against the specter. -How do I stop this? How can you fight yourself?-

Three millennia of torture and taunting scrolled through Vivienne’s mind, along with each of its utter failures. Vivienne knew that she had been the victor simply because she could anticipate and beat her demon with her own will and mind. -You’ve fought this before. Caged it, kept control of yourself. Fought the fear of being lost.-

Almost as if the shade knew it was going to lose, the beast renewed its force upon its new host. Vivienne felt the arctic darkness yank a recent memory of a dying woman on a large wooden table, with her broken arms wrapped desperately around Vivienne’s neck. When Vivienne felt the precious memory begin to unravel and disappear from her, Vivienne dug within herself and found the one word she knew would save her.

Love. -You can taste it, Vivienne.- A blanket of warmth spread through her body, and aided in her resistance to the shade now bearing down on her, intent to remove all traces of its prey. -Her name is Faye.- Vivienne heard the lovely name echo and imprint itself back into her rapidly blank mind. -Faye Park.- Vivienne repeated her lover’s name non-stop in her head. Faye Park.- Pitch black nothingness gave way and Vivienne felt Faye’s enticing touch on her shoulder, followed by a light kiss from her silky rose like lips. “Mon amour.” Vivienne felt the wintery touch fade away from her body as the specter lost control.

-You can do it.- Vivienne heard Faye’s voice lovingly urge from within her heart.

Jerking her arms free of the inky ghost like form, Vivienne had total control of her body and mind once more. -Now to somehow destroy you.- Devoid of a true light source other than the distant twinkling of stars barely gleaming through the breaks in the dank green cloud,

Vivienne dismissed the idea that light would be of any use to her like it was for Faye.

-The cage.- Vivienne nodded to herself and shifted into her own cloud ghostly darkness. Vivienne’s vampiric cloud swirled and covered the specter like a blanket and closed tightly as though she were intent on smothering the shadow creature. Always the huntress, Vivienne cleverly used her own cloud to imprint her will on the specter, forcing it to assume the likeness of a beast. -Have some company, demon.- Vivienne told her dark beast as she felt the rest of her prey dissipate.

-A play thing other than yourself? How exciting. Did it occur to you that you either made me stronger, or gave it the means to erase me in favor of another?- Her inner dark cackled.

Ignoring the taunts easily, Vivienne shifted back to herself to conserve what blood she had remaining. Blue eyes scanned the small battlefield and she spotted her lover fluidly handling the zombie squads like she didn’t have a care in the world. “Faye.”

Faye answered in kind, “Vivienne.”

“Mon amour.” Vivienne allowed her light French accent to escape her lips.

“Indeed.” Faye giggled and slashed another zombie apart. “Weren’t you the one that said we had all the time in the world?” Faye plucked the eyeballs from another zombie, sending it stumbling away from her.

Darting out from the recesses of the barn, Casey reached the cornfield and stopped in her tracks. “Woah.” Shivering as she spotted the green swirling clouds overhead, Casey called out to her mistress. “Okay, this is creepy as hell, Viv.”

“Ozone!” Vivienne alerted the other two and began moving in random patterns in the attempt to close the distance with Denise.

Unlike the twin vampires, Casey took a second longer to process what she’d heard while digging around in the studio. “Oh!” Casey exclaimed just as the spell flared from Denise in three different directions.

Having spread her fingers wide enough to aim at her three targets, Denise summoned an alternate version of the skull spell she’d used earlier. Unlike before, the pitch was aflame with hellish blue and yellow flames that outlined the three obsidian skulls.

Convinced that her Marion would deftly outmaneuver the spell like before, Denise had aimed it with a slight anticipation of trying to use its concussive force to hamper the ability of the ancient vampire to reach her. Blessed with good fortune, Denise silently clapped when the delay on the explosion worked exactly as she intended. “As much as I am looking forward to your loving embrace again, I can’t have you claim your prize just yet.” Denise waved at her other two opponents, “You sit right there and let me handle this.”

Satisfied with the initial result, Denise focused on the second skull that was orbiting her body and sent it hurling with a mind-numbing screech towards Casey. Pleased when she watched the young ward start running in fear just ahead of the flames, Denise knew that she still had some control over the unfolding battle. “Stage one, now…” She snapped her finger and the second ball of flame erupted and sent its flaming chunks into Casey. “..Stage two complete. Sad to see you go, Casey. You would have been useful.” Music to her ears, Denise clapped once more as she witnessed Casey rolling on the ground as well as desperately trying to pull the shards from her body. “Pop goes the weasel!” Denise quoted another nursery rhyme then continued, “Sorry, Dear. I had to remove your backup supply. It pained me to do so.” Laughing as she pulled the final skull and sent it hurling at Faye, Denise winked at Vivienne. “I have never failed a test, my darling.” Casually directing the flaming orb to her intended target, Denise hummed a few lines of another nursery rhyme.

