Kravimik leads us back through the maze of hallways and into what appears to be a breakroom. He flips on the light.

Damn, there was electricity this whole time? Why were we sneaking around in the dark?

Kravimik stalks over to the refrigerator and opens it to remove three cans. He hands them to us. 

"Sparkling water," he says, cracking his open and taking a big gulp.

I stare down at the drink in my hand in confusion. It's raspberry lemonade. "Where did you get this?"

"I stole it. Along with my other provisions."

He leans out of the way so I can look into the fridge. Is full to the brim. Most of its contents are packages of meat but he has a whole shelf dedicated to sparkling water.

"And no one spotted you?"

He gives me an assessing look. "An Ogre has many weapons at his disposal."

"So then you killed whomever saw you?" Eko demands, setting his untouched drink on the round table in the middle of the room.

"There are scalpels and there are swords. Both are tools that can be used." Kravimik says, crushing his empty can between his hands and taking another.

"Is that what you used on those children?"

Kravimik sits in one of the scattered chairs and it groans under his considerable weight. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Kravimik," I interrupt.

"You can call my Vimmy," he grins over his sparkling water, "You earned as much."

The size of his tusks makes me want to shudder and I wonder how he can talk around them.

"Vimmy, then. Vimmy, we came here to ask for your help."

He considers me. "You can ask but I make no promises."

"We need your obsidian blade." Eko interjects.

Kravimik, Vimmy, laughs. "And what, pray tell, do you need that for?"

We do our best to explain. It takes a while since every time I try to tell the story Eko interrupts and every time Eko tries to tell the story he leaves out important details. The whole time, Vimmy doesn't say a word, just watches us as we stumble through.

When we finish he takes his time, considering everything we've said.

When he finally speaks, his words catch me off guard. "So it was you that caused the prison break. They'll execute you for that without a doubt."

My mouth hangs open. "I- well I- that is-"

"And you," he continues, turning to Eko, "Nailed to the wall? What'd you do to deserve that?"

Eko scoffs, "You mean to imply you went unscathed in the bowels of that prison?"

"Their worst crime was my clothing."

He gestures to his loincloth and in doing so it shifts. I quickly look away.

"Oh, come now, little succubus," He says, his deep voice sending a shiver down my spine, "There's no need to feign modesty."

"How did you-?"

"I imagine any of the members of the seal would know what you are," he reaches out and runs a finger down the length of my arm.

Eko is so fast he's a blur as he smacks Vimmy's hand away from me. "Do not touch her."

"Staking your claim, big boy?"

He doesn't seem mad, though, and there's a hint of a laugh in his voice.

When Eko doesn't respond he turns back to me. "If you ever get bored of this one I'm a very patient Ogre."

"I think we're getting a little off track," I say, keeping my tone calm. "About that obsidian blade..."

At first I think Vimmy is just reaching up to scratch his arm but the dark ink of the tattoos there stretch and bend as he touches them. His hand disappears into his skin for a second and emerges holding a foot long blade of black stone. The place where he took it is now devoid of ink. Just an empty green blotch against a mosaic of black art.

"You're free to use it but it won't do you any good. It can make the cut but I don't have the kind of power you'll need to take out the device."

"It can cut through the box," Eko says.

"Scalpels and swords, my boy. You need a scalpel and all I can offer is a sword. Something like this needs a much lighter touch. I hear Amaelia is in town. Maybe give her a ring."

It strikes me how casually modern Vimmy's speech is.

"You know, you're not what I expected," I tell him.

He grins. "I aim to please."

Suddenly, the lights go out. All the hair on my body stands on end. "Do you feel that?"

Before I can get the words out Vimmy is on his feet. "Intruders."

His magic leaves his body like a fog, spreading fast and far. The fear it carries doesn't affect me but I can see Eko stiffen from the corner of my eye.

"Follow close, stay quiet."

