Lion's Lie

"All the little pieces falling, shatter. Shards of me, too sharp to put back together, too small to matter..."
--Breathe No More, Evanescence


  As Eva walked through the main gates of Lacuna with her summons in hand her body tensed, ready for a fight. She still hadn’t forgotten there was a death warrant out on her—a Helsing in the vampire world, ironically enough. She had killed a human that had resided in Lacuna, on of two paranormal cities in the entire united states. Humans were considered sacred; it didn’t matter that the human Eva had killed had almost killed her a long time ago, back when Eva was human. It didn’t matter that the vampire wanna-be named Kleopatra had ruined her life; there was no reason to kill a human, especially if they’d sought refuge with the other vampires and creatures that inhabited Lacuna.
But the thing that had really crucified her was she killed two of the prison guards during her escape. That had shot her straight to the top of Lacuna’s most wanted. Everyone wanted her blood.
She kept her eyes straight ahead, not wanting to look any of the others in the eye. She couldn’t allow herself to feel bad for what she’d done. It was a kill or be killed world; she’d chosen her life over the others. She could hide her emotions, be the stone-cold bitch everyone said she was, but it didn’t mean that she didn’t feel them.
She was escorted to Pedibastet’s office by two Guards, both of which she knew wanted to torture her to death right there in the main entrance of the Temple, where Pedibastet lived and ruled. The two Guards stood outside the door as Eva entered Pedibastet’s office; Eva knew that at the first hint of trouble they’d be there in a flash, ready to protect their ruler.
Pedibastet looked like a goddess with her long black hair, deep tan skin; she could have modeled anywhere in the world, were it not for her eyes: they were a deep gold, like a lion’s. They even had the slanted pupil all felines have. The golden eyes were the only way you could tell that Eva was a distant relation to Pedibastet.
“Sit down.”
Eva sat, smoothing down the golden suede that encased her long legs. She wore dark brown knee-high leather boots over her pants, and a matching dark brown tank top. Her auburn hair was chopped short just above her shoulders and looked perfectly messed up, like she’d styled it that way.
“Why did you want to see me?” Eva enquired. She’d managed to lay low in Raven’s Point for over a year, living a couple blocks away from her best friend Sonja, another vampire who live with her human daughter Letesha. She didn’t like being here; the longer she stayed here the more her chance of being executed increased.
“We have a situation that needs to be dealt with.”
Pedibastet handed Eva a photo of a woman with violet eyes, pale skin, and dark blonde hair that must have been pulled back in a ponytail. She flipped it over and read ‘Martina, Vipera.’
There were three breeds of vampires: Panthera, Vipera, and Leech. Leeches were the vampires of legend and pop culture: can only leave the house at night, any religious medal would burn their skin, etc. They’re on the bottom of the totem pole in the vampire world. Pantheras and Viperas were a little different. Not many legends exist about them because very few people know about them; they were better had hiding their existence from humans. Panthers were able to shift into any member of the feline family, and Viperas were able to shift into any snake—the specific species would depend on what vampire had created them and also on the human and their spirit, which specific species they were more in tune with than others. The two breeds were almost the same, aside from two facts. The fangs on Viperas always stayed elongated, like their animal counterparts, so there was no way for them to exist in the human world without being detected. The second was their venom, which was deadly to the other two breeds of vampires. Viperas were at the top of the food chain.
Eva arched an eyebrow and looked up at Pedibastet. “What did she do?”
Pedibastet evaded the question. “She’s wanted for questioning.”
Eva leaned forward; she knew when she was being lied to and it pissed her off. She felt her lioness stir inside her, awakened by her anger; she controlled her emotion until she felt nothing.
“What aren’t you telling me? Why is this Vipera so important?”
“All you’re required to do is find her and bring her back; no more information is required.”
Eva stood and set the photo on the desk. “I refuse to help you find her unless I have more information.”
She had a her hand on the doorknob when Pedibastet spoke up. “She killed several of my guards.”
Eva froze; was this what had happened when she’d killed the two guards? A hunter had been summoned, her picture was handed out, an order to kill given? She turned around slowly.
“Then why is she only wanted for questioning? Why doesn’t she have a Helsing out for her?”
Pedibastet’s gaze was cold. She didn’t like have her orders questioned. She tolerated Eva’s impertinence only because she was her heir.
“I believe—as does Myka—that she was responsible for the assassination attempt on my life.”