“...Ring-a-ring-a-roses,
A pocket full of posies,
A-tishoo! A-tishoo! We all fall down!”

Pursing her lips as she watched Faye springboard herself off the chest of a zombie, Denise sighed as the detonation of her flame spell consumed all but a handful of her minions. Frustrated that she’d taken out her own troop set, Denise held up one finger. “You have a nasty way of escaping your bonds.”

Happy that she no longer had to dodge claw-knife swipes from Denise’s zombies, Faye easily landed and bolted for Casey. “I’m coming Casey, I’m coming!”

Having doused the fire that came with the spell, Casey laid flat on her back and began digging the crystal shards from her skin. “Fuck…ow…” Casey muttered and tossed a few bloodied fragments to the ground. “Faye, I…will be..” Casey looked up from her wounds just in time to see Faye crouch. “Um…Faye?” Feeling that her body was still dripping blood from the many tiny holes, Casey slowly managed to get to her feet and begin shuffling backwards.  “Faye?”

Intending to help Casey start regenerating, Faye didn’t expect the sweet aromatic scent of Casey’s blood to make her mouth water. Vaguely aware that she had started to stalk Casey, picked up the various crystal pieces and sucked the blood from them before tossing them uselessly to the ground. “Mmhhmm..fresh.”

“Excuse me? Fresh…oh shit.” Casey held up her hands, “It’s me..I am a ward remember?” Still wincing from the splinters in her body, Casey kept trying to back away, “Come on Faye. You’ve had my blood before and weren’t like this.”

Once she’d finished sniffing out and licking the splinters free of blood, Faye cleared her lips and with a fluid move pounced on Casey, pinning her back on the ground. “More.” Faye plucked a fragment of obsidian from Casey’s shoulder and sucked it clean. “Tantalizing, Casey.” Faye cooed and watched Casey’s blood flow down her arm. Flicking her tongue to capture the crimson flow, Faye traced the little stream back to the hole where it originated. “Almost as chocolate as your eyes, Casey.” Faye slurped and smacked her lips, ending with a little pop.

Casey dropped her hands and flopped on her back, ready to give up. “Faye.” Casey stated factually and turned her neck to the young vampire. “I have been through too much tonight, just do it.”

Flashes of her feedings flashed through her mind rapidly. Images of Drake being torn and eaten vein by vein, the family butchered without hesitation, the few at the little play. -Blood is Everything.- Driven by instinct Fay dropped to her knees and took a deep breath while she watched Casey’s blood pulse softly through her neck. Captured by the sweet scent of iron that was still draining through Casey’s cuts, Faye leaned down and clamped onto Casey’s neck. Four fangs shredded the thin membrane, then retracted to allow the precious platelets to flow right across Faye’s tongue before sliding down her throat. Once the first gulp had settled in her stomach, Faye almost felt the evening of frustration and fight for life that Casey had endured. Pain, suffering, helplessness. -What am I doing?- Faye swirled her tongue over the holes she’d punctured and pulled away from Casey. Rolling to the side, Faye ended up flopping on her back and rubbed her face briefly. “What was I doing?” She sighed.

Casey shifted slightly and winced, “Ow.” She plucked another fragment from her skin. “I don’t know, Faye.” Casey sat up and sighed. “I am glad you figured it out though.” Speaking through her hands, Faye was barely audible. “You aren’t mad?”

“No.” Casey offered and patted Faye on the arm. “I guess it’s a work hazard.” Casey laughed.

“Lovely moment you two, I had hoped you would have killed each other.” Denise offered before snapping her twin portals closed. “However, since you didn’t..” Denise brought her verdant palm to bare, “I have the unique chance to regain some of my expended power.” She winked playfully. “Hold real still you two.” Putrid blobs of mustard yellow mixed with Denise’s green highlight and shot out in the direction of the two girls on the ground. Mid-flight the quivering slimes blended into one another and formed a thin grotesque phlegm-like ring and expanded until the circle was bigger than both Casey and Faye combined. Reaching its full distance, Denise dropped the ring over the two and shot another volt of magic into the ring. Little strands of gooey snot like tendrils jumped from the ring and latched onto different points on both Casey and Faye and began pulsing.

