Archive of Our Own ^beta

Vampire AU

You stand at the threshold

of my realm,

The scent of my asphodels

on your skin

What else are you here,

If not to offer yourself

to me?

—Captive in the Underworld—

   Often, she lost the track of time, whenever a new case emerged. Her brain seemingly did not know how to stop working, pondering the shreds of evidence that she pinned in her large corkboard. She usually worked in many kinds of cases from murder, robbery, drugs, and terrorism, to petty crimes such as shoplifting, or minor sexual offense. Some cases were like a jigsaw puzzle. Even though she was born intelligent, investigation always took time. Her job demanded her to stay above her wit, to look deeper beyond the surface. Since she was younger, she already had a keen interest in true crime. The same thing that led her to land her dream job, to become a sheriff, and delivered justice, even when the sky fell.

   She got a new puzzle recently, a string of murders, and a serial killer on the loose, elusive enough to hide. She stared emptily at her board. The evidence she managed to gather from the crime scenes and the victims. So far, they were already five victims, all of them were prostitutes, died in a gruesome manner, disemboweled, and mutilated. They were found in chronological order, and there was an interval of days from the first killing to the next. According to the forensics, their uteruses were gone, leaving the bloodied carcasses to rot. It was easy to point out the initial motif, revenge. Though, she kept herself skeptical, until she found enough evidence to find the culprit. The suspected killer left a letter, signed with blood, probably from their victim's blood. It was like a taunt, to show how great they were in slaughtering the victims. Frankly speaking, prostitution was forbidden by law in Piltover. But still, there was always a loop in the system that went unmonitored, like a spider web, hidden within the plain sight.

   Her subordinates pointed out that the killer might come from the Undercity, the core of all evil. And there was a heated debate that both victim and perpetrator were coming from the same place since prostitution was illegal in the Upper city. But again, it was not difficult to point a finger down, at people that were considered lower in status. Caitlyn idly dragged her feet to her desk, leaning her back on her armchair. Her cup of tea already went cold, untouched. It was already late and she needed to go back home, not wanting to give her mother the liberty to lecture her. So, she gathered her belonging and went home, giving her body the rest that she desperately needed.  

   She was lucky that her parents were nowhere in the house. Her mother might be still in the city hall, with her fellow councilors, and her father was still in the university. It was odd though, because they rarely worked overtime, unlike her. She went straight to her bedroom, peeled her uniform, and took a late shower. She turned her shower, near scalding. She liked it, when the half-boiling water ran through her body, washed away the exhaustion, and helped her relax from the grim scenes of the murders.

   Once her head hit the pillow, she was sent into her slumber, where she always met her in the dream. She never considered herself a superstitious person, though she could not deny that out there, supernatural entities existed. That human was not the only species to walk the earth. Other beings like vampires, werewolves, and witchlings, had long existed in the world. They had adapted over time and coexisted with humans. Sometimes it was hard to determine who was who since they had their human form and features, the only difference was their abilities and their lifespan. According to the book of Genesis, magic existed in every atom of the universe, weaving in every fiber of nature. Her mother ever told her that their matriarchal line descended from an ancient bloodline, the white rose, from the house of Roswald. A bloodline that was supposed to cease from existence. Bridgette of Roswald was the last of her line, and she was a weaver, the spell maker. She faced persecution from the witch hunters and they put her on the pyre, for a crime she never committed. Since that Roswald's name was cursed, so her apparent successor changed the name to Rosier. It was a tragic story, and Caitlyn never thought that she was part of that story. She was no magic wielder, she liked practical skills rather than studying the arcane. Most of the magic wielders had long ceased, unfortunately, they did not have immortality like the vampire kind. Witches withered and died, some of them found their end burned alive, and most of the time left their legacy buried. Some of the highly intelligent people, with their ingenuity, managed to harness the arcane power into some practical technologies. Though, their utilization was still limited to prevent the immense power to fall in the wrong hands.

   Recently, she was plagued by a strange dream. It was relentless, but it was not necessarily a nightmare. In her dream, she always saw the same figure, a woman. She was stunningly beautiful, but Caitlyn knew she was not entirely human. She ever heard from the story her father told her, about the children of the night, the vampires. Powerful vampires had the ability to prey on their victims through dreams. They hunted them slowly, draining their life until what was left was an empty vessel. The woman in her dream was around her age. She was youthful like her kind was. She had fiery hair, red as blood, and alabaster skin, pallid like fine porcelain. Her eyes were a layer of blue, glacial blue eyes. Her gaze was cold and piercing at the same time. She was like a ghost, not a word, not even a squeak. Her eyes were watchful, and she often found her shadow pacing on her balcony. Like she was waiting to be invited in. Her name came as a whisper in her head, but sometimes it echoed loudly. Vi, Violet.

   Caitlyn suddenly woke, gasping for air as if she was just made her way out of the labyrinth of a nightmare. She shrieked, feeling a sharp pain in her left chest, a few inches lower from her collarbone, the place where her heart caged inside her rib. This was the first time, and the pain was real, leaving nothing but a dull throb. When she lowered her nightgown and stood before the mirror, she found nothing, not even a bruise. Nothing pierced the supple flesh of her breast. Her skin was intact as she traced it with her fingers. Questions began to spin inside her head. The vampire girl that visited her in the realm of dream, was she looking for a quarry? Or was she looking for a mate?

****

   Caitlyn worked like usual. When she went downstairs for breakfast, her parents were already seated, eating their meals in silence. Caitlyn joined in, smearing the butter on her bread. She did not say many words, but she could feel the quiet stare of her father and mother.

   “What?” She asked, both of them only exchanged a brief glance.

   “How are you feeling, dear?”

   “I’m good, papa,”

   Her father looked at her, a faint worry on his face. “Well, you looked pale the past few days. We’re afraid you worked yourself too hard,”

   She smiled, “I know my limit papa, I assure you,”

   She poured herself a glass of juice and grimaced at the taste of it. “What is this?”

   “Strawberries and beetroots. I have the thought you might suffer anemia,” It was her mother who spoke. Her expression was neutral, and Caitlyn almost snorted on the notion. She felt tired, yes, but not excessively so. “I thank you for your concern, but it was not really necessary,” She retorted and resumed her meal. For the next few minutes, no one was speaking, and after the last bite of her bread. She excused herself. “I might be late, so please don’t wait for me,”

   “Are you still working on the murder case?” Her father asked again.

   She nodded. “We’re kind of stuck, so I tried my best to solve it,”

   “Jayce has something for you, he said that you requested a book,” Her face slightly lit up.

   “Where is it?”

   “Why are you requesting a book about vampirism?”

   “I’m just curious, that’s all,” But her mother did not buy it, she squinted her eyes. “Was that something to do with your case?”

   She paused a bit. The book was nothing to do with the murder, not yet, since there was no evidence of bite marks or anything that led to the night creatures. Nevertheless, she could not reveal the real reason why she needed such a book. She could not tell that she was haunted by a vampire. Because if she told Cassandra, she would limit her, putting her into a tight curfew, like when she was a teenage girl. She had cases in a queue, demanding to be solved, and she was itching to solve the puzzle of the gruesome homicides. To capture the shadow lurking in the dark.