Eva kept her face smooth, devoid of the surprise she felt. Very few people had the guts to try and take Pedibastet’s life, mainly because of Myka. He was her Head Guard and lover; he would give his life for hers in a heartbeat and not think twice.
Loathe as she was to admit it, she didn’t want Pedibastet dead.
She walked closer to the chair but didn’t sit down. “What makes you think that?”
“No one but myself and Myka know the whole story. Keep it that way.”
Eva nodded, understanding the need for secrecy—and the threat underneath her words. Pedibastet liked her business to stay her business.
“I was attacked by a human, armed with a knife which had Vipera venom on the blade. Under torture he told us Martina was the one that hired her but wouldn’t tell us why. We took the usual precautions when dealing with a human, of course."
Usual precautions my ass, Eva thought. You probably ripped out his tongue and cut out his eyes.
“And you want me to bring her in alive,” Eva said.
“Yes.”
“Where would be the best location to start my search?”
“Myka is fairly positive she is still residing here in Wisconsin. Bernetta spotted her in Milestone--”
Eva clenched her jaw at her creator’s name, but otherwise showed no sign of hostility.
“—and Lawrence sensed a new vampire in Raven’s Point, where I do believe you’re residing in now.”
Eva was silent for a little bit.
“Why me?” she asked finally.
“Forgiveness,” Pedibastet replied simply. “A stay of execution, if you will. A chance to recover your honor.”
Eva stared, dumbstruck for the first time in a while. Her honor had taken a huge hit. She’d broken her oath as a Guard: to never take a human life. No vampire would take her at her word now. But if she were publically forgiven by Pedibastet . . . everything would change. She could try and rebuild the life she’d once had, instead of living everyday with the fear that this day might be her last.
“Of course,” Pedibastet continued, “you are under no obligation to help, but you will have no protection once you leave this office if you choose not to help. Make your decision.”
--break--
Eva had parked her car in a Wal-Mart parking lot, where it wouldn’t be too noticeable if left there for a couple hours. Since vampires could move from place to place in the blink of an eye, and the entrance to Lacuna was too rugged to allow vehicular transport, she had to make the best of the situation. She’d also left her cell phone in the Saturn, and flipped it open and dialed Sonja’s house phone.
“What?” Sonja asked when she answered the phone. She knew who was calling, thanks to the invention of caller ID, and wasn’t happy about it.
“You have time to chat? I gotta run something by you,” Eva said, pulling out of the parking lot and turning onto the highway that soon morphed into the interstate.
“Depends… what’s it about?”
“Can’t tell you over the phone; it’s more of an… in-person discussion.” Eva didn’t know for sure if anyone was keeping an eye on her, but she was willing to bet that someone was.
Sonja sighed. “Letesha will be home soon.”
Letesha was Sonja’s adopted daughter; Sonja tried to hide the fact she was a vampire from her, a tactic Eva disagreed with but had conceded it was none of her business.
Eva rolled her eyes. “Then we’ll chat downstairs in your office. Besides, she’s going through that teenage stage when she wants nothing to do with you. She’ll most likely be upstairs in her room, music going strong and surfing the ‘net.”
In the end Sonja agreed, and even promised to have fresh coffee waiting.

Sure enough, Letesha’s red Grand Am was parked in the driveway. Eva parked her Saturn on the street, threw a caramel-colored leather jacket over her top, and let herself in. Sure enough, she could hear the heavy bass from Letesha’s music pounding up the stairs. She smirked at Sonja when she entered the kitchen and jerked her head towards the stairs.
“See? What did I tell ya?”
Sonja rolled her eyes and handed her a mug of coffee, no cream, heavy on the sugar. “Come on down to my office and we can chat.”
Sonja opened the door to the bottom level and led the way. She wore khaki capris, a faded gray t-shirt and was barefoot. Her bright, naturally red hair was pulled back in a ponytail; clearly she wasn’t worried on her appearance. She was slender, like most vampires, but while Eva was more muscular, she looked soft, like she’d been naturally skinny when she’d been human.
Her office was located in her basement. She entered the numerical password into the panel next to the door, which unlocked the door. Sonja took her privacy very seriously, updating the password every couple weeks or so. Bookshelves lined the walls, and an oval table stood in the middle of the room. Her computer was on the opposite wall from the stairs, facing them when they entered.
Eva shut the door behind her; the click of the lock always surprised her. It was like being in prison all over again.
“What’s so important that you’re involving me?” Sonja demanded. “You know I gave up contact with your world. Every second that you’re here threatens my daughter, my life!”