We creep down through the factory as soundlessly as we can. Silently, from the shadows of his own skin, Vimmy pulls a sword. We reach the large room with the conveyor belt and Vimmy signals us to stay behind him. We creep along the edge, hiding in the dark. We've almost made it to the other side when the first arrow flies.

"Down!" Vimmy commands and I hit the deck.

Vimmy slices the incoming arrows in half with his mighty sword and we manage to escape the first volley unscathed. As they load their second arrows, we run. Vimmy pushes us through the door first, using his massive body to block the next onslaught of arrows. We race down the hall, following Vimmy's directions as he shouts at us from behind. Left, right, right, straight. Then, we're careening through a door and we're back out in the alley.

I fumble with my keys. I manage to click the button and the black sedan beeps.

"Get in," I yell and we all pile into the car.

Eko takes the front seat and Vimmy stuffs himself into the back. He barely fits even lying down. My tires screech as I tear out of the alley and into the street.

"He's been hit," Eko informs me.

I glance back. An arrow sticks out of Vimmy's gut.

"Enchanted arrows," Vimmy grunts, "They knew what they were doing."

Movement in my rearview mirror catches my attention. Four identical black SUVs pile onto the road behind me.

"Hold on, everyone," I say as I floor it.

I take turn after turn, flying down alleys and weaving between cars. The SUVs keep gaining on me. These are my roads, though, and no one knows them better than me.

"When I say 'get down' everybody get down."

I speed through a red light and make a sharp left. Out of sight of the SUVs for no more than a second, I squeal into a parking garage, pull into a spot between two sedans identical to mine, and turn the car off.

"Get down!"

We all duck.

I peek through the window and watch as four black SUVs go tearing past. I wait for several agonizing minutes before turning the car back on and pulling out of the spot. I take a circuitous route home, doubling and tripling back on myself to make sure no one is following. When I'm certain we don't have a tail I take us back to my parking garage.

Vimmy won't let us help him up to the apartment. He insists he's fine despite the massive amount of dark blue blood he's left in my backseat. Once in the apartment he eases himself into a chair. I examine the wound.

The arrow has gone right through his stomach and the smell wafting off of him lets me know it's perforated his bowels.

I shake my head. "I can't treat this. We need to get you to a hospital."

Vimmy growls at me. "No hospitals."

Eko comes back with my first aid kit and hands it to me. "You are a physician," he tells me.

"Correct but even I can't fix a perforated bowel with some gauze and antiseptic. He needs a hospital."

"And if I refuse to go?" Vimmy asks.

"Then you'll get sepsis and die."

Vimmy nods. "A warrior's death." He turns to Eko. "Too bad you can't use your magic, old friend. You could have healed me in an instant." he pauses. "Or maybe she could do it instead."

His eyes turn to me and I furrow my brows in confusion.

"You're a succubus. You can take his magic and use it to heal me. I saw you wield mine, you could do the same with his."

I frown and shake my head. "That was instinctual, I didn't have to try to use your magic. It just sort of happened."

"Well then it's a good thing you have a teacher to show you how it's done," he says, gesturing to Eko.

"She does not know how to control her magic," Eko says, "It could just as well do more harm than good."

"Well it isn't up to you and it's a risk I'm willing to take."

I hesitate. "I don't know. Eko's right. I've never done this before. It could be a disaster."

Vimmy leans forward and grunts in pain. "Let me make this easy for you. Either you heal me or I die. Which do you prefer?"

"Or, and hear me out here, you go to the hospital."

"If I go to the hospital, The Arc will find me and kill me. So again, the options are to heal me or I die."

"I know a doctor who could help. He's very discreet. He took out Eko's dampener." I try.

"No more stalling. Heal me or I die."

"Jesus! Fine!" I throw my hands up in defeat.

I turn to Eko who sighs. "And if she can heal you will you allow us to use your blade when it is time?" he asks.

Vimmy nods. "You have my word."

"Alright."