   She sighed, “There was a suspicion, yes. That’s why I need a fact, a scientific one. Because if I were meant to solve it, I couldn’t cling myself to a myth,” She said with a solemn conviction. A direct lie would not save her, so she wrapped them carefully as if they were the truth. “So where is my book?”

   “In the library, I put it on the desk, on the corner,” Her mother finally gave in. Caitlyn smiled. “Then, if you excuse me, I have an investigation to run,” She rose to her feet and dashed herself to the library, and went straight to her office.

****

   “Are you sure about that, Doc?”

   “Positive ma’am. The fatal wound was brutal, but it was precise. There was no indication of claws or fangs. The flesh was pierced by a sharp object, like a knife,” Dr. Cooper replied. She was the head of the forensic department in the Warden's Office, and the one who was responsible to carry out the whole autopsy. Caitlyn hummed, tapping her index finger on her chin. “The girls. Was there any citizen that reported their missing family members? The Doctor shook her head. “None, ma’am,”

   “I see,”

   “Do you think they were from Undercity, ma’am?” She asked again, holding her notepad.

   “Probably, all the victims were found in the same district, near the promenade. So, it could be both,” The Sheriff said with a tight smile.

   “Well, thank you for your report, Doc. Please keep me updated,”

   “Yes, ma’am,” and she left. Leaving Caitlyn with another headache. Neither vampires nor werewolves, which meant the murderer was human, someone who had an experience with human anatomy. Perhaps, like a medical expert. She made a quick note of the report and pinned it to her evidence board. She had dispatched a special force to investigate a few archives in all Piltover’s hospitals, to look at all profiles of the medical experts, their background, any record of misconduct, and so on. Just another bit of the puzzle. She sighed, reaching for her chamomile tea. She started to think that she might have anemia. The recent fatigue she experienced forced her to consume her dosage of multivitamins, or she would not last long staying in her office.

   She had a few reports to check, and she needed to make another inquiry about the new finding, but her attention was somewhere else. Glancing from the stack of paper on her not-so-tidy desk was the book she requested from the Piltover’s library. The book was old, but still in a good condition. It contained less than three hundred pages with thick leather binding.  Jayce said it was part of the restriction manuscript, an important copy of the book of Genesis that had no longer existed. And Caitlyn used his connection to borrow the volume for a while. There was no title, only a sigil engraved on the leather cover, a Maltese cross symbol, with a crescent moon and star on the top right, and fleur-de-lis on the bottom left. Carefully tracing the cover, she slowly opened the hand-written volume.

   Vampires are made from human stocks, not born. Caitlyn read the first sentence on the first page. Humans are by any means the perfect candidates. As long as humans exist, vampirism would follow. Vampires select potential humans according to their needs at the time to fill out their clans, whether that be a mate, soldier, assassin, or skilled servant. Once the humans are carefully selected, the vampire sire or maker drains the human of all its blood. And by the moment the heart stops beating, the sire forces the human to drink enough of the maker's blood to bring the heart and the rest of their body back to life. Vampires call this process a "rebirth", a cycle of transformation. Vampires thus have two birthdays: their mortal birthday, and their vampire rebirthday. Once the resurrection process succeeds, vampires experience up to five years of infancy. During this time, they are under the constant supervision of their maker or another powerful member of their family to get accustomed to their new talents and abilities. When a young human is sired, he or she would still grow into a full-grown adult, and with that a fully-fledged vampire.

   She always thought that vampire was born, from a mated pair, as her mother used to tell her. Guess it was not entirely correct. As she continued to read, she became immersed in her own understanding of the creature that mostly dominated the Undercity. Genetically, vampires are slightly distinct from humans and werewolves. While a human has twenty-three chromosomal pairs, a vampire has twenty-four, much like the witchling, though naturally, witches do not have a prolonged lifespan. Vampire blood brings the ordinary human genetics to its greatest, most extraordinary potential, conveying preternatural beauty, longevity, strength, height, and senses (There are rarely ugly vampires). Caitlyn almost snorted at the bracket sentence. Their extraordinary genetics is resistant to the diseases that affect warm-blooded beings. It made sense, even confined in a toxic environment like Zaun, their well-being was not particularly affected, since they were barely breathing, barely alive.

   The content of the book was engaging in a way it hooked Caitlyn to her seat for hours. She read fast, but nothing was left. Scanning the information that she never knew existed. She found a lot of misconceptions about their nature. There was a stark contrast between what the book told, and what people told. She knew that vampires had a strong family bond and prized loyalty above all else. They followed orders and were highly intelligent. They were physically stronger and faster, even faster than wolves. She realized that the common lore about the night creatures was mostly shaped by human fears, which in the end created the myth, and took a root within the society. She learned from the book that vampires could walk under the sunlight, and cannot be killed by a stake. They were immortal, yet they were still prone to be killed, though one needed more than being a good fighter to assassinate a vampire. They did have retractable fangs, and they were capable of consuming food other than blood.

   Caitlyn was fascinating, to say the least, reading about their diet and characteristic. But the thing that enthralled her the most was when she read the part about the vampires’ bonding. When it came to forming a bond, vampires are possessive, particularly when they were in love. When they choose a ‘mate’, the commitment will last for centuries. Vampires are drawn to their mates through a combination of affinity and chemical compatibility. The bond between mates is irresistible and lasts for a lifetime. Caitlyn thought that they were much like the werewolves when it came to mates and family. Reading the passage, however, gave her a sheer chill down her spine. There was no information about the dream, something that could give a good explanation about what she experienced. Nothing, at all.

    With a sigh of frustration, she still continued to read the book until the end. When she reached its few last pages, she did not find texts or passages, only rows of pictures, of men and women, each photo was framed by a circle of a serpent that eating its own tail. Ouroboros, the symbol was called. It meant immortality, an eternal cycle of renewal. The symbol had been long-standing associated with vampires. The pictures were apparently the portraits of vampire scions that dated back from the first methuselah. Some of them were deceased, the rest were still very much alive and thriving in the new world.

   All vampires were like one big family, although they formed their own clan. The First Methuselah was a man, he was an ancient knight from the period of antiquity, and he was the founder of the oldest brotherhood, the Order of Knight of St. Lazarus. It was said that Lazarus of Bethany came back to life after four days buried in his tomb, carrying the blood of immortality. His blood was passed down to the Originals, sired by the Lazarus himself, which made him the Grand Sieur, the first vampire maker. The line was then followed by what was called the First Legacy, the descendant of the Originals. Among the handsome and beautiful portraits, she found her. The redhead vampire that haunted her dream. She was the First Legacy, and her name was Violet Cross, the first scion of Vander Cross, one of the Originals. There was no further information other than names and status. Finding her picture, Caitlyn abruptly slammed the book closed, and she almost forgot how to breathe properly. Fuck.