Eva calmly sipped her coffee, unsurprised at Sonja’s outburst. She knew how important Letesha was to her, and just how seriously she protected her. Sonja had risked everything she held dear to her when she’d helped Eva escape. Once Eva had been delivered safely to Jordan, one of the few witches not under Pedibastet’s thumb, Sonja had told her she was cutting off all communication with her. That hadn’t lasted long; they’d been through too much crap together for her to stay angry with her for long.
“Pedibastet summoned me earlier today,” Eva told her.
Sonja’s jaw dropped. “What? But… why? How are you still alive?”
“Someone tried to assassinate her. They caught the would-be assassin, who told them that a Vipera named Martina had hired him. Then they disposed of him.”
“But why would she contact you?”
Eva sighed. “So she can control me like all of her other puppets. She’s holding the one thing I want more than anything in the world just out of my reach.” Eva set her mug on the table and sat in one of the chairs. “She offered me a pardon for my crimes, a clean slate.”
Sonja took a seat as well. “She blackmailed you, in other words.”
Eva smirked. “She gave me two options; I took the one that would allow me to live. I took the one that she wanted me to, since it was the only logical choice for me to take.”
Sonja nodded slowly. “Not to sound like a bitch, but how does this involve me?”
“Pedibastet mentioned someone named Lawrence who lives somewhere in Raven’s Point. He’s got to be a sensitive or something similar. He sent her a message stating he’d ‘sensed’ a new vampire in the area. I’m assuming he can’t differentiate between the breeds, so on its own the information is weak, but Bernetta sent word that she’d seen Martina in Milestone, which is only a half-hour from here.”
“How would Bernetta know what Martina looked like?”
“According to Pedibastet Bernetta’s part of a group that keeps an eye on all the creatures outside of Lacuna. Pedibastet sent a photo of Martina to all of her Seers, as she called them, so they could keep watch for anything amiss.”
“And this Lawrence? Is he human or something else?”
“Lawrence is human, but is psychic ability is quite high, near the level of Jordan’s. Obviously his powers are limited due to his human status, but psychically… he could start a mental fight with Jordan and be able to hold his own, he’s that strong.”
Sonja whistled. “Damn. He’s got to have some witch blood in him. I wonder—”
Eva snapped her fingers. “You’re losing focus. Concentrate.”
Sonja glared at Eva and drained the last of her coffee. “Okay, what should I be concentrating on?”
“Help me find this Lawrence. Him and I need to talk.”
“And why do you need my help? You’re the one that used to be a detective.”
“You’re the one that put roots down in this town, they’re going to be willing to talk to you more than me because they’ll know you. One thing I’ve noticed is that non-human communities living in areas heavily-populated by humans are very close-knit, and don’t respond well to strangers.”
Sonja sighed, rubbing her face with her hands. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll help you. But this has got to be the last time.” She removed her hands from her face and looked Eva in the eyes. “I mean it this time.”
Eva nodded, not breaking eye contact, but feeling like she was losing a part of herself again. “Okay. After this, I promise not to contact you again. I will remove myself from Raven’s Point; I’ll be as good as dead.”
--break--
Sonja managed to work her magic and tracked down Lawrence, though it took the rest of the day. They took a break at dinner and Sonja ordered in: a large cheese pizza. Letesha had left to hang out with Bridget, according to the note she’d left on the kitchen table when Sonja and Eva had ventured out from the office.
Sonja opened a can of Pepsi and tossed a bottle of water at Eva; they took their dinner to the living room and settled in front of the t.v. A popular sitcom was on the screen, but neither of them were really watching it, their minds already occupied.
“Thank you,” Eva said, after she’d swallowed a bite of pizza. “I appreciate it.”
“Make sure you do,” Sonja replied, taking a swig of Pepsi. Even though they were vampires, they could eat human food. They’d managed to train their bodies to accept both blood and food, which had taken quite a while. Many other vampires had managed to do this, making it easier for them to live with humans without detection.
They ate in silence for a little while, before Eva’s cell buzzed. She picked it up and glanced at the number, which said it was unknown. She flipped open her phone.
“Hello?”
She waited for an answer before hanging up. She glanced at Sonja. “Wrong number.”
Five minutes later her phone rang again, with the same caller id as before.
“Hello?”
“Eva?”
“Who’s this?” she demanded.
“I got your number from a—”
“Answer my question: who is this?”
Sonja muted the television and turned her attention to Eva, her curiosity piqued.
