~

Maybe it's just a daydream

Cause I've been feeling like I'm floating above the rooms I'm in

Wake up, what a night

The perfect night to sink into the floor and die

~

The house seemed more quiet and eerie than when they'd first arrived. It probably didn't help that there was a chill from the open hole in the side of the house from my earlier escape attempt. 

His fingers dropped from my chin to deftly remove the cuffs. "Don't bother escaping. I did a few magical upgrades to keep vampire-werewolf Servants in."

Tempest pocketed the cuffs, turning to walk the opposite way of the study where Francesca did her star-reading.

I followed him down the corridor where there were two empty rooms. One was well lived in while the other was a guest bedroom.

"You'll stay here." he pointed to the beach themed bedroom. "I'll be right across if you need anything."

I smiled viciously. "Don't count on me coming in to save you from night terrors."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he snapped back, walking briskly to the study.

I kept a close eye on him, searching for any weaknesses or faults in his armor. But he was impeccable with his defense, despite knowing that it wasn't possible for me to attack him.

Mom always told me it was to prevent Servant Reapers from harvesting the souls of others too early. 

"So that's your plan- just kill all of us? Do you even have a guarantee that Grimm will accept the souls?" I leaned against the doorjamb, watching as he sank into a chair and poured over even more magic books.

He didn't answer.

"Okay, then what about any guarantee that Francesca will be out of her comatose state?"

He paused, looked up, then sent a gust of wind from his palm that slammed the door in front of my face.

"Someone didn't think from all angles!" I sang through the door, rolling my eyes. 

I headed down to the kitchen and hoped that something would be enough for me. The fridge was stocked with an assortment of vegetables. Not even a pack of bacon. 

Was he a vegetarian? 

Further inspection revealed that he had oat milk. 

"He's vegan." I said out loud, dumbfounded. 

Most werewolves adored meat. In fact, Stark hunted rabbits for a special stew Mom loved every time her birthday rolled around. 

I slipped my tongue over my teeth. Canines were retracted, but the vampire incisors were still down. Hopefully the spinach in the fridge would be enough iron to satisfy the urges. 

I spun around with the container of spinach only to drop it at the sight in front of me.

Auguste was in the living room, with Anya.

She gave a small wave that seemed almost timid. "Hello, anata."

Auguste turned his head around to see me. "I see his plan worked." 

So those two were in on it too. 

I reached down to pick up the spinach because what the fuck else was I going to do?

When I glanced up, Auguste was entering the study no doubt to speak with Tempest. Anya, however, decided to seat herself at one of the stools by the island.

"I find Child Assassin to be quite a sad epithet." she stated as I tossed a chunk of the spinach into a bowl.

"I find trying to murder me for Erebus killing Uncle Mikhail quite a sad pursuit." I managed cooly.

Her back straightened in her yukata, right folded over left. It seemed, wrong. "Devanna's daughter killed him."

"He murdered his mate, and her entire pack." 

"Rosalie wasn't his mate." she dismissed. "He was a Royal, Royals don't have mates. And you know that was Erebus who forced his hand."

"My parents are mates." I shot back. "And your statement just proves that it's Erebus you need to go after. Not the other legacies."

She looked miffed. "Your parents are an exception to a very ancient rule."

I plucked a lemon vinagrette and chopped some vegetables to toss in the impromptu salad. 

"And what happens to Francesca when this is all over? I hardly doubt a rogue Reaper is going to hold up his end of the bargain." 

Anya smiled. "The Storm Prince will be rewarded for his efforts. I studied herbal magic when I was younger, I know just how to wake her up. But perhaps you shouldn't be worried about us hurting him, but you."

"What do you mean?" I poked at the salad with a fork.

She leaned forward, as if whispering a juicy tidbit. "Spinach isn't a very good substitution for blood."

She left me alone in the counter once Auguste came down the stairs. He settled a hand on her waist and they blurred away like a mirage in the Egyptian heat. I stared down at my salad, realizing that I hadn't taken a bite of it at all.

~

After wrapping the salad and I went to the beach bedroom. Tempest had left the bag with my clothes at the foot of the bed. I didn't really purchase sleepwear, so I set out one of the thicker, looser Henleys to wear with a pair of cheeky underwear for bed after my shower.