Howls of pain echoed across the field as Vivienne shook off the spell's concussive effects. Casting her blue eyes to her lover and ward, Vivienne spotted the couple writhing in pain as a black strand seemed to be pulsing up and into Denise. Intending to stop the active spell before it consumed them both, Vivienne dashed headlong and aimed for Denise.

Spotting her Marion dashing across the field, Denise smiled to herself and waved her other hand quickly casting a simple protection spell. Dirt covered bones crawled their way out of the ground and weaved their way up to form the latticework of bone and cartilage into a semi-solid wall. “I only need a few seconds, Marion. To do what you wouldn’t.”

Crashing through the wall, Vivienne sent a volley of broken bone and powder slightly ahead of her blurry form. Vivienne spotted a femur among the shards and grabbed it as she exited the other side. Free of both the fractured wall and the remainder of her nightgown, Vivienne raised the makeshift club with the intention of slamming it into Denise’s face when she noticed the fragments bouncing harmlessly off of Denise. Surmising that Denise was now employing the same bubble spell that sent Vivienne to her butt once before, Vivienne came to an abrupt stop within striking distance and studied Denise. -What to do?-

Time answered the question Vivienne posed to herself. Clicks and ticks of clocks fell silent.

Trees stopped their gentle sway because the wind stopped flowing through their branches. Faye and Casey stopped their painful screams, and little critters like crickets stopped chirping, sending the farm into complete silence. The pond water froze in place and finally the green clouds that covered the moon, whisked away and left the huge object free to radiate. Time stood still. Without the vile magic holding it back, moonlight became the only object able to break the hold time had. Light caressed and poured its soft glow and illuminated Vivienne for everyone and everything to see clearly. Wrapped around the ancient vampire, it highlighted her alluring hourglass figure and stuck to her perfect porcelain skin. Bouncing playfully from her silky black hair and spilling down her round and defined muscles, light made Vivienne so enamored in femininity that Aphrodite herself would have knelt before the awe and beauty Vivienne possessed.

Entranced by the light that was clung to her mistress, Casey no longer felt any pain and her concerns about the battle fell away. Casey saw her mistress once again in her forceful attack form, dangerous and visceral. Exposed fangs, the intent look in Vivienne’s elegant blue eyes both aimed for her target without any remorse. Present and past blended within Casey and pulled up the first time she recalled her mistress. Casey had stopped stumbling the second she’d heard Vivienne’s light French accent and spun on her high heel just in time to see her tear off the drummer’s arm, then plunge her long luscious fangs into his neck and drain him on the spot. -I should have been mortified then. Why didn’t I scream?- Casey’s heart pounded in her chest recalling the rest of the encounter. -I couldn’t leave. I needed her, needed to know more.- Without thinking about it, Casey once more saw herself stumble-stepping her way to Vivienne sitting with elegance on the bench where she’d just killed Ken moments before. Belladonna. Nightshade. -Yes, I knew and I tossed my keys anyway.- Casey’s memory faded away with the lingering embrace Vivienne and her shared just before Casey kissed her. Bound by aesthetics, captured by bite. Casey felt her body tingle as a little clock in her mind resumed ticking. “What are you doing Rivers?” Casey whispered.

Passing Marion’s test faded to the far reaches of Denise’s mind as she stared helplessly at her model once again. Years peeled away from Denise and she felt herself awestruck as she was the first time her model laid her blue eyes on her. -She’s yours.- Comforted by the thought, Denise’s artistic flair conjured up a bottle of champagne where the two laughed and struggled over who would open the thick green bottle, shaking it in the process. -Pop!- Silently laughing as she saw the cork fly across their bedroom, Denise managed to aim sparkling spray at her Marion. Rivers of glittery light bubbles bathed Marion in its fragrant juice sticking to her magnificent curves, and matting down her long black hair as though a small rain cloud had chosen to sacrifice itself to make her model glisten. -My art. My model. My Marion. My vision.- Memory and desire replaced the need to complete the test, and Denise felt the power of her magic free itself from time once more. “Marion.” Denise took a step forward and cupped Marion’s cheek, letting the moonlight waver between them for a moment. “Test finished my darling. We have lots more to do, and this..” Denise waved her hand between herself and Vivienne. “...is getting us nowhere. Come find me when you are ready.” Enjoying the moonlight a second longer, Denise snapped her finger and disappeared from the battlefield in a puff of green smoke.