****

   Vi placed both of her elbows on the wooden railing, smiling and looking below, when young pups and some fledglings played together in the lush garden, basking in the sunlight. The nest of the Firelights was like a piece of heaven on the toxic waste of Zaun. Here she could see the tree of life growing stronger, becoming the safe home for the pack. Firelight was initially a wolf pack, led by none other than the boy savior, that had grown to be an alpha. But as the time passed, it became a sanctuary of the outcasts, the lone wolf, young vamps that lost their sire, and even humans.

   “Should you be in the Last Drop?” Ekko appeared next to her.

   “I have Zeri on the spot, and I just miss basking on the sun, burning myself slowly,” She said in jest, turning around to lean her back on the banister, feeling the warmth of the sun hit her face. Ekko scoffed in response.

   “Perhaps you should start to sire a new fledgling, to continue the Cross’ bloodline,” Ekko suddenly said, and Vi went quiet. She had lived a long life, but she never sired anyone, not even a single human. After what happened to her brothers and sister, she slowly doubted her ability to make a new vampire.

   “I don’t think I could sire anyone,” She said softly, before glancing at the brown eyes that already stared at hers.  The young alpha was more than a brother to her, despite the difference. Also, Ekko was Vander’s blood-sworn son, which earned him a place among the most influential clan in the Undercity.

   “Are you still thinking about her?”

   “Well, are you not?”

   “What happened to her is not your fault,” Ekko reasoned. Vi smiled thinly, he meant to reassure her, but still, she found it hard to find any consolation.

   Blood rage or the vampire’s curse. It was a genetic illness that tortured her sister. The hyper aggression and insatiable hunger drove Powder to kill her own brothers, Mylo and Claggor. Since the tragedy, she disappeared and Vi did not know whether she was still alive or not.

   “Do you think she is still alive?”

   “I don’t know. Maybe—”

   Silence fell between the two of them, Vi was looking up, where the sun blinded her eyes. Her body temperature was always cold, but under the sun she could not help but feel the burn.

   She heard the young man sigh, stretching his hands forward. “Are you on the sight of a mate?” He asked, his question instantly bringing a small smile to her lips.

   “I have my eyes on someone, yes,”

   “And how long have you been waiting?”

   Vi sighed, “Many years, I heard it, how her blood singing, calling for me,” Vi wet her bottom lips. She felt the thirst rising whenever she conjured the girl in mind. No matter how much blood she drank from her subjugate, it never quenched the thirst. And she was fully aware of the consequence of sinking her fang on her flesh. That she would not be able to draw blood from someone else but her mate.

   “Are you doing your silent torture again?” Ekko smirked. “I’m not torturing her, I’m watching her,” Vi defended. Not all vampires had the ability to meddle with someone’s dream. Luckily, she was the one who was given the gift, and she used it well.

   “Surely she would be terrified, preyed by a first legacy,”

   Vi chuckled but did not deny it.

   “She did actually, a little bit,”

   Ekko laughed. “Damn you,”

   “And who is this girl?”

   The vampire woman took a pause and shifted her eyes back to the young wolf.

   “Caitlyn Kiramman, the Sheriff of Piltover,”

   She noticed how Ekko‘s jaw went slack, his eyes widened as if he had just seen a ghost.

   “She is the descendant of the last white rose, Bridgette of Roswald, or should I say, Rosier,” Vi continued.

   “Lazarus’s lover,” Ekko muttered.

   “The bloodied version of Romeo and Juliet, the thorns of two roses,”

   The young alpha said nothing afterward. It was uncanny, that she would fall for someone who came from the presumably ceased bloodline of the witch whom her grand Sieur loved more than anything. It was said that he was willing to sacrifice his virtues to be with the woman she loved dearly.

   “Anyway, are you up for a hunt, pup?” The redhead asked, straightening her posture.

   “In the wood?” Vi hummed, “Like usual, I got the blood, you take the rest,”

   “Lead the way then,”

****

   “Are you sure sir? Could you look again, properly,” Caitlyn said, with a sting of exasperation. The master librarian shook his head weakly, sighing. “I apologized ma’am. Even if there was another volume, it would be in the restriction section, and it needs a special reference to borrow,” He explained.

   “Please, I need it,” She pleaded, but to no avail. The older man smiled thinly, saying sorry one more time.

   “Caitlyn,” a familiar voice called her name. Jayce was approaching her.

   “What are you doing? Are you harassing the master librarian?” He asked, with his usual big brother tone.

   “No, I’m just looking for a volume,”

   “What volume?” Jayce asked, gesturing for the librarian to leave them. The older man gave them a curt nod and withdraw himself back to his office. She dragged Caitlyn away from the wooden counter. They sat on the comfy sofa on the corner of the main hall. Caitlyn still wore her uniform when she came to the library. She decided to leave early hoping to get another detailed volume of the book of creation.

   “What volume, Caitlyn?” He repeated his question. Caitlyn huffed, folding her hands over her chest.

   “Another volume of the book you gave to me—”

   “I think the book has complete information that you need to know about the creature,” He said. “I know, but I need to look for a specific thing, and I couldn’t find it in the book,”

   Jayce raised his eyebrow, “What specific thing?”

   She sighed again, “I want to know how they mate,” She knew it sounded silly and downright unreasonable, and she could see the way Jayce stared at her.

   “I don’t know if you’re joking about saying the truth,”

   “I said the truth, Jayce,”

   “I never knew you’re interested in such a thing, I mean learning about supernatural beings,”

   Caitlyn sat in silence and found Jayce set her palm on her hand. “What is it?”

   “Nothing,” She replied, trying to hide her anxiety.

   “You know you’re not a good liar, are you missy?” She rolled her eyes, but her lips stayed shut.

   “Tell me, Cait,” He prompted.

   “You’ll find me silly,”

   The councilor only chuckled, “I swear I could bear it,”

   She did not know if it was a good idea to tell Jayce about her dream. She was afraid that he would tell her parents, which would make everything more complicated. She stared at his sincere eyes and took a breath.

   “Promise me you won’t tell a soul,”

   “You have my word,” He said firmly. Maybe she could trust Jayce since she knew him since she was younger. If someone could understand, it might be Jayce.

   “I thought, there is someone that preyed on me,” She began. “In my dream, when I sleep,”

   “A meth?”

   Caitlyn nodded her head.

   “A powerful one,” She swallowed. “Do you think that she or he intends to harm you?”

   The young sheriff shrugged, “I’m not sure,”

   “What do you know of Violet Cross?”

   Those amber eyes shot back to her.

   “Oh God, don’t tell me—”

   “It’s her. It’s Violet that I see,”

   Jayce cast his eyes around, it was clear that he was nervous.

   “What I know about her is, she’s not the kind of person you want to mess with,” It was weird that even a councilor like Jayce said something like that.

   “Is she very dangerous?” She felt a sheer fear start to creep in.

