Samantha had been shaken by that sinister note that had been dropped by her feet that night by something invisible. She knew Lavina was no witch but the abnormality of the situation struck her.

There were so many things about Lavina that never made any sense to her.

Such as the fact that the woman had been remarkably sweet towards her since the past few days, almost as if she hadn't sent that note at all. But to Samantha, there was no other person who could have sent that note until or unless anyone from the Talons knew who she was and had a similar goal of protecting the Gray Son.

"Sam, darling, I am so glad you dropped by today," Lavina had entered the living room and Samantha looked up, schooling her expression into a soft smile.

"How have you been?" She asked, watching the woman take her usual seat beside her, "you weren't there at the last meeting and I thought you must have been either very busy or very tired not to come."

Lavina nodded, "ah yes, I have been busy and tired both. But that doesn't matter. Tell me, what brings you here?"

"I wanted to check up on you."

"Sweet. And...?" Her observant eyes were focused on the younger woman, fully aware that there had to be another reason behind the visit.

"And I wanted to know if you have any idea what this is," she took out the note from her purse and handed it to her.

"Oh..." She took the note and Samantha carefully observed her reaction, wanting to know whether or not she was the one who had sent the note.

But if she had really sent the note, she wouldn't have been that unfrazzled. Nevertheless, Lavina was a woman of many talents, the foremost of which was deception.

"I have no idea, dear, is that a threat?"

"What does it look like?"

"Did you do something you shouldn't have?" Lavina had returned the note, her owl like eyes meeting Samantha's bluish grey irises in a skeptical gaze.

It was shocking how her expression had changed completely, from that of not knowing what the note was to an almost meaningful stare.

"I did what I thought best for myself and the Court," she gave a vague reply, looking away from that piercing gaze.

"Without even discussing it with me?" She shook her head, a slow smile breaking out on her face, "I feel really left out right now. And I don't like being left out of things that directly concern me. You know that very well."

"I... I don't know if I can trust you anymore, Lavina." Samantha didn't know herself why she was being honest with the woman. Perhaps it was something in the way she looked at her that made her want to tell her how she felt.

Even if it could be a threat to her own self later on.

"You put me in situations that make me doubt you, my own self and everyone else I am surrounded by," she resumed, crumpling the note in her hand, "you make me so frustrated... I can't trust you even if I wanted to."

Lavina's hand reached out to gently cup her cheek, noticing that Samantha hadn't flinched at the touch, "you had never trusted me before either. And I won't ask you to since the one time you did trust me, I ruined it myself."

She knew Lavina was referring to the night she had first kissed her. And though back then that night had made no sense to Samantha whatsoever, at the moment she felt as if that too had been an attempt to manipulate her into getting trapped further in Lavina's sinister webs.

"Just answer me one thing. Did you or did you not sent this?"

"I sent you this note," she answered at last though Samantha had not been expecting her to tell her the truth, "and this is not a threat, it's a warning."

"But why?" She was thinking whether the talons had informed Lavina about Richard being kept a captive or not.

There was no other way she could have found out and deep down it stung that even though she was the Head, Lavina held more power over the Talons.

"I told you not to get so interested in the Gray Son because I don't want you to get hurt. You never listen, do you?" Lavina remarked breezily, paying no heed to the changing expressions on the younger woman's face, "a warning was overdue then. You even got him hurt when you are fully aware that he is very important to me, what else did you expect from me to do?"

Samantha felt a shudder go down her spine because even though the woman in front of her was smiling, the words she had spoken were icy cold. She didn't reply instead she asked what had been plaguing her for long, "how did you get into my room that night?"

"I didn't," the smile hadn't faltered from her face, "I sent a messenger."

Her eyes flickered in unease, "who?"

"An owl, sweetheart, I sent an owl to you in classic old fashion," she laughed, "next I assume you would be asking whether I'm a witch so I might answer it for you already; I'm not."

"You're making me frustrated even now," Samantha looked at her that once, turning her face away from her hand, "sometimes it feels as if you intentionally push me to the limits seeing how long it would take for me to explode."

"You sure have gotten twice smarter than you were before you became the Head," Lavina shrugged nonchalantly, "I don't intentionally push you to the limits, however. You just have an awful habit of going against things I tell you."

"Because I am not your puppet."

"Those words are terribly familiar, aren't they?" Lavina's sinister smile widened, "you're not a puppet nor a doll. You're jut someone I am fond of and want to keep out of trouble. But you go looking for trouble yourself. Say, what else do I do to stop you then?"

"You are not fond of me..." She looked away, not wanting to gaze into those irresistible eyes. She did not want to give the elder woman any sort of power over her.

"If I weren't, you would have been in the same place as Lincoln after all you've done."

"And this too isn't a threat but a warning?" Her voice had a trace of ridicule, bluish grey eyes burning slightly.

She shrugged, "think what you want to. I won't be elaborating further."

Her eyes shifted in irritation as she asked, "what exactly do you want from me?"

Lavina watched the anger and frustration radiate off her and chose not to reply just then instead she pondered on the last question. What did she want from her?

Nothing.

"Sam, darling, I want nothing from you except a little cooperation," she spoke up softly after she was sure that the rage inside her had faltered a bit, "I just want you to stop interfering in things that are my responsibility."

"Why didn't you become the Head yourself if you're so fond of taking every responsibility? Why give me the post when you still keep the power in your hands?"

Lavina stood up and that in itself was an indication that she was leaving and it was the end of their meeting, "I have my reasons, that's all I can tell you as of now."

"You will never tell me anything and keep me searching wildly for answers on my own..."

She turned to look at her briefly, "I would have told you but it turns out that I don't find you trustworthy either."

"Lavina..."

"It's getting late, dear, you should go back now," she cut her short as if not wanting to hear any further, "as for you searching for answers, I would suggest you to stop. You're only going to endanger yourself further and believe me, both of us wouldn't want things to come to that point."

***