I soaked in the bathtub, pricking at my skin to see the line of burgundy appear before healing up instantaneously. Vampire blood was purple- the older you were, the lighter the shade of purple. Mom had told me about one of her first encounters with a vampire, how she'd seen the lilac blood trickle through the window of the car.

I sank my body deeper until the water hit the bridge of my nose. I really missed them. I knew it was too much of me to hope that Uncle Castor got my message and would bring the Lycan Pack to save me, because right now even I couldn't find a way to weasel out of this mess. 

Tempest knew we were gathering at Kristos' house. If Uncle Castor didn't relay the message to move the Royals to the Sicilian, then Kristos would be leading the Royals to their death like lambs to the slaughter.

Dragging myself out of the tub, I towel dried my blond hair and stared in the mirror. The webbing on my cheeks was fainter now. I was glad that my eyes weren't pure silver like that last time I'd looked into a mirror. I didn't need a repeat freak out that lead to my hand getting embedded with shards of glass.

I slipped the Henley sweater on after utilizing the very convenient dental packet providing in the sink cabinets, noticing the air was even crisper than before now that the sun had begun to set, leaving the cool night window to blow throughout the house robbing what little warmth the bath provided.

"Alright." I sat down at the edge of my bed and closed my eyes. "Time to get some practice in."

I focused on what Kendra had told me about reaching towards my power, understanding just what it was. Since I had free time to spare tonight, this would be the perfect opportunity for me to settle into my inner thoughts and figure out what was going on in my body. 

I reached down deep, imagining a well this time. No fire comes from a well, so hopefully that visualization would lead me to the river Mom is always talking about when she speaks about the Lycan-turning power.

Once again I teetered on the edge of the frosty expanse that cut me off with yet another current of fire. 

I could feel it, just beyond my grasp. The cold feeling must've been the power to turn werewolves into Lycans. What I didn't understand was why the flames kept blocking my access to it. 

My mind pulled me out at the sound of a loud groan from Tempest's room.

I held myself back from jumping at his door.

"Not your friend." I muttered to myself as I paced back at forth. "He deserves those stupid night terrors."

I don't like to be alone, he'd admitted the first night they spent together.

"Oh fuck me," I rolled my eyes and flung open my door. 

His room door was shut but I swung it open to see his body sleeping on a cloud in the middle of the room with a dark blue sheet draped over his waist. 

Multiple storm clouds were all over the room at different heights. I took a pillow and threw it ontop of one of the clouds. It supported the weight of the pillow fine. I jumped on that cloud, then another, then another, until I'd finally reached the ring of clouds circling Tempest. 

The clouds got darker and darker as he tossed and turned, brows furrowed. I made the last jump onto the large cloud that hovered high above his bed.

I knelt beside him, shaking his shoulder. "Tempest? Wake up, you're have another night terror."

My heartstrings ripped out of my chest when I heard the faintest whine come from him. 

"Goddess help me." I murmured, reaching down to press my thumb between his brows, as if I could smooth the tense muscle.

His body visibly relaxed, and the clouds lightened up a shade. I kept my ministrations going, circling my fingers around his temples. 

I whispered sweet soothing words until his body melted into my hands and the clouds had turned bright white, almost glowing in the moonlight cast in from the window. 

"I really hate you," I said softly, my tone kind but my words harsh. "And I right now I could just tear your jugular with my teeth. String together your organs into an edible arrangement and send it to Auguste and Anya with a personalized card that says fuck off  in French. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

My fingers combed through his dark loose curls. With a gentle enough pressure, I pulled his head to the left and climbed astride him. His brow furrowed again but I grabbed his hands and pinned them on either side of his head, locked in place by my grip on his wrists.

"You know, a part of me has always been curious if Kristos is right. If my bloodlust can be solved with my drinking your blood. I've never had blood before, my Prince." I kissed his brow gently. "And the beautiful thing is you can't stop me with a command since you're asleep."

A purring noise from his chest, echoing in the rumbling as the clouds around them became stringy, like stratus clouds. 

"Just. One. Bite." I slipped my mouth over the artery along his neck and clicked my heart-shaped fangs straight into this throat.