   “Most vampires are dangerous. But Violet, she holds a notorious reputation both in Piltover and Zaun,” Jayce said. “She came from a powerful clan, the most influential, and she has a high place in the brotherhood, you know,”

   Caitlyn nodded. “The Knight of St. Lazarus,”

   “They are cunning, ruthless in a way, yet you often find them charming,” Jayce continued.

   “No matter how long they have assimilated with human beings, they would still unveil their darker side, especially when they smell blood,”

   Instinct, Caitlyn thought. The thrill of the hunt.

   “They might possess the information I need, in my ongoing investigation,” Caitlyn said. Is there any way I could get to them?”

   “Are you planning a suicide mission? They could drain your blood and steal your memory,” He looked fear-stricken, but Caitlyn felt determined more than ever.

   “I need to meet her, Violet,”

   “Cait this is madness—” She raised her hand to stop her.

   “Then, for Goodness’ sake help me,”

   Jayce fell silent for a moment, his expression was sullen. He was like a brother to her, and he rarely said no, to her. Glancing at Caitlyn, he finally gave up.

   “Lupercalia,” He said.

   “What’s that?” The young sheriff never heard about the term before, not even in the book.

   “Their mating festival,”

   Her heart rippled with a strange excitement. And she did not need second thinking to ask, “When?”

   “In the full moon, at the end of the week,”

****

   She was leaning on the marble balcony of her room, with magnificent background of the full moon. Under the pale moonlight, she looked ethereally beautiful, wearing her crimson jacket, her hands dug in its pockets. A subtle smile crossed her face.

   “Who are you?” Caitlyn dared herself to ask.

   “You know who I am,” She spoke, after all this time. Her voice was surprisingly soft and smoky, which suited her look.

   “What do you want from me?” Beating around the bush was not really her forte, so she rather be forward. The vampire woman feigned her surprise, not bothering to move from her spot. She was quiet, but her cold blue eyes never wavered from her, as if they could pierce into her souls.

   “Would you like to find out, Persephone?” Caitlyn found her voice was terribly attractive, it was seductive even, like a siren voice. She learned that vampires had a silver tongue, capable of bewitching their prey, to do as they pleased, to manipulate their memory. Caitlyn opened her mouth, but her words died in her throat. One blink and she vanished like a curl of smoke. Then, her eyes fluttered open. She could not sleep afterward and decided to open her balcony door to get a breath of fresh air. There she found on the bannister, a sprig of red rose, it was fresh like it was just picked recently. When she picked the flower, she was not aware of its thorn and it poked her finger. She yelped, and the rose fell. A prick of blood on her index finger. “Shit,” she instinctively sucked her finger. Was it her? A question echoed in the back of her mind. She put the rose on the vase, the only red among the white ones.  

   The day she had been waiting finally came. Jayce told her that the party was not an ordinary party. The Lupercalia was something vampires and werewolves were looking forward to beholding. Sounded extravagant as it was, the festival began with a masquerade ball. A ball in Undercity? Something that definitely piqued her interest. Even in the gilded city of Piltover, she never attended a masquerade. And it might be easier for her to look for the information, for she would mask her face and her identity. Jayce shyly admitted that he ever attended once and he had an unforgettable experience both good and bad.

   Caitlyn wore her long black dress, with a halter neck, the neckline was deep into her sternum, showing a fair display of her chest. The dress was adorned with the raven feathers on its surface, oily black with the gleam of iridescent blue and green. The dress surely had the wicked femme fatale vibe, something that she wore when she wanted to seduce someone and send them to their end. The dress had an asymmetrical cut on the hip, on the left if wrapped her slender silhouette, and the right side was wide and flare, made off pleated silver lame. To complete her look, she wore modest heels. And for security reason, she also brought a weapon that she could hide in plain sight, just in case things went wrong.

   She looked at herself in the mirror, her lips painted in rich rosewood color, a semblance of blood, and her lustrous hair fell in soft wavy curls. She never wore heavy make-up for her job, but tonight she needed to dress accordingly, so she tried her best.  Taking a deep breath one last time, she rose from her seat, taking her hoodie cloak and her feathery mask, she set herself off, to the blood festival of Lupercalia.

   All her life, she never went deeper into the Undercity, only to the Boundary market, where people from both cities often met to trade. According to Jayce, the bar was situated in the entresol level, and she needed to descent to the middle part of its depth. The city of iron and glass greeted her, an outsider, with its perpetual smogged twilight. The blood moon hung low in the sky, glowing scarlet. This was a dangerous area, especially for women. Caitlyn kept her head lower and focused her eyes ahead. She heard a howl in the distant, a lupus dei, perhaps calling for their pack, ready for the wild hunt. It did not take a long time for Caitlyn to find the venue. The bar was precisely in the heart of the city. It was located on the core of the ley line, serving as the nexus where magic was at its prime, and the celestial moon only strengthened the core. The place was enormous enough, with glaring red neon with a sign ‘Pandemonium’ hanging higher overshadowed another smaller sign below, The Last Drop’s sign. The fluorescent lighting makes the place easy to recognize since the hot neon overpowered the creepy greenish light of its surrounding.

   As she walked closer, she felt her heart racing. She was alone, in the bowl of the beasts, the hell hole, and despite the dreadful thought, there was something that drew her. Like sooner or later she would step her feet on this forsaken land. There were two behemoths that guarded the entrance, they kind of reminded her of Frankenstein with their abhorrent look. Jayce told her that there was an entrance fee, and once the hall was full, the gate would be closed. She braced herself, putting three coins of guinea, the guards barely spare her a glance. She gave her cloak to the servant at the entrance and went inside.

   The bar was set differently, checkerboard floor and gothic chandelier hung with sheer fabric of red, black, and ivory that draped to fill the hollow ceiling. Red and yellowish lights dominated the ambiance of the room. The main hall was already full of flocks of people. Vampires, werewolves, even humans, dressed alike with their ornate costumes. Some of the guests were roaming on the mezzanine level of the bar. Servants were pacing offering scarlet drink, which she suspected was blood. She realized that the ball was not only for the Zaunites but also for the topsiders as well. She noticed some prominent members of the high societies also presented, wearing their most exorbitant attires. Caitlyn took her time to immerse in the atmosphere, she somehow expected a bloody macabre but she thought that it might be too early and the party had barely begun. Despite the crowded of the guests, she was fully aware that someone was watching her, her movement, her gesture. She was in the den of predators, what she could expect? that she was certainly a delectable prey, and she would be lucky enough to go home with severe anemia, and memory loss.

   “Enjoying yourself Persephone? I’m surprised you have the courage to go down the Underworld. I bet you grow tired of Elysium,”

   She smiled at the words. A few moments passed and someone already hit on her.

   “Fancy yourself a Hades, huh?” She quipped, though she hardly glanced at the stranger that came out of nowhere. She heard a chuckle, and clearly, it was the voice of a woman.