“This is Deidre Valence. I’m sorry to call so late, but I got your number from a friend of mine, and also probably a friend of yours, Bernetta?”
Eva growled. “She’s no friend of mine.”
Deidre figured out her transgression and put her gears in reverse. “Okay, then she isn’t a friend of yours. But she gave me your number, said you could help me with my problem, and vice versa.”
Eva took a sip of water. “And why should I help you with your problem? I don’t even know you.”
“She said you were looking for a vampire named Martina. So am I.”
Eva thought for a second. “Wait a second. Your last name is Valence?”
“Yes…” she answered slowly.
“You’ve come up on my radar a couple times. You still work at the Freelance Offices?”
“Yes.”
“Great. We can talk in your office. Be there in ten.” She flipped her phone closed and looked at Sonja. “I just made a new friend. Have a good life.”
She shut the front door and walked out of Sonja’s life for good.
*****
The Freelance Offices were housed downtown, in an average looking two-story building. They occupied the top floor; below them housed a coffee shop, where Eva ordered a cup of regular coffee and waited for Deidre Valence to appear.
When she did Eva was surprised. No one she knew, aside from teenagers that could get away with it, had the tips of their hair dyed bright blue. Paired with her black plastic-framed glasses, and her black wide-legged trousers and matching blazer with a white blouse underneath, she looked like a teacher—one with a wild streak.
She ordered a large white zombie and had Eva follow her upstairs to her office. She unlocked the door with a numerical password and led Eva to her office, which was nothing more than a cubicle.
“Have a seat.” Deidre gestured to the single chair across from her desk; she set her coffee on her desk and sat behind it, reaching below her and turning on her computer.
Eva sipped her coffee and looked around the cubicle, which was void of any personal effects, aside from her nameplate.
“Why are you looking for Martina?” Eva asked her.
“Why are you?”
Eva hated it when people answered a question with a question.
“Answer my question first.”
Deidre laughed a little. “Don’t get your nose out of joint, Eva. I don’t want to have a pissing contest with you. All I want is your help with my case.”
Eva was firm. “Then answer my question.”
Deidre rolled her eyes and continued, “All right, I’ll let you win for now. I received a tip early this morning from an informant of mine, Lawrence—”
“Saying that he’d sensed a new vampire in Raven’s Point,” Eva finished for her. “I already know that.”
Deidre raised her eyebrows. “Oh, really? And do you know why you were called in?”
Eva narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. “My reason for being here is none of your business.”
“While Lawrence is a sensitive, he is also psychic. His visions are very clear and very precise.”
Eva scoffed. “And you’re going to tell me that he saw me coming here and dragging Martina back to Lacuna kicking and screaming. I don’t need this.” She stood and headed for the door.
“He saw your death.”
Eva stopped and turned slowly. “Excuse me?”
Deidre sighed. “While meditating he received a vision, a very strong one. In it he saw the attempt on Lady Pedibastet’s life, time blurred and he saw you, broken and dying on the floor. His exact words.”
Eva shook her head, smirking. “Wow, that was real creative.” Her eyes hardened as she continued, “I’ve already died, once. He didn’t see the future, he just put two-and-two together and played you for a fool. It’s not a secret who I am, how I was created, especially since I’m Pedibastet’s heir.”
Deidre shook her head. “It wasn’t Kleopatra he saw standing over your body; it was Sonja Hawk’s.”
Eva walked back into her cubicle and sat down again. “So you’re saying he told Pedibastet this vision he had and she now has a way to be rid of me for good.”
“You’re reasoning would fit,” Deidre agreed, taking another sip of her white zombie, “if he had told the Lady about his vision. He kept it secret; he’s a good friend of Jordan’s and knows Lady Pedibastet will hesitate to kill anyone protected by her. He waited until she contacted him to keep a lookout for Martina, and then he contacted her about sensing her in Raven’s Point--a lie, but one that Pedibastet would believe.”
“But it doesn’t make sense,” Eva said, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees. “Why would he keep it a secret in the first place?”
Deidre sighed and set down her coffee cup. “Because then he’d be a liability.”
“What do you mean?”
“Lady Pedibastet doesn’t like others knowing her plans, even if they are psychic.”
“What do you—” Eva stopped talking as the pieces fell into place. Pedibastet had figured out a way to be rid of her … using the one person she’d trust the most.
--break--
Eva sat on the couch, thinking over everything that Deidre Valence had told her. She was sitting on Deidre's couch, actually; Deidre had opened her home to Eva so she could rest, or in her words, "do whatever vampire's do."
