My Little Ventrue Pt. 08 Ch. 10

"Just going to show up unannounced?" she asked, half yelling. She wore typical jeans and t-shirt, completely at odds with the decor, but totally predictable for a Gangrel. "I suppose you're wanting to cash in on the favor."

Favor? He almost asked about it, but stopped himself. Right right, avenging Barry.

"Not really, no. Not yet at least. We're here because Michael's pissed you're not out there, dealing with the Carthians," he said.

Hella groaned, and motioned for them to come join her. They did, and they followed her backstage where scene props were, and then down below to the dressing rooms. There was no threat here, nothing to make Jessy or Jack hesitate or look over their shoulders for a knife coming for the back. Of course, Kindred would always be Kindred, and it paid to not be too carefree, but Jack felt more or less relaxed.

Hella used a key to open a secure door, and another to open another secure door. Then it was down, and down, into an underground passage. Stone and metal, deep in the Earth where only a creature that didn't need oxygen could feel comfortable.

"Last time I was here, I couldn't find anyway in," he said. He'd been down there before, and other than what looked like some kind of tunnel through water deep in the Earth, Isabella's secret path starting from the catwalks above seemed like the only way in.

"You can never be too careful." She shrugged at him. "There may be more ways, there may not. I have no obligation to tell you."

Jessy growled, a very animal sound, but nodded. "Yeah, we know, Hella. Kid was just curious."

Hella smirked, but shrugged again. Good, no follow up meant she wasn't feeling too aggressive. If she wasn't on edge, than Isabella might not be either.

After a long journey down spiraling stairs cut into stone, they came out into the cave that was Hella's home. Not the way he came in last time he was here, this time stepping out from behind a heavy curtain, and out onto a higher part of the cave. The very well decorated cave that might as well have been a scene from The Phantom of the Opera. It even had some dress mannequins, and a big comfy, fancy four poster bed.

"No no no!" Isabella, wrapped in some sort of gorgeous, blue, fluffy nightgown that belonged on a woman who'd recently killed her rich husband for his money, walked around the bed. A couple of Kindred sat around it, as did a couple of kine, likely ghouls, and everyone was watching the two Kindred on the bed. "You're not capturing the sheer taboo nature of the act."

Jack raised a brow, looked at Jessy, who returned the confused look, before they both shrugged and followed Hella as she led them down the winding twists on the floor of the cave. Lots of lit candles, hanging curtains, beautiful paintings, a chandelier, it was like Maria's den, except less morose.

On the cave floor beside the bed sat another kine Jack hadn't seen before, and whoever he was, he was out cold. Alive, but comatose, from a Kiss no doubt. The two Kindred on the bed were hidden under the blanket, a white woman and a black man, and the man was currently lying on the girl's back. And, from the smell in the air and the flushed look on her cheeks, they were very aroused; probably them who Kissed the kine.

"Taboo?" Jessy said, smirk on her face as she approached, taking slow steps down the carved stairs of the stone cave. "What's taboo about this? Ass fucking? Not really the best position for that, F Y I. Get a pillow under your hips, girl."

The group of actors and actresses chuckled, but Jack rolled his eyes and shook his head. Yeah, he'd forced Jessy to handle Isabella so he wouldn't have to, but that didn't mean Jessy had to go all... Jessy on him. Fuck. He really should have asked for something better.

"It's a period piece," Isabella said as she folded her arms across her chest. "I don't suppose you understand what that means?"

Jessy raised a brow, looked to the two people covered in a blanket on the bed, at the fancy old fashioned dress on the foot of the bed, at the field worker's clothes beside them, and then to Isabella. "Oh, I get it. Black dude, white girl?"

Isabella almost snarled, but a sheet of ice covered her cold face instead. "Indeed."

"Harcourt involved?" Jessy nodded to herself, as if she'd come to a great idea. "Dude's smoking hot, and black."

It took every ounce of discipline Jack had to not hit Jessy upside the head. That could wait till later.

"None of the hunters are members of this performance," the Daeva said, glaring.

Jessy raised a brow, and gestured with her chin to the other side of the cave. A few more actors and actresses stood around, chatting, nodding, and holding up various costume pieces in front of themselves. Some sort of feedback group then. Two of the hunters, Dennis and Marge, stood with them, chatting away.