   “What can I say, this is my realm, and things will get very messy. I supposed you have the stomach to witness yourself,”

   No doubt, this place was a bedlam of decadence. Violence, alcohol, drugs, and sex. A perfect place to unleash the libertine impulse. She swam among the sea of chatter and false courtesy, with the stranger followed. She was not interested in engaging herself in small talk. She had a mission here, and it seemed that the stranger would not let her go easily.

   “It’s rare to see the honorable sheriff of Piltover strayed from her coven of justice,” She started, causing the Piltovan woman stopped dead on the mention of her position, and properly look at the stranger. She wore a crimson Napoleonic coat, trimmed in military style, with golden cord braided on the front opening that was left open, showing the ivory shirt beneath the outer. It matched with black leather fitted trousers and a pair of combat boots. She was slightly shorter than her, but broader and apparently stronger. Her tone was friendly but still held assertiveness on it. She masked herself with a carnival Venice mask that almost concealed all her face, except her eyes. It was porcelain white, gilded with embossed painting and glinting gemstone.

   Caitlyn gave her a half smile, totally not amused. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know you, and I came in peace,”

   “Surely, you know of me, don’t you Persephone?” Her voice changed, that smoky voice she was familiar with. When she caught her eyes, the devil in disguise had already taken off her fancy mask, unveiling her unwrinkled handsome face. Her glacial blue eyes were sharp and brilliant. Her pointed nose, her perfectly sculpted cheekbones, scattered with faint freckles, and inked with a small tattoo of her own name. She was much more like the one in her dream, only right now she was real, flesh and blood. In her portrait from the book, she had longer fiery red hair tied in a side ponytail. But in this era, she cut it short with a shaved undercut, giving her a rough exterior, with piercing and all. She looked very young but at the same time unspeakably aged. She was none other than Violet Cross, the notorious vampire of the Lane.

   “Violet,” Caitlyn was appalled behind her mask, clutching the side of her dress to hide her anxiety.

   “Oh, please call me Vi, delighted to make your acquaintance,” She grinned, showing a pair of sharp canines.

   “I thought you were a ghost,”

   “Did ghost have a beating heart?” She sarcastically asked, placing her hand on her chest. Caitlyn almost gasped, even though it was faint, Vi’s heart still pounding in a slower rhythm.

   “My heart beats slower, but it beats longer—”

****

   She could hear her heartbeat, the rush of her blood, and even the smell of her skin. In her vein, flowed the ancient bloodline that was supposed to cease from subsistence. The creation of creatures started with humans. As much as she despised them, she was once one of them. Vampirism would thrive as long as humans flourished. But lately, their number was dwindling. There were many failed sire attempts, leaving nothing but dead bodies. Vi could feel the urgency, as one of the earlier generations, she had a big responsibility to ensure that her people would survive the future. After the death of her father and brothers, she lost her confidence, in leading the rest of her clan, and to seek a mate. The single greatest need for all vampires, other than hunting and feeding themselves, was to find their mate. Vampires mated for life, and mate was the only way to sire a new generation to come, extending the strength and power of the clan.

   Vi was a knot of contradictory impulses and desires. She had been many things over the course of her long life. A poet, a scholar, an assassin, a warrior, a spy. She had fought so many wars, experiencing almost equal loss and win. She had loved many women and was a faithful, somewhat possessive lover. Yet, she never mated. Her vulnerabilities lay in her grief and anger, for not being able to seek a cure for her sister, and saved her brothers. Up until today, she dedicated her life to a profound quest for redemption and forgiveness. She served the brotherhood, protected her family, and ensured their survival.

   Speaking of mate, there were many vampires who were willing to be her mate, but no one caught her heart until she. She never showed herself except in the dream, when she was watching over her. As if fate heard the yearning of her heart, she came to her lair, crossing the threshold of her realm like a curious child, under the full moon of Lupercalia. And she wasted no time, to show herself properly before anyone else stuck their fangs on her prize. She thought it was time to start the dance.

   “May I have the honor of the dance?” She offered her hand.

   “I-I’m not a good dancer,” She tried to refuse, but Vi did not plan to let her go. She looked into her crystal blue eyes.

   “Well, let our affinity guide us all,” She said, the young sheriff was hesitant, but at last, she accept her hand, and the moment she squeezed her hand, she felt the spark, like a little shockwave, and she noticed the other woman flinched.

   “I’m sorry, cold hands,” Vi smiled, and the stunning woman smiled back in understanding.

   The clinking sound of the glass sent a signal for the guests to gather closer, circling the hollow dancing floor. A dashing young man with a festive suit appeared in the middle, splitting the crowd. Ekko wore a slim fit black suit, with festive applique adorned his shoulders, he did not wear a mask, however, his eyes were blindfolded with a sheer black ribbon. He carried a violin, playfully playing with the bow.

   “Alright folks, gather up! Let’s get your blood pumping before the feast—” The crowd cheered, some of them raising their glass. Lupercalia was always a mirthful celebration, some people came for a prospective mate, some of them for entertainment. But most people gathered for pleasure, and the Last Drop had changed into its alterego, and tonight Pandemonium took the charge. The guests then filled the dance floor, a stranger was randomly paired with a stranger. Vi guided Caitlyn to take the empty spot. She could hear her anxious heartbeat, her fear of her surrounding, and her desire to take part in the dance.

   “You know the rules, when the music stop you will stop dancing, and whoever you ended up with, would be your mate, and you would spend the rest of the night with them,” Ekko announced, greeted by a murmur of excitement. Of course, the point of Lupercalia was the thrill to sleep with a perfect stranger, in some cases, the pair would last, and sometimes it would not, and everyone had the chance to enjoy indulging themselves. Ekko placed the beautiful instrument on his shoulder. Once he fiddled with the violin, a high pitch melody resonated across the room, and so the pairing waltz began.

****

   The violin never failed to send a chilling sensation down her spine. Dizzying pitch, and swift allegro. The violinist even had his eyes blindfolded, relying solely on the sharpness of his ears and the muscle memory of his fingers as they shifted across the fingerboard. More importantly, he knew how to play with a soul. Caitlyn never intended to pair with a stranger, so she kept her tempo aligned with the enigmatic vampire in front of her. When their hand brushed, there was an electrifying prickle, strange but addicting. Vi was obviously charismatic, and she was more gorgeous in real life. She was tangible, and her heart was beating, she was alive in all senses of the word. Perhaps she missed the part of the beating heart, or she did not pay enough attention to it. She looked human when she was not showing her fangs.

   “So, to what do I owe the pleasure?” She asked as they turned and swirled in dizzying motion. She was never a great dancer, yet she found herself enjoying the moment, the subtle touches between them, the way their gazes were steady on each other. The whiff of her perfume, that caught her nostril. The scents were subtle, like a fresh garden after the rain, velvet rose, orris violet, and dewy asphodel, with the hint of earthy amber wood.

   “I came for information,” She straightforwardly  replied. Actually, she began to question her intention since Vi appeared from the shadow. She wanted to see her, to prove that she was real, not some wild imagining she conjured in her dream.

   “I see,” She commented. She was about to fire her next question and suddenly the dance turned, and her partner changed, still, she did not take her eyes off her, and neither did Vi.

