Season Content Notes: violence, sex

Leyla

Leyla herded everyone into the living room and grabbed a spot on the arm of a couch. Victor, as usual, went right for a spot by the window. It surprised her a bit to see Nastasia grab Karen’s arm and lead her to the two small arms chairs, leaving…

A grin split Leyla’s face. Leaving the couch itself for Marcus and Benj. Yeah, from the look Benj and Nastasia shared, that was entirely intentional.

Leyla had heard Benj and Nastasia talking in the middle of the night. Now she had a good guess on what they had been talking about. Something to file away for later.

“I’m not sure where to start,” Nastasia said, cutting off Leyla’s thoughts. “I guess… Well, we don’t actually know, you know, why we’re vampires. The oldest clans came from the area that’s now Romania. Most of the clans fled during the witch burnings or to escape the Dracul — who was not one of us.

“I think magic was involved in the creation of the clans, something that bound us to our patrons.”

Leyla shifted and glanced at Marcus. “Magic? As in… not vampire magic?”

“Oh! No, humans have magic too. Well, actually humans HAVE magic, vampires don’t. We can’t do spells or anything. We’re bound to our patrons and get abilities from them.

“Lună clan gets three gifts from Lună — vision, stealth, and sleep. You’ve seen how sleep works, vision–“

“Is why I can see individual birds a mile away from here, I’m guessing,” Victor said, not looking away from the window.

Leyla hopped up and went to stand next to Victor. In the distance, she could see the swirl of a flock of starlings. “I can’t see that.”

“Yeah, I don’t…” Nastasia started over, “Not everyone gets the gifts the same way. I don’t have far-sight, but since I came of age my night vision has been improving, and I can’t be fooled by most camouflage. Lună’s chosen get stronger gifts than anyone else, but gifts also increase with age. So I get more than anyone else my age, but some of the elders of the clan can do more than I can.”

“And because we’re your sotii?” Karen asked, “We get gifts as well? Stealth sounds fun.”

Nastasia laughed and the sound ran up and down Leyla like a caress. Leyla had to grab Victor’s shoulder to keep her feet.

“How likely is Karen to get stealth gifts?” Benj asked from behind her. “Because when all this is over I want Vision-Victor against Stealth-Karen and a big bowl of popcorn.”

Leyla looked at Victor’s pole-axed expression and had to laugh herself. Benj was absolutely right, that would be fun to watch.

From a safe distance.

“I don’t know as much as I should,” Nastasia said, but you should all get some of each of the gifts. Vision is usually the first, or at least the most obvious.”

“Anyone else have anything?” Marcus asked, sounding a bit odd. Leyla turned around to see Benj had his arm slung across the back of the couch and Marcus was sitting stiff as a board.

She had to hide a grin.

“Um.” Karen raised her hand, “I think so? At least… I wondered why no one had bothered to properly conceal weapons today? And how do I know Benj has a stiletto tucked into the sole of his boot? Also show me how you did that, because I need one of those.”

Benj started to answer but Marcus cut him off. “Later.” Marcus rubbed his eyes, looking around the room. “It started this morning. I can tell Benj is still sick. It’s like the light is hitting him wrong.”

Nastasia smiled at him eyes gleaming. “Clear sight. You’ll also be able to see wounds and weaknesses.” She flushed and cleared her throat, “According to Ezana it can have… other uses.”

“Other–” Marcus shut his mouth with a snap and turned to study the floor. Leyla was pretty sure that if she was still sitting next to him she’d feel the heat of his blush.

“Weaknesses, huh?” Victor whistled. “Hey, Marcus, where’s Leyla ticklish?”

“Don’t you dare!” Leyla squealed when Marcus turned to look at her. “Marcus Lear if you say one damned word I will –“

“Dishes.”

Everyone blinked.

“What?”

“You do the dishes for the next week,” Marcus said, a wicked grin lighting up his face, “And I’ll keep your secret.”

“That’s blackmail!”

“Nah, giving my teammate some extra motivation.”

They were still fighting when the pizza arrived.

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Nastasia

After dinner, while Leyla was cleaning up, I went to sit by Victor. Marcus and Benj cleared out, taking Karen with them — I’m pretty sure that was Marcus giving me a few minutes alone with Victor. We were still awkward together, but now that we’d figured out how to use our words, we were working together so much better.

It made me hopeful.

“Are you always on guard?” I asked Victor, peering out to see the road and the buildings across the street.

He chuckled. “The team like to tease me, but I just like to see the horizon. Not a bad idea times like now, though, when we don’t have any kind of perimeter set up.”

“I can see that.”