Eko takes my hand and begins leading me down the hallway towards my bedroom.

"Where are we going?' I ask.

"To complete our task in the privacy of your chambers," he replies.

"Oh, come on!" Vimmy calls after us, "A dying man doesn't get to watch?"

Eko closes the door behind us a little harder than he needs to.

He turns and takes me stiffly into his arms. His face is creased in a frown.

"Shall we begin?" he asks.

"You really know how to make a girl swoon," I say nervously.

He leans towards me, his eyes closing and his lips puckering. Panicking, I step out of his embrace.

"I think I just need a second to prepare," I say, fanning myself. "It's just a lot of pressure, you know?"

I pace back and forth across the room while he watches.

"It was kind of a crazy day, too, right?" I continue, nervous energy carrying me around the room. "He attacked us out of nowhere, saying he was going to eat us. Then I guess I earned his respect by fighting him. Then we get attacked! Who were those people, by the way? The Arc? Must be. And now he expects me to heal him. But I didn't even know I could use the magic I ate until you told me that story about that psycho succubus who stole the kingdom. This is all just kind of insane and I think I'm freaking out. They shot at us, for God's sake! Arrows, not bullets, but still."

Eko grabs my elbow and pulls me to a stop. He searches my face for a second before pulling me into a hug.

"I didn't ask for this," I murmur into his chest. "I just wanted to get out of jail so they wouldn't find out what I am." I laugh and shake my head. "A fucking succubus."

The laugh turns into a sob and fat tears roll down my cheeks.

"I know," Eko whispers, "I know. I did not mean to drag you into this world. I apologize."

"It isn't your fault," I sniff, my voice muffled by his sweatshirt, "I couldn't just let you die there. I don't regret saving you. I just didn't know it was going to be this involved."

He holds me and we stand there in silence until my tears subside.

I wipe my tears and snot away on the sleeve of my sweatshirt and give him a weak smile. "Should we start making out now?"

He chuckles. "If it is all the same to you, my lady, I think it would be best if this time you fed without the kiss."

I laugh. "I think you might be right."

I pull him back into a hug so our bodies are close. He opens his magic to me and I begin to feed. The heady flavor washes over my tongue and I sigh as it spills into me, healing the cuts and bruises from my earlier brawl.

"You were amazing today, my lady," He whispers into the silence.

I smile, burrowing my face deeply into his chest so he can't see. "I think that might be the first compliment you've ever given me."

"Do not grow accustomed to it."

It takes a while but eventually Eko deems the amount I've taken to be sufficient. When we emerge from the bedroom Vimmy isn't where we left him. Instead, he's wandering around my apartment, clutching the arrow sticking out of his stomach and leaving a trail of blue blood in his wake.

"What do you think you're doing?" I demand, rushing over to him and leading him back to his seat.

"You took such a long time and I was bored," he grumbles.

"You could bleed out!"

He rolls his eyes at me. "Unlikely."

Indeed, examining his wound I find it to be almost completely clotted. Only a small trickle of blood seeps from it. I gather my supplies.

I begin cleaning the area.

"So are all of your tattoos magic?" I ask as I dab at the wound.

His body is so covered in tattoos it's impossible to tell what's skin and what's ink. It's a collection of hundreds of individual pieces, each one so intricate they must have taken hours.

He nods. "Although not always in the same way."

I examine them and point to the one right above the arrow wound.

"What does this one do?" I ask.

It's a man's face.

He chuckles. "I think you'll like that one. If you like I can show you a bit late-"

While he's distracted I snap the arrow on one side and pull it free. He cries out in shock and pain. Then, I quickly cover the exposed wound with gauze in preparation for the outpouring of blood. It's unnecessary, though, as it only oozes slightly.

Vimmy grips the arm of the chair so hard I think he's going to crush it.

"Okay, Eko," I beckon him over, "Now's your time to shine. What do I do?"

He instructs me to put my hands on either side of the wound and close my eyes.