   When they reunited again, she hastily asked, “Can we talk after this?”

   “And miss the feast?”

   “Well, I didn’t come for the feast,”

   Vi chuckled, “As you wish, Persephone. I hope I could provide you with my insight,”

   The dance lasted for around several minutes, and when the music stopped, they surprisingly ended up together, like it was meant to be. The danced finished with a brief of silence followed by soft excited murmurs from the guests. Caitlyn let out a long sigh in relief.

   “There you go, folks. Now enjoy your companion, and the feast—” Another loud applause erupted across the room. An open wide stretcher emerged from the other side of the room. A beautiful girl dressed as a nymph was lying on top of it. Around her were lots of refreshments, cured meat, fruits, and amphora glass filled with red liquid.

   “Is that the sacrifice?” Caitlyn dreadfully asked.

   “Oh no, she is the vestal virgin. She is the prize,” Vi said, “We drew the lottery during the feast, and one lucky person would have the privilege to taste her blood, to feed on her,”

   Caitlyn scoffed, “I can’t believe even until now vampires still prefer virgin blood,” They exchanged a look.

   “Mm…because they tasted like a pristine fruit, when you bit, the flesh gave away, and what’s left only the stir of the juice—” The redhead remarked, her hand reaching Caitlyn’s wrist, calloused thumb stroked her vein.

   “You don’t know me,”

   “Right, perhaps I need to taste it myself,” She smirked.

   “C-Can we talk, somewhere?” She pulled her hand, feeling the rush of the heat centered on her cheek.

   They moved from the bustling crowds, towards another room, but Vi abruptly stopped. “Please forgive me,” and she sauntered off like a moving shadow. Caitlyn’s eyes tried to follow but the meth moved like a ghost. Apparently, there was a little dispute on the other side of the room, Vi dragged one of them, and Caitlyn saw how she bared her teeth, her glacial eyes glowed for a moment, and as if he was hypnotized, he walked away, towards the exit door. When she caught her eyes, Caitlyn turned her head.

   “Young alpha, they always thought they’re invincible,” She gave her a cheeky wink.

   “You bewitched him,”

   “Sometimes it’s easy to say to people that there’s a peace, even actually there is not,”

   She opened a wooden door, and beckoned her to go inside. Once the door closed, in the flash of seconds, Caitlyn was pinned against the door. It was strong enough to make her feathery mask fell down.

   “W-What?” She hissed, the death grip on her hands. Vi said nothing, she thought she wanted to bewitch her, but there was no glow in her eyes, only a smug grin plastered on her scarred lips. Caitlyn tensed when Vi’s hand found a way to her garter belt where she stored her weapon.

   “Nice revolver,” She commented, stepping back as she caressed the pistol.

   “Are you planning to blow my head with this?”

   Caitlyn folded her arms over her chest, “Can’t be too careful,”

   Vi chuckled, swiftly flicked the hammer and the cylinder swung open. Her smile broadened when she pulled out all the bullets.

   “Silver bullets, really?” She asked mockingly, Caitlyn gulped seeing the vampire turned her palm, scattering the metal projectiles onto the floor. “Stereotypical,” She jeered, throwing the empty gun on her desk with a loud clang sound, along with her mask. Caitlyn watched her as she took off her coat and moved to the small cabinet, pouring two glasses of drink. She gave her one, and Caitlyn involuntarily sniffed the drink.

   “It’s a red wine, not pig blood,” Vi smiled in amusement. “Drink,” and she took a sip.

   “So, shall we start, Persephone?” The meth took a seat, patting her hand on the table. Caitlyn managed to look around her, this room was an office, or perhaps a study. Damask burgundy wallpaper, a wooden vintage desk, and a row of bookshelves adhered to the wall.

   “Please, stop calling me that, my name is Caitlyn,” When she was investigating in Undercity she always went with her alias, Mathilda, but now, her name just slipped out naturally, and of course, she could not lie to a vampire, because they heard your heartbeat like a piece of music.

   Vi snorted, “Right, let’s get started, Cupcake—”

   Caitlyn huffed but said nothing, not wanting to give her the satisfaction to tease her. She took the evidence she managed to bring and splayed the photographs on the table. She explained a little about her recent grisly murder case.

   “Ah, penny dreadful,” She uttered, looking at the graphic pictures with pure disdain. “Grotesque, and wasting so much blood, I’ve seen worse,”

   “My colleague said it might be the creature who did this,” and she burst into a mocking-kind-of laugh.

   “We feed darling, not slaughter. Even if it was wolves who have done it, they would not leave the fresh meat left untouched,”

   Vi sipped her wine, “This was the work of a surgeon,” She continued. Her suggestion was almost identical with Dr. Cooper, someone with the knowledge of human’s anatomy.

   “And why would such a person do this?”

   “Grief, anger, revenge. Pick your poison,”

   “So, do you know anything about these girls?”

   Vi hummed, playing with her glass, “These harlots were not from here. They had no bawd, and certainly not Babette’s girls,” The Madame Brothel, Caitlyn recalled, she was quite a prominent bawd from Undercity. “Are you sure there are no other brothels—”

   “No,” She cut in, giving her a sharp look. “They were too fancy to be from here. Maybe they just escorts you know, and they got the wrong customer,”

   “Prostitution was prohibited under—”

   “Fuck the law,” She snapped, flashing her fangs again. “That was what the girls did,”

   “No one cares, not even your bloody councilors, who sat in their mighty seat, and do absolutely nothing,” She continued, followed by heavy silence between them. Vi’s expression was cold as ice, and Caitlyn could feel her resentment, her anguish. When she showed her the pictures, she seemed fixated on victim number four. A young girl with dark hair.

   “Is there anything you want to add?” She carefully asked.

   “Kitty,” She slid the picture.

   “Catherine Howard?”

   “She used to be called Kitty, the girl is from the outer district of Piltover, a frequent customer here,” Vi paused. She glanced at Caitlyn, “I feed on her once, and in return, I gave her pleasure and a few coins,”

   Caitlyn knew what the word pleasure meant, so she just nodded her head. Vi looked like she had not finished yet, tapping her fingers on the table.

   “A week before her demise, she came to me,”

   “For what?”

   “Begging me to sire her, but I refuse,”

   “Why?”

   The red-haired vampire scowled, “Because it’s a painful process, even if you succeeded, the follow-up wouldn’t be easy, it could send you straight to madness. And the first thirst, it’s almost unquenchable—" Caitlyn swallowed, as she remembering the information about the book, about siring a new vampire. Certainly it was not a lie. They remained quiet, no other questions asked, and no more answers given.

   “These poor girls were blameless, whatever their occupation was, they did it to feed themselves,” Vi started.

   “I’ll try my best to bring justice to them,”

   She chuckled, “Yeah, you really are the same as your predecessor,”

   “I’m not Marcus,” Caitlyn was obviously offended.

   “I’m not talking about that corrupt bastard, you silly cunt. I’m talking about Grayson,” She chuckled.