Not that I was looking out the window at the moment. As far as I was concerned, he made a much better view than the cars and buildings. I was still convinced noses shouldn’t be sexy, but that didn’t stop me from loving the long line of his. Victor was long everywhere I could see. Long legs, long face, long fingers that I could only imagine him putting to use on me… and possibly long elsewhere too.

But I didn’t think I was finding out anytime soon.

“So, you wanted to talk, ma’am?”

Nope, not anytime soon. I sighed.

“You can use my name, you know.”

“Just trying to be respectful. I can guess why you said you’d need a distraction. Having a harder time guessing what you want to talk about.”

“Really?” My eyebrows rose in surprise.

“Really. The only thing I can think of is my being, ah, sotii for you, but you been careful about not pushing us. I’m pretty sure you’d be waiting for me to come to you.” He turned and smiled, not hiding the way he looked me over. “I won’t lie, ma– Nastasia, you do hit my buttons. But I don’t think that’s what brought you over here.”

Somehow, he made it a joke, made it okay to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Marcus, Leyla, and Karen were all intense in their own ways. Benj — and now Victor — I could laugh with.

I liked that.

“No,” I said, “It’s not.” I couldn’t help myself, “But… would you have said anything if I hadn’t?”

He sighed and looked out the window again.

“No, ma’am. No offense, but I’m… not ready for that. And you’ve got enough on your plate. I was figuring once things settle down, see if I could take you out to dinner and get to know each other a bit.”

Oh my. That just… took my breath away. I couldn’t speak for a moment, just blinked back tears and tried to breathe.

“Thank you.”

“Ma’am… ah hell, did I… are you okay?”

I laughed again then, watery but real. “Yes, yes I…” I smiled at him and gestured with my hands, struggling still for words. “I never expected… I never got to date,” I finished lamely.

“Is that so?” he asked, a slow smile spreading across his face, that I had to share. His eyes shining on mine. “Well, Ms. Nastasia, I can see how that might be. But if you’re gonna be my lady, you’d better be ready to be romanced.” He brushed a hair off my cheek and left a butterfly kiss where his fingers had touched. “Because I don’t know where we’re gonna end up, but I do know you deserve to be swept off your feet.”

“Yes. Please.”

Neither of us said anything for a few minutes, smiling foolishly.

“But,” he said finally, “that doesn’t leave me with many ideas of what you do want to talk about.”

“Oh! Um…” I found myself blushing again, for a different reason. “I think…” Then in a rush, “You like Karen, don’t you?”

His face shut down so fast it hurt.

“Ma’am, I don’t know what you are implying–“

“Yeah, Victor Erkin, you do.” It was happening again. Those moments were… it wasn’t Lună, but it was something that gave me some kind of insight, wisdom. Maybe it was part of the gifts of sight to see clearly here, but that didn’t explain how I knew what to say. “You know what I’m saying, and it was like she stabbed you with one of her knives when she said she never expected anyone to want her yesterday.”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “If I said anything, I’d have gotten one or both of us fired.”

“That was then,” it was my turn to lean forward and put a hand on his cheek. “Victor, you’re both sotii. Nothing you choose to do together could be wrong now.”

I had a thought and smirked at him. “It’s the knives, right? And that look she gets in her eyes?”

He nodded sheepishly.

I leaned forward, close enough I could feel his body heat, and whispered into his ear, “If you ask nicely, I’m pretty sure she’d be willing to use those sharps on you.”

He swore and I laughed leaning back into the couch.

“Ma’am,” he said, when he stopped blushing like a fire engine, “even if she… you’ve barely had any time with her yourself.”

This sweet man was too good for me. Really he was. “Victor, Karen is the only one of y’all I am sure of. We haven’t had much time, but it’s been enough.”

“Leyla–“

“Is playing. It’s fun, and I’m enjoying it, but that’s all it is yet. Marcus is doing better at working with me, but still keeping himself at a distance. Benj and I… well, we agreed to get Marcus sorted out first. As you said, I’ve got enough on my plate.

“Take the night with Karen if she agrees. I’ll have a thousand more in the future, and I want her to know that she would never have been alone, even if I hadn’t kidnapped you.

“Just bring back tea for me and Leyla,” I winked.

He stared at me, then nodded. “Alright, ma’am. I’ll go have a word with the lady.”

I stayed by the window while he stood up and crossed the room. But he stopped before leaving and turned back, “I’m, ah, not against a threesome, mind. Eventually.”

“Good to know.”

Once Victor left Leyla came out of the kitchen and gave me a hug. “That went well.”

I laughed. “Eavesdropper.”

“Always.” She hugged me tighter suddenly. “I’m not… Nastasia, I’m not toying with you, I just…”

That sense of rightness was still with me and I turned and quieted her with a kiss. “I said playing Leyla, not toying. I don’t have much experience but I do know the difference.”

“Oh. Good.”

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