"Jessy, I'm going to speak with the hunters," Jack said. "Can you--"

"Yeah yeah. Don't forget what you owe me though." Jessy winked at him, walked over to Isabella, and sat down on the foot of the bed, big grin on her face.

The more Jack thought about it, the more he realized he'd made a bad trade. Jessy liked confrontation, and considering how condescending Isabella often was, the Gangrel was probably aching for an opportunity to get uppity with her. Maybe Jack could haggle with her over his deal?

He laughed quietly to himself as he approached Dennis and Marge. He hadn't even asked Antoinette if he could make a deal like that, a sex tape or something of them together, to give to Jessy. No way she'd say no, or so he thought, but there was a chance she'd say no. Maybe. Possibly.

Nah. Antoinette was perfectly comfortable with the idea of fucking in front of an audience, both in person, and planet-wide. So comfortable, she'd take requests from the audience for positions, mid sex. He could see it now. She'd be riding him, pull out her smart phone, and put up a global poll for people to vote on the next position. Live voting.

Maybe Jessy and Antoinette, and Elaine, had more in common than he thought?

"Marge, Dennis," he said once he got close.

The group of vampires backed away, offering him small bows. Uncomfortable. One of the vampires was younger than him, but the other few were older than him. They all looked a little frightened. The two hunters, on the other hand, looked terrified of him, which of course soon had the other vampires even more scared.

"Jack," Dennis said eventually. "You uh, you here for us?"

"No. You can all calm down, I'm not here for any of you." That managed to dial them down from nine to eight on the panic scale, at least. "Jessy and I are here to... speak to Isabella." He didn't mean to pause there; just wanted to avoid telling these guys what they were actually going to say to their boss. But the pause made it sound indirectly threatening, and the group of them, vampires included, stirred and looked over him to Isabella.

"She in trouble?" one of the actresses said.

"Covenant business," he said. Which only made things worse. Fuck. "Don't worry about it. So, Dennis, Marge, how is it in Dolareido?"

"Could be worse," Marge said, a small smile managing to emerge. "I mean, considering we were pretty sure we were dead, when you... you know. Being stuck in Dolareido is, um, frustrating, but we're pretty happy compared to the alternative."

"They holding a grudge for Barry's death?"

"Nope," they said together.

"Good. Isabella and Hella treating you well?"

"We're not really sure," Dennis said. "How do vampires normally treat prisoners in Dolareido?"

Jack looked down as he held his chin. Tell them? No, probably not a good idea. Maria, Michael, Viktor, Jacob, they all did some pretty nasty shit to kine they felt deserved it, or kine they wanted to use as kindling for their actual purposes. Even Antoinette kept live prisoners indefinitely, as potential emergency blood sources.

"Not like this," he said. "You guys aren't true prisoners. You're an opportunity. The Prince is a peaceful Prince, and she'll play the long game to make that peace a reality. You two and Harcourt are another tool in her toolkit. Once she's satisfied you guys understand what we're about, she'll let you go." And if she's not satisfied, she'll probably lock the three of you up. But no reason to tell them that.

"How long will that take?" Dennis asked.

Jack shrugged. "No idea. How much of Dolareido have you seen? Er, better question. How much of Dolareido have you seen with vampires doing what they do in it?"

Marge nodded. "You mean, have we seen vamps go on hunts and stuff?"

"Yeah."

"We've seen a few, yes. Been to Bloodlust a few times." She squirmed a little as she said it. "And we've been fed on a few times." And from the way she wriggled when she said it, that feeding had been intense, pleasurable, and sexual. Dennis's reaction was identical.

"Anyone slip you any of their blood?"

"No," Dennis said. "But I mean, how would we know if they had?"

"Overwhelming infatuation and obsession with one of the Kindred, generally unwarranted."

Marge winced and looked down. "Uh, I don't think there's been anything like that. But, uh--"

Laughing, Jack put up his hands. "If you're in with the vamps in Dolareido, it's like... winning the lottery, and going on vacation in Las Vegas. Yeah, you're going to get buried in so much sex and indulgence, you'll get whiplash."

"You got that right," Dennis said, and he smiled at some of the nearby vampires. They returned it.

"Where's Harcourt?" Jack asked.

Dennis shook his head. "Dunno. Despite her best efforts, I don't think Miss Leauvion's been able to convince Brace to get involved in her plays."

"That the reason she got her claws into you so early? Just... for the plays?"

"Seems to be a large part of it, yeah. There's been a few occasions where she's kinda negotiated with other Kindred to get to talk to us; probably traded for it."