   “You know her?”

   “She had the same spirit as you when she was younger,”

   Caitlyn raised her eyebrow, her lips quirked upward, “How old are you?”

   Vi subtly smirked, “Old enough,”

   Yet she did not look aged for a day.

   “So, nothing is free in this world, not even a bit of information,” Vi rose from her chair, prowling towards her, invading her personal place. In this proximity, she noticed the black ink that was painted on her pale skin. A glimpse of a cogwheel on her left side neck. A pair of serpents that coiled on her clavicles, as they were sewed inside her bones. It was painfully visible, as she let her upper part of her shirt unbuttoned.

   “How are you gonna pay, sweet cupcake?”

   Caitlyn cleared her throat, “What do you want? Because it’s clear that you don’t want coins,” Maybe she should not give her the liberty to choose when Vi gave her a self-satisfactory grin.

   'They are transactional creatures, and they always get what they want'

   She heard Jayce’s voice ringing in her head.

   “Yeah, we got all the riches, and you know what I want, don’t you?” She approached closer, forcing Caitlyn to step back slower. The swashbuckling meth clearly never intended to stop. Once she step into her lair, Caitlyn was her prey. Vi pressed her closer until there was no room left, and her back hit the wall with a loud thud.

   “A— Are you gonna drain me?”

   Vi caged her with both hands, “I would never drain such a pretty creature like you, and you’re too beautiful to end up as a corpse,” She teased, with her smoky voice, enough to make her nape hair stand.

   She tilted down her chin, her eyes leveled on her, clouded with palpable hunger and at the same time longing. “I couldn’t recall how long I’ve been waiting for this moment, how long I’ve craved for your taste—”

   “You always speak like you know me,” Caitlyn murmured, barely audible. There was a flimsy familiar sense that she felt when Vi was around, like an invisible connection, like they already knew each other. But they just meet a few times, through a relentless dream. Vi smiled, a wistful smile, her hands slowly wrapped on the side of her neck, pressing the blood vessel that flowed beneath the skin.

   “Because I know you, long before we meet in the dream,” Caitlyn flinched, visibly surprised with what Vi just uttered.

   “And tonight, you will be my feast—” She licked her upper lip, flashing her sharp canines. Vi was a hot mess, and now this gorgeous woman was thirsting for her. She did not mind if she bit her, her blood for the payment. Vi leaned closer like she was about to kiss her, the tip of their noses slightly brushed. Her scent became stronger as it invaded her olfactory, alluring and invigorating at the same time. There was no way she could run, she was strangely irresistible, hypnotizing, and Caitlyn found herself holding her breath.

   She unclasped the thin strap of her dress behind her neck. Her mouth grazed the line of her jaw, ghostly touch against her shivering skin. “You smell so good,” She whispered huskily. Caitlyn sighed when she licked and gently nipped the shell of her ear. The indigo-haired lady tilted her head, and Vi’s mouth traveled down her neck, leaving a wet trail of kisses. She gave an access to her neck, but Vi was apparently different. A surprised gasp ripped out from her lips, when the vamp’s cold hand fondled her left breast, peeling the cup of her dress. Vi cupped her breast, and lowering her head down, and the last thing she felt was a sharp puncture of her fangs sinking on the flesh of her bosom, a few inches below her collarbone. Her jaw went slack and she barely screamed. It was pain, followed by pleasure, with the smell of fresh blood. She knew vampire’s fangs released a sort of venom to keep her victim in thrall. She buried her fingers on Vi’s unkempt red hair as she took generous slurps, as if she was drinking a glass of juice.

   Vampires take blood from the neck when it’s from strangers or subordinates. Fledglings fed from the wrist of their sire. And they bite their mate near the heart, from ‘the heart’s vein’ for intimacy, for love. Caitlyn shut her eyes, the words from the book spinning inside her mind. The sting of her bite was burning, every trail of her touches was hot. Caitlyn bit her bottom lips, to suppress the weird feeling that she felt. Because there was only a thin line between thrall and arousal.

   “Vi—” Her voice came breathless, Vi flicked her eyes, and snapped from a short trance. Caitlyn peered from her eyelashes as the meth stop her feeding, her tongue swiped the remaining rivulet of blood and sealed the wound with a kiss, no more dripping blood, only a purple bruise. She let out a groan, wiping the excess blood from the corner of her lips with her fingers. Caitlyn noticed the glow on her eyes, and how her pallid face blossomed in rosy blush, rushed with vitality.

   “You tasted so deliciously sweet, cupcake,” She smirked. “I’ve never been so sated before—” She pressed her body closer. Vi shifted her gaze from her eyes to her lips, “And so ravenous at the same time,” Caitlyn gulped, the pain in her chest was slowly receding, but the burn in her body did not. The redhead pressed her knee between her thighs and purposely riled her up.

   “You fucking succubus,” She hissed, which returned with another cocky grin.

   “I’ll take that as a compliment, sweet rose,” Vi retorted, lurching forward to kiss her, rough and sloppy, with maddening hunger. Caitlyn’s sound was muffled with her tongue invading her mouth, the sweetness of the wine mingled with the coppery taste of blood. Her hands wrapped around her broad shoulder.  Vi’s strength was no match for her as she clung to her. She bit her lower lips, hard enough it drew blood which she quickly sucked with equal fervor. Her left hand grabbed her right tit, flicking, pinching her nipple, and made it stiff in a lecherous way. The young sheriff whimpered in between kiss, when Vi kneaded her heavy breast, instinctively ground her hips against her knees. Letting Vi’s hands roamed the delicate curves of her body, which eventually slithered inside her moist nook and cranny, through the long slit of her dress.

   “Is this for me? Did getting bitten make you this wet darling?” Caitlyn moaned in response, her head was fuzzy, with feverish heat.  

   “Shut— ah,” Her word died, when Vi’s fingers stroked her clit, making her body shuddered in anticipation. “You like that, huh?” Vi chuckled darkly, stroking back and forth, gathering wetness, drawing frustration from the taller girl. “Please—” another whine, but Vi had different plan. This was Lupercalia, the mating festival, where the blood moon got everyone so worked up. Starving for blood, and carnal pleasure and Vi was not immune to this. Especially when the woman of her dream squirmed before her eyes, begging for her touch.

   Vi attacked her bare neck, a long sensual lick on the smooth skin, forcing Caitlyn to tilt up her head. Peppering light kisses along the way, bitemarks around here and there, until the other woman found her lips again. Caitlyn’s hands fumbled with the button of her shirt. At last, they slipped inside, wandering the ripple muscles of the sexy vamp. Vi sighed at the touch, her skin was cool, and every inch of it was the pure definition of strength, and there was no way a stake could rip out her armor. She chased her mouth again, and the tips of their tongues met, hungrier, greedier. Caitlyn wailed when she withdrew her hand, losing the friction between her groin. Instead, she lifted one leg on her waist and rolled her hips, her hard bulge pressing on her center. “Fuck—” Caitlyn felt her smirk against her lips.