Sonja was going to kill her.
It was hard to wrap her mind around that fact. Not because of her immortality--or lack thereof in this case--but because she had considered Sonja her friend. Eva knew that Sonja had been upset with her this time, because she had put Letesha in danger; but now she wondered if Sonja had been upset because she had seen Eva again, and had remembered who, exactly, she was going to murder. Had she remembered all that they've been through, how many times Eva had saved her ass?
The shock was slowly being replaced with anger. She could feel it, welling deep inside her, slowly consuming her whole. She had missed it, from so long ago, when revenge had been on the tip of her tongue every day, existing only to kill the person that had killed her. She had tucked the rage and pain into a box and tucked it away, keeping it well-hidden.
She grinned, baring her teeth in the dark. She felt her lionness stir inside her, growing anxious and alive from the swirl of hot, molten rage. She would play, if that's what Sonja wanted. She would remember the taste for blood.
She would kill, before she was killed.
*****
Eva stood outside of the simple house located just outside the city limits. It was one story, not very large, but probably adequate for the psychic living inside of it. Lights shined behind the curtains; Eva knew he was expecting her, just like he'd known she would be paying him a visit tonight.
She walked up to the front door and opened it, breathing in the vanilla incense that was suppose to have a calming effect.
"Good evening, Eva," Lawrence said, sitting in the living room on a couch in front of a glass coffee table. Tarot cards, candles and other various occult items were laying on top of it. "Please, have a seat." He gestured to the love seat that was across from him."
Eva sat on the edge of the seat. "You know why I'm here, so don't give me the bullshit you hand out to everyone else."
"Straight to the point. I like that about you."
Lawrence stood and walked to the kitchen; he returned a second later holding a mug of chamomile tea. "I would've offered you some, but i knew that you'd refuse," he told Eva. "Now, let's start. You want to hear about my vision, I presume."
"Yes."
"What exactly do you want to know?
"I want you to tell me what you saw."
Lawrence sighed. "I saw the vampire attack Lady Pedibastet--"
"No you didn't," Eva interrupted. "A vampire didn't attack Pedibastet; a human did."
Lawrence took a sip of his tea. "And who told you that?"
"Pedibastet wouldn't get a fact like that wrong."
"True," Lawrence agreed, "But she would lie about a detail like that."
"Other vampires saw this human; they would be able to tell--"
"But have you seen this human?"
"No. I didn't need to. I was hired to find the Vipera; I was told she was in Raven's Point. I didn't need to ask questions; I just came here to find her and bring her back."
"You would condemn me to the same fate you had?"
Eva jumped to her feet at the woman's voice; her dagger was in her hand as the human with dark blonde hair and brown eyes walked to her.
"Who are you?" she demanded, angry that she hadn't sense a human in the house.
The woman just stood there, staring at her, not saying anything.
Eva studied the human; there was something ... off about her. It took her a second, but she figured out what it was.
Her heartbeat. She didn't have one. She smelled human, she looked human, but she wasn't.
"Martina?"
The woman nodded and smiled; Eva noticed the absence of fangs. Viperas had the hardest time fitting in since their fangs always stayed elongated.
"Not what you expected, is it?" she asked Eva, who shook her head.
"Definitely not," she replied, sheathing her dagger but stayed standing. "Did you do this?" she asked Lawrence.
"No, I did."
Jordan appeared in the room, her milky white eyes on Eva, who rolled hers.
"Now it's a party," she muttered. Sighing, she sat back down and rubbed her temples. "One of you, please explain how you did this." She gestured towards Martina.
"It's a difficult procedure, but as you can see, it works like a charm," Jordan answered. "It requires a massive amount of power, and skill. With this, any vampire can appear human for up to twenty-four hours, depending on how strong the witch was that created the spell. Of course, some witches like myself are able to charm an object, like a piece of crystal, which makes the person wearing the charm appear human as long as they're wearing the charm."
"And who, besides yourself, is able to create a charm like that?" Eva asked.
"I'm not sure," she replied. "I'll ask around. I suggest you go talk to the 'human' that attacked Pedibastet. She should be able to provide the answers you need."
****
Eva had to admit, it felt good to be able to enter Lacuna and not fear for her life. The Guards glared as she walked past, but they were forbidden to harm her--for now, at least.
She walked to the Prison, and waited while the Guard at the door conferred with Warden Davis as to whether or not Eva was allowed inside. Warden Davis himself came to the door.