Jack raised a brow at that. "But, you're not trapped under Isabella, or Hella. You're stuck in the city, but no Kindred is allowed to keep you under their thumb."

Marge nodded. "I guess. She is a bit... insistent, that we should be careful about leaving the comfort of her care, though."

Jack frowned at that. Of course the damn woman would be manipulating the hunters, without actually quite breaking the Prince's decree. He'd fix that before he left.

"Any idea where I can find Harcourt?"

"Probably hanging with the Carthians."

Interesting. Harcourt had a personality that didn't exactly fit the hunter mold. Maybe he felt more comfortable in the borderline anarchist environment of the Carthians?

Jack nodded. "Alright, I'll talk to Isabella, and then... well, keep your heads down, ok?"

"You mean right now?" Marge asked.

"I mean in general. City isn't perfectly safe."

"It is filled with vampires. I mean--"

"It's not that," Jack said. "Just... be careful." Before they, or the listening vampires could interject, not that they would considering they were afraid of him, he marched back from where he came, to get involved in the conversation between Jessy and Isabella.

Conversation, not argument. Surprising. Considering Jessy being Jessy, he'd expected to find his fellow Right Hand throwing curses at the older Daeva, but she hadn't. Nope, she'd sat down on the bed with the two actors, and was in the process of ripping the blanket off them.

"No no!" Jessy said, voice louder, but not angry. Impassioned was probably a better word, though Jack had trouble understanding what was going on. "The sex shouldn't be gentle. He should be grinding into her. Come on, if we're playing up the rich girl seduces farm hand, it's been a long, slow tease, right? When he gives in, it should be like an animal!" She gestured to the two on the bed, who were actually having sex -- or had been -- until Jessy interrupted. Authenticity, or at least compelling performances, evidently meant a lot to Isabella.

"Madam Herrington," Jack said, frowning at his partner, "did you speak with her?"

"What? Yeah yeah, she knows what's up. If we have come back down here, we'll crack some skulls and ruin her next play."

Hella did not like that threat. The Gangrel prowled over toward them, but Isabella held out her arm and cut her off.

"The Right Hands are correct," Isabella said, no effort made to hide the ice in her voice. "Mister McDonald does not care for the arts, and we have become too involved in our passions."

Jack managed a small smile. "I get you."

The Daeva's glare could have cut steel. "Do you, Mister Terry?"

Wow, damn. Much as Isabella was a cold woman, Jack half expected her to treat him with at least a little politeness. He'd gotten revenge for Barry, one of their actors. But no, the fact the Right Hands had come to interrupt something important to her meant she was pissed. Time to play diplomat again.

"Yes, I understand, Madam Leauvion. I know how it feels when you get a hook, in the brain, you know? I know exactly what it's like when something grabs you, and you spend all night and day sinking energy into it. It eats you up, in delightful masochism. And for any Daeva, I imagine that that's an even stronger sensation. You want to master your craft, and create works that resonate." He said 'resonate' very carefully, with emphasis and articulation, and the satisfied smile on Isabella's face told him he'd struck home. "And when outside interference gets in the way, it's beyond frustrating, because you know that the energy filling you right now can be fickle. You want to strike while the fire's hot, right?"

"Are you an artist, Mister Terry?" she asked, some ice in her voice gone. "You speak like someone who knows."

"I've dabbled, when I was human."

"But not since?"

"No, I guess not. Haven't really had the time." Or the desire, really. Ever since he was embraced, his mental energy naturally gravitated toward different things, usually anything that involved growing his skill, power, and status as an Invictus. Being a Ventrue had changed him. He used to have a lot of skills, a natural at anything he put his mind to, and it was a bonding point between him and Antoinette. But he wasn't that guy anymore. Kinda sad, really, now that he thought about it.

And because he could not fucking stop wearing his emotions on his sleeve, Isabella smiled as she watched him, catching what he was thinking.

"My troupe are afraid of you, Jack," she said, and Jack raised a brow at the dropping of title. "The hunters, and my Kindred. The stories about you, about the things you've done, the hunters have corroborated them."

"Is that why you got your fingers into them so quickly? To ask them questions about me?" Ugh, he didn't want to talk to her. She was mean. Jessy was supposed to be talking to her, and was, and he was the idiot that interrupted that.