   “I bet my strap will look beautiful inside your needy wet cunt,” Her crass words never failed to make her winced and burned at the same time.

   “Y—Yes,” She groaned, her clit was throbbing, and her inside was aching to be filled.  Caitlyn grabbed her shirt, jutting her hips, her mind was clouded, and there was no space for her to think straight. Vi had poisoned her, enslaved her body, and her heart.

   “I want you to beg for me, sweet rose,” Vi was devious, she was the true embodiment of the devil, but she was also powerfully charming, and hard to resist, and Caitlyn fell too hard under her spell.

   “Vi, please.” She bit her lips. “I want you to ravage me—” A wicked grin crossed her face, and she swiftly unbuckled her trousers. Vi hoisted her up like she weighed nothing, slamming her back against the wall. The vampire angled her girth on her dripping entrance, earning a sigh of relief from the younger girl.

   “Let me fuck you, till you remember nothing but me,” and Caitlyn bit back a moan, tears prickling in the corner of her eyes, as her shaft split her open with a powerful thrust. Vi rammed her hips in slowly but grueling pace, each push went deeper a pure ecstasy. Caitlyn's breath hitched in each thrust, lewd moans ripping out her throat. She was no stranger to sex, but she never felt this kind of intensity before.

   “You’re a good girl aren’t you, cupcake, so ravishing, so well in taking my cock,” Vi whispered salaciously into her mouth.

   “Oh yes—” She cried out her cunt clenching around the girth, burying her long fingers on the soft red haired, pulling Vi to claim her lips. The vampire moaned inside her mouth. “Vi,” She felt closer, as her lust galloping before her. The redhead grunted, “Mmm…?”

   “Faster, take me faster,” She was desperate and it was swift and quick when Vi suddenly hauled her up, her back against the wooden table. “Fuck—” Vi tore her sheer undergarment, plunging her shaft again in more frantic thrusts. Her body was flushed, and she was laying half-naked, feeling Vi’s gripped her tightly around her waist.

   “I wonder what Cassandra would think, knowing that you’re frolicking with a loathsome bloodsucker from Undercity—” She whined at the mention of her mother, but her mind was heavy with a haze of lust, her vision blurry, and Vi rutting inside her, driving her to her edge, with her venom blossomed in her body.

   “I’m close, fuck, I wanna come,” She sobbed. Hands crawling against the surface of the table. Vi fucked her fast, hard, and without reservation. Punishing thrusts set in motion. The only things she heard were Vi’s heavy breaths, mingled with incoherent mixed of moans, and her name that rippled into the air.

   “Come for me sweet rose, only for me—” With a few thrusts, she cried out, her back arched, her toes curled and her head tossed backward. She saw a galaxy explode before her eyes, leaving nothing but the tingling in every nerve of her body. Fluttery kisses on the valley of her breast brought her back. “The adrenaline subsides, and so does your heart rate,” Caitlyn idly smiled at that, and her handsome face hovered on top of her. Vi pressed her lips against hers, Caitlyn heaved towards her. Vi showed no sign of stopping, trailing back down to her sternum, her navel, and finally her slit.

   “Vi, what are you—” And she whimpered, shuddered, when her hot mouth latched on her swollen pussy, still prickling with her previous climax. Vi licked her clit, sucked the sweet remnant of her cum, the way she sucked her blood. Despite the toll of her first orgasm, she found herself ground against Vi’s mouth, eager for more. The redhead was happy to indulge herself and buried her face in her wet slit. Siphoning the last energy that she had when she came again for the second time. Vi pulled her up to kiss her, and she caught her eyes, looking at her with profound tenderness, she never thought existed. “You’re doing good sweet rose, sleep now—” She murmured with her siren voice, eyes glowing for a moment, and everything was dark.

****

   Caitlyn woke up in a bedroom, on a double bed. The room was almost windowless, there was one window adorned with stained glass, shaping in another sigil, a triple layer of a medieval red rose. The rose was peculiarly had the same shape as her mother's family’s sigil, only it was white. The room had almost similar wallpaper to Vi’s study, and hefty wooden furniture, it was too vintage and classy for a room in Undercity. Her head was slightly pounding, and her lower body was sore. Then she remembered everything, that happened the night before, her investigation, the Lupercalia, and arousing blood-sucking which eventually ended up with lovemaking. ‘Shit’ she mentally slapped herself, springing up and standing up before the mirror. It was not a dream, the mark on her left breast was still there, the purple-ish hickey just a few inches above her nipple.

   “Leaving already?” A familiar voice and that infamous cocky grin. Vi leaned on the door frame, still wearing her former attires, with her shirt unbuttoned, revealing her toned abdomen

   “I don’t think I have another business to attend here,” She quipped, putting on her cloak.

   “Here,” and Caitlyn caught it, a small bottle that contained a red liquid.

   “What’s this?”

   “A potion, to regenerate your blood cell,”

   A small smile tugged on Caitlyn’s lips. “How chivalrous,”

   She sauntered towards the door, moving past the other woman. “This would be the last,”

   “I doubt that,” She scorned.

   “I would never see you again,” Caitlyn sternly said. Vi scratched her head, her glacial eyes idly peered at her.

   “Fine,”

  “Fine!” Caitlyn huffed and stormed out. Vi was beyond exasperating sometimes, and the more she stayed, the more the feeling weighed on her. She was human, and she was not supposed to be with a vampire. They were different, in any sense of the world. They were different, like oil and water.

   There were quite a few people who remained in the main hall. The heavy smell of alcohol, aphrodisiac, blood, and sex still hung in the air. Some of the guests were completely wasted, some were still doing their things, drinking, feeding, and fucking till the sun rose high. The lurid sights never failed to make her shiver. She walked fast towards the entrance and found her way back from the pit of Tartarus. It had been morning already, and she needed to go back to work. But she was not sure if she wanted to, all she wanted was to soak in a hot tub and forget everything. She walked as fast as she could and noticed that people sometimes stared at her, baring their teeth, and their eyes flashed yellow. Caitlyn was defenseless, her revolver was confiscated last night by none other than the Cross woman. The creatures however just staring, not trying to attack her, she noticed the way they scrunched their nose as if there was something off with her.  

   “You are such a stubborn thing,” She suddenly appeared next to her, covering her head with a hoodie from her jacket, hands dug into the pocket.

   “Are you following me?”

   “I’m afraid you lost, or worse get eaten by a wolf,” She teased.

   “I know my way,” Caitlyn said, a bit petulant, and Vi laughed.

   “I know clever girl. I’ll walk you to the descender.” She said, smiling, not a mocking kind of smile, but the smile that made her heart flutter. They walked in silence until they found the descender, a kind of elevator that took her back to the upper level of the city. It was empty when Caitlyn got inside, and before the door closed, she bid her goodbye.

   “I guess this is where we finally part,”

   Vi looked at her one last time, still in her confident stance, and she said calmly “Two roses belong to each other,”

****FIN****