"Eva, what a pleasant surprise," he said.
Eva arched an eyebrow. There wasn't any of his usual sarcasm, which was shocking. In fact, there wasn't any emotion on his face.
"Likewise," she said, glancing at the Guard, who's face was now equally void.
She looked back at the Warden.
"I know you're not human," she said.
The Warden's face didn't change.
"I just want to talk," Eva said, feeling herself slip back into her detective talk, as Emily had always referred to it as.
"It's too late for talking," Warden Davis said, his voice monotone. "It's your turn to listen."
Eva gasped as something grabbed her aura and pulled; she flew through the doorway, slamming into the wall. The door shut; Warden Davis's body collapsed just inside the door.
The Vipera was petite, slender, with long brown hair and startling garnet eyes. She grinned at Eva, baring her fangs, razor sharp and coated with venom that was deadly to Pantheras.
"How nice of you to join us," she said.
Eva glared at got to her feet. Being thrown into a wall did not improve her mood; especially when she could still feel a tinge of ... something clinging to her aura. She didn't like it; she felt infected, dirty.
"Let's cut the bullshit. Who the fuck created the charm."
The Vipera laughed and tossed Eva across the room psychically this time. While that didn't leave any trace of goo attached to her aura, it pissed her off even more.
Eva growled as she jumped to her feet, her nails lengthening into claws. The Vipera laughed.
"You will not win if you fight me."
Eva lunged towards the Vipera, who stepped to the side and used Eva's momentum to toss her, yet again.
Eva struck back with her mind; the Vipera stumbled but wasn't affected by the blow as much as a "normal" vampire would have been. Eva was strong physically, and could hold her own psychically; but this Vipera was a lot stronger than she was. If this fight continued, Eva would die.
"Who made the charm!" Eva tried again, ducking as the Vipera tried to slice her open with a sword she'd stolen from a Guard. Eva's dagger was in her hand; she threw it at the Vipera, the blade embedding itself in the vampire's leg. While she was momentarily distracted by the pain Eva tackled her, shifting into her lion form.
Eva growled, baring her fangs. The Vipera looked surprised, but not fearful.
Who made the charm? she asked again.
A vampire, the Vipera replied.
Eva flexed her claws, digging them into the vampire's shoulder.
The vampire shrieked, her garnet eyes shimmering like fire.
Liar. There's no way a vampire created that.
Are you sure? You obviously don't know the redhead like you thought you did.
Sonja? That's not possible.
"Try my blood. You know blood memories won't lie," the vampire said. "Look, I'm only a puppet in this damn thing. I'm not willing to risk my life for some stupid feud."
Eva shifted back, her fingers still deep in the vampire's flesh. She removed her fingers from the wound, the Vipera's blood cold and slick on her skin.
"Why should I believe you?"
The Vipera tilted her head, exposing her throat to Eva, a silent offering.
Eva's fangs elongated; she leaned forward and sank her teeth into the Vipera's neck.
Memories flooded her mind; she pushed through them until she found the one she was looking for. Eva leaned back, the bitter taste of the Vipera's blood lingering in her mouth.
"See? I told you the truth," the vampire said.
"So you did." Eva leaned back, grabbed the dagger from the vampire's thigh and plunged it in her heart. "Never said I wouldn't kill you afterwards."
Eva stood, wiping the dagger's blade clean against her pants.
She had one more vampire to kill.
--break--
Every other house on the street was dark, the occupants sound asleep inside. The lights in the living room were still on; Eva could hear the muffle sounds of the television from the sidewalk where she stood. She could sense only a human in the house; Sonja had been called away for an important meeting with an informant. Lawrence had agreed to call Sonja away from her house, and Deidre would be waiting to greet her. They two of them could keep Sonja busy long enough for Eva to complete her plan.
She walked to the door; with every step her self-hatred increasing. She really, really didn't want to do this. She knew firsthand what it felt like, what the cost would be.
She just hoped she could live with herself afterwards.
She grit her teeth and knocked on the door.
"What's up, Eva?" Letesha asked, standing aside to let Eva inside. "Why are you up so late?"
"I could ask you the same."
Eva was surprised that Sonja hadn't had a witch put any charms on the house; while they wouldn't prevent a vampire from entering the house, they would take a little time for a vampire to get around.
Letesha laughed; Eva noted the bitter undertone with surprise.
"Mom had some important client to go see. It could have waited; we were in the middle of a movie marathon."
"What movies were you watching?" Eva asked, pleased that Sonja hadn't told Letesha they'd had an agreement. She had always been the "cool aunt" while Sonja was the overprotective mother, yet another factor that now worked to her advantage.
"Every chick flick we could find. Right now we're watching Twilight. Wanna join? Mom should be back soon."
"Sure."
Eva took a seat on the couch, on the opposite end from Letesha. She stared at the television screen, pretending to watch as the vampire sparkled. Her humanity was an annoying hum in the back of her brain, telling her not to go through with this, that there had to be another way.
Eva sat completely still, and built her power. She heard Letesha's gasp and glanced at her.
Letesha's eyes were wide as she stared at Eva. Eva could imagine what she saw: her auburn hair, golden eyes, and once she opened her mouth, her fangs. Eva's power was thick in the room; it would make the room feel heavy to Letesha, make it hard to breathe. Letesha would see Eva as she really was, one of the most powerful vampires in the world. At least, she would be, once she tasted blood again.
Eva just hoped she could stop in time.
"What--"
Eva looked into Letesha's eyes, using her psychic powers to make her relax, to not scream and wake the neighbors.
Letesha relaxed, all fear gone from her body. Eva didn't want to do this, but since she was going to she might as well make it as painless as possible. She wasn't sadistic.
She made Letesha stand and walk to her. Eva turned her head, exposing her neck, her pulsing vein full of hot blood.
Eva's mouth salivated at the thought, and she forced herself to relax.
She leaned in close, baring her teeth, and bit Letesha.
It had been so long since Eva had tasted human blood. It was hot and smooth on her tongue, so different from what she was used to. She could feel her power swirling in the room, excited by the energy flowing from Letesha into her.
All to soon she pulled herself away from Letesha. The girl's skin was white, her pulse erratic, the mutation in the vampire's saliva working its way through her system.
Eva laid her down on the couch, and simply stared.
She watched Letesha's pulse slow, then stop.
She felt her heart break at the stillness. She closed her eyes and bowed her head, a silent prayer for forgiveness.
*****
It was almost five a.m. when Eva appeared outside Lawrence's house. Usually she would have arrived inside his house, but she had felt the numerous amulets and charms that guarded his house when she'd been here last. His house was quiet and still in the early morning... too quiet.
Eva frowned and reached inside with her energy, surprised when she didn't feel the snap and crackle of energy slapping her back.
The scent of blood drifted towards her nostrils, and a mix of fear and anger raced through her as she burst through the door.
The lights had been left on; Eva could see Lawrence's body, which had been ripped to shreds by a panther. His blood still smelled sweet, even in death. She also smelled shifter blood--leopard, like Deidre Valence. She smelled a vampires' blood, and her lioness paced, irritated by another feline in what she considered her territory.
Eva hissed in anger as she turned, blocking the attack by Sonja.
"You set me up!"
Eva ducked as Sonja tried to punch her; Eva threw her energy at Sonja, sending her slamming into the wall. Eva stood calmly as Sonja stood, her shoulder dangling awkwardly.
"You were going to kill me."
Sonja shook her head. "And who told you that, the witch?" She spat in the direction of his corpse. "Lies, all of it."
"I believe it," Eva said. "Especially when the vipera you used corroborated it."
Sonja curled her lip. "I don't deal with those reptiles."
"Hmm." Eva pretended to consider it as she ducked and punched Sonja in the chest. The vampire hit the wall behind her; several bones cracked. Eva grabbed Sonja's throat, pinning her there. "There's one way to tell for sure, isn't there?"
Sonja growled, deep in her throat and her eyes bled gold. Eva threw her power at Sonja, knocking back her panther and preventing her from shifting. Eva hid her surprise; she hadn't known she could do that, it had been more of a hope that she'd do something.
Eva leaned forward, bearing her teeth, and bit Sonja. After drinking a human's blood after so many years of drought, the cold ambrosia couldn't compare.
She found the memories: Pedibastet summoned Sonja, gave her the order to kill Eva; Sonja, refusing at first, her eyes golden as Pedibastet threatened to turn Letesha herself.
Eva released Sonja, who slid to the floor. She taken a lot of blood, even if it hadn't seemed like it at the time.
"She threatened Letesha..." Sonja said, her voice quiet. "I couldn't... I had to do it, Eva...."
Eva shook her head and smirked mirthlessly. "It was suicide," she told her. "Pedibastet knew that I wouldn't roll over and let you kill me. I'd take you with me. Besides, what would Letesha do when you died? You don't have any relatives. Pedibastet would have turned her anyway, or done worse." She crouched down, close to Sonja and whispered in her ear, "You've already lost her."
*****
Weeks passed; Pedibastet granted Eva amnesty, and allowed her back into Lacuna. She moved back to her old house in the city; she couldn't stay in Raven's Point any longer.
Martina slipped away to Oasis, the city where most of the Viperas live, located not far from Twentynine Palms in California. Eva never figured out how Martina was connected with everything, or whether she just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Pedibastet never told her, and would always change the subject when Eva brought it up. Finally she just stopped asking.
Pedibastet gave her a job at the Jail; she actually took Warden Davis's old job. Eva didn't like it; she'd rather be out there working than dealing with paperwork, but at least she didn't have a Helsing hanging over her head.
There was one thing that still bothered her, though. Lawrence had predicted her death, and yet she was still alive. Aside from the vipera at the Jail, no one had attacked her, or even attempted to. His prediction to Sonja--that the ending was the same, no matter which path she chose--had been true, once you thought about it. If Sonja hadn't agreed to kill Eva, Pedibastet would have turned Letesha. But when she agreed to, Eva had turned Letesha. She'd heard from numerous shifters and vampires that Lawrence was one of the most gifted psychics there were. It was like he'd created Fate itself and was reading from the book. It didn't make sense for his prediction not to come true.
There was an photograh taped to her door one day when she got home from the Jail; she grit her teeth as she saw Sonja's severed head, surrounded by a pool of blood. The vampire's face was cut and bruised; her eyes were missing, as was her tongue.
"Harsh," Eva said as she let herself inside her house.
She smelled a feline right before something crashed into her.
Eva's head smacked against the wall; stunned, she didn't raise an arm to defend herself as Letesha held her there by the throat.
"You tricked me," Letesha said, squeezing Eva's throat so hard Eva feared she'd snap the vertebrae. Eva bared her fangs and growled. Letesha might be angry, but she had nowhere near as much power as Eva.
Eva built her power to throw it at Letesha when a sharp pain in her abdomen stopped her. She looked down at the knife hilt sticking out of her belly.
She looked at Letesha and laughed. "Is that all?"
Letesha smiled back. "Even you can't survive a Vipera's venom."
The flesh around the knife started to burn like acid as the venom made its way through her blood. Eva grabbed the knife and pulled; she shrieked in pain. Eva swung the knife at Letesha, stopping the blade at her neck. The vampire tilted her head up, offering an easier target.
"I'm not going to kill you," Eva said, struggling to remain upright. The venom was still hot in her blood, but it would numb the pain soon. When that happened she'd be dead, or close to dying.
"Oh, is this your poetic last stand?" Letesha taunted, still smiling. She was going to enjoy watching Eva die.
Eva smirked and glanced over Letesha's shoulder.
"You just attacked and will have killed Pedibastet's Heir soon. Surely Sonja told you the punishment for that."
Letesha's smile slid off her face as she turned and looked behind her.
Pedibastet herself stood there, watching as Eva's legs gave out and she slid down the wall. Anger pulsed around her, like a golden swirl. Eva could practically see her lion pacing before her.
Bernetta, Eva's sire, stood behind her, her eyes hard as steel.
"You are tortured until you die... which won't be for a very long time," Bernetta said. "I'll make sure of it."
Letesha attempted to run but only stepped once before Bernetta was there, pinning her to the ground and securing the collar around her neck. This prevented her from using her mental powers to free herself.
Bernetta disappeared with the young vampire, taking her to Jail, leaving Pedibastet alone with Eva.
"You knew what you risked when you turned her," she said.
The numbness was working its way up Eva's body; it was at her waist now.
Eva shrugged. "I knew she'd succeed where i failed."
Pedibastet shook her head. "Is the life Bernetta granted you so bad?"
Eva couldn't answer. It was, because she missed her old life. But on the other hand, she had grown used to the power, to the strength she now had. She'd gotten used to her lioness, which had lain down and closed its eyes, giving up.
"Yes," she said, "and no."
Pedibastet knelt down beside her; Eva felt the numbness spreading through her chest.
"You can't save me," Eva said, "it's too late."
For the first time, Eva saw Pedibastet smile.
"Bastet will not let one of her own die."
Pedibastet held our hands over Eva; She closed her eyes and started chanting in a foreign language Eva had never heard before, but she could feel the power in the words. A golden ball of light formed underneath Pedibastet's hands; it was the last thing Eva saw before she succumbed to the darkness.