Warmth flooded through Faye’s veins, when her cat-like green eyes settled on the woman she loved. -Incredible.- Faye thought as her mind roamed free through her new vampiric mind. She’d seen the bright red Lamborghini cruise into the hotel’s small roundabout. Recalling Vivienne’s sea blue eyes locked directly onto her, Faye only felt unbridled and unchained love pouring from the goddess that stood before her. -Beauty is only skin deep.- Faye felt her heart pound hopelessly in her chest. -So much loneliness behind your blue eyes.- Faye’s memory silently breezed beyond their gentle introduction. Faye swam in the memory of Vivienne and her mere centimeters from each other, love already dancing between them freely. -Just touch me, let me warm your heart as you’ve warmed mine.- When the soft internal plea was answered by Vivienne cupping Faye’s cheek, Faye nestled within the touch and knew that was the moment where the two were inescapably devoted to each other. -Oh, Vivienne. Thank you for letting me show you the beauty of love and compassion.- Faye felt their love push the memory back and nestle in her heart, making her undead heart tingle and thump for a few seconds as she returned to the present. “Mon amour.” Faye repeated

Vivienne’s line and felt a blood soaked tear run the length of her face before darting to Vivienne and embracing her as tight as she could. “Viv..my love.” Faye cupped Vivienne’s cheeks in her hands. “Snap out of it, come back to me.” Faye once more pressed her lips to Vivienne’s.

Thousands of memories scrolled through Vivienne’s mind. Opportunities that she’d missed along the way, the feeling that she could have loved before. The few faces that stopped to give her consideration, merely floated away having felt like the piece didn’t fit the puzzle. Mon amour, the puzzle is complete. -I am complete.- Vivienne felt the burn in her throat recede when the memory of the bronze bowl touched her lips and she was able to taste and bond with the last vestiges of Faye’s living body. -Love drove us both from dreams into reality.- Dreams and memories stopped passing through Vivienne and she slowly came back to the feeling of Faye wrapped tightly in her arms. “Faye.” Vivienne lightly breathed and brushed the hair from her lover's green eyes. “Mon amour, I am with you.” Vivienne pressed her to Faye’s relishing their softness against her own. “Forever.” Vivienne let herself meld into Faye. “I have been with you, even when you hid behind your glasses but didn’t want to.”

Clutching Vivienne tighter, Faye nuzzled herself between Vivienne’s small bare breasts. “You saw me and I saw you.” Faye turned and kissed Vivienne’s neck gently. “Thank you.”

“I hate to break up the moment.” Casey slowly walked up while rubbing her head. “I feel dizzy and ache all over.” Casey slowly stretched and cracked her neck. “Whatever that last thing she did, I am not able to recover fast. It was like she drained me.”

Faye turned in Vivienne’s arms, keeping the ancient vampire covered by her own body and then looked at Casey. “I felt it as well. I just feel like I used a lot of blood really.”

A light chuckle escaped Vivienne’s lips as she enjoyed Faye’s body blocking her nude form. “Being modest for us both, Mon amour?” Vivienne draped her arms over Faye’s shoulders and pulled her tight. “I will find something to wear.” She kissed Faye’s neck. “That means you have to turn me loose.”

Casey sat down on the corn and tried to rub the ache from her muscles. “I could have sworn I was on to something.” She watched Vivienne start looking around in the barn. “My mother is just like Denise. Obsessed with art. It's both a blessing and a curse.”

Faye admired Vivienne’s nearly bare ass with a sigh, before helping Casey back to her feet. “Help me out with what you are thinking.”

“It is something that I have seen from the few artists I have seen.” Casey hesitated, “I mean there are varying degrees to this, but overall, there is always a piece that they create which is the most valuable to them, and would die to preserve it.” She pointed to the barn, “After seeing the studio, I could have sworn we could have used something in there to give us leverage against Denise.”

Faye pointed to the tattered remains of the barn. “Could it have been in there?”

Casey shrugged and kicked a few ears of corn, “No telling at this point. I guess it’s possible.” She paused, “I felt like after seeing and hearing her a bit, I might have gotten a feeling of what it was.” Casey heard a little tweet from a bird and looked up to see a bluejay circling around her and Faye. “Welcome back.”

Flapping her tiny blue and white wings, Sylvie finished her playful circle around the two and then seamlessly shifted from the small bird into her Native American form. “Thank you, Miss Casey.”

“I smell blood.” Faye immediately chimed. “Please tell me that you have it in your pack there.” Faye sniffed the air hungrily.

Nodding and smiling, Sylvie flipped the rucksack from her back and set it on the ground. “Lot’s to go around, Help yourself.”

Casey glared at Sylvie, “You just took off.” she exclaimed in a huff, “While I was talking I might add.”

“I followed these.” Sylvie held out the dog tags she’d found on Captain Kino’s body. “It’s a small but strange story if we still have time.”