"Partly. Partly for more obvious reasons. Partly because I did wish to see them in my work. And, partly, because they are delicious." She licked her lips as she said it, and it was pretty damn obvious she meant more than just their blood. To seal the image, Hella grinned a big grin beside her.

Time to spoil her night even more, then.

"Right, well, you've been hogging them. Let others have a turn," he said, earning a bark laugh from Jessy.

Isabella scowled, and the ice returned in full force. "I have not been--"

"I really don't have patience for a back-and-forth of indirectness, Isabella. You know what I mean, and you know what you're doing. Marge and Dennis are supposed to be seeing more of Dolareido, so Antoinette can convince them we're not really worth other hunters' time, remember?"

Fuck. One moment he had patience, and the next he didn't. Something about Isabella and her deceitful, manipulative attitude really got under his skin, and now that he had the power to rip her into pieces, fear didn't hold back his tongue.

Yeap, this was why he wanted Jessy to do the talking. With Jessy, getting uppity and angry and stuff was the norm. With him, cutting through the bullshit and getting a point across quickly, was taken a lot more harshly. Both because of his known past as a keeper of the peace, and his recent curse.

"I thought you were a Right Hand of the Invictus, not an assistant to the sheriff?" she said, a sneer slowly creeping across her face. "Michael would prefer we keep them locked down here indefinitely. Yet, it seems like you're putting your lover's desires over his."

Wow, she didn't back down, like he thought she would. Hell, she'd said it herself, the hunters corroborated the rumors. She knew what he could do.

Jessy was right. Isabella had eyes for growth in the Invictus hierarchy, and she never forgave him for becoming the next Right Hand. And the problem was, she'd just insulted him in front of a group of people. His status was at stake, and to an Invictus, status was everything. He understood that, got that, and fuck him, he even kinda liked that about the Invictus; the Ventrue in him was coming out.

He snarled, very quietly, and took a step toward her, eyes locked onto hers. She took a step back, so did her girlfriend, and the two of them glared at him like angry animals suddenly cornered by a much larger animal. Every Kindred nearby froze. The Beast in his gut roared its triumphant power, and theirs huddled back, whimpering.

"You think I'm Antoinette's bitch, is that it?" The word choice had everyone staring, and he ground his teeth hard enough his fangs emerged. "Michael wants you to get off your ass, and stop Garry from pushing in on our territory more than he already has. But you're so self absorbed, you can only think about indulging your obsessions." He nodded toward the hunters behind him, who had drifted closer along with the other vampires. He was now the center of attention for everyone in the cave. Lovely. "And hey, I get it. I know exactly what it's like when something grabs hold of you and you can't help but pour every bit of focus you have into it. But instead of a reasonable conversation, you want to be a fucking pain in my ass?" He took another step forward, and again Isabella and Hella stepped back. "You know what Michael wants you to do, and you'll do it. Now you know what the Prince wants you to do it, and you'll do it, because it's the smart thing to do. And because I told you to."

Hella slipped under Isabella's protecting arm, and marched toward him, eyes glaring. "You can't just walk into our home and--"

Jack met her eyes. The world stopped. Everyone watching petrified, and Hella became a statue as she realized what was happening to her. What had happened to her. She was what, maybe thirty years embraced? Not even in her ancilla years. Breaking past the barrier all Kindred -- and paranormals -- had guarding their mind was easy. More than easy, he had to make an active effort to hold back his Beast and keep it from ripping into her damn mind. It was a gamble he did not want to make, but the situation was quickly spiraling out of control and he had to get it under control, now.

With another quiet growl, Jack pointed at her, and then slowly pointed at the bed. With a quiet whimper and broken eyes, the warrior woman inched her way over to the bed, and sat down on the foot of it.

"Let me make this perfectly clear," Jack said. "This isn't a negotiation. Don't mistake my kindness for weakness or passivity. You're all members of the Invictus. Do what MacDonald says, or I'll make you. You're all Kindred of Dolareido. Do what the Prince says, or I'll make you. Understood?"

Everyone except for Hella and Isabella nodded vigorously. They nodded too, once a few moments of deadly silence passed.

"So this is how it is?" Isabella said. "We're to be enemies?"

"You fucking shitting me?" Laughing, Jessy hopped off the bed, and put a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Dude's the best friend you could ask for. He just saved you a whole lot of pain. All you gotta do is listen, and everyone comes out better." She saluted the two Kindred, waved to everyone else, and turned to leave with Jack.