"You have to reach inside of yourself to the place where the magic lives." He lightly brushes his fingers across my solar plexus. "Here. Focus your mind on this spot and, when you are ready, let the magic flow down your arms and into the wound."

Following his instructions, I touch the dark void of my stomach. The spot that's never full. Magic is roiling there and it shrinks away under my touch. I coax it like I do with my stones. It resists, at first but I'm persuasive and eventually it yields to me. My arms tingle as the magic flows down them

"I think I'm doing it," I say excitedly.

"Well done," Eko breathes. "Now this is the difficult bit. You must command the magic to do your bidding. Tell it what must be done. Mend the tissue in your mind."

I try to clear my mind, to focus on the task at hand. It's harder than it sounds and my heart feels like it's going to break out of my chest.

"Focus," Eko says in my ear, "And whatever you do, think of nothing but fixing the wound."

What if I don't? I think and my mind turns to memories of the surgeries I've done, the wounds I've stitched up. A particularly nasty one pops into my head involving a gunshot wound to the belly.

Vimmy screams.

My eyes fly open and I watch in horror as the skin under my hands bubbles and morphs, taking on the shape of that wound.

"Close your eyes," Eko commands, "Focus your mind."

I turn to look at him, pleading with my eyes. "I can't do it!"

He places his hands over my eyes and his body presses against mine.

"You can do this," he soothes, "You must focus, visualize, and, I cannot believe I am going to say this, above all else you must believe."

Whimpering, I do as he says. My mind goes black. I imagine myself doing the surgery. It's one I've performed numerous times. The layers of tissue and their names float across my mind, the type of sutures. It plays like a movie. When I'm certain my mind won't waver, I command the magic. The skin grows hot under my hands and I focus on it. I know the second it's finished.

My eyes fly open and I gasp. The skin that's left there looks like it's never been touched. Even the tattoo that the arrow pierced is whole again.

I jump to my feet. "I did it! I did it!"

I can't help myself, I bounce up and down. "Eko, did you see? I did it!"

He bows his head in acknowledgement. "Yes, my lady, I saw."

"Do you know what this means?" I squeal in excitement. "If I can use your powers I can be the one who takes out the box!"

Eko laughs. "Goodness, no."

I deflate a little. "Why not? You saw what I just did."

"And it was exceptional. Truly I was unsure whether or not you would succeed but it seems to have come relatively naturally. But you must understand, this was a fairly simple matter and you would not have accomplished it had you not spent many years as a physician."

"So what?" I say defensively, "The box is inside of you, it's basically a surgery and I'm a surgeon."

"Perhaps but how many times have you performed a surgery such as the one you just did?" He asks.

"A couple dozen probably. I'm not sure."

"And how many times have you performed surgery on a Vastura?"

"A what?"

"Exactly."

"You were going to let him cut into you with a knife made of tattoos but it's crazy for me, a literal surgeon, to give it a go?"

"His magic gives him control over a blade that you could only dream of! He could slice the whiskers off a mouse at a hundred yards! And he has had several thousand years to perfect his art. You are what, a quarter of a century old? You were a surgeon for a handful of years at best."

"I'm older than I look!"

"Well, I would like someone who is at least millennia old to make the cut. Are you a millennia old, succubus?"

I sputter. "Obviously not!"

"Then I do not wish to hear another word from you on the matter. Now, I am going to locate the small creature and stroke her fur to soothe my nerves after a long day." He points to Vimmy. "He should leave now."

He turns and walks off.

"He'll leave when I say so!" I yell after him.

He doesn't reply, just slams my bedroom door shut behind him.

I ball my fists up and resist screaming at him.

How dare he! In my own home! And then to take my cat!

Vimmy interrupts my angry thoughts with some bad news of his own. "I know this probably isn't the time but since you saved my life I technically can't leave until I've repaid my debt. It's an Ogre thing."

